Dec 17 Two things I ask

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:

1 – Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
2 – Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?
Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words.  I also ask for these two things.

First, do not let me be entangled by telling or believing lies. 

Let me be true to my word and speak the truth in love; by the words I say and the way I allow others to perceive me.  Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not.

And do not let me be misled by the lies or deceptions of others.  Help me see truth by shining Your light to dispel the darkness of lies and deception.

Second, let me live with what I need.  Not in poverty and not in riches.  Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances.  For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off You.

If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You.  And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

These are wise words Father, and they are my prayer.  Amen

Proverbs 30:7-9

Dec 17 Two things I ask

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 

give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord? 

Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words.  I also ask for these two things.

First, do not let me be entangled by telling or believing lies. 

Let me be true to my word and speak the truth in love; by the words I say and the way I allow others to perceive me.  Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not.

And do not let me be misled by the lies or deceptions of others.  Help me see truth by shining Your light to dispel the darkness of lies and deception.

Second, let me live with what I need.  Not in poverty and not in riches.  Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances.  For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off You.

If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You.  And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

These are wise words Father, and they are my prayer.  Amen

Proverbs 30:7-9

Dec 17 Two things I ask

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 

give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words.  I also ask for these two things.

First, do not let me be entangled by telling or believing lies. 

Let me be true to my word and speak the truth in love; by the words I say and the way I allow others to perceive me.  Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not.

And do not let me be misled by the lies or deceptions of others.  Help me see truth by shining Your light to dispel the darkness of lies and deception.

Second, let me live with what I need.  Not in poverty and not in riches.  Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances.  For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off You.

If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You.  And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

These are wise words Father, and they are my prayer.  Amen

Proverbs 30:7-9

Dec 17 2 things I ask

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: 

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words.  I also ask for these two things.

First, do not let me be entangled by telling or believing lies.

Let me be true to my word and speak the truth in love; by the words I say and the way I allow others to perceive me.  Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not.

And do not let me be misled by the lies or deceptions of others.  Help me see truth by shining Your light to dispel the darkness of lies and deception.

Second, let me live with what I need.  Not in poverty and not in riches.  Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances.  For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off You.

If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You.  And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

These are wise words Father, and they are my prayer.  Amen

Proverbs 30:7-9

April 3 The Good Samaritan

Father, the Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the first I can remember hearing from the Bible when I was a little girl.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers.  They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.”

Photo by http://www.LumoProject.com

It was a lesson on loving your neighbor as yourself, teaching us all in Sunday school that when anyone is hurt or hurting we are to do all we can to help them.  This is a value I have had all my life.

Much later in life, You opened my eyes to new levels of understanding of this parable.  I’ve learned more about how badly he was hurt and the level of commitment it took on the part of the Good Samaritan.  And the significance of the spiritual hypocrisy and political bigotry of the men who passed him by.  And the social discrimination that the Samaritan ignored or overlooked to help the wounded man.

So it’s hard for me to see people profiting off of others by hoarding needed supplies during this crisis.

Lord would You help everyone look beyond their selfishness and greed to see the hurting people.  Remind us that if not for Your grace, we could be those hurting people.

Give us each, everyone on the planet, the perspective to see that everything we have is blessing from You.  And that we are to share that blessing.

Father, some of us are in need right now.  We may not be stripped and bloody on the side of the road, but we may be sick, or have loved ones who are sick, and separated from us in hospitals.  We thank You for the care received at the hands of those who are generously giving out of their abundance and knowledge to treat the sick.

Some of us may be out of work and have bills coming due.  Father make a way where there seems to be no way for our financial needs to be met.  Bring a solution to every person and every problem.  Allow grace and generosity be the signs of these times.

Some may be isolated in their needs for food or care.  Lord bring those needs to light, and someone in each person’s life to help meet those needs.

Make us like the Good Samaritan.  Remove greed, selfishness, discrimination and hypocrisy from us during these times.  And let us emerge from this crisis a more loving, caring people who bring honor to Your name.  Amen

Luke 10:25-37

Dec 17 Two things I ask

“Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words. I also ask for these two things.

First, do not let me be entangled by telling or believing lies.

Let me be true to my word and speak the truth in love; by the words I say and the way I allow others to perceive me. Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not.

And do not let me be misled by the lies or deceptions of others. Help me see truth by shining Your light to dispel the darkness of lies and deception.

Second, let me live with what I need. Not in poverty and not in riches. Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances. For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off You.

If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You. And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

These are wise words Father, and they are my prayer. Amen

Proverbs 30:7-9

Dec 17 Two things I ask

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 

give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words.  I also ask for these two things.

First, do not let me entangle myself in telling lies.  Let me be true to You, speaking the truth in love.  And not just by the words I say, but in the way I allow others to perceive me.  Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not.

And the reverse: do not let me be misled by the lies and falsehoods of others.  Help me see truth.  Let me understand by Your light shining, dispelling the darkness of lies and deception.

