Abiding

When I think of the word abiding, I think of a period of quiet time in communicating with the Lord, or simply sitting quietly in His presence.  It means being intentional in being with Him and Him only.

It is not always easy for me to accomplish this because of many distractions, many just in my mind, like thinking of things I "should" be doing, the schedule of the day, fears or hurts to be worked through, and visual or noise distractions.  I call it my wandering mind and it must be tamed in order to truly abide.

Some ways that help me find that abiding time is: meditating on scripture, voicing words of thankfulness, sometimes having softly played worship music, finding a quiet place, and a designated place, and a prayer shawl to shut out visual distractions.  Praying out loud is especially helpful for me.

There is immense value in abiding time with the Lord.  It brings joy, contentment, security and protection from worldly problems, and a deep satisfaction.  Most of all, I know it pleases my Lord.          
       Judy