12/16/24 Prayer

The Joy of The Lord, we have it because Jesus is in us! Your Joy includes so much hope, promise, peace and good things, so much more than we can fully understand.

When we think of joy, we think of delights—things that make our heart sing or “skip a beat.” It’s different than happy, though there’s an element of happiness. It’s something more, something that completes us, something that deeply satisfies our souls.

Where does that delight come from … it starts in The Lord. Your Word tells us that when we trust in You, You delight in us. Your delight then sparks our joy, joy we can experience not only in good times but also in bad or challenging. Your Joy is sustaining, it rescues us when we are in need, it returns us to a place of peace, it brings contentment AND it brings good things. Sometimes those good things are not immediate, but we’ll experience them “down the road.” But, they’re there—should we look for and expect them.

Holy Spirit, please give us wisdom to know and experience Your Joy. Move us to look to You first for joy. Then it will fill our hearts and minds, so much so that it will spill out into the lives of those around us. Your Joy is inexhaustible. We are desperate to experience it.

You tell us “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Let Your Joy fill us and reflect out of us.

In the Joyous Name of Jesus we pray. Amen

12/9/24 Prayer

Lord, our true home is with You. That is where we find peace. You came as a man to be with us, to bring us peace. Then when You left to go to heaven, You sent The Holy Spirit, who lives in us so that we can remain in peace.

Your Word tells us “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

We don’t necessarily interpret peace as it truly is, and what brings perfect peace. We look for it in being free of problems, having all the material things we need (eh, want), in quiet times, in relaxing.

That’s not necessarily what You intended. You explain “I do not give to you as the world gives.” You tell us—we will have peace “in You.” 

Jesus reconciled us to You so that once again we can live in peace with You. The chasm between us is mended. And The Holy Spirit ensures it, allowing us to be in Your Presence at any time and in any place.

But You didn’t stop there. You want us to experience peace in our daily lives. But to attain it, we must first experience it with You. The more time we spend with You, the more it carries over and soaks the other parts of our lives. It brings peace in circumstances that ordinarily unravel us. It frees our mind from worry as we trust You and Your plan. It moves us to restore relationships that are broken or need attention. It opens our hearts to help the poor, needy and struggling. It fills our hearts with gratitude and contentment. That is true peace. 

We humbly pray, “Peace be with us.”

In the Peace Making and Giving Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

12/2/24 Prayer

Be still and experience “My Hope.” 

That is what You want us to do Almighty Lord. 

We get caught up in the worldly ways of doing things, buying, decorating, busying ourselves with making the holiday season what the world thinks it should be. Let us be still and truly experience that You are the gift that we should seek to take in and discover. 

Lord, open our hearts and our minds to know more fully the hope that You are and that You bring to our lives and our world. Our perspective is so minuscule and shortsighted. It’s temporary. Enlarge it, please.

You made the heavens and the earth. You made the trees and the mountains. You made the fish and the lions. You made it all. You were perfectly comfortable in heaven. But yet, You came to be physically present with what You created—to dwell with us and to experience life as we do. The Great I Am, who is and will always be, humbled Himself to be a man. How miraculous is that?!!

And You did this to save us. To give us hope as we walk through this life on earth. To know that this isn’t heaven or the end, that more awaits us. That no matter what is going on in our lives, You are with us in it, that You laugh and cry, You celebrate and mourn. You will never leave us or forget us.

Holy Spirit, move within us, wake up our souls, lead our minds to know and experience the hope that You are. Let us not be content with a worldly experience of Christmas. Give us a desire, and show us the way, to experience the true hope and joy of Christmas.

In the Beautiful Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

11/25/24 Prayer

Your Word, Lord, is a light unto our paths. It’s an enormous blessing that cannot be fully understood this side of heaven. It’s a means by which You speak to us. It’s living, not just words written on a paper. It speaks to each of us individually.

You love us through Your Word. You comfort us with it. You encourage us. You even personally guide us in our actions and in our decision making. You want it to be written on our hearts. Your Word even tells us of that!

The more time we spend with Your Word the more we get to know You, the limitlessness of Your love, Your faithfulness, Your grace, and how You care about the smallest details of our lives. Your will, Your way, and what You intend for our lives becomes more apparent and tangible. 

