Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

For a limited time You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best.  Your protection: absolute.

Thank You that You protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one with Your Helmet of Salvation, and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, the Sword of the Spirit, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! 

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more.

Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Jan 14 Wisdom over Deception

“Help Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues’.”

Arise Lord and protect me from those who malign me and take unfair advantage. Protect me from the deceit of the world, the flesh, and the evil one. “O Lord, You keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.”

You watched over and provided for Jacob when his father-in-law Laban cheated him and changed the terms of his wages ten times. You spoke and told him what to do and protected he and his family.

Father, protect me as well, when others seek to deceive and swindle and mislead me. I turn to You for godly wisdom. Let me listen for Your voice, and understand what You say, trusting Your wisdom over what may seem right by earthly intellect.

You sent Your disciples out “as sheep among the wolves.”  We, Your children, are often referred to as sheep. Thank You for being our shepherd; for watching over us, for driving away predators, for leading us to green pastures and still waters.

Thank You for calming us the way a shepherd does his sheep so we can rest. There are many ”wolves” who seek our destruction, to get us away from the protection of our Shepherd knowing that’s when we are vulnerable.

Proverbs tells us we are blessed when we find wisdom – that it is more profitable than silver or gold and more precious than rubies. Help me discern godly wisdom; not just the logic of the mind or the reasoning of man.

Lead me to seek “the wisdom that comes from heaven: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” This is the wisdom that leads to righteousness.

Open my eyes to the lies and deceit of men. Let me see Your wisdom in the circumstances of my life. Keep my lips from speaking lies. Help me live honorably as one of Your sheep. Amen

Genesis 31:1-13; Matthew 10:16; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15; James 3:17

Dec 17 Two things I ask

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

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proverbs 30:7-9

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

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father, I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was,” and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin.  He approached her boldly; the better to distract her.

He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her.

He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me.  Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath.  The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.” 

Help me be aware of all the ways You speak to me!

Through Your Word, in prayer, through creation, my circumstances, blessings, other people, dreams, visions, even pain,

1 – I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me.  In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma.  It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately.  Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

2 – I need to take some action for my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away,”.  You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy.

I believe the Helmet of Salvation bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side.  And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts.  In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth.  So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God.” 

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth.  When I don’t, problems begin.  Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”  And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me.  I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight.  Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true” or not.

Your Word is truth.  Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation.  Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You.  Amen

II Corinthians 11:3-4

June 23 Strengthen me

“Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me.  Hear my voice when I call to You.”

“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

My mouth so often gets me into trouble.  I speak before I think.  Sometimes I hurt the ones I love.  Sometimes my mouth leads me into gossip, or even lies to make myself look better in the eyes of others.  Sometimes I reveal too much to people who don’t understand or appreciate it, like casting “pearls before swine.”

Instead, I would prefer to use my words to bless, encourage, teach, and show I care.  Help me measure out my words like precious commodities.  Teach me to take time to think before I rush into spilling out whatever is on my mind.

Especially when I am upset, Lord, it’s hard keep my mouth shut, instead of sharing my pain, frustration, or anger.  Remind me I can come to You with anything and everything.   You are the One who can offer healing, encouragement, and restoration better than anyone else.

“Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.
Keep me from the snares they have laid before me, from the traps set by evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.”

Father, if something is luring me away from You, remove the worm and reveal the hook so I will not be caught and reeled in like a fish caught on a line.  If there are hidden nets or snares, show me the truth behind the lies and deceit that would coax me into the trap.

I know there are times when the evil one is out to derail me.  But there are also times when my own flesh and the world’s desires tempt me into things I should not be involved with.  Father, keep me from those things too.

I have heard that voice in my head tempting me, trying to justify behavior I know is wrong. Don’t let me even toy with the thought of wanting that, or thinking I deserve something, or that I can get away with having it.

Strengthen me with Your power: in my thoughts, my words and my actions.  In You, I take refuge.  You are my Sovereign Lord, and my eyes are fixed on You!  Amen

Psalm 141:1-10

Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

For a limited time You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best.  Your protection: absolute.

Thank You that You protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one with Your Helmet of Salvation, and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, the Sword of the Spirit, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! 

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more.

Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Jan 14 Wisdom over Deception

“Help Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues’.”

Arise Lord and protect me from those who malign me and take unfair advantage. Protect me from the deceit of the world, the flesh, and the evil one. “O Lord, You keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.”

You watched over and provided for Jacob when his father-in-law Laban cheated him and changed the terms of his wages ten times. You spoke and told him what to do and protected he and his family.

Father, protect me as well, when others seek to deceive and swindle and mislead me. I turn to You for godly wisdom. Let me listen for Your voice, and understand what You say, trusting Your wisdom over what may seem right by earthly intellect.

You sent Your disciples out “as sheep among the wolves.”  We, Your children, are often referred to as sheep. Thank You for being our shepherd; for watching over us, for driving away predators, for leading us to green pastures and still waters.

Thank You for calming us the way a shepherd does his sheep so we can rest. There are many ”wolves” who seek our destruction, to get us away from the protection of our Shepherd knowing that’s when we are vulnerable.

Proverbs tells us we are blessed when we find wisdom – that it is more profitable than silver or gold and more precious than rubies. Help me discern godly wisdom; not just the logic of the mind or the reasoning of man.

Lead me to seek “the wisdom that comes from heaven: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” This is the wisdom that leads to righteousness.

