My Authenticity
I pray to God that today that I am genuine
That I show His free goodness to everyone
Lord, remind me of Your gift of spirituality
As I do not want holes in my authenticity
Jesus, fill my heart with waves of peace
So my love of fellow man will increase
Father, point me towards loves forgiveness
When I have misplaced my objectiveness
Reflect Your grace to humble my humanity
Light the trail on Your path as my legacy
Teach me to share joy and happiness
That grows from finding togetherness
Let these thoughts remain in my heart
Help me to never let them draw apart
I have always struggled with praying for my own benefit. When life gets me down I wish I could simply give up. I can’t even remember the countless times I came so close to “telling” God that I needed this or that thing to happen so I could be happy. It has taken me years to not regret this not being easy because I have discovered my happiness does not come from personal possessions or any physical thing. My most significant joy comes when I can do something for someone else without any expectation of anything in return. I have only recently learned to pray that God helps me be authentic, so people see that I genuinely care.
For further reflection:
James 2:14-18 – Scripture (NRSVCE Bible)
Faith without Works Is Dead
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,[e] if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
The poem above is included in the collection of 40 Christian poems in the The Color of My Heart within the Immersive Prayer website. The poems are also available in book form on Amazon in Paperback or . All Proceeds go to Charity. |
Additional Thoughts about my Poetry
I believe my writing fits snugly into the category of grounded mystical Christian theology. I have studied, written, and spiritually and physically applied this practical concept in my life for nearly two decades. I have never seen or participated in what some might call a vision or phenomenon. However, I appreciate that they may be a reality for the person or group, and God has provided them with deep consolation. For me, consolation is the beginning of a two-way relationship with God.
My own experiences are more intellectual in nature because I lean toward engineering and science. The reality for me is that God is always present because we are his tabernacles. We constantly miss His surfacing of lighter than a feather touch because we are a physical people. We talk about opening our hearts to this love, but technically, our intellect gets in the way. I have been trying to prove this virtually every day for well over a decade by documenting what I believe are grounded mystical thoughts in various ways.
The tragedy of 9/11 was a significant transformative moment in my spiritual life because of a first hand experience. I am re-dedicating the thoughts and prayers associated with my Christian Poetry to all those affected.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these reflections of the contemplative material of this Web-based ministry? Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite the world’s distractions.
Attributions:
This site has written permission from New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) to use Bible passages.
This website follows the guidelines for image web use at the website of the Brooklyn Museum, the Jewish Museum and this Immersive Prayer website.
Peace,
Jerry