Mental Prayer for January 24, Self-Centered

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask : To hate and fear a self-centered life.

Mental Picture: Satan, addressing the hordes of agents: "Go into every human life... lead men to desire money and the things money can buy... to desire the praise and honor of their fellow fools on earth... fill their minds with these things... till they become completely occupied with these selfish interests... and end up completely se1f­centered. Let them think only of their wealth, their honor... forget the needs of others... the honor of God. Let them revel in the goods that are made to nourish, please, and flatter their pampered selves.

"When you get anyone self-centered like that... with his own stupid interests first in his mind and heart... report back to me for your reward... and bring him with you. All self-centered people belong to me."

My Personal Application: My good name and my supply of material things may be necessary and good - but they are self-centered goods. The work I put in to get them, the time I spend think­ing about them, are self-centered work and self-­centered time. Am I working too much for, thinking too much about, self-centered goods?

I Speak to God:Dear God, I know there is no such thing as a self-centered saint. There is not even such a thing as a self-centered real Christian. The devil wants, by the tricky desires of wealth and honor in this world, to lead me more and more to affirm, to assert myself. You said, however, that I must deny myself to follow you.

Make me see how the self-centered person is always off balance because he is resting on a false center of gravity. He can easily fall into the abyss of sin at any time because he is ready to do any­thing to keep self in its usurped place. The self- centered person simply cannot understand the rights and needs of others. Help me so that I avoid the temptations to be self-centered.

Thought for Today: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire; for I was hungry... thirsty...naked... and you thought of no one but yourself."
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)