DAY 3 (3rd week)

​PREPARE TO LISTEN
Light a candle and pray: O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Request for Presence: You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!
READ James 5:7-11a
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.  The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.  Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged.  See, the Judge is standing at the doors!  As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance.
REFLECTIVE WORDS
“Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.”  This isn’t merely good advice; it’s necessary for living in the now as we wait and long for Jesus.  This takes patience, lots of it.  Patience, as we all know, is difficult for us and therefore we need the admonition: “Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”  Those who do this will be called “blessed.”
REFLECTIVE WONDERING
If patience and strengthening our hearts involves, in part, ‘not grumbling against one another,’ reflect on where you’ve failed and confess, and reflect how you can practice this today.
RESPOND TO JESUS IN PRAYER.  
Gracious Lord, I want to be called ‘blessed’ today by living a life that patiently waits for your coming.  I know I need to ‘strengthen my heart,’ resist ‘grumbling against one another’ in order to live in patient longing for your return.  Show me the way, I pray.  Amen.
BE SILENT AND STILL (for as long as you want).  Simply be in the presence of Jesus, who loves you, regardless.