Prayer Tip--Inside Out 2
Daily Scripture
Psalm 139:13-14 and Gensis 1:25-31 (NRSV)
For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
One of the most powerful messages in Inside Out 2 is that our emotions are not problems to be solved. They are part of who we are. Even the uncomfortable ones like anxiety or embarrassment show up for a reason. They tell us what matters to us. They remind us we care.
That idea is not far from what Scripture teaches. Psalm 139 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Genesis says we are created in the image of God. That includes our minds, our thoughts, and our emotions. Every part of us belongs. Every part matters.
Sometimes we think being spiritual means having perfect peace or constant joy. But what if being spiritual means being honest about what we feel? What if God meets us right in the middle of our messiest thoughts and strongest emotions?
Some wisdom traditions invite us to notice what we are feeling without trying to push it away. Emotions are like waves. They rise and fall. When we slow down and pay attention, those feelings can help us see more clearly. And when we bring them to God, they can even become part of our healing.
Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. But many of us forget the second part. We do not always treat ourselves with kindness. This week can be a chance to practice what many of us struggle with–being gentle with ourselves. Offering grace. Speaking kindly. Letting ourselves be human. That is not weakness. That is love. And it is a reflection of the love God already has for us.
Prayer
Find a few minutes to sit in stillness this week. Close your eyes and become aware of your breath, not to control it, but to simply notice that you are alive. Then gently ask–What part of me have I been ignoring, judging, or rushing past? Do not analyze it. Just listen.
Now offer this prayer: God, help me meet myself with the same love you have already given me. Let that love overflow into how I see others.
This is not about fixing yourself. It is about being fully present to the life within you. When you become a little more at peace and connected with yourself, you will begin to see the sacred in everyone else too.
GPS Insights
Max Franks
This week's prayer tip is by Max Franks, who serves as a Connection & Care Pastor at Resurrection's Leawood location.
