Time to Pause, Listen, and Pray

Adapted from Mary Haag's Newsletter:

"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."
 
With the huge shifts in life, I've had times of uncertainty and anxiety, probably like many of you.  What do I do?  With social distancing, how do I use my time?  I've made lists of all the possibilities...from clearing out my inbox and using the internet to connect with others, to working on the Spiritual Formation course I'm to teach in October.  But what is God doing in this?  Is there something that He is doing to which I am to be aware?

The main thing I keep coming back to, at the moment, is that this is a time for deeper connection with God.  And as I've been spending more time with Him, people and concerns have come to my mind, and I've naturally brought them into His presence in my prayers to Him.  I've become aware of the opportunity that we have these days:  greater intimacy with Him and a participation with Him through intercession for others that flows from abiding in Him.  I don't want to waste this opportunity by being driven to be busy with other things.  Perhaps this could be a time that we see God's work done in unexpected ways while we wait on Him.  Pray with me about this, that I/we grow in this practice of waiting on Him and with Him, empowered by His Spirit to discern what He is doing and how He wants me/us to participate.