31 Voices of Prayer – Day 19

Day 19

A Shalom Prayer

Shalom. Peace be to all who read this. Peace from any form of conflict, but most of all for inner  peace and fulfilment.

In Hebrew form, it is a greeting’ Shalom aleichem’, meaning ‘peace be upon you‘, with a returned response ‘ aleikhem shalom’ , meaning ‘ upon you be peace.’ The religious meaning for this is that one greets both body and soul.

I began my quest for the meaning of  ‘shalom’ earlier this week , after reading my daily devotional *, where the word shalom was included as meaning ‘ to be in a state of ‘shalom’ is to find wholeness or completeness.

My next step was to search for a Shalom Prayer *- A prayer for wholeness ( completeness, nothing missing, nothing broken). True Shalom can only be attained in relationship with God, our Creator, our Father, our Saviour. My search found a wonderful but very long prayer, too long to include here. It is beautiful, moving and transforming, to be read slowly and prayerfully, meditatively.

The Shalom Prayer begins with the words;

” I come as myself.

Just as I am. This moment.

my feelings and my fears

my joys and my sadnesses.

You see me as I really am

You know me

through and through.

You see all

all that I am

or ever have been.

The prayer follows on in greater depth as if exposing the human soul to be as transparent as glass, it is a truly humbling experience to read and meditate on the richness of the heart of the prayer  language.

Here are some of the key sentences from varying points in the Shalom Prayer, which have touched my soul;-

“Bring me now into the deep silence of your presence, I give you my body and ask that it may become your dwelling place.”

Deep silence? Do any of us experience this kind of  inner silence in our busy material world.? I have come very close to this deep silence but it now feels like a butterfly, the lightest of touches on the skin and then gone.I think there is a longing in my soul for it’s return. I will pray this prayer with that longing.

” Help me to hear your still, small voice Lord Jesus. May I now hear your words- ‘peace, be still’. May all my storms subside as I accept your real presence.”

Stillness in the storm, that is truly a place to arrive at, a place of safety, while the storm rages and then subsides. A place to hear the still- small voice of calm from Jesus.

” Father may I feel the warmth of your fatherly love upon me, your child trusting, depending, loving, Help me to know what joy my response brings to you”

Can the simplicity of child likeness bring us closer into the Father’s embrace and warmth? It is a place I look for and put aside all my knowledge, to simply trust and depend, when I really struggle with independence. Telling myself the world wants me mature and responsible, yet the Father calls me to be as a little child.

The Shalom Prayer ends in praise to Father, Son and Holy Spirit;

” Glory be to you Father.

Glory be to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Glory be to you Holy Spirit.

Amen.

* Shalom- Prayer for Wholeness- To read in it’s fullness please go to;

http://www.maranathacommunity.org.uk/shalom.aspx

*Inspiring Women Every Day CWR ‘ The Names of God’ by Rebecca Lowe- Oct 16th ‘Prince of Peace’.

Shalom

31 Voices of Prayer -Day 18

Day 18

A Conciliator’s Prayer

What exactly does a Conciliator do? Well , the dictionary tells us that to conciliate means to a) make calm and amenable; pacify, b) gain( esteem or goodwill) c) reconcile, make compatible.*

Today in my research about what a conciliator is and does, I came across a prayer. ‘A Conciliator’s prayer’.* A prayer that can be applied to us all in whatever situation of conflict, unrest, lack of peace, we might be involved with. It is too long a prayer to write here but I recall the impact of a few of the verses here. It is a prayer of two themes, on the one hand it is acknowledging God’s mighty ability, He is the supreme peacemaker, conciliator, reconciler and the individual recognition that a conciliator needs help,wisdom,supply, cleansing and filling to conciliate in the truest way.

‘Strip me of my own agenda and desires, so I might look only to others’ good and be absolutely worthy of their trust.’*

I am a trained counsellor, working with women who have suffered  of  baby loss. In my training we were taught not to bring our own agendas and desires into the counselling room. That has been something I have had to work at during my years of counselling support for mother’s suffering grief, to work at looking and listening for the good of another and so be worthy of their trust. This has happened very few times, but it usually occurs when I try to put myself in their shoes, walk through their grief with them. It is very humbling..It requires me to put myself aside , just for that time. I am called to help conciliate with the grief in a woman’s heart to aid and support her to a place of rest and peace.

‘Help me to model everything I teach, so others can see the way’*

If  we are able to be a living model of Jesus life, then it will be easier to show people the way, much like the light in the darkness, shows a path for our feet and those following us. It is not always words that show people the way, but our actions, our lifestyle. Let us be , what we preach.

‘Help me to model your forgiveness, so relationships are healed, and your Gospel revealed’*

Forgiveness, leads to healing,most of all within us first and then to those around us. It is difficult to truly forgive unless we forgive ourselves and love ourselves, as Christ loves us. I am learning more of his deep lesson of forgiveness at this present time and I am being transformed by the benefits of  forgiveness. Reconciliation is truly from God’s heart.

The Conciliator’s prayer ends with the words;

‘In short, Father, please give me the Spirit of Christ, so I might walk in His steps and guide your people into the path of peace.’*

My prayer is , Jesus lead me on, into your life, not mine, let your will be done in and through me’ Amen.

*For a full version of , ‘A Conciliator’s Prayer’ by Ken Sande, Founder of  Peacemaker Ministries, please go to;

http://www.cpt.org ( Christian Peacemakers Teams)