May 5 You reach around the world to save

Lord God, You amaze me at how You use simple, ordinary people, men and women, to accomplish Your purpose.  You sent believers all the way to Moab, at least sixty miles across the desert during a famine to reach Your faithful servant Ruth.

She made the famous statement, “Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay, your people will be my people and your God my God” to her mother-in-law Naomi.   Her faith and trust in You led her to be part of Your amazing plan of salvation, as she was in the lineage You were born into.

Here in the flesh You stopped in a Samaritan town and spoke to an immoral woman; something a respectable Jew would not have done.  And in doing so, brought her the message of Your salvation.  Through her, You saved many Samaritans that day.

You chose for me to be born into a believing family.  Wherever I was, You were there with me: Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, France, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia, Colorado.  All through those formative years, You made Your presence known to me.  Even though everything else about my life changed: house, school, church, community, friends; You were always present.

There are so many who still do not believe You are who You are – Creator, Savior, King of Kings, Master, Wonderful Counselor, the One True God.  But I know that You will move heaven and earth to reach them.

You can use natural and divine events, travel across continents, reach into unrespectable communities, to make Yourself known.

You can speak through a hurricane or a whisper, reveal Yourself in a majestic mountain or a delicate flower.  You can bring unity and salvation from disasters.

So I trust You can bring the loved ones I pray for to a saving knowledge of You.

Help me do my part.  I will pray.  I will let them see me praise You in good times and in bad.  I will love them, and do my best to give them godly assistance and direction.

Show me when to speak and when to hold my tongue.   Show me how to behave in a way that will draw them to You.  Help me remove any stumbling block that would keep them from coming to You.

Lord I thank You and praise You in advance for the celebration in heaven when they come to know You as Savior and live to glorify Your Name!  Amen

Ruth 1:1-22; John 4:4-42

Mar 9 The Olive Tree

O Father, thank You for teaching me about the significance of an olive tree.  As I studied in the Garden of Gethsemane, I learned of the value of all that the olive tree stands for and produces.

So I pray the verses with new understanding:  “As for me, I am like an olive tree flourishing in the House of God”

As for me, Lord, may I be like a green olive tree flourishing in Your House:

May I be alive, vibrant, and growing
May I produce abundant fruit in season,
May I have long thick roots that penetrate deep into spiritual soil.

May I grow protected from harm and harshness because I abide in Your House O Lord.  Thank You that as my gardener, You tend to me personally to be sure I have everything I need to grow healthy and strong.

May I grow in community, surrounded by others, our roots and trunks intertwining like olive trees grow, without comparing myself to them, but shading them, and drawing needed shade from them. 

May I draw on the strength of being in community with those You have placed around me so I can persevere and remain strong even when the winds come, leaning on others and providing stability for them in return.

May I stand in the midst of others for years and years and years to come, like the two 2400-year-old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.  They stood by You as You knelt on that fateful night and prayed before Your arrest and Crucifixion.

Let me be like the olive tree that is both beautiful to look at and amazing in purpose.

May others see me and see Your care, and be drawn to You through me.

As the olive tree produces food to eat, and oil for lamps, soaps for cleansing, and ointments for anointing and healing; let me be nourishment and light and cleansing and blessing and healing to those around me.

I will trust in Your loving-kindness and unfailing love for ever and ever –

Even when I am confused
Even when I can’t see Your will at work
Even when I don’t feel Your presence
Even when the world denies it
Even through tears and pain and sorrow

I will thank You for all You have done

I will hope in Your Name, for it is good
I will praise You – forever. Amen

Psalm 52:8-9

Jan 25 I trust Your perfect plan

Oh God I praise You that nothing can thwart Your plans!

Although evil is in this world, and is in positions of power and authority, it is nothing compared to You and Your ability to preserve Your will!

I ask for Your will to be done in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones. I trust that Your plan is the best possible. Do not let any powers or influences get in the way of effecting Your will in our lives.

Your purpose was fulfilled in Joseph’s life. And in spite of slavery, prison and the selfishness and greed of Joseph’s brothers, it played right into Your plan to save Israel’s descendants.

And in Moses’ life hundreds of years later, when the new Pharaoh tried to kill the male Hebrew babies, You again had a plan for those children and the peoples’ deliverance. By human reckoning it took a miracle – because a baby in a basket floating in crocodile infested waters would have no chance of surviving. But You provided for this Hebrew baby to be raised in the palace as Pharaoh’s own grandson!

Even when Jesus tried to explain Your majestic plan for the salvation of all people –His disciples didn’t understand it. Peter said to Jesus “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” And Jesus had to rebuke him.

And even after Peter saw Jesus transfigured and walking with Moses and Elijah, and heard Your own voice saying “This is My Son…Listen to Him.” Peter tried to interfere as Jesus was taken into custody in the Garden of Gethsemane. If he had understood the whole plan, would he have done that?

I often cannot make sense of the twists and turns my life takes. There are times I don’t know whether to stay or go, to act or wait. I cannot see how things will play out so I make a plan. But it doesn’t always turn out the way I expect.  How many times do we switch to Plan B, or Plan C, or D,E,F…

How then do I make decisions? Move forward? Live my life?

I echo the words of King David: “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.”

I too trust in You, the Lord, the Most High. I ask You, Lord God to show me enough light for the next step I am to take. Help me listen for Your response and obey what I hear. And trust that even if it doesn’t make sense to me, it will turn out according to Your plan.

I trust You.  My security is in You – even when nothing I can see supports my feeling safe. You have the power, You have the ability and expertise, You have the sovereignty and the willingness to bring Your plans to fruition.

So let it be done. On this earth.  In this country.  In my life.  Amen

Exodus 1:22-2:10; Matthew 16:21-17:9

Dec 23 My Wise Carpenter

David says, 

“When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way.”

I echo those words Lord.  I know that You can see me and can tell how I am dealing with all I am going through.

I know this, because in the past, You have been there
with a word of encouragement, a call from a friend,
a letter from someone, a song, a verse –
exactly what I have needed, exactly when I have needed it.

You know me so well. You created me. You knew beforehand
the purpose of my life,
the places I would go,
the perils I would face.

Like a carpenter chooses the type of wood to match the force of the stresses that will be brought against the boat he is making, You, my good and wise Carpenter, lovingly chose how I would be made. 

You carefully and masterfully fashioned me to create exactly what You envisioned I would need to meet the storms You knew I would have to face in my life.

I don’t know my own strength, but You do.  You built strength into me that will only be demonstrated by the storms I weather. 

So, with confidence and faith, I will enter the darkness, the high winds, the deep swells, the powerful surges, the rain, thunder and lightening.  I will let them crash around me, and wash over me, and I will see my deliverance on the other side.  Where the waters are calm.   And the winds are favorable.   And the sky is blue.

And my Carpenter, who is my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my Savior, my Lord, stands smiling.  Amen

Psalm 142:1-7

Oct 2 Direct me

Father, Paul had much to be proud of: his lineage, his heritage, his education, his religiousness.  But he considered it all worthless compared to knowing You.  Lord, I agree.

There is nothing I have become or attained that can compare to my relationship with You and the salvation and blessings You have given me.  So I desire to live the life You died to give me.

All that is behind me, all that has come before, Father, I let go of, so that I may fully embrace whatever it is You have for me now. 

Paul put it this way: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I too, move my focus from earthly things, to heavenly priorities, where my real home is.  I believe You can give me the wisdom to make decisions with an understanding of Your purpose for my life.  I believe You will fill me with the courage I need to act.  And I believe it is by Your power that all You purpose for me will be accomplished.

Open my eyes to all I must let go of.  Show me where attitudes and priorities must change.  Help me see the direction I should go.

I will remember Your faithfulness to me.  I will recall Your power.  And I will trust in Your purpose and Your love for me.  Amen

Philippians 3:4-14

Sept 12 A Tool for God’s Purpose

Father, when You sent Your judgment against Israel, You used the political and military and powers of the day.  Not knowing You, they believed it was by their own strength and power that they conquered.  But it is clear that they were merely a tool in Your hand.  The power is not in the tool, but in the one who wields it. 

Father, I pray that I would be a tool in Your hand for godly purposes.  Use me to accomplish Your will.  You are truly the potter and I am the clay.  Send me where Your would, as Your handiwork, to achieve Your plan.  And never let me forget that Yours is the strength and the wisdom by which anything is accomplished.

Father, some are called to far away places to be tools for You in spreading Your Word and Your love.  And surely there are obstacles for them to overcome and challenges to conquer.  But sometimes I feel the hardest place to be Your representative is here at home, with the people I love.

I know You have a wonderful plan and purpose for their lives too.  So until you call me away to somewhere else, help me realize the potential here, and be willing to be a tool in Your hands in the lives of those people You have brought closest to me.   Help me live every day showing Your grace and mercy and compassion to them.

When asked, help me give wise and godly advice, not just my own preferences.  Let my words be instructive and gentle, and line up with Your truth, spoken in love for the benefit of the hearer.

Help me hold my tongue when I need to, when the words would not be godly wisdom, but come from some other motivation.  Help me spread peace in their lives when it would be so much easier to spread my own brand of how things should be.  Help me let go of my own expectations of them, freeing them up to know the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes.

Help me be patient with Your timeline for their development and maturity.  And help me be consistent to pray for them to be empowered and guided by the influence of Your Word in their lives, and what You speak to them and through the godly mentors and circumstances You allow into their lives.

Let me draw strength from You.  Let me be guided by You.  And let me rest in Your strong and skillful hands.  Amen

Isaiah 10:1-19

Sept 5 Fear God and keep His Commandments

Father, there are so many things Solomon saw and experienced: wise men and fools, hard work and laziness, feasting and mourning, rich and poor, old age and youth, life and death.

He has written: “sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth…” 

So Father, teach me to apply this wisdom.  Show me how to make decisions about my life, set godly priorities, and keep me focused on the right things.

Do not let me chase after meaningless things: riches to boast in, positions to exalt myself, a prideful reputation.   Help me remember that You are my future.  And whatever blessings You bring into my life, are to be used to honor You.

He ends with this: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of this matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” 

My whole purpose is to honor and revere You!  To acknowledge who You are, and respect You for it.  To do what You show me to do.  And not do what You caution or command me not to do.

It’s not to amass wealth.  It’s not to leave a legacy of institutions or businesses.  It’s not to make scientific discoveries.  It’s not even to compose a masterpiece, write an inspiring book or create a memorable work of art.

The Psalmist adds his wisdom to this collection as he reminds me “you can’t take it with you.”  Riches cannot add time to the length of my days.  And none of these things can come with me past my life here on earth.

But You, Father, will be with me for eternity.  It is You who will “redeem my life from the grave, and take me to be with Yourself.”  You “will bring every deed into judgment…”

Give me a true understanding of the wisdom that comes from You.  Amen

Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21

Sept 2 Be still…

Be still and know I am God.”   What a great reminder!

When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You.

But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence.

It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself.  “Be still and know I am God.”   Father, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Friend.  All these names, these ways You have revealed Yourself to me personally, and more come into my mind as I begin to focus on You, rather than on myself.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You.  One at a time.  You take them and ease them away from me.  You can handle whatever it is, because You are God.  I know this.  Not just “I-read-it-in-a-book” know it.  But “I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust” know it.

You are God and there is no other.  You are God and there is no other.  If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them.  My youth.  My appearance.  My energy and vitality.  My children.  Financial security.  My sense of what I can do for others.  I can’t believe how long the list is of things that I get my sense of identity from.  But I lay each of them down.  Who I am, my identity, comes only from You.  Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life.  Solomon wrote it all out Lord.  You have created “a time for everything under heaven.”  “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…”  It goes on.  And I realize Father, that I need to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life.

Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away.”  I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things.  Help me also know when to “speak” and when to “be silent.”  When to “search” and when to “give up.” When to “embrace and when to refrain from embracing.”

As I read each pairing in these Ecclesiastes verses, I can feel You speaking to me.  You lead me to a place in my spirit where the one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life.  Thank You Lord, for showing me the way.

Thank You Father, for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.”  Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10

Aug 13 Plans

Father, You gave Nehemiah the plan to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.  And met his needs as he accomplished it.  You brought the people needed to do the work.  And You provided abundantly to feed them.  You brought all the pieces together for Your plan to be accomplished.

Show me where You’re working now.  Let me see how I can join in Your plan to accomplish whatever You bring into my life.  Bring all the pieces together so I can be part of Your work.

