Devotions for Dog Lovers - Do You Have A Favorite Place to Pray?
€Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.€ Mark 1:35
Cody the cocker spaniel has his favorite places, especially for sleeping. Dog beds with comfortable blankets line our livingroom, my office, and the bedroom. Cody chooses which one he wants to curl up on, but he has a favorite: a round bed with plush lining. I make it even cozier by adding a fleece blanket or clean sheet and he snuggles into the softness and sleeps for hours. Mary the springer spaniel wasn't one for dog beds until recently after I purchased a new one lined with cedar chips and laid another fleece blanket on top of it.
This dog bed is in my home office near my desk; Mary and Cody take turns sharing the space. By far Mary's favorite resting areas are on the couch, in our bed for a full night's sleep, or stretched out next to my husband as he spends time in his recliner. Mary much prefers people places over dog furniture!
I, too, have favorite places - for resting and for visiting. I enjoy curling up with a good book or watching TV from our sofa recliner, especially when a dog or cat snuggles near me. My home office space is lined with windows from where I can watch the sun rise or birds flit in the shrubbery. Each spring and summer I look forward to visits to our cabin or to traveling somewhere else outside of town.
I enjoy deserts in the winter and mountains in the summer, experiencing the beauty of various landscapes during different seasons of the year. I am not a big-city person, although experiencing museums and other urban amenities have intrigued me at times. My favorite places are outdoors, in the quiet, basking in natural beauty.
Jesus, too, had his favorite places, especially when he prayed. The English Standard Version of Luke 5:16 says, €But he (Jesus) would withdraw to desolate places and pray.€ Other versions call them €solitary places€ while still others call them €quiet places.€ He also spent a lot of time near the Sea of Galilee, in Bethany, and on the Mount of Olives. One could interpret that Jesus particularly enjoyed two favorite places: quiet, solitary settings and places where his friends, and those to whom he ministered, were found.
Do you have a favorite place that has meaning for you? Is there is a quiet place where you can go and spend time alone with the Lord? If you haven't found that special place, why not make it a priority and spend quality time with God there? If you do have that quiet place, that special place, spend as much time as you can there - make it a sacred place to share time with God. Let the Holy Spirit minister to you, refresh and renew you, and I'm sure it will become your favorite place!
PRAYER:
€Heavenly Father, thank you for directing me to the special place where we can spend time together. Whether that's a room in my home while all still sleep, the garden you've helped me create, or a wilderness you've enriched with plant and animal life - I thank you for the quiet place that's our special place made sacred because of your presence. I look forward to spending time with you, learning more about you and having you fill and enrich my life with your Holy Spirit. I bless and praise for your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.€
Cody the cocker spaniel has his favorite places, especially for sleeping. Dog beds with comfortable blankets line our livingroom, my office, and the bedroom. Cody chooses which one he wants to curl up on, but he has a favorite: a round bed with plush lining. I make it even cozier by adding a fleece blanket or clean sheet and he snuggles into the softness and sleeps for hours. Mary the springer spaniel wasn't one for dog beds until recently after I purchased a new one lined with cedar chips and laid another fleece blanket on top of it.
This dog bed is in my home office near my desk; Mary and Cody take turns sharing the space. By far Mary's favorite resting areas are on the couch, in our bed for a full night's sleep, or stretched out next to my husband as he spends time in his recliner. Mary much prefers people places over dog furniture!
I, too, have favorite places - for resting and for visiting. I enjoy curling up with a good book or watching TV from our sofa recliner, especially when a dog or cat snuggles near me. My home office space is lined with windows from where I can watch the sun rise or birds flit in the shrubbery. Each spring and summer I look forward to visits to our cabin or to traveling somewhere else outside of town.
I enjoy deserts in the winter and mountains in the summer, experiencing the beauty of various landscapes during different seasons of the year. I am not a big-city person, although experiencing museums and other urban amenities have intrigued me at times. My favorite places are outdoors, in the quiet, basking in natural beauty.
Jesus, too, had his favorite places, especially when he prayed. The English Standard Version of Luke 5:16 says, €But he (Jesus) would withdraw to desolate places and pray.€ Other versions call them €solitary places€ while still others call them €quiet places.€ He also spent a lot of time near the Sea of Galilee, in Bethany, and on the Mount of Olives. One could interpret that Jesus particularly enjoyed two favorite places: quiet, solitary settings and places where his friends, and those to whom he ministered, were found.
Do you have a favorite place that has meaning for you? Is there is a quiet place where you can go and spend time alone with the Lord? If you haven't found that special place, why not make it a priority and spend quality time with God there? If you do have that quiet place, that special place, spend as much time as you can there - make it a sacred place to share time with God. Let the Holy Spirit minister to you, refresh and renew you, and I'm sure it will become your favorite place!
PRAYER:
€Heavenly Father, thank you for directing me to the special place where we can spend time together. Whether that's a room in my home while all still sleep, the garden you've helped me create, or a wilderness you've enriched with plant and animal life - I thank you for the quiet place that's our special place made sacred because of your presence. I look forward to spending time with you, learning more about you and having you fill and enrich my life with your Holy Spirit. I bless and praise for your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.€
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