...bringing many sons

                to glory...

            Hebrews 2. 10

(What if....

this really hard stuff,

       this awkward situation,

       this momentary affliction,

    is not ultimately all about us,

but for the spiritual well-being

       of those around us?

Not what if after all,

               but what is.

God has strategically placed us,

appointed us,

anointed us,

      to point others to Him.

We will be surprised,

  to see even the most unlikely.

What does it take?

   Our different heart in this.)

O LORD,

Please use us

    to love others around us,

    even those we don't even know,

   even the rebellious,

    in trouble

         and times of favor,

to bring them with us

                right before You.

You redeem all things,

       nothing wasted,

       nothing recycled,

but restored for Your glory,

      for Your kingdom,

and in Your holy name.

May we seek to bless You

in whatever we do today,

   wherever we are,

   among whomever.

But this I call to mind,

   and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD

           never ceases,

His mercies

       never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.

              Lamentations 3. 21-23

(That on which

       I can stake my life:

His steadfast love,

His fresh mercies,

His incredible faithfulness.

No matter what.

May this new song

   infiltrate our hearts and

   get stuck in our heads all day.

Bring our burdens to the LORD

        and leave them there,

the antidote to panic and despair.

And watch how God redeems.)

O LORD,

You are God.

You love us.

You surround us by Your mercies,

Your strength,

Your faithfulness

      in many size packages.

You have anointed us

           and appointed us

    for Your great purposes.

Even in this.

For Your glory

   and to bring many to You.

I will walk with integrity of heart

       within my house.

I will not set before my eyes

  anything that is worthless.

                 Psalm 101. 2-3

(Not just what am I

      walking away from,

but what am I

      walking toward?

What I do

does something to me.

And impacts

what kind of person

            I am becoming.

We can never know

    what can enslave us.

We always seem to justify

                what does.)

O LORD,

Help me to know

   when to walk away,

   turn it off,

   shut it down,

   not touch it at all,

   don't bring it

            through the door.

Let my longing for You

   transform my habits

   and shield my heart.

Know that the LORD,

      He is God!

It is He who made us,

and not we ourselves;

we are His people,

  and the sheep of His pasture.

                  Psalm 100. 3

(Knowing God,

and knowing Who He is,

empowers me

    to know who I am.

             I am His.

His name is written on my heart.

   His name is written on my life.

God's enduring love

       changes everything.

The true essence of my identity

    is discovering Who He is:

God Himself,

        my Creator,

        my Savior,

        the One who loves me.)

O LORD,

We are Your beloved.

We belong.

We belong to You.

May Your love for us

     and our love for You

reveal and point others to

             Who You are.

Be manifested

    by Your Spirit,

    moving deeply

    and transforming our hearts.

May we not just be seen

                as nice,

but found in Christ

        and known as one of Yours.

What kind of people love like that?

My identity is in You alone.

Beloved by You.

Show yourself in all respects

to be a model of good works,

and in your teaching

    show integrity, dignity,

          and sound speech

that cannot be condemned,

so that an opponent

may be put to shame,

having nothing evil

          to say about us.

                   Titus 2. 7-8

(Not that we are perfect,

but in every way we can,

       live above reproach.

Done in love,

     redeemed by God,

even my shortcomings.

It is not that we are immune

    to criticism

    or being judged by others,

but those opinions do not stick.

They do not define us,

because we are covered by His grace,

  when we seek to bring Him glory.

What am I modeling in this?)

O LORD,

Help us to be ardently active,

devoted and diligent in good works,

not in order to be saved,

          but because we are.

Please manifest Yourself

        in every good endeavor

for the well-being of many people,

and to point others to You.

What am I seeking in this situation?

To bring You glory.

Their Redeemer is strong;

   the LORD of hosts is His name.

                   Jeremiah 50. 34

(Remember Who He is,

remember Whose you are.

God is stronger than this situation.

He redeems the most unlikely.

The LORD reigns,

   even through what I cannot see.)

O LORD,

Be affirmed,

be manifested,

be evident and obvious,

    through these circumstances,

    through our response to them,

    through the work of our hands

            the words of our mouths,

        and the meditation of our hearts,

to point others to You.

You are our strong Redeemer.

We turn our faces to You.

