2/24/25 Prayer

Our Majestic God and Creator of all things, were I to count the awesomeness of Your doing, I’d run out of numbers and time. No one and nothing can capture the expansiveness of Your Beauty and Being.

I look at the beauty of the sunrise, You are there. I look at the majesty of the mountains, You are there. I look at the intricacies of another person’s eyes, how they are formed, how they capture light and sight, You are there. I look at the vastness of the ocean and the endless cresting and crashing of the waves, You are there. I look at the innocence of how a small child looks up at me in wonder, You are there. Anything that is true, good or beautiful, You are there.

How am I to respond to such magnificence and splendor? There is only one way — to worship You. 

When I experience or encounter a true, good or beautiful thing, may I look heavenward and just pause. May I stop for a moment and just say Your Name, recognize You and Your grandeur in that moment. May I not only thank You for it, but praise You for opening my eyes to see it. May I contemplate Your Beauty and Majesty.

I pray that I live my life worshiping You. Oh, how You deserve it and so much more! I pray Holy Spirit that You give me eyes to see You throughout my day, every where I look, and even within. And in this experience, I sing to You in joy. I thank You in the moment, when something simple goes my way. I give You credit when You answered my prayer, and I have the courage and opportunity to tell someone else about it, so that You may be glorified.

When I see something beautiful or awe striking, may I remember You as the Alpha, the Creator from whom all good and beautiful things flow. May I never become complacent or dulled so as not to be in wonder of the people around me, the place in which You set me, the things that I encounter, and the moments that I experience.

How beautiful You are. How gracious You are. How amazing You are. And You thought to bring me into existence to experience life with You. Thank You!

In the Magnificent Name of Jesus I pray.

Amen

2/17/25 Prayer

Hello Almighty God! Thank You for making me, for drawing me to You. Thank You that I am Yours and can never be snatched away. There is peace and safety in that.

Thank You for always being with me, that I can be with You at anytime and anywhere. There is no limit on our relationship. I pray that I invest my time and energy into growing it, to spending more time with You. It’s cool because I don’t just have to be sitting and reading my Bible, but I can be walking about, doing everyday chores, talking to You. You love when I do that. Yes, You are holy, but You humbled Yourself to be a man, to do ordinary things. So, You’re just fine doing ordinary things with me.

And yet, You provide even more than Yourself. You put people in my life who also walk and talk with You. Not only do You convict and speak truths into me, You do so into others as well. Your Word tells us that we, Your followers, constitute the Body of Christ. We are Your hands and feet. You use each of us in very specific and intentional ways to accomplish Your purposes.

May I remember these truths as I venture through life. May I not just put my head down to do life alone or with those in my household. As I confront decisions, encounter challenges, consider choices, may I seek the counsel of those who follow You—those who seek to live their lives Your way, surrendering to Your will. You speak into my heart when I ask (and many times when I don’t—thank goodness!!). And You speak into the hearts of those following You. Your Wisdom and intentions cannot be captured by just one, that’s why we have the Body of Christ!

Holy Spirit, please give me the courage and opportunity to invite other followers (or even just one) into my life to consider the road ahead, to help me make sense of things when I’m confused or lack confidence in how to proceed. Gosh, even when I think I know best, give me the humility to “check myself,” to make sure I’m making the right choice or going down the right path. Remind me that Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts, and that when two or more of Your followers are together, You are there. I want You to be there when I’m making my decisions and even everyday choices!

Thank You Heavenly Father for the community in which You have placed me, indeed blessed me. May we walk together, spurring each other along, sharing with each other the Wisdom and Truth that You speak into each of us. May I do that for another.

In the Wise Name of Jesus I pray.

Amen.

2/10/25 Prayer

Heavenly Father, You created the heavens and the earth. You. You to me generally means one, but in Your case, it means three. The Trinity—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—all three were there at creation.

My mind can’t wrap itself around how three can be one. But with You, it can be.