And the beautiful thing is that day after day, time after time, it becomes etched onto our hearts and we can rely on it in our lives.

Your Word is truly living and a wellspring of life until we go to be with You, when we’ll have life everlasting and there will be no more tears.

In the Enduring Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen

11/18/24 Prayer

Abba, You are the source of all light. From the sun’s rays to the lighting up of our souls when we experience a blessing, it’s all from You. Your light shines infinitely and cannot be extinguished. As is Your love! 

Your love fuels an unceasing desire to bring us into relationship. And not just any relationship, but one with You that is vibrant and inextricably woven into our daily experience.

When Jesus came, He came not to condemn but to heal the sick, to bring comfort to the weary, and to feed the hungry. He opened His arms to everyone, even to those who rejected Him. You desire us to live as Jesus did, opening our hearts and lives to all, even those who are not of the same mind or way, and those who we may not like. That’s not an easy thing to do. And we certainly can’t do it in our own strength.

But You didn’t leave us to our own devices and ways. You gave us The Advocate—The Holy Spirit—who is in us. He transforms and empowers us, especially the more we spend time with You. 

We pray that The Holy Spirit fill us with love that emboldens us to be welcoming and hospitable to those around us. Open our eyes to see the weary, the hurting and the needy. Fill our hearts with compassion and a desire to share Your love and to be in relationship. Give us the strength and courage to connect and be vulnerable.

May we walk with You, in a thriving relationship, allowing Your light to shine our paths and Your love to overflow into to the lives of others.

In the Loving Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen

11/11/24 Prayer

Our most Beautiful God, how wonderful it is to be Your child! You take such good care of us, providing what we need, whether we realize it or not. From each breath we take to the food we eat, it is by Your grace we have them to enjoy. Open our eyes to see the abundance You have provided.

Lord, please also open our eyes to see those around us, seeing them as You see them. Let us see their needs. And swell our hearts with the desire to want to meet their needs, to share and serve them as You served us. Jesus befriended us—fed, comforted, forgave and healed us. He even washed the feet of the disciples. May we seek to serve as He did, and to keep our eyes open to see the opportunities, however big or small.

Life feels so busy and overwhelming that serving another person seems out of reach. But may we not look solely inwardly but also outwardly. What we are likely to experience is being blessed ourselves and gaining a new perspective on our own situation.

Also open our minds to recognize that service takes many forms, from something as simple as listening to a person who’s going through a difficult time, to providing a person with a meal, to going on a mission trip to another country. Opportunities are all around us!

And in this journey of life, may we remember that we can only serve others without burning out if we are drinking from the eternal wellspring of Your water. May we take the time to be replenished and strengthened by time with You.

Teach us Your ways.

In the Serving and Abundantly Generous Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen

11/4/24 Prayer

God, this world is broken. It’s not as You intended. But You haven’t left us alone in this brokenness. You are the source of healing and peace in the midst of it. Holy Spirit, please give us confidence, and empower us to walk towards Your healing and peace—the freedom that You have for us.

That walk may not be easy and we may need to lay some things down that we want, but it’s very doable. We will need to reflect and be honest with ourselves about where we came from, where we are in this moment and where we want to go. But as You tell us in Your Word, You gave us The Holy Spirit not to be timid, but bold, and that He also gives us power, love and self-discipline. Please remind us daily.

We don’t need to go through this process alone. In fact, that’s the opposite of what You want. Let us be curious with You. Let us be bold in examining ourselves to seek the healing, peace and freedom that only You can provide. And then help us, Holy Spirit, project that healing and peace outwardly to others—giving grace, being willing to listen and not judge. We’ll undoubtedly expect something in return. Help us lay that expectation down and instead pray for that person, that they may know You, that they may find their own healing, peace and freedom.

In the Forgiving and Grace-Giving Name of Jesus we pray. Amen

10/28/24 Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are always with us. We are never alone. May we crave that time of being alone with You, fully known and yet completely accepted.

Thank You that You are working in us (if we allow it). You are transforming us into the children of God that You made us to be when You wove us together in our mothers’ wombs. Many of us are striving for that, working hard at it. Others not so much.