Open my eyes to the lies and deceit of men. Let me see Your wisdom in the circumstances of my life. Keep my lips from speaking lies. Help me live honorably as one of Your sheep. Amen

Genesis 31:1-13; Matthew 10:16; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15; James 3:17

Dec 17 Two things I ask

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

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proverbs 30:7-9

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

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father.  I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was,” and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin.  He approached her boldly; the better to distract her.

He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her.

He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me.  Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath.  The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.” 

Help me be aware of all the ways You speak to me! Your Word, in prayer, through creation, my circumstances, blessings, other people, dreams, visions, even pain,

1 – I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me.  In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma.  It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately.  Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

2 – I need to take some action for my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away,”.  You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy.

I believe the Helmet of Salvation bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side.  And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts.  In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth.  So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God.” 

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth.  When I don’t, problems begin.  Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”  And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me.  I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight.  Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true” or not.

Your Word is truth.  Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation.  Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You.  Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

June 23 Strengthen me

“Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me.  Hear my voice when I call to You.”

“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

My mouth so often gets me into trouble.  I speak before I think.  Sometimes I hurt the ones I love.  Sometimes my mouth leads me into gossip, or even lies to make myself look better in the eyes of others.  Sometimes I reveal too much to people who don’t understand or appreciate it, like casting “pearls before swine.”

Instead, I would prefer to use my words to bless, encourage, teach, and show I care.  Help me measure out my words like precious commodities.  Teach me to take time to think before I rush into spilling out whatever is on my mind.

Especially when I am upset, Lord, it’s hard keep my mouth shut, instead of sharing my pain, frustration, or anger.  Remind me I can come to You with anything and everything.   You are the One who can offer healing, encouragement, and restoration better than anyone else.

“Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,

to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;

let me not eat of their delicacies. 

Keep me from the snares they have laid before me, from the traps set by evildoers. 

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.” 

Father, if something is luring me away from You, remove the worm and reveal the hook so I will not be caught and reeled in like a fish caught on a line.  If there are hidden nets or snares, show me the truth behind the lies and deceit that would coax me into the trap.

I know there are times when the evil one is out to derail me.  But there are also times when my own flesh and the world’s desires tempt me into things I should not be involved with.  Father, keep me from those things too.

I have heard that voice in my head tempting me, trying to justify behavior I know is wrong. Don’t let me even toy with the thought of wanting that, or thinking I deserve something, or that I can get away with having it.

Strengthen me with Your power: in my thoughts, my words and my actions.  In You, I take refuge.  You are my Sovereign Lord, and my eyes are fixed on You!  Amen

Psalm 141:1-10

Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

For a limited time You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best.  Your protection: absolute.

Thank You that You protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one with Your Helmet of Salvation, and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, the Sword of the Spirit, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! 

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Jan 14 Wisdom over Deception

“Help Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues’.”

Arise Lord and protect me from those who malign me and take unfair advantage. Protect me from the deceit of the world, the flesh, and the evil one. “O Lord, You keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.”

You watched over and provided for Jacob when his father-in-law Laban cheated him and changed the terms of his wages ten times. You spoke and told him what to do and protected he and his family.

Father, protect me as well, when others seek to deceive and swindle and mislead me. I turn to You for godly wisdom. Let me listen for Your voice, and understand what You say, trusting Your wisdom over what may seem right by earthly intellect.

You sent Your disciples out “as sheep among the wolves.”  We, Your children, are often referred to as sheep. Thank You for being our shepherd; for watching over us, for driving away predators, for leading us to green pastures and still waters.

Thank You for calming us the way a shepherd does his sheep so we can rest. There are many ”wolves” who seek our destruction, to get us away from the protection of our Shepherd knowing that’s when we are vulnerable.

Proverbs tells us we are blessed when we find wisdom – that it is more profitable than silver or gold and more precious than rubies. Help me discern godly wisdom; not just the logic of the mind or the reasoning of man.

Lead me to seek “the wisdom that comes from heaven: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” This is the wisdom that leads to righteousness.

Open my eyes to the lies and deceit of men. Let me see Your wisdom in the circumstances of my life. Keep my lips from speaking lies. Help me live honorably as one of Your sheep. Amen

Genesis 31:1-13; Matthew 10:16; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15; James 3:17

Dec 17 2 things I ask

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proverbs 30:7-9

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father.  I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was,” and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin.  He approached her boldly; the better to distract her.

He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her.

He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me.  Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath.  The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.”

1 – I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me.  In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma.  It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately.  Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

2 – I need to take some action for my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away,”.  You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy. 

I believe the Helmet of Salvation bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side.  And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts.  In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth.  So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God.”

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth.  When I don’t, problems begin.  Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”  And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me.  I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight.  Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true” or not.

Your Word is truth.  Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation.  Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You.  Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

Aug 16 Your eyes, Your ears, Your heart

Father, thank You that I have a permanent righteousness that comes from You; so that I can know when You talk about “the righteous” in scripture, I am included.   And Your promises to them are true for me.  It’s like you are speaking right to me.

 

“Your eyes are on me”  is a double edged sword!  Realizing You are watching me is a powerful deterrent.  It helps me remember that I am accountable to You for my actions. 