Preach the Word;

be ready in season

    and out of season.

          2 Timothy 4. 2

(Why am I here in this situation,

this place of need,

these awkward circumstances?

Opportunities for the gospel

   come in many size packages,

   unlikely and unexpected,

       to point others to Him.

Be faithful in action,

but also as we tell our toddlers,

         "Use your words.")

O LORD,

Please help us not to just

   bring the gospel with us,

but live out the gospel

    -- Your love and grace

     and Good News of Jesus--

among whomever or wherever

You strategically position us today.

Please help us

to be prepared at all times

 -- even the unexpected--

to explain the hope

                within us.

And that would be You.

But fear not, O Jacob My servant,

nor be dismayed, O Israel,

for behold,

I will save you from far away,

and your offspring

    from the land of their captivity.

Jacob shall return

           and have quiet and ease,

and none shall make him afraid.

Fear not,

      O Jacob My servant,

declares the LORD,

       for I am with you.

             Jeremiah 46. 27-28

(Fill your name in the blank:

     "Fear not, ___________,

      for I am with you."

What does it take for us

            to grasp that?

God's Presence brings us through

    all kinds of fearful places,

    both real and imagined.

His deliverance comes

   in many different packages

and unfolds in unexpected ways.

God delivers us through

          the impossible

to manifest His power

and bring a host of others

                    with us.)

O LORD,

Train our ears to hear Your voice in this.

Train our hearts to respond.

May Your Word

         and Your Presence

be manifested in all areas

                 of our lives,

that we are equipped

       for every good work,

the invisible made visible.

Our hearts are Yours.

This day is Yours.

We trust You

         through it,

 not the present circumstances,

 not the forecast,

                 but You.

Fear just trips us up,

and worry blocks out

         any available light.

...ready for every good work.

                2 Timothy 2. 21

(Whatever that may

    look like today.

What has God

    put on my path?

What will He bring

     in the course of the day?

Reveal Your day

             before us, O LORD.

Make us sensitive 

      —and responsive—

even to the unexpected.)

O LORD,

Our work is just one way

   of showing You our love.

Please help us

     to be flexible and available 

to Your great purposes.

Nothing we do

    is insignificant.

Help us to be faithful

     in what You place before us

ready to go

   —or ready to stay—

       to fulfill Your designs.

Here I am.

         Use me.

...because you have 

put your trust in Me,

   declares the LORD.

            Jeremiah 39. 18

Because you have

made the LORD 

    your dwelling place...

             Psalm 91. 9

(Trusting God

changes our trajectory,

and life becomes 

  radically different journey,

       even right where we are.

How differently 

    do I approach and navigate 

this difficulty,

this impossible relationship,

even this “ordinary” day,

    because I trust God?)

O LORD,

Help us to trust You more

wherever we go today,

in whatever we do today,

            no matter the situation.

Please help us 

     to know You more.

Please help us

to not place our day 

                 before You,

but we ask You 

to place Your day 

                  before us,

for Your purposes,

for Your glory,

that which we cannot yet see.

Change our hearts

   that we trust

         not just Your way in this,

but You.

Jeremiah said,

“You shall not

      be given to them.

Obey now

the voice of the LORD 

in what I say to you,

and it shall be

          well with you,

and your life

     shall be spared.”

          Jeremiah 38. 20

(Inquire first God’s way

             in this,

seek Him through this,

not just an answer,

not just an outcome,

not just an exit door.

Even in what appears

        to make no sense,

faithfulness to God

   is always against the odds.

Faithfulness to Him

   always brings His glory 

   to it,

even through unlikely ways.)

O LORD,

You redeem the hard stuff 

by drawing us

        even closer to You,

that we would seek You

                          more.

Help us above all

    to be faithful to You,

even in this daunting situation,

     even right where we are

             on the most ordinary day,

and not be distracted 

       from Your glory in this.

And to know there are 

  no insignificant obediences.

        

    

So also good works

   are conspicuous,

and even those that are not

        cannot remain hidden.

                 1 Timothy 5. 25

(Because goodness,

kindness,

      love and grace

point others to God

and always plant

    big fruit bearing trees.)

O LORD,

Help us to be faithful to You

   in unlikely places,

responding with unexpected love

          to the needs of others,

even if no one ever notices,

even if it appears

       that no one cares,

even if it feels like

       it makes no difference.

