...prayerful solitude...

I have discovered, like everyone else, that the desire for prayerful solitude begins with a desire for external solitude, while the real struggle resides within, where our internal struggles and turmoils so distract us that we can desire to give up the pursuit of prayerful solitude.   There are such struggles when we discover the internal struggles of our soul.  Such struggles flood our imaginations and thoughts and feelings, sometimes at every moment of our day.   At times it seems impossible to sustain internal prayerful solitude because of the internal struggles of our soul.  So many questions, unanswered questions and doubts flood our hearts and minds that prayerful solitude escapes us at every turn.  Sometimes prayer is discouraging.

We all experience the truth that something is unmistakenly wrong with our world and within ourselves.   

This is what Augustine meant when he penned his most famous observation in his autobiography, The Confessions of Augustine: God, You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.  What Augustine did so often in his life was to look back and see his sinful, divergent tendencies in his heart.   But throughout his life what Augustine recognized was that true freedom is found within.  Interior freedom is the only true freedom.  Sin disoriented Augustine, as it disorientates each of us.  Sin exposes us for what we have become — fallen human beings.

Dear friends, examine yourself and admit to God openly all of your human struggles and tendencies.  If you allow God to touch your inner self His grace will empower you to deal with the real roots of sin in your life.   We cannot heal ourselves — but God alone can do this.  Make your own interior healing your prayer today.

Lord Jesus Christ, let me no longer hide from You.

Instead, take me with all my weaknesses and history of sin

and cleanse me and heal me and forgive me.

Help me to grow in confidence to come to You

and to give my heart completely to You.

Transform and change me

so that You may more and more be in me.  Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God have mercy on me a sinner.

From the Bible:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” Romans 12:1.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” Revelation 3:20.