May 30 You bring Hope and Help

Father, make me more like David.   Even when fleeing from Jerusalem, a time of distress and uncertainty, his faith was strong knowing You were with him.  The people he ruled over loved him and wept as he fled.

The priests made intercession and offered sacrifices as David left the city.  They were prepared to go with him, but obeyed his request to stay behind and use their sons as secret couriers for David.  Another friend agreed to stay behind and act as a spy.  David prayed that the council of his enemy would be “turned into foolishness.”

A servant met him on the road with provisions, food, and donkeys for David and his household.   And when a man came showering stones and dirt clods on him, David took no revenge, but was humble to accept whatever You might allow to happen to him.

Father, when I am in trouble, do the same for me.   Call on others to intercede and pray for me.  Let me see support from those You have placed around me.  Bring friends who are willing to act on my behalf and are faithful and loyal to me.  And in their time of difficulty, let me be a loyal support for them.

Thwart the plans of my enemy, by turning their counsel into foolishness.   Bring people alongside me who can encourage me and offer what I need to get through the hardship.

And help me, like David, keep a faithful and humble attitude; accepting whatever comes from Your hand, not insisting on my own edification or revenge.

Lord, I know hard times will come.  Thank You that I can call on You and depend on You to get me through them.   You will sustain me according to Your promise, uphold me, and deliver me.  And You will never let my hopes be dashed.  

You will take care of me as You did David.  Thank You that I can depend on You.  Thank You that I can trust You.  My help is in You, Lord. My hope is in You. I give You all my praise.  Amen

2 Samuel 15:23-16:23; Psalm 119:116-117

May 23 Live in humility

Dear Jesus, what a beautiful example You gave of servant leadership when You took it upon Yourself to do the menial job of washing Your disciples’ dirty feet.

These were not regularly pedicured, sweet smelling feet, but the dusty, stinky, calloused feet of men who traveled on foot wherever they went.   The paths they walked on were not paved or grassy.  They were dirty and dusty, and were shared with not only people, but animals who no doubt used the paths for more than walking.  I can imagine, try as one might, stepping in such deposits was inevitable.

But You took on the role of a servant to teach that I too, need to be willing to act humbly.

I have attended marriage retreats and Christian women’s retreats where we did this activity.  It was a humbling experience to have someone else wash my feet.  It felt more natural to me to wash someone else’s.  But it goes beyond just the action of the task, because it is also symbolic.

It is easier to wash someone’s feet occasionally than to put their needs before my own on a daily basis.  It is easier to wash just their feet than deal with the whole person; especially when they aren’t being pleasant, or I’m feeling unappreciated, or I really just want my own way.

Thank You for Your example.  Help me live up to it with the people You put in my life.

John 13:1-17

Nov 26 Teach me

Father, thank You for Peter’s reminder that as the end approaches, believers must be earnest in prayer, share Your deep love with others, and use our Spiritual gifts.

Some of these sound so easy.  None of them are.  I can’t do any of them without Your help.

What I can do is come to You in prayer.  You help me in so many ways.  I love my conversations with You!

Sometimes I feel closer to You when I walk around the lake, or through the trees, or can see the mountains.  When I am surrounded by Your amazing creation, You often give me a word of instruction or encouragement.

You have taught me things by watching geese flying above, or ducks feeding in the pond, or sunlight shining through dark clouds.  You have shown me how to be humble through the faces of blossoms that track the sunlight across the sky, or sunflowers that have heads so heavy with seed that they bend low.

It is so easy to praise You in the presence of the beauty of Your creation, and when things are going well.  But rejoicing in suffering is harder to do.  Sometimes, my side of the conversation is sobbing and tears.  It is anxious pleading with pain.

You reach out to me then too.  There is nothing You cannot handle.  There is nothing too big or too small to bring to You.  Thank You for this life-saving and life-giving privilege of prayer.

Father, teach me how to show Your great love to others.  It‘s usually easy to do with strangers.  Kindness to a stranger is short-lived.  Help me also to be loving and forgiving and hospitable to those I know.

Show me how to be humble, and not grumble.   And especially to those I know well, give me perseverance to act and speak in love for the long haul.

Lord, lead me in seeking out ways to join You where You are already at work, in ways that will use my Spiritual gifts.  Give me the energy and stamina to serve.   Show me how to serve humbly so You get the credit.  And let me recognize when to step back so another can use their gifts.

In all these things, let me also be aware of “[my] enemy the devil” who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  Help me see through his lies and deceptions.  Help me avoid his traps and temptations.   Strengthen me to resist him in all his cunning ways.   Make me strong, firm and steadfast.

Yours is the power forever.  I know You will never fail me.  Thank You.  Amen

I Peter 4:7-11; 5:5-8

Nov 13 I am in Awe!

I am in Awe

Father, You say “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”   The Hebrew word “yare” translated as “fear” here, is used in this sentence referring to a person in an exalted position: You.  Thus, the meaning includes a reverence, a standing in awe, whereby the individual recognizes the power and position, and renders the proper respect.

Psalm 111 reminds me that ”Great are the works of the Lord…glorious and majestic are His deeds.”   When I ponder all of creation, I am amazed by Your imagination!  I am captivated by the diversity in size and color and design!  I am overwhelmed by the power of Your mountains and seas and winds.

I am in AWE!

I have traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and sailed to South America on a ship.  Both times, being in the middle of the ocean with nothing to see but water in every direction for days is humbling.  I crossed the Sanai Desert at night and stopped to marvel at the number of stars visible so far away from any source of light – amazing

I have stood on the Alps and the Rocky Mountains to see the earth spread out so far ahead of me and felt so tiny.  In Hawaii, we saw majestic waterfalls with lush green jungles, huge whales, and schools of shiny fish swimming in the sea, beautiful flowers, and brilliantly-colored sunsets.  All this is just a part of what You do.

I am in AWE!

Besides creating and sustaining all this, You have created the intricacies of each human body: from the tiniest of cells to the immense diversity of faces and fingerprints! 

And not just our bodies, but You know the mind and spirit of each individual on the planet.   You are indescribable – uncontainable – unfathomable!  You blow my mind!

And even more wonderful, You do not just set all this in motion and then sit back to see where it goes. You involve Yourself in the life of each of Your precious creations.   You speak, protect, provide, lead, feed, forgive, save.  And all that You do is just and right.

You have provided us with Your written Word.   It teaches Your truth and Your character so all can know You, and Your faithfulness, Your uprightness and Your salvation.

How great and awesome You are!  “To You belongs eternal praise.”  Father, I acknowledge Your power, Your sovereignty; and give You all honor and praise!  Amen

Psalm 111:1-10

Sept 30 Time to Arise!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”

Father, what a glorious picture You paint of the time when You return to the earth! I have no idea when it will be, whether I will be alive and able to see it first hand, or whether many more generations will pass before it happens. But I believe all will be as You describe.

You give me a picture of what it will be like to give me hope for the future, and to spur me on to live as I should right now. It is hard to see injustice and people being treated badly. But what a promise that one day there will be justice and vindication for all! Father, help me hold on to that hope as I pray for that day to come soon.

In knowing how to live during this time, help me “stand firm in one Spirit, striving together [with other believers] as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way…” In these times there will be troubles, but I have “encouragement from being united with You.“

So when I face a challenge, don’t let me run away from my faith in order to meet my needs. Don’t let me compromise my beliefs in order to “fit in” with the prevailing social attitudes. Show me how to draw strength and support from other believers; and how to strengthen and support them.

Father, help me follow Your example, being humble and obedient, thinking of others before myself. Let my motivation be to be more like You, not seeking selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Father, I pray for Your swift return, when “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Amen

Isaiah 60: 1-62:5; Philippians 1:27-2:11

Sept 25 Unity and Maturity

Father, the words Paul writes to the Ephesians become my prayer today:

Help me “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.”  Help me understand the life You have called me to.

In dealing with others, help me be less self-centered and more God-centered in the way I treat people, make decisions, and respond to circumstances.

Every day let me ask: “Am I living the life You died to give me?”

Toward that end, help me be “humble and gentle.”  Show me how to walk away from pride, arrogance, conceitedness, and that attitude of superiority that so easily entangles me.

Teach me to “be patient” and treat people with love.  When I am frustrated, let me bring that to You so You can disarm it before it becomes anger and resentment.

Father, with so many people who call themselves by Your Name, there will be differences.  Help me see past the differences that don’t matter in order to support the unifying beliefs that do make a difference.

Help me use the gifts You have given me, spiritual and otherwise, to build up Your body of believers, so that we all become a mature, complete body with You as the head.

Then I will no longer be “tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by … the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  Help me become so familiar with Your Word that I recognize the crafty, deceitful teachings of the world. 

Bless me as I make time to read and study Your Word, Your love letter to me.  Reveal its meaning and show me how to apply Your wisdom to my life.

Thank You Father, that Your Word is true.  That it teaches. That it encourages.  And guides.  And comforts.  And helps me grow more and more in step with You.  Amen

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sept 11 Seek God’s wisdom and blessing

O Father, help me.  Strengthen me in my spirit so I will not make the same mistakes Your people in Israel made so long ago.

First they “rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah.”  These were the softly running streams of Northern Israel that brought water to provide abundant harvests of grain, but represented the provision You afforded them as a blessing.   Yet the people were not satisfied with what You supplied.

They sought other gods.  So You brought against them “mighty floodwaters of the River – the king of Assyria with all his pomp…to overflow all its channels, run over all its banks and sweep onto Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck.”

The Assyrian Empire was centered on the Tigris and Euphrates, two of the largest and mightiest rivers.  The Assyrians would spill over into Israel and flood up to their necks.  Not the kind of water that was useful for life, but a devastating, destructive flood.

Father, help me be satisfied with what You have given me, what You have blessed me with.  Do not let me look to others, or compare myself to them, desiring what they have.  But let me rest in Your abundant provision, content in Your care, trusting that You know, and will provide, whatever is best for me.

Next, Your people ignored the signs and prophecies You gave them, and instead, sought the wisdom and guidance of mediums and spiritualists.

In my world, there are so many places people can go to discern a direction for their lives.  Palm readers, mediums, and spiritualists still exist.  Tarot cards and daily horoscopes have become a guide for actions people take in their relationships, their finances, their business and social lives.  “…Should not a people inquire of their God?”

Lord, I will seek wisdom from You.  In Your Word and in prayer, Father, speak to me, direct me.  Show me the way to go when I have decisions to make.  Do not let me be drawn to the darkness of the occult.

Also, when judgment began to fall on the people, their response was not humility and repentance.  Instead, “they say with pride and arrogance of heart, the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.” 

In their arrogance, they missed the message You had for them to come back to You, to worship You.  Instead they responded only to the destruction, seeing it only as a construction problem; saying they would rebuild with stronger, more resilient materials.

God help us – these are the very same words spoken by American government officials after the destruction of 9-11, September 11^th.  Rather than heed the warning to return to You, the spiritual problem in this country was seen as a construction issue.  With a response to “rebuild” with stronger materials.

Father, if and when You send me a message like this, tenderize my heart to see to the real problem.  Do not let me ignore the spiritual issues in my life.  Prompt me to respond to those with humility and repentance.  If all is right between us, the rest will take care of itself.

