Blessed be the LORD,

the God of Israel,

Who alone

   does wondrous things.

              Psalm 72. 18

(More than we can see,

far more than

     we can even imagine.

Even in this

      impossible place.)

O LORD,

Thank You for what

      You are doing.

The unknown is

    not unknown to You.

You are sovereign

           even in this.

Be glorified

    beyond what I can know.

Help me

   to be faithful

and praise You

     through the hard stuff.

For your eyes have seen

all the great work of the LORD

               that He did.

              Deuteronomy 11. 7

(And we can trust Him

         in what is next,

         and what is now.

Even in what

  we cannot understand,

even in the hard places,

        God is at work.

Every day

is a story of God's faithfulness.)

O LORD,

help us to follow You

   into Your great work,

even in mystery

and shadows

and rocky paths

   that seem to be

   going nowhere fast.

You are faithful, O LORD.

This is Your hand.

  Help us to lean into it.

The end game

            is Your glory,

 in dimensions I cannot grasp.

That is ultimately

      all that matters.

...to stand before the LORD

      to minister to Him

and to bless in His name...

            Deuteronomy 10. 8

(In every dimension of my day,

every crack and crevice,

   in the familiar routines,

   in the grittiness of the ordinary,

   and in the unexpected storms.

To stand, minister, to bless,

even in this.

Even now.)

O LORD,

please make me aware of You

in all that I do today

or even think about,

to be sensitive to where

   You have strategically

                     placed me

to be faithful to You

and bring Your glory there.

Show me how

   to bless You in this.

You shall not

be in dread of them,

for the LORD your God

      is in your midst,

a great and awesome God.

The LORD your God

will clear away

these nations before you

        little by little.

You may not make

  an end of them at once,

lest wild beasts grow

   too numerous for you.

           Deuteronomy 7. 21-22

(There are

no insignificant victories.

God's glory is working

   His way through this.

"Trust Me in this.

     Follow Me through it.")

O LORD,

everyone of us

        struggle with something,

        fear a lot,

        worry too much,

and lose strength as a result.

Our troubles are many,

   but Your mercy is more.

Please give us Your strength

    as we navigate through this.

Give us a glimpse of Your glory

          to embrace us with hope.

And help us not to discount

     what we only see

     as small breakthroughs.

Your glory in this,

              O LORD!

You shall love

   the LORD your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your might.

          Deuteronomy 6. 5

(Everything I need

   to do today,

every which way I can.

Even in this.

Loving God is not just

       a prominent place,

       but preeminent.)

O LORD God Almighty,

may we as Your people 

be distinguished

   by our love and faithfulness

            to You alone

and changed by Your love

                 for us.

Help us in all that we do today

  to love you fully

  and honor You in hard places

         and in ambushes along the path.

Reveal Your way in this,

    marked by love for You

    and for those around us,

even the unexpected,

even those tough to love.

        

...even among the rebellious,

     that the LORD God

              may dwell there.

               Psalm 68. 18

(What in the world

      am I doing here?

In this hostile place,

in this barren land,

among these

       impossible people?

Bring the name

            of Jesus there.

His love and grace

      and the gospel

translated in words

             and actions.

Even now.

Even here.

Even in this.)

O dear Father God,

help us to see You

            in this place,

 and to see those around us

     with Your eyes,

not rebellious

           but desperate for You.

Help us to 

      dwell in hard places

to bring Your name there,

to bring Your Word there,

and for You

   to transform the landscape,

one life at a time,

one heart at a time,

     starting with me.

You have been traveling

around this mountain

            long enough.

        Deuteronomy 2. 3

(Stuck in a rut?

Time to do something

    different with this,

    or a new direction

        not even on my radar.

"Walk with Me."

God will amaze you.

            Guaranteed.)

LORD, show me

       Your way in this,

       Your way through this,

       Your way

                in what's next,

         even in what's now,

            right where I am,

                       a new path.

