Lanzarote Landscape by Paul Collings
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; Isaiah 35:1-10
In the Bible, many passages speak of literal deserts and wildernesses, but desert images are also often employed as an opportunity to reflect on our relationship to God. Deserts can also invite deep reflection on spiritual realities. As the lushness of the material world is stripped from our senses by the barrenness of a desert, we might turn our hearts toward God and seek to discover what is truly important in our lives. Clifford M. Yeary
We will wait for you, O God.
Your Spirit compels us
to go into the wilderness,
and we ask for the courage to examine
the desert places in our hearts,
and to be be willing to
face the adversaries in our lives—
that which lures us away
from being who you have created us to be.
We pray for the courage to face our wild beasts and fears.
Relieve the troubles of our hearts,
and the devastation of our distress.
Turn your love towards us
that we may we know your grace in our loneliness and afflictions.
We pray this prayer,
knowing that you watch over us, and deliver us.
We wait for you, O God.
In the name of our brother Jesus we pray,
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