It is not by might I will endure, but by Your grace, Your mercy, Your love, compassion and provision.  And it is the same for my country.  Tenderize our leaders’ hearts to see the real problem, to seek You, worship You, and turn to You for guidance.  Thank You for these lessons.  Help me remember them.  Amen

Isaiah 8:5-8; 19-22; 9:8-12

Aug 8 Help me be like…

Heavenly Father, what a rich heritage Ezra had.  Usually I just skim over the names listed in genealogies, but somehow this time, these names seemed familiar.

I know Hilkiah – during Josiah’s reign, he was the priest who found the Book of the Law that had been lost in the Temple.  He brought Your Word back to the people so they could hear Your Word and have their hearts respond with humility.  They returned to worship You.  In last week’s prayer I prayed that I would hear all Your Word has to tell me, and that my heart would be responsive and humble too.

I remember Zadok.  He was the priest who remained loyal to David when David’s son Absalom was chasing him out of Jerusalem.  Zadok prayed for David, offered sacrifices, and escorted him with the Arc of the Covenant.  Then at David’s request, he stayed behind in Jerusalem to be his spy. And I prayed that I would have the loyalty and support of my friends, and be a loyal support to them.

Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, stands out as a man who was so zealous for Your Word that he drove a spear through a Midianite woman and her Israelite lover who were flagrantly breaking Your Law.   This turned back Your wrath from the people and stopped a plague.  You gave Phinehas a covenant of peace and perpetual priesthood for he and his descendants.  Father, I desire to have that zeal for Your Word.

And Aaron, Moses’ brother, who You spoke through when You freed Your people from Egypt’s Pharaoh.  He became the first High Priest, entrusted with carrying out Your Law.  You separated him from the other tribes to be Your representative in intercession for all Israel.  Only the High Priest could approach You.

O Father, what a rich heritage for Ezra, who is now the one taking a copy of Your Word back from the Babylonian exile to the people.  He will be Your representative in the land, reading and teaching Your Law once again to Your people.

Father, let me be like Ezra and all those in his line.  Like Aaron, I can now approach You personally and come boldly before Your throne of grace because of Your redemptive work on the cross.

Give me a desire to obey You like Phinehas, and help me be loyal and an intercessor like Zadok.  Make my heart humble to Your Word revealed by Hilkiah and returned to Your people by Ezra.

Thank You Father for each one in this line, who zealously guarded and revealed Your Word to others.  Let me do the same.  Amen

Ezra 7:1-7

Aug 3 Your Word changes my heart

Oh Father.  Today in Your Word, I am told that while “the men did their work faithfully” at the orders of twenty-six year old King Josiah, they “found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.”  It had been lost, ignored throughout the eighteen years Josiah had been king, and during the reign of his evil father.

When it was brought before the young king, he heard the Word of the Law and his heart was responsive as he understood its meaning.  He humbled himself before You and sought Your will.

Lord, I wonder if today, Your Word has again gotten
“lost in the house of the Lord“?

The church is Your house, and it has Your Word, yet are we ignoring it?  Are we teaching it to our people?  Or do we pick and choose what we like and go on with our lives as we want?

Father, I pray that Your believers, Your church, will once again “hear” Your Word.  And that we would understand all that we read with a responsive heart.  Father, let us see where “they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”  And be humbled and change where we are not doing all You command.

I also understand that my body is Your “temple.”  

Don’t let Your Word be lost in me!

Open my ears to truly “hear” all that Your Word says.  Even the parts that may not sit easily with me.  Even the parts I wish I didn’t have to obey.

Make my heart responsive to what I hear from You.  Let me be like Josiah, and be humbled and weep before You when I see where I have not been obedient.

Show me how to live by Your Word, with a heart that is responsive to and humbled by what I have heard.  Amen

2 Chronicles 34:8-33

July 22 Heal our land

O Father, Solomon knew the people so well.  Even as You inhabited the Temple, and Your Glory shone all around, he knew Your people would turn away from You.  He prayed for Your forgiveness and mercy, and You answered with a promise we can claim today.

“If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Father, I belong to You.  I am called a Christian after Your Name “Christ.”  So it is my responsibility to intercede: pray for my community, my country.   That also makes it my responsibility to humble myself and turn from my sin.

It’s so easy to point a finger at corrupt people who take advantage of and mislead others.  Or to ask for forgiveness for “corporate sin” – the sin committed by others in my nation or society as a whole. But You did not stipulate only the guilty looking people confess, but Your people.

I cannot get away from the need to confess my personal sin too.

So Father, I humble myself before You.  I have not measured up in so many ways.  I do not deserve the blessings You pour out on me.   Show me where there is wickedness in my life: my words, my actions, my attitude.

Forgive me when I have spoken but should have held my tongue.  Forgive me when I held my tongue but should have spoken.

Forgive me when I have acted and should not have, or should have acted, and did not.

I have allowed fear to dictate when I was willing to stand up for You when it was easier not to.  I have allowed my comfort to set the limits of my generosity when it comes to giving of my time and talents and treasure.

Lord I seek Your face to bring a spiritual awakening and revival upon my country.  Renew the Biblical values this country was founded on.  Let Your people once again know Your presence, Your power and Your blessing.

Father, bring America together in unity, across boundaries of race, politics, faith, status, income.  Help us join together to seek the common good and Your direction for our lives and our country.

“I love You Lord.  You are my strength.  You are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.  I call to You, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”  Amen

2 Chronicles 6:12-7:16; Psalm 18:1-3 

May 30 You are Hope and Help

Father, make me more like David.   Even when fleeing from Jerusalem, a time of distress and uncertainty, his faith was strong knowing You were with him.  The people he ruled over loved him and wept as he fled.

The priests made intercession and offered sacrifices as David left the city.  They were prepared to go with him, but obeyed his request to stay behind and use their sons as secret couriers for David.  Another friend agreed to stay behind and act as a spy.  David prayed that the council of his enemy would be “turned into foolishness.”

A servant met him on the road with provisions, food, and donkeys for David and his household.   And when a man came showering stones and dirt clods on him, David took no revenge, but was humble to accept whatever You might allow to happen to him.

Father, when I am in trouble, do the same for me.   Call on others to intercede and pray for me.  Let me see support from those You have placed around me.  Bring friends who are willing to act on my behalf and are faithful and loyal to me.  And in their time of difficulty, let me be a loyal support for them.

Thwart the plans of my enemy, by turning their counsel into foolishness.   Bring people alongside me who can encourage me and offer what I need to get through the hardship.

And help me, like David, keep a faithful and humble attitude; accepting whatever comes from Your hand, not insisting on my own edification or revenge.

Lord, I know hard times will come.  Thank You that I can call on You and depend on You to get me through them.   You will sustain me according to Your promise, uphold me, and deliver me.  And You will never let my hopes be dashed.  

You will take care of me as You did David.  Thank You that I can depend on You.  Thank You that I can trust You.  My help is in You, Lord. My hope is in You. I give You all my praise.  Amen

2 Samuel 15:23-16:23; Psalm 119:116-117

May 23 Living in humility

Dear Jesus, what a beautiful example You gave of servant leadership when You took it upon Yourself to do the menial job of washing Your disciples’ dirty feet.

These were not regularly pedicured, sweet smelling feet, but the dusty, stinky, calloused feet of men who traveled on foot wherever they went.   The paths they walked on were not paved or grassy.  They were dirty and dusty, and were shared with not only people, but animals who no doubt used the paths for more than walking.  I can imagine, try as one might, stepping in such deposits was inevitable.

But You took on the role of a servant to show that I too, need to be willing to act humbly.

I have attended marriage retreats and Christian women’s retreats where we did this activity.  It was a humbling experience to have someone else wash my feet.  It felt more natural to me to wash someone else’s.  But it goes beyond just the activity because it is symbolic.

It is easier to wash someone’s feet occasionally than to put their needs before my own on a daily basis.  It is easier to wash just their feet than deal with the whole person; especially when they aren’t being pleasant, or I’m feeling unappreciated, or I really just want my own way.

Thank You for Your example.  Help me live up to it with the people You put in my life.

John 13:1-17

Apr 28 Teach me to be humble

O Lord, Gideon was so courageous to lead Your people into battle, and so wise to refuse lordship over them when asked.  He was discerning and humble enough to say that You were the One to rule over them, not him or his son.

But he took the spoil from that victory, and used the gold to make a chest piece.  It became a snare to him and his family and the Israelites who worshipped it.

Forgive me Lord when I act like that. 

When I have a victory in my life, I desire to celebrate it!  Show me how to celebrate humbly: how to give the rightful honor to You and not myself.  Get my attention if I stray into worshipping what You have given me, instead of You, the giver.

Help me be humble like Gideon was.  And like Gideon, help me point people to You instead of accepting acclaim for myself.

By the same thinking, do not let me worship or revere another person because of their success.   Do not let me idolize them or give them the attention that is due You.

It is so easy to want to rub shoulders with the famous and powerful, hoping that some of their notoriety or success will transfer to me through the connection.

Remind me Lord, that my hope is in You.

 It is You I trust with the plan for my life.  It is You who can make things happen and bring about goodness and blessing.

I trust Your timing and Your provision.  And I give You the glory and thanks for all that comes my way.  Amen.

Judges 8:22-28

Nov 26 Teach me

Father, thank You for Peter’s reminder that as the end approaches, believers must be earnest in prayer, share Your deep love with others, and use our Spiritual gifts.

Some of these sound so easy.  None of them are.  I can’t do any of them without Your help.

What I can do is come to You in prayer.  You help me in so many ways.  I love my conversations with You!

Sometimes I feel closer to You when I walk around the lake, or through the trees, or can see the mountains.  When I am surrounded by Your amazing creation, You often give me a word of instruction or encouragement.

You have taught me things by watching geese flying above, or ducks feeding in the pond, or sunlight shining through dark clouds.  You have shown me how to be humble through the faces of blossoms that track the sunlight across the sky, or sunflowers that have heads so heavy with seed that they bend low.

It is so easy to praise You in the presence of the beauty of Your creation, and when things are going well.  But rejoicing in suffering is harder to do.  Sometimes, my side of the conversation is sobbing and tears.  It is anxious pleading with pain.

You reach out to me then too.  There is nothing You cannot handle.  There is nothing too big or too small to bring to You.  Thank You for this life-saving and life-giving privilege of prayer.

Father, teach me how to show Your great love to others.  It‘s usually easy to do with strangers.  Kindness to a stranger is short-lived.  Help me also to be loving and forgiving and hospitable to those I know.

Show me how to be humble, and not grumble.   And especially to those I know well, give me perseverance to act and speak in love for the long haul.

Lord, lead me in seeking out ways to join You where You are already at work, in ways that will use my Spiritual gifts.  Give me the energy and stamina to serve.   Show me how to serve humbly so You get the credit.  And let me recognize when to step back so another can use their gifts.

In all these things, let me also be aware of “[my] enemy the devil” who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  Help me see through his lies and deceptions.  Help me avoid his traps and temptations.   Strengthen me to resist him in all his cunning ways.   Make me strong, firm and steadfast.