But truly

   God has listened;

He has attended 

  to the voice

  of my prayer.

          Psalm 66. 19

(And He is not limited 

          by it.

God listens.

    Am I listening to Him?)

O LORD God,

You know

   even before a word

   is on my lips,

even before I know

            to pray,

You are already there,

everything ready,

everything already 

       in motion.

Thank You

not that You would work

Your mighty hand in this,

    but You are.

    

But He would withdraw 

to desolate places

        to pray.

            Luke 5. 16

(First response,

    not last resort.

Carving out time

  and a place to pray

was Jesus’s pattern

   and regular practice.

Pray first about it,

         pray into it.

Not just what’s next,

but what’s now

and what has been.)

O LORD,

please place Your day

        before me,

as I pray to You. 

Align my heart

           to Yours.

Help me to trust You

as You draw me

          closer,

and as You go 

   before me

   into this day.

But God ....

        Psalm 64. 7

(And that is when

the story changes, 

when we realize 

    God is in this.

Not in what He will do,

but through the amazing,

incredible, 

unexpected things

    He is already doing,

most of which we are

          totally unaware.

God at work.

A chronicle of

     the Almighty,

stories of 

     His faithfulness.)

O dear LORD,

please help us

  to be aware of You,

as we traverse this

treacherous path

   or wilderness road,

 walking with You,

even through what 

only appears impossible.

Help us to be amazed 

      on a daily basis.

Not that You show up,

but we realize 

You are already there,

   way ahead of 

our own understanding.

...for You 

   have been my help,

and in the

   shadow of Your wings

   I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to You;

Your right hand

            upholds me.

            Psalm 63. 7-8

(When we go forth

 in the shadow 

     of the Almighty,

God does not

 just help us through it;

He transforms 

          the journey 

and changes the outcome.

Not just recognizing 

      His help afterwards,

but earnestly seeking Him

    right in the midst,

and not just an answer.)

O LORD,

show me Your way in this,

not just through it,

for Your deep purposes 

   even along the path,

for indeed Your glory

  in the spiritual welfare

  of many people,

and for what is

  not even on my radar.

...but one who

sows righteousness 

gets a sure reward.

         Proverbs 11. 18

(Sowing righteousness

             and grace

always produces 

    a different outcome.

What am I choosing 

       to plant

in this rocky situation 

or difficult relationship 

      that will take root

      and bear fruit,

even that I may not see

       in my lifetime?)

O LORD,

Help me to sow love,

kindness,

and grace

in unexpected ways

  and impossible places.

For. Your. Glory.

Please help me

   to choose Your way

   through this briar patch

and to view wilderness 

     and scrubland 

         with Your eyes.

You, O LORD,

transform the landscape,

even here,

even in this.

The voice of one

    crying in the wilderness:

Prepare the way

           of the Lord,

make His paths straight. 

Every valley shall be filled,

and every mountain and hill

          shall be made low,

and the crooked

    shall become straight,

and the rough places

    shall become level ways,

and all flesh shall see

     the salvation of God.

              Isaiah 40. 3-5

              Luke 3. 4-6

(Whatever it takes

to prepare the way of the Lord

in other people's lives,

even if it appears

         no one is listening,

         no one cares,

         a virtual wilderness.

Move mountains,

                if necessary.

Stand in the gap.

Love them to Jesus.)

O dear Father Almighty,

give to us the strength

and wisdom

and compassion

   to love others to You.

Show us

   how to navigate

     this mine field,

     this volatile relationship,

   even through

          their anger or apathy,

   even despite

      these momentary afflictions,

to prepare Your way

    and pave it with Your love,

ever mindful of You.

With God

   we shall do valiantly;

it is He

     who will tread down

     our foes.

               Psalm 60. 12

(God does not promise

   success in every venture,

but His faithfulness

   when we run with Him.

Trusting Him always takes us

            to a deeper place.)