You also provided for Nehemiah and the Israelites’ safety.  Some might guess he was lucky, or say that he had a sixth sense about the plots against him.  But he was a praying man who looked to You for guidance and protection.  He fasted and prayed to accomplish the work You gave him to do.  With five attempts to lure Nehemiah away from his work to harm him, he stood his ground and did not go.  When one of his own plotted to discredit him, he refused to be party to the sin.

Father, protect me as well.  Direct me away from harm.  Stop me from sinning against You, even if it would seem to safeguard me.  Sharpen my spiritual discernment so I can see through any plots to harm, or intimidate, or discredit me.  Strengthen my faith so I count on You and trust only in You for my deliverance.

Lord, Your purposes and Your plans stand firm.  And will be carried out throughout eternity, by generation after generation.

Help me hear Your plan for my life and see where You are at work.  Empower me to join You in that work.  Direct and protect me.

I acknowledge and honor Your Lordship.  Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your righteousness, Your justice, and Your unfailing love.   Without it, I would not be here.  You are my Lord.  And my hope is in You!  Amen

Nehemiah 5:14-6:19; Psalm 33:10-11

July 18 Order from Chaos

Father, for the last several chapters, You have shown me how David and his commanders allotted all the jobs that needed to be done, to the Israelites.

There was a job for every person and a person for every job.  From the priestly duties in the Temple concerning worship, to defending the people and guarding the gates in the wall around Jerusalem.  There were people who took care of all the building and supplies, all the flocks and herds, and all the king’s business.

It reminds me that You are a God of order, not chaos.

I usually start off my day with a plan of order.  But You know all too well how many times those plans have dissolved into chaos.  My house starts out in order.  Then life happens, and chaos takes over.  Sometimes it takes an unexpected emergency like water in the basement or some planned entertaining activity to motivate the family into cleaning up again and putting things back in order weeks after the chaos has taken over.

I marvel at how You know humans so well, and give us what we need.  You know that I need order.

You created this world with painstaking care.  Every planet in the solar system is ordered.  The geology of the planet earth is stable enough that I don’t see mountains from my window one day and valleys the next.

The seasons change, giving us variety in weather patterns, but the seasons always come in the same order.

And the human body is amazingly organized, down to the pattern of neurons in our central nervous system and brain; and the arteries and veins that carry blood.

So I get the benefit and security of knowing that night always follows day; Summer always follows Spring.  Thank You for knowing me so well and what I need to feel safe and secure in the world.

Thank You for going to such great lengths in creating this beautiful planet; with its specific gravity, air pressure, radiation levels, temperature, and path through the solar system, to provide stability to sustain my life.  Thank You for the constancy I see repeated in the cycles: sprouting, growth, maturity, fruitfulness, harvest, hibernation, rebirth.

When chaos increases in my life, it’s a signal I need to spend more time with You.

Help me be more organized.  Remind me I need to be consistent in devoting time to You. Show me how to set right priorities.   And how to stick to them.   Thank You for Your loving help.  Amen

I Chronicles 23:1-27:34

Jun 20 Every Word Counts!

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;”

Father, this verse has been so encouraging, speaking to me of Your divine purpose, of Your sovereignty to act, or Your personal interest and caring love for me.

Funny how stressing a different word in a sentence changes the meaning.  So in learning to hear You better, I focus on one word at a time.   Emphasizing each word to gather new meaning.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  The One.  The Only.  Not just any lord, but You: The Lord.  The One who created the universe!  Who made every animal, every plant, placed every star, and breathed life into man.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is Your work to do it and Your power that will bring it about.

While I need to be obedient and do my part, I don’t need to run around and worry about how it will all get done.  You, the Lord, have prepared.  You, the Lord over all creation, know the details.  And it is by Your hand that all will be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is a certainty!  It is to be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not just do the minimum to get by, but achieve fully!  All the requirements, all the necessities, will be taken care of completely.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  You have a plan.  It is not required that I dream up something to do for You, but work with You in Your plan, not my own.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  I am not in this world by accident, or just to get by from one day to the next.  There is a reason I am here.  You already know the skills, talents, and gifts You have placed in me, and have carefully thought out and prepared something to motivate me with an end in mind.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. It is on behalf of and will benefit me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not my brother or sister or my friend; but the unique individual You created to be me.  

Each time I restate it, the power of its truth grows.

I need to know scripture.  I need to understand what it means, and know how it applies to my life personally.  Thank You for this one way of helping me get more understanding from scripture.

Psalm 138:8a Revised Standard Version

Jun 9 Something bigger than myself!

Father, show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory.

I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure!  I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name.  It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work.  And they created a masterpiece!  It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever.  He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion.  He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is?  I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure.  Without You, I can do nothing.  With You, I can do anything!  Inspire me Lord.  Empower me.  Let me be part of Your great plan.  Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-8; Psalm 127:1-2

May 5 You reach around the world to save

Lord God, You amaze me at how You use simple, ordinary people, men and women, to accomplish Your purpose.  You sent believers all the way to Moab, at least sixty miles across the desert during a famine to reach Your faithful servant Ruth.

She made the famous statement, “Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay, your people will be my people and your God my God” to her mother-in-law Naomi.   Her faith and trust in You led her to be part of Your amazing plan of salvation, as she was in the lineage You were born into.

Here in the flesh You stopped in a Samaritan town and spoke to an immoral woman; something a respectable Jew would not have done.  And in doing so, brought her the message of Your salvation.  Through her, You saved many Samaritans that day.

You chose for me to be born into a believing family.  Wherever I was, You were there with me: Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, France, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia, Colorado.  All through those formative years, You made Your presence known to me.  Even though everything else about my life changed: house, school, church, community, friends; You were always present.

There are so many who still do not believe You are who You are – Creator, Savior, King of Kings, Master, Wonderful Counselor, the One True God.  But I know that You will move heaven and earth to reach them.

You can use natural and divine events, travel across continents, reach into unrespectable communities, to make Yourself known.

You can speak through a hurricane or a whisper, reveal Yourself in a majestic mountain or a delicate flower.  You can bring unity and salvation from disasters.

So I trust You can bring the loved ones I pray for to a saving knowledge of You.

Help me do my part.  I will pray.  I will let them see me praise You in good times and in bad.  I will love them, and do my best to give them godly assistance and direction.

Show me when to speak and when to hold my tongue.   Show me how to behave in a way that will draw them to You.  Help me remove any stumbling block that would keep them from coming to You.

Lord I thank You and praise You in advance for the celebration in heaven when they come to know You as Savior and live to glorify Your Name!  Amen

Ruth 1:1-22; John 4:4-42

Mar 9 The Olive Tree

O Father, thank You for teaching me about the significance of an olive tree.  As I studied in the Garden of Gethsemane, I learned of the value of all that the olive tree stands for and produces.

So I pray the verses with new understanding:  “As for me, I am like an olive tree flourishing in the House of God”

As for me, Lord, may I be like a green olive tree flourishing in Your House:

May I be alive, vibrant, and growing
May I produce abundant fruit in season,
May I have long thick roots that penetrate deep into spiritual soil.

May I grow protected from harm and harshness because I abide in Your House O Lord.  Thank You that as my gardener, You tend to me personally to be sure I have everything I need to grow healthy and strong.

May I grow in community, surrounded by others, our roots and trunks intertwining like olive trees grow, without comparing myself to them, but shading them, and drawing needed shade from them. 

May I draw on the strength of being in community with those You have placed around me so I can persevere and remain strong even when the winds come, leaning on others and providing stability for them in return.

May I stand in the midst of others for years and years and years to come, like the two 2400-year-old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.  They stood by You as You knelt on that fateful night and prayed before Your arrest and Crucifixion.

Let me be like the olive tree that is both beautiful to look at and amazing in purpose.

May others see me and see Your care, and be drawn to You through me.

As the olive tree produces food to eat, and oil for lamps, soaps for cleansing, and ointments for anointing and healing; let me be nourishment and light and cleansing and blessing and healing to those around me.

I will trust in Your loving-kindness and unfailing love for ever and ever –Even when I am confused
Even when I can’t see Your will at work
Even when I don’t feel Your presence
Even when the world denies it
Even through tears and pain and sorrow

I will thank You for all You have done

I will hope in Your Name, for it is good
I will praise You – forever. Amen

Psalm 52:8-9

Jan 25 I trust Your perfect plan

Oh God I praise You that nothing can thwart Your plans!

Although evil is in this world, and is in positions of power and authority, it is nothing compared to You and Your ability to preserve Your will!

I ask for Your will to be done in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones. I trust that Your plan is the best possible. Do not let any powers or influences get in the way of effecting Your will in our lives.

Your purpose was fulfilled in Joseph’s life. And in spite of slavery, prison and the selfishness and greed of Joseph’s brothers, it played right into Your plan to save Israel’s descendants.

And in Moses’ life hundreds of years later, when the new Pharaoh tried to kill the male Hebrew babies, You again had a plan for those children and the peoples’ deliverance. By human reckoning it took a miracle – because a baby in a basket floating in crocodile infested waters would have no chance of surviving. But You provided for this Hebrew baby to be raised in the palace as Pharaoh’s own grandson!

Even when Jesus tried to explain Your majestic plan for the salvation of all people –His disciples didn’t understand it. Peter said to Jesus “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” And Jesus had to rebuke him.

And even after Peter saw Jesus transfigured and walking with Moses and Elijah, and heard Your own voice saying “This is My Son…Listen to Him.” Peter tried to interfere as Jesus was taken into custody in the Garden of Gethsemane. If he had understood the whole plan, would he have done that?

I often cannot make sense of the twists and turns my life takes. There are times I don’t know whether to stay or go, to act or wait. I cannot see how things will play out so I make a plan. But it doesn’t always turn out the way I expect.  How many times do we switch to Plan B, or Plan C, or D,E,F…

How then do I make decisions? Move forward? Live my life?

I echo the words of King David: “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.”

I too trust in You, the Lord, the Most High. I ask You, Lord God to show me enough light for the next step I am to take. Help me listen for Your response and obey what I hear. And trust that even if it doesn’t make sense to me, it will turn out according to Your plan.

I trust You.  My security is in You – even when nothing I can see supports my feeling safe. You have the power, You have the ability and expertise, You have the sovereignty and the willingness to bring Your plans to fruition.

So let it be done. On this earth.  In this country.  In my life.  Amen

Exodus 1:22-2:10; Matthew 16:21-17:9

Dec 23 My wise Carpenter

David says, “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way.” I echo those words Lord.  I know that You can see me and can tell how I am dealing with all I am going through.

I know this, because in the past, You have been there with a word of encouragement, a call from a friend, a letter from someone, a song, a verse – exactly what I have needed, exactly when I have needed it.

You know me so well.  You created me.  You knew beforehand the

purpose of my life,

the places I would go,

the perils I would face.

Like a carpenter chooses the type of wood to match the force of the stresses that will be brought against the boat he is making, You, my good and wise Carpenter, lovingly chose how I would be made. 

You carefully and masterfully fashioned me to create exactly what You envisioned I would need to meet the storms You knew I would have to face in my life.

I don’t know my own strength, but You do.  You built strength into me that will only be demonstrated by the storms I weather. 

So, with confidence and faith, I will enter the darkness, the high winds, the deep swells, the powerful surges, the rain, thunder and lightening.  I will let them crash around me, and wash over me, and I will see my deliverance on the other side.  Where the waters are calm.   And the winds are favorable.   And the sky is blue.

And my Carpenter, who is my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my Savior, my Lord, stands smiling.  Amen

Psalm 142:1-7

Oct 2 Direct me

Father, Paul had much to be proud of: his lineage, his heritage, his education, his religiousness.  But he considered it all worthless compared to knowing You.  Lord, I agree.

There is nothing I have become or attained that can compare to my relationship with You and the salvation and blessings You have given me.  So I desire to live the life You died to give me.

All that is behind me, all that has come before, Father, I let go of, so that I may fully embrace whatever it is You have for me now. 

Paul put it this way: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I too, move my focus from earthly things, to heavenly priorities, where my real home is.  I believe You can give me the wisdom to make decisions with an understanding of Your purpose for my life.  I believe You will fill me with the courage I need to act.  And I believe it is by Your power that all You purpose for me will be accomplished.

Open my eyes to all I must let go of.  Show me where attitudes and priorities must change.  Help me see the direction I should go.

I will remember Your faithfulness to me.  I will recall Your power.  And I will trust in Your purpose and Your love for me.  Amen

Philippians 3:4-14

Sept 12 A Tool for God’s Purpose

Father, when You sent Your judgment against Israel, You used the political and military and powers of the day.  Not knowing You, they believed it was by their own strength and power that they conquered.  But it is clear that they were merely a tool in Your hand.  The power is not in the tool, but in the one who wields it. 

