God is in the Details

When I said I wasn't bringing chocolate, I mentioned Dove Dark Promises...those were offered after lunch today.

Something even more important happened before lunch.

We are using the Divine Hours, which is a prayer guide. For Morning Prayers, Midday Prayers, Vespers and Compline a combination of readings and prayers are given. At the end, there is a prayer for the week, which is the same every day of this given week. Then we take a moment for personal prayers. Then we close with the concluding prayer, which is not the same every day.

Today before lunch I learned my son is trying out tonight for his college club baseball team. My daughter is in the midst of trying to get accommodations for her GRE. So during our prayer time, I shared a general prayer for my family that God would grant them favor.

After I prayed, I felt self-conscious. I still struggle with praying for favor. Does that mean I want God to like me or my children more than others? I wondered if the people I was praying with thought it was acceptable to pray for favor.

Then we prayed the final prayer for the midday. And it started like this:
"Direct me, O Lord, in all my doings with your most gracious favor, and further me with your continual help..."

The prayer went on, but I couldn't. Once I read the word favor, in this particular prayer, in a book with different prayers four times a day each day of the year, I was too moved to continue. God obviously wanted me to be reassured.

Back in my room I decided to look up the occurrences of favor in the Bible. A survey showed me that although God does not show favoritism, and doesn't want us to, especially to the rich, asking for favor is not selfish or disdained.

What is more, the angels announced on the night of Jesus birth, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all on whom His favor rests." The coming of Christ brought us all favor.

So Lord, I pray without self-consciousness, direct me and my husband and my children with your most gracious favor.

And thank you that you can speak directly to me, through the Bible and through other books, just at the point of need.