O Father God,

You know

what daunting things

     we are facing,

what impossible people

     we live and work among.

And You know

   how You are redeeming this,

even as we pray

         and walk with you

    through our fears,

         both real and imagined.

Your glory is not just

           in a favorable outcome,

but sometimes even more

    in our journey with You,

 right through the fray.

If Balak should give me

his house full of silver and gold,

I would not be able to go

 beyond the word of the LORD,

to do either good or bad

         of my own will.

What the LORD speaks,

   that will I speak.

              Numbers 24. 13

(What tempts me to compromise,

what distracts me

   from following Him fully?

Everyone struggles with

                 something.

But my heart is His

    and not for sale.)

Almighty Father,

we ask that You

  turn every temptation

  into what glorifies You.

Grant us the strength

to stand our ground,

to stand in the gap,

to speak Your Word

  and live it,

  even in volatile places.

And please give us

  the wisdom to know

        when to turn away

                and flee

        for our very lives.

O LORD,

   You are our strength.

...and behold,

you have done nothing

             but bless them.

            Numbers 23. 11

(May that be what

    distinguishes us

in every volatile situation,

in every ordinary day.

Love God fully,

love others well.

Find a way

    marked by the unexpected

    to bring grace to it.)

O LORD,

we ask not that You

       just walk with us,

but that we abide fully

                    in You.

Reveal Your way

        of love and grace

in the tough places,

the ordinary days,

and even in the ambushes.

Help us to bring You glory

    even in this.

...to God who fulfills

     His purpose for me.

             Psalm 57. 2

(Even in this.

Even in what

       I do not understand.

Even in what

       I may never see

       on this side of life.

Follow God fully into it.)

O LORD God Almighty,

   Creator of the heaven and earth,

   Maker of me,

reach through this mess around me

and in me

and redeem all for Your purposes,

according to Your

         intricate design for my life.

I ask You to not just fill my days,

      but thank You

       as You fulfill them,

   not just in what You will do,

    but even as You already are.

Help me to trust You

    even in the confusing parts.

You are faithful.

You are good.

Because you did not believe

               in Me,

to uphold Me as holy

in the eyes of the people...

            Numbers 20.12

(One of the consequences

of not following God into it

is missing out

  on what might have been.

Above all things

     in this situation,

uphold the LORD

to bring honor to Him.

That is the point here:

   not a favorable outcome,

   or to be the acclaimed hero,

but that God Almighty

                  is glorified.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

even in this trouble,

even in this self-made mess,

even in this victory,

          be glorified.

May others not see me,

       but only You.

...and behold,

the staff of Aaron

          for the house of Levi

had sprouted

and put forth buds

and produced blossoms,

and it bore ripe almonds.

            Numbers 17. 8

(Just in case we have any doubt

       of God's hand in this.

God specializes in

      utterly impossible things,

that which is

      beyond explaining away

that we might know absolutely

               "It's Me!")

Almighty God,

we live in the midst

           of Your glory.

Help us to recognize You

in both the spectacular

      and in what we only consider

      ordinary.

We ask You for

   Your supernatural way

                   even in this.

But then again,

          that is always the way

                 You work.

...these men who have sinned

    at the cost of their lives.

                  Numbers 16. 38

(Sin is that serious.

Rebellion against God

always bears the cost

   of what could have been.)

O LORD,

keep us faithful today

to what is of You,

what brings You glory,

and in all that brings

   Your name to this place.

Help us today

   to follow You fully.

Even in this situation.

And all the people of Israel

              grumbled...

              Numbers 14. 1

(Grumbling is the opposite

    of trusting the LORD.

Grumbling is a sign of

               rebellion

  and the loudest voice

         in the room.

Grumbling says,

"I know better than God."

But faithfulness to God

   always leads

        to a different outcome

and a deeper intimacy with Him.

"Follow Me into this.")