Father, I pray that I would be a tool in Your hand for godly purposes.  Use me to accomplish Your will.  You are truly the potter and I am the clay.  Send me where Your would, as Your handiwork, to achieve Your plan.  And never let me forget that Yours is the strength and the wisdom by which anything is accomplished.

Father, some are called to far away places to be tools for You in spreading Your Word and Your love.  And surely there are obstacles for them to overcome and challenges to conquer.  But sometimes I feel the hardest place to be Your representative is here at home, with the people I love.

I know You have a wonderful plan and purpose for their lives too.  So until you call me away to somewhere else, help me realize the potential here, and be willing to be a tool in Your hands in the lives of those people You have brought closest to me.   Help me live every day showing Your grace and mercy and compassion to them.

When asked, help me give wise and godly advice, not just my own preferences.  Let my words be instructive and gentle, and line up with Your truth, spoken in love for the benefit of the hearer.

Help me hold my tongue when I need to, when the words would not be godly wisdom, but come from some other motivation.  Help me spread peace in their lives when it would be so much easier to spread my own brand of how things should be.  Help me let go of my own expectations of them, freeing them up to know the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes.

Help me be patient with Your timeline for their development and maturity.  And help me be consistent to pray for them to be empowered and guided by the influence of Your Word in their lives, and what You speak to them and through the godly mentors and circumstances You allow into their lives.

Let me draw strength from You.  Let me be guided by You.  And let me rest in Your strong and skillful hands.  Amen

Isaiah 10:1-19https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is+10%3A1-19&version=NIV

Sept 5 Fear God and keep His commandments

Father, there are so many things Solomon saw and experienced: wise men and fools, hard work and laziness, feasting and mourning, rich and poor, old age and youth, life and death.

He has written: “sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth…” 

So Father, teach me to apply this wisdom.  Show me how to make decisions about my life, set godly priorities, and keep me focused on the right things.

Do not let me chase after meaningless things: riches to boast in, positions to exalt myself, a prideful reputation.   Help me remember that You are my future.  And whatever blessings You bring into my life, are to be used to honor You.

He ends with this: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of this matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” 

My whole purpose is to honor and revere You!  To acknowledge who You are, and respect You for it.  To do what You show me to do.  And not do what You caution or command me not to do.

It’s not to amass wealth.  It’s not to leave a legacy of institutions or businesses.  It’s not to make scientific discoveries.  It’s not even to compose a masterpiece, write an inspiring book or create a memorable work of art.

The Psalmist adds his wisdom to this collection as he reminds me “you can’t take it with you.”  Riches cannot add time to the length of my days.  And none of these things can come with me past my life here on earth.

But You, Father, will be with me for eternity.  It is You who will “redeem my life from the grave, and take me to be with Yourself.”  You “will bring every deed into judgment…”

Give me a true understanding of the wisdom that comes from You.  Amen

Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21

Sept 2 Be still…

“Be still and know I am God.”   What a great reminder!

When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You.

But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence.

It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself.  “Be still and know I am God.”   Father, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Friend.  All these names, these ways You have revealed Yourself to me personally, and more come into my mind as I begin to focus on You, rather than on myself.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You.  One at a time.  You take them and ease them away from me.  You can handle whatever it is, because You are God.  I know this.  Not just “I-read-it-in-a-book” know it.  But “I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust” know it.

You are God and there is no other.  You are God and there is no other.  If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them.  My youth.  My appearance.  My energy and vitality.  My children.  Financial security.  My sense of what I can do for others.  I can’t believe how long the list is of things that I get my sense of identity from.  But I lay each of them down.  Who I am, my identity, comes only from You.  Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life.  Solomon wrote it all out Lord.  You have created “a time for everything under heaven.”  “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…”  It goes on.  And I realize Father, that I need to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life.

Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away.”  I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things.  Help me also know when to “speak” and when to “be silent.”  When to “search” and when to “give up.” When to “embrace and when to refrain from embracing.”

As I read each pairing in these Ecclesiastes verses, I can feel You speaking to me.  You lead me to a place in my spirit where the one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life.  Thank You Lord, for showing me the way.

Thank You Father, for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.”  Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10

Aug 13 Plans

Father, You gave Nehemiah the plan to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.  And met his needs as he accomplished it.  You brought the people needed to do the work.  And You provided abundantly to feed them.  You brought all the pieces together for Your plan to be accomplished.

Show me where You’re working now.  Let me see how I can join in Your plan to accomplish whatever You bring into my life.  Bring all the pieces together so I can be part of Your work.

You also provided for Nehemiah and the Israelite’s safety.  Some might guess he was lucky, or say that he had a sixth sense about the plots against him.  But he was a praying man who looked to You for guidance and protection.  He fasted and prayed to accomplish the work You gave him to do.  With five attempts to lure Nehemiah away from his work to harm him, he stood his ground and did not go.  When one of his own plotted to discredit him, he refused to be party to the sin. 

Father, protect me as well.  Direct me away from harm.  Stop me from sinning against You, even if it would seem to safeguard me.  Sharpen my spiritual discernment so I can see through any plots to harm, or intimidate, or discredit me.  Strengthen my faith so I count on You and trust only in You for my deliverance. 

Lord, Your purposes and Your plans stand firm.  And will be carried out throughout eternity, by generation after generation. 

Help me hear Your plan for my life and see where You are at work.  Empower me to join You in that work.  Direct and protect me. 

I acknowledge and honor Your Lordship.  Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your righteousness, Your justice, and Your unfailing love.   Without it, I would not be here.  You are my Lord.  And my hope is in You!  Amen

Nehemiah 5:14-6:19; Psalm 33:10-11

July 18 Order from Chaos

Father, for the last several chapters, You have shown me how David and his commanders allotted all the jobs that needed to be done, to the Israelites.

There was a job for every person and a person for every job.  From the priestly duties in the Temple concerning worship, to defending the people and guarding the gates in the wall around Jerusalem.  There were people who took care of all the building and supplies, all the flocks and herds, and all the king’s business.

It reminds me that You are a God of order, not chaos.

I usually start off my day with a plan of order.  But You know all too well how many times those plans have dissolved into chaos.  My house starts out in order.  Then life happens, and chaos takes over.  Sometimes it takes an unexpected emergency like water in the basement or some planned entertaining activity to motivate the family into cleaning up again and putting things back in order weeks after the chaos has taken over.

I marvel at how You know humans so well, and give us what we need.  You know that I need order.

You created this world with painstaking care.  Every planet in the solar system is ordered.  The geology of the planet earth is stable enough that I don’t see mountains from my window one day and valleys the next.

The seasons change, giving us variety in weather patterns, but the seasons always come in the same order.

And the human body is amazingly organized, down to the pattern of neurons in our central nervous system and brain; and the arteries and veins that carry blood.

So I get the benefit and security of knowing that night always follows day; Summer always follows Spring.  Thank You for knowing me so well and what I need to feel safe and secure in the world.

Thank You for going to such great lengths in creating this beautiful planet; with its specific gravity, air pressure, radiation levels, temperature, and path through the solar system, to provide stability to sustain my life.  Thank You for the constancy I see repeated in the cycles: sprouting, growth, maturity, fruitfulness, harvest, hibernation, rebirth.

When chaos increases in my life, it’s a signal I need to spend more time with You.

Help me be more organized.  Remind me I need to be consistent in devoting time to You. Show me how to set right priorities.   And how to stick to them.   Thank You for Your loving help.  Amen

I Chronicles 23:1-27:34

June 20 Every Word Counts!

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;”

Father, this verse has been so encouraging, speaking to me of Your divine purpose, of Your sovereignty to act, or Your personal interest and caring love for me.

Funny how stressing a different word in a sentence changes the meaning.  So in learning to hear You better, I focus on one word at a time.   Emphasizing each word to gather new meaning.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  The One.  The Only.  Not just any lord, but You: The Lord.  The One who created the universe!  Who made every animal, every plant, placed every star, and breathed life into man.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is Your work to do it and Your power that will bring it about.

While I need to be obedient and do my part, I don’t need to run around and worry about how it will all get done.  You, the Lord, have prepared.  You, the Lord over all creation, know the details.  And it is by Your hand that all will be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is a certainty!  It is to be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not just do the minimum to get by, but achieve fully!  All the requirements, all the necessities, will be taken care of completely.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  You have a plan.  It is not required that I dream up something to do for You, but work with You in Your plan, not my own.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  I am not in this world by accident, or just to get by from one day to the next.  There is a reason I am here.  You already know the skills, talents, and gifts You have placed in me, and have carefully thought out and prepared something to motivate me with an end in mind.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. It is on behalf of and will benefit me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not my brother or sister or my friend; but the unique individual You created to be me.  

Each time I restate it, the power of its truth grows.

I need to know scripture.  I need to understand what it means, and know how it applies to my life personally.  Thank You for this one way of helping me get more understanding from scripture.

Psalm 138:8a Revised Standard Version

June 9 Something BIGGER than myself!

Father, show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory.

I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure!  I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name.  It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work.  And they created a masterpiece!  It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever.  He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion.  He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is?  I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure.  Without You, I can do nothing.  With You, I can do anything!  Inspire me Lord.  Empower me.  Let me be part of Your great plan.  Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-8; Psalm 127:1-2

May 5 You reach around the world to save

Lord God, You amaze me at how You use simple, ordinary people, men and women, to accomplish Your purpose.  You sent believers all the way to Moab, at least sixty miles across the desert during a famine to reach Your faithful servant Ruth.

She made the famous statement, “Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay, your people will be my people and your God my God” to her mother-in-law Naomi.   Her faith and trust in You led her to be part of Your amazing plan of salvation, as she was in the lineage You were born into.

Here in the flesh You stopped in a Samaritan town and spoke to an immoral woman; something a respectable Jew would not have done.  And in doing so, brought her the message of Your salvation.  Through her, You saved many Samaritans that day.

You chose for me to be born into a believing family.  Wherever I was, You were there with me: Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, France, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia, Colorado.  All through those formative years, You made Your presence known to me.  Even though everything else about my life changed: house, school, church, community, friends; You were always present.

There are so many who still do not believe You are who You are – Creator, Savior, King of Kings, Master, Wonderful Counselor, the One True God.  But I know that You will move heaven and earth to reach them.

You can use natural and divine events, travel across continents, reach into unrespectable communities, to make Yourself known.

You can speak through a hurricane or a whisper, reveal Yourself in a majestic mountain or a delicate flower.  You can bring unity and salvation from disasters.

I trust You can bring the loved ones I pray for to a saving knowledge of You.

Help me do my part.  I will pray.  I will let them see me praise You in good times and in bad.  I will love them, and do my best to give them godly assistance and direction.

Show me when to speak and when to hold my tongue.   Show me how to behave in a way that will draw them to You.  Help me remove any stumbling block that would keep them from coming to You.

Lord I thank You and praise You in advance for the celebration in heaven when they come to know You as Savior and live to glorify Your Name!  Amen

Ruth 1:1-22; John 4:4-42

Mar 9 The Olive Tree

O Father, thank You for teaching me about the significance of an olive tree.  As I studied in the Garden of Gethsemane, I learned of the value of all that the olive tree stands for and produces.

So I pray the verses with new understanding:  “As for me, I am like an olive tree flourishing in the House of God”

As for me, Lord, may I be like a green olive tree flourishing in Your House:

May I be alive, vibrant, and growing
May I produce abundant fruit in season,
May I have long thick roots that penetrate deep into spiritual soil.

May I grow protected from harm and harshness because I abide in Your House O Lord.  Thank You that as my gardener, You tend to me personally to be sure I have everything I need to grow healthy and strong.

May I grow in community, surrounded by others, our roots and trunks intertwining like olive trees grow, without comparing myself to them, but shading them, and drawing needed shade from them. 

May I draw on the strength of being in community with those You have placed around me so I can persevere and remain strong even when the winds come, leaning on others and providing stability for them in return.

May I stand in the midst of others for years and years and years to come, like the two 2400-year-old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.  They stood by You as You knelt on that fateful night and prayed before Your arrest and Crucifixion.

Let me be like the olive tree that is both beautiful to look at and amazing in purpose.

May others see me and see Your care, and be drawn to You through me.

As the olive tree produces food to eat, and oil for lamps, soaps for cleansing, and ointments for anointing and healing; let me be nourishment and light and cleansing and blessing and healing to those around me.