I am thankful that with You, You means three. You are my loving Father, always faithfully loving and providing—so much so that You sent Your Son to save me. You are Son; a man who walked the earth and felt, experienced, and lived as I do. You relate to me in a very personal and experiential way. You are Holy Spirit, God within me, so close, so intricately involved and aware of my inner being as my outer experience. Mind blown!

In this world we have a choice—to live by the flesh or with the Spirit. Paul describes it in Your Word. “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” I pray that I choose to live with The Holy Spirit and to be focused on Your way and what You want.

But it’s not that easy. I am flesh! I am inherently sinful in nature and my first choice will most always be to do what is easy, what is instinctual. I want what I want when I want it, because I want it. Sigh, I need help.

Thank You for not leaving me here, sitting on my pity pot, feeling helpless and giving into the flesh. No, again, I have a choice.

I choose to ask You Holy Spirit to move me, to prompt me, to do whatever You need to do to awaken within me the daily choice of following You, living with The Spirit. Open my soul, my mind, my heart to feel Your promptings, to remember that when I’m failing to be more like Jesus, that I can’t do it on my own. After I make that daily choice, it is in Your, The Spirit’s power, that it is accomplished. Help me not strive but to work with You, The Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, You are my Guide on earth. You can increase my desire and give me the strength to live as Jesus—the Jesus way, not the earthly, flesh way. You can convict me when I go off path. Please do that. Please be gentle.

Please prompt my heart and reveal to me the right choice, the right path. Strengthen me, give me the courage to make the Jesus way choices. Change me(yikes, what will that mean!). While that is so scary to think about because it’s an unknown, I trust You more than me. You are the Maker of all things!

When I’m trying so hard and failing, remind me Holy Spirit that You are but a gentle whisper away. Holy Spirit help me—prompt me to say that.

In the Ever Present Name of Jesus I pray.

Amen.

2/3/25 Prayer

My loving God, I praise You. You are amazing—so righteous and pure. You are Wisdom and Truth. You provide all that I need. But …

I seek my life to go “right,” problem free and as I envision it. Then “life” happens. Problems and challenges occur. Problems are usually resolvable but challenges, they must be endured. 

Why? I sometimes ask. Then I remember Your Word … I don’t live in the Garden of Eden, rather in a broken world. You don’t cause these “bad” things, though You may allow them. A quick read of the opening chapters of the Book of Job reminds me.

You love me unconditionally. You love me more than my mind can understand and that’s part of why (I think). Sometimes You’re protecting me from myself. If I got everything I wanted and never had a problem or challenge, how caring would I be for others? Not so much. It would be much harder to emphasize, rather I may only sympathize or even worse, pity. Would I be a brat, never satiated and always wanting more? Probably. 

I remember a painful truth that Your Word tells—“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” It’s kind of like my kids, I love them so much that I can’t allow them to make bad choices. They are young and inexperienced; not seeing the bigger picture, not understanding that there will be disastrous consequences. I love my kids too much to allow that! You love me too. And even more.

But what about disease and tragedy that has no discernible good outcome? Well again, I live in a broken world. I remember the good You made of my past hurts. I remember how it worked out for the better—for me and/or for others. Sometimes I saw it soon, other times, later. Even others I’ll only see when I’m in heaven.

I surrender! 

And as difficult it is to do—PLEASE, PLEASE Holy Spirit help me surrender—I trust You. I trust that You know what You’re doing. I trust that there is purpose and meaning and that none of my pain is in vain! I trust You!! Your Word is full of good promises and of wonders and miracles—good things. You do not change. The God of The Bible is the God of today! I’m going with that. I know that.

I am secure with You. You are my fortress. I am safe with You, You are my refuge. I am seen by You, never alone. I am soothed by You. You are with me, loving me and making things easier than they could be, widening the path.

You are my God and I am Your beloved child. One day I’ll be with You where there are no more tears. Hold me, help me focus on You rather than my problems, until I am there.

In the Ever Caring Name of Jesus I pray.

