...for the LORD has chosen you

        to stand in His Presence,

to minister to Him

and to be His ministers

and make offerings to Him.

           2 Chronicles 29. 11

(No ordinary day at all.

    Nothing ordinary in it.

Do we see ourselves

as strategically appointed

    and divinely placed

         to bring God glory?

Even in the most unexpected corners

and amidst the most unlikely people

and unanticipated situations

      that we didn't see coming.

Are we seeking His blessing today?

      Or seeking to bless Him?

We are appointed

to stand in His Presence

   in whatever we do today,

   wherever we are.)

Love you into the wild.

O LORD,

Help us

to pursue You

    into the opportunities

    You have placed

         right before us.

Use us

      for Your glory.

We stand before You,

               O LORD.

Help us to know

   that worshipping You

changes the trajectory

       of our lives.

Help us

  to love others

  into Your kingdom.

And encourage

   all those on our path. 

So Jotham became mighty,

because he ordered his ways

before the LORD his God.

               2 Chronicles 27. 6

(When we order our ways

               before God,

when we listen, respond

       and follow Him,

God transforms

  the trajectory of our lives,

the journey,

and the fruit He bears

                through us

which sustains not just us,

but all those around us,

even those yet unborn.

Because we walk with God,

because the LORD

               is our strength,

life looks very different.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

We come before you

              this morning,

not to lay out our agenda

                  before You,

but for You

   to lay out Your day for us.

Help us to

    walk with You through it,

aware of Your Presence,

aware of Your grace,

aware that

    You are the Almighty.

Guide our steps,

transform our hearts,

and order our ways

      for Your glory.

And Amaziah said

       to the man of God,

"But what shall we do

about the hundred talents

that I have given

      to the army of Israel?"

The man of God answered,

"The LORD is able

to give you

        much more than this."

            2 Chronicles 25. 9

(Obedience to God

will always cost something,

but never

   as much as disobedience.

God provides

         more than enough

--more than we can imagine

    in so many dimensions--

when we respond to Him.

What is at stake in this--

pride,

inconvenience,

loss of a few extra minutes

             of sleep?

God does not just make up

        for obedience.

He opens up

  something far deeper

in our relationship

             with Him.)

O LORD,

Help us not just to hear

       Your voice in this.

But to respond to You.

How do we approach this

                  differently

  because we belong to You?

It is not a matter of knowing

        what to do,

  but trusting You.

Let Your love and grace

       be evident

that others will see and know

    that You are the LORD.

And that we too

        would be reminded

  that You are the Almighty.

And Jehoiada made a covenant

between himself

and all the people

          and the king

that they should 

   be the LORD's people.

          2 Chronicles 23. 16

(To be known as the LORD's

    and choose to live that way.

How does that reality change

     what I do today

     and how I do it?

God lays His day before

       each one of us

to place

   the imprint of His glory

             all over it.

Nothing is insignificant

    in how we live,

    how we pray,

    how we respond to God.

Do others see

         a difference in us

  because we know Him

  and we belong to Him?)

O LORD,

Help others to see

         that we are Yours.

Help us to realize

         that we are Yours.

May all that we do today,

    our attitudes,

    our actions,

    our thoughts,

         bring You glory.

May all that we are in You

   point others to You.

Help us to not just be

           known as Yours

    but know we are Yours.

We belong to You.

   May that reality

   change our hearts

         in all we do.

Even today.

Even in this.

For we are powerless

against this great horde

     that is coming against us.

We do not know

           what to do,

but our eyes

                are on You.

(These words of truth

    are one of my favorite verses.

We all have hordes

      coming against us.

We all struggle with something.

The very basis

       of changing a situation

       and changing our hearts

                      is realizing:

1. we are powerless

2. we do not know what to do.

God is God and we are not.

     When we trust the LORD,

           not our circumstances

           or own lack of abilities,

  the tectonic plates of the world

                radically shift.

The opposite of paralyzing fear

      is absolute worship.

When we seek God in prayer

     and song and praise,

when we come before Him

     with honestly empty hands,

God changes our hearts

                      and vision.

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

If we look to our surroundings

    and prevailing struggles

    and forecasted storms,

to anything but You,

       we are overwhelmed

                  and rightly so.

We are not in control

    and were never meant to be.