May whatever we do

        bring You glory

and point others to You.

Help us to love people 

      right into Your kingdom.

So also good works

   are conspicuous,

and even those that are not

        cannot remain hidden.

                 1 Timothy 5. 25

(Because goodness,

kindness,

      love and grace

point others to God

and always plant

    big fruit bearing trees.)

O LORD,

Help us to be faithful to You

   in unlikely places,

responding with unexpected love

          to the needs of others,

even if no one ever notices,

even if it appears

       that no one cares,

even if it feels like

       it makes no difference.

May whatever we do

        bring You glory

and point others to You.

Help us to love people 

      right into Your kingdom.

So also good works

   are conspicuous,

and even those that are not

        cannot remain hidden.

                 1 Timothy 5. 25

(Because goodness,

kindness,

      love and grace

point others to God

and always plant

    big fruit bearing trees.)

O LORD,

Help us to be faithful to You

   in unlikely places,

responding with unexpected love

          to the needs of others,

even if no one ever notices,

even if it appears

       that no one cares,

even if it feels like

       it makes no difference.

May whatever we do

        bring You glory

and point others to You.

Help us to love people 

      right into Your kingdom.

So also good works

   are conspicuous,

and even those that are not

        cannot remain hidden.

                 1 Timothy 5. 25

(Because goodness,

kindness,

      love and grace

point others to God

and always plant

    big fruit bearing trees.)

O LORD,

Help us to be faithful to You

   in unlikely places,

responding with unexpected love

          to the needs of others,

even if no one ever notices,

even if it appears

       that no one cares,

even if it feels like

       it makes no difference.

May whatever we do

        bring You glory

and point others to You.

Help us to love people 

      right into Your kingdom.

Call to Me

    and I will answer you

and will tell you

great and hidden things

that you have not known.

                Jeremiah 33. 3

(Am I trying to

    figure out things 

    on my own?

Or seek God’s way

               in this?

Call, listen, respond.

God’s purposes 

  are not always

         laying on the surface.

“Come deeper with Me.”)

O LORD,

The unknown 

  is not unknown to You.

Help us to seek

   not just an answer,

   not just the reasons for it,

      nor even Your purposes,

but seeking You.

  

...I prayed to the LORD, saying,

“Ah, Lord God!

It is You who have made

the heavens and the earth 

by Your great power and

by Your outstretched arm!

Nothing is too hard for You.

...O great and mighty God,

whose name is

            the LORD of hosts,

great in counsel

       and mighty in deed...”

                Jeremiah 32. 17, 19

(And we begin our prayers 

           with “Dear God?”

How differently we would pray

if we knew God like this

and acknowledged Who He is.

Has it occurred to me

                      to pray?)

O LORD,

We come before You

in the awe 

of Your Presence with us.

You are God,

        and we are not.

But we are Yours.

You are here with us.

Help us to be faithful to You

           in all things today,

the favorable,

the difficult and messy,

     even in mystery,

     beyond my understanding.

Sent from my iPhone

For I know the plans

        I have for you,

        declares the LORD,

plans for welfare

   and not for evil,

to give you a future

       and a hope.

            Jeremiah 29. 11

(There is nothing random

        in this at all.

Seek God in this,

    seek God through this.

We are divinely appointed

         for His purposes,

         for His Kingdom,

         for His glory.

Even here,

even beyond our comprehension.

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

You are God,

      and we are not.

Great unknowns

    are not faceless voids,

 just unknown to us.

        But not to You.

You are with us.

Let us never forget that.

Let Your Presence,

Your plans,

Your purposes,

     even Your precise timing,

surround us,

calling us to come deeper

      in intimacy with You.

But the Lord is faithful.

He will establish you

and guard you

    against the evil one.

           2 Thessolonians 3.3

(What if there was

              nothing to fear

and only for us to be faithful?

How then would we live,

how differently

             would we approach this

    because we are His?

The Lord makes

      His footsteps a way

even into what we cannot see

                            yet.)

O LORD,

Thank You

    because You are God,

    and we are not.

Thank You

    because You are faithful

    and unchanging

    and all loving.

You know the way

        through this day.

