I will come upon him

while he is weary and discouraged

and throw him into a panic,

and all the people

who are with him will flee.

               2 Samuel 17. 2

(When we are tired, discouraged

                  and alone,

    we are most vulnerable.

Beware,

     the adversary attacks in those times.

Behold,

     God's people respond

               by nurturing those around them.

We can stake our lives

             on God's promises

             and His Presence,

    "Do not fear.

                 I am with you.")

O LORD,

Help us to know that

           our physical well being

   directly influences our souls:

          our food, rest and activity.

And when we are weary,

             You are still with us.

Despite circumstances,

   "You are near, O LORD"

                     Psalm 119. 151

Help us also

           to help others

   that they may come to know You.

.

 

It may be

that the LORD will look

on the wrong done to me,

and that the LORD

    will repay me

    for his cursing today.

              2 Samuel 16. 12

(No matter what is done to us,

         God is already redeeming

   for our well-being,

   for His Kingdom,

   and for His glory.

His narrative is far greater

        than we can ever imagine.

Learn to respond

        with a different heart,

with unexpected forgiveness

                          and grace

             in unlikely places.

Are we willing to lay aside

        our wounded feelings,

     the missile strikes,

     our injured pride,

for God's greater glory?)

O LORD,

Help us not just

              to take the high road,

but to exhibit to others

     Your grace in this situation.

May we realize that there is

    far more at stake

    for Your Kingdom.

Empower us

         to point others to You

   by having a different heart,

   responding

            instead of reacting.

You have strategically placed us

   to bear witness

   and bring Your name,

         even in this situation

         right before us.

 

Your Word

    is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.

 

            Psalm 119. 109

(God's Word guides us

     not just where to go next,

but even how to navigate

           right here in this day.

We tend to look so far ahead

    that we miss

    what is right in front of us.

God provides one step

       and when we trust Him in it,

              the next one appears.

God does not just help us

         to see in the dark,

   but walk in the shadows with Him.

God reveals.

God redeems.

God gives the stepping stones.

    and His strength

    to walk with Him.)

O LORD,

Your Word changes our thoughts,

attitudes, actions,

even what we see,

      how we see it,

     and how to respond.

Your Word does not just

                 alter our steps,

but transforms the course of our lives.

Help us to follow You

                   into this day

    and to know You more in it.

May the steps we take today

        bring glory to You.

Align our hearts with Yours.

 

I glorified You on earth,

having accomplished the work

that You gave Me to do.

                    John 17. 4

(And even for us,

God's glory is seamlessly woven

                   into our story.

What has God laid before us to do?

    Love Him and love others,

    every which way we can.

Who does God desire us to be?

                       His.

Are we faithful to Him?

Faithfulness in any form

        is never insignificant.

Through the tiniest seed,

  God brings forth

              a mighty forest.)

O LORD,

May we glorify You today

   on this patch of sacred ground

   and among those

          You have appointed us.

No matter our story this day,

     our words and actions,

may we point others to You.

And to realize

           Your redeeming,

    even in the hard stuff.

Bring Your glory to it,

  even in what we may never see.

 

...because I have

        hoped in Your Word.

                Psalm 119. 74

(Our lives unfold very differently,

our choices, our loves,

                 and our steps,

because we stake our lives

          on the Almighty.

God gave us His Word that

   we may know Him more.

Scripture roots us.

His Word holds us together.

     More than we can imagine.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize

that You do not just tweak us

       through Your Word,

but You transform our lives,

          inside and out.

May Your Word nourish

    our deepest hungers.

Plant Your Word in our hearts

   to bear fruit for others

and bring Your glory,

       even to the barren places.

You, O LORD,

        transform the landscape.

 

Be of good courage,

and let us be courageous

             for our people,

and for the cities of our God....

             2 Samuel 10. 12

(By being faithful to God

and relying on His strength

extends to others the freedom

            to do the same.

Courage does not mean

                    a lack of fear

    or easy circumstances,

    or something in our skill set,

but relying on God's strength

      and doing it anyway.

                     For His glory.

This world is largely in a mess,

     because we are waiting

     on someone else

                  to take the lead.

We cry out to God, "Do something!"

And He whispers to us,

      "That's why I put you there.")

O LORD,

We are surrounded by the overwhelming,

      and our hearts are weak.

Help us to know we do not go forth

                     on our own,

      but You are with us.