But You are sovereign

    and always have been,

over all,

    what is happening

    and even what might happen.

Help us to realize, O LORD,

  that this fear we insist

           on dragging along with us,

   keeps us from seeing You

              and Your glory in this.

Please help us

        to not miss the wonder of You.

His heart was courageous

   in the ways of the LORD.

           2 Chronicles 17. 6

(When we walk not just

    in the ways of the LORD,

but walk with the LORD,

  He strengthens our hearts.

And we are undeterred

          by circumstances,

   by the appearance of danger

                   or possible pain,

   but able to respond to life

                differently.

The strongest people I know

   navigate the bumps

              and the tsunamis,

      with a different heart,

because they have already

       been to the cliff

                        and back,

and know God is there too.

  "Do not be afraid.  

   I am with you."

That reality

         changes everything.)

O LORD,

Please help us

to cast aside the anxiety,

the worries,

the debilitating fears,

   that only distract us

                  from You.

Help us

    to trust You in this.

Grant us the courage

       to walk with You

and not slog,

   mired in worry or fear.

The unknown is

    not unknown to You.

Help us to not

          miss You in this

but realize Your Presence.

Others are always watching

     to see

     if we handle adversity

               differently

and watch desperately

          to see if You are real.

Help us to trust You in this,

 to choose You in this,

   and see how different

the journey and the outcome.

But you,

        take courage!

Do not let

     your hands be weak,

for your work

          shall be rewarded.

              2 Chronicles 15. 7

(We can never know

how profoundly

        God is using us.

He generously gives us

   the strength

        to be faithful to Him.

Anxiety only distracts,

  sends us into the ditch,

and drains all the air

          out of our tires.)

O LORD,

Our time with You

         always bears fruit

in infinite ways,

in this day,

in our lives,

in the lives of those

          all around us.

We cannot read Your Word

   without being changed

   by You.

Nothing can ever

    remain the same

when we seek You,

    listen, respond,

    and follow You.

You multiply,

deepen,

strengthen,

enlarge our hearts and vision,

     and fulfill our work

               immeasurably.

Help us to know that courage

     is not the absence of fear

but relying on You.

Help us to

         not be distracted

  from Your strength

and from Your glory in this.

May we go forth

     and run in Your name.

...for this thing

      is from Me.

     2 Chronicles 11. 4

(Don't struggle against it,

but follow God

           through it.

What if

God meant this

    for some profound purpose

    and the welfare of many

--that which we cannot yet see--

how differently

      would we see it,

      respond to it,

      trust Him in it?

Not what if,

          but God is.

God loves us,

  not just when

       conditions are comfortable

      or the forecast is favorable,

but to the very edge of the cliff

                 and back again.

No matter what.

Even in this ________.

   Fill in the blank.)

O LORD,

You don't just know

what we are going through;

  You are already redeeming it.

Help us to follow You,

to lean on You

             for understanding,

             for strength,

    for a different heart in this.

You specialize

       in impossible situations.

   You always have,

that we would know You more,

that we would know

       it is not our strength

                    but Yours,

that we would know

     that You are God.

And we are not.

You are already redeeming.

Sometimes we don't see that

    until the rearview mirror.

Thank You that

   nothing in all of creation

   can separate us from You.

If you will be good to this people

and please them

and speak good words to them,

then they will be

            your servants forever.

                     2 Chronicles 10. 7

(People may not remember

                 our exact words,

but always how we treat them.

Never underestimate

the power of kindness

              and affirming words.

A gentle response

    takes the world off-guard,

    never what others expect

        in a volatile situation.

Because God's Spirit dwells in us

      we can respond differently.

And it always matters

     more than we can know,

even in ways we may never see.

On the wisdom of this verse

   pivoted the future of a kingdom

            and its resulting division.

We never realize

   how profoundly different

   the outcome can be

       from which words we choose

   and how we speak them.)

O LORD,

May we embrace Your Word.

And let it mold our own words,

     change our hearts

                  and attitudes,

and radically redeem

   the most impossible situations.

Help us to bring

   the name of Jesus here today,

wherever we are,

whatever we are doing,

how we respond,

    even among resistant people.

Please let Your love and grace

     surprise everyone involved

and alter the world

                 for Your glory.

