Starter Prayer: Spirit of Living Water, take me into the flow of the great river of life. Lead me to discover the springs hidden in me, hidden in you, hidden in Us. Amen

Focus Phrase: Fountains

Scripture Reading: Psalm 36:8-9

Optional Read-along: Water, Wind, Earth and Fire pp. 88b-92a (Chapter Two: Sister Water, Section: Holy Wells, Desert Springs and Fountains.)

Spiritual Direction:

When I was a child, my family rented a very humble cabin near Brainard Lake in Colorado. My parents were young and poor, but they had seen an ad in the local newspaper advertising the opportunity to rent this cabin for $25/month. They signed up! To this day, I am in contact with the people who own this little cabin on a mine claim above Boulder.

But that’s not my story. My story is: At the cabin site was a spring– A cool fountain that spontaneously came forth from an opening in the earth. I remember sitting by this spring playing with a stirring stick in the small pool (the size of a large kettle). But it wasn’t just any puddle of water. It lived and moved. It bubbled and gurgled. And that activity was always happening, every time I visited the cabin, even in winter.

There are better stories about wells, springs and fountains in our read-along book. But for those without the book, I gave you the best I’ve got:)

For reflection: What practices help you experience the fountain flowing in you?

For prayer practice: Spend some time by a fountain, listening to the flow of the water and contemplating it’s invitation for your own life. Pay attention to those places where water wants to surge up and offer its refreshment. Make note of the streams, rivers and other water sources near you as places for prayer.

Be encouraged in your practice,

Katie Martinez

Endnotes

• For daily texts with the Focus Word, Starter Prayer and link to these daily posts, text the word “journey” to 970-500-0970.
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This daily devotion is part of the Summer Growth Journey: Learning to Pray with Nature with Crossroads Church. Many of us are also reading through Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements by Christine Valters Paintner. To purchase a copy, or for more information, email us at [email protected].