By Michael Botts of Hannover, Germany

…since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe…

There are many ways we can approach God: in communal or silent prayer, in singing and dancing, in shouts of joy or pain, or in reverence and awe. I remember when I took our son into my arms for the first time. I was overwhelmed with joy, but I was also in reverence and awe at holding a new life. I didn’t know what to say. I just looked at him with love in my heart. Stunned at the beauty of a baby.

Sometimes God is exciting and moves us. Sometimes we are quiet and just absorb God’s love without saying a word. We stand in reverence and awe before God, much like Moses did when he saw the burning bush. I can imagine that the woman who escaped being stoned because of Jesus’ intervention and forgiveness (John 8) also stood in reverence and awe before this man who had freed her from sin.

Don’t we all have moments of quiet when we are overwhelmed by the mercy and power and love of God? Don’t we all have moments when we feel we should take off our shoes, like Moses, because we are standing on holy ground?

Sometimes these moments are the beginning of a change in our lives. Moses and the woman in the Gospel of John were not the same persons they were before. Their lives were changed dramatically by an encounter with the divine. And sometimes the moments of reverence and awe can be as small as a butterfly landing on a flower, as short as a scripture which touches our heart, or as warm as a hug from a loved one.

Let us find time today to look for a moment which can enrich us and fill us. Let us pray that our senses will be open to God, who is always ready to fill us with awe.

Prayer Phrase

“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Deepening Roots

A tree with superficial roots will wither during drought, or severe storms may uproot it. A tree whose roots go deep is stable and draws from deep waters. Imagine yourself as a tree by a river or stream. Sense your roots extending deep into the earth in search of God’s Spirit. Reflect or pray about what you hope to find as your spirit searches for deeper identity in God.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.