I call upon the LORD,

Who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved

             from my enemies.

              Psalm 18. 3

(My enemies,

my foes,

my adversaries

are anything I fear,

    both real and imagined.

God reveals Himself

  in the midst of circumstances.

God delivers

   in ways we sometimes

           don't recognize at all.

What if there was

    nothing to be afraid of?

How much are we missing

                because we fear?

How differently do

   I approach this

   because I am a believer?)

O LORD,

Please help us to

    set our minds on You

and not be distracted

    by hard circumstances,

    or dire forecasts,

    or huge looming shadows,

    or anything

             not from You.

Help us to pray our way through,

      arise and go forth

with Your strength,

not going into the unknown,

    but what is known to You.

When we pray,

   nothing can remain the same.

Help us to trust You,

          even in this.

....in order

that we may

      bear fruit for God.

            Romans 7. 4

What in the world 

      am I doing?

Why am I here

    in the midst of this hard place,

    among these people,

    dealing with this mess

        or what I don’t understand?

To bear fruit for God,

       in whatever shape that may look.

Take root and bear fruit,

    even in what we may

    never see fully ripen.

God’s purposes flourish 

   wherever we are planted today,

in whatever circumstances 

          favorable or not

       nothing is random here,

among whomever God puts

            on our paths or hearts.)

O LORD,

We may not see Your purposes 

             or Your fruit,

but we can be assured 

that You are using us

to sustain,

to encourage,

to strengthen,

and to bring Your name here.

Even here.

Even in this.

This may not be about us at all,

but for those around us

and those who come after,

a blessing and testimony 

        yet to ripen.

For You are good,

    for Your steadfast love

    endures forever.

In that night

God appeared to Solomon,

and said to him,

  “Ask what I shall give you.”

And Solomon said to God,

“....Give me now wisdom

and knowledge to 

go out and come in 

            before this people...”

                 2 Chronicles 1. 7-8

(And how do we respond 

                     to the LORD?

Notice in its context

that this incident occurred 

     immediately that very night,

after Solomon worshipped.

Worship changes us—

our hearts, our vision,

     our desires, our actions—

how we see God,

how we see others,

how we see ourselves,

how we see our circumstances,

how to navigate, 

        not alone, but with Him.)

O LORD,

It is not that we lay out 

     our day before You

   and ask You to somehow 

      squeeze Yourself in.

But we ask that You

   lay Your day before us

that we may set our hearts 

    to follow You into it.

Direct our steps,

establish Your plans

          and Your outcomes.

You know 

      not just what we need,

but what we cannot yet see.

You know 

    exactly what You are doing.

What shall You give us?

           Help us to trust You

           even in this.

  

Then David said 

      to Solomon his son,

“Be strong and courageous 

              and do it.

Do not be afraid 

and do not be dismayed,

for the LORD God,

  even my God,

               is with you,

He will not leave you

         or forsake you,

until all the work for the service 

    of the house of the LORD 

    is finished.”

                1 Chronicles 28. 21

(God is not about

     to abandon us now.

What has God placed before us

                   to do,

to fulfill,

to be faithful to Him,

to bless His name?

Do not let fear 

         drain the energy we need,

nor distract us

          from His voice,

nor let worry 

          block out the light.)

O LORD,

Help us to cling to You

       and not to fear.

You are here,

           right here with us.

How differently we can live

       because of Your Presence,

not dismayed by circumstances,

           but responsive to them.

There is always 

    a lot more going on

    and at stake

             than we are aware.

Fulfill Your purposes, O LORD,

   even in what appears frightful,

   ordinary,

          or no count.

But to bring You glory.

  

More than that,

we rejoice in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering 

        produces endurance,

and endurance 

        produces character,

and character 

        produces hope,

and hope 

        does not put us to shame,

because God’s love

   has been poured into our hearts

   through the Holy Spirit 

who has been given to us.

                  Romans 5. 3-5

(What does rejoicing 

     look like in hardship?

The change comes about

     when we stop asking 

          “Why, God?”

and start asking, “What, God?”

     looking to  

              what God brings to it:

       strength upon strength.

How do we approach this

                differently 

    because we are believers?

Not just knowing 

      God can use this,

but that He is already redeeming

        in multiple dimensions 

        and in layers of people.