Search our hearts, Lord. Make them known to us. Prompt us to sit with You and just be—to listen to what You are trying to say to us. Please quiet our minds, perk our ears and teach us how to rest in Your Presence. This does not come natural to us. We feel the need to fill the silence, we fidget, we feel uncomfortable just sitting doing nothing. “Be still” You tell us.

Please tell us about our efforts, Lord. Are we striving too hard such that we are creating an idol? Are we listening to The Holy Spirit and seeking to obey? Are we simply not engaged? You know us better than we know ourselves. There is such peace in that! Help us guard our hearts for You.

In the Knowing Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Quiet Suggestion: Read Psalm 139

10/21/24 Prayer

Good morning God! It’s good to be with You again. Thank You for this new day! While life may have its ups and downs, You are a steady hand; always the same … yesterday, today and tomorrow.

We look forward to what the week has for us, knowing that You’ll be with us. We look forward to laughter, joy and peace. And if there is difficulty awaiting, we ask that You hold us and guide us through it.

Now that we think about it, even with the good times, please hold us and guide us through them. Sometimes we think we don’t need You in the good, but as You well know, we do. We’re just not as aware that You are working in the good. May You come to mind as we are in the good, to give You thanks and to seek Your counsel in any decisions and circumstances we find ourselves.

And thank You for the community You’ve placed us in. Those with whom we share good times and challenging ones. If we were to go it alone, how more difficult it would be! Collectively we are the Body of Christ, working together as You intended—caring for each other, encouraging each other, sharing wisdom and strength, effectively guiding each other through life. On our own, it would be lonely and we are more easily lost. Open our hearts to live as You intended, with You and in community—where You are always present.

As during the next days, may we smile and look up to give You thanks, and to know You are right here with us.

In the Precious Name of Jesus we pray. Amen

10/14/24 Prayer

Dear Lord, it’s good to talk to again. And You have good news for us … You want us to rest. Praise God! We don’t get told that often. 

Your Word reveals that practicing the Sabbath entails not only resting, but ceasing so that we can truly rest. Teach us how to do that, remind us that it isn’t a rule to be followed but rather a practice to integrate into our lives, for our good.

You—Your Presence—is in the Sabbath, if we stop (cease) and recognize it. How beautiful is that?! You tell us in The Lord’s Prayer “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Maybe practicing the Sabbath is one way of bringing heaven to earth. 

And being in Your Presence, we commune with You, which is how we were intended to live. It’s also taking on Jesus’ yoke, which will lighten our burdens. We’ll take that! 

Lord, increase our faith, open our eyes to see, unharden our hearts to understand, how trusting You to take a Sabbath day will actually work … that things won’t fall apart, that we’ll be set free from feeling burdened and we can live into the fullness that You not only want for us, but have for us. 

In the Trusting Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen

10/11/24 Prayer

Beautiful God, it’s so good to call you Immanuel, God with us! Jesus spoke of His yoke and that it was easy. Oh, how life here on earth doesn’t feel easy! 

You are gentle and humble in heart and want us to live with You, the way You intended, giving You our burdens and allowing You to lighten our loads. We praise You for that and pray that You teach us how, how to take on Your yoke. 

Jesus, You never hurried while You walked the earth, though You had so much to do. It’s hard to slow down with so many demands being made of us and our time. Help us identify what is truly necessary and what is not. Give us discerning eyes and hearts. 

Help us let go of our ego and the need to do it all and to be content with less—less activity, less needing to accomplish, less desire to get more stuff, and probably most importantly, less of a need to control it all. You’ve got it! You know what’s going to happen before it does and You are FOR us! Let us truly believe that and let it sink into our hearts, souls and beings. Let us be fully saturated in that truth! Then we can slow down. And with that slowing down, let our hearts, minds and souls turn to You, to praise You and spend time with You. 

You are a Beautiful and Good God, we pray to see who You are—Your character—more and more.

With love for and in Jesus Name we pray.

Amen.

