Seven times a day

        I praise You

for Your righteous rules.

               Psalm 119. 164

(How differently my heart would be

    if I praised God

    seven times a day?

How differently would I see?

How differently would I live?

Praise does not get God's attention

    but refocuses my attention

                    towards Him.)

    

O LORD,

You have surrounded us

with songs of deliverance.

You indwell,

infiltrate,

intervene,

infect our lives with Your Spirit

           in all things

for our good

and for Your glory.

May our lives be marked

     by praise to You.

We praise You

not just for what is tangible,

not just for what we understand,

but the eternal.

He got down on his knees

three times a day

and prayed

and gave thanks to God,

as he had done previously.

                Daniel 6. 10

(The residual strengthening

                 of prayer,

not a habit,

but a continual conversation,

a daily engraving

         in our hearts

His goodness,

faithfulness

          and guidance.

Did it even occur to me

   to pray about this?

How do we live differently

today

because we came before

               the LORD?)

O LORD,

You guide on unexpected paths,

You deliver in unlikely packages,

You do far more abundantly

    than we can imagine.

Align our hearts to Yours,

that we would know You more,

seeking You,

     not just an answer.

O give thanks to the LORD,

for He is good;

for His steadfast love

           endures forever.

       1 Chronicles 16. 34

(Am I just feeling thankful?

Or am I grateful to God?

Giving thanks to God

is not just a warm and fuzzy feeling

when all appears favorable,

   but is the basic foundation

                    of trusting God,

     even in the hard stuff.

A state of being thankful

           see God differently.

A sacrifice of thanksgiving

  is being thankful in all things,

not just thankful for all things,

even before

     we ever see the outcome.

God never works

            in singular results.

His Presence abounds.

The faithful know that

             hidden joy

and sing aloud this refrain.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

O LORD,

You are good.

You do good.

You are faithful.

You surround us,

indwell within,

walk with us,

no matter the circumstances.

Your steadfast love

          endures forever.

May we live in that reality.

May Your love be engraved

     in our hearts.

...but you are able

for the Spirit of the holy God

         is in you.

                  Daniel 4. 18

(It is not in us,

      but God in us.

"I can't do this!"

And God says,

    "Good.

I'm glad you realized that.

     Because I can.")

O LORD,

We come before You

with things too mighty for us,

for impossible situations,

amidst impossible people,

a deep sea of troubles

  with an army in pursuit,

and You part the sea

  and bring us through,

in ways totally unexpected

and totally from You.

The answer, the strength,

   the path of deliverance

is not in us,

          but in You,

that Your glory

may get all over everything.

Even this.

Humble yourselves, therefore,

under the mighty hand of God

so that,

at the proper time,

    He may exalt you,

casting all your anxieties

                    on Him,

because He cares for you.

                 1 Peter 5. 6-7

(Trusting God

is not an antidote to anxiety,

but being anxious

is the opposite of trusting Him.

Have I considered

     trusting God about this?

What if.....

   not "what might happen,"

but what if

      I trusted God?)

O LORD,

Please help us

to not just trust You in this,

but to walk with You

        through this.

You love us

    more than we can know.

We are Yours,

   not just accepted by You,

   or belonging to You,

but beloved by You.

Bring Your name

             and Your glory

into this,

             O LORD,

Your divine timing,

Your strategic design,

even in what

           we cannot understand..

 

Always be prepared

to make a defense

to anyone who asks

for a reason

   for the hope

   that is in you;

yet do it with gentleness

           and respect.

            1 Peter 3. 15

(How do I navigate

     this difficult situation,

     this defeat,

     this impossible person,

     even this triumph,

differently

   because I am a believer?

Others are watching

              continually

to see what difference

     God makes in your life

and to see if God is real.)

O LORD,

Please make us aware

to the needs around us

and to be Your salt and

light and healing

    in dark and difficult places,

even when we do not know

      that others are watching

      and impacted by

  what we do and say

         and our attitude.

Please let our hope in You

        be evident

and to live in such a way

  that others are compelled

       to ask "why."

You are that why.

For Your glory.

Their leaves will not wither,

nor their fruit fail,

but they will bear

  fresh fruit every month,

because the water for them

  flows from the sanctuary.

Their fruit will be for food,

  and their leaves for healing.

                 Ezekiel 47. 12

(Our relationship with God,

our seeking Him,

serving Him,

loving God and others

does not just change our lives,

  but profoundly impacts

  everyone around us

  and everyone

         who comes after.

Favorable circumstances

     are not the source

               of our strength,

     but God.

God brings the fruit,

  even in the impossible.)

O LORD,

Thank You for the fruit

    that You are bearing

              through our lives,

even in what we may never see,

even in what has not yet ripened.

