The Lamb

     We remember the steps of Jesus on this Holy Week. The seven Jewish festivals include the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. As Jesus took His final meal with His disciples, we look back and remember Jesus is the final Passover lamb, the unblemished lamb sacrificed for our sins. The blood of the lamb placed over the doorposts of the Israelites thousands of years ago saved their children from death. And the blood of Jesus saves us from death.

     The Jewish spring feasts were fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming and the fall feasts will be fulfilled in His second coming. The Bible is filled with wonder and miracles and details that can only come from God. This week and every time you take communion, remember the blood and body of Jesus given for you.

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and His apostles reclined at the table. And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper He took the cup saying,”This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”  Luke 22:13-20

Jesus,                                                                                                

Your body was broken and Your blood poured out as the final Passover lamb saved us for eternity. We remember Your complete sacrifice every time we drink the wine and share the bread.

Amen

Standing With Jesus

     Jesus tried to explain to His disciples what would take place as they made their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. In fact, He spelled it out clearly.

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death.” Matthew 20:18

“As you know, the Passover is two days away-and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”  Matthew 26:2

     The disciples must not have heard. They did not understand. Maybe the celebration of Jesus riding the donkey into Jerusalem and taking in the words of the “Hosannas” breaking forth, kept them from facing the reality of the cross. They fled from the scene and they hid themselves in fear. All but one; John.

     Will you desert Him when things get tough? Will you forget the truth of who Jesus is when you are faced with suffering and loss? Or will you stand up for Your Savior, fixing your eyes on Him, just as He fixed His eyes on the cross for you? He knew the cost. He paid the price. He did it for you.

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”  Mark 8:38

Jesus,

We want our lives to honor You, wherever we go, whatever suffering we face. You overcame the most intense and unimaginable pain and suffering the world has ever seen for us. Keep our hearts pure and steadfast and help us never, ever to be ashamed of naming You as Lord and Savior.

Amen

Look For Him

     How would our lives change if we viewed the world through spiritual eyes? How would we view our days if we have an eternal perspective and an ability to focus our gaze above us rather than around us?

     What if we truly could praise God even through our times of suffering and fear? Looking at Jesus with trust and love and listening for His voice in the midst of our days, allows Him to work. And as we look to Him, remember to watch for Him, too. He could come to bring us all home at any time. Death is not to be feared. We will live forever. Change your focus. Look up!

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:2

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:18

     Jesus does not want us to fear when we see the turmoil and terror around us. The Bible prophesied everything we see around us. Jesus talks about it in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21. What does He tell us to do as believers?

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.  Luke 21:28

Jesus,

Teach us to use our spiritual eyes, to set our minds on things above, to see the eternal rather than the temporal and to continually watch and wait expectantly for You. We trust You with it all.

Amen

Listen to Him

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

     Jesus often spoke in parables and in the parable of the sheep He tells us in another way that He is the only way to heaven. There is one gate and it is Jesus. The gatekeeper (the Father) opens the gate to allow the sheep to enter.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you. I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.  John 10:7-9

     We are like lost sheep without Him. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd. If you are one of His, you know His voice. If you know His voice you will not follow the voice of the thief. (Satan)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  John 10:10-11

     What beautiful words. Not only does Jesus bring us through the gates of heaven to eternity, but He offers the abundant life on earth. He laid His life down for us. There is nothing like a life with the Good Shepherd, Jesus. He offers rest, comfort, peace, joy, and a never-ending supply of living water. His love and His Word will fulfill you in ways you never dreamed were possible.

     Take a sip. Stay awhile in His green pastures. Let Him tend to your every need. He is your Good, Great and Chief Shepherd. He will carry you when you can’t go on. He will prod you along when you need a push. He will feed you with fresh spring water that will never run dry and He will keep you safe from the dangers of evil. What more could we ask? Will you recognize His call?

When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.  John 10:4

Jesus,

Your sheep know Your voice. There is no other voice on heaven and earth like Your voice. We hear You. We follow You. We will listen for Your call.

Amen

Come Back to Him

     Have you walked away or run away or hidden away from Christ? It is easy to move away when things get tough. Or things get too busy. Or you are having too much fun to think about what is best. The prodigal son ran away from his loving father. He squandered his huge inheritance on loose living (Luke 15:13) and ended up feeding the pigs, the height of humiliation for a Jew as pigs were considered unclean. (v15)

     And the Scripture says, “He came to his senses.”  (v 17) When we belong to the Father and we run away, hide away or walk away, He is waiting for us to “come to our senses.” We know deep inside where we truly belong; under the watchful care of the Good Shepherd. He will tend to us and feed us with His Word, watch over us with protection and hold us in His loving arms. Listen to the reaction of the prodigal son’s father:

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

     Are you ready to come back home? No matter how far away God seems, he is watching and waiting, filled with compassion for you. His arms are wide open.

All those the Father gives Me will come to Me and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.  John 6:37

Jesus,

Forgive us when we move away from Your love. Guide us back to You. We long to follow the path You have set before us. Take us in Your arms once again. Your compassion and mercy are new every day.

Amen

Love Him

     God commands us to love Him first and most and with all of our might and will all of strength, with all of our minds and with all of our hearts. Everything He commands is for our own good, isn’t it? How do we put that command into practice? Practice is a good place to begin. Practice giving Him thanks and praise first thing every morning.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  Mark 12:30

     Practice praying throughout the day. If a friend or loved one comes to mind, there is a good chance it is the Holy Spirit’s nudging. Pray. Remind yourself that Jesus died for you and loves you unconditionally. Since He loves us so much, it isn’t hard to love Him right back. Our souls can always be at rest, even when our minds and bodies and our emotions are out of sorts.

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. Psalm 62:1

     Practice saying, “I love you Jesus,” every night before you go to sleep. If you are too tired to pray that is a good way to end each day. He will watch over you as you sleep. Practice His presence. Remind yourself He is always there. Love Him right back.

I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.  Psalm 116:1

Father,

Let Your Spirit nudge us throughout the day. We love You, our triune God. We love Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Remind us to practice praying, listening and recognizing Your blessings throughout the day. We praise You.

In Jesus name,

amen

     Fear and worry, sadness and grief, anticipation and joy, depression and hopelessness, elation and happiness, contentment and peace, unrest and sleeplessness, love and desire, trust and loyalty, mistrust and rejection. Did any of these words hit home with you? There are times when my emotions hit the majority of these in a twenty-four hour period!

     God created us to feel desire and hope, to feel grief and sorrow. In fact, our Father in heaven, sent His Son to experience all of the above in His thirty-three years on earth. Throughout the Scriptures we see Jesus weep, (John 11:35) sweat blood in His agonizing prayer before His death on the cross, (Luke 22;44) show anger at the money-changers in the holy temple, (John 2:15) sign deeply, (Matthew 8:12) suffer intently for hours and hours taking on the sins of the world. (Hebrews 2:9)

     Remember Jesus overcame those diseases, agonies, sufferings and sins for all of us. Wherever you are emotionally, Jesus has felt it Himself and experienced it for you and me. Tell Him all about it. Let Him take the burden from you and replace it with His abiding peace and joy. Trust Him with the next step. Trust Him with your tears. Trust Him with your future. Trust Him with your life.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.  Psalm 143:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord,

We trust You with everything. Listen to my prayer and make my paths straight into Your will today. Be my refuge and strength.

In Jesus name,

Amen

He Leads You

How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand-when I awake, I am still with You. If only You, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of You with evil intent; Your adversaries misuse Your name. Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against You? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:17-24

     As we continually deepen our relationship with God, we become more aware of the evil around us and the Words spoken against our Lord. Our Spirits groan and we wait expectantly for the day evil will cease. God is in control and the Bible speaks of the last days as those in which evil will increase and God, after giving everyone a chance, gives the human race over to their sinful ways. And we look to the One with the way everlasting.

     As we wait, we ask for Him to know our thoughts, to search us and to lead us more and more in His ways.  Search our hearts, Lord!