10/1/24 Prayer

Heaven. We have a desire—really a need—to live a life without problems, without pain, without sickness and suffering, without sadness and fear. We want peace and joy, wellness and security, to have all we need to live meaningful lives, for us and for all those around us.

All of the world craves peace.

We were wired for this, for shalom—wholeness, completeness, soundness, health, safety and prosperity, and permanently. That was the state for which we were created to live. That’s what You intended in the garden of Eden. And this world ain’t it.

But shalom—heaven—awaits us. You promise it. We pray Lord to remember and not expect that this life is heaven. We pray to be filled with hope knowing that someday we will experience heaven, and not to let this world and our situations rob of us that knowledge and truth.

There is hope in You God, always, in this life and the life to come. While we wait to enter heaven, may we live expectedly of it. May it soften the blows of this world. May it mute the angst we experience. May it fill our hearts with a contentment and joy that can’t be shaken.

In our Savior Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

9/23/24 Prayer

Our Beautiful God, the Creator of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We praise You! You are a good God, You are a mighty God, You are the only true God. We praise You!

You knit us together in our mother’s womb. You made us in the secret place. You wrote us in Your book—all our days—even before we were conceived. You know us inside and out—loving and meeting us just where we are. 

May we walk and live confidently with You, trusting as You transform us more and more into the children of God You made us to be. It’s a journey; not an instant process, and it’s painful at times. Yet the reward and freedom it produces is more than worth it.

Help us surrender to You and live out that surrender in our found freedom. Give us the courage to live as Your children in this fallen world. It’s difficult because this world is constantly enticing us to be “of this world” and to be like others. But You’ve set us apart to be a light, a light that shines brightly Your love, Your truth, Your grace and Your mercy. May others see us as we truly are, Your children. And may they marvel in Your mighty work in our lives.

In the Precious Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

9/16/24 Prayer

Heavenly Father, Protector and Provider, thank You for caring for Your creation. You tell us that You are our refuge and shield. You tell us to cast all our anxieties on You. You don’t promise a problem free experience, but You do tell us that You’ll walk with us through it, that You go before us and that You will not forsake us.

We are so grateful that in Your Word there are so many promises and encouragements of Your faithfulness. You desire us to live in communion with You, leaning on You and trusting that You’ll provide.

You tell us “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Help us remember this promise and truly believe it. Your awesome Word even helps us in our doubt. You tell us that we can say to You “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

We pray that we go to Your Word for strength and encouragement, not to muscle our way through a problem or life. We weren’t made to go it alone; we were made to go through life walking with You and with our community. Help us share with someone in our community our struggles so that we can experience the fullness of the body of Christ that You intended us to live in.

You are FOR us. You are “broadening the path for our feet, so that our ankles do not give way.” You tell us that in the Psalms. So, even while we are stepping into difficulties, You make them more bearable and take away other difficulties that would make our experience even harder and possibly crush us. Thank You!

May we be encouraged by Your continual Presence with us through The Holy Spirit. May we trust You and go to You first when a challenge arises. And may we give You all the glory as we look back and see how You worked in our situation and how You redeemed our pain for good.

You are faithful always!

In the Beautiful Protecting and Providing Name of Jesus we pray.
Amen

9/9/24 Prayer

Holy Father, thank You that You are always with us through The Holy Spirit and that You want us to live in community just as You do in The Holy Trinity.

Thank You for the communities You’ve placed us in. We have our families, our church, our friends, our co-workers, the groups in which we participate, and even those who we see frequently in the living of our daily lives. Draw us together to live in community, and not as an island unto ourselves. Reveal to us ways to live as a cohesive group. 

Open our hearts to be vulnerable with each other, sharing our needs and dreams—living invested in each other.

You’ve surrounded us with opportunities, open our eyes to see them, the courage to act, and the strength to move us when we don’t want to.

In The Precious Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

9/3/24 Prayer

Your Peace, Lord, surrounds us, yet we don’t always see or experience it. Open our eyes to Your Peace, Gracious Spirit.

It’s in the beauty of the natural world that surrounds us, should we stop to look and take it in. It’s in the smile or simple gesture of a stranger opening a door when our arms are filled to capacity. It’s in the moment of sharing something we have with another, and our hearts well up with simple joy.