I will trust in Your loving-kindness and unfailing love for ever and ever –Even when I am confused
Even when I can’t see Your will at work
Even when I don’t feel Your presence
Even when the world denies it
Even through tears and pain and sorrow

I will thank You for all You have done

I will hope in Your Name, for it is good
I will praise You – forever. Amen

Psalm 52:8-9

Jan 25 I trust Your perfect plan

Oh God I praise You that nothing can thwart Your plans!

Although evil is in this world, and is in positions of power and authority, it is nothing compared to You and Your ability to preserve Your will!

I ask for Your will to be done in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones. I trust that Your plan is the best possible. Do not let any powers or influences get in the way of effecting Your will in our lives.

Your purpose was fulfilled in Joseph’s life. And in spite of slavery, prison and the selfishness and greed of Joseph’s brothers, it played right into Your plan to save Israel’s descendants.

And in Moses’ life hundreds of years later, when the new Pharaoh tried to kill the male Hebrew babies, You again had a plan for those children and the peoples’ deliverance. By human reckoning it took a miracle – because a baby in a basket floating in crocodile infested waters would have no chance of surviving. But You provided for this Hebrew baby to be raised in the palace as Pharaoh’s own grandson!

Even when Jesus tried to explain Your majestic plan for the salvation of all people –His disciples didn’t understand it. Peter said to Jesus “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” And Jesus had to rebuke him.

And even after Peter saw Jesus transfigured and walking with Moses and Elijah, and heard Your own voice saying “This is My Son…Listen to Him.” Peter tried to interfere as Jesus was taken into custody in the Garden of Gethsemane. If he had understood the whole plan, would he have done that?

I often cannot make sense of the twists and turns my life takes. There are times I don’t know whether to stay or go, to act or wait. I cannot see how things will play out so I make a plan. But it doesn’t always turn out the way I expect.  How many times do we switch to Plan B, or Plan C, or D,E,F…

How then do I make decisions? Move forward? Live my life?

I echo the words of King David: “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.”

I too trust in You, the Lord, the Most High. I ask You, Lord God to show me enough light for the next step I am to take. Help me listen for Your response and obey what I hear. And trust that even if it doesn’t make sense to me, it will turn out according to Your plan.

I trust You.  My security is in You – even when nothing I can see supports my feeling safe. You have the power, You have the ability and expertise, You have the sovereignty and the willingness to bring Your plans to fruition.

So let it be done. On this earth.  In this country.  In my life.  Amen

Exodus 1:22-2:10; Matthew 16:21-17:9

Dec 23 My wise Carpenter

David says, “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way.” I echo those words Lord.  I know that You can see me and can tell how I am dealing with all I am going through.

I know this, because in the past, You have been there with a word of encouragement, a call from a friend, a letter from someone, a song, a verse – exactly what I have needed, exactly when I have needed it.

You know me so well.  You created me.  You knew beforehand the

purpose of my life,

the places I would go,

the perils I would face.

Like a carpenter chooses the type of wood to match the force of the stresses that will be brought against the boat he is making, You, my good and wise Carpenter, lovingly chose how I would be made. 

You carefully and masterfully fashioned me to create exactly what You envisioned I would need to meet the storms You knew I would have to face in my life.

I don’t know my own strength, but You do.  You built strength into me that will only be demonstrated by the storms I weather. 

So, with confidence and faith, I will enter the darkness, the high winds, the deep swells, the powerful surges, the rain, thunder and lightening.  I will let them crash around me, and wash over me, and I will see my deliverance on the other side.  Where the waters are calm.   And the winds are favorable.   And the sky is blue.

And my Carpenter, who is my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my Savior, my Lord, stands smiling.  Amen

Psalm 142:1-7

Oct 2 Direct me

Father, Paul had much to be proud of: his lineage, his heritage, his education, his religiousness.  But he considered it all worthless compared to knowing You.  Lord, I agree.

There is nothing I have become or attained that can compare to my relationship with You and the salvation and blessings You have given me.  So I desire to live the life You died to give me.

All that is behind me, all that has come before, Father, I let go of, so that I may fully embrace whatever it is You have for me now. 

Paul put it this way: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I too, move my focus from earthly things, to heavenly priorities, where my real home is.  I believe You can give me the wisdom to make decisions with an understanding of Your purpose for my life.  I believe You will fill me with the courage I need to act.  And I believe it is by Your power that all You purpose for me will be accomplished.

Open my eyes to all I must let go of.  Show me where attitudes and priorities must change.  Help me see the direction I should go.

I will remember Your faithfulness to me.  I will recall Your power.  And I will trust in Your purpose and Your love for me.  Amen

Philippians 3:4-14

Sept 12 A Tool for God’s Purpose

Father, when You sent Your judgment against Israel, You used the political and military and powers of the day.  Not knowing You, they believed it was by their own strength and power that they conquered.  But it is clear that they were merely a tool in Your hand.  The power is not in the tool, but in the one who wields it. 

Father, I pray that I would be a tool in Your hand for godly purposes.  Use me to accomplish Your will.  You are truly the potter and I am the clay.  Send me where Your would, as Your handiwork, to achieve Your plan.  And never let me forget that Yours is the strength and the wisdom by which anything is accomplished.

Father, some are called to far away places to be tools for You in spreading Your Word and Your love.  And surely there are obstacles for them to overcome and challenges to conquer.  But sometimes I feel the hardest place to be Your representative is here at home, with the people I love.

I know You have a wonderful plan and purpose for their lives too.  So until you call me away to somewhere else, help me realize the potential here, and be willing to be a tool in Your hands in the lives of those people You have brought closest to me.   Help me live every day showing Your grace and mercy and compassion to them.

When asked, help me give wise and godly advice, not just my own preferences.  Let my words be instructive and gentle, and line up with Your truth, spoken in love for the benefit of the hearer.

Help me hold my tongue when I need to, when the words would not be godly wisdom, but come from some other motivation.  Help me spread peace in their lives when it would be so much easier to spread my own brand of how things should be.  Help me let go of my own expectations of them, freeing them up to know the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes.

Help me be patient with Your timeline for their development and maturity.  And help me be consistent to pray for them to be empowered and guided by the influence of Your Word in their lives, and what You speak to them and through the godly mentors and circumstances You allow into their lives.

Let me draw strength from You.  Let me be guided by You.  And let me rest in Your strong and skillful hands.  Amen

Isaiah 10:1-19

Sept 5 Fear God and keep His commandments

Father, there are so many things Solomon saw and experienced: wise men and fools, hard work and laziness, feasting and mourning, rich and poor, old age and youth, life and death.

He has written: “sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth…” 

So Father, teach me to apply this wisdom.  Show me how to make decisions about my life, set godly priorities, and keep me focused on the right things.

Do not let me chase after meaningless things: riches to boast in, positions to exalt myself, a prideful reputation.   Help me remember that You are my future.  And whatever blessings You bring into my life, are to be used to honor You.

He ends with this: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of this matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”   

My whole purpose is to honor and revere You!  To acknowledge who You are, and respect You for it.  To do what You show me to do.  And not do what You caution or command me not to do.

It’s not to amass wealth.  It’s not to leave a legacy of institutions or businesses.  It’s not to make scientific discoveries.  It’s not even to compose a masterpiece, write an inspiring book or create a memorable work of art.

The Psalmist adds his wisdom to this collection as he reminds me “you can’t take it with you.”  Riches cannot add time to the length of my days.  And none of these things can come with me past my life here on earth.

But You, Father, will be with me for eternity.  It is You who will “redeem my life from the grave, and take me to be with Yourself.”  You “will bring every deed into judgment…”

Give me a true understanding of the wisdom that comes from You.  Amen

Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21

Sept 2 Be still…

“Be still and know I am God.”   What a great reminder!

When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You.

But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence.

It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself.  “Be still and know I am God.”   Father, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Friend.  All these names, these ways You have revealed Yourself to me personally, and more come into my mind as I begin to focus on You, rather than on myself.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You.  One at a time.  You take them and ease them away from me.  You can handle whatever it is, because You are God.  I know this.  Not just “I-read-it-in-a-book” know it.  But “I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust” know it.

You are God and there is no other.  You are God and there is no other.  If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them.  My youth.  My appearance.  My energy and vitality.  My children.  Financial security.  My sense of what I can do for others.  I can’t believe how long the list is of things that I get my sense of identity from.  But I lay each of them down.  Who I am, my identity, comes only from You.  Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

I seek Your direction Lord, for the rhythm and timing of my life.  Solomon wrote it all out Lord.  You have created “a time for everything under heaven.”  “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…”  It goes on.  And I realize Father, that I need to seek Your will for the rhythm and timing of my life.

Father, help me know when to “keep” and when to “throw away.”  I am already sensing I am moving into a time of not keeping so many things.  Help me know when to “speak” and when to “be silent.”  When to “search” and when to “give up.” When to “embrace and when to refrain from embracing.”

As I read each pairing in these Ecclesiastes verses, I can feel You speaking to me.  You lead me to a place in my spirit where the one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life.  Thank You Lord, for showing me the way.

Thank You Father, for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.”  Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10

July 18 Order from Chaos

Father, for the last several chapters, You have shown me how David and his commanders allotted all the jobs that needed to be done, to the Israelites.

There was a job for every person and a person for every job.  From the priestly duties in the Temple concerning worship, to defending the people and guarding the gates in the wall around Jerusalem.  There were people who took care of all the building and supplies, all the flocks and herds, and all the king’s business.

It reminds me that You are a God of order, not chaos.

I usually start off my day with a plan of order.  But You know all too well how many times those plans have dissolved into chaos.  My house starts out in order.  Then life happens, and chaos takes over.  Sometimes it takes an unexpected emergency like water in the basement or some planned entertaining activity to motivate the family into cleaning up again and putting things back in order weeks after the chaos has taken over.

I marvel at how You know humans so well, and give us what we need.  You know that I need order.

You created this world with painstaking care.  Every planet in the solar system is ordered.  The geology of the planet earth is stable enough that I don’t see mountains from my window one day and valleys the next.

The seasons change, giving us variety in weather patterns, but the seasons always come in the same order.

And the human body is amazingly organized, down to the pattern of neurons in our central nervous system and brain; and the arteries and veins that carry blood.

So I get the benefit and security of knowing that night always follows day; Summer always follows Spring.  Thank You for knowing me so well and what I need to feel safe and secure in the world.

Thank You for going to such great lengths in creating this beautiful planet; with its specific gravity, air pressure, radiation levels, temperature, and path through the solar system, to provide stability to sustain my life.  Thank You for the constancy I see repeated in the cycles: sprouting, growth, maturity, fruitfulness, harvest, hibernation, rebirth.

When chaos increases in my life, it’s a signal I need to spend more time with You.

Help me be more organized.  Remind me I need to be consistent in devoting time to You. Show me how to set right priorities.   And how to stick to them.   Thank You for Your loving help.  Amen

I Chronicles 23:1-27:34

June 20 Every word counts!

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;”

Father, this verse has been so encouraging, speaking to me of Your divine purpose, of Your sovereignty to act, or Your personal interest and caring love for me.

Funny how stressing a different word in a sentence changes the meaning.  So in learning to hear You better, I focus on one word at a time.   Emphasizing each word to gather new meaning.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  The One.  The Only.  Not just any lord, but You: The Lord.  The One who created the universe!  Who made every animal, every plant, placed every star, and breathed life into man.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is Your work to do it and Your power that will bring it about. 

While I need to be obedient and do my part, I don’t need to run around and worry about how it will all get done.  You have prepared.  You know the details.  And it is by Your hand that all will be accomplished.  

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is a certainty!  It is to be accomplished. 

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not just do the minimum to get by, but achieve fully!  All the requirements, all the necessities, will be taken care of completely. 

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  You have a plan.  It is not required that I dream up something to do for You, but work with You in Your plan, not my own.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  I am not in this world by accident, or just to get by from one day to the next.  There is a reason I am here.  You already know the skills, talents, and gifts You have placed in me, and have carefully thought out and prepared something to motivate me with an end in mind.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. It is on behalf of and will benefit me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not my brother or sister or my friend; but the unique individual You created to be me. 

Each time I restate it, the power of its truth grows.  I need to know scripture.  I need to understand what it means, and know how it applies to my life personally.  Thank You for this one way of helping me get more understanding from scripture. 

Psalm 138:8 Revised Standard Version

 

June 9 Something bigger than myself

Father, show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory.