Father,

This Psalm brings us an intimate awareness of Your presence, Your knowledge of us, and Your foreknowledge of what we will speak, who we are and the length of our lives. Guide us in the way everlasting until we see You in full.

In Jesus name,

Amen  

He Created You

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place; when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16

     Life is precious to God. He sees our lives from before the moment of conception until our last breath on earth. Isn’t it wonderful to comprehend that we are His from beginning to end? Our days were ordained for us before one of them came to be. Some of us will live 10 years, others 35, some 55 and others 95. We live in a fallen world and there is disease, death and destruction. We don’t understand, but God does.

     Jesus overcame the world and holds us fast. He will bring us to heaven, some of us too soon, according to our preconceived notions of how long each of us should live. In the scope of eternity and forever, even 90 years is but a breath. Keep that in mind. Do not worry about death. It brings new life, a beginning to forever. God looks forward to our arrival.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants. Psalm 116:15

     God will be there to welcome us home.

Jesus,

We grieve for those who have died. We miss them among us. But we will be together in the new heaven and the new earth one day with them and with You. Every life is precious to You. We ask that you move in a mighty way among our loved ones and acquaintances to make Yourself known. We want everyone to know You and accept Your gift of salvation. You do not want to lose even one.

Amen

He Surrounds You

You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens,You are there. If I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light becomes night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark for You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You. Psalm 139:5-12

    Add to God’s intimate knowledge of us, His ability to surround us inside and out with His presence. He is behind and before, within and without. He protects us on all sides with His love and power. He never leaves us even when we do not recognize His presence. As this beautiful Psalm says, Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

     God’s hand is upon you, guiding you.

So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Lord,

You are here, there and everywhere. Let Your abiding presence be felt around us today. Take away our fear. You are our God and You will be with us wherever we go.

In Jesus name,

Amen

He Knows You

You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise/ You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely. Psalm 139:1-4

     Allow these truths to give you freedom. God knows you. He understands your personality traits, your fears, your circumstances and your anxiety about the future. He sees your heart. He knows what you will say even before you say it!  I love the words, “You are familiar with all my ways.”

     If there is anything deep inside that needs to be healed, let it out to Him. He knows all about it. He forgives. He comforts and He heals. Feel His presence today. These next two verses will remind you of His might and magnificence.

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 21:7

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.  Psalm 147:4

     God is mindful of His creation. He knows when one sparrow dies. He counts and names the stars and He knows how many hairs are on your head. Do not be afraid. He watches over you night and day.

Jesus,

These thoughts are hard to comprehend. You know us completely. You are familiar with each one of us. You take joy in us as we seek You. Thank you for knowing us so completely and intimately.

Amen

Psalm 139

     Psalm 139 is an intimate picture of God’s foreknowledge, His omnipresence, His omnipotence and omniscience. Today read through this beautiful Psalm and in the days to come we will look a bit closer at each section. Feel God’s presence around you as you read through it today.

 

You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise/ You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there. If I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me.” Even the darkness will not be dark for You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You. For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place; when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand-when I awake, I am still with You. If only You, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of You with evil intent; Your adversaries misuse Your name. Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

Father,

As we consider Your ways, they are too much for us to attain. And yet You love us. You know us. You are everywhere and everything is Yours. We feel Your presence and Your love for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Holy Spirit Prays

     Jesus bridged the gap between us and our righteous and Holy God. Jesus died in our place. He loves us so much, He willingly took on our sin at the cross and, when we accept His offering of new life, God now sees us only through the lens of Christ. When He see us, He sees His pure, unblemished Son.

     And, if that gift were not enough to guarantee our eternity in heaven, Jesus sent us His Holy Spirit. He seals us, equips us, gives us His power and intercedes for us. Yesterday we read the words of Jesus as He prayed for us to be one with Him so others may believe.