We pray not for You to fit

              into our plans,

but for You to lay out before us

   Your day for each one of us,

           every intimate detail,

        for Your glory.

We know that You go before,

You walk beside,

You reside within,

You have our back.

No good thing

does He withhold

from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,

blessed is the one

     who trusts in You.

                 Psalm 84. 11-12

(God is not about

   to abandon you now.

"Trust in Me,

         trust Me,

not in answers,

nor in circumstances."

There is always

a lot more at stake

than what we see

                   now.)

O LORD,

Your goodness surrounds us,

so much that most often

we cannot even recognize

       Your hand in this,

  until the other side of it.

Please help us to be

        faithful to You,

even in mystery,

knowing You are working,

          and knowing You.

Establish our hearts in You,

keep our eyes on You

            not the outcome,

           nor the steep cliff,

but wherever

     and among whomever

You strategically position us

                       today

and to walk with You

            in it and through it.

Your goodness is displayed

      not just at the end

but in the midst of the journey.

In the latter days

   you will understand it

                    clearly.

        Jeremiah 23. 20

(Just because we don't get it

doesn't mean

      that God is not in this,

but that His mighty purposes

       are deeper than we can see,

   far more profound than

     my finite brain can grasp,

   and may not have ripened yet.

As my grandmother used to

       tell me as a little girl,

"Sometimes you just have to

           trust the LORD

and live in the mystery of it."

Her peace was

not in figuring things out,

but in

       knowing Him,

and on that she could

            stake her life.)

O LORD,

Please help us

          to trust You more,

not distracted by circumstances,

nor by what appears

             to make no sense.

Please keep our eyes focused

   not in trying to explain away

    the favorable or the hard stuff,

but in knowing and trusting You.

        

Blessed is the man

      who trusts in the LORD,

      whose trust is the LORD.

He is like a tree

          planted by water,

that sends out its roots

               by the stream,

and does not fear

     when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious

            in the year of drought,

for it does not cease

       to bear fruit.

               Jeremiah 17. 7-8

(Trusting God is not

          a sweet sentiment,

but in Whom I stake my life.

Trusting God

    transcends all circumstances.

God empowers us to respond,

not to be handicapped by fear.

God bears fruit

     even amidst the impossible.)

O LORD,

You are our joy

            and our strength.

You are our Shepherd.

    We lack nothing at all.

You have set us

     in the most unlikely places

  to bring You glory.

Please help us

           to live that way,

trusting You

    even in what appears

    as a dry and barren place.

Help us to see it differently

   and live differently in it,

   because we know You.

We are rooted and grounded

not in favorable circumstances,

   but Your unchangeable love.

Help us to realize

that the opposite of fear

     is not the absence of the scary,

but trust in You.

Take away the

        dross from the silver,

and the smith has

    material for a vessel.

                  Proverbs 25. 4

(Show us, O LORD,

what is standing in our way

        of being used by You

for Your divine purposes

and for Your glory.

There are no little rebellions,

   nor tiny idols,

selfishness always hurts others,

and pride messes it all up.

The refining of silver

is what Your grace

                   forgiveness does:

     You change us completely.)

O LORD,

Purify our hearts,

     that we would see You

and know You more.

We have no clue

  how remarkably You can use us

        for Your divine appointments.

You know for what

      an extraordinary life

     You have created us.

You call us to Yourself

    and to Your purposes.

Let not our dross,

      our worthless pursuits,

      our rubbish

stand in the way

        of the beautiful.

Even in this day.

But we were

      gentle among you.

          1 Thessalonians 2. 7

(An exceedingly rare

and unexpected response

          in our world.

And the most persuasive

                        of all.)

   .

O LORD,

May we be the gentle ones,

even when that is the last thing

            anyone would expect.

May Your grace pour over us

      and through us

to find Your way in this,

      which brings glory to You.

Gentleness is always going to

            look very different.

Please help us

   to follow Your heart

   in whatever we face today,

         whether volatile situations

         or what appears as ordinary places.

Whatever you do,

work heartily,

      as for the Lord

      and not men,

knowing that from the Lord

you will receive the inheritance

              as your reward.

You are serving

         the Lord Christ.

    

         Colossians 3. 23

(Whatever,

wherever,

whenever,

    serving Christ in this.

