30 DAYS OF PRAYER - DAY 27

"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come... the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. "Arise... come with me.""
Song Of Songs 2:11-13

"The Lord your God is with you... He will take great delight in you, he will [rest you] with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

Leaves and flowers - down to the least bud - are nourished by the living sap within. They do not cause it to rise, or regulate its flow. They do not understand its mysterious power. But as it flows through them, it revives them. Renews them.

We may have others to help us. Or we may have no one. But we know that we must depend on something that is not of ourselves to keep us fresh and green.

Sometimes we are too spent even to pray for this renewing life to flow within.

But... there are times when all that is asked of us is just what is asked of the leaves and flowers: They remain in the plant; the sap flows up to them: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love... " (John 15:9)

The most tired of us can remain, stay there, be there - no words can be too simple to explain what our Lord means by this: He says, simply, "Do not go away."

Even if we are completely silent, asking nothing, only letting our hearts rest in quietness in Him... He will cause the renewing life-sap to rise...

My Father.... today... renew us and our NEEMA girls. Renew us. We pray for the joy of a new season that is coming. Let them feel the warmth of Your love washing over them.

Devotion rewritten from Amy Carmichael's I Come Quietly To Meet You