     Isn’t it amazing that the One to whom we pray, prays for us? And not only that, but the Holy Spirit feels our pain and intercedies for us. Listen to this:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

     When you don’t know how to pray, when you don’t know what to ask, when you have too many questions and not enough answers, sit with God and allow the Holy Spirit to work. Feel His presence within you and ask for strength, comfort and for the Spirit to take your pain to the Father. He knows and understands and is above all we ask or hope for and one day, we will understand it all.

Father,

You, the Son and the Holy Spirit work as One God now and forever. We seek Your wisdom today and thank you for the Holy Spirit. He understands us in such a deep and abiding way. Give us Your peace and rest.

In Jesus name

amen

Jesus Prays

     I love reading rhrough the book of John. The 17^th chapter invites us into the prayer life of Jesus while He was still on earth. These prayers are spoken shortly before His death. He prays for His disciples:

I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. John 17:14-17 (see also verses 6-13 and 18-19

     Jesus goes on to include all of us:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as we are one-I in them and You in Me-so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. John 17:20-23

     Such precious and profound words. Jesus prayed that the world would know that God sent Him because Jesus lives in us. I pray that is true for all believers. In the verses that follow, Jesus speaks of wanting everyone to be with Him and see His full glory. That prayer will come true one day soon. Jesus prays for us. He is the go-between for us and the Father. He came so that we could live.

Jesus,

Your Words are beautiful. As we pray to You today, we know you bring our Words to the Father. It is only because of You that we can come boldly to the throne room of heaven. We are blessed by Your Words.

Amen

Our Prayer

     The pattern of the Lord’s prayer can be an outline for our prayers each day. If we begin and end our prayers with our focus on God and His majesty, it helps to put our problems, our worries, our conflicts into perspective. He understands and is working ahead of our prayers. He is our Father in heaven with the power and the glory.

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory in the heavens.  Psalm 8:1

If we ask Him to show us His will, He will direct our steps and He will use us even in the midst of suffering.

Teach me to do Your will for You are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10

 Praise Him, seek His will, give Him all of your needs for the day. When we do, He will give us His peace.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7

Ask God to bring to mind those you need to forgive. And ask God to forgive you for anything you have done or said.

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14

     And ask for God’s protection from the evil around us, keeping us safe in His arms.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  Psalm 91:1-2

Our Father in heaven listens, guides, answers, forgives and protects. Let’s always end in praising Him for it all.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19

I will praise You, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever.  Psalm 86:12

Father,

Thank You for the gift of prayer. Our praises rise up to You today as You answer us with Your love. We thank You for Your Spirit and Your Son, Jesus. In His name we pray.

Amen

The Power and the Glory

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

     The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples begins with praising God and ends with praising God. Reminding ourselves of eternity and of God’s power and glory keeps things in perspective doesn’t it? When everything appears to be out of control, remember your eternal home. Even ninety or one hundred years here is just a whisp of wind compared with forever.

     And our forever will be so much more than anything we can hope for or imagine. Here are two more verses to add to our praise today.

However, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” – the things God has prepared for those who love him.  1 Corinthians 2:9

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generation, forever and ever. Amen  Ephesians 3:20-21

     To Him be glory. Our lives should bring glory to the One who called us.  Sing praises to Him today. For to Him is all the power and the glory. And no human mind or heart can imagine the forever prepared for us.

Amen        

Deliver Us From Evil

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.     

     This part of the Lord’s prayer should be a continual prayer for the believer today. Temptation and evil are swirling around us wherever we go, in ever-increasing ways. The truth of the Bible is scorned and looked down upon and Satan has been given a longer leash in these end times. (Just as the Bible promised.)

     The grace of God will protect us and guide us as we rely on the Savior to keep us safe from the evil one. Read through the second half of Ephesians 6 and put on the full armor of God; truth, peace, salvation, righteousness and faith and take out the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of god.

     Jesus overcame evil on the cross and we know the joyful end of the story. For the rest of our lives, if we want to follow Jesus, we can continually look to His Word for truth, rely on Him to get us through, and to remain faith-filled as we believe in His righteous power to keep us from the trials and temptations of the devil.