It's all ministry.

The most profound thing

               we can do today

is work heartily for the Lord,

in whatever opportunity

       that appears today,

even unexpected and unlikely.

Because of the incredible freedom

      in being called to Him,

in every good endeavor

we are being used mightily,

and placed strategically,

          for His glory in this.)

O LORD,

Use us for Your glory

in whatever we do today.

Let Your purposes prevail

             through us,

let Your glory

     get all over everything.

Help us to not be always

        looking for open doors

        or the next big thing,

but faithful to You

             in the now.

             

Thus says the LORD:

Let not the wise man

        glory in his wisdom,

let not the mighty man

        glory in his might,

let not the rich man

        glory in his riches,

but let him who glories

               glory in this,

that he understands

      and knows Me,

that I am the LORD

who practices steadfast love,

justice and righteousness

                  in the earth.

For in these things I delight,

            declares the LORD.

                 Jeremiah 9. 23-24

(What do we celebrate?

What do we boast about

           --even to ourselves?

What praise do we seek?

What do we

  set our minds and hearts on?

In all things,

to know Him more

             and bring Him glory.

How do we do that today?

                Intentionally.)

O LORD,

In all we say and do

   and dwell on today,

may we bring You glory.

May Your Presence

          be multiplied

   over all the earth

and even right here

         in this day.

Please help us

    to point others to You,

Your love,

Your goodness,

Your grace,

to know You

        and make You known.

We will not hide them

     from their children,

but tell to the 

            coming generation

the glorious deeds 

    of the LORD and His might,

and the wonders

          that He has done.

....that the next generation 

 might know them,

         the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them

                to their children,

so that they should

     set their hope in God....

                   Psalm 78. 4-7

(The most significant thing

we can ever do

          for the people around us,

the most loving legacy

              lived out before them.)

O LORD,

Please help us this day

to love others

        right into Your Kingdom

and not hesitate a moment 

    to point others to You.

Help us to be aware 

   and sensitive to those

   You have 

              placed around us.

You are the Almighty One.

Your way was

    through the sea,

Your path

    through the great waters,

yet Your footprints 

               were unseen.

                   Psalm 77. 19

(Not God will bring you

        through this.

God IS bringing you

        through this.

God’s specialty

  is what only appears

         impossible to us.

“Trust Me in this.”)

O LORD, 

Help us not just to see

an answer 

or a path

or a rescue helicopter 

or a new door,

but that we would seek You.

Only You.

Please grant us 

    one little step

    and Your strength to take it,

and trust You for the next.

...to walk in a manner

       worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing to Him,

bearing fruit

       in every good work,

and increasing in the

       knowledge of God.

              Colossians 1. 10

(How do I navigate my way

   through this volatile passage,

   through this rocky path,

   through this hard relationship,

   through this day

      which only appears ordinary?

Walk like that,

respond like that,

pray like that.)

O LORD,

You are before all things,

            even this,

in You all things hold together,

            even this,

seamlessly woven for Your glory.

Please guide my steps

   to walk with you,

no matter the circumstances.

For Your glory.

For Your Kingdom.

In Your Holy Name.

Help me to walk like that.

Then I said,

"Ah, Lord GOD!

Behold, I do not know

               how to speak,

for I am only a youth."

But the LORD said to me,

"Do not say,

      'I am only a youth,'

for to all to who I send you,

           you shall go,

and whatever I command you,

           you shall speak.

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you

     to deliver you,

               declares the LORD.

                      Jeremiah 1. 6-8

("Ahhhhh!  I can't do this."

And God replies,

      "Good, because I can."

God always chooses

   the most unlikely candidates,

because they are the ones

      who know their strength

      is not their own.

Even in mystery,

even into unknown territory,

even in the really really hard stuff,

         "I am with you."

God's glory

          and not our own.)

 

O LORD,

You have placed each of us

among those who don't yet know You.

We would be surprised

        by those who are seeking You,

who at this very moment

        yearn for hope in You.

Please help us to speak of You

            in both words and actions,

      in attitudes and tangible ways,

even when it's hard,

even when we think no one

                       is listening.

You, O God,

         complete our sentences

  and bring power to Your Word.

For Your glory.

For Your Kingdom.

In Your holy Name.