We can't do everything,

            but we can do something.

Empower us to do what is right

                     in Your eyes.

Grant us Your courage

       to follow You

into what You have placed

                before us today.

And may we discern Your steps.

 

...and I shall walk

             in a wide place,

for I have sought Your precepts.

                 Psalm 119. 45

(No matter the circumstances,

     unexpected, unknown,

                   or the very familiar,

God provides a place

            to stand securely.

One step and then another,

in what is seen and yet unseen,

     His way is revealed.

We have just to be faithful,

    keep walking with Him,

    and marinating in His Word.)

O LORD,

Help us to pay attention

      not just to our steps,

      but to Yours.

We are not just walking with You,

   but You are drawing us

         ever closer to You.

Open our eyes to both

   the unexpected and the familiar,

that we would not just see

        the next step or the vista,

but that we would know You more.

Align our hearts with Yours,

   that we would not miss a thing.

And by our following You,

   may we leave tracks for others.

 

A new commandment I give to you,

that you love one another,

just as I have loved you,

you also are to love one another.

By this

     all people will know

     that you are My disciples,

if you have love for one another.

                     John 13. 34-35

(God has changed our hearts,

and His love

         is what distinguishes us.

How we approach hardship,

          navigate difficulty,

    and treat others,

stands as a strong witness

        to His love in us.

Others are always watching us

    not to see if we are perfect,

but desperately to see

                         if God is real.

We are different now.

            And that will be evident

       in the crisis

                and the every days.)

O LORD,

Help us to love those around us,

    not just the lovable,

    but the difficult

    and even those who have hurt us.

Let Your love soak in our hearts,

   so that love is our first response.

Help us pray continually,

          live faithfully,

          love well,

and practice grace in this.

May we be marked as Yours

           by Your love in us.

Align our hearts

                     with Yours.

 

He laid aside His outer garments,

and taking a towel,

    tied it around His waist.

Then He poured water into a basin

    and began to wash

                      the disciples' feet

and wipe them with the towel

   that was wrapped around Him.

                      John 13. 4-5

(What do we need to lay aside

            and take up to serve others?

How can we approach this situation

   with a towel, basin

                and a boatload of grace?

Nothing was beneath Jesus.

What does washing one another's feet

         look like today before us?)

O LORD,

Prepare our hearts and hands

   to serve You

   and love others right into the Kingdom.

Reveal to us the opportunities

                all around us each day

     that we can bring Your name there

     in tangible ways.

Engrave those actions and reactions

      as a default in what we do.

We cannot do everything,

             but we can do something.

Align our hearts with Yours.

 

This is the day

    that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice

           and be glad in it.

                   Psalm 118. 24

(God is working far beyond

                 what we can see.

He is bearing fruit,

           even in the hard stuff.

He is bringing His name

    and His glory to it.

How differently would we

      approach and navigate

      what is before us

             if we trusted Him in it?

There is so much more

              behind this story,

   and so much more

              yet to unfold.

We only see a glimpse.

Look for His joy,

          even in this day.)

O LORD,

We come before You

          at the dawning of this day.

Lay Your day before us.

  Unfold every detail,

   every encounter,

   every unexpected appointment,

   every unusual opportunity

             to bring You glory in it.

How we walk with You through this day

    directly influences how we live our lives.

And how we come

                   to know You more.

 

I was pushed hard,

so that I was falling,

but the LORD helped me.

The LORD is my strength

                and my song.

He has become my salvation.

                 Psalm 118. 13-14

(We both learn and yearn

    to trust in Him,

no matter the circumstances.

The LORD brings us

      to a different strength,

even in the midst

               of the hard places.

We face, approach

   and navigate them

          with a new heart.

We may fall,

      but He always lifts us up.)

O LORD,

Help us to follow and run

                     with You,

no matter the terrain,

      the steep places

      and the miry bogs.

Even if we fall,

           You are still with us.

May Your Presence and strength

        keep us on our feet

        and responsive to You.

You have placed us right here

     --in our victories and shortcomings--

          to bear witness to You.

 

The LORD rewards every man

for his righteousness

        and his faithfulness...

                1 Samuel 26. 23

(God brings about and unfolds

         His goodness,

even in the most unlikely places.

Being faithful to God

   does not mean that we will

   not face hardship in this life,

 but God transforms our path through it,

        and brings His glory to it.

