Prayers For You

     This blog will be back on February 1^st! In the meantime, I will be praying for you. I love picturing your faces as you read God’s Word, as He draws something off of the page meant just for you, as He brings to mind someone in your own life that needs prayer, as He leads you into new promises and a deeper faith.

     Over these days, take time to pray, to bow in worship, to read the living Word. Our spirits are hungry for His truth. Take these Words from holy scripture as our prayer.

Guide me in your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Psalm 25:5

Grace, mercy and peace from God the father, and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 2 John 1:3

But, as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord. I wait for God, my Savior, my God will hear me. Micah 7:7

     God is full of grace, mercy and peace. He hears you as you call out to Him. Wait in hope for His answers and love one another.

Father,

I pray for everyone reading these words. Watch over them. Bless them. Guide them in Your mighty ways. We love You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

See you February 1st.

The Splendor In Aging

     Jesus honors life. He knows the baby in the womb. He comforts the aging. He sees beauty within. He honors us as we honor our parents. The elderly have a special place in God’s heart.

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16:31

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He. I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4

    Honor your parents. Honor the elderly. They are appreciated and carried by our God. He will sustain them and bring them home.

Lord,

Our culture turns away from the aging and the weak. Show us how to honor them, protect them and take care of them.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Life and Death

     Looking back through the years, it seems we experience death and new life close together. The daughter-in-law of our close friends died on Christmas Eve and their daughter delivered a precious baby boy this week. Such a blessing to experience this new life; a happy and joyous event, right after experiencing such tragedy.

     A reminder from our God of new beginnings, regeneration, the circle of life. We grieve as our loved ones go home to heaven and we rejoice as we welcome the new little ones around us.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

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 139:16

 Father,

We trust you with the number of our days. Give peace to our hearts as we say our earthly goodbyes and hellos. We praise you for this new birth and the joy he will bring.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Future Hope

     Hope is a beautiful word. Once hope is realized, it is no longer hope. Hope is future-oriented, a distant tug, an almost-there, a dream waiting to happen. Will there be happiness again? Will there be a way through the wilderness or through the desert? Will God answer our prayers?

     Hope. There is always hope. I pray you have hope in your heart today. If hope seems far off, you are in good company. Elijah ran from his enemies, praying to die. David fell to his knees in anguish wondering why God had left him. Moses ran off to the desert for forty years in defeat. Job lost everything, before returning to hope.

Hear these words from King David,

My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:3

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. Psalm 42:7

     As David turns his attention to his God, his misery turns into hope.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so troubled within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 43:5

     I pray there is hope within your heart today. Turn to God and allow Him to bring hope.

Father,

Life can be overwhelmingly hard and sad. You have given us tears and deep emotions to help us through. Give us a bit of hope no matter where we are today. Give us strength within from Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Gift of Life

     The eyes of the Lord cannot look on sin. (Habukkuk 1:13) The only possible way for God to see us, to be in relationship with us is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of our sinful natures, there is no way for God to reach us or for us to reach God. He is pure. He is holy. He is righteous. He in truth. He is light.

     Jesus, fully man and fully God, lived the sinless life that is impossible for each one of us. Imagine God stepping down from heaven and living and dying for us. Not only did He suffer a painful death, He carried each of our sins, all of our diseases, all of the violence, all of it, on Himself. The agony on that cross is beyond anything any of us will suffer in our lifetimes.

     What does He ask of us in return for His great sacrifice? To believe He did it. It is a free gift. Why will so many turn away? Why do we try so hard not to believe? Satan’s schemes and deceptions are alive and well and will increase until Christ’s return. Stay faithful. Stay watchful. Stay in relationship with Jesus. God sees us through the lens if Christ. His righteousness became ours and God ssees us as blameless!  Hallelujah. Praise His holy name.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

Father,

How can we thank You for sending Jesus in our place? His death and resurrection give us eternal life, with Your grace and through our faith. It is so simple. Yet many do not understand. Help us, as Your sons and daughters, to spread the good news of this free gift of life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Where Is Hope?

     If you can’t find hope, seek it.

“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

     If you can’t hear God’s voice, stop and listen.

He says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a

     If you can’t find peace, pray.

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. Philippians 4:6-7

     If you are weary, cast your cares on Jesus.

“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

     If you are feeling weak, count on His strength.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

     If you are in mourning, Christ will bring you comfort.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5b

     Seek, be still, pray, come to Him, count on His strength, allow Him to comfort you. He brings hope.

Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. We trust You to see us through, to begin again, to find strength and joy and peace. We pray for everyone to come to know You in a real way. Sometimes the light shines most brightly during the darkest of days.

Amen

Where Is Hope?

     Hope offers us a future. Throughout the toughest times of life, even when hope seems far-off, never-to-be-found, it surprises us. As we force ourselves to put one foot in front of the other, to plunge into ordinary details, to work, to meet with friends, to talk it out, to grieve deeply, as we smile once more, we begin to hope.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Psalm 62:5

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His Word, I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

     Hope wins out, as we strain forward, as we wait, as we rest in our God. Patience in the work of grief turns to hope. Hope comes, through the madness, through the dark, as we wait. God is with us, always. God hears our grief, bears our burdens and understands our pain. God holds us and directs our path. Listen for His voice.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way. Walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Father,

Open our ears to hear your voice, telling us which way to turn. We wait for You. We long for hope. And You answer.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Where Is Hope?