How do we live differently,

in what are we able to do,

in what we bring to others

            in truckloads,

    because You are

    the source of our strength?

        

...and I shall walk

      in a wide place,

for I have

    sought Your precepts.

             Psalm 119. 45

(Reading God's Word daily

    changes how we walk,

because we walk with Him

    in His embedded Word,

not just in crisis

  but morning by morning

  responding to Him.

His glories emerge in the victories,

in the crises,

even in the ordinary.

We are not impervious to circumstances

     but responsive to them

with a different vision

        and a changed heart.)

O LORD,

You have given us Your Word.

You reveal Yourself,

You change us

      and everyone around us,

   every time

      we dwell in Your Word,

far beyond what we can imagine.

My soul melts away

            for sorrow,

strengthen me

  according to Your Word.

                Psalm 119.28

(The Scriptures are unlike

   anything else that we read.

They are

        the very words of God.

We will face sorrow on this earth.

Everyone struggles with something.

But God does not

               abandon us in it.

God grants His strength

         beyond understanding

   even in impossible places.

Even in the darkest night,

  He whispers, "walk with Me."

His Word,

His unfailing love,

His hope for today

    and a million tomorrows

           holds us together,

His Word, love, hope on which

    we can stake our lives.)

O LORD,

There are things

too deep for words,

beyond what we can know,

far from what we

     can understand

     or explain.

In what we can see,

in what we cannot see,

        we trust You in them.

O LORD, You redeem.

  You are already redeeming.

Strengthen us

       through Your Word.

The prayer of a righteous person

has great power

        as it is working.

                James 5. 16

(Praying matters.

Praying matters a lot.

God is working in

               His power.

God changes situations,

   even for what I am praying,

   even my heart in this,

when I seek God

         and not just an answer.

God never works

      in singular outcomes.)

O LORD,

We pray that You will work,

  but realize

  You are already working.

We ache sometimes so deeply

   that we don't know how to pray,

            we are beyond words,

and You fill in the gaps.

If we only knew

   Your power in prayer,

we would never hesitate

      to come right to You.

Align our hearts to Yours,

               O LORD.

 

So whoever knows

  the right thing to do

        and fails to do it,

for him it is sin.

               James 4. 17

("It doesn't matter"

       always matters.

Guide me into this, O Lord,

show me what to do

    and how to navigate this,

grant me the courage

   to do what is right

   in Your eyes,

to seek Your way in this,

or I will always be trying

             to make up for it,

always trying to justify

   my action or inaction,

always making excuses.)

O LORD,

There is nothing

      but nothing

insignificant in obeying You,

even in what we consider

              a small thing,

even in what others overlook,

           turn away from,

           drive by,

    or say doesn't matter.

May everything we do

   done to the smallest detail

   show our love for You  

       and our love for others.

There are no small details

    in responding to You.

Align our hearts

                 with Yours.

...look with your eyes,

and hear with your ears,

and set your heart upon

  all that I shall show you,

for you were brought here

   in order that

   I might show it to you.

                   Ezekiel 40. 4

(Nothing random in this

                 at all,

  but His sacred appointments,

brought about for

     God's profound purposes,

divinely and strategically positioned

    to know Him more

    and to make Him known,

to obey in place,

to seek God not just for the next,

          but serve Him in the now.)

O LORD,

Fulfill Your purposes today

in every divine appointment,

in every encounter

     even in what appears ordinary.

Please help us to

         set our hearts on You,

   not mired by circumstances,

   but responsive to You in them.

Even in mystery,

even in what I cannot know,

   Your purposes prevail,

   You, O LORD,

               are redeeming.

And I answered,

   " O Lord GOD,

            You know."

         Ezekiel 37. 3

(And that is why

        we pray.

The unknown

  is not unknown

             to Him.

God's purposes prevail.

God redeems.)

O LORD,

Please help us

  to not be daunted by

the big rocks on our trail,

by the potholes,

by the tight and scary places,

by what is unknown

                        to us.

Reveal Your way through,

help us to follow You

    even right where we are,

    even in the midst of it.

Faith is knowing You

   and knowing You are in this.

Faithfulness

   is staking our lives

               on that reality.

And the land that was desolate

            shall be tilled,

instead of being the desolation

    that it was in the sight

    of all who passed by.

And they will say,

"This land that was desolate

has become

      like the garden of Eden."

               Ezekiel 36. 34-35

(What barren place has

       God placed me

   to till the land and

   to bear fruit?

God changes the landscape,

    He redeems the impossible.

God sees this place,

this situation,

these people,

even us

            with different eyes.)

O LORD,

You bring restoration

    to what we only see

    as devastation.

You bring Your glory

         to this place.

