O God, You aremy God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water. Psalm 63.1

Life Together
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
“For Christians the beginning of the day should not be burdened with besetting concerns for the day’s work. At the threshold of the new day stands the Lord who made it…Therefore, at the beginning of the day let all distraction and empty talk be silenced and let the first thought and first word belong to him to whom our whole life belongs.”

It makes sense to begin each day before the Lord, listening to His Word, communing with Him in prayer, waiting on the prompting and illumination of His Spirit for the day ahead. In the Lord’s presence, we find spiritual renewal, orientation for the work of the day, strength to prepare for and resist temptation, and wisdom to know how we must serve Him. First thing in the morning must be devoted to the First Thing in our life, the Lord Himself. The place to do this is in prayer and meditation. Let the Lord Jesus speak from His Word, and His Word guide you more deeply into His presence. Wait on Him there, looking and listening for His glory. Then let praise and thanks flow to the Lord, even for the events and people of the day ahead. First thing in the day, get with Jesus, and let Him fill your head, heart, choices, and plans with the beauty of His presence and the power of His Kingdom. It’s more likely your whole life will belong to Him, if you begin each day in the joy, beauty, wonder, and mystery of His presence.

In what ways does your morning time with the Lord serve to orient and renew you for the day ahead?

How’s your prayer life?
We don’t know how to pray as we should, so we can use all the help we can get to improve this highest priority of the Christian life. Our book, The Poetry of Prayer, provides a variety of perspectives on prayer, together with practices designed to help you learn to pray with greater consistency and satisfaction. Order your copy by clicking here.

Spiritual Maturity
Prayer is a foundation stone for spiritual growth. But spiritual growth is not limited to our own walk with and work for the Lord. Churches must grow spiritually, and the Kingdom of God grows increasingly into the communities and culture of our day. How all this happens is the subject of our course, Introduction to Spiritual Theology. This is a free, online course, which allows you to study at your own pace and on your own schedule. For more information or to register, click here.

Thanks to those of you who support our work with your prayers and gifts. Our heavenly Father supports The Fellowship of Ailbe through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.