We cannot know the outcome,

     but we can trust Him in it.

What is God creating in this?

           His glory,

order out of chaos,

beauty out of ashes,

the revealing of His steadfast love

             in the impossible.)

O LORD,

Bring about Your glory here.

Help us not just to make

                   wise choices,

    but to be faithful

    in following You.

May Your love prevail

            in our hearts.

Our joy is knowing You

      and then, even more.

Help us to not just believe

    but to know

 not to be afraid

            because You are with us.

And You always redeem.

 But my hand shall not be against you...

                       1 Samuel 24. 13

(That is how forgiveness responds.

Our lives are radically changed

          by how God has forgiven us

      and how we forgive others.

Forgiveness changes how we see God,

how we respond to others,

and how we see ourselves.

Forgiveness releases us to love

           in the most unexpected ways

        and unlikely places.

Forgiveness responds differently

     and points all of us to God.

We serve God and others

                with a new heart.

What is that stuffed in our pockets?

                His grace.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize how deeply

       forgiveness changes us

in how we approach and navigate

               our relationships.

Grant us the courage and audacity

      to seek the flourishing of others,

              with totally unexpected

                   steps of grace.

May we bring to the table

        the healing that only

        can come from You.

Make us intentional in loving others,

   just as You are intentional

   in loving us.

We are more sinful than we can know.

And even then, we are more loved by You

         than we can imagine.

Imprint our lives with Your grace.

 

...He goes before them,

and the sheep follow Him,

for they know His voice.

              John 10. 10

(Jesus does not just walk with us

      through our difficult passages.

              He goes before us,

   preparing not just our way,

                     but our hearts.

Are we willing to follow Him

    and trust Him in this?

It is not that God is silent,

but are we listening for Him

    and responding to Him?

Whether or not we see, recognize,

   or understand what He is unfolding?)

O LORD,

We cannot fully know

            where we are heading,

    but we can follow You into it.

Open our eyes

   that we would not miss a thing.

Help us to know

    that it is not just about outcomes

             but walking with You.

Help us to be faithful to You

     wherever we are today and

     on whatever patch of sacred ground

           may we sow Your grace.

Help us to approach and navigate

                   this day differently

    because we love and know You.

 

Light dawns in the darkness

            for the upright;

He is gracious, merciful

        and righteous.

                 Psalm 112. 4

(God helps the faithful learn

       to see in the dark.

When we walk with Him,

   we see,

   approach,

   and navigate circumstances differently.

Walk towards His light in this,

knowing that even in hardship,

                    God is good.

God is unfolding that which is

    deeper than we can grasp.

It is not that there will be no darkness,

      but we are not alone in it.

      God is right here,

            walking us through it.

When we seek Him,

     we do not sense fear,

                  but His Presence.)

O LORD,

As we lay out this day before You,

please lay out Your day before us.

Order our day.

Guide us in our thoughts.

Align our hearts with Yours.

And may we bring Your name,

             grace, and lovingkindness

      into impossible situations

     and among all those around us.

You penetrate the darkness.

Help us to live faithfully,

     bring Your light here,

and practice grace

                     even in this..

   

 

He has not left me alone,

for I always do the things

   that are pleasing to Him.

              John 8. 29

(Am I approaching and

          navigating this situation,

       this difficulty,

       this opportunity

with a heart willing to please God?

He walks with us into it,

      through it with His strength,

   and brings us into

         a deeper intimacy with Him.)

O LORD,

Stir us up

      to be pleasing to You

   wherever You place us today.

Please give us

            the mind and heart of Christ

    in what is before us,

        what is expected and

              what is totally unexpected.

Help us to bring Your grace to it.

Align our hearts with Yours.

You are with us.

              And we are Yours.

Help us to live that way

      for Your glory.

   

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...and the LORD is with him.

               1 Samuel 16. 18

(May that be

    what distinguishes us.

May we grasp that reality

     of walking with Jesus.

May others realize

              Christ in us

   by what we say and do

   and how we love.)

O LORD,

Help us not just to hear Your voice,

             but respond to You.

Help us not just to seek You,

    but walk with You

             in the familiar

         and in the unexpected.

Align our hearts with Yours

   that we will love differently

              in what is seen

     and in what may not be recognized.

May we be known as Yours.

 

In return for my love

          they accuse me,

but I give myself to prayer.

               Psalm 109. 4

(Praying strengthens us

by keeping our eyes on the LORD,

           not on circumstances.

