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Daily Prayer: a resource of Forward Movement

The Forward Day by Day Meditation for August 30, 2018

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THURSDAY, August 30

Psalm 18:2 My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise.

Many years ago, I attended training for a special trauma therapy developed by groundbreaking psychologist Francine Shapiro. The training included a relaxation exercise called the Safe Place.

The person facilitating the Safe Place exercise asks the client to imagine the safest place he or she can think of—real or imaginary. The therapist then guides the client in developing the Safe Place in rich detail. What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it smell like? What do you feel when you think of this safe place?

When you imagine God as a rock that you hide in, how do you feel? When you imagine God as a fortress, do you grasp a sense of how much God loves you and wants to protect you?

MOVING FORWARD: If you try this exercise yourself, you’ll find that imagining your Safe Place can be powerfully calming. Today’s psalm provides some great images as prompts.

PRAY for the Diocese of Guatemala (Central America)

Ps 18:1-20 * 18:21-50 | Job 8:1-10, 20-22 | Acts 10:17-33 | John 7:14-36