Today, March 21, 2020, the Holy Spirit led me to reflect on various prayers found in the Prayer and Life Workshop (PLW) Encounter Prayer Handbook written by Father Ignaico Larranaga. During my intense moments with God, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the first prayer shared with participants during the opening session - #40, Be Still. It is the first verses of this prayer that He spoke to me about today:
How good it is to Pause!
Lord, I would like to slow down right now.
Why so much commotion?
Why so much frenzy?
I do not know how to Stop
I have forgotten to pray.
Now, I close my eyes and want to talk to you, LORD.
The Holy Spirit reminded me how I felt the first time I prayed Be Still - it was August 2018 in a PLW opening session in which I was a participant. I was working in Puerto Rico, longing for fellowship and to further my bible studies in my native English language - a period of personal longing and seeking of God. Today, during this intense moment with God, I was reminded how Be Still resonated deep within my soul that day - about how much I needed to stop, slow down, bow my head and pray - how much I needed to talk to God and how I had pondered that day on how long it had been since I really talked to God – how long since I had turned to God for comfort, refuge and protection.
While meditating on Be Still, the Holy Spirt led me forward in time to January 2020 – just two months ago - to my first opening session I led. I found peace and calm through this prayer and was reminded of my personal need to focus more on God and push back the things that try to invade and consume my precious time with God.
Next, the Holy Spirt led me to rest in the here and now, where today, I had planned to lead participants through PLW’s Session 6 in which we would experience a reconciliation through a Holocaust but God had other plans for me and the participants. Plans which I do not quite understand. Instead over the past 24 hours, I communicated that due to the coronavirus COVID-19, our PLW sessions were suspended for at least two weeks because the Holy Spirit has asked, through the PLW international and national coordination, for the PLW guides, future guides and our participants to use this time for intense prayer and to seek God’s guidance during the time we normally would impart the workshop.
As I continued my reflection on Be Still, I was amazed to realize how everything throughout the world has quickly slowed down over these past five weeks and is now coming to a stop – a forced stop whether we want it to or not. While there is still commotion and frenzy - its focus is different – no longer on the day-to-day things I was focused on five weeks ago but now the focus is on God, asking what does he want from us and on our health and safety as we battle this invisible coronavirus enemy we have named COVID-19. Over the past week, as the world slowed, I realized I now have more time to spend with God and that’s not a bad thing.
After spending time with Be Still, the Holy Spirt led me to Encounter Prayer #6, We Need You.
We need You, only You, and nobody else.
Only You, who loves us, can feel for all of us who suffer; the pity each of us feels for oneself.
Only You can measure how great, how immeasurably great is the need of You in this world, at this time.
Everyone needs You, even those who do not know it; they need You much more than those who know.
The hungry think they must seek bread, while they huger for You.
The thirsty think they need water, when they thirst for You.
The sick have unfounded hopes to find health; their real misfortunate is your absence.
Those who seek the beauty of the world, without knowing it, seek You, the fullness of beauty.
Those who look for the truth in their thoughts, without knowing it, long for You, the only truth worth knowing.
The one who strives to seek peace, looks for You, the only Peace where anxious hears can rest.
They call You, without knowing it, and their cry mysteriously, is more distressing than ours.
We need You,
Come Lord.
This is the first time I have meditated on this prayer. In my intense moment with God today, through these two prayers, God reminded me, it wasn’t too long ago that I was craving the ability to stop, slow down, bow my head and pray. He told me that is exactly what he wants everyone to do - to humble themselves before God; to increase our faith in God; to turn to God; and to seek refuge in God.
Today, God reminded me of our Session 5 reading - Numbers 9:15-23 – about the cloud and the fire, and how the Israelites at the command of Lord would set out and at His command they would camp. Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, when the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they would remain in camp and would not set out but when the cloud lifted, they would set out. Today, each of us are called to exercise this same patience and obedience to God.
Over the past week, I have meditated on God’s commission to Joshua specifically Joshua 1.7 and 1.9: “only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all of the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. … I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This past 24 hours started out with me dreading telling the PLW participants about the suspension of our sessions and thinking it would be better to continue virtually but I now find myself realizing it was the best decision - to be obedient to God - and the need to be patient with God and what is going on in the world. So, for now, it is the right decision to use this free time to stay awhile and rest here in Session 5 where we are to surrender to God and find his peace. It will be good to review the previous sessions and fully live the life experiences covered to date – to live in the Spirit of God and remember that he loves me, everyone and all his creations. He loves even those who do not know Him as a friend or know that it is God whom they seek. He loves those who are not slowing down, social distancing and heeding the message. He loves those who are hoarding and those who are afraid. It’s time for me to continuously ask him to increase my faith and for me to practice living in the Spirit of Jesus and Mary and surrender to God’s will.
I close with the songs I prayed with this week from the PLW Song Book,
#7 Return to God and here
#11 I Believe in the Sun,
#20 All that We Have and instrumental; and
THY WILL BE DONE. AMEN.
Your Sister-in-Christ,
Dora.