I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure!  I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name.  It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work.  And they created a masterpiece!  It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever.  He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion.  He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is?  I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure.  Without You, I can do nothing.  With You, I can do anything!  Inspire me Lord.  Empower me.  Let me be part of Your great plan.  Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-8; Psalm 127:1-2

May 5 To save You reach around the world

Lord God, You amaze me at how You use simple, ordinary people, men and women, to accomplish Your purpose.  You sent believers all the way to Moab, at least sixty miles across the desert during a famine to reach Your faithful servant Ruth.

She made the famous statement, “Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay, your people will be my people and your God my God” to her mother-in-law Naomi.   Her faith and trust in You led her to be part of Your amazing plan of salvation, as she was in the lineage You were born into.

Here in the flesh You stopped in a Samaritan town and spoke to an immoral woman; something a respectable Jew would not have done.  And in doing so, brought her the message of Your salvation.  Through her, You saved many Samaritans that day.

You chose for me to be born into a believing family.  Wherever I was, You were there with me: Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, France, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia, Colorado.  All through those formative years, You made Your presence known to me.  Even though everything else about my life changed: house, school, church, community, friends; You were always there.

There are so many who still do not believe You are who You are – Creator, Savior, King of Kings, Master, Wonderful Counselor, the One True God.  But I know that You will move heaven and earth to reach them.

You can use natural and divine events, travel across continents, reach into unrespectable communities, to make Yourself known.

You can speak through a hurricane or a whisper, reveal Yourself in a majestic mountain or a delicate flower.   You can speak through and in spite of  pandemic  and bring unity and salvation from a disaster.

I trust You can bring the loved ones I pray for to a saving knowledge of You.

Help me do my part.  I will pray.  I will let them see me praise You in good times and in bad.  I will love them, and do my best to give them godly assistance and direction.

Show me when to speak and when to hold my tongue.   Show me how to behave in a way that will draw them to You.  Help me remove any stumbling block that would keep them from coming to You.

Lord I thank You and praise You in advance for the celebration in heaven when they come to know You as Savior and live to glorify Your Name!  Amen

Ruth 1:1-22; John 4:4-42

Apr 4 Teach me to pray

Father, thank You that when asked by Your disciples, You taught me more than just some words to say when I pray.

In three verses You instruct me to honor Your Holy Name and ask for You to meet my needs.  You indicate it is important to confess my sin and be forgiven of it, as well as to forgive others who have sinned against me.  And You show me how to ask for Your divine direction and protection.

But You didn’t stop there.  You used further illustrations to teach me that I need to be persistent in my prayer life.  I am not to give up just because I don’t get an immediate answer. “For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Next You reinforce that I can trust You for specific answers to prayer, through the Holy Spirit, because “You are the Father of Lights, and every good and perfect gift comes down from You.“

Father, we approach You now to ask and seek and knock on the door of Your abundant provision in this time of challenge and disunity.  We ask for healing of those who are ill.  Return them to good health. And comfort for those who are hurting.  And justice for those who are oppressed.

We seek Your purpose for our lives and desire Your direction to help us fulfill all You created us for.

And we knock so You will open the door of provision for all those who are in dire need.  Father, release the abundance in Your storehouse and pour out a blessing so amazing that all will see it is from You, and give You thanks.

Thank You, precious Heavenly Father, that I can come to You with every joy, every sorrow, every praise, every need; and know that You hear me and You enter into dialogue with me.  Help me take time to listen for Your voice in answer; and not just call out my grocery list of wants. And open my ears and heart to all You will tell me.  Amen

Luke 11:1-13; James 1:17

Feb 14 Gifts

Dear Lord, how wonderful it would be to be like Bezalel or Oholiab.

These two are singled out by name as being chosen by You, and filled with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.  They knew metalwork on gold, silver and bronze, stone cutting and setting, how to work with wood, yarn, linen as craftsmen and designers.  And they had the ability to teach others these things.

They worked effectively with all the others You gave skill and ability to, to carry out the work of constructing the tabernacle and all the things in it.

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

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

They did not shrink back from using their gifts.  Sometimes I feel my talent isn’t good enough to be of use.  Rather than step forward, I shrink back.  I am often sure that the gifts of others are more valuable than mine.

Help me trust that You knew what You were doing when You handed out the gifts.  Help me accept who I am and what I have to offer, and make the most of it.

Are people the only ones of Your creation who doubt themselves and are envious?

I doubt that an apple tree ever wishes it could produce peaches.  Or a monkey ever wishes it had a fluffy tail like a fox.  It’s easy for me to see and trust Your plan as it worked out in the lives of Moses, Bezalel, and Oholiab.

Take away the doubts I have when it comes to me.  Help me see Your plan and Your purpose, and be bold in doing my part.  Amen

Exodus 35:30-35; 37:1-38:23

Dec 23 My wise carpenter

David says, “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way.” I echo those words Lord.  I know that You can see me and can tell how I am dealing with all I am going through.

I know this, because in the past, You have been there with a word of encouragement, a call from a friend, a letter from someone, a song, a verse – exactly what I have needed, exactly when I have needed it.

You know me so well.  You created me.  You knew beforehand the purpose of my life, the places I would go, the perils I would face.

Like a carpenter chooses the type of wood to match the force of the stresses that will be brought against the boat he is making, You, my good and wise Carpenter, lovingly chose how I would be made. 

You carefully and masterfully fashioned me to create exactly what You envisioned I would need to meet the storms You knew I would have to face in my life.

I don’t know my own strength, but You do.  You built strength into me that will only be demonstrated by the storms I weather. 

So, with confidence and faith, I will enter the darkness, the high winds, the deep swells, the powerful surges, the rain, thunder and lightening.  I will let them crash around me, and wash over me, and I will see my deliverance on the other side.  Where the waters are calm.   And the winds are favorable.   And the sky is blue.

And my Carpenter, who is my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my Savior, my Lord, stands smiling.  Amen

Psalm 142:1-7

Oct 2 Direct me

Father, Paul had much to be proud of: his lineage, his heritage, his education, his religiousness.  But he considered it all worthless compared to knowing You.  Lord, I agree. 

There is nothing I have become or attained that can compare to my relationship with You and the salvation and blessings You have given me.  So I desire to live the life You died to give me. 

All that is behind me, all that has come before, Father, I let go of, so that I may fully embrace whatever it is You have for me now. 

Paul put it this way:

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  

I too, move my focus from earthly things, to heavenly priorities, where my real home is.  I believe You can give me the wisdom to make decisions with an understanding of Your purpose for my life.  I believe You will fill me with the courage I need to act.  And I believe it is by Your power that all You purpose for me will be accomplished.

Open my eyes to all I must let go of.  Show me where attitudes and priorities must change.  Help me see the direction I should go.  I will remember Your faithfulness to me.  I will recall Your power.  And I will trust in Your purpose and Your love for me.  Amen

Philippians 3:4-14

Sept 12 A Tool for God’s Purpose

Father, when You sent Your judgment against Israel, You used the political and military and powers of the day.  Not knowing You, they believed it was by their own strength and power that they conquered.  But it is clear that they were merely a tool in Your hand.  The power is not in the tool, but in the one who wields it.

Father, I pray that I would be a tool in Your hand for godly purposes.  Use me to accomplish Your will.  You are truly the potter and I am the clay.  Send me where Your would, as Your handiwork, to achieve Your plan.  And never let me forget that Yours is the strength and the wisdom by which anything is accomplished.

I know You have a wonderful plan and purpose for their lives too.  So until you call me away to somewhere else, help me realize the potential here, and be willing to be a tool in Your hands in the lives of those people You have brought closest to me.   Help me live every day showing Your grace and mercy and compassion to them.  When asked, help me give wise and godly advice, not just my own preferences.  Let my words be instructive and gentle, and line up with Your truth, spoken in love for the benefit of the hearer.

Father, some are called to far away places to be tools for You in spreading Your Word and Your love.  And surely there are obstacles for them to overcome and challenges to conquer.  But sometimes I feel the hardest place to be Your representative is here at home, with the people I love.

Help me hold my tongue when I need to, when the words would not be godly wisdom, but come from some other motivation.  Help me spread peace in their lives when it would be so much easier to spread my own brand of how things should be.  Help me let go of my own expectations of them, freeing them up to know the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes.

Help me be patient with Your timeline for their development and maturity.  And help me be consistent to pray for them to be empowered and guided by the influence of Your Word in their lives, and what You speak to them and through the godly mentors and circumstances You allow into their lives.

Let me draw strength from You.  Let me be guided by You.  And let me rest in Your strong and skillful hands.  Amen

Isaiah 10:1-19

Sept 5 Fear God and keep His commandments

Father, there are so many things Solomon saw and experienced and wrote about: wise men and fools, hard work and laziness, feasting and mourning, rich and poor, old age and youth, life and death.

 

He ends with this: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of this matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” 

My whole purpose is to honor and revere You!  To acknowledge who You are, and respect You for it.  To do what You show me to do.  And not do what You caution or command me not to do.

It’s not to amass wealth.  It’s not to leave a legacy of institutions or businesses.  It’s not to make scientific discoveries.  It’s not even to compose a masterpiece, write an inspiring book or create a memorable work of art.

The Psalmist adds his wisdom to the collection as he reminds me “you can’t take it with you.”  Riches cannot add time to the length of my days.  And none of these things can come with me past my life here on earth.

But You, Father, will be with me for eternity.  It is You who will “redeem my life from the grave, and take me to be with Yourself.”  You “will bring every deed into judgment…”

And Solomon says he has written down “sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to Him who sent you.”  Meaning that if I abide by his counsel, knowledge, teachings and words, I will be able to give a godly account of my life here on earth.

So Father, teach me to apply this wisdom.  Show me how to make decisions about my life that keep me focused on the right things and set godly priorities.

Do not let me chase after meaningless things: riches to boast in, prideful reputation, positions to exalt myself.   Help me remember that You are my future.  And whatever blessings You bring into my life, are to be used to honor You.

Give me a true understanding of the wisdom that comes from You.  Amen

Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21

Sept 2 Be still…

What a great reminder!

When I come to You, Father, I know that sometimes it’s on the run, and I just quickly dash off a prayer of need, or thanks, or praise to You.

But it’s in those times when I really prioritize spending time with You that I can calm myself: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually – and truly sink into Your presence, that I am rewarded with a fresh realization and a deeper understanding of who You really are.

Lord, right now, I still my physical body, and ask You to quiet my mind, calm my emotions, open my spirit to hear only Your voice; and be sensitive to only Your presence.

It takes a moment or two, and some deep breaths and reciting this verse to myself.  “Be still and know I am God.”   Father, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Teacher, Savior, Comforter, Friend.  All these names, these ways You have revealed Yourself to me personally, and more come into my mind as I begin to focus on You, rather than on myself.

As worrisome thoughts enter my head, I give them to You.  One at a time.  You take them and ease them away from me.  You can handle whatever it is, because You are God.  I know this.  Not just “I-read-it-in-a-book” know it.  But “I-fully-understand-and-completely-trust” know it.

You are God and there is no other.  You are God and there is no other.  If I have trusted in any other gods, Lord, I renounce them.  My youth.  My appearance.  My energy and vitality.  My children.  Financial security.  My sense of what I can do for others.  I can’t believe how long the list is of things that I get my sense of identity from.  But I lay each of them down.  Who I am, my identity, comes only from You.  Forgive me for trusting in anything else.

As I read each pairing in these Ecclesiastes verses, I can feel You speaking to me.  You lead me to a place in my spirit where the one or the other makes sense in different areas of my life.  Thank You Lord, for showing me the way.

Thank You Father, for always being there when I show up to just “be still, and know that You are God.”  Amen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 46:10

July 18 Order from Chaos

Father, for the last several chapters, You have shown me how David and his commanders allotted all the jobs that needed to be done, to the Israelites.

There was a job for every person and a person for every job.  From the priestly duties in the Temple concerning worship, to defending the people and guarding the gates in the wall around Jerusalem.  There were people who took care of all the building and supplies, all the flocks and herds, and all the king’s business.

It reminds me that You are a God of order, not chaos.

I usually start off my day with a plan of order.  But You know all too well how many times those plans have dissolved into chaos.  My house starts out in order.  Then life happens, and chaos takes over.  Sometimes it takes an unexpected emergency like water in the basement or some planned entertaining activity to motivate the family into cleaning up again and putting things back in order weeks after the chaos has taken over.

I marvel at how You know humans so well, and give us what we need.  You know that I need order.

You created this world with painstaking care.  Every planet in the solar system is ordered.  The geology of the planet earth is stable enough that I don’t see mountains from my window one day and valleys the next.

The seasons change, giving us variety in weather patterns, but the seasons always come in the same order.