Please help us

      to be faithful to You

--to know that

        You are in this--

even here,

even in this.

Let brotherly love continue.

Do not neglect to show

    hospitality to strangers,

for thereby

   some have entertained

              angels unawares.

                  Hebrews 13. 1-2

(Let your love for others

      be enlarged,

           expand,

      overflow its banks.

Hospitality means

           "love of strangers."

Entertain means

    "to receive as a guest."

The love of Christ in us,

our love for others

     is what distinguishes us.

What kind of people

            live like this?

   And love like this?)

O LORD,

You have surrounded us

   with those who are familiar,

   with those yet for us to know,

   with those who are

                  even difficult,

   those who know You,

   those who have not yet

                     met You.

Let Your love overflow

     through us,

let You be glorified in this.

By our love for You,

by our love for others,

    we will be known.

  

Iron sharpens iron,

and one man

          sharpens another.

           Proverbs 27. 17

(Place yourself among those

   who sharpen you spiritually.

Intentionally seek out those

   who help you grow deeper

   in your intimacy with God.

It does not just happen.

"The proof of desire

    is in the pursuit."

               --pastor Chris Davis.)

O LORD,

You have created us

for relationship with You.

You have made us

    for fellowship

    with Your people.

We don't just need them,

  but they need us,

to grow together,

to know You more.

What is missing from church

         is deep community.

What is missing from church

                      is us.

Therefore,

since we are surrounded by

so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside

      every weight,

and sin which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance

the race that is set before us,

             looking to Jesus...

              Hebrews 12. 1-2

(Cheered on by the saints,

watched by others

    to see if God is real.

Let us run,

    gaining strength as we go,

staying faithful to Him,

even when the course

     seems to go on forever,

even when it takes

    an unexpected turn.

Steadfast

           for His glory.)

O LORD,

We cannot know

    how You are using us,

even on this course

            we are running,

no matter the circumstances,

no matter the pace

             or the place,

but keeping our eyes on You.

Please make us strong

          out of our weakness

  that You alone

               are being glorified.

Please help us

   to be intentional

   in being faithful to You

and to keep on running

           towards You,

helping others along the way.

By faith...

           Hebrews 11

(This phrase is repeated

          18 times

   in a single chapter.

It's not about superheroes,

but ordinary people like us

       how to live this life,

not focused

    on a particular answer

    of our own choosing,

but faith in God

  and abiding in Him,

no matter the circumstances,

no matter the outcome,

       but for His glory in this.

God is able to do far more

    than we can ever imagine.

That is what faith is:

     knowing God is in this.)

O LORD,

You know.

You see.

You are already redeeming,

   even of what we are not aware.

In You,

    mystery is not a place of despair,

    but a call to "come deeper in Me."

Even right where we are,

even in what is still invisible to us,

not just to have faith,

       but to be faithful to You.

You never work

    in singular outcomes.

By faith....

  show us how

           to know You more.

         

And the people said to me,

“Will you not tell us

what these things

         mean for us,

that you are acting thus?”

             Ezekiel 24. 19

(Always be prepared 

to answer those who ask

about the hope 

       that is in you,

the grace that shows,

the faithfulness to God

that cannot be explained away.

People are always watching,

not to see if your life is perfect,

but how you respond 

               when it is not,

to see if God is real.)

O LORD,

Be manifest in us,

in word and deed

       and attitude,

distinguish us

   by Your Spirit

   coursing strongly in us,

through thick and thin.

Please help us

to navigate life differently 

  because we love You,

and live in such a way

   that You are seen.

Let us consider

how to stir up one another

    to love and good works,

not neglecting

          to meet together,

as is the habit of some,

but encouraging

            one another,

and all the more

  as you see

  the Day drawing near.

           Hebrews 10. 24-25

(Have we considered

how to stir up

     love and good works

     among us?

How to encourage others

   in all they are doing,

   in their struggles,

   and in their triumphs?

What is missing

    in the Church is us.

Fellowship is not an option,

 not just yet another thing to do,

 not an event,

but a vital connection

    that incredibly

    strengthens us all.)

O LORD,

Have we even considered

how to encourage others

                 today?

How to love each other

            in real time?

How to not discover community,

    but to build it?

With God

   we shall do valiantly;

it is He

   who will tread down

                 our foes.

                Psalm 108. 13

(We are not in this alone,

        but with God

and deep within His purposes

   that go far beyond our lives.

It is not the rallying cry of the world,

        "Believe in yourself,"

   that gives strength and courage,

but

      "Believe in Me."

Do our lives appear any different

          than those all around us?)

O LORD,

Please help us,

strengthen us,

grant us the courage to go forth

            into Your great purposes.

You are already victorious

   over our foes

          --over our fears--

both real and imagined.

