The Upper Room 1st March 2024 Devotional Message
The Upper Room 1st March 2024 Devotional, Friday Message by Susan Thogerson Maas (Oregon, USA)
TOPIC: A Pattern of Prayer
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 119:1-6
Blessed are those . . . who walk according to the law of the Lord. – Psalm 119:1 (NIV)
My husband, Gary, and I enjoy morning walks. We enjoy the fresh air, vent about problems, and make plans for the future. When I walk daily, I am eager to get out and move — and I have more energy. But on days when the weather is bad, I tend to hunker down inside, letting Gary walk alone. The longer I avoid walking, the less enthusiasm I have for it.
My prayer life follows a similar pattern. When I simply offer a few quick prayers during the day, my prayers tend to skitter along the surface like a flat pebble across a lake. However, when I spend the time in longer, deeper prayer, I become more eager to reach out to God again. Prayer then becomes a regular and meaningful part of my day.
We all have places in our lives where we could improve spiritually. I find it helpful to set a specific goal — for example, reading a chapter of the Bible each day or praying for a set amount of time every morning — then finding an accountability partner to hold me to it until the habit becomes a natural part of life. Morning walks can improve our health, but walking with God enriches the soul.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Faithful God, thank you for all the ways we can draw closer to you. Help us to walk daily in the presence of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I will make it a habit to walk daily with God.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those who struggle to pray regularly
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The Upper Room is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. The meditations are stories of real people working to live faithfully with the Bible as their touchstone. Every day, readers of The Upper Room around the world read the same story in many different languages and pray the same prayer together.