You instruct me to “keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies.” Knowing You are watching me is often enough to stop me in my tracks, and think before I speak or act.  If I thought to impress someone or sway them to my argument with an exaggeration or lie, Your Holy Spirit reminds me that You know when I lie.  And I would have to live with the consequences and conviction if I proceeded with it.

You tell me to “turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”  It is so easy to step into sin, to follow a broad path that others around me are taking without a thought.  But knowing “Your eyes are on me” challenges me to think about what I’m doing, regardless of what others are doing.

You remind me to be intentional about doing good.  When doing good, it is not likely that I will do what is evil.  So protection is built in to doing good and seeking peace.

But “Your eyes are on me” is also an awesome reassurance!  I know that You see everything!  Nothing that happens to me is beyond Your notice.   And You will rescue and defend me when I need help.

“Your ears are attentive to my cry.”   You are as close as a whisper.  And when I call, “You hear me; You deliver me from all my troubles.”   Does this mean I will never have difficulties?  No.  But I will always know that You are with me.  That You will deliver me and give me Your peace.

“You are close to the brokenhearted.”  Oh Father, I have been there.  Circumstances in my life that have been the result of illnesses, accidents, injustice, evil – even my own ignorance or pride – they break my heart and bring me to my knees.  But in it all, I know that again, You are here.  You are with me.  You will help me through, no matter what.  You will lend me Your strength.

Thank You Father, that I have these assurances of Your attention, of Your presence, of Your power to save me.  It is all I need.  Amen

Psalm 34:11-22

June 23 Strengthen me

“Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me.  Hear my voice when I call to You.”

“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” 

My mouth so often gets me into trouble.  I speak before I think.  Sometimes I hurt the ones I love.  Sometimes my mouth leads me into gossip, or even lies to make myself look better in the eyes of others.  Sometimes I reveal too much to people who don’t understand or appreciate it, like casting “pearls before swine.”

Instead, I would prefer to use my words to bless, encourage, teach, and show I care.  Help me measure out my words like precious commodities.  Teach me to take time to think before I rush into spilling out whatever is on my mind.

Especially when I am upset, Lord, it’s hard keep my mouth shut, instead of sharing my pain, frustration, or anger.  Remind me I can come to You with anything and everything.   You are the One who can offer healing, encouragement, and restoration better than anyone else.

“Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.  Keep me from the snares they have laid before me, from the traps set by evildoers.  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.” 

Father, if something is luring me away from You, remove the worm and reveal the hook so I will not be caught and reeled in like a fish caught on a line.  If there are hidden nets or snares, show me the truth behind the lies and deceit that would coax me into the trap.

I know there are times when the evil one is out to derail me.  But there are also times when my own flesh and the world’s desires tempt me into things I should not be involved with.  Father, keep me from those things too.

I have heard that voice in my head tempting me, trying to justify behavior I know is wrong. Don’t let me even toy with the thought of wanting that, or thinking I deserve something, or that I can get away with having it.

Strengthen me with Your power: in my thoughts, my words and my actions.  In You, I take refuge.  You are my Sovereign Lord, and my eyes are fixed on You!  Amen

Psalm 141:1-10

June 15 Bring Salvation to all

Father, I live in a time when Your Word has spread to cover almost all the earth.  In Acts, this was just beginning.  Thank You for spreading the Word to Gentiles as well as people in the Jewish faith.

For Cornelius, You sent an angel directing him to Peter.  And to Peter, You sent a vision to prepare him to share the Good News with Cornelius and other Gentiles.  Thank You for including me in Your message of salvation down through the ages.

Father, I ask that You would continue to send angels and visions to those who have yet to hear of You and Your love for them!   All around the world, give each of these people understanding to see Your truth.

Lord, I have loved ones who have forgotten or walked away from Your loving care.  Draw them back to You.  Return to them the joy of their salvation.  Give them a hunger and thirst to seek and receive Your Good News again.

They have been living under the lies and deceitful influences of the world, the flesh, and the evil one.  Break their chains and set them free to love You again!

Your psalm tells “how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!“  I pray for this goodness and this unity in my family.   Please bestow this blessing on us so we can walk in Your goodness and Your mercy forevermore.

And even on a worldwide scale, I believe You can use even the worst circumstances imaginable to bring unity and salvation.  You can use this pandemic to draw people to You.  And this injustice and unrest in America too.  Please take what satan means for evil and use it for good.  Don’t let any of these painful circumstances be wasted.  But use them all to bring people to a saving knowledge of You.  Amen

Acts 10:1-23; Psalm 133:1-3

April 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

For a limited time You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

And during this crisis is just the time when the isolation can get to us and make us feel alone.  But we are NOT alone.  You are ALWAYS with us!  And You give us weapons to fight those lies with.

Your armor is the BEST!  Your protection: absolute!

Thank You that I can protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory!

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Dec 17 Two things I ask

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

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proverbs 30:7-9

Nov 2 Don t miss it!

Don’t let us miss the message today like the people in Ezekiel’s time did – but give us wisdom and discernment to recognize Your truth, and apply it to our lives…

Father, what You had Ezekiel do seems so hard.  Surely people must have thought he was crazy!  And yet, his strange behavior was an exact representation of all that would happen to Jerusalem!

He obeyed You so he would be a warning to the people.  But the people did not pay attention or return to You.  It makes me wonder about prophetic messages You are sending today, that no one is taking seriously…

Today, the good news is still being proclaimed!  But there are those who hear and it is “of no value to them, because they do not share the faith…”

Father, open their ears!  Soften their hearts!  Do not allow them to be swept away by believing the lies and deception of the evil one!