Yours is the power forever.  I know You will never fail me.  Thank You.  Amen

I Peter 4:7-11; 5:5-8

Nov 13 I am in awe!

Father, You say “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”   The Hebrew word “yare” translated as “fear” here, is used in this sentence referring to a person in an exalted position: You.  Thus, the meaning includes a reverence, a standing in awe, whereby the individual recognizes the power and position, and renders the proper respect.

Psalm 111 reminds me that ”Great are the works of the Lord…glorious and majestic are His deeds.”   When I ponder all of creation, I am amazed by Your imagination!  I am captivated by the diversity in size and color and design!  I am overwhelmed by the power of Your mountains and seas and winds.

I am in AWE!

I have traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and sailed to South America on a ship.  Both times, being in the middle of the ocean with nothing to see but water in every direction for days is humbling.  I crossed the Sanai Desert at night and stopped to marvel at the number of stars visible so far away from any source of light – amazing!

I have stood on the Alps and the Rocky Mountains to see the earth spread out so far ahead of me and felt so tiny.  In Hawaii, we saw majestic waterfalls with lush green jungles, huge whales, and schools of shiny fish swimming in the sea, beautiful flowers, and brilliantly-colored sunsets.  All this is just a part of what You do.

I am in AWE!

Besides creating and sustaining all this, You have created the intricacies of each human body: from the tiniest of cells to the immense diversity of faces and fingerprints! 

And not just our bodies, but You know the mind and spirit of each individual on the planet.   You are indescribable – uncontainable – unfathomable!  You blow my mind!

And even more wonderful, You do not just set all this in motion and then sit back to see where it goes. You involve Yourself in the life of each of Your precious creations.   You speak, protect, provide, lead, feed, forgive, save.  And all that You do is just and right.

You have provided us with Your written Word.   It teaches Your truth and Your character so all can know You, and Your faithfulness, Your uprightness and Your salvation.

How great and awesome You are!  “To You belongs eternal praise.”  Father, I acknowledge Your power, Your sovereignty; and give You all honor and praise!  Amen

Psalm 111:1-10

Sept 30 Time to Arise!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”

Father, what a glorious picture You paint of the time when You return to the earth! I have no idea when it will be, whether I will be alive and able to see it first hand, or whether many more generations will pass before it happens. But I believe all will be as You describe.

You give me a picture of what it will be like to give me hope for the future, and to spur me on to live as I should right now. It is hard to see injustice and people being treated badly. But what a promise that one day there will be justice and vindication for all! Father, help me hold on to that hope as I pray for that day to come soon.

In knowing how to live during this time, help me “stand firm in one Spirit, striving together [with other believers] as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way…” In these times there will be troubles, but I have “encouragement from being united with You.“

So when I face a challenge, don’t let me run away from my faith in order to meet my needs. Don’t let me compromise my beliefs in order to “fit in” with the prevailing social attitudes. Show me how to draw strength and support from other believers; and how to strengthen and support them.

Father, help me follow Your example, being humble and obedient, thinking of others before myself. Let my motivation be to be more like You, not seeking selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Father, I pray for Your swift return, when “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Amen

Isaiah 60: 1-62:5; Philippians 1:27-2:11

Sept 25 Unity and Maturity

Father, the words Paul writes to the Ephesians become my prayer today:

Help me “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.”  Help me understand the life You have called me to.

In dealing with others, help me be less self-centered and more God-centered in the way I treat people, make decisions, and respond to circumstances.

Every day, let me ask: “Am I living the life You died to give me?”

Toward that end, help me be “humble and gentle.”  Show me how to walk away from pride, arrogance, conceitedness, and that attitude of superiority that so easily entangles me.

Teach me to “be patient” and treat people with love.  When I am frustrated, let me bring that to You so You can disarm it before it becomes anger and resentment.

Father, with so many people who call themselves by Your Name, there will be differences.  Help me see past the differences that don’t matter in order to support the unifying beliefs that do make a difference.

Help me use the gifts You have given me, spiritual and otherwise, to build up Your body of believers, so that we all become a mature, complete body with You as the head.

Then I will no longer be “tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by … the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  Help me become so familiar with Your Word that I recognize the crafty, deceitful teachings of the world.

Bless me as I make time to read and study Your Word, Your love letter to me.  Reveal its meaning and show me how to apply Your wisdom to my life.

Thank You Father, that Your Word is true.  That it teaches. That it encourages.  And guides.  And comforts.  And helps me grow more and more in step with You.  Amen

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sept 11 Seek God’s wisdom and blessing

O Father, help me.  Strengthen me in my spirit so I will not make the same mistakes Your people in Israel made so long ago.

First they “rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah.”  These were the softly running streams of Northern Israel that brought water to provide abundant harvests of grain, but represented the provision You afforded them as a blessing.   Yet the people were not satisfied with what You supplied.

They sought other gods.  So You brought against them “mighty floodwaters of the River – the king of Assyria with all his pomp…to overflow all its channels, run over all its banks and sweep onto Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck.”  The Assyrian Empire was centered on the Tigris and Euphrates, two of the largest and mightiest rivers.  The Assyrians would spill over into Israel and flood up to their necks.  Not the kind of water that was useful for life, but a devastating, destructive flood.

Father, help me be satisfied with what You have given me, what You have blessed me with.  Do not let me look to others, or compare myself to them, desiring what they have.  But let me rest in Your abundant provision, content in Your care, trusting that You know, and will provide, whatever is best for me.

Next, Your people ignored the signs and prophecies You gave them, and instead, sought the wisdom and guidance of mediums and spiritualists.

In my world, there are so many places people can go to discern a direction for their lives.  Palm readers, mediums, and spiritualists still exist.  Tarot cards and daily horoscopes have become a guide for actions people take in their relationships, their finances, their business and social lives.  “…Should not a people inquire of their God?”  Lord, I will seek wisdom from You.  In Your Word and in prayer, Father, speak to me, direct me.  Show me the way to go when I have decisions to make.  Do not let me be drawn to the darkness of the occult.

Also, when judgment began to fall on the people, their response was not humility and repentance.  Instead, “they say with pride and arrogance of heart, the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”  In their arrogance, they missed the message You had for them to come back to You, to worship You.  Instead they responded only to the destruction, seeing it only as a construction problem; saying they would rebuild with stronger, more resilient materials.

God help us – these are the very same words spoken by American government officials after the destruction of 9-11, September 11^th.  Rather than heed the warning to return to You, the spiritual problem in this country was seen as a construction issue.  With a response to “rebuild” with stronger materials.

Father, if and when You send me a message like this, tenderize my heart to see to the real problem.  Do not let me ignore the spiritual issues in my life.  Prompt me to respond to those with humility and repentance.  If all is right between us, the rest will take care of itself.

It is not by might I will endure, but by Your grace, Your mercy, Your love, compassion and provision.  And it is the same for my country.  Tenderize our leaders’ hearts to see the real problem, to seek You, worship You, and turn to You for guidance.  Thank You for these lessons.  Help me remember them.  Amen

Isaiah 8:5-8; 19-22; 9:8-12

Aug 8 make me like…

Heavenly Father, what a rich heritage Ezra had.  Usually I just skim over the names listed in genealogies, but somehow this time, these names seemed familiar.

I know Hilkiah – during Josiah’s reign, he was the priest who found the Book of the Law that had been lost in the Temple.  He brought Your Word back to the people so they could hear Your Word and have their hearts respond with humility.  They returned to worship You.  In last week’s prayer I prayed that I would hear all Your Word has to tell me, and that my heart would be responsive and humble too.

I remember Zadok.  He was the priest who remained loyal to David when David’s son Absalom was chasing him out of Jerusalem.  Zadok prayed for David, offered sacrifices, and escorted him with the Arc of the Covenant.  Then at David’s request, he stayed behind in Jerusalem to be his spy. And I prayed that I would have the loyalty and support of my friends, and be a loyal support to them.

Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, stands out as a man who was so zealous for Your Word that he drove a spear through a Midianite woman and her Israelite lover who were flagrantly breaking Your Law.   This turned back Your wrath from the people and stopped a plague.  You gave Phinehas a covenant of peace and perpetual priesthood for he and his descendants.  Father, I desire to have that zeal for Your Word.

And Aaron, Moses’ brother, who You spoke through when You freed Your people from Egypt’s Pharaoh.  He became the first High Priest, entrusted with carrying out Your Law.  You separated him from the other tribes to be Your representative in intercession for all Israel.  Only the High Priest could approach You.

O Father, what a rich heritage for Ezra, who is now the one taking a copy of Your Word back from the Babylonian exile to the people.  He will be Your representative in the land, reading and teaching Your Law once again to Your people.

Father, let me be like Ezra and all those in his line.  Like Aaron, I can now approach You personally and come boldly before Your throne of grace because of Your redemptive work on the cross.

Give me a desire to obey You like Phinehas, and help me be loyal and an intercessor like Zadok.  Make my heart humble to Your Word revealed by Hilkiah and returned to Your people by Ezra.

Thank You Father for each one in this line, who zealously guarded and revealed Your Word to others.  Let me do the same.  Amen

Ezra 7:1-7

Aug 3 Your Word changes my heart

Oh Father.  Today in Your Word, I am told that while “the men did their work faithfully” at the orders of twenty-six year old King Josiah, they “found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.”  It had been lost, ignored throughout the eighteen years Josiah had been king, and during the reign of his evil father.

When it was brought before the young king, he heard the Word of the Law and his heart was responsive as he understood its meaning.  He humbled himself before You and sought Your will.

Lord, I wonder if today, Your Word has again gotten

“lost in the house of the Lord“?

The church is Your house, and it has Your Word, yet are we ignoring it?  Are we teaching it to our people?  Or do we pick and choose what we like and go on with our lives as we want?

Father, I pray that Your believers, Your church, will once again “hear” Your Word.  And that we would understand all that we read with a responsive heart.  Father, let us see where “they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”  And be humbled and change where we are not doing all You command.

I also understand that my body is Your “temple.”  

Don’t let Your Word be lost in me!

Open my ears to truly “hear” all that Your Word says.  Even the parts that may not sit easily with me.  Even the parts I wish I didn’t have to obey.

Make my heart responsive to what I hear from You.  Let me be like Josiah, and be humbled and weep before You when I see where I have not been obedient.

Show me how to live by Your Word, with a heart that is responsive to and humbled by what I have heard.  Amen

2 Chronicles 34:8-33

July 22 Heal our land

O Father, Solomon knew the people so well.  Even as You inhabited the Temple, and Your Glory shone all around, he knew Your people would turn away from You.  He prayed for Your forgiveness and mercy, and You answered with a promise we can claim today.

“If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Father, I belong to You.  I am called a Christian after Your Name “Christ.”  So it is my responsibility to intercede: pray for my community, my country.   That also makes it my responsibility to humble myself and turn from my sin.

It’s so easy to point a finger at corrupt people who take advantage of and mislead others.  Or to ask for forgiveness for “corporate sin” – the sin committed by others in my nation or society as a whole. But You did not stipulate only the guilty looking people confess, but Your people.

I cannot get away from the need to confess my personal sin too.

So Father, I humble myself before You.  I have not measured up in so many ways.  I do not deserve the blessings You pour out on me.   Show me where there is wickedness in my life: my words, my actions, my attitude.

Forgive me when I have spoken but should have held my tongue.  Forgive me when I held my tongue but should have spoken.

I have allowed fear to dictate when I was willing to stand up for You.  I have allowed my comfort to set the limits of my generosity when it comes to giving of my time and talents and treasure.

Lord I seek Your face to bring a spiritual awakening and revival upon my country.  Renew the Biblical values this country was founded on.  Let Your people once again know Your presence, Your power and Your blessing.

Father, bring America together in unity, across boundaries of race, politics, faith, status, income.  Help us join together to seek the common good and Your direction for our lives and our country.

“I love You Lord.  You are my strength.  You are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.  I call to You, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”  Amen

2 Chronicles 6:12-7:16; Psalm 18:1-3 

June 8 Thank You for the people in my life

Father, help me be more like Solomon.  When You told him “Ask for whatever you want Me to give you.”  He was not quick with a Christmas list of desired material possessions.  Even before You granted him wisdom beyond all human possibility, he answered wisely.

He began by acknowledging Your kindness and faithfulness to his father David.  He focused on You, and what You had already done in his life.  Then he presented himself humbly – as an individual and as a ruler.  He recognized the enormity of both the blessing and the responsibility You had given him.  And in the face of this, he asked for wisdom.

Let this be a pattern for my prayer life as well.

Lord, I truly acknowledge Your faithfulness to me.  I can’t begin to understand all the pieces You brought into place for my being here now, as one of Your children.

How interconnected are the lives of the people You orchestrated to impact my life: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, friends, Sunday school teachers, teachers, coaches, acquaintances, co-workers.  You not only coordinated who they were and how they influenced me, but where they were, as I moved across the country almost every year growing up.  That blows my mind!

You have blessed me in the roles I play to others: daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin, wife, mother, friend, teacher, labor coach, and in the intimate way I have been able to relate to people at significant times in their lives.  I feel very inadequate to fill the needs of the people You give me opportunities to minister to.  On my own, I cannot do it.

Give me a discerning heart to speak to and relate to those You bring into my life.  Help me distinguish between right and wrong and be able to speak the truth in love into their lives as I live my life according to Your guidance.   Show me when to speak and when to keep silent.  Show me how to share the understanding You have given me when it comes to teaching and encouraging others.

Father, thank You for the blessing of all those You have brought into my life.  Help me care for them in Your love, in Your strength, and in Your name.  Amen

I Kings 3:4-9

May 30 You bring Hope and Help

Father, make me more like David.   Even when fleeing from Jerusalem, a time of distress and uncertainty, his faith was strong knowing You were with him.  The people he ruled over loved him and wept as he fled.

The priests made intercession and offered sacrifices as David left the city.  They were prepared to go with him, but obeyed his request to stay behind and use their sons as secret couriers for David.  Another friend agreed to stay behind and act as a spy.  David prayed that the council of his enemy would be “turned into foolishness.”

A servant met him on the road with provisions, food, and donkeys for David and his household.   And when a man came showering stones and dirt clods on him, David took no revenge, but was humble to accept whatever You might allow to happen to him.

Father, when I am in trouble, do the same for me.   Call in others to intercede and pray for me.  Let me see support from those You have placed around me.  Bring friends who are willing to act on my behalf and are faithful and loyal to me.  And in their time of difficulty, let me be a loyal support for them.

Thwart the plans of my enemy, by turning their counsel into foolishness.   Bring people alongside me who can encourage me and offer what I need to get through the hardship.

And help me, like David, keep a faithful and humble attitude; accepting whatever comes from Your hand, not insisting on my own edification or revenge.

Lord, I know hard times will come.  Thank You that I can call on You and depend on You to get me through them.   You will sustain me according to Your promise, uphold me, and deliver me.  And You will never let my hopes be dashed.

You will take care of me as You did David.  Thank You that I can depend on You.  Thank You that I can trust You.  I give You all my praise.  Amen

2 Samuel 15:23-16:23; Psalm 119:116-117

May 23 Live in humility

Dear Jesus, what a beautiful example You gave of servant leadership when You took it upon Yourself to do the menial job of washing Your disciples’ dirty feet.

These were not regularly pedicured, sweet smelling feet, but the dusty, stinky, calloused feet of men who traveled on foot wherever they went.   The paths they walked on were not paved or grassy.  They were dirty and dusty, and were shared with not only people, but animals who no doubt used the paths for more than walking.  I can imagine, try as one might, stepping in such deposits was inevitable.

But You took on the role of a servant to show that I too, need to be willing to act humbly.

I have attended marriage retreats and Christian women’s retreats where we did this activity.  It was a humbling experience to have someone else wash my feet.  It felt more natural to me to wash someone else’s.  But it goes beyond just the activity because it is symbolic.

It is easier to wash someone’s feet occasionally than to put their needs before my own on a daily basis.  It is easier to wash just their feet than deal with the whole person; especially when they aren’t being pleasant, or I’m feeling unappreciated, or I really just want my own way.

Thank You for Your example.  Help me live up to it with the people You put in my life.

John 13:1-17

Apr 28 Teach me to be humble

O Lord, Gideon was so courageous to lead Your people into battle, and so wise to refuse lordship over them when asked.  He was discerning and humble enough to say that You were the One to rule over them, not him or his son.

But he took the spoil from that victory, and used the gold to make a chest piece.  It became a snare to him and his family and the Israelites who worshipped it.

Forgive me Lord when I act like that.

When I have a victory in my life, I desire to celebrate it!  Show me how to celebrate humbly: how to give the rightful honor to You and not myself.  Get my attention if I stray into worshipping what You have given me, instead of You, the giver.

Help me be humble like Gideon was.  And like Gideon, help me point people to You instead of accepting acclaim for myself.

By the same thinking, do not let me worship or revere another person because of their success.   Do not let me idolize them or give them the attention that is due You.

It is so easy to want to rub shoulders with the famous and powerful, hoping that some of their notoriety or success will transfer to me through the connection.

No matter the circumstances, remind me Lord, that my hope is in You.

It is You I trust with the plan for my life.  It is You who can make things happen and bring about goodness and blessing.

I trust Your timing and Your provision.  And I give You the glory and thanks for all that comes my way.  Amen.

Judges 8:22-28

Dec 11 You are the One

Father, so many times You sent messages to the people and leaders of Israel to return to You, and they did not.  You sent death in famine, drought, blight, locusts, plagues, and military defeats as a way to get their attention.

When challenges and difficulties come to me, remind me to come to You.

You are the One who can help and heal me.

You are the One who can show me wisdom and how to cope with whatever You allow into my life.

Lord, when it is so easy to fret and worry, and grumble and complain to friends, and look to the world for answers, remind me that the source of all I need is You!

Calm my heart when I am anxious.  Shut my mouth when I whine.

Turn me around when I go toward the world’s solutions.

Let me pour out my heart to You and seek wisdom in Your Word.

I will not just talk during prayer, but will listen, so I can hear what You have to say to me.

I will open my eyes and ears to discern when You are showing and teaching me; and where You are leading me.

I will let go of my own way and humble myself to obey You.

For it is “You who forms the mountains, who creates the wind  and who reveals Your thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—    the Lord God Almighty is Your Name.”

You are mine, and I belong to You.   You redeem me with Your love, renew me with Your presence, restore me with Your touch. Amen

Amos 4:6-13

Nov 26 Teach me

Father, thank You for Peter’s reminder that as the end approaches, believers must be earnest in prayer, share Your deep love with others, and use our Spiritual gifts.

Some of these sound so easy.  None of them are.  I can’t do any of them without Your help.

What I can do is come to You in prayer.  You help me in so many ways.  I love my conversations with You!

Sometimes I feel closer to You when I walk around the lake, or through the trees, or can see the mountains.  When I am surrounded by Your amazing creation, You often give me a word of instruction or encouragement.

You have taught me things by watching geese flying above, or ducks feeding in the pond, or sunlight shining through dark clouds.  You have shown me how to be humble through the faces of blossoms that track the sunlight across the sky, or sunflowers that have heads so heavy with seed that they bend low.

It is so easy to praise You in the presence of the beauty of Your creation, and when things are going well.  But rejoicing in suffering is harder to do.  Sometimes, my side of the conversation is sobbing and tears.  It is anxious pleading with pain.

You reach out to me then too.  There is nothing You cannot handle.  There is nothing too big or too small to bring to You.  Thank You for this life-saving and life-giving privilege of prayer.

Father, teach me how to show Your great love to others.  It‘s usually easy to do with strangers.  Kindness to a stranger is short-lived.  Help me also to be loving and forgiving and hospitable to those I know.

Show me how to be humble, and not grumble.   And especially to those I know well, give me perseverance to act and speak in love for the long haul.

Lord, lead me in seeking out ways to join You where You are already at work, in ways that will use my Spiritual gifts.  Give me the energy and stamina to serve.   Show me how to serve humbly so You get the credit.  And let me recognize when to step back so another can use their gifts.

In all these things, let me also be aware of “[my] enemy the devil” who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  Help me see through his lies and deceptions.  Help me avoid his traps and temptations.   Strengthen me to resist him in all his cunning ways.   Make me strong, firm and steadfast.

Yours is the power forever.  I know You will never fail me.  Thank You.  Amen

I Peter 4:7-11; 5:5-8

Nov 13 I am in Awe!

Father, You say “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”   The Hebrew word “yare” translated as “fear” here, is used in this sentence referring to a person in an exalted position: You.  Thus, the meaning includes a reverence, a standing in awe, whereby the individual recognizes the power and position, and renders the proper respect.

Psalm 111 reminds me that ”Great are the works of the Lord…glorious and majestic are His deeds.”   When I ponder all of creation, I am amazed by Your imagination!  I am captivated by the diversity in size and color and design!  I am overwhelmed by the power of Your mountains and seas and winds.

I am in AWE!

I have traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and sailed to South America on a ship.  Both times, being in the middle of the ocean with nothing to see but water in every direction for days is humbling.  I crossed the Sanai Desert at night and stopped to marvel at the number of stars visible so far away from any source of light – amazing!

I have stood on the Alps and the Rocky mountains to see the earth spread out so far ahead of me and felt so tiny.  In Hawaii, we saw majestic waterfalls with lush green jungles, huge whales, and schools of shiny fish swimming in the sea, beautiful flowers, and brilliantly-colored sunsets.  All this is just a part of what You do.

Besides creating and sustaining all this, You have created the intricacies of each human body: from the tiniest of cells to the immense diversity of faces and fingerprints! 

And not just our bodies, but You know the mind and spirit of each individual on the planet.   You are indescribable – uncontainable – unfathomable!  You blow my mind!

And even more wonderful, You do not just set all this in motion and then sit back to see where it goes. You involve Yourself in the life of each of Your precious creations.   You speak, protect, provide, lead, feed, forgive, save.  And all that You do is just and right.

You have provided us with Your written Word.   It teaches Your truth and Your character so all can know You, and Your faithfulness, Your uprightness and Your salvation.

How great and awesome You are!  “To You belongs eternal praise.”  Father, I acknowledge Your power, Your sovereignty; and give You all honor and praise! Amen

Psalm 111:1-10

Sept 25 Unity and Maturity

Father, the words Paul writes to the Ephesians become my prayer today:

Help me “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.”  Help me understand the life You have called me to. 

In dealing with others, help me be less self-centered and more God-centered in the way I treat people, make decisions, and respond to circumstances. 

Every day, let me ask: “Am I living the life You died to give me?” 

Toward that end, help me be “humble and gentle.”  Show me how to walk away from pride, arrogance, conceitedness, and that attitude of superiority that so easily entangles me. 

Teach me to “be patient” and treat people with love.  When I am frustrated, let me bring that to You so You can disarm it before it becomes anger and resentment.

Father, with so many people who call themselves by Your Name, there will be differences.  Help me see past the differences that don’t matter in order to support the unifying beliefs that do make a difference. 

Help me use the gifts You have given me, spiritual and otherwise, to build up Your body of believers, so that we all become a mature, complete body with You as the head.

Then I will no longer be “tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by … the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  Help me become so familiar with Your Word that I recognize the crafty, deceitful teachings of the world. 

Bless me as I make time to read and study Your Word, Your love letter to me.  Reveal its meaning and show me how to apply Your wisdom to my life.

Thank You Father, that Your Word is true.  That it teaches. That it encourages.  And guides.  And comforts.  And helps me grow more and more in step with You.  Amen

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sept 11 Seek God’s Wisdom and Blessing

O Father, help me.  Strengthen me in my spirit so I will not make the same mistakes Your people in Israel made so long ago.

First they “rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah.”  These were the softly running streams of Northern Israel that brought water to provide abundant harvests of grain, but represented the provision You afforded them as a blessing.   Yet the people were not satisfied with what You supplied.

They sought other gods.  So You brought against them “mighty floodwaters of the River – the king of Assyria with all his pomp…to overflow all its channels, run over all its banks and sweep onto Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck.”  The Assyrian Empire was centered on the Tigris and Euphrates, two of the largest and mightiest rivers.  The Assyrians would spill over into Israel and flood up to their necks.  Not the kind of water that was useful for life, but a devastating, destructive flood.

Father, help me be satisfied with what You have given me, what You have blessed me with.  Do not let me look to others, or compare myself to them, desiring what they have.  But let me rest in Your abundant provision, content in Your care, trusting that You know, and will provide, whatever is best for me.

Next, Your people ignored the signs and prophecies You gave them, and instead, sought the wisdom and guidance of mediums and spiritualists.

In my world, there are so many places people can go to discern a direction for their lives.  Palm readers, mediums, and spiritualists still exist.  Tarot cards and daily horoscopes have become a guide for actions people take in their relationships, their finances, their business and social lives.  “…Should not a people inquire of their God?”  Lord, I will seek wisdom from You.  In Your Word and in prayer, Father, speak to me, direct me.  Show me the way to go when I have decisions to make.  Do not let me be drawn to the darkness of the occult.

Also, when judgment began to fall on the people, their response was not humility and repentance.  Instead, “they say with pride and arrogance of heart, the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”  In their arrogance, they missed the message You had for them to come back to You, to worship You.  Instead they responded only to the destruction, seeing it only as a construction problem; saying they would rebuild with stronger, more resilient materials.

God help us – these are the very same words spoken by American government officials after the destruction of 9-11, September 11^th.  Rather than heed the warning to return to You, the spiritual problem in this country was seen as a construction issue.  With a response to “rebuild” with stronger materials.

Father, if and when You send me a message like this, tenderize my heart to see to the real problem.  Do not let me ignore the spiritual issues in my life.  Prompt me to respond to those with humility and repentance.  If all is right between us, the rest will take care of itself.

It is not by might I will endure, but by Your grace, Your mercy, Your love, compassion and provision.  And it is the same for my country.  Tenderize our leaders’ hearts to see the real problem, to seek You, worship You, and turn to You for guidance.  Thank You for these lessons.  Help me remember them.  Amen

Isaiah 8:5-8; 19-22; 9:8-12

Aug 8 Help me be like…

Heavenly Father, what a rich heritage Ezra had.  Usually I just skim over the names listed in genealogies, but somehow this time, these names seemed familiar.

I know Hilkiah – during Josiah’s reign, he was the priest who found the Book of the Law that had been lost in the Temple.  He brought Your Word back to the people so they could hear Your Word and have their hearts respond with humility.  They returned to worship You.  In last week’s prayer I prayed that I would hear all Your Word has to tell me, and that my heart would be responsive and humble too.

I remember Zadok.  He was the priest who remained loyal to David when David’s son Absalom was chasing him out of Jerusalem.  Zadok prayed for David, offered sacrifices, and escorted him with the Arc of the Covenant.  Then at David’s request, he stayed behind in Jerusalem to be his spy. And I prayed that I would have the loyalty and support of my friends, and be a loyal support to them.

Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, stands out as a man who was so zealous for Your Word that he drove a spear through a Midianite woman and her Israelite lover who were flagrantly breaking Your Law.   This turned back Your wrath from the people and stopped a plague.  You gave Phinehas a covenant of peace and perpetual priesthood for he and his descendants.  Father, I desire to have that zeal for Your Word.

And Aaron, Moses’ brother, who You spoke through when You freed Your people from Egypt’s Pharaoh.  He became the first High Priest, entrusted with carrying out Your Law.  You separated him from the other tribes to be Your representative in intercession for all Israel.  Only the High Priest could approach You.

O Father, what a rich heritage for Ezra, who is now the one taking a copy of Your Word back from the Babylonian exile to the people.  He will be Your representative in the land, reading and teaching Your Law once again to Your people.

Father, let me be like Ezra and all those in his line.  Like Aaron, I can now approach You personally and come boldly before Your throne of grace because of Your redemptive work on the cross.

Give me a desire to obey You like Phinehas, and help me be loyal and an intercessor like Zadok.  Make my heart humble to Your Word revealed by Hilkiah and returned to Your people by Ezra.

Thank You Father for each one in this line, who zealously guarded and revealed Your Word to others.  Let me do the same.  Amen

Ezra 7:1-7

Aug 3 Your Word changes my heart

Oh Father.  Today in Your Word, I am told that while “the men did their work faithfully” at the orders of twenty-six year old King Josiah, they “found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.”  It had been lost, ignored throughout the eighteen years Josiah had been king, and during the reign of his evil father.

When it was brought before the young king, he heard the Word of the Law and his heart was responsive as he understood its meaning.  He humbled himself before You and sought Your will.

Lord, I wonder if today, Your Word has again gotten “lost in the house of the Lord“?

The church is Your house, and it has Your Word, yet are we ignoring it?  Are we teaching it to our people?  Or do we pick and choose what we like and go on with our lives as we want?

Father, I pray that Your believers, Your church, will once again “hear” Your Word.  And that we would understand all that we read with a responsive heart.  Father, let us see where “they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”  And be humbled and change where we are not doing all You command.

I also understand that my body is Your “temple.”   Don’t let Your Word be lost in me!

Open my ears to truly “hear” all that Your Word says.  Even the parts that may not sit easily with me.  Even the parts I wish I didn’t have to obey.

Make my heart responsive to what I hear from You.  Let me be like Josiah, and be humbled and weep before You when I see where I have not been obedient.

Show me how to live by Your Word, with a heart that is responsive to and humbled by what I have heard.  Amen

2 Chronicles 34:8-33

July 22 Heal our land

O Father, Solomon knew the people so well.  Even as You inhabited the Temple, and Your Glory shone all around, he knew Your people would turn away from You.  He prayed for Your forgiveness and mercy, and You answered with a promise we can claim today.

“If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Father, I belong to You.  I am called a Christian after Your Name “Christ.”  So it is my responsibility to intercede: pray for my community, my country.   That also makes it my responsibility to humble myself and turn from my sin.

It’s so easy to point a finger at corrupt people who take advantage of and mislead others.  Or to ask for forgiveness for “corporate sin” – the sin committed by others in my nation or society as a whole. But You did not stipulate only the guilty looking people confess, but Your people.

I cannot get away from the need to confess my personal sin too.

So Father, I humble myself before You.  I have not measured up in so many ways.  I do not deserve the blessings You pour out on me.   Show me where there is wickedness in my life: my words, my actions, my attitude.

Forgive me when I have spoken but should have held my tongue.  Forgive me when I held my tongue but should have spoken.

I have allowed fear to dictate when I was willing to stand up for You.  I have allowed my comfort to set the limits of my generosity when it comes to giving of my time and talents and treasure.

Lord I seek Your face to bring a spiritual awakening and revival upon my country.  Renew the Biblical values this country was founded on.  Let Your people once again know Your presence, Your power and Your blessing.

Father, bring us together in unity amid this crisis, this pandemic, this season of injustice and political division.  Help us join together to seek the common good and Your direction for our lives and our country.

“I love You Lord.  You are my strength.  You are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.  I call to You, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”  Amen

2 Chronicles 6:12-7:16; Psalm 18:1-3 

June 8 Thank You for the people in my life

Father, help me be more like Solomon.  When You told him “Ask for whatever you want Me to give you.”  He was not quick with a Christmas list of desired material possessions.  Even before You granted him wisdom beyond all human possibility, he answered wisely.

He began by acknowledging Your kindness and faithfulness to his father David.  He focused on You, and what You had already done in his life.  Then he presented himself humbly – as an individual and as a ruler.  He recognized the enormity of both the blessing and the responsibility You had given him.  And in the face of this, he asked for wisdom.

Let this be a pattern for my prayer life as well.

Lord, I truly acknowledge Your faithfulness to me.  I can’t begin to understand all the pieces You brought into place for my being here now, as one of Your children.

How interconnected are the lives of the people You orchestrated to impact my life: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, friends, Sunday school teachers, teachers, coaches, acquaintances, co-workers.  You not only coordinated who they were and how they influenced me, but where they were, as I moved across the country almost every year growing up.  That blows my mind!

You have blessed me in the roles I play to others: daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin, wife, mother, friend, teacher, labor coach, and in the intimate way I have been able to relate to people at significant times in their lives.  I feel very inadequate to fill the needs of the people You give me opportunities to minister to.  On my own, I cannot do it.

Give me a discerning heart to speak to and relate to those You bring into my life.  Help me distinguish between right and wrong and be able to speak the truth in love into their lives as I live my life according to Your guidance.   Show me when to speak and when to keep silent.  Show me how to share the understanding You have given me when it comes to teaching and encouraging others.

Father, thank You for the blessing of all those You have brought into my life.  Help me care for them in Your love, in Your strength, and in Your name.  Amen

I Kings 3:4-9

May 23 Live in humility

Dear Jesus, what a beautiful example You gave of servant leadership when You took it upon Yourself to do the menial job of washing Your disciples’ dirty feet.

These were not regularly pedicured, sweet smelling feet, but the dusty, stinky, calloused feet of men who traveled on foot wherever they went.   The paths they walked on were not paved or grassy.  They were dirty and dusty, and were shared with not only people, but animals who no doubt used the paths for more than walking.  I can imagine, try as one might, stepping in such deposits was inevitable.

But You took on the role of a servant to show that I too, need to be willing to act humbly.

I have attended marriage retreats and Christian women’s retreats where we did this activity.  It was a humbling experience to have someone else wash my feet.  It felt more natural to me to wash someone else’s.  But it goes beyond just the activity because it is symbolic.

It is easier to wash someone’s feet occasionally than to put their needs before my own on a daily basis.  It is easier to wash just their feet than deal with the whole person; especially when they aren’t being pleasant, or I’m feeling unappreciated, or I really just want my own way.

Thank You for Your example.  Help me live up to it with the people You put in my life.

John 13:1-17

April 28 Teach me to be humble

O Lord, Gideon was so courageous to lead Your people into battle, and so wise to refuse lordship over them when asked.  He was discerning and humble enough to say that You were the One to rule over them, not him or his son.

But he took the spoil from that victory, and used the gold to make a chest piece.  It became a snare to him and his family and the Israelites who worshipped it.

Forgive me Lord when I act like that.

When I have a victory in my life, I desire to celebrate it!  Show me how to celebrate humbly: how to give the rightful honor to You and not myself.  Get my attention if I stray into worshipping what You have given me, instead of You, the giver.

Help me be humble like Gideon was.  And like Gideon, help me point people to You instead of accepting acclaim for myself.

By the same thinking, do not let me worship or revere another person because of their success.   Do not let me idolize them or give them the attention that is due You.

It is so easy to want to rub shoulders with the famous and powerful, hoping that some of their notoriety or success will transfer to me through the connection.

Remind me Lord, that my hope is in You.  No matter the circumstances, it is You I trust with the plan for my life.  It is You who can make things happen and bring about goodness and blessing. Even out of the pandemic days we are living in.

I trust Your timing and Your provision.  And I give You the glory and thanks for all that comes my way.  Amen.

Judges 8:22-28

Dec 11 You are the One I can turn to

Father, so many times You sent messages to the people and leaders of Israel to return to You, and they did not. You sent death in famine, drought, blight, locusts, plagues, and military defeats as a way to get their attention.

When challenges and difficulties come to me, remind me to come to You. You are the One who can help and heal me. You are the One who can show me wisdom and how to cope with whatever You allow into my life.

Lord, when it is so easy to fret and worry, and grumble and complain to friends, and look to the world for answers, remind me that the source of all I need is You!

Calm my heart when I am anxious. Shut my mouth when I whine.

Turn me around when I go toward the world’s solutions.

Let me pour out my heart to You and seek wisdom in Your Word.

I will not just talk during prayer, but will listen, so I can hear what You have to say to me.

I will open my eyes and ears to discern when You are showing and teaching me; and where You are leading me.

I will let go of my own way and humble myself to obey You.

For it is “You who forms the mountains, who creates the wind and who reveals Your thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the LORD God Almighty is Your Name.”

You are mine, and I belong to You. You redeem me with Your love, renew me with Your presence, restore me with Your touch. Amen

Amos 4:6-13

Nov 26 Teach me

Father, thank You for Peter’s reminder that as the end approaches, believers must be earnest in prayer, share Your deep love with others, and use our Spiritual gifts.

Some of these sound so easy.  None of them are.  I can’t do any of them without Your help.

What I can do is come to You in prayer.  You help me in so many ways.  I love my conversations with You!

Sometimes I feel closer to You when I walk around the lake, or through the trees, or can see the mountains.  When I am surrounded by Your amazing creation, You often give me a word of instruction or encouragement.

You have taught me things by watching geese flying above, or ducks feeding in the pond, or sunlight shining through dark clouds.  You have shown me how to be humble through the faces of blossoms that track the sunlight across the sky, or sunflowers that have heads so heavy with seed that they bend low.

It is so easy to praise You in the presence of the beauty of Your creation, and when things are going well.  But rejoicing in suffering is harder to do.  Sometimes, my side of the conversation is sobbing and tears.  It is anxious pleading with pain.

You reach out to me then too.  There is nothing You cannot handle.  There is nothing too big or too small to bring to You.  Thank You for this life-saving and life-giving privilege of prayer.

Father, teach me how to show Your great love to others.  It‘s usually easy to do with strangers.  Kindness to a stranger is short-lived.  Help me to be loving and forgiving and hospitable to those I know.

Show me how to be humble, and not grumble.   And especially to those I know well, give me perseverance to act and speak in love for the long haul.

Lord, lead me in seeking out ways to join You where You are already at work, in ways that will use my Spiritual gifts.  Give me the energy and stamina to serve.   Show me how to serve humbly so You get the credit.  And let me recognize when to step back so another can use their gifts.

In all these things, let me also be aware of “[my] enemy the devil” who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  Help me see through his lies and deceptions.  Help me avoid his traps and temptations.   Strengthen me to resist him in all his cunning ways.   Make me strong, firm and steadfast.

Yours is the power forever.  I know You will never fail me.  Thank You.  Amen

I Peter 4:7-11; 5:5-8

Nov 13 I am in Awe of You

Father, the city and leaders and people of Tyre had every possible advantage to bring them a reputation in material and worldly success.  Yet, they fell.

They took pride in their commerce and accomplishments and that pride kept them from worshipping You.  They saw themselves as gods.  And Your judgment fell on them.

Lord, do not let me think more highly of myself than I ought.   Thank You for Your example of being a humble servant.   As I try to follow Your example, if I ever think too much of myself, refocus me on Your greatness.

Psalm 111 reminds me that ”Great are the works of the Lord…glorious and majestic are His deeds.”   When I ponder all of creation, I am amazed by Your imagination!  I am captivated by the diversity in size and color and design!  I am overwhelmed by the power of Your mountains and seas and winds.

I love seeing pictures of majestic waterfalls, lush green jungles with brightly colored birds, schools of shiny fish swimming in the sea, brilliant flowers, water-colored sunsets.  All this is just a part of what You do.

Besides creating and sustaining all this, You have created the intricacies of each human body: from the tiniest of cells to the immense diversity of faces and fingerprints!

And not just bodies, but You know the mind and spirit of each individual on the planet.   You’re indescribable – uncontainable – unfathomable!  You blow my mind!

And a wondrous part of who You are is that You do not just set all this in motion and then sit back to see where it goes. You involve Yourself in the life of each of Your precious creations.   You speak, protect, provide, lead, feed, forgive, save.  And all that You do is just and right.

You have provided these later generations with Your written Word.   It teaches Your truth and Your character so all can know You, and Your faithfulness, Your uprightness and Your salvation.

You say “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”   The Hebrew word “yare” translated as “fear” here, is used in this sentence referring to a person in an exalted position: You.  Thus, the meaning includes a reverence, a standing in awe, whereby the individual recognizes the power and position, and renders the proper respect.

Father, I acknowledge Your power, Your sovereignty; and give You all honor and praise!  Let me continue to grow in wisdom.

How great and awesome You are!  “To You belongs eternal praise.”  Amen

Ezekiel 27:1-28:19; Psalm 111:1-10

Sept 25 Unity and Maturity

Father, the words Paul writes to the Ephesians become my prayer today:

Help me “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.”  Help me understand the life You have called me to.

In dealing with others, help me be less self-centered and more God-centered in the way I treat people, make decisions, and respond to circumstances.

Every day, let me ask: “Am I living the life You died to give me?”

Toward that end, help me be “humble and gentle.”  Show me how to walk away from pride, arrogance, conceitedness, and that attitude of superiority that so easily entangles me.

Teach me to “be patient” and treat people with love.  When I am frustrated, let me bring that to You so You can disarm it before it becomes anger and resentment.

Father, with so many people who call themselves by Your Name, there will be differences.  Help me see past the differences that don’t matter in order to support the unifying beliefs that do make a difference.

Help me use the gifts You have given me, spiritual and otherwise, to build up Your body of believers, so that we all become a mature, complete body with You as the head.

Then I will no longer be “tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by … the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  Help me become so familiar with Your Word that I recognize the crafty, deceitful teachings of the world.

Bless me as I make time to read and study Your Word, Your love letter to me.  Reveal its meaning and show me how to apply Your wisdom to my life.

Thank You Father, that Your Word is true.  That it teaches. That it encourages.  And guides.  And comforts.  And helps me grow more and more in step with You.  Amen

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sept 11 Seek God’s wisdom and blessing

O Father, help me.  Strengthen me in my spirit so I will not make the same mistakes Your people in Israel made so long ago.

First they “rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah.”  These were the softly running streams of Northern Israel that brought water to provide abundant harvests of grain, but represented the provision You afforded them as a blessing.   Yet the people were not satisfied with what You supplied.

They sought other gods.  So You brought against them “mighty floodwaters of the River – the king of Assyria with all his pomp…to overflow all its channels, run over all its banks and sweep onto Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck.”  The Assyrian Empire was centered on the Tigris and Euphrates, two of the largest and mightiest rivers.  The Assyrians would spill over into Israel and flood up to their necks.  Not the kind of water that was useful for life, but a devastating, destructive flood.

Father, help me to be satisfied with what You have given me, what You have blessed me with.  Do not let me look to others, or compare myself to them, desiring what they have.  But let me rest in Your abundant provision, content in Your care, trusting that You know, and will provide, whatever is best for me.

Next, Your people ignored the signs and prophecies You gave them, and instead, sought the wisdom and guidance of mediums and spiritualists.

In my world, there are so many places people can go to discern a direction for their lives.  Palm readers, mediums, and spiritualists still exist.  Tarot cards and daily horoscopes have become a guide for actions people take in their relationships, their finances, their business and social lives.  “…Should not a people inquire of their God?”  Lord, I will seek wisdom from You.  In Your Word and in prayer, Father, speak to me, direct me.  Show me the way to go when I have decisions to make.  Do not let me be drawn to the darkness of the occult.

Also, when judgment began to fall on the people, their response was not humility and repentance.  Instead, “they say with pride and arrogance of heart, the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”  In their arrogance, they missed the message You had for them to come back to You, to worship You.  Instead they responded only to the destruction, seeing it only as a construction problem; saying they would rebuild with stronger, more resilient materials.

God help us – these are the very same words spoken by American government officials after the destruction of 9-11, September 11^th.  Rather than heed the warning to return to You, the spiritual problem in this country was seen as a construction issue.  With a response to “rebuild” with stronger materials.

Father, if and when You send me a message like this, tenderize my heart to see to the real problem.  Do not let me ignore the spiritual issues in my life.  Prompt me to respond to those with humility and repentance.

If all is right between us, the rest will take care of itself.  It is not by might I will endure, but by Your grace, Your mercy, Your love, compassion and provision.  And it is the same for my country.  Tenderize our leaders’ hearts to see the real problem, to seek You, worship You, and turn to You for guidance.  Thank You for these lessons.  Help me remember them.  Amen

Isaiah 8:5-9:21

Jul 22 Heal our land

O Father, Solomon knew the people so well.  Even as You inhabited the Temple, and Your Glory shone all around, he knew Your people would turn away from You.  He prayed for Your forgiveness and mercy, and You answered with a promise we can claim today.

“If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Father, I belong to You.  I am called a Christian after Your Name “Christ.”  So it is my responsibility to intercede: pray for my community, my country.   That also makes it my responsibility to humble myself and turn from my sin.

It’s so easy to point a finger at corrupt people who take advantage of and mislead others.  Or to ask for forgiveness for “corporate sin” – the sin committed by others in my nation or society as a whole. But You did not stipulate only the guilty looking people confess, but Your people.

I cannot get away from the need to confess my personal sin too.

So Father, I humble myself before You.  I have not measured up in so many ways.  I do not deserve the blessings You pour out on me.   Show me where there is wickedness in my life: my words, my actions, my attitude.

Forgive me when I have spoken but should have held my tongue.  Forgive me when I held my tongue but should have spoken.

I have allowed fear to dictate when I was willing to stand up for You.  I have allowed my comfort to set the limits of my generosity when it comes to giving of my time and talents and treasure.

Lord I seek Your face to bring a spiritual awakening and revival upon my country.  Renew the Biblical values this country was founded on.  Let Your people once again know Your presence, Your power and Your blessing.

“I love You Lord.  You are my strength.  You are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.  I call to You, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”  Amen

2 Chronicles 6:12-7:16; Psalm 18:1-3 

Apr 28 Teach me to be humble

O Lord, Gideon was so courageous to lead Your people into battle, and so wise to refuse lordship over them when asked.  He was discerning and humble enough to say that You were the One to rule over them, not him or his son.

But he took the spoil from that victory, and used the gold to make a chest piece.  It became a snare to him and his family and the Israelites who worshipped it.

Forgive me Lord when I act like that.

When I have a victory in my life, I desire to celebrate it!  Show me how to celebrate humbly: how to give the rightful honor to You and not myself.  Get my attention if I stray into worshipping what You have given me, instead of You, the giver.

Help me be humble like Gideon was.  And like Gideon, help me point people to You instead of accepting acclaim for myself.

By the same thinking, do not let me worship or revere another person because of their success.   Do not let me idolize them or give them the attention that is due You.

It is so easy to want to rub shoulders with the famous and powerful, hoping that some of their notoriety or success will transfer to me through the connection.

Remind me Lord, that my hope is in You.  It is You I trust with the plan for my life.  It is You who can make things happen and bring about goodness and blessing.

I trust Your timing and Your provision.  And I give You the glory and thanks for all that comes my way.  Amen.

Judges 8:22-27

Nov 26 Teach me

Father, thank You for Peter’s reminder that as the end approaches, believers must be earnest in prayer, share Your deep love with others, and use our Spiritual gifts.

Some of these sound so easy.  None of them are.  I can’t do any of them without Your help.  What I can do is come to You in prayer.  You help me in so many ways.  I love my conversations with You!

Sometimes I feel closer to You when I walk around the lake, or through the trees, or can see the mountains.  When I am surrounded by Your amazing creation, You often give me a word of instruction or encouragement.

You have taught me things by watching geese flying above, or ducks feeding in the pond, or sunlight shining through dark clouds.  You have shown me how to be humble through the faces of blossoms that track the sunlight across the sky, or sunflowers that have heads so heavy with seed that they bend low.

It is so easy to praise You in the presence of the beauty of Your creation, and when things are going well.  But rejoicing in suffering is harder to do.  Sometimes, my side of the conversation is sobbing and tears.  It is anxious pleading with pain.

You reach out to me then too.  There is nothing You cannot handle.  There is nothing too big or too small to bring to You.  Thank You for this life-saving and life-giving privilege of prayer.

Father, teach me how to show Your great love to others.  It feels easy to do with strangers.  Kindness to a stranger is short-lived.  Help me to be loving and forgiving and hospitable to those I know.

Show me how to be humble, and not grumble.   And especially to those I know well, give me perseverance to act and speak in love for the long haul.

Lord, lead me in seeking out ways to join You where You are already at work, in ways that will use my Spiritual gifts.  Give me the energy and stamina to serve.   Show me how to serve humbly so You get the credit.  And let me recognize when to step back so another can use their gifts.

In all these things, let me also be aware of “[my] enemy the devil” who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  Help me see through his lies and deceptions.  Help me avoid his traps and temptations.   Strengthen me to resist him in all his cunning ways.   Make me strong, firm and steadfast.

Yours is the power forever.  I know You will never fail me.  Thank You.  Amen

I Peter 4:7-5:14

Nov 20 While here on earth…

Father, how I long for the day when I will be in Your presence for all eternity.  My real home is with You.  I long to sit at Your feet, to see You face to face, to wrap my arms around You and rest in Yours.

But for now, I must be here.

And not just with You, but with billions of other imperfect people like myself, who I need to learn to get along with.  Father, James tells me I need to live in this world, but not be friends with it.

I need to relate to people, but without speaking badly of them or judging them.

I need to suppress the desires within me that might cause me to selfishly fight and quarrel with others when I don’t get my way.

And I need to recognize the devil and resist him.

Thank You for placing Your Holy Spirit in me to help me with all these things.  Thank You for the grace You extend to me.  James tells me the key is to submit to You and humble myself.

So Father, I submit myself to You.  When I am obedient to You, I will not obey the devil.  I will not be selfish.  I will not mistreat others.

Father, I give You my plans.  Take the days of my life that You have already numbered, and show me how to live each one.  Do not let me get ahead of You.  And do not let me lag behind.  I trust Your timing for all of it.

I draw near to You Father, and ask You to search me and remove any desires that are not godly.  If I ask for the wrong thing, or ask with a wrong motive, show me where I have messed up.  If I become too attached to the things of the world, wean me from that dependence.  For with You, I have all I need.

Father, examine my relationships.  If there are any that do not serve Your purposes, then help me let them go.  If I am quarreling with anyone, or am out of fellowship with them, show me what caused it, Your plan for the relationship, and how to make it right again.

And when I am tempted by the devil, let me clearly see the “hook” beneath the lure he is dangling before me.  Strengthen me to resist, and turn away from that trap.

As long as You have me living here on the earth, Lord, guide and strengthen me.  Help me overcome my flesh and the evil one and the pull of the world.  I choose to hold my possessions, my relationships, my plans loosely so I can follow Your will.  Grant me success.  Amen

James 4:1-12

Sept 25 Unity and Maturity

Father, the words Paul writes to the Ephesians become my prayer today.   Help me “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.”  Help me understand the life You have called me to.

 

In dealing with others, help me be less self-centered and more God-centered in the way I treat people, make decisions, and respond to circumstances.

Every day, let me ask: “Am I living the life You died to give me?”

Toward that end, help me be “humble and gentle.”  Show me how to walk away from pride, arrogance, conceitedness, and that attitude of superiority that so easily entangles me.

Teach me to “be patient”, and treat people with love.  When I am frustrated, let me bring that to You so You can disarm it before it becomes anger and resentment.

Father, with so many people who call themselves by Your Name, there will be differences.  Help me see past the differences that don’t matter in order to support the unifying beliefs that do make a difference.

Help me use the gifts You have given me, spiritual and otherwise, to build up Your body, believers, so that we all become a mature, complete body with You as the head.

Then I will no longer be “tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by … the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  Help me become so familiar with Your Word that I recognize the crafty, deceitful teachings of the world.  Bless me as I make time to read and study Your Word, Your love letter to me.  Reveal its meaning and show me how to apply Your wisdom to my life.

Thank You Father, that Your Word is true.  That it teaches. That it encourages.  And guides.  And comforts.  And helps me grow more and more in step with You.  Amen

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sept 14 All will know You

Father, You are right in Your assessments and just in Your judgments. You gave Isaiah a judgment that would fall upon the people of Moab and Damascus. It’s a horrible picture of death and devastation. Moab was spoken of with “her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and her insolence…” And Damascus had “forgotten God your Savior, you have not remembered the Rock your fortress.” Both were lands of great idolatry.

Lord, do not let me be prideful or conceited. Do not let me think more of myself than I ought to, or forget that all I have comes from You.

Father, I am humbled again, at Your righteousness. You always punish the wicked.  And yet You leave a remnant who turn back to You. “In that day [of judgment] men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands…” Although they had lived their lives worshipping other gods, when judgment came, they knew exactly who the real God was.

I fear I live in a country of people who also deny You and worships other gods. Perhaps not in a religious way, but who live their lives by seeking fame and fortune, doing only what feels good or gains them the most material possessions.

However, I believe that when judgment falls, they will remember that they knew all along, who You really are. Father, bring revival before it is too late. Amen

Isaiah 15:1—18:7

Aug 3 Your Word changes my heart

Oh Father. Today in Your Word, I am told that while “the men did their work faithfully” at the orders of twenty-six year old King Josiah, they “found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.” It had been lost, ignored throughout the eighteen years Josiah had been king, and during the reign of his evil father.

 

When it was brought before the young king, he heard the Word of the Law and his heart was responsive as he understood its meaning. He humbled himself before You and sought Your will.

 

Lord, I wonder if today, Your Word has again gotten “lost in the house of the Lord?“ The church is Your house, and it has Your Word, yet are they ignoring it? Are they teaching it to their people? Or do they pick and choose what they like and go on with their lives as they want.

Father, I pray that Your believers, Your church, will once again ‘hear’ Your Word. And that they would understand what they read with a responsive heart. Father, let them see where “they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book”. And be humbled and change where they are not doing all You command.

I also understand that my body is Your ‘temple’.   Don’t let Your Word be lost in me! Open my ears to truly “hear” all that Your Word says. Even the parts that may not sit easily with me. Even the parts I wish I didn’t have to obey. Make my heart responsive to what I hear from You. Let me be like Josiah, and be humbled and weep before You when I see where I have not been obedient.

Show me how to live by Your Word, with a heart that is responsive, humbled, by what I have heard. Amen

2 Chronicles 34:1-33

July 11 Make Mighty Men

Father, I pray that my sons would be Mighty Men. Like those men You brought to surround and support David, let my sons be able and capable. Let them know what is right and not be afraid to stand up and fight for it.

I don’t mean I want them to be killers of men as David’s Mighty Men had to be, but to be of strong character. All the verses in today’s scriptures contain wisdom for those who would be open to learn. Father, let my sons have open eyes, ears and hearts to learn from You and Your Word. Show them truth in their lives, and do not let them be swayed or misled by the lies and deceit of the world or the evil one.

Like David’s Mighty Men, let them see Your hand at work in the world, and join You in it. Let them have the skills they need to be victorious in today’s battles. Today’s battles are not against the Philistines, but against greed, lust, envy, entitlement, spiritual strongholds, social pressures, political agendas and those who would derail them from Your purpose for their lives. Father, let them know the truth that will combat these lies and set them free.

Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah about the condition of the Israelites. Lord, let my sons be the opposite. So when they hear Your Word, let them understand it, as they see You at work, let them perceive how to work with You. Do not let their hearts become calloused, their ears deaf, or their eyes blind. But let them be open to You and understand with their hearts, and turn to You for healing.

Along with the psalmist, let them “praise You, O Lord, with all their hearts. Let them tell of Your wonders and be glad to rejoice in You. Let them sing praise to Your name. Turn their enemies back and cause them to stumble and perish.”  Uphold my sons, Lord. Teach them that You judge righteously.

As the Proverbs teach, Lord, “let their walk be blameless. Do not let them become fools with perverse lips. Do not let them be hasty and miss the way, or have zeal without knowledge. Do not let them rage against You. Help them learn from mistakes, so they will not ruin their lives with folly.” All these things will make them mighty men of the Lord. They will know You and trust in You, for You have never forsaken those who seek You.

I would desire to be all these things as well, Lord; to have these character traits, and be mighty in my faith. Let me be a good role model to my children and all those around me. Thank You, for doing more than I can even ask or imagine. Amen

I Chronicles 11:10-12:18; Acts 28: 25-27; Psalm 9:1-3; Proverbs 19:1-3

May 23 Live in humility

Dear Jesus, what a beautiful example You gave of servant leadership when You took it upon Yourself to do the menial job of washing Your disciples’ dirty feet.

These were not regularly pedicured, sweet smelling feet, but the dusty, stinky, calloused feet of men who traveled on foot wherever they went.   The paths they walked on were not paved or grassy. They were dirty and dusty, and were shared with not only people, but animals who no doubt used the paths for more than walking. I can imagine, try as one might, stepping in such deposits was inevitable.

But You took on the role of a servant to show that I too, need to be willing to act humbly.

I have attended marriage retreats and Christian women’s retreats where we did this activity. It was a humbling experience to have someone else wash my feet. And it felt more natural to me to wash someone else’s. But it goes beyond just the activity because it is symbolic.

It is easier to wash someone’s feet occasionally than to put their needs before my own on a daily basis. It is easier to wash just their feet than deal with the whole person; especially when they aren’t being pleasant, or I’m feeling unappreciated, or I really just want my own way.

Thank You for Your example. Help me live up to it with the people You put in my life. And thank You for the words of Psalm 119 that remind me how to live. Help me live my life making decisions and choosing behaviors that are in line with Your teachings. Teach me the meaning of Your instructions so I can live within Your blessing. Show me how to apply Your Word in my own life as I read, study, meditate, memorize and delight in it.

You promise to hear the prayers of the righteous. And because of Your sacrifice, I have Your righteousness. Thank You. Amen

John 13:1-30; Psalm 119:1-16; Proverb 15:29

 

Apr 28 Teach me to be humble

O Lord, Gideon was so courageous to lead Your people into battle, and so wise to refuse lordship over them when asked. He was discerning and humble enough to say that You were the One to rule over them, not him or his son. But he took the spoil from that victory, and used the gold to make a chest piece. It became a snare to him and his family and the Israelites who worshipped it.

Forgive me Lord when I act like that. When I have a victory in my life, I desire to celebrate it! Show me how to celebrate humbly: how to give the rightful honor to You and not myself. Get my attention if I stray into worshipping what You have given me, instead of You, the giver.

Help me be humble like Gideon was. And like Gideon, help me point people to You instead of accepting acclaim for myself.

By the same thinking, do not let me worship or revere another person because of their success.   Do not let me idolize them or give them the attention that is due You. It is so easy to want to rub shoulders with the famous and powerful, hoping that some of their notoriety or success will transfer to me through the connection.

Remind me Lord, that my hope is in You. It is You I trust with the plan for my life. It is You who can make things happen and bring about goodness and blessing. I trust Your timing and Your provision. And I give You the glory and thanks for all that comes my way. Amen.

Judges 8:18-27

Nov 26 Teach me

Father, thank You for Peter’s reminder that as the end approaches, believers must be earnest in prayer, share Your deep love with others, and use our Spiritual gifts. Some of these sound so easy. None of them are. I can’t do any of them without Your help.

What I can do is come to You in prayer. You help me in so many ways. I love my conversations with You! Sometimes I feel closer to You when I walk around the lake, or through the trees, or can see the mountains. When I am surrounded by Your amazing creation, You often give me a word of instruction or encouragement. You have taught me things by watching geese flying above, or ducks feeding in the pond, or sunlight shining through dark clouds. You have shown me how to be humble through the faces of blossoms that track the sunlight across the sky, or sunflowers that have heads so heavy with seed that they bend low.

It is so easy to praise You in the presence of the beauty of Your creation, and when things are going well. But rejoicing in suffering is harder to do. Sometimes, my side of the conversation is sobbing and tears. It is anxious pleading with pain. You reach out to me then too. There is nothing You cannot handle. There is nothing too big or too small to bring to You. Thank You for this life-saving and life-giving privilege of prayer.

Father, teach me how to show Your great love to others. It feels easy to do with strangers. Kindness to a stranger is short-lived. Help me to be loving and forgiving and hospitable to those I know. Show me how to be humble, and not grumble.   And especially to those I know well, give me perseverance to act and speak in love for the long haul.

Lord, lead me in seeking out ways to join You where You are already at work, in ways that will use my Spiritual gifts. Give me the energy and stamina to serve.   Show me how to serve humbly so You get the credit. And let me recognize when to step back so another can use their gifts.

In all these things, let me also be aware of “[my] enemy the devil” who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. Help me see through his lies and deceptions. Help me avoid his traps and temptations.  Strengthen me to resist him in all his cunning ways. Make me strong, firm and steadfast. Yours is the power forever. I know You will never fail me. Thank You. Amen

I Peter 4:7-5:14

Nov 20 while here on earth…

Father, how I long for the day when I will be in Your presence for all eternity. My real home is with You. I long to sit at Your feet, to see You face to face, to wrap my arms around You and rest in Yours.

But for now, I must be here. And not just with You, but with billions of other imperfect people like myself, who I need to learn to get along with. Father, James tells me I need to live in this world, but not be friends with it. I need to relate to people, but without speaking badly of them or judging them. I need to suppress the desires within me that might cause me to selfishly fight and quarrel with others when I don’t get my way. And I need to recognize the devil and resist him.

Thank You for placing Your Holy Spirit in me to help me with all these things. Thank You for the grace You extend to me. James tells me the key is to submit to You and humble myself. So Father, I submit myself to You. When I am obedient to You, I will not obey the devil. I will not be selfish. I will not mistreat others.

Father, I give You my plans. Take the days of my life that You have already numbered, and show me how to live each one. Do not let me get ahead of You. And do not let me lag behind. I trust Your timing for all of it. Father, I draw near to You and ask You to search me and remove any desires that are not godly. If I ask for the wrong thing, or ask with a wrong motive, show me where I have messed up. If I become too attached to the things of the world, wean me from that dependence. For with You, I have all I need.

Father, examine my relationships. If there are any that do not serve Your purposes, then help me let them go. If I am quarreling with anyone, or am out of fellowship with them, show me what caused it, Your plan for the relationship, and how to make it right again. And when I am tempted by the devil, let me clearly see the ‘hook’ beneath the lure he is dangling before me. Strengthen me to resist, and turn away from that trap.

Father, as long as You have me living here on the earth, guide and strengthen me. Help me overcome my flesh and the evil one and the pull of the world. I choose to hold my possessions, my relationships, my plans loosely so I can follow Your will. Grant me success. Amen

James 4:1-12

Nov 13 I am in Awe

Father, the city and leaders and people of Tyre had everything worldly possible to bring them success in material possessions and reputation. Yet, they fell. They took pride in their commerce and accomplishments and that pride kept them from worshipping You. They saw themselves as gods. And Your judgment fell on them.

Lord, do not let me think more highly of myself than I ought.   Thank You for Your example of being a humble servant.   As I try to follow Your example, if I ever think too much of myself, refocus me on Your greatness.

Psalm 111 reminds me that ”Great are the works of the Lord…glorious and majestic are His deeds”. When I ponder all of creation, I am amazed by Your imagination! I am captivated by the diversity in size and color and design! I am overwhelmed by the power of Your mountains and seas and winds.

I love seeing pictures of majestic waterfalls, lush green jungles with brightly colored birds, schools of shiny fish swimming in the sea, brilliant flowers, water-colored sunsets. All this is just a part of what You do. Besides creating and sustaining all this, You have created the intricacies of each human body: from the tiniest of cells to the diversity of faces and fingerprints! And not just bodies, but You know the mind and spirit of each individual on the planet!   You’re indescribable – uncontainable – unfathomable! You blow my mind!

And a wondrous part of who You are is that You do not just set all this in motion and then sit back to see where it goes. You involve Yourself in the life of each of Your precious creations.   You speak, protect, provide, lead, feed, forgive, save. And all that You do is just and right. You have provided these later generations with Your written Word.   It teaches Your truth and Your character so all can know You, and Your faithfulness, Your uprightness and Your salvation.

You say “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. The Hebrew word ‘yare’ translated as ‘fear’ here, is used in this sentence referring to a person in an exalted position: You. Thus, the meaning includes a reverence, a standing in awe, whereby the individual recognizes the power and position, and renders the proper respect. Father, I acknowledge Your power, Your sovereignty; and give You all honor and praise! Let me continue to grow in wisdom. How great and awesome You are! “To You belongs eternal praise”! Amen

Ezekiel 27:1-28:19; Psalm 111:1-10

Sept 25 Unity and Maturity

Father, the words Paul writes to the Ephesians become my prayer today. Help me “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.” Help me understand the life You have called me to. In dealing with others, help me be less self-centered and more God-centered in the way I treat people, make decisions, and respond to circumstances.

Every day, let me ask: ‘Am I living the life You died to give me?’

Toward that end, help me be “humble and gentle”. Show me how to walk away from pride, arrogance, conceitedness, and that attitude of superiority that so easily entangles me. Teach me to “be patient”, and treat people with love. When I am frustrated, let me bring that to You so You can disarm it before it becomes anger and resentment.

Father, with so many people who call themselves by Your Name, there will be differences. Help me to see past the differences that don’t matter in order to support the unifying beliefs that do make a difference. Help me use the gifts You have given me, spiritual and otherwise, to build up Your body, believers, so that we all become a mature, complete body with You as the head.

Then I will no longer be “tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by … the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Help me become so familiar with Your Word that I recognize the crafty, deceitful teachings of the world. Bless me as I make time to read and study Your Word, Your love letter to me. Reveal its meaning and show me how to apply Your wisdom to my life.

Thank You Father, that Your Word is true. That it teaches. That it encourages. And guides. And comforts. And helps me grow more and more in step with You. Amen

Ephesians 4:1-16

 

Apr 28 Teach me to be humble

O Lord, Gideon was so courageous to lead Your people into battle, and so wise to refuse lordship over them when asked. He was discerning and humble enough to say that You were the One to rule over them, not him or his son. But he took the spoil from that victory, and used the gold to make a chest piece. It became a snare to him and his family and the Israelites who worshipped it.

Forgive me Lord when I act like that. When I have a victory in my life, I desire to celebrate it! Show me how to celebrate humbly, Lord: how to give the rightful honor to You and not myself. Get my attention if I stray into worshipping what You have given me, instead of You, the giver.

Help me be humble like Gideon was. And like Gideon, help me point people to You instead of accepting acclaim for myself.

By the same thinking, do not let me worship or revere another person because of their success.   Do not let me idolize them or give them the attention that is due You. It is so easy to want to rub shoulders with the famous and powerful, hoping that some of their notoriety or success will transfer to me through the connection.

Remind me Lord, that my hope is in You. It is You I trust with the plan for my life. It is You who can make things happen and bring about goodness and blessing. I trust Your timing and Your provision. And I give You the glory and thanks for all that comes my way. Amen.

Judges 8:18-27