Lent daybook, 23: Why are you downcast, oh my soul?
A Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. (You can see previous Lent daybook 2017 posts here)
Prelude to the Transition by Pawel Kwiatkowski (source)
Song for today: Cello Suite, No.3, Prelude by J.S. Bach (performed by Yo-Yo Ma)
Listen to all of the Lent Daybook 2017 songs at this playlist on Spotify: Lent 2017
Readings for today: Psalm 42-43, Jeremiah 10:11-24, Romans 5:12-21, John 8:21-32
“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation[c] 6 and my God.”
Prayer for today:
“O Lord, the house of my soul is narrow; enlarge it that You may enter in.
It is ruinous, O repair it! It displeases Your sight. I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it? To whom shall I cry but to You?
Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord, and spare Your servant from strange sins.”
Spiritual practice for today:
Today, if you are physically able, find a place where you can kneel for ten minutes without interruption. During this time, your knees will ache and you will most likely feel tension in your body because of the unfamiliar position you are holding. Try to ignore any physical signs of discomfort and simply focus on quieting your mind Recite Psalm 27:14: I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (source: Simplifying the Soul)
(see all Lent daybook posts from 2016 here)