“Your Word is active and alive.”  Its truth can set people free from the darkness and deceit of the world and the evil one.  It can show them the way to go, and how to turn from evil desires.

Father, You can give them the strength to walk away from what they have known, and toward what is right; because you, Yourself, have walked this path of flesh!

Thank You that in Your humanness, You empathize with my weaknesses.  And thank You that You have invited me to “approach Your throne of grace with confidence…” in boldness, knowing I will “receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need.”  Your amazing grace provides me with forgiveness and eternal salvation.

Father, help me hear Your truth when You speak it to me.

Thank You for providing all that I need in my times of need.  Thank You that You know what I need even before I do!  Amen

Ezekiel 4:1-5:4; Hebrews 4:1-16

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father.  I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was,” and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin.  He approached her boldly; the better to distract her.  He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her.  He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me.  Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath.  The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.”

I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me.  In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma.  It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately.  Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

For my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away,” I need to take some action myself.  You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy.

One item is the Helmet of Salvation.  I believe that this helmet bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side.  And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts.  In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth.  So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God.”

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth.  When I don’t, problems begin.  Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”  And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me.  I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight.  Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true” or not.

Your Word is truth.  Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation.  Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You.  Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

Jun 15 Bring Salvation to all

Father, I live in a time when Your Word has spread to cover almost all the earth.  In Acts, this was just beginning.  Thank You for spreading the Word to Gentiles as well as people in the Jewish faith.

For Cornelius, You sent an angel directing him to Peter.  And to Peter, You sent a vision to prepare him to share the Good News with Cornelius and other Gentiles.  Thank You for including me in Your message of salvation down through the ages.

Father, I ask that You would continue to send angels and visions to those who have yet to hear of You and Your love for them!   All around the world, give each of these people understanding to see Your truth.

Lord, I have loved ones who have forgotten or walked away from Your loving care.  Draw them back to You.  Return to them the joy of their salvation.  Give them a hunger and thirst to seek and receive Your Good News again.

They have been living under the lies and deceitful influences of the world, the flesh, and the evil one.  Break their chains and set them free to love You again!

Your psalm tells “how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!“  I pray for this goodness and this unity in my family.   Please bestow this blessing on us so we can walk in Your goodness and Your mercy forevermore.  Amen

Acts 10:1-23; Psalm 133:1-3

Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still.  See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

I live at a time in the history of earth, when You have permitted satan to have limited power here.  With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray.

He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement.  He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering.

And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature.  Because Adam sinned, all sinned.  There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team:  accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again.  And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies.  He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team.  If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline.  He is cunning in his ways to deceive.  And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best.  Your protection: absolute.

Thank You that I can protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one and use my faith as a shield.

Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, to use against his lies and deceiving ways.

And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory!

Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power.”

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord.  And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.”  Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Jan 14 Wisdom over deception

“Help Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues;’.”

Arise Lord and protect me from those who malign me and take unfair advantage. Protect me from the deceit of the world, the flesh, and the evil one. “O Lord, You keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.”

You watched over and provided for Jacob when his father-in-law Laban cheated him and changed the terms of his wages ten times. You spoke and told him what to do and protected he and his family.

Father, protect me as well, when others seek to deceive and swindle and mislead me. I turn to You for godly wisdom. Let me listen for Your voice, and understand what You say, trusting Your wisdom over what may seem right by earthly intellect.

You sent Your disciples out “as sheep among the wolves.”  We, Your children, are often referred to as sheep. Thank You for being our shepherd; for watching over us, for driving away predators, for leading us to green pastures and still waters.

Thank You for calming us the way a shepherd does his sheep so we can rest. There are many ”wolves” who seek our destruction, to get us away from the protection of our Shepherd knowing that’s when we are vulnerable.

Proverbs tells us we are blessed when we find wisdom – that it is more profitable than silver or gold and more precious than rubies. Help me discern godly wisdom; not just the logic of the mind or the reasoning of man.

Lead me to seek “the wisdom that comes from heaven: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” This is the wisdom that leads to righteousness.

Open my eyes to the lies and deceit of men. Let me see Your wisdom in the circumstances of my life. Keep my lips from speaking lies. Help me live honorably as one of Your sheep. Amen

Genesis 31:1-13; Matthew 10:16; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15; James 3:17

 

Dec 17 Two things I ask

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

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proverbs 30:7-9

 

Nov 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

Oct 10 Send an encourager

Father, in Jeremiah’s time, even the priests and prophets were lying to their leaders and the people.

They reported only what the people wanted to hear: that they would be safe; that there would be peace, and that these words came from “the Lord.”

Father, would You send a true prophet, like Jeremiah, to the nations’ leaders of the world, and open their ears to Your truth.  Jeremiah was not popular because he told it like it was.  He relayed Your truth, not pacifying lies.  I fear many of our nations’ counselors are not being “Jeremiahs.”

The media has become a “prophet” of the day.  Their reports are very skewed so that the people are controlled by political and social interests and schemes.  And yet the people are not completely innocent either.  For they have chosen one by one how to live their lives and who or what they will worship.

You gave Jeremiah a very difficult task in a very difficult time, but You promised to rescue and save him.  You said, “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose”.   Father, show me Your good purpose.  Help me be strong in my faith like Jeremiah was.