And the human body is amazingly organized, down to the pattern of neurons in our central nervous system and brain; and the arteries and veins that carry blood.

So I get the benefit and security of knowing that night always follows day; Summer always follows Spring.  Thank You for knowing me so well and what I need to feel safe and secure in the world.

Thank You for going to such great lengths in creating this beautiful planet; with its specific gravity, air pressure, radiation levels, temperature, and path through the solar system, to provide stability to sustain my life.  Thank You for the constancy I see repeated in the cycles: sprouting, growth, maturity, fruitfulness, harvest, hibernation, rebirth.

When chaos increases in my life, it’s a signal I need to spend more time with You.

Help me be more organized.  Remind me I need to be consistent in devoting time to You. Show me how to set right priorities.   And how to stick to them.   Thank You for Your loving help.  Amen

I Chronicles 23:1-27:34

June 20 Every Word Counts!

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;”

Father, this verse has been so encouraging, speaking to me of Your divine purpose, of Your sovereignty to act, or Your personal interest and caring love for me.

Funny how stressing a different word in a sentence changes the meaning.  So in learning to hear You better, I focus on one word at a time.   Emphasizing each word to gather new meaning.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  The One.  The Only.  Not just any lord, but You: The Lord.  The One who created the universe!  Who made every animal, every plant, placed every star, and breathed life into man.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is Your work to do it and Your power that will bring it about.

While I need to be obedient and do my part, I don’t need to run around and worry about how it will all get done.  You have prepared.  You know the details.  And it is by Your hand that all will be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is a certainty!  It is to be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not just do the minimum to get by, but achieve fully!  All the requirements, all the necessities, will be taken care of completely.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  You have a plan.  It is not required that I dream up something to do for You, but work with You in Your plan, not my own.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  I am not in this world by accident, or just to get by from one day to the next.  There is a reason I am here.  You already know the skills, talents, and gifts You have placed in me, and have carefully thought out and prepared something to motivate me with an end in mind.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. It is on behalf of and will benefit me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not my brother or sister or my friend; but the unique individual You created to be me.  

Each time I restate it, the power of its truth grows.  I need to know scripture.  I need to understand what it means, and know how it applies to my life personally.  Thank You for this one way of helping me get more understanding from scripture.

Psalm 138:8 Revised Standard Version

June 9 Something bigger than myself

Father, Show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory.

I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure!  I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name.  It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work.  And they created a masterpiece!  It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever.  He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion.  He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is?  I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure.  Without You, I can do nothing.  With You, I can do anything!  Inspire me Lord.  Empower me.  Let me be part of Your great plan.  Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-8; Psalm 127:1-2

May 5 To save You reach around the world

Lord God, You amaze me at how You use simple, ordinary people, men and women, to accomplish Your purpose.  You sent believers all the way to Moab, at least sixty miles across the desert during a famine to reach Your faithful servant Ruth.

She made the famous statement, “Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay, your people will be my people and your God my God” to her mother-in-law Naomi.   Her faith and trust in You led her to be part of Your amazing plan of salvation, as she was in the lineage You were born into.

Here in the flesh You stopped in a Samaritan town and spoke to an immoral woman; something a respectable Jew would not have done.  And in doing so, brought her the message of Your salvation.  Through her, You saved many Samaritans that day.

You chose for me to be born into a believing family.  Wherever I was, You were there with me: Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, France, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia, Colorado.  All through those formative years, You made Your presence known to me.  Even though everything else about my life changed: house, school, church, community, friends; You were always there.

There are so many who still do not believe You are who You are – Creator, Savior, King of Kings, Master, Wonderful Counselor, the One True God.  But I know that You will move heaven and earth to reach them.

You can use natural and divine events, travel across continents, reach into unrespectable communities, to make Yourself known.

You can speak through a hurricane or a whisper, reveal Yourself in a majestic mountain or a delicate flower.   You can speak through and in spite of  pandemic  and bring unity and salvation from a disaster.

I trust You can bring the loved ones I pray for to a saving knowledge of You.

Help me do my part.  I will pray.  I will let them see me praise You in good times and in bad.  I will love them, and do my best to give them godly assistance and direction.

Show me when to speak and when to hold my tongue.   Show me how to behave in a way that will draw them to You.  Help me remove any stumbling block that would keep them from coming to You.

Lord I thank You and praise You in advance for the celebration in heaven when they come to know You as Savior and live to glorify Your Name!  Amen

Ruth 1:1-22; John 4:4-42

April 4 Teach me to pray

Father, thank You that when asked by Your disciples, You taught me more than just some words to say when I pray.

In three verses You instruct me to honor Your Holy Name and ask for You to meet my needs.  You indicate it is important to confess my sin and be forgiven of it, as well as to forgive others who have sinned against me.  And You show me how to ask for Your divine direction and protection.

But You didn’t stop there.  You used further illustrations to teach me that I need to be persistent in my prayer life.  I am not to give up just because I don’t get an immediate answer. “For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Next You reinforce that I can trust You for specific answers to prayer, through the Holy Spirit, because “You are the Father of Lights, and every good and perfect gift comes down from You.“

Father, we approach You now to ask and seek and knock on the door of Your abundant provision in this time of crisis for so many people.  We ask for healing of those who are ill.  Return them to good health.

We seek Your purpose for our lives and desire Your direction to help us fulfill all You created us for.

And we knock so You will open the door of provision for all those who are in dire need because of the impact of this virus.  Father, release the abundance in Your storehouse and pour out a blessing so amazing that all will see it is from You, and give You thanks.

Thank You, precious Heavenly Father, that I can come to You with every joy, every sorrow, every praise, every need; and know that You hear me and You enter into dialogue with me.  Help me take time to listen for Your voice in answer; and not just call out my grocery list of wants.

And open my ears and heart to all You will tell me.  Amen

Luke 11:1-13; James I:17

Oct 2 Direct me

Father, Paul had much to be proud of: his lineage, his heritage, his education, his religiousness.  But he considered it all worthless compared to knowing You.  Lord, I agree.

There is nothing I have become or attained that can compare to my relationship with You and the salvation and blessings You have given me.  So I desire to live the life You died to give me.

All that is behind me, all that has come before, Father, I let go of, so that I may fully embrace whatever it is You have for me now.

Paul put it this way: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I too, move my focus from earthly things, to heavenly priorities, where my real home is.  I believe You can give me the wisdom to make decisions with an understanding of Your purpose for my life.  I believe You will fill me with the courage I need to act.  And I believe it is by Your power that all You purpose for me will be accomplished.

Open my eyes to all I must let go of.  Show me where attitudes and priorities must change.  Help me see the direction I should go.  I will remember Your faithfulness to me.  I will recall Your power.  And I will trust in Your purpose and Your love for me.  Amen

Philippians 3:4-14

Sept 12 A tool for God’s purpose

Father, when You sent Your judgment against Israel, You used the political and military and powers of the day.  Not knowing You, they believed it was by their own strength and power that they conquered.  But it is clear that they were merely a tool in Your hand.  The power is not in the tool, but in the one who wields it.

Father, I pray that I would be a tool in Your hand for godly purposes.  Use me to accomplish Your will.  You are truly the potter and I am the clay.  Send me where Your would, as Your handiwork, to achieve Your plan.  And never let me forget that Yours is the strength and the wisdom by which anything is accomplished.

Father, some are called to far away places to be tools for You in spreading Your Word and Your love.  And surely there are obstacles for them to overcome and challenges to conquer.  But sometimes I feel the hardest place to be Your representative is here at home, with the people I love.

I know You have a wonderful plan and purpose for their lives too.  So until you call me away to somewhere else, help me realize the potential here, and be willing to be a tool in Your hands in the lives of those people You have brought closest to me.   Help me live every day showing Your grace and mercy and compassion to them.  When asked, help me give wise and godly advice, not just my own preferences.  Let my words be instructive and gentle, and line up with Your truth, spoken in love for the benefit of the hearer.

Help me hold my tongue when I need to, when the words would not be godly wisdom, but come from some other motivation.  Help me spread peace in their lives when it would be so much easier to spread my own brand of how things should be.  Help me let go of my own expectations of them, freeing them up to know the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes.

Help me be patient with Your timeline for their development and maturity.  And help me be consistent to pray for them to be empowered and guided by the influence of Your Word in their lives, and what You speak to them and through the godly mentors and circumstances You allow into their lives.

Let me draw strength from You.  Let me be guided by You.  And let me rest in Your strong and skillful hands.  Amen

Isaiah 10:1-19

Sept 5 Fear God and keep His commandments

Father, there are so many things Solomon saw and experienced and wrote about: wise men and fools, hard work and laziness, feasting and mourning, rich and poor, old age and youth, life and death.

He ends with this: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of this matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” 

My whole purpose is to honor and revere You!  To acknowledge who You are, and respect You for it.  To do what You show me to do.  And not do what You caution or command me not to do.

It’s not to amass wealth.  It’s not to leave a legacy of institutions or businesses.  It’s not to make scientific discoveries.  It’s not even to compose a masterpiece, write an inspiring book or create a memorable work of art.

The Psalmist adds his wisdom to the collection as he reminds me “you can’t take it with you.”  Riches cannot add time to the length of my days.  And none of these things can come with me past my life here on earth.

But You, Father, will be with me for eternity.  It is You who will “redeem my life from the grave, and take me to be with Yourself.”  You “will bring every deed into judgment…”

And Solomon says he has written down “sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to Him who sent you.”  Meaning that if I abide by his counsel, knowledge, teachings and words, I will be able to give a godly account of my life here on earth. 

So Father, teach me to apply this wisdom.  Show me how to make decisions about my life that keep me focused on the right things and set godly priorities.

Do not let me chase after meaningless things: riches to boast in, prideful reputation, positions to exalt myself.   Help me remember that You are my future.  And whatever blessings You bring into my life, are to be used to honor You.

Give me a true understanding of the wisdom that comes from You.  Amen

Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21

 

Jun 20 Every Word Counts!

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;”

Father, many times this verse has spoken to me of Your divine purpose. It states Your sovereignty to act and Your personal interest and love for me.

When I say a sentence, the meaning changes a little depending on which word I stress.  So in learning to better hear what You are saying to me, I focus on one word at a time.   Within each word, meaning is added.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  The One.  The Only.  Not just any lord, but You: The Lord.  The One who created the universe!  Who made every animal, every plant, placed every star, and breathed life into man.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is Your work to do it and Your power that will bring it about.  While I need to be obedient and do my part, I don’t need to run around and worry about how it will all get done.  You have prepared.  You know the details.  And it is by Your hand that all will be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is a certainty!  It is to be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not just do the minimum to get by, but achieve fully!  All the requirements, all the necessities, will be taken care of completely.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  You have a plan.  It is not required that I dream up something to do for You, but work with You in Your plan, not my own.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  I am not in this world by accident, or just to get by from one day to the next.  There is a reason I am here.  You already know the skills, talents, and gifts You have placed in me, and have carefully thought out and prepared something to motivate me with an end in mind.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. It is on behalf of and will benefit me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not my brother or sister or my friend; but the unique individual You created to be me.

Each time I restate it, the power of its truth grows.  I need to know scripture.  I need to understand what it means, and know how it applies to my life personally.  Thank You for this one way of helping me get more understanding from scripture.

Psalm 138:8a English Standard Version

June 9 Something bigger than myself

Father, Show me something bigger than myself, that I can be a part of, for Your glory.

I believe You put in each person You created, a desire to be part of something great, even epic: an adventure!  I don’t always understand this longing, but it comes back to seeking my purpose in life.

You gave Solomon a mission, delivered from his father: a charge to build a house for Your name.  It was something that took great resources, many gifted craftsmen, thousands of laborers coming together, time, and hard work.  And they created a masterpiece!  It was incredible to behold, stood for many years, and attained a regional if not worldwide reputation that is known about today.

You called Abram out of obscurity and brought him to a land You promised to his descendants forever.  He believed by faith, and worked toward Your goal, but never saw its completion.  He was part of a covenant relationship with You that brought forth the greatest story ever told.

I have a desire to be part of something also: something that will bring glory to Your name.  I long to do something that I cannot do alone – something I will need to rely on You for the strength and inspiration to do.

Will You show me, in Your perfect timing, what it is?  I trust You are preparing me already with the gifts, talents, skills, wisdom, and resources I will need.   And that when You are ready You will open my eyes to see what it is.   I do not want to live my life just getting by from one day to the next.

