7.19.12 Lectio: Is 38.1-6,21-22, 7-8 Meditatio: "Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil, that he [Hezekiah] might recover.” Is 38.21 Oratio: " O God, You answer our prayers but You often use others as Your instruments. I remember Your prophet, Isaiah, told King Hezekiah that the Lord would answer his prayer and add fifteen years to his life but Isaiah ordered a poultice to be applied to the boil that was the cause of Hezekiah’s mortal illness. Grant that I may always pray with confidence for my needs and the needs of others and allow God to determine how, when and through whom His answer will be given. I ask this an all things through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Contemplatio: Keep silence and remain in recollection for a few minutes. Operatio: reflect on "God’s power”; unlimited, what is impossible for us is possible for God; He hears and answers our prayers but His answers may surprise us and how He does it may even escape our perception that He answered as He often uses people as His instruments to respond to our prayers. Tomorrow's reading: Mi 2.1-5