Rejoicing does not deny the truth

     with the glittery guise of

       “Look on the bright side!!!!”

   but faces reality 

       by looking to God

      and “Trusting Me in this.”

There is not just

        a reason for it (rational),

        purpose in it (utilitarian),

but hope on which we can

      stake our lives (eternal).

O LORD, 

Others are always watching,

not to see if we succeed,

but to see how we respond

when life is hard and harder,

desperate to know

       that You are real after all.

Build Your strength upon strength 

      in us through the uphills,

the rocky paths,

when things don’t go OUR way,

the mysteries and      

               disappointments.

Help us to choose to rejoice, 

even when we can’t see 

            the path or other side,

 knowing fully that

You produce Your strength in us,

       and worry

             —always and only—

             produces despair.

These had as 

     their appointed duty

in their service to come 

   into the house of the LORD...

             1 Chronicles 24. 19

(It is not a matter 

         of attending church

but being the church

within its walls

and beyond the horizon.

Each one of us is 

   divinely anointed

           and appointed 

to a vital role in serving God,

      His people,

      and the broader community.

Each believer is significant 

  in the functioning of the Body,

no service too small,

some duties not seen at all  

      or considered as ministry,

but all essential

  and profound in His Kingdom.)

O LORD,

Make us sensitive today

     to serving You

in whatever You place before us,

wherever You plant us today,

among whomever,

     even the not so obvious.

Help us to trust in You,

not in what we consider worthy,

not in circumstances,

not even in what You have done

         or what You are doing,

but trust in You.

No matter what.

Even in this.

        

Then you will prosper

if you are careful to observe

the statutes and the rules

that the LORD 

commanded Moses for Israel.

Be strong and courageous.

Fear not;

    do not be dismayed.

Arise and work!

   The LORD be with you!

                  1 Chronicles 22. 13, 16

(When we follow the LORD 

into whatever is before us,

worshipping Him,

serving Him,

seeking Him in it,

nothing can ever be the same,

the journey 

    and the outcome 

        will always be different.

His strength and Presence 

    surround us.

God never promised 

life would be easy,

    but “I am with you.”)

O LORD,

We come before You

and not just believe 

   You are with us,

but know You are right here.

Fulfill Your purposes 

   in this difficult situation.

Help us to know 

       that we can’t do it,

but You can change everything,

   even our hearts.

Fear only trips us up,

and worry blocks out the light.

Help us to walk with You

   and know You even more.

...raise an altar to the LORD 

    on the threshing floor...

           1 Chronicles 21.18

(There are

     no ordinary places,

no places or situations 

    or circumstances 

    where we cannot worship.

Wherever we are

       is sacred ground

for worshipping God,

for realizing His power,

for fulfilling His purposes,

even in the most unexpected 

    and unlikely places.

His holiness fills

               and fulfills.

Never underestimate 

    what God can do 

with this threshing floor.)

O LORD,

Why are we here

       in this place,

       at this time,

     where there is

             only dirt and dust?

Because right here,

   even in this ordinary moment,

         You are waiting for us.

You are waiting 

    to transform 

    everything around us,

    everything about us,

               even our hearts.

You fill the most usual

                  and unusual 

       with Your glory.

Help us

      to stand in the gap,

      to worship You, 

   not to be stressed by this,

           but to be strengthened 

  by Your holiness here.

Then all the people departed

each to his house,

and David went home

   to bless his household.

              1 Chronicles 16. 43

(A side effect of worship

--in blessing the name of the LORD--

results in blessing all those

              around us.

Worship changes us.

And that is not limited

            in any way

    to Sundays.

Worshiping God

and realizing Who He is

      --the Almighty--

empowers us to realize

who we are

      --greatly loved by Him.

And that changes

    how we live,

    what we do,

    how we respond to Him,

    how we see others,

    how we see ourselves.

We are no longer

         ruled by circumstances,

but know how to respond

    to whatever is before us

for His glory.)

O LORD,

You are God.

We love You

and worship You

and serve You

   in whatever You place

        before us today,

   wherever You plant us

      to bear fruit

for Your glory

and the wellbeing of those

          around us

and those who come after.

Help us to

not just be faithful

           to Your purposes,

but foremost

  to be faithful to You.