I also know that whatever I can achieve on my own is not divine, or an epic adventure.  Without You, I can do nothing.  With You, I can do anything!  Inspire me Lord.  Empower me.  Let me be part of Your great plan.  Amen

I Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7: 1-29; Psalm 127:1-2

Apr 19 Only God can make a tree

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

Oh Father, I am sick of waiting for some people to make good on their promises.

The delays that come are hard to take.  Even when I can understand there may be a good and logical reason behind postponements, it doesn’t make the waiting any easier.  And when no reason is apparent, the frustration builds up and I literally feel ill.

This happens time and time again when I put my hope in people.  The wondering if they will come through, the anxiousness of not knowing when things can be planned due to the uncertainty, the anticipation of desiring something but having it drag on indefinitely – all these things bring mental exhaustion and emotional collapse!

“but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

When I think of all a tree provides, it is comforting.

A tree is beautiful to look at.  It is sturdy and provides shelter to sit or stand under or hide behind.  It’s boughs and leaves give shade from the heat.  I can lean up against it, climb it, sit in it, hide in it.

Depending on the type, it’s leaves may be a balm of healing, or its fruit may be nourishment.   A tree is life giving and life sustaining.

This verse paints a beautiful picture of Your provision in a world where there can be so much disappointment.

Thank You Father, that all Your promises are true.

You promise salvation and You deliver.  Your mercy and grace are renewed every day.  You always forgive and never leave me.  All this is according to Your Word, Your promise.

Father, I place my trust, my hope in You.  If I have hopes or longings that are not honoring to You, please remove them.  Do not let me become sick waiting or hoping for something that is not right for me.  Show me if I need to move my focus or change my perspective.

When I need to wait on Your plan or purpose, help me wait patiently, purposefully and prayerfully.  And when my longings are fulfilled, remind me to thank You and give You the credit.

For all You have already done, and for all You will do, thank You Father.  Amen

Proverbs 13:12

Apr 9 God bless you

Lord, I believe everyone desires to be blessed.  I truly do.  But many people did not grow up receiving a blessing.

One result is that very few people know how to give a blessing to others.  The overused “Bless you”when someone sneezes carries little meaning.

Culturally, Jewish parents recite a blessing over their children every Shabbat (Sabbath) at Friday dinner.   In Old Testament times, before they died, Hebrew fathers spoke blessings over their sons as a way of passing on the leadership and possessions of the family.  Both of these have a prophetic piece to them, as well as words of favor resting on the receiver.

Even before that, You blessed Your creation of man and woman.  It was an empowerment for them to be all You created them to be.

In this empowerment there is a release from any and all restrictions or limitations preventing them from reaching their potential to participate in their divine purpose.

In Hebrew, the verb form “to bless” means “to kneel;” while the noun for “blessing” means “a gift or present.”  So the concept is to bring or receive a gift or present, something of value, while kneeling out of respect.

The one who receives a blessing is changed, energized, empowered and enabled by the gift or the words of blessing.

Lord God, would You bless me right now, and bless every reader as they speak this prayer, based on the definition and the full meaning of the Hebrew word for bless:

Heavenly Father, infuse us, fill us, permeate us, saturate us with unlimited potential to achieve all You would invite us to do that will glorify You and bring honor to Your Name.

Release us from any restriction or limitation, whether physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, psychological, social, financial or personal that would prevent us or hold us back from becoming all You created us to be.

Empower, energize and enable us to reach the fullness of our divine purpose.  We kneel before You to receive this divine blessing.  Amen

Deuteronomy 33:1-29

 

Mar 23 A blessed life

“Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me.”

He has brought me into life in a time and place of His choosing; to a family of His providence.  He has watched over me and protected me from serious illness and injury, trouble and violence, time and again.

There were times when I cried out to Him for deliverance from circumstances, and He delivered me, or gave me what I needed to endure.  There were times when He rescued me from things that I was not even aware I needed rescuing from.

He allowed me an understanding of spiritual matters, so that I began to see how sinful I was, and in need of a Savior.  And that He, Jesus Christ, in love, shed His blood to pay the price, the penalty my sin had earned.  He showed me, taught me, that this is the only way to reconcile my sinful self with God, who is holy.

He has tested me and refined me like silver.

And although the process is not complete yet, each step in the process brings me closer to being Christ-like.  The best silver is put into the fire seven times and brought up to a temperature of heat that burns away the impurities, creating a purer, more valuable quality.   And though the process of purification is not comfortable, and is often painful, it yields a harvest of blessing.

He has blessed me with loved ones, with friends, with a sense of purpose in life.  He has provided me with hope, love, and a heavenly Father I can trust.  He has comforted me with scriptures, by singing me songs; with revelations of His perspective, by sending people to talk with me, counsel me, rejoice and cry with me.

He has given me the hope of an eternal existence with Him in the future, with promises that He will never, ever, no, not ever, leave me.

He has forgiven my sin.

He has promised that nothing will overtake me, but that He will always make a way for me to bear up under whatever He allows into my life.

How awesome are His deeds!  How great is His power!  Praise be to God!

Father, let me never forget these things or all that You have done for me.  Let me never shy away from an opportunity to tell others about them and about You.   Amen

Psalm 66:1-20

 

 

 

Mar 18 Heaven or earth?

O Lord, what a wonderful and confusing prayer here from David.

I’m not exactly sure of his meaning; but like many prayers, it shows the divided interests and longings of many believers.

On one hand, I have been through a lot.  Life has been challenging, and sometimes I want to just give up: “my heart grows faint.”  I feel anxious to be done with this earthly life and all its problems.  “I long to dwell in Your tent forever.”

Thinking about that, all pain and suffering would be over in heaven.  No more battles to fight.  I would be in the presence of my Lord and Savior.  What could possibly be better!

On the other hand, You have given me blessings here, Lord.  I desire to fulfill all You have planned for me, and bring glory and honor to Your name here on earth.  And hopefully bring many to a saving knowledge of You while doing it.

So I echo “increase the days of my life, my years for many generations.”  How awesome would it be to see my children grown and serving the Lord, and grandchildren, and great grand children!

Bottom line, I trust You with all my days.  Whether here on earth or with You in heaven, I rely on You and Your perfect will to know the length of my days, and prepare me for them.

I thank You that You knew all my days before even one of them came to be.  And that no power can take away even one hour You have promised me.  I trust in, and rest in, Your power and Your wisdom, Your mercy, and Your plan.  Amen

Psalm 61:1-8

Mar 9 The Olive Tree

O Father, thank You for teaching me about the significance of an olive tree.  As I studied in the Garden of Gethsemane, I learned of the value of all that the olive tree stands for and produces.

 

So I pray the verses with new understanding:  “As for me, I am like an olive tree flourishing in the House of God”

As for me, Lord, may I be like a green olive tree flourishing in Your House:

May I be alive, vibrant, and growing

May I produce abundant fruit in season,

May I have long thick roots that penetrate deep into spiritual soil.

May I grow protected from harm and harshness because I abide in Your House O Lord.  Thank You that as my gardener, You tend to me personally to be sure I have everything I need to grow healthy and strong.

May I grow in community, surrounded by others, our roots and trunks intertwining like olive trees grow, without comparing myself to them, but shading them, and drawing needed shade from them.

May I draw on the strength of being in community with those You have placed around me so I can persevere and remain strong even when the winds come, leaning on others and providing stability for them in return.

May I stand in the midst of others for years and years and years to come, like the two 2400 year old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.  They stood by You as  You knelt on that fateful night and prayed before Your arrest and Crucifixion.

Let me be like the olive tree that is both beautiful to look at and amazing in purpose. May others see me and see Your care, and be drawn to You through me.

As the olive tree produces food to eat, and oil for lamps, soaps for cleansing, and ointments for anointing and healing; let me be nourishment and light and cleansing and blessing and healing to those around me.

I will trust in Your loving-kindness and unfailing love for ever and ever –

Even when I am confused

Even when I can’t see Your will at work

Even when I don’t feel Your presence

Even when the world denies it

Even through tears and pain and sorrow

I will thank You for all You have done

I will hope in Your Name, for it is good

I will praise You – forever.  Amen

 

Psalm 52:8-9

Jan 27 I want to obey You

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

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

Have there been times when You offered me an opportunity to accomplish something with You and I chose the safer, easier path with no risk?

Have You allowed me to be in situations where I could have told someone about who You are, and I chose not to speak?

Have there been circumstances when I could have offered to go and do, to act as Your hands and Your feet, but I chose the response that afforded me more leisure?

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

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

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

No.

I believe it is rather, that I doubt myself. I may doubt that I’m hearing You clearly. Because if not, then I have walked out on a limb that could easily but cut off from under me.

Or I doubt my ability to carry through and finish what I start in Your name, bringing embarrassment to both of us. Or I fear it might hold me up to ridicule. So, bottom line, I fear what other people will think about me.

Please forgive me for the times I’ve let You down. Help me be so strong in recognizing that my identity comes from You, and in believing what You say about me, that I am not swayed by fear of what others think of me.

Help me recognize the next time You give me an opportunity. And help me be courageous enough to act “I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind.”

Oh Lord, fulfill Your purpose through me! Amen

Exodus 4:1-17; 2Timothy 1:7; Psalm 138:8 ESV

Nov 1 Your Word paints a picture

O Father, what an incredible picture You paint!

I cannot even imagine seeing what Ezekiel saw.

I don’t know if I would fall facedown like Ezekiel, cower in fear or simply stand, transfixed, unable to move by the sight of something so magnificently awesome and frightening!

I can see it in my mind’s eye, like a powerful scene from a movie!  Every time I read the description of the four living creatures I find something new, and have tried to draw what You describe to increase my understanding.   But it was Ezekiel’s vision.

Your Word says Ezekiel was so awed by what he had seen and heard, that he “sat among them [Israelite exiles] for seven days – overwhelmed.”

Thank You that Ezekiel could explain what he saw in terms I can understand.  The words “immense fire…flashing lightening…glowing metal…burning coals of fire…appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day” are very descriptive, even though I feel sure that what he saw was beyond anything he had ever seen before.

Thank You that even today, You give us visions, glimpses of Your power, Your purposes, Your comfort. When I was overwhelmed with what I believed was a hopeless situation, You gave me a vision of how You had prepared me and were with me in my circumstances.  And of how You would deliver me through the storm.

Your vision comforted me and stabilized me to make it.  It has stayed with me and reassured me over and over again.

Thank You for speaking to us through Your Word, and also personally through visions. You who have the imagination and power to create things I cannot even fathom, have leaned down from Your position of sovereignty on high, taken my face in Your hands, and shown Your lavish love and abundant provision for me.

And I am forever amazed by You and am eternally in Your debt.   My Father.   My Creator.   My Savior.  Amen

Ezekiel 1:1-28

Oct 17 Pray for others

Father, as I worship You, and speak to You in prayer, it is most often to give thanks with praise and to intercede for myself and those close to me.

But today in scripture, You urge me to pray, intercede and give thanks for all people.

What a huge task!  It broadens my focus and gives me a small sense of Your job: to care for and love every single person on the planet!  For they are each Your creation, and dear to Your heart.

As I begin, it helps me to think of categories of people.  So I pray first for all children.  Would You provide for their needs: physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Some are very well off, born to parents who love and value them and have the means to care for them.  Do not let them be misled to think they have all they need, when what they need most is You.

Other children are born into poverty, neglect, even abuse.  Father, protect them and let them feel especially close to You.  Reveal Yourself to them to encourage, empower and save them.   Teach them all to hear and understand Your voice and obey it, whatever their circumstances.   Bring a godly advocate into their lives who will stand up and speak for these without a voice.

Father, give every mother a heart for her child.  Guide them to love and care for their children; to protect them and pray for them; and teach them about You.  Give them the courage to correct them in love.

Lord, I lift up every man who is a father.  Help them to see the position of accountability they are in in regards to their family.  Show them how to provide for and love their children with a father’s love.  Do not let them harm or exasperate their children.  Impress upon them to set a godly example.

For men and women everywhere, whether married or single, Lord, bring them to a saving knowledge of who You are.  Cause them to hunger and thirst for the truth, whatever their current state or religion.  Place godly counselors and mentors in each life, who can lead them to You and encourage them in becoming believers.

Help them stand strong in the face of temptation, fear and doubt; recognizing the lies and deceit of the evil one, and turning from it.  Give them discernment and guidance for decisions they face.

Father, protect married couples in the face of the temptations of infidelity and other things that would seek to separate them: money problems, anger, greed, selfishness, violence.