May the actions and stance of others

    be not a trigger for our own anger,

    but a signal to pray

                and love them back.

We have no idea with what

                 others struggle.

We may just be a convenient target.

How do we respond?

Pray for them.

          Love them back.)

O LORD,

Provide for us the courage

          to take the high road

   and to bring Your glory,

           even to this situation.

Show us how to pray for them

   and reveal to us Your way,

              in this,

    even when we are attacked,

    even when we are wounded.

How we respond

       reflects our hearts.

May praying to You first

    redirect our hearts

    and change the outcome

               in Your holy name.

Let our response and words

    nourish and bring healing.

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Moreover, as for me,

far be it from me

that I should sin

           against the LORD

by ceasing to pray for you.

              1 Samuel 12. 23

(Praying is how we love the LORD

      and how we show to others

                      our love for them.

Praying does not bring someone

            into God's remembrance,

   but brings them into our hearts

   and our privilege to lift them up.

How can I pray for you?  may be

   the most powerful

   and loving action I can do for someone.

Do we love others enough

                     to pray for them?

God does not show up or enter in,

   but reveals His Presence,

   provision, and intervention.

Prayer opens our eyes

           to God Himself

and aligns our hearts

                          with His.

O LORD,

You have placed so many people

         on our paths,

some for a moment,

                  others for a lifetime.

Make us mindful that

     You have divinely appointed them

               in our lives

     to pray for them

     and love them to You.

 

Then they cried to the LORD

                in their trouble,

and He delivered them

                from their distress.

        Psalm 107. 6, 13, 19, 28

(This refrain is repeated

    four times in 28 verses.

Do we

        cry out to Him,

        turn to Him,

        run with Him,

        trust Him in this?

We will have trouble

  in this broken world,

but God says,

    "Do not fear.

      I am with you.")

O LORD,

We go forth into barren places.

But we go forth with You.

Even in the hard stuff,

                  You redeem.

Help us to be faithful to You

   and do what is before us,

to abide in You,

to walk with You in this passage,

   as You turn our distress

                    into Your glory.

We just cannot see it yet,

  but You are changing the landscape.

  You are changing our hearts.

You are drawing us closer still.

 

And Samuel prayed to the LORD.

                1 Samuel 8. 6

(A very simple verse,

       but a profound life-changing one.

What is our first response

          to difficulty,

          to what lies ahead,

          to what is right before us?

What is our default?

Panic first

               or pray?

Samuel did not just make prayer

                         a habit,

    but his practice.

How differently we would live

    if we prayed first,

laying it all out before the LORD,

lifting it up,

and letting God lay out before us

                    His way in this?)

O LORD,

Forgive us, Almighty One,

     for not coming to You first

with all our troubles

                   and hardships

         and even our joys.

Order our days.

Guide our thoughts.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Reveal to us Your way in this.

And help us to respond to You.

Then Samuel took a stone

and set it up

   between Mizpah and Shen

and called its name Ebenezer,

for he said,

"Till now the LORD

              has helped us."

              1 Samuel 7. 12

(What are our own Ebenezers--

the stones of remembrance

of God's help and faithfulness

               in our lives?

The stones and stories

    of God's glory

    in unexpected ways

            and unlikely places.

There are no pebbles there,

but all from God

             is profound.)

O LORD,

We forget so quickly

    Your hand upon us,

    Your provision for us,

    Your Presence with us

in our times of struggle

     and even in the victories.

May we set before us

    Your daily faithfulness.

Strengthen us in this day

    and direct our hearts

that we would not just

                   know You more,

but tell our stories

   to point others to You.

 

 

...for those who honor Me

             I will honor...

              1 Samuel 2. 30

(What is my heart in this situation?

Am I seeking to honor God

           or my own glory?

God will lead us through

          impossible places

   to bring His name

                  and His glory here.

God redeems

         the hard stuff of our lives.

Even today.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

Help us to keep our eyes on You

    that we would bring You glory,

                    even in this.

Grant us the courage

         to honor You,

   even when we are just

   a solitary voice in the wilderness.

May we bear witness to You.

And be very aware that others

    are not watching us to see

                if we are perfect,

   but desperately listening

        to know that You are real.

Help us to bring glory to You today,

      even in the smallest details.

                   

 

He opened the rock,

and water gushed out;

it flowed through the desert

              like a river.

               Psalm 105. 41

(When we come before the LORD,

in our time of need,

      even in abundance,

God provides

            in unexpected ways

            and unlikely places,

not just for us,

   but those all the way downstream.

Be ye not surprised

    at what the Almighty is doing.

God redeems,

                even this.)

O LORD,

You make Yourself known to us

   by making a way

   where we can see no way.

Nurture us by Your strength

                 and Presence

that we would

           bring the name of Jesus here

and acknowledge Your glory.

There is nothing random

                 in our need

           or in Your provision.

Water does not just gush out.

   Help us to give You

            the glory due Your name.

 

...He had sent a man

         ahead of them,

 Joseph, who was sold               

                   as a slave.

              Psalm 105. 17

(God calls us to be

    faithful right where we are,

even in the hard stuff,

affliction,

and "what in the world

   is God up to in this?"

We will not always understand,

but there will always be those

    who are coming after us.

We are just bushwhacking for them.

God sends us

       into these wilderness places

to bring the name of Jesus there,

to bear witness

             and to sow His glory,

even in what we may never see.

Not just for practical reasons

      but for His redemptive purposes.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Your hand upon us,

even in places we cannot understand.

You are working Your redemption

            of this broken world

                       through us.

Help us to serve You

    by trusting You into the thicket.

And to know that generations

       are following us

to know that You are real.

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And they came to Bethlehem

at the beginning of the

                    barley harvest.

                   Ruth 1. 22

(Nothing random

          in this situation.

God's anointing

             and appointing.

God strategically positions us

       in time and place

for His greater purposes

in His grand narrative.

Ruth and Naomi

             didn't have a clue.

Neither do we.)

O LORD,

Help us to follow You

            into this day,

knowing that You lead us

      in unexpected ways

      and in unlikely places,

even in the ordinary and familiar.

May we be sensitive

                 to Your purposes

and embrace Your Presence here.

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And they inquired of the LORD…

 

                      Judges 20. 23

 

(First step in the morning

that guides the rest of our day.

Last reflection at night

    to realize His Presence in it,

not just in what we see as the good stuff,

         but mooring us in the storms of life,

and commit to Him

   what He is already redeeming.

In this hard situation,

    this troubled relationship,

    and these overwhelming emotions,

did it occur to us

         to first inquire of the LORD?

Nothing too big,

         never anything too small,

nothing insignificant in His sight.

First thing:

         Have I asked God about this?)

 

O LORD,

We come before You in the beginning of the day,

         or as we see the storms approaching,

to inquire of You

                 what we should do,

                  how to approach,

                  how to prepare,

                  how to navigate,

                  how to love others in this.

We do not lay out our day

         for You to fit in some little crevice,

but we ask You

         to lay out Your day for us,

not just what to do,

         but how to run with You.

Help us to abide in You today,

     no matter the circumstances.

 

 

...we speak of what we know,

and bear witness

     to what we have seen...

                 John 3. 11

(What do we talk about with others?

What do they know about us?

Do our lives bearing witness

  about our relationship with Jesus?

Yes, in everything we do and say,

how we treat others,

how we work,

     and Whom we worship.)

O LORD,

May our relationship with You

and our love for You

   stand as evidence of our witness.

Help us to follow You

  into whatever You place us today

and among whomever

       You have appointed us

       to point them to You.

May our lives bear witness

   in all we do and say

and be imprinted by Your love.

Grant us the words to speak

    that tell of You and Your goodness

    in this broken world.

 

Far as high as the heavens

     are above the earth,

so great is His steadfast love

   toward those who fear Him;

as far as the east is from the west,

   so far does He remove

   our transgressions from us.

                 Psalm 103. 11-12

(Just in case we might not

     understand His love,

     His grace, or His forgiveness,

God does not just give us words

           or even His Word

    that we may know Him

           and what He is like.

But God unfolds to us each day

   the wonders of creation

and the utter beauty of the universe,

   from the intricacies of a tiny cell

to the vastness of the galaxies.)

O LORD,

You are so amazing

that we don't even have the words

             to describe You.

Thank You for loving us that much.

May we love You back today

   in all that we do and say,

in how we approach circumstances,

in how we navigate the clear waters

             and the storms,

in how we treat others,

     and in how we worship You

     in all these ways.

You are with us.

You hear us.  You see us.

      You love us.

And that changes everything.