Amen

1/27/25 Prayer

I, Lord, am Your hands and feet here on earth. When Jesus walked the earth, He healed, fed, soothed, befriended, and blessed. Help me do that. Help me want to do that—to set myself aside and put others first.

You, Lord, are my Savior. You set Yourself aside for me. You gave up Your throne room to walk the earth as a mere human, who needs and wants, who suffers and hungers, who longs for peace and wholeness. You did this out of love. Open my heart to be more like Yours.

I want to grow deeper in my relationship with You. Reveal to me what I should pray for, so that I can experience this. Give me a longing to be more like You. Remind me that the more time I spend with You, especially throughout my day, talking to You, including You—the more I know You, Your heart, Your ways, Your will. In those times, You’ll direct my steps. I’ll feel nudges and prompts from You, leading the way.

You’re also my Friend. I’m thankful for that. As any good friend, You don’t dictate, You stand with me and don’t leave me, even when I mess up. You’re there to help me through the mess, extending grace, soothing my pain and loving me. I want to do that for others. I want to be Your hands and feet. Holy Spirit, help me make that my reality.

I was made in Your image, and I want that to be more evident in my life.

In the Humble Yet Almighty Name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

1/20/25 Prayer

Your Heart, Lord, is so beautiful, so compassionate, all-embracing and steadfast. It never ceases to love, nor to care. You love everything You created. You love the birds of the air and the mountains. But mostly, You love and care for me, and people. Your Word tells of that.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them .… God saw all that he had made, and [said] it was very good.”

Help me Holy Spirit to have a heart like Yours, to see the bigger picture. Sometimes my heart is focused on the wrong thing. Most times I have blinders on, seeing only what is right in front of me and what’s going on in my life. Even when I look up and all around, it doesn’t move me. I’m so accustomed to it, I’m numb, fatigued by it all—I become complacent. Shake that off of me! Open my eyes to see vividly what You see. Let my heart swell when Yours swells. Let it break when Yours breaks.

There is so much need—and to be frank, the need to just outright care. It can be too much when I’m trying to get through my own life. Remind me that You are The Eternal Wellspring. You strengthen and empower; and I can do so much more when I live with You, in Your Strength and Power. Most times I don’t. In fact, most times it takes facing the seemingly unconquerable to make me turn to You.

But You gave me free will. I need to remember that it’s not only asking. There is a doing, there is a commitment. There is a daily need to go to Your Wellspring to be refreshed and strengthened. I need to spend time with You to be empowered. Reading Your Word reminds me of Your Almightyness. It gives me confidence of what You’ve done and what You can do. It emboldens me to do with You. With You, nothing is impossible! 

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” 

Holy Spirit, help me believe that! Give me wisdom to understand. Give me strength in You.

In the Loving Name of Jesus I pray.

Amen

John 15:7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” 

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

1/13/25 Prayer

Lord God, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than my ways and Your thoughts than my thoughts.” But I want to think what I want to think! I want to do what I want to do! That’s my conundrum. I want to follow You and allow You to be The Lord of my life but I don’t want to give up control.

However, You remind me in Your Word that You know better than I do—“Your ways are higher than my ways.”

You aren’t going to push Yourself on me. It’s my choice. I have to intentionally put myself in a position of actively following You. Holy Spirit help me do that! Give me a heart of seeking You. Give me eyes to see You and ears to hear Your whispers.

Please remind me that the more time I spend with You, the more I get to know You. The more I know You, the more I see Your work in my life. And the more I see that, the more I trust You. My heart changes, I gain clarity of mind and then my actions follow. It becomes easier to follow You—to abide in You.

Please Holy Spirit, write Your Word on my heart. Let this truth sink in - “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than my ways and Your thoughts than my thoughts.” Let them penetrate my soul and inner being. Let me believe it with all my heart! And in this journey of following You, reveal to me the truth of who You are, not who I think You are.

You are a loving Father. You are Holy. You are my refuge in times of trouble. You want good things for me. You are faithful and will never leave me. I don’t need to earn Your love, it’s a gift. You are fighting for me. And so much more! Give me a desire to know You, and in knowing You, obeying and abiding in You.