     Job was a God-fearing man. A true man of faith and his story is the most tragic in all of the Bible accounts. Job lost his belongings, his children and his health virtually overnight. His friends brought with them no answers and little comfort. They doubted his faith as if the tragic events of his life could be laid at his very own feet.

     Job, however, did not lose heart.  At first, his devastation and heartache were so deep, helonged to die. Just get it over with, Lord. Maybe you have had a similar deep grief. But the spirit of Job’s faith and hope came alive. He found within him, even in his darkest moments, the light of hope.

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end, He will stand on the earth”. Job 19:25

     Hope in the midst of great darkness. Light at the end of the tunnel. Jesus, our Redeemer, alive and on the throne, and coming again. Yes, He will stand on the earth. All of His promises will come to pass.

Jesus,

You live. You rose again. Even at death, there is no end because of You. Through the circumstances of life, we have hope. Our Redeemer lives!

Amen

Hope In The Dark

     The light of life. The light of the world. The bright morning star. Jesus brings hope. Through the darkest night, we see a glimmer of hope shining in the distance. The light increases with hope. There is a rain-drenched spring in full bloom after the stark cold and barren silence of winter. As a seed is planted and dies, new life springs up with the warmth of the sun.

Why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 43:5

     Hope may seem far away. And yet, we can praise God. The light will appear, just as the morning star rises from the darkness of the night.

Lord,

We ask for a glimmer of hope for those in darkness today. Guide them to praise You, to wait for You, to hope in You, forevermore.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Where Is Hope?

     The daughter-in-law of a friend of ours died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve. The heartbreak of it all is overwhelming and impossible to understand. This devastation leaves us with unanswered questions.

     Our friend asked, “Where is God?”  The surface look at our world leaves us speechless. How can a loving God allow all of this madness, terror, loss and violence?  We, as believers, certainly do not have all of the answers to the unanswerable.

     But, we do trust the Almighty above it all. Free choice led to the fall of mankind. The fallen world not only leaves us in a place of darkness without God, but the very earth has fallen along with us and awaits the return to a perfect heaven and earth. The choice is ours. Darkness or light (John 3:19) Cursing or blessing. Life or death. (Deuteronomy 30)

     Jesus brings light and hope and peace and joy in the midst of darkness. He redeems. He transforms. He lifts us out of the chaos and the unanswerable and gives us Himself. I pray for His comfort for this family and for all of those in deep hurt and grief in this new year. My prayer is for Jesus to be made known. Our loving Lord, our Savior.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Father,

Shine Your light on the darkness around us. Shine Your love, through Your Son, on our friends. Please comfort and save them from this grief. We leave the answers to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Heart and Soul

     Following God’s wisdom and filling our hearts and souls with Him will show in the way we live our lives. How amazing is that! God is in the business of transformation. As we deepen our knowledge and understanding of Him, we begin to reflect Jesus.

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19

     May our lives be filled with God, believing Him, following Him, walking in His wisdom. Our hearts and souls are waiting to be filled with His love and faithfulness, until our very lives reflect Jesus, our Lord.

Lord,

This year make it our priority to study, to learn, and to put into practice the Words of life You offer. Give us wisdom and let our hearts and souls be changed to reflect Your Son.

Amen

Heart and Soul

     Part of Godly wisdom is learning to rely on Him through any circumstance in life. Not always easy. When tragedy strikes, when illness attacks, when death knocks on our door, we can easily lose heart and wonder; “Where is God?” As we age and look back over our lives, we recognize His all-knowing and ever-present love and faithfulness.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3

     Let that be a part of our prayers this year. Let love and faithfulness NEVER leave us, not ever, no matter what.

God,

We long to trust You through it all, until we meet You in eternity. Bind Your love and faithfulness around our necks and write them on our hearts in permanent marker.

Amen

Heart and Soul

     God gives us His wisdom and understanding and knowledge through the Word and the guiding of the Holy Spirit. Bending our knees and bowing our heads in obedience to Him brings us deep and abiding joy. This week we are looking at the heart and soul. The external fades in significance to our Lord.

     The Bible makes it clear that our bodies are the temporary tent for our soul and spirit. If only we would spend as much time focusing our attention on what God finds valuable. King Solomon knew this as he taught his son through his proverbial wisdom.

For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Proverbs 2:10

     I pray you find this proverb to be true in your own life  God’s wisdom and knowledge become pleasant to our heart and soul.

Lord,

We thank You for leading us to deep truths. Your wisdom is beyond the external, beyond this world. It comes directly from heaven. Give us a hunger and thirst for more and more of You this year.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Heart and Soul

     God weighs the heart. All we do and say comes from the condition of our heart. It begins with a heart for God and, through Him, our lives will be lived out with love. Listen to this Proverb:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

     Above all else? The condition of our heart is vital for a healthy life, both physically and emotionally. Guard your heart with God’s Word. Let it fill you with all good things, until all we do flows from its bounty.

     Jesus calls Himself the bread of life and He reminds us that when we have Him we will never hunger and thirst again. Go deep this year and drink and eat! Your heart and soul will be richly filled with food for the heart.

“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14

Father,

Teach us to guard our hearts, to keep them safe from what is not from You. Give us the bread of life and the living water You promise to those who believe. Fill our hearts and souls to overflowing, giving us a life of peace, joy and hope to share with others.

In Jesus name,

Amen