Second, let me live with what I need.  Not in poverty and not in riches.  Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances.  For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off You.

If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You.  And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

These are wise words Father, and they are my prayer.  Amen

Proverbs 30:7-9

 

Nov 21 You Word is Treasure

Father thank You for warning me not to trust in earthly riches.  Wealth, possessions, gold and silver are not the treasure I seek.  They can lead to greed and the sins that greed temps a person to commit.

Rather, I treasure Your Word.  It gives me a wealth of knowledge and wisdom about how to receive Your blessing: something of far greater value.

You Word says I will be blessed when I “walk according to the law of the Lord…keep Your statutes and seek You with all [my] heart.”

I can keep my way pure “by living according to Your Word.”   So Father, “I seek You with all my heart: do not let me stray from Your commands.”  I desire to be blessed; show me how to walk in Your path.

Lord, I will “hide Your Word in my heart”.  I will read it, honor it, study to understand it, memorize it, and do what it says.  When I do not understand it, I will pray for clarity of meaning and how to apply it to my life.

When people around me say one thing and Your Word says another, give me the conviction to be obedient to Your truth.  Help me see through the misleading lies and the deceiving values of society and not be tripped up by them.  Give me the strength I need to be true to You.

Because You tell me how powerful prayer is, I will pray

giving thanks when I am happy

for healing when I am sick

for help when I am in trouble

for the wisdom to stay on Your path

for forgiveness when I have sinned.

Father, help my prayers be powerful and effective.

Besides me, so many people need Your help in so many ways. I believe praying for them is one way I can help; perhaps the best way I can help them.

So, like Elijah, I pray earnestly and in faith, knowing that You are the One who can answer.  You have the power, Lord.  And You have the will.

We are all Your creations, Lord.  Thank You that You love and care for us.  Amen

James 5:1-20; Psalm 119:1-16

Jan 6 Choices

Father, thank You for showing real life examples that teach me how to make choices.

Lot looked with his physical eyes only to make his choice to move to the well watered land to the east. It did not work out well for him. Keep me from rushing headlong into decisions based only on what I think I see with my physical eyes. Or on what my flesh leads me to from misguided appetites.

Instead, teach me to see with Your eyes, from Your perspective; looking beyond the immediate appearance of reward. Help me think through and pray through decisions. Especially when they also involve my family, work, relationships, where and how to live.

Help me weigh the consequences and let me ask, ‘Will this draw me closer to God or take me further away?’. And as I move forward, let me be ever mindful of Your voice, trusting that You will guide and protect me.

If my choices go wrong, help me recognize the sinfulness around me, and separate myself from it. Don’t let me tolerate evil or go along with it. Precept has taught me: “sin will: take me farther than I ever meant to stray, keep me longer than I ever meant to stay, and cost me more that I ever meant to pay. “

Thank You for Abram’s example. He heard Your voice and obeyed, moving even before he had the whole picture and simply started off for the land You would show him. Let me also be obedient without insisting on having it all laid out before me.

Help me act in faith when You call. Help me believe and trust in Your promises. Even when You do not act according to my expected or desired time table. Even when it seems like things are not going the way I have prayed they would. Even when it seems worse than at the beginning. Even when I cannot see You at work.

I know that Your thoughts are not my thoughts. Your ways are not my ways. You have the advantage of infinite wisdom over infinite time and infinite sovereignty with infinite power.

Thank You for teaching me through example after example, that I can trust that You always keep Your promises. You are Almighty God. And I worship You alone. Amen

Genesis 13:5-15:6; Isaiah 55:8

Oct 13 I need Your help

Father, I echo the words in Paul’s prayer here for the Thessalonians. And I ask that You would “make [me] worthy of Your calling”. Lord, there are times I do not display the characteristics and attitudes of a faithful and humble follower of You, the Creator and Lord of the Universe.

I know that You have saved me. You have given me eternal life and paid the penalty for my sin with Your blood. And You have sent Your Holy Spirit to reside in me.   And yet still, I struggle with unforgiveness, selfishness, greed, anger, resentment, jealousy, lust – those flesh-driven temptations that I need to put to death in myself in order to live a life worthy of You.

 

In truth, I cannot do it without Your help.

Father, I ask You to use Your power to “bring to fruition [my] every desire for goodness and [my] every deed prompted by faith…so that Your Name may be glorified in [me]”.

Often, I desire to do good but things get in the way. It may be circumstances, busyness, other people, or the timing doesn’t work out. Or it may be my own emotions and frustrations that hinder and sabotage my efforts. Same thing happens with ideas that are born of my faith in You. I have the desire but not the know-how.

But You can show me how to avoid these pitfalls. You can help me conquer my flesh, my emotions, other people, and problems that arise and can show me the way to go.

I know in the end, You will be victorious. You will return to the earth in triumphant splendor and with righteous judgment. In the meantime, help me accomplish those good and faithful things that will bring You the recognition and glory You deserve. Amen

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12