You tell us “Peace I leave with you; My peace give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Maybe we need to look for peace, and be at peace differently than we do now? Maybe we need to seek it in You and in Your ways? Maybe that disagreement with a family member or friend is really unimportant in the grand scheme of life? Maybe in the chaos of our busy lives, we can set 5 minutes aside to spend in solitude with You, just being and not doing? Maybe we can think about what we have instead of what we don’t?

Lord, you want us to live into the full measure of what You have for us. May we remember that You gave the Ultimate Sacrifice for us to be free of sin and to live in peace. You did it out of love for us and not to get anything in return. Not even for us to live in peace as obligatory. It’s our choice.

Please open our eyes, ears and heart to the peace You have for us each day, living one day at a time. May we live into the full measure of peace and life you lovingly want for us.

In the Peace Giving Name of Jesus we pray. Amen

8/26/24 Prayer

Your love, God Almighty, is immeasurable. It engulfs our universe and beyond. It’s infinite. Our mind can’t wrap itself around how wide and long, high and deep is your love. Our heart can’t receive nor contain the love You have for us. It’s that deep!

Who are we that You should love us this way? We’re nothing really in the great expanse of what You created. But You tell us we’re special. You created and breathed life into us for that reason—to be with You.

Yes, You are (or should be) the Lord of our lives, but we are also Your Sons and Daughters, and even Friends. You’ll meet us wherever we are, whether we’ve been “good” or “bad,” whether we’ve been talking to You or not, no matter what is going on in our lives. Your love is unconditional.

While we need to be loved, there are times we don’t fully feel it or even deserve it. Thank You that we can always count on You to be loved. You are so faithful!

We are fully known and fully loved.

In the Loving Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

8/19/24 Prayer

Dear God,

We lift up our students to You as they step into a new year. Guide them as they learn, grow, and make new friends. Fill their hearts with excitement for the days ahead, and give them the courage to face any challenges.

We pray for teachers and administrators, who dedicate themselves to shaping young minds. Grant them wisdom, patience, and strength as they inspire and lead. May they find joy in the difference they make every day.

Bless the parents as they help their children navigate new routines and challenges. Give them peace and the ability to provide the support their children need.

For all the new friendships that will form, may they provide a source of strength, love and encouragement.

As we settle into new routines, we ask for Your guidance to help us find balance and peace in our daily lives. Remind us that You are with us in every moment, bringing comfort and clarity.

We place this school year in Your hands, trusting in Your care and love.

Amen.

8/12/24 Prayer

Thank You for walking with us through life. Thank You for the new day. Thank You that You don’t leave us to our own devices, but are eternally faithful and good.

As we look at a small plant, a tree or a flower, may we remember that You created it. As we look at the sky, the sun, the clouds, the moon and the stars, may we remember that You hung them.

As we look at a stranger, a friend, a child or a family member, may we remember that You created each one. And not only did You create them, You did so lovingly and with express intention. May we remember that when we interact with them.

You love us unconditionally. You pursue us patiently. You seek a relationship with us. You want to be part of our daily life. You created us for that.

May we live this week remembering these things and that You are always good.

In our Beautiful Jesus name. Amen

8/5/24 Prayer

Thank You God for this new day. Praise God that Your mercies are new every day! I need this!!

You are so good, even when my circumstances are not. I have so much to be grateful for. Sometimes I just need to stop, take a moment and think about them. When I do that, I recognize how blessed I am. The fact that I am Your beloved child is, in and of itself, an incredible blessing! The Creator of all that exists, knows me—little ole me—and tells me that I’m beloved and that He delights in me! Really…wow, cool.

Please remind me to walk into tomorrow with expectations of You showing up in my life. Help me Holy Spirit to think of You first thing when I wake up. That’ll start my day with hope!!

You’re always with me, but dagonne it, I don’t always feel like it. Maybe it’s because I’m not looking for You. I remember reading in your Word that You want us to seek You. I pray to do that!!

Thank You that You’re with me no matter what. Your love is unconditional!! Praise God! I need that…something I don’t work for or earn. Hmmm…another blessing to add to my list.

Praise You God, You’re awesome. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen