At present

we do not yet

see everything

   in subjection to Him.

But we see Him...

        Hebrews 2. 8-9

(We live in both

    the now and yet.

We cannot understand

               everything,

but we can trust Him.

We see Jesus

      and know Him.

Not just believing,

but listening, responding

   and doing His Word.

Fruitfulness in the yet

from faithfulness in the now.

Trusting Christ transcends

not just the circumstances

  but what we can yet grasp.)

O LORD,

Help us to not just

       know Your Word,

but to do Your Word.

As we walk with You,

    we trust in You.

You have this situation,

this difficulty,

      even this joy

in the palm of Your hand.

May we not just

         seek the solution

         or a specific answer,

but seek You in this.

You are working far beyond

what we can see and realize

                at the moment

    but in all eternity.

The supernatural

          does not just break through.

Your Presence is already here.

 

I called on Your name,

                O LORD,

from the depths of the pit;

You heard my plea,

     "Do not close Your ear

      to my cry for help!"

You came near

          when I called on You;

You said,

          "Do not fear."

          Lamentations 3. 58

(Even in what appears

as the inescapable

            pit of despair,

God sees us.

God hears us.

God loves us still.

God is working deeply,

       even in this,

       even through this.

Trust the slow work of God.

He is redeeming

    not just these circumstances,

            but our very lives.

We can hope in God

          for the "not yet."

We can stake our lives

                   on Him.)

O LORD,

Help us to trust You

    in this dark place,

  in this miry bog of despair.

We hold in our hearts

  the chronicle of

            Your faithfulness.

You love us

       and always have.

We all struggle with something

  because we live in

           a very broken world.

But You have given each of us

   stories of Your redeeming.

You are working still.

This situation is no exception.

You have not abandoned us,

   but are right here with us.

You say, "Do not be afraid.

                I am with you."

Even in this.

No circumstances change that.

Fear just blocks out

      all available light.

Help us to trust You.

         

 

...the hearts of the saints

have been refreshed

             through you.

             Philemon 1. 7

(It is not just outsiders

who are impacted by

the sharing of our faith,

but the

     fellowship of believers

through every word and action

of kindness and encouragement.

God gives us stories

      of His faithfulness

not to just keep for ourselves,

   but to encourage others.

How can I refresh

             other believers today?

By seeking out needs,

even those

    that are not on the surface.

No act of love

  is ever obscure or fruitless.

Even when we

       never realize it.)

O LORD,

I think of all the times

when others have

encouraged and refreshed me

   and never realized how much

   or right when I needed it most.

You have strategically placed

       others in our lives,

sometimes to refresh us

and sometimes for us

        to do the same

to encourage in their faith

or to point them to You.

Help us to be faithful

and very aware of

      every holy moment.

The act of refreshing

   always reverberates

   in our own lives.

 

...so that

those who have

      believed in God

may be careful

to devote themselves

           to good works.

           Titus 3. 8

(Devote is not a casual,

   "if it comes up" attitude,

but a heart that is driven

                 with intention,

shoes tied,

tool box filled,

eyes wide open,

searching out

   not just what I see,

   but how I can help.

Opportunities to serve God

        and love others

don't just knock at our door

      at our convenience.

It doesn't just happen.

No act of kindness

            or good works

    is insignificant,

no matter how obscure

   it appears to us.

God is using us

        for His Kingdom

and for the welfare

           of the world.)

O LORD,

No matter the circumstances,

or situation,

among strangers

   or those we love,

help us to be ready

   to bring Your goodness.

May we not just be willing

         or mindful of You,

but have the mind of Christ

          even in this.

We cannot do everything,

but we can always

             do something.

Help us to not discount

   what You are doing through us

   for the furtherance of

          grace and the gospel

          in this world.

Let others not just

          see us differently,

but to see You differently.

 

...so that in everything

they may adorn

the doctrine of God

             our Savior.

          Titus 2. 10

(Our lives embroider

what we believe.

Our lives reveal

     on the visible

the reality of God

    even in the ordinary.

It is not what we bring

        to the picture,

but God's glory

   embedded in

lives transformed by Him.)

O LORD,

Help us not just to be

        mindful of You,

but to bear the mind of Christ

   in whatever situations

   we find ourselves today.

Help us to embrace

  Your divine appointments

and to adorn Your grace

and love and goodness

   for Your glory,

even in the most unlikely places

and in the unexpected.

 

Their Redeemer is strong;

the LORD of hosts

         is His name.

        Jeremiah 50. 34

(It is not our own strength

or wit

or skill set

that will bring us through,

but the power of

        the Almighty God.

He never intended for us

     to go alone.

No matter how difficult,

no matter what

         looks like the outcome,

no matter what,

               God redeems.

God is faithful.

He is not about to

      abandon you now.

He has done marvelous things.

He is doing marvelous things.

   Most of which

       we are totally unaware

and what is too mighty for us

             to comprehend

                               yet.)

O LORD,

We are overwhelmed,

    but You are strong.

We are not in control,

    but You are sovereign.

Help us to keep

        our eyes and hearts

        on You.

Because no matter what,

              You are God.

You are doing far more

   than we can even imagine,

deeper than we can see.

And You are with us.

Confirm Your Word in us.

Help us to be strong,

take courage,

keep faithful,

and stay at our post.

Your story in us

   is not finished yet.

 

Preach the Word;

be ready in season

   and out of season;

reprove, rebuke

          and exhort,

with complete patience

    and teaching.

            2 Timothy 4. 2

(Whether we know it or not,

    we are all

    preachers of the Word,

in how we speak,

in what we talk about,

in how we see need,

  and in how we respond.

Others may not

    remember what we say,

but they will always

    remember how we love them.

The gospel is

        never out of season.

Grace always bears

          the sweetest fruit.

May we be ready

   -- not with a honed script--

but with hearts watchful

 for serving God

 and loving others,

knowing His Word

    and living it out.)

O LORD,

Penetrate our hearts

    with the gospel,

that no matter where we are

or what we are doing,

You are using us

      for Your Kingdom,

even in what we don't see or

   consider as ministry.

May Your Word be

    that seamlessly woven,

an automatic reaction

a supernatural response

  wherever we are,

  among whomever,

  in the most unexpected

     situations and places.

Help us to be ready,

even when we are

         taken by surprise,

even when the situation

    has suddenly ripened

to sow Your Word into it.

 

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

(What gives us hope

is not a change in

      our circumstances,

but a change in

            our hearts.

Fear and dismay

  distract us from

  trusting God in this.

This is not the

   end of my story.

My hope is in Him,

  not in the shifting winds

  of incidents.

God is my help.

God is my strength.

He does not just "have this."

     God is with me.

And that makes

    all the difference

in the journey and outcome.)

O LORD,

We all face something

that causes us to fear.

We all face something

that enables us

     to trust You instead.

Help us to know

that Your story for us

         is not done yet.

Strengthen us

that we are equipped

   for what we face now

and bring You glory

            even in this,

even in what is so far

   beyond our own strength.

Hope in You

is not wishful thinking,

but on You

  whom we can stake our lives.

You are in whatever we face,

   and we have not known it.

Help us to know You more.

 

Do not fear

    the king of Babylon,

of whom you are afraid.

Do not fear him,

      declares the LORD,

for I am with you,

to save you and

  to deliver you from his hand.

            Jeremiah 42. 11

(Circumstances may not change,

but knowing God is with us

always takes us

     in a different direction,

changes the path,

          the journey

          and the outcome.

We don't have

          to be afraid,

    just faithful.

God does not just

    change our emotions,

    but what we think about,

          how we think about it,

          what we see,

          and how we respond.

"I never thought about it

                that way before."

Fear drains us and blocks out

       all available light.

Trusting God strengthens us

and guides us

     on a different adventure.

Deliverance may not be from it,

        but through it.

God never works in

              singular outcomes.

There is always something deeper

          at stake here.)

O LORD,

Grant to us Your strength

   and Your mind in this

             scary situation

that we would be free

   from the tangling barbed wire

                        of fear

   and able to run with You.

Set the pace, O God,

      set the course and

open our eyes to Your wonders.

May we not be burdened

           by fear,

but choose instead

      Your power and love.

The strength is not our own

          but in You.

Help us to not be afraid

         but to seek You

    and follow You faithfully.

You reign, O LORD,

            even in this.

 

For this reason I remind you

   to fan into flame

   the gift of God,

      which is in you...

for God gave us

  a spirit not of fear

but of power and love

         and self control.

           2 Timothy 1. 6-7

(What flame am I fanning?

The destructive fire of fear?

Or the nurturing flames

        of trusting in God?

Fear and trust

        are not emotions,

but a mindset

           and heartset.

God can be trusted.

No matter what we face.

And that is never the same journey,

always a different trajectory,

and an outcome

           beyond our lifetimes.

Circumstances do not have

               the last word.

God prevails.

God redeems.)

O LORD,

When we are challenged,

when things seem

       out of our control

       (which they are),

when fear comes

      barging in the door

      and taking over,

please LORD,

        change our triggers,

to not whimper before fear

    but to trust in You.

Help us to know that

   we have a choice in this:

to crumble under fear

   or to be fearless for You.

May the scary shadows

  trigger Your strength in us.

Help us to see differently

  and live as Yours.

 

How long, O LORD?

Will You hide Yourself

                 forever?

               Psalm 89. 46

(It is not that God is absent,

but Present beyond measure,

beckoning us

   to a deeper trust in Him.

The situation may not

             yet be ripe.

And we may not

             yet be ready,

             equipped,

and willing to follow Him fully.

Am I ready to go?

     Am I ready to stay,

          to hold my ground,

          to work through this

                        with Him?

God's timing is always perfect,

      even in what

      we cannot comprehend.

Even when things shift

              or mature,

we may not understand.

But what we can know is:

    For the LORD is good.

    For His steadfast love

              endures forever.

Even in this.)

 

O LORD,

We come to You

and ask for strength

     not just to endure

but to fulfill Your designs,

      in what is hard

      and incomprehensible.

We do not know

                better than You.

Help us to continue on

      being faithful

in the favorable

   and in the shadowlands.

You are with us.

Help us to not just know this,

       but to trust You

and live that way.

May we be marked

                as Yours.

 

Like cold water

      to a thirsty soul,

so is good news

      from a far country.

        Proverbs 25. 25

(We never can tell

     how thirsty someone is,

nor how desperate,

nor how alone they feel.

And we can never know

   how much our words

or reaching out faithfully

  profoundly impacts

                 thirsty hearts.

A word of kindness

   says I see you

           and I hear you

and you are loved,

even from a voice from the past,

a voice geographically distant,

a voice that knows their name.)

O LORD,

Help us to be sensitive

not only to those around us,

to see and acknowledge

  those who feel invisible,

but those we seldom see

     or pray for

     or even think about.

Help us to respond

   when You nudge us

to let them know tangibly

     they are thought about,

     prayed for,

             and loved.

Relationships are not limited

       to time and place.

You love us.

Help us to find ways

         to love others.

 

Rather train yourself

       for godliness,

for while bodily training

    is of some value,

godliness is of value

              in every way,

as it holds promise

   for the present life

and also

   for the life to come.

         1 Timothy 4. 7-8

(This verse does not justify

        not exercising,

but how we are exercising

   and on what we are focusing.

What is my daily practice?

We are all training for something

by what we do --or don't do--

     and what we pursue daily,

some of which we may not

   even think of as training.

Do I commit as much time

and effort and brain space

  in pursuing, practicing,

       training myself

           to know Him more?)

O LORD,

We are overwhelmed with

   all that we do

   and should do,

but one thing is needful.

And that is running with You.

Help us to

    not miss our workout.

Training changes us.

Realign our hearts this day

in all that we do

     that we are not just

               mindful of You

but that we have

           the mind of Christ.

Help us today

    to train in godliness.

 

If your enemy is hungry,

give him bread to eat,

and if he is thirsty,

give him water to drink,

for you will heap

  burning coals on his head,

and the LORD

          will reward you.

          Proverbs 25. 21-22

(Not just seeing

       the situation differently,

but seeing the person

              with compassion,

and responding

              with a new heart.

What is really at stake

       in this relationship?

Not our hurt

     but their desperate need.

Respond in a way

that is unexpected, surprising

          and gracious.)

O LORD,

We pray for Your immense strength

      to be strong, courageous

                           and kind.

Being gracious is always

          the right thing to do.

Please help us to be

     faithful in all things,

even in hard situations,

even with difficult people,

knowing that

     You are gracious to us.

May the reality of Your love

    be seamlessly woven

    in how we see others.

Order our days.

Guide our steps.

Direct our thoughts.

Align our hearts with Yours.

For Your glory.

             Even in this.

 

But seek the welfare

   of the city

where I have sent you

               into exile,

and pray to the LORD

      on its behalf,

for in its welfare

you will find your welfare.

            Jeremiah 29. 7

(See this unknown, unexpected,

and unlikely place differently.

See and embrace exile

with new eyes and a new heart,

not as a crippling affliction,

   or things gone wrong

       or pit of despair,

but a fresh opportunity

  to serve God

  and love others

in yet another place.)

O LORD,

Align our hearts,

minds, words, deeds

           with Yours.

The unknown

and unexplained

    are not unknown to You.

Nothing random,

nothing fruitless,

but everything

         seamlessly woven.

Even in strange places

where we are outsiders

and don't know the language

         or anyone,

You have placed us

                  strategically

to be a witness to others

and bring Your name,

grace and love there.

You make Your home

           among us.

 But 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

(We are not stuck by our past

        nor identified by it,

but found in Christ.

May we let go of the baggage.

God does not repurpose or recycle

           or even restore.

                      But God redeems.

We have just to be faithful 

    in straining forward and 

                  pressing on

      as He reveals Himself to us

                 in unexpected ways.

Behold, God is doing something new.

What is His upward call in this?

     His supernatural work

     in what we only consider ordinary.)

 

O LORD, 

Help us to not just let go

but to strain forward

and press on

and seek You

     and not just an answer.

Please show us how

to respond with a different heart

      to what is before us.

If there is anything we do today,

may we pursue You diligently

      in what lies ahead. 

Even in what we cannot yet see.

 

 Thus says the LORD:

Stand by the roads,

                  and look,

and ask for the ancient paths,

where the good way is,

               and walk in it,

and find rest for your souls.

                       Jeremiah 6. 16

(There are so many loud voices

     clamoring for our attention.

But do I stand still and listen

         to what is God's way in this?

Am I marinating in His Word

    that I consider what God says?

Am I willing to walk with Him?

Life will never remain the same. 

God opens our hearts and eyes

           to far deeper journeys,

        relying on His wisdom and

           abiding in His strength.

Don't get too far ahead of God.

Don't lag behind.)

O LORD,

Help us to not be distracted by

    all the new and glittery ways

that promise everything

    and deliver only emptiness.

May Your Word guide us

    in our decisions.

Show us what is Your way in this.

Help us to listen and respond.

 ...that in everything

        He might be preeminent.

                         Colossians 1. 18

(The word "everything"

           means exactly that.

           No exclusions.

Not that Christ would be a priority,

      an important part of our lives.

Not that He would be prominent,

      as making Him "first place."

But that He is preeminent,

    seamlessly woven throughout.

Not this or that,

              but all in all.)

 

O LORD,

May we recognize Your Presence

and power in all things

and seek to bring You glory.

Help us to not relegate You

     to place or position

but continually knowing You

     with a whole heart,

not just a corner of it.

 

 ...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

 

(This passage is my daily prayer

for each member of our family

that each day God's hand is upon them

and each day they are striving

                  to be more like Him.

I also pray these words

         to commit myself to this vision,

not to earn God's favor

but to express my love for Him.)

 

O LORD,

Manifest these words from Scripture

    to change the trajectory of our lives

in what we say and do and think.

Multiply Your Word

     in and through us

that each day we may know You more

and make You known

by the tangible changes 

            You make in our hearts.

 

 It is He who made the earth

                  by His power,

who established the world

                 by His wisdom,

and by His understanding

    stretched out the heavens.

...for He is the one

              who formed all things

...the LORD of hosts is His name.

                      Jeremiah 10. 12, 16

(This intricately designed

         and functioning world

did not "just happen."

Nor did we just happen.

He who made this incredible earth

            made us as well

           as His beloved.

How differently do we view ourselves

        and the majesty around us

from the mountains to the smallest cell

           when we acknowledge God?)

 

O LORD,

You did not just create the world.

You created it with tremendous beauty.

May the awe we all feel

        be a call to worship You.

May we not discount or explain away

    what only You can do,

what all that You have done,

and what You are doing

               in our very lives.

 

Set your minds

on the things that are above,

not on things

that are on earth.

                 Colossians 3. 2

(Not just think about,

or glance through,

but set my heart and mind

    on God's way in this.

What am I dwelling on?

What is taking up my brains space

           and my heart?

When I set my mind on God,

I am not bogged down

    or enslaved by circumstances,

but released to respond to them

        to serve God in this.

God's ways are always higher

                than our own.

God always has something much deeper

             than what we can see.)

O LORD,

Please help us to set and reset

our thought patterns,

our responses,

our attitudes,

and our hearts

toward You.

How different our day and vision

   because You are guiding us.

We may not know what to do,

or how You are working,

     but our eyes are on you.

                      

 They did not remember

                   His power

or the day when 

   He redeemed them

            from the foe.

 

                       Psalm 78. 42

 

(A clear definition of anxiety.

How much of our worry and fear

comes from 

short term memory loss?

God's faithfulness

extends seamlessly

from the past 

to the now

and way beyond to what is next.

Our foes are comprised

     of anything or anyone we fear,

     both real and imagined. 

God is not about to 

                abandon us now.  

We have only to trust Him again

     and take the next step.)

O LORD,

Our worries and fears 

     paralyze us into inaction

and keep us from trusting You.

Help us to not just 

    remember Your faithfulness

    in the past

but to seize Your Presence

      in what we are going through

                            now.

May we share our stories of Your goodness

          and all those narrow squeaks

to encourage others in their own journeys

and to remind us

             to walk with You

             even in this.

Do not say,

I will do to him

   as he has done to me;

I will pay the man back

    for what he has done.

                 Proverbs 24. 29

(God's way always 

     seeks reconciliation,

                  not revenge,

radically countercultural then,

totally countercultural now.

May we seek to forgive and extend grace

      for what has been done to us.

                           Even in this.

May we seek to pay forward intentionally

      for what can be.

God's fundamental law of responding to others

       instead of reacting to them:

"In everything, do to others

what you would have them

          do to you." 

                     Matthew 7. 12

The Golden Rule is not an ethical precept,

nor a religious mandate,

      but a heart condition.)

O LORD,

Help us to see and respond

     with different hearts.

Align our hearts with Yours

even when others are

           against us.

May we embrace others

     as You embrace them.

Forgive our trespasses

     as we forgive those

     who have trespassed against us.

We are all in need of Your love.

We all mess up.

Guide our actions

            and attitudes

that we may bring You honor

and You may bring

         Your healing to this.

 

Walk in wisdom

      toward outsiders,

making the best use

      of the time.

Let your speech

      always be gracious,

seasoned with salt,

so that

you may know how you

ought to answer

               each person.

            Colossians 4. 5-6

(May we be intentionally aware

  of God's divine appointments.

People are always

watching and listening,

not to see if we are perfect

   or if we know all the answers,

but to know that God is real.

How do we approach this situation

      differently and with grace?

How should we respond

           to others?

By walking with Him.)

O LORD,

Help us to be aware

of those all around us

    and their needs

and to be aware

    of Your Presence.

There are

    no random encounters,

just opportunities

    to bring Your name here,

in word and response,

serving and speaking

         gracious words

with a transformed heart.

We don't know

        all the answers,

but You do.

No one wants a rehearsed speech

        or a prepared script,

    but to be seen, heard

                and loved.

Even when we are unaware,

You show us what to say

to point others

   right into Your arms.

 

Let not the wise man

   boast in his wisdom,

let not the mighty man

   boast in his might,

let not the rich man

   boast in his riches,

but let him who boasts

         boast 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 people know

              about us?

Our stuff, achievements,

    power, position,

               or lack thereof?

Or the first thing

that comes to mind

   is His indwelling?

The Hebrew word for "boast"

means to shine, praise,

                   and glory.

What radiates from our lives?

What do we treasure?

What do we talk about

    and how do we love?)

O LORD,

We desire to know You more.

