Nov 15 Help me live in peace

“…live at peace with all men and be holy…”.  Allow “no bitter root to grow up.”  Make moral decisions now because the consequences may be too much to bear.

Because of my human nature, these are sometimes very difficult things to do.  Give me Your peace so I can reflect peace to those around me.  Help me see what is important and what is not so I will not be part of foolish arguments, but will be able to live at peace with men, and women too.

When I feel wronged, or hurt, angry, disappointed or jealous; help me see from Your perspective so the root of bitterness doesn’t poison my relationships.  When circumstances seem unjust or aren’t going my way, diffuse my anger before it ”causes trouble and defiles many.”

Let me consider what You would have me do in response to any circumstance, rather than just react from an emotional place. Help me live my life with the understanding that I am Your creation, here for You purposes.  Give me guidance and wisdom to be the best wife, mother, daughter, friend, neighbor I can be.

Father, thank You that I can approach You every time I need support in any of these areas.  Not like in Moses’ time where anyone who touched even the mountain where You were had to be killed. You have done with Your precious blood what the blood of goats and lambs could not.  I can now come to You directly, and hear Your voice without perishing.

I want to live in peace as Paul suggests.  You are my help.  And there is none like You: The Prince of Peace.  Amen

Hebrews 12:14-49

 

June 10 I seek Your blessing

O Lord, I desire to be blessed by You. I ‘fear’ You in respect to the acknowledgement of who You are: Creator, Savior, Deliverer, the one True God.

My attitude towards You is one of reverence and honor. You are so high above me, yet You invite me to come to You, to approach You, and to be in Your presence.

That in itself is a blessing. Your thoughts and Your ways are far beyond what I can think or even imagine.

Father, help me know Your ways and walk in them as I live day to day. Show me how to honor You by living according to Your commands. Give me the wisdom and discernment to know what is right and honoring to You. And give me the strength of character to choose the right and turn away from the wrong. Being obedient to Your ways keeps me under the umbrella of Your protection and blessing.

I ask for Your blessing all the days of my life. For protection, prosperity, purposeful living in joy, health, wholeness, security – summed up in the word ‘shalom’: peace. Thank You for Your shalom, for Your ‘peace’.   Amen

Psalm 128:1-6

June 1 Help me act in belief

“Stop doubting and believe.”

Often I have heard that people think being a Christian means checking your brain at the door and believing in something blindly.   But Jesus, here You give me an example of just the opposite.

You say to Thomas (who has been forever since called ‘Doubting Thomas’) to ‘stop doubting and believe’. But You were not just a voice in the dark asking him to believe blindly. You were standing right in front of him. You were offering to let him see and touch and feel what was real. You provided proof for his faith.

But it is often the same with me. I can be stubborn in my reluctance to go forward out of fear of failure or embarrassment or things not working out; even when You are standing in front of me.   You can offer proof to me because You see things I can’t. You already know how things will work out.

Lord, help me take the steps You direct me to take, in boldness. Don’t let me be frozen by fear, or hesitate in half-heartedness. Do not let me doubt Your Word or Your leading. Remind me of Your faithfulness to me in the past.

As You breathed the Holy Spirit on Your disciples, breath a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on me. Let me be empowered anew by You living in me.

As Thomas responded with belief, it seems he should be known as ‘Believing Thomas’. But I think more people can relate to his position before he saw You. So it’s a good lesson for everyone. Thank You for showing me that I need not doubt. Help me be bold, in belief. Amen

John 20:19-29  

Nov 25 Live in the Light, like Daniel

 

 

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;  wisdom and power are Yours. You change times and seasons;  You depose kings and raise up others. You give wisdom to the wise   and knowledge to the discerning. You reveal deep and hidden things; You know what lies in darkness,  and light dwells with You. I thank and praise You…”  

 

 

 

Father, these words of Daniel’s are just as true today. We still praise You! After all these years of season after season, You are still the One who keeps the world in order. And after generations of kings, You are still the One who holds their hearts and all power in Your hand. All wisdom and knowledge are Yours. Hundreds of years of human advancements and scientific discovery and technology, haven’t even scratched the surface when it comes to understanding this amazing universe You created!