Help us not to be distracted

      from Who You are.

You bring Your glory

   no matter what appears the outcome.

He turns a desert

           into pools of water,

a parched land

     into springs of water.

              Psalm 107. 35

(God changes the landscape.

We have only to be

        faithful to Him,

                right where we are.

Even in what appears a barren place,

      God is bearing fruit,

the seamless connection between

  faithfulness and fruitfulness,

most of which we will never see.)

O LORD,

Someday, someday,

   when all is ripened

   and all is redeemed,

we will stand in awe

       of what You have been doing

                  all along.

We pray for Your flourishing

                in this place,

Your restoring,

Your redeeming,

for the wellbeing and salvation

                   of many people.

It is not that we understand fully

         why we are here,

   but that You are glorified.

Please help us to be faithful

       even here,

       even now.

They served their idols

which became

    a snare to them.

               Psalm 106. 36

(Everyone worships something.

If we do not worship God,

a lesser god will take

     His rightful place.

An idol is an object

        of extreme devotion

that slips in the back door

    and takes up residence.

An idol will always

     deflate our tires,

        dominate our time,

        mind and emotions,

     and trip up

         our relationship with God.)

O LORD,

May we set our eyes on You,

focus our attention and time,

and trust You fully.

Please help us to be wary

      of disguised idols

--the ridiculous things--

that distract us

   from Who You are.

...that it might produce branches

       and bear fruit...

                 Ezekiel 17. 8

(Why has God positioned us

    in this odd, awkward,

    difficult, barren place?

To be faithful to Him

     and bring His flourishing here.

Pray constantly.

Live faithfully.

Love well.

Practice grace in this.

Bring the name of Jesus there.)

O LORD,

You bring opportunities before us

     in every kind of package

to bring glory to you

and to seek the welfare

      of people in this place,

   who have faces and names

        and very real needs.

Please help us to be faithful

  in whatever You have

        placed before us today

and to trust You fully,

even in what

       we cannot understand.

I cannot do everything,

   but I can do something.

I can show You my love

     by responding to You.

...you dwell in the midst

     of a rebellious house...

                  Ezekiel 12. 2

(Be faithful to God anyway,

              in all ways,

      in their sight,

that they may wonder,

"What are you doing?

What kind of people

   live and love like that?"

Others are always

          watching,

not to see if we are perfect,

but desperately to see

   if God is real.)

O LORD,

Thank you for placing us

    right where we are

that we would

         bring You glory

 and the name of Jesus here

    in word and deed

    and attitude.

You specialize

       in impossible situations

to draw others to You,

   even to draw us closer.

Please show us

  not just how to navigate this,

but how to be faithful to You

and how to love deeply

    even the resistant

    right to You.

Then I looked,

    and behold....

       Ezekiel 10. 1

(What we discover

   when we seek the LORD,

what we miss

    because we do not.

God grants us

         a different vision,

         a new strength,

deeper than circumstances

             would appear.

Faithfulness is not

    seeing both the path

    and the outcome,

but knowing Who does

and walking with Him

            through it.)

O LORD,

We cannot know

     what is ahead,

even the next week,

this day or the next,

even in the next moment.

But You do.

Align our hearts to You,

reveal to us

        Your way through this.

Let not the unknown

  or what we cannot understand

distract us

     from Your deeper purposes.

You don't intend for us

               to go this life alone

into unlikely places,

uncomfortable situations,

the deeper mysteries,

      but walk with You.

When You send forth Your Spirit

    they are created,

and You renew

    the face of the ground.

             Psalm 104. 30

(God changes the landscape,

even the barren places,

even the impossible.

When His Spirit infiltrates,

    nothing can remain the same.

The outward circumstances

    may only appear to remain,

but God brings flourishing

    in every impossible place,

quite suddenly,

        from death to life.

Watch what God

             is about to do,

watch what He has

    already set in motion.)

O LORD,

You renew,

You restore,

You work far beyond

    what we can imagine.

May the face of the ground,

   the face of our lives,

bear Your grace.

And you shall speak

       My words to them,

whether they hear

           or refuse to hear,

for they are

    a rebellious house.

                 Ezekiel 2. 7

(We can never know

    who is listening.

It would astonish us

  how God is already working

  in the hearts of others

           and even in ours.

Our job is not to be successful,

  or to have a visible impact,

  or produce measurable results,

but to be faithful to God.

It is His Word, not mine,

     that never returns void.)

O LORD,

Wherever we are,

      there You already are,

drawing others to You.

Please help us

   to be faithful,

despite prevailing appearances,

   even in the face of opposition,

   even among the rebellious,

because You love them too.

You have placed us strategically

       for Your glory

and to bring Your Name

               to this place,

Your purposes

    already in motion.