O LORD,

help us not to be distracted

by grumbling,

help us not to listen

    to voices of dissent,

help us not be tripped up

    by what is easier,

more convenient,

   and right in our own eyes,

but to follow You in this.

Now the man Moses

       was very meek,

more than all people

who were on

       the face of the earth.

              Numbers 12. 3

(God always uses

the most unexpected people.

What does God see in them?

Those who are faithful

and whose strength

    is not their own

                   but in Him.)

O LORD,

create in me a faithful heart

that I would not be dependent

   on favorable circumstances,

   or distracted by

              my own weakness,

but faithful to You

     in all things I face today

that others would not notice me

                 but see You.

Help me

    to bring the name of Jesus

       into this situation.

And the people complained...

"there is nothing at all

but this manna to look at."

             Numbers 11. 1,6

(Am I overlooking

    His mighty hand in this?)

O LORD,

make us sensitive to Your leading

and aware of Your provision,

protection,

and Your Presence,

even in ways we don't understand.

Your steadfast love

    and abundant mercy

                    surround us

more than we can ever know.

Whether it was two days,

or a month,

or a longer time,

that the cloud continued

      over the tabernacle,

abiding there...

but when it lifted

           they set out.

              Numbers 9. 22

(Abiding with Him

     where He has placed us,

and willing to follow Him

      at a moment's notice

into His incredibly strategic

               purposes,

even where and when

    it makes no sense to us.

Whether staying or going,

random

    does not appear

    in God's dictionary.)

O LORD,

please fulfill this day

Your purposes in us

        and through us

in Your name,

for Your glory.

Even in what

    we will never understand

    until the other side of life,

help us

   to be faithful in following You.

The LORD bless you

         and keep you;

the LORD make His face

    to shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the LORD lift up

  His countenance upon you

       and give you peace.

                Numbers 6.24-26

(Bring His name

and ask His blessing

into this situation 

    and relationship.

God does not just

change the trajectory,

     but also my heart in it.)

O LORD,

You know far deeper 

than we are aware 

of the desperate need

  for You all around us.

Help us to cover this day,

these mine fields,

these miry bogs,

those we love dearly,

those we struggle to love,

with Your strong blessing 

      all over each one.

In Your name,

for Your glory.

Walk about Zion,

go around her,

number her towers,

consider well her ramparts,

go through her citadels,

that you may

  tell the next generation

that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will guide us

                   forever.

              Psalm 48. 12-14

(Not just knowing about God,

              but knowing Him,

every which way you can

       and make Him known

by what you say,

    by how you live.)

O LORD,

guide me into this day,

guide me into Your way

   even in this mine field,

   even through the miry bog.

Help me to know you more

     as both Savior and Lord

in all dimensions of my life.

...each one in his clan...

            Numbers 2. 34

(God invented the church.

 God invented small groups.

We need each other.

Fellowship,

connection,

belonging to His Body

   as an integral member.

Seeking out God's anointed people

    is not yet just another activity,

but vital community.)

O LORD,

please draw each one of us

into a circle of strong believers

to care for

        and to be cared by,

not just to live with

             but to love well,

not just in crisis

but surrounded in daily community

by those who love You

        and sharpen us.

The LORD spoke to Moses

       in the wilderness...

             Numbers 1. 1

(And He speaks to us in ours.

The wilderness is

   never a barren place,

but full to overflowing

    with the LORD's wonders.)

...and you shall clear out the old

to make way for the new.

                Leviticus 26. 10

(Your sin has been forgiven.

Your are enslaved no more.

"But this one thing I do:

forgetting what lies behind

and straining forward

     to what lies ahead,

I press on toward the goal

       for the prize

of the upward call of God

            in Christ Jesus."

             Philippians 3. 13-14

Christ makes all things new

     and transforms your life.)

...for My sake

      and for the gospel.

              Mark 10. 29

(In whatever I do today,

in everything I say,

wherever I am,

among whomever

     You put on my path,

Your love,

Your grace,

Your glory.)