Forces in this world seek to destroy marriage and undermine the system of family that You set up.   Father, overturn those forces.  Likewise, protect singles from the temptations of lust, loneliness, and the desires that would turn them to idolatry.  Show them how to live with godly values.

Father, for those leaders of anything, and people in positions of authority over families, communities, churches, businesses, nations; bring them to a saving knowledge of You.  Give them clarity in hearing Your voice in their personal and professional lives.  Give them the courage to follow wherever You would lead them.

Show them that with their position of authority comes responsibility and accountability.  If they are persecuting believers, stop them.  Open their eyes and change their hearts to know and follow You.  Place godly role models, mentors, counselors and accountability figures in their lives.  Give them godly wisdom to overcome obstacles, difficulties and problems to bring unity and peace to their respective arenas of authority.

Lord, as I pray, I picture elected Washington officials, African children, Muslim women.  All need Your touch on their lives.  Every one is someone special to You.  Every one is someone You died to save.

Let each one of them know how very much You love them.  And that You have a good plan and purpose for their lives.  Amen

I Timothy 2:1-6

Oct 2 Direct me

Father, Paul had much to be proud of: his lineage, his heritage, his education, his religiousness.  But he considered it all worthless compared to knowing You.  Lord, I agree.  There is nothing I have become or attained that can compare to my relationship with You and the salvation and blessings You have given me.  So I desire to live the life You died to give me.

All that is behind me, all that has come before, Father, I let go of, so that I may fully embrace whatever it is You have for me now.

Paul put it this way: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I too, move my focus from earthly things, to heavenly priorities, where my real home is.  I believe You can give me the wisdom to make decisions with an understanding of Your purpose for my life.  I believe You will fill me with the courage I need to act.  And I believe it is by Your power that all You purpose for me will be accomplished.

Open my eyes to all I must let go of.  Show me where attitudes and priorities must change.  Help me see the direction I should go.  I will remember Your faithfulness to me.  I will recall Your power.  And I will trust in Your purpose and Your love for me.  Amen

Philippians 3:4-14

Sept 12 A Tool for God’s Purpose

Father, when You sent Your judgment against Israel, You used the political and military powers of the day. Not knowing You, they believed it was by their own strength and power that they conquered. But it is clear that they were merely a tool in Your hand.

 

The power is not in the tool, but in the one who wields it.

Father, I pray I would be a tool in Your hand for godly purposes. Use me to accomplish Your will.

As Your tool send me where Your would to achieve Your plan. And never let me forget that Yours is the strength and the wisdom by which anything is accomplished.

Father, some are called to far away places to be tools for You in spreading Your Word and Your love. And surely there are obstacles for them to overcome and challenges to conquer. But sometimes I feel the hardest place to be Your representative is here at home, with the people I love.

I know You have a wonderful plan and purpose for their lives too. So until you call me away somewhere else, help me realize the potential here. And be willing to be a tool in Your hands in the lives of those people You have brought closest to me.

Help me live every day showing Your grace and mercy and compassion to them. When asked, help me give wise and godly advice, not just my own preferences. Let my words be instructive and gentle, and line up with Your truth, spoken in love for the benefit of the hearer.

Help me hold my tongue when I need to, when the words would not be godly wisdom, but come from some other motivation. Help me spread peace in their lives when it would be so much easier to spread my own brand of how things should be. Help me let go of my own expectations of them, freeing them up to know the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes.

Help me be patient with Your timeline for my loved ones development and maturity. Let my prayers be consistent for them to be empowered and guided by the influence of Your Word, and what You speak to them through the godly mentors and circumstances You allow into their lives.

Let me draw strength from You. Let me be guided by You. And let me rest in Your strong and skillful hands. Amen

Isaiah 10:1-19

 

July 24: 4 Gifts: Prayer, Plans, Presence, Power

Father, there are so many comforts in this passage of Romans today. You are gracious to me in so many wonderful ways.

What a gift prayer is!

 

What an immeasurably awesome gift to be able to speak to and hear from the Creator of the Universe! Sometimes I am so filled with joy and thanks and praise, I hardly know how to express the overflow of my heart.   But Your Holy Spirit communicates for me what I do not know how to say.

Other times I am so filled with grief and sorrow I cannot even mouth the words for my crying and tears. And again, Your Holy Spirit knows my heart and conveys my requests for help to You.   Thank You for knowing me so well and providing for this meaningful non-verbal interaction.

Beyond prayer and communicating with You, I can know without a doubt, that You have my very best interest in mind and in Your plans for me. Because I love You and am Yours, I seek to know and do what You have purposed for my life. When I am in Your will, regardless of how things look to me from my limited perspective, I can trust that You have the power and the ability and the desire to work all things together for my good.

Father, help me know Your will so I can remain in it. Being obedient is how I can show I love You. There is nothing too difficult for You. And nothing limits You.

You have told me that nothing can separate me from Your love. No person, no trouble, no hardship, no persecution, no danger or sword, no famine or nakedness. “In all these things, I am more than a conqueror through You!” For “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from Your love!”

With all the experiences and emotions that I have, how comforting to know that there is no power above or below, anywhere that will keep You away from me. You can span any distance, overcome any obstacle, move any object, overpower any influence. Your love is not dependent on me or on anything I do. I cannot mess up so badly that it would keep You away. You will always love me. It is Your character and Your promise.

Thank You for these words of comfort, for these promises I can count on. Thank You for being You. Amen

Romans 8:26-39

July 20 Direct my path

Father, like Solomon who built a Temple to house Your glorious Name, I long to build something of substance with my life that will bring You recognition and glory. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive edifice sparkling with gold and jewels.   But it is the desire of my heart, that when I leave this earth, others who come behind me will see my faithfulness and be pointed to You.

Paul left a different kind of testament to You with the letters he wrote. His explanations, though sometimes long and arduous, explain the basis of much of my faith. He explains that before You came and died on the cross, I was a slave to sin. But because I put my faith in You, and am united with You, crucified on the cross with You; I died to sin. I am no longer its slave, because death frees one from the bondage they lived in.

So I am raised from the dead with You, a free believer – no longer a slave to sin! You set me free with Your death and resurrection! Since my life is with You, and I live it freely; if I sin, it is because I choose to, since I am no longer a slave to it. Lord, help me choose daily, to walk away from sin.

Show me how to walk with You in righteousness; how to live my life as a testimony to You.  Empower me to face the choices I have to make every day. Don’t let me just pick what is the easiest, or safest, or most popular.   Let me look at my options from Your perspective. Let me make decisions based on the long, eternal view, not just for the immediate benefit.

I trust You. “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.”   Amen

2 Chronicles 3:1-17; Romans 6:1-23; Psalm 16:1-11

June 20 Every Word Counts!

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;”

Father, this verse has been so encouraging to me. Many times it has spoken to me of Your divine purpose, of Your sovereignty to act, or Your personal interest and caring love for me.

Funny how when I say a sentence, the meaning changes a little depending on which word I stress. So in learning more about this verse, to better hear what You are saying to me, I focus on one word at a time. Emphasizing each word, one at a time, meaning is added.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. The One. The Only. Not just any lord, but You: The Lord. The One who created the universe! Who made every animal, every plant, placed every star, and breathed life into man.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is Your work to do it and Your power that will bring it about. While I need to be obedient and do my part, I don’t need to run around and worry about how it will all get done. You have prepared. You know the details. And it is by Your hand that all will be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – meaning that it is a certainty! It is to be accomplished.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not just do the minimum to get by, but achieve fully! All the requirements, all the necessities, will be taken care of completely.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. You have a plan. It is not required that I dream up something to do for You, but work with You in Your plan, not my own.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. I am not in this world by accident, or just to get by from one day to the next. There is a reason I am here. You already know the skills, talents, and gifts You have placed in me, and have carefully thought out and prepared something to motivate me with an end in mind.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. It is on behalf of and will benefit me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – not my brother or sister or my friend; but the unique individual You created to be me.

Each time I restate it, the power of its truth grows. I need to know scripture. I need to understand what it means, and know how it applies to my life personally. Thank You for this one way of helping me get more understanding from scripture.

Psalm 138:8a  English Standard Version 

Mar 23 A blessed life

“Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me.”

He has brought me into life in a time and place of His choosing; to a family of His providence. He has watched over me and protected me from serious illness and injury, trouble and violence, time and again. There were times when I cried out to Him for deliverance from circumstances, and He delivered me, or gave me what I needed to endure. There were times when He rescued me from things that I was not even aware I needed rescuing from.

He allowed me an understanding of spiritual matters, so that I began to see how sinful I was, and in need of a Savior. And that He, Jesus Christ, in love, shed His blood to pay the price, the penalty my sin had earned. He showed me, taught me, that this is the only way to reconcile my sinful self with God, who is holy.

He has tested me and refined me like silver. And although the process is not complete yet, each step in the process brings me closer to being Christ-like. The best silver is put into the fire seven times and brought up to a temperature of heat that burns away the impurities, creating a purer, more valuable quality.   And though the process of purification is not comfortable, and is often painful, it yields a harvest of blessing.

He has blessed me with loved ones, with friends, with a sense of purpose in life. He has provided me with hope, love, and a heavenly Father I can trust. He has comforted me with scriptures, by singing me songs; with revelations of His perspective, by sending people to talk with me, counsel me, rejoice and cry with me.

He has given me the hope of an eternal existence with Him in the future, with promises that He will never, ever, no, not ever, leave me. He has forgiven my sin. He has promised that nothing will overtake me, but that He will always make a way for me to bear up under whatever He allows into my life.

How awesome are His deeds! How great is His power! Praise be to God!

Father, let me never forget these things or all that You have done for me. Let me never shy away from an opportunity to tell others about them and about You.   Amen

Psalm 66:1-20

Mar 9 the Olive Tree

O Father, thank You for teaching me about the significance of an olive tree. As I studied in the Garden of Gethsemane, I learned of the value of all that the olive tree stands for and produces.

So I pray the verses with this thought: “As for me, I am like an olive tree flourishing in the House of God”

As for me, Lord, may I be like a green olive tree flourishing in Your House:

May I be alive, vibrant, and growing

May I produce abundant fruit in season,

May I have long thick roots that penetrate deep into spiritual soil.

May I grow protected from harm and harshness because I abide in Your House O Lord. Thank You that as my gardener, You tend to me personally to be sure I have everything I need to grow healthy and strong.

May I grow in community, surrounded by others, our roots and trunks intertwining like olive trees grow, without comparing myself to them, but shading them, and drawing needed shade from them. May I draw on the strength of being in community with the others You have placed around me so that I can persevere and remain strong even when the winds come, leaning on others and providing stability for them in return.

May I stand in the midst of others for years and years and years to come, even as the two olive trees that have remained in the Garden of Gethsemane are still living after two thousand and four hundred years, and are the same ones You knelt by on that fateful night You prayed before Your arrest and Crucifixion.

Let me be like the olive tree that is both beautiful to look at and amazing in purpose.

May others see me and see Your care, and be drawn to You through me.

As the olive tree produces food to eat, and oil for lamps, soaps for cleansing, and ointments for anointing and healing; let me be nourishment and light and cleansing and blessing and healing to those around me.

I will trust in Your loving-kindness and unfailing love for ever and ever –

Even when I am confused

Even when I can’t see Your will at work

Even when I don’t feel Your presence

Even when the world denies it

Even through tears and pain and sorrow

I will thank You for all You have done

I will hope in Your Name, for it is good

I will praise You – forever. Amen

Psalm 52:8-9

Dec 23 You are my Carpenter

David says, “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way”. I echo those words Lord. I know that You can see me and can tell how I am dealing with all I am going through.

I know this, because in the past, You have been there with a word of encouragement, a call from a friend, a letter from someone, a song, a verse – exactly what I have needed, exactly when I have needed it.

You know me so well. You created me. You knew beforehand the purpose of my life, the places I would go, the perils I would face. Like a carpenter chooses the type of wood to match the force of the stresses that will be brought against the boat he is making, You, my good and wise Carpenter, lovingly chose how I would be made. You carefully and masterfully fashioned me to create exactly what You envisioned I would need to meet the storms You knew I would have to face in my life.

I don’t know my own strength, but You do. You built strength into me that will only be demonstrated by the storms I weather. So, with confidence and faith, I will enter the darkness, the high winds, the deep swells, the powerful surges, the rain, thunder and lightening. I will let them crash around me, and wash over me, and I will see my deliverance on the other side. Where the waters are calm.  And the winds are favorable.  And the sky is blue. And my Carpenter, who is my Creator, my Heavenly Father, my Savior, my Lord, stands smiling. Amen

Psalm 142:1-7