We will never fully realize

       the fruit You bring to it.

Help us to worship You

   in whatever we do today.

...and let them say

          among the nations,

"The LORD reigns."

            1 Chronicles 16. 31

(Say it out loud,

not just to point others

                 to Him,

but to remind ourselves

   and to acknowledge Him,

   neither to ignore

           or explain Him away.

Live in the reality that

         The LORD reigns.

Even in this,

He makes Himself known

  and surrounds us

  not just with evidence

               of His existence,

but His Presence,

      His grace,

      His steadfast love.)

O LORD,

We stand in Your creation

    astonished by Your

    intricate design.

The awe we feel

   is a call to worship You.

We stand before this situation

    or right in the midst

               of goodness

               or mess

and realize Your Presence

   in impossible places.

You are sovereign.

You reign.

You are in this,

  and we have not known it.

Enlarge our hearts,

      increase our vision,

grant to us the words

      to acknowledge You

                before others.

It is not that we seek Your hand,

or direction,

or an open door,

or a solution to this puzzle,

      but we seek You.

You have gone out

        before us

        into this week.

How will we live this out

              differently

  because You reign?

And David said,

"God has broken through

my enemies by my hand,

like a bursting flood."

Therefore the name

of that place is called

     Baal-perazim.

          1 Chronicles 14. 11

(Baal-perazim literally means

   "the Lord of breaking through."

He is the God of

     breaking through,

the God of

     supernatural intervention,

the God who specializes

     in impossible situations.

It is not that God

       will lead me through this.

   He is already leading me through.

   He has gone out before me.

There are no random encounters,

no interruptions,

no insignificant tasks,

no meaningless details.

In all things,

  He makes Himself known.

We are called by Him

          to Him

   for His glory.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

You are the God of

    breaking through

    the tight places

which we cannot understand,

where we cannot stand

               without You.

Help us not just

      to see Your hand,

but to seek You,

and acknowledge You,

neither ignore

   nor explain You away.

Help us to pray

   for Your divine intervention

even in this.

Help us not to be overwhelmed

             by circumstances

but overwhelmed by Your majesty,

       empowered by You.

If I knew You were here,

    I would not be afraid.

You are.

From morning till evening

he expounded to them,

testifying to the

           kingdom of God

and trying to convince them

               about Jesus

both from the Law of Moses

  and from the Prophets.

And some were convinced

     by what he said,

but others disbelieved.

                 Acts 28. 23-24

(God does not call us

     to be successful,

but to be faithful,

and to bring the gospel

  and the name of Jesus

in unlikely places.

We never know

  how God will use us.

Or who is listening.

Or who will

       take it to heart

   someday.

Sometimes His Word

   has to ripen.)

O LORD,

Who have You placed

    on our paths today

    and on our hearts

to bless with kindness

and bring the gospel

    in unexpected ways?

Help us

   to be faithful in Your leading

and responsive to

                Your voice.

Be fruitful

          through us,

even in ways

   we will never realize.

Help us to

     never underestimate You

or the power of Your Word.

Some of them had charge

    of the utensils of service

...Others were appointed

         over the furniture...

Others,

the sons of the priests,

   prepared the mixing

              of the spices...

entrusted with

     making the flat cakes...

had charge of the showbread...

Now these, the singers...

  were on duty day and night.

              1 Chronicles 9. 28-33

(Nothing but nothing

is insignificant

       in serving the LORD

and being faithful to Him.

Nothing but nothing

that He cannot use

    in profound ways,

even right where we are,

right where He has

  strategically planted us.

To each of us entrusted,

  anointed,

  divinely appointed,

vital for the functioning

               of His Kingdom

    and His purposes,

called to be faithful,

even in what

         we cannot yet see.

Not an interruption

or misfortune

or what appears as mundane

       or the end of the world,

but an opportunity

to rise up

and be faithful.)

O LORD,

Who are we

that You are mindful of us?

Who are we

that You care for us?

You have intricately created us,

        each one precious,

and love us vastly more

    than we can imagine.

Help us to see

   that there are

   no simple acts of faithfulness

that You cannot use.

Unfold Your day for us.

Help us

   to see this day differently,

to see these tasks

        with Your eyes,

to see You

           as sovereign,

and for us

            to be faithful.

For Your glory.