The One Hope of Your Call
This month’s Spring of Water is meant to be more of a companion for prayer than a formative article to read so I invite you to carve out some time (20-30 minutes), find a quiet space to reflect, and join me for a moment of encounter with the Lord through Scripture.
First, let us take a moment to settle into the “here and now”. Find a sitting position with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Assume a body posture that is comfortable enough to allow you to sustain it for the entirety of the prayer while also allowing you to stay attentive and focused. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in the Holy Spirit and breathing out any distracting thoughts or worries that pull your attention away from this time of encounter with the Lord.
Softly repeat: Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit.
Now, slowly and prayerfully read the following passage two times through.
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6
As you read the passage a third time, notice what words stick out to you. What strikes you about this passage? How does it speak to you today, in the context of your life? What moves in you as you reflect on these words?
In particular, how do you receive the affirmation that you were “called to the one hope of your call”? Do you live your life like someone who has been called by God? What does it mean for you to be called by name and made for a purpose? How does the reality of being called relate to your everyday life? What feelings or desires stir up in your heart as you ponder this? Take some time to notice and acknowledge what is moving within you.
Next, talk to Jesus about what you have acknowledged. Tell Him about your daily life. Tell Him whether or not you feel “called”. Tell Him what you like and dislike about your routine. Talk to Him about when your life seems to have a purpose and when it doesn’t. Share with Him from your heart with honesty and simplicity.
Have you ever heard the Lord speak your name? Perhaps you can imagine Him doing so now. Just listen to His Voice. What does it sound like? What is it like for you to hear that Voice say your name? Tell Him.
And after reflecting on being called, notice what moves in you as you read the word “hope”. Do you experience hope in your day to day living? Why or why not? If you don’t, do you desire to? Where do you experience the need for more hope in your daily life? Take another moment to ponder and acknowledge.
Now, talk to Jesus about hope. Tell Him when you experience it and when you don’t. Ask Him to give you the gift of hope in all circumstances, filling voids where hope may be lacking.
Think of a concrete situation in which you struggle to hope. Describe it to the Lord. Hold it in prayer before Him. Tell Him why it is hard for you to hope there. Then, make an act of faith and trust by simply saying: Jesus, even in this situation, I choose to hope in You.
Where in this prayer did your heart find rest or experience a new light? What piqued your interest and seemed most relatable to the circumstances you are living in right now? Go to that place and rest there with the Lord. Savor His presence however it manifests itself: in peace, in a memory, through another passage of Scripture…in silence.
And as we head to the end of our time of prayer, how does your heart desire to respond to the Lord? What do you want to say to Him after this encounter? What might you want to thank Him for or ask of Him? Take a moment to tell Him this now.
In response to the gift of this encounter with the Lord in prayer, consider allowing this Word to overflow into the rest of your day with one of the following concrete resolutions:
- Celebrate and cultivate hope in your everyday life by sharing it with someone. Tell them what you are hopeful about and why. Ask them where they experience hope.
- Pray intentionally for someone in your life who struggles to hope or suffers from hopelessness. Consider even fasting or offering up a small sacrifice for them, so that they may come to know the one hope of the one who is called by Jesus Christ.
If you would like to incorporate this style of prayer into your daily routine, check out a couple of our past blog posts:
- From the 5 W’s to the 3 R’s: https://www.en.apostlesofil.com/from-the-five-ws-to-the-three-rs/
- Lectio Divina: Encountering God through Scripture: https://www.en.apostlesofil.com/lectio-divina-encountering-god-through-scripture/
- How to find time for prayer by living a rule of life: https://www.en.apostlesofil.com/rule-of-life/
This month’s meditation is by Sr. Cherise, AVI.