Help us not just to know You

    but to make You known.

Radiate from within us

that You will be seen,

that Your transforming work

      draws others to You

and changes not just

how we see situations

and circumstances

and people,

   but how we respond

because we know You.

May Your steadfast love,

justice and righteousness

    be evident in our hearts.

Show us how that

   looks different in

   how we approach this day.

 We recount

     Your wondrous deeds.

                       Psalm 75. 1

(Counting and recounting

       over and over again.

What do we talk about?

We talk about the things

    that we are excited about.

Do we delight that much

           in the things of God?

Do we recognize His wonders around us,

   not just what He has done,

   but what He is doing in the now?

May we bring to mind

     and point out to others

the very goodness of God.

God does not show up.

   He is already here working.

In sharing His wondrous deeds

                       with others,

it triggers something in them and us

    to be aware of His Presence

and to live in gratefulness to Him.

Do those who know me

    know His story in me?)

 

 

O LORD,

You surround us with Your wondrous deeds.

Help us not to miss Your Presence

and what You are doing in our lives

   and in everyone around us.

Help us to count and recount

    so that we don't ever forget

and share not just Your deeds,

            but You.

 

 ...for I have learned 

in whatever state I am in

          to be content.

I know how to be brought low,

and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance,

I have learned the secret

    of facing plenty and hunger,

    abundance and need.

I can do all things through Him

    who strengthens me.

                  Philippians 4. 11-13

(I have lived in a lot of different locations.

Some moves were a lot more difficult

                                than others.

And when this passage says

    "whatever state I am in,"

literally that meant a state,

even Tennessee, Ohio, Kansas,

        Iowa, and Illinois.

And God has shown me

that He strategically places us

               for our wellbeing

          and His glory

In any and every circumstance,

in any and every location,

"I am with you.")

O LORD,

Grant us Your strength

     to be content,

wherever You guide us today,

and to know that it is You

who transcend our feelings

with the reality of Your Presence. 

Help us to be a witness for You

in how we respond

to any and all circumstances.

Whatever is true,

whatever is honorable,

whatever is just,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is commendable,

if there is any excellence,

if there is anything

            worthy of praise,

think about these things.

What you have learned and received

and heard and seen in me

  ---practice these things,

and the God of peace will be with you.

 

                       Philippians 4. 8-9

 

(Christ changes not just our eyes

            --what we even notice –

but changes how we see

             everything around us

and how we respond

by transforming our hearts.

Whatever is all inclusive,.

not only thinking about these things

    in this situation

or try to find these qualities in others

 but practicing them in our own lives.

What does that look like for me today?)

O LORD,

Help us to be aware

that in whatever we do and say and think,

we are worshiping You.

May we not just be mindful of You,

   but have the mind of Christ.

Help us to see, think

    and practice over and over again

what brings You honor and glory.

Even in this.

 

 

 

All the saints greet you,

especially those of

      Caesar's household.

             Philippians 4. 22

(Paul did not consider

being put in prison

as the end of his ministry,

but as the beginning of

          a new opportunity.

May we not just see

    the situation differently,

but see the people here.

Unexpected ministry.

Unexpected fruit.)

O LORD,

You have placed us

    strategically

day by day

to point others to You,

even among the rebellious

that You would be known.

You bring the fruitfulness.

We have only to

       faithfully proclaim

       in words and deeds.

Help us to see

   with both our eyes

   and our hearts.

And respond

       right where we are.

 

And from them

I will send survivors

       to the nations...

And they shall declare

       My glory

among the nations.

                Isaiah 66. 19

(What in the world

      am I doing here?

Bring His glory

    wherever we are.

God has strategically

           positioned

each one of us

to be His witness

even in the most

      unexpected situations

and among the most

      unlikely people.

We have only

            to be faithful.

God is bringing the fruit.)

O LORD,

You have brought us to

    this place and this time

and to these people

whom You have planted

       all around us.

Help us to be aware

          of Your leading.

Help us to be aware

   of being a witness

             right here,

             right now.

We may never see the fruit

    nor the purpose of being here,

but You are bringing

      Your glory to completion.

Help us to be aware

that others are watching us

             desperately

to know if You are real.

Let them see

               Your glory.