Jesus,

You overcame our fallen world on the cross. Keep us from the temptations around us. Deliver us from evil. Open our hearts to pray to You each and every day for ourselves and for our families and friends.

Amen

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Forgiveness

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

     Forgiveness is healing. Forgiveness begins with Jesus. Forgiveness is often impossibly difficult. As believers, Jesus has forgiven our sins, past, present and future. We have freedom because of His grace that gave us everything. And we didn’t deserve it. Forgiving others gives us freedom, too. Holding onto anger and hurt and grief can destroy us from the inside out. It gives the unforgiven person power over us. We may not forget, but we need to forgive.

     Understanding the type of forgiveness Christ gives, helps us to give it unconditionally to others. That doesn’t mean we forget past hurts, but we release their power over us. We forgive those who trespass against us, as Christ first forgave us.

Jesus,

Teach us how to forgive. We pray for that ability today. We release our hurt and despair and anger to You. You took it all on the cross. We forgive others because You forgive us.

Amen

Daily Bread

Give us this day our daily bread.

     In everything, each day, we need to rely on God. Giving us our daily bread extends beyond the food we need for our bodies. It includes the spiritual food we need to get us through the day. We need His daily bread in our relationships, in our work places, to alleviate our worry, to lift our spirits, to build our trust. Step by step, we need God’s daily bread.

     Yesterday we prayed for His kingdom to come and His will to be done. Praying for His kingdom before asking Him to meet our daily needs in life fits into the pattern of another familiar Scripture where Jesus says:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

     We can petition God for our needs and our desires, but as we praise Him first and seek His desires first, we can trust Him day-by-day, step-by-step to give us just what we need. Trust Him for your daily bread.

Lord,

Help us to trust in You. Help us to go to You first every single day, praising You for who You are and seeking Your kingdom and Your will. You will bless us with what we need every minute of every day. With Jesus nothing is impossible.

Amen

The Kingdom

     Thy (Your) kingdom come, Thy (Your) will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For, indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21

     The kingdom for Israel will begin with an earthly reign of Christ. This is one of the reasons they did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah on earth. One day we will live in the new heaven and the new earth in peace and joy eternally. For now, the kingdom of God lives within us. We can ask for God’s will to be done on earth through us!

     Let’s trust Him to use us to do just that; bring His peace and joy to others!

Jesus,

We await the day Your kingdom comes to earth under Your righteous reign. For now, You have given us the keys to the kingdom through Your Holy Spirit. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done through us.

Amen

Our Father

     Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.     

     What a beautiful way to start our day, by praising God. He is our Father, our loving Father or “Abba” (See Romans 8) translated to daddy. Beginning our prayers each morning with time to praise our Father takes the focus off of ourselves onto the One who created us and everything around us. His ways are always higher than our ways and His thoughts are always higher than our thoughts (see Isaiah 55)

     Remember, we are in this together. He is not just my Father or your Father, but OUR father. The believers in Christ are joined as brothers and sisters in His family, living here on earth and forever in heaven.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

Hallowed be His holy name. Praise Him. He is our Father.

Dear Father in heaven,

We do praise You, most of all for sending Your Son, Jesus to live on earth and take the punishment for our sins. We can’t thank and praise You enough for Your love. We focus on praising You right now.

Amen

Our Father

     I attended a funeral several years ago. There were hundreds of people and many teenagers and young adults. The pastor leading the service began the Lord’s prayer. After the service, he asked me if I had noticed that most of the people in attendance were not familiar with the prayer.

     It seems impossible to imagine. When I was growing up almost everyone in our neighborhood attended church. We prayed the Lord’s prayer every single Sunday together. I have visited in many nursing homes over the last twenty years and one of the common threads, even with the dementia and Alzheimer’s patients is their ability to remember songs and recite the Lord’s prayer. What a comfort! Let’s look at this prayer this week.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen  (see Matthew 6 and Luke 11)

     This familiar and corporate prayer was taught by Jesus to His disciples. Pray it this morning. He hears us and meets our every need.

Amen