In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray.

Amen

1/6/25 Prayer

The prayers will be written in the first person to be more fully experienced. As you pray them, adjust the content as your heart leads.

I have grand desires for 2025, Lord. More peace, more joy, more time, more …

There are other things … You know my heart and my mind. Give me the courage to say them out loud to you. It’s silly. I keep them hidden, sometimes hidden from myself. But nothing can be hidden from You. As my Good Father, You simply want me to come to you with them.

It’s not about condemning or even controlling. It’s about trust. You want me to trust You with them. To know that You care, to know that You see me and all that I am. I am Your beloved child, and You see me beautiful and radiant. Thank You Jesus!

You want something for me in 2025. You want me to come closer to You. You want me to spend more time with You, not because You’re wanting to dictate me or my life or because I need to prove something to You (like that I love You or that You are the King of kings, though You are)—but because You love me.

Just like anyone else in my life who loves me, they want to spend time with me. We’re made in Your image. It’s just like any other relationship. Time spent together grows the relationship, bonds us, evolves, matures.

We trust each other more. We work together more. We do life together. That’s what You want for me. You want to bless me. I want to be blessed, Lord.

Holy Spirit, please search my heart. Reveal to me what I truly need. Show me the way to You. And give me the desire to seek You with all my heart.

In the Loving Name of Jesus I pray.

Amen.

12/30/24 Prayer

Lord God, Creator of all things, may we allow You to be the Lord of our lives. May we trust in Your unfailing love, Your continuous forgiveness of our sins, and the life that You want for us.

As we look with anticipation to the new year ahead, may we be hopeful because our hope is in You, not in this world and the things it seems to offer. That’s a hard thing to do. This world seems to offer so much. May we see that it’s fleeting, that it’s not completely satisfying, and that it’s not what it is promised to be. 

May we remember that when we get what this world offers, the shine and happiness—it fades. True joy and contentment can only be found in You and in Your promises.

As we think about our new year’s resolutions, may we first spend time with You. May we sit still to listen for Your voice, Your prompting, Your leading. May we ask You what they should be. Please God Almighty, speak into us, lead us, be clear with Your desires, Your will.

We want to grow in our faith. We want to have our hearts set on heavenly things. We want to do Your will. But we can’t do it on our own. This world is too distracting. Help us, Holy Spirit, move us—please—to put our trust in You when things go awry, to thank and praise You when things go well, to sit and be with You in spite of feeling time constrained. 

Our hope is in You. You are our God and we are Your people. Thank You that that’ll never change. That You’ve got us. Now let us believe that with all our hearts!

In the Almighty Name of Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen

12/23/24 Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus—for loving us so much that You left the majesty of Your throne to come be with us as a humble and needy infant. We still can’t wrap our head around the Trinity and how You are Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but we are grateful for it.

You are our Father, who cares generously for us. You are Son, God with us—Immanuel—who suffered to be with us. You are The Holy Spirit, God in us, to lead us.

Why did You do this? 

Love, because You love us. 

Your love is radical, it’s goes beyond that which makes sense in our human minds. It’s immeasurable, there is nothing we can do to destroy or alter it; it never ceases and it always rises above us and our circumstances. It surrounds us, should we seek to look for it.

The truth is, sometimes we don’t feel it, sometimes we don’t want to put in effort to experience it. Maybe that’s why we aren’t always loving to others. Maybe we need to bathe ourselves in Your love so that it can pour out into those around us.

Lord God Almighty, in Your infinite power and wisdom, help us experience Your love, be with You in love, love You with all our hearts, so that it marks who we are—Your child. And as we live first as Your child, loved exuberantly, may we love those around us (some we like a lot, some we like a little, others who are neutral, and still others we don’t really like). May our actions embody that love. May peace and caring flow generously. May this be our New Year’s resolution.

In the Everlasting Loving Name of Jesus we pray.

Amen

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