Lord, You sent Paul to be an encouragement to the Thessalonians.  Please send someone into my life, and into the lives of my loved ones, to be a mentor like Paul.

Each one of us needs to be encouraged in our walk with You.  Each one of us faces specific challenges and difficulties.   We may not be able to find direction, understanding and encouragement on our own.

But You, Father, know each of us so intimately, You would know the exact person to send, who can relate to us and speak words of encouragement and comfort and instruction into our individual lives.

You know how each of us needs to be “urged to live lives worthy of You”.

Not just anyone qualifies to speak into our lives.  Father, would You “clear the way” for Your specific mentor to come to each of us and speak Your truth.   And like Paul’s prayer, would You “make our love increase and overflow for each other…and strengthen our hearts so that we will be blameless and holy in Your presence…”

Father, I need You and Your truth in my personal life and in my country.  I need Your encouragement to stay on the right path.  Send Jeremiahs and Pauls.  Send Your truth.  Amen

Jeremiah 14:11-16; I Thessalonians 2:9-3:13

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father. I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was”, and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin. He approached her boldly; the better to distract her. He called into question what You had really said; the better to confuse her. He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough, was even bad for her; the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me. Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath. The answer to this “serpent speak” is “God speak.”

I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me. In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma. It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out.

The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately. Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

For my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away”, I need to take some action myself. You give me and every believer armor: protection against the enemy.

One item is the Helmet of Salvation. I believe that this helmet bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side. And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts. In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth. So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God”.

This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth. When I don’t, problems begin. Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ”. And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me. I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight. Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is “true”, or not.

Your Word is truth. Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation. Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You. Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

July 15 Lessons from David

David, who was known as a ‘man after God’s own heart’ ordered that a census be taken of the Israelites. The implication here is that he wanted to know how many fighting men he had available. It seems like a reasonable thing to do to the logical mind. But what the scripture says is that “satan incited David to take a census of Israel”.

So the question becomes: how or why did this happen? One observation is that “In the Spring, at the time when kings go off to war…David remained in Jerusalem.” So it’s possible that if he had been present with the troops, where he should have been, he would have seen first-hand how many men he had. Or it could be that his faith in Your ability to continue to give him military victories was waning and he wanted to bolster his confidence by seeing the numbers?

What he should have done when this idea came to him, was hold it up to what he knew of You. And seek Your counsel on whether or not to go ahead with it. Even his commander Joab knew this was a bad thing.   His response to David was “Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

So Father, help me to learn from this mistake David made. First, if there is a place I am supposed to be, do not let me make excuses to avoid being there. Help me take my responsibilities seriously and not be swayed by fear, or laziness, or arguments to the contrary. If I am in the center of Your will, I am less vulnerable to the suggestions and oppression of satan.

Next, bolster my faith so it doesn’t fail me. When I hear the whisperings of satan telling me to question myself or Your love and faithfulness to me, let me come against those lies with the truth of scripture. If satan tells me ‘What do you think you’re doing? You can’t do that?’. Let me respond with “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13.

If he taunts me with ‘You’re not good enough/smart enough’ let me respond with Your truth that “I am God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do the work which He has prepared in advance for me.” Ephesians 2:10. If I hear a voice saying ‘You’ve made so many mistakes, you’re worthless’, I can boldly respond with “I am chosen of God, holy, and dearly loved.” Colossians 3:12.

If You place people in my life to speak the truth to me, like Joab did for David, do not allow me to be too stubborn or bull-headed to listen to them.

Mostly, Father, let me be consistent to always lay my plans before you, asking if it is Your will. Then listen to and be obedient to Your response to me. Regardless of how illogical it may seem, or how much sense it may make to others, I desire to follow Your voice: the voice of my Shepherd.

David and his people paid a terrible price for his disobedience. Let me learn from his mistake, and be led by You. Amen

 Chronicles 21:1-30; 1 Chronicles 20:1

June 26 You are my God

“Praise be to You Lord! You are my Rock. You train my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” And I am in a battle Lord. A battle between good and evil rages in my country, my society, and even in myself. Help me stand firm for godly values amidst the onslaught of evil influences that elevate greed, selfishness, lust, envy, pride, laziness, murder, and all sorts of immorality.

“You are my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. My shield, in whom I take refuge…Part the heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke. Send forth lightening and scatter the enemies; shoot Your arrows and rout them. Reach down Your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.”  

Father, You never promised I would not have to face difficulties, but You have promised to always be with me. You have said “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you…”. Help me take hold of Your hand and stand strong against the rushing waters the enemy sends to sweep me off my feet. Let me see through the veil of lies and deceit the enemy would use against me.

Make my sons “like well-nurtured plants”.   As plants need water, light and soil, let them grow strong and walk in the light of the “Son”.   Let them be watered by the Holy Spirit to revive and refresh them with Living Water. Give them a rich faith to nourish and feed them so they will produce fruit in season as a fruitful vine in Your care. Father, prune them to increase their fruitfulness so their lives bring honor and glory to You.   Make “my daughters like pillars”: strong and straight, beautiful to adorn a palace, of resilient character to stand for and display godly values.

Father, in rescuing me, You have “filled my barns with every kind of provision.” You know what I need to meet the coming challenges You allow into my life. Meet those needs in a way that I know without a doubt that You have done it.

Prepare me to face challenges in faith and strength of character so I will be a strong witness for You. Meet my physical and economic needs. Bless my household out of Your abundant provision.   Show me how to share with others from the bounty You provide for me.

You have my thanks and my praise. “I will sing a new song to You.” You are my God. And I am blessed. Amen

Psalm 144:1-15; Isaiah 43:1-13

June 12 Thank You

“O Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness.”

Thank You Lord, that You hear my voice and my prayer. Thank You that one of Your qualities is omnipresence: You can be everywhere at once. I don’t have to worry that You are too busy, or that I have to wait on the other people in the world for You to be listening and responding to me. Thank You that in the quietness of my heart, I can turn to You anytime and You are there.

Thank You that when I turn from my sin and ask for forgiveness, You remove my sin from me and never bring it up again. People remind me of my failures and mistakes, some more than others. But with You, there is never a backhanded comment, or dredging up my past faults.   When You forgive, it is over and done with.

Thank You for knowing that no one can stand when compared to Your standard and example of perfection without Your covering of mercy and righteousness. And thank You for providing exactly that in the blood You shed on the cross.   It completely pays the penalty my sins deserve.

“In Your Word I put my hope.” Its promises are true. Its instruction is sure.   Father, bring my loved ones to put their hope in You too.   In You, they will find unfailing love and full redemption. Turn their hearts back to You. Open their eyes to Your truth.

Pull back the veil of lies and deceit they have believed. Rip away the evil one’s trickery and schemes that have drawn them away from You. Help them see that You alone can redeem them. I wait in anticipation of their deliverance and salvation. Amen

Psalm 130:1-8

Apr 14 You Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

I live at a time in the history of earth, when You have permitted satan to have limited power here. With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray. He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh as the pinnacle of human achievement. He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering. And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature. Because Adam sinned, all sinned. There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team: that is to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. His blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again. And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies. He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team. If he gets me discouraged enough, depressed, despairing, or distracted, I may just sit myself on the sideline. He is cunning in his ways to deceive. And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best. Your protection: absolute. Thank You that I can protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one and use my faith as a shield. Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, to use against his lies and deceiving ways. And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power”.

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord. And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.” Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Jan 14 Wisdom over Deception

“Help Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues;’.” Arise Lord and protect me from those who malign me and take unfair advantage. Protect me from the deceit of the world, the flesh, and the evil one. “O Lord, You keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.”

You watched over and provided for Jacob when his father-in-law Laban cheated him and changed the terms of his wages ten times. You spoke and told him what to do and protected he and his family. Father, protect me as well, when others seek to deceive and swindle and mislead me. I turn to You for godly wisdom. Let me listen for Your voice, and understand what You say, trusting Your wisdom over what may seem right by earthly intellect.

You sent Your disciples out “as sheep among the wolves”. We, Your children, are often referred to as sheep. Thank You for being our shepherd; for watching over us, for driving away predators, for leading us to green pastures and still waters. Thank You for calming us the way a shepherd does his sheep so we can rest. There are many ‘wolves’ who seek our destruction, to get us away from the protection of our Shepherd knowing that’s when we are vulnerable.

Proverbs tells us we are blessed when we find wisdom – that it is more profitable than silver or gold and more precious than rubies. Help me discern godly wisdom; not just the logic of the mind or the reasoning of man. Lead me to seek “the wisdom that comes from heaven: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” This is the wisdom that leads to righteousness.

Open my eyes to the lies and deceit of men. Let me see Your wisdom in the circumstances of my life. Keep my lips from speaking lies. Help me live honorably as one of Your sheep. Amen

Genesis 31:1-13; Matthew 10:16; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15; James 3:17

 

Jan 2 Keep me from Serpent Speak

O Father, Proverbs tells me “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Lord, I do not wish to be a fool. Help me keep my sense of awe and respect for You. I yearn for Your wisdom and instruction. Keep me teachable and open to hear Your voice and see Your wonders.

I completely acknowledge You as Creator of the Universe and all that is in it. You alone possess the Sovereignty and Authority and Power to rule over and be Lord over all. What an infinite imagination to think up all the combinations of flowers, birds, animals and insects! And not just how they look, but how they sound, and smell! I am amazed by You!

Surely, Eve must have been amazed by You too; walking in the Garden of Eden that You created! Yet she gave in to temptation.   She listened to the serpent and was deceived. (And I’m still blown away that she didn’t seem surprised at all that a serpent was speaking!) When the serpent misquoted You, she did not check it out. And when he told a half-truth, that she would “be like” You, she believed it. She trusted what she understood with her own eyes and logic instead of coming to You.

Father, do not let me make these mistakes. When I hear a voice tempting me with something You have already spoken about, help me remember what You’ve said. If I do not, remind me to come to You for direction. Keep me from rushing to accept what is said without checking it out. Let me be wise to the tactic of using just enough truth to sound right as a scheme to derail me.

Lord, do not let me be misled by falsehoods or half-truths. It is not just the voice of the evil one, but this world and my own flesh that lead me down a wrong path, away from You. Many temptations would lure me to be more or have more than I am, playing into greed or pride, a sense of self-importance, inflated ego, fame or fortune. But as seen here, this temptation was only half true, and had a huge price.

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” This sounds like she was being perfectly logical, if it weren’t for the fact that You had already told her it was wrong! Sometimes I can logically think my way into a wrong answer too. Remind me, Father, to come to You, to seek Your perspective above all others. Whether considering an opportunity, or dealing with a hardship: if there seems to be wisdom the world offers, or a logic to my mind, or a sense in my flesh, let me submit them all to You.

And thank You Father, that even when I make mistakes, and sin; as with Adam and Eve, You have shed Your blood and covered me. You have made a way for me to be back in fellowship with You, forever. You are amazing! Amen

Genesis 3:1-24; Proverbs 1:7-9

Dec 17 Two things I ask

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words. I would also ask these two things of You.

First, do not let me entangle myself in telling lies. Let me be true to You, speaking the truth in love. And not just by the words I say, but in the way I allow others to perceive me. Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not. And the reverse: do not let me be misled by the lies and falsehoods of others. Help me see truth. Let me understand by Your light shining, dispelling the darkness of lies and deception.

Second, let me live with what I need. Not in poverty and not in riches. Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances. For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off You. If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You. And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

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

Proverbs 30:7-9

 

Oct 10 Send an Encourager

Father, in Jeremiah’s time, even the priests and prophets were lying to their leaders and the people. They reported only what the people wanted to hear: that they would be safe; that there would be peace, and that these words came from ‘the Lord’. Father, would You send a true prophet, like Jeremiah, to the nations’ leaders of the world, and open their ears to Your truth. Jeremiah was not popular because he told it like it was. He relayed Your truth, not pacifying lies. I fear many of our nations’ counselors are not being ‘Jeremiahs’.

The media has become a ‘prophet’ of the day. And their reports are very skewed, so that the people are controlled by political and social interests and schemes. And yet the people are not completely innocent either. For they have chosen one by one how to live their lives and who or what they will worship.

You gave Jeremiah a very difficult task in a very difficult time, but You promised to rescue and save him. You said, “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose”.   Father, show me Your good purpose. Help me be strong in my faith like Jeremiah was.

Lord, You sent Paul to be an encouragement to the Thessalonians. Would You also send someone into my life, and into the lives of my loved ones, to be a mentor like Paul was.

Each one of us needs to be encouraged in our walk with You. Each one of us faces specific challenges and difficulties.   We may not be able to find direction, understanding and encouragement on our own. But You, Father, know each of us so intimately, You would know the exact person to send, who can relate to us and speak words of encouragement and comfort and instruction into our individual lives. You know how each of us needs to be “urged to live lives worthy of You”.

Not just anyone qualifies to speak into our lives. Father, would You “clear the way” for Your specific mentor to come to each of us and speak Your truth.   And like Paul’s prayer, would You “make our love increase and overflow for each other…and strengthen our hearts so that we will be blameless and holy in Your presence…”. Father, I need You and Your truth in my personal life and in my country. And Your encouragement to stay on the right path. Send Jeremiahs and Pauls. Send Your truth. Amen

Jeremiah 14:11-16; I Thessalonians 2:9-3:13

Sept 16 God’s plan for all of us is the best plan for each of us

Father, what an amazing plan You set out before Abraham so long ago. He believed You even at a time when there was no evidence to show Your plan was working. You have truly kept Your promise to him in blessing the whole world through him and his offspring. For through his descendants came salvation on the cross. And we who believe are all the seed of Abraham, and the children of promise.

Father, I belong to You as much as Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah. And just as Your promises to Abraham were true, so are Your promises to me. You will “aid me against the enemy”.   With You I will “gain the victory and You will trample down my enemies.”

Lord, You kept Your word across hundreds, thousands of years. But just like Abraham had to wait till Your timing was right, help me wait on Your perfect timing in my life as well.

I desire to see all my enemies thwarted and in defeat immediately. I would rather see my children and loved ones freed from the lies and deceit of the evil one right now. I long to see their lives and mine free from the influences of the world and the flesh, living in total victory over all that is not godly.   But I also know that You know better than I what is best for all of us. Help me rest, content in Your time table, ready to rejoice at each and every victory.

Father, fulfill Your plan for my sons.  Make my sons’ hearts of wise. Do not let them be misled by the ‘wisdom of the world’ or the philosophies of men, or the frailties of the flesh. But let them see through the falseness that masquerades as truth in the world today. Then my heart will be glad, and I “will rejoice when their lips speak what is right”.

I know that You, who have kept Your plan in place since the creation of the world, are faithful and able to accomplish all You have promised. Thank You. Amen

Galatians 3:6-9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

Sept 9 Recognize Truth

O Father. I pray that I will not be “deceived by the serpent’s cunning as Eve was”, and that my “mind would not be led astray from a pure and sincere devotion to Christ.”

The serpent used deception to lure Eve into sin. He approached her boldly, the better to distract her. He called into question what You had really said, the better to confuse her. He cunningly suggested that what You wanted for her was not enough; was even bad for her, the better to entrap her.

Father, help me avoid falling into whatever traps the evil one sets for me. Let me see through them; beyond the lure of the sound of his words, to the hook buried beneath. The answer to this ‘serpent speak’ is ‘God speak’. I need to be listening, really paying attention to all that You are saying to me. In Hebrew, the word is sh’ma. It means to listen so closely, so deeply, so diligently, that the words change the listener from the inside out. The meaning also incorporates a response to those words as being similar to that of a mother who recognizes her baby’s cry and drops everything to respond immediately to it. Father, let me sh’ma You, listen deeply and respond to You.

For my mind to be guarded enough so that I am “not led away”, I need to take some action myself. You give me, and every believer, armor: protection against the enemy. One item is the Helmet of Salvation. I believe that this helmet bears Your insignia so that all who see it will know I fight on Your side. And it protects not only my head, but my mind inside: my thoughts. In doing so, many lies the evil one would have me believe simply bounce off and never even enter my mind.

However, some lies are disguised, or they have a little bit of truth in them, and I listen to them.   But it is a twisted bit of truth, or a half truth. So before I accept it, I need to “take every thought captive to God”. This means I need to examine it and hold it up to Your truth. When I don’t, problems begin. Even the little things I accept that are not true can pull me away from a “pure and sincere devotion to Christ”. And I may not even realize it until I have strayed significantly off course.

So Father, help me remember to examine any thoughts and compare them to what You have told me. I will use Your Word as a plumb line.   That string with a metal weight at the end is pulled by gravity so that the resulting line is absolutely straight. Anything can be measured against this line to determine if it is ‘true’, or not.

Your Word is truth. Your Word is the absolute. Thank You for Your Word.   Thank You for the Helmet of Salvation. Thank You that when I sh’ma You, I will not be deceived by the serpent or led astray, away from You. Amen

II Corinthians 11:1-4

Apr 14 Your Word over deception and lies

“O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how Your enemies are astir, how Your foes rear their heads.”

I live at a time in the history of earth, when You have permitted satan to have limited power here. With lies and deception, vain philosophies and worldly desires he confuses people and leads them astray. He holds up the pride of accomplishment and the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh, as the pinnacle of human achievement. He elevates satisfaction and pleasure with material gain no matter the cost in human suffering. And he stalks those who would seek to lead a godly life and bring You glory; hoping to derail their efforts and sideline them completely.

When I was born, I was automatically on satan’s team because of my sin nature. Because Adam sinned, all sinned. There is only one way to be reconciled to You and be on Your team: that is to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. His blood paid the price, the penalty for my sin.   Once on Your team, satan can never have me on his team again. And because that makes him mad, he tries to ruin my team efforts or keep me off the field entirely.

I admit sometimes I am still misled by satan’s lies. He deceives me to believe that I am not worthy, or good enough to be on Your team. If he gets me discouraged enough or depressed, despairing or distracted enough, I may just sit myself on the sideline. He is cunning in his ways to deceive. And he plots against Your players on all fronts: personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

But Lord, Your armor is the best. Your protection: absolute. Thank You that I can protect my mind, my thoughts, from the evil one and use my faith as a shield. Thank You that I have a weapon: Your Word, to use against his lies and deceiving ways. And thank You for fighting with me, to give me victory! Father, make Your enemies like refuse on the ground; “like tumbleweeds that blow along, like chaff before the wind” that is blown and dissipates till it is no more. Consume Your enemies “like a fire consumes the forest or sets a mountain ablaze” as You “pursue and terrify them with Your hurricane power”.

“They will perish in disgrace, O Lord. And know that You alone, are the Most High, over all the earth.” Amen

Psalm 83:1-18

Jan 14 Wisdom over Deception

“Help Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues;’.” Arise Lord and protect me from those who malign me and take unfair advantage. Protect me from the deceit of the world, the flesh, and the evil one. “O Lord, You keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.”

You watched over and provided for Jacob when his father-in-law Laban cheated him and changed the terms of his wages ten times. You spoke and told him what to do and protected he and his family. Father, protect me as well, when others seek to deceive and swindle and mislead me. I turn to You for godly wisdom. Let me listen for Your voice, and understand what You say, trusting Your wisdom over what may seem right by earthly intellect.

You sent Your disciples out “as sheep among the wolves”. We, Your children, are often referred to as sheep. Thank You for being our shepherd; for watching over us, for driving away predators, for leading us to green pastures and still waters. Thank You for calming us the way a shepherd does his sheep so we can rest. There are many ‘wolves’ who would seek our destruction, to get us away from the protection of our Shepherd knowing that’s when we are vulnerable.

Proverbs tells us we are blessed when we find wisdom – that it is more profitable than silver or gold and more precious than rubies. Help me discern godly wisdom; not just the logic of the mind or the reasoning of man. Lead me to seek “the wisdom that comes from heaven: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” This is the wisdom that leads to righteousness. Open my eyes to the lies and deceit of men. Let me see Your wisdom in the circumstances of my life. Keep my lips from speaking lies. Help me live honorably as one of Your sheep. Amen

Genesis 31:1-13; Matthew 10:16; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15; James 3:17

Dec 17 Two things I ask

 

 

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

Father, I see much wisdom in these words. I would also ask these two things of You. Do not let me entangle myself in telling lies. But let me be true to You, speaking the truth in love. And not just by the words I say, but in the way I allow others to perceive me. Do not let me put on airs or mislead anyone into thinking I am something I am not. And the reverse: do not let me be misled by the lies and falsehoods of others. Let me see truth. Let me understand by Your light shining, dispelling the darkness of lies and deception.

And let me live with what I need. Not in poverty and not in riches. Each of these might cause me to overlook You and focus on my circumstances. For in both directions, I have seen people take their eyes off of You. If the need is so great, it can be a temptation to sin by stealing and cursing You. And if the excess is too great, it can lead to pride, greed, and a self-sufficiency that disregards the need for You.

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

Proverbs 30:7-9