Father, Daniel held tightly to his beliefs about You and his convictions about how to live a godly life. And he did so in the midst of being kidnapped and taken a thousand miles away from home and family. As a young man it would have been so easy for him to simply go along with whatever his captors pushed on him. But even far away from family and the worship he knew, he knew that You were with him.

At the time, people worshipped pagan gods who they believed had power and influence over a specific thing like rainfall, crops, or fertility or a particular place.   But Daniel knew You were the One True God over all these things. And that no matter where he was, You were there.

“Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel.” And You were faithful to Daniel. You allowed him to be faithful to the ways he had been taught and gave him success. In addition to this, You gave Daniel and his four friends wisdom and understanding far beyond that of all others.

Father, help me be like Daniel. Strengthen me to live the way You have taught me, and not give in to the pressures of whatever society offers. Let me stand out so others will see that I live differently from the pagan ways of my culture. Let the light that dwells in You, shine through me. Amen

Daniel 1:1-2:23

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

Feb 14 Gifts

Dear Lord, how wonderful it would be to be like Bezalel or Oholiab. These two are singled out by name as being chosen by You, and filled with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. They knew metalwork on gold, silver and bronze, stone cutting and setting, how to work with wood, yarn, and linen as craftsmen and designers. And they had the ability to teach others these things. They worked effectively with everyone You gave skill and ability to, to carry out the work of constructing the tabernacle and all the things in it.

You have said that each believer receives a spiritual gift or gifts, as well as skills and talents. How wonderful it would be to be aware of that gift and have the opportunity to use it to create something that would point people to You and bring honor to Your name.

Father, help me and my loved ones be like Bezalel and Oholiab. Help us refine our gifts and talents, work on them and develop them to be ready for use when You give the opportunity.

Father, they did not shrink back from using their gifts. Sometimes I feel my talent isn’t good enough to be of use, and rather than step forward, I shrink back. I am often sure that the gifts of others are more valuable than mine. Help me trust that You knew what You were doing when You handed out the gifts. Help me accept who I am and what I have to offer, and make the most of it.

Are people the only ones of Your creation who doubt themselves and are envious? I doubt that an apple tree ever wishes it could produce peaches. Or a monkey ever wishes it had a fluffy tail like a fox. It’s easy for me to see and trust Your plan as it worked out in the lives of Moses, Bezalel, and Oholiab. Take away the doubts I have when it comes to my own life. Help me see Your plan and Your purpose, and be bold in doing my part. Amen

Exodus 35:30-35; 37:1-38:31

Jan 27 I want to obey You

O Lord, I read about Moses and wonder how he could have backed away from the great opportunity You gave him to be a part of Your miraculous plan. It seems he made every excuse in the book to avoid joining You in the amazing deliverance of his people.

Then I wonder if I have been guilty of the same.

Have there been times when You offered me an opportunity to accomplish something with You and I chose the safer, easier path with no risk? Have You allowed me to be in situations where I could have told someone about who You are, and I chose not to speak? Have there been circumstances when I could have offered to go and do, to act as Your hands and Your feet, but I chose the response that afforded me more leisure?

Have there been occasions when I might have stood up and spoken out for what is right, but remained silent under the socially acceptable guise of being tolerant?

Have there been times when I opted to remain in my comfort zone rather than step out of it in a way that would have honored You?

I believe there have been. And ask myself why? Is it that I doubt the power of the God who created the universe? Do I doubt that You will be true to Your Word?

No. I believe it is rather, that I doubt myself. I may doubt that I’m hearing You clearly. Because if not, then I have walked out on a limb that could easily but cut off from under me. Or I doubt my ability to carry through and finish what I start in Your name, bringing embarrassment to both of us. Or I fear it might hold me up to ridicule. So, bottom line, I fear what other people will think about me.

Please forgive me for the times I’ve let You down. Help me be so strong in recognizing that my identity comes from You, and in believing what You say about me, that I am not swayed by fear of what others think of me. Help me recognize the next time You give me an opportunity. And help me be courageous enough to act. “I will declare Your name to my brothers!” “I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind.” “I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved.”

Oh Lord, fulfill Your purpose through me! Amen

Exodus 4:1-17; Psalm 22:22; 2Timothy 1:7; Colossians 3:12; Psalm 138:8 ESV