Saying No Means Saying Yes

 

But as for you,

the LORD your God

has not allowed you

            to do this.

      Deuteronomy 18. 14

(Don't go there.

When God says no,

   He means exactly that.

There are profound

      and intensely personal

      reasons for it.

God knows what enslaves us.

God knows what trips us up

       and rips us apart.

But as for you.....

         Not for me.

Choosing to be faithful to God,

  by saying no to something,

means having the opportunity,

    awareness, strength and heart

                       to say yes

  to something eternally better.

We can justify just about anything

   or choose to follow God in this.

And what we opt to do

  directly influences generations

  after us.

 Faithfulness sticks.)

O LORD,

Grant us the strength and courage

to turn away from anything

that pulls us away from You.

Help us not to play with fire,

  wade into the rip-tide,

  or gaze at the greenness

     on the other side of the fence.

But empower us to be energized

   by faithfulness to You.

And be greatly aware and amazed

   by what You urge us to pursue.

Don't Calculate Without Him

 

Nevertheless,

I am continually with You.

You hold my right hand...

My flesh and my heart

                may fail,

but God is the strength

         of my heart

and my portion forever.

              Psalm 73. 23, 26

(God is holding me through this.

        He never lets me go.

Nothing more reassuring than that.

God does not hand out

   an impersonal print-out

                of instructions.

He walks with us, talks with us,

guides, provides, sustains,

and lifts us up,

  even out of potholes

              of our own making.

But God....

His Presence changes everything.

Don't calculate without Him.)

O LORD,

Thank You for being

       right here with us.

Help us to not just

   see another way through

or even just to get through,

     but to see You

and recognize Your wonders

          all around us.

Help us not just to feel Your hand

          holding ours,

but to know You more.

Align our steps

    and our hearts with Yours.

We are not alone.

And this place is not random

  but stock-full of Your

  eternal purposes

               and strength.

But What If We Don't?

 

Now it happened

that as He was praying alone....

           Luke 9. 18

(Something monumental

always happens when we pray,

  sometimes the visible,

  more often the profound,

working its way to the surface

    and into our very being.

What if

   we prayed about this dire situation?

What if 

   we prayed about this impossible person?

What if

    we prayed our way through

        outrageous circumstances?

But what if

              we don't?

What does praying about this

                    make possible?

What is praying saying YES to?

Prayer makes us aware.

God opens our hearts to His.

And that changes everything.)

O LORD,

Please help us to not take

     prayer lightly.

May we come to You

   as our first response,

   not our last resort.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Help us to know

   that You are the God

of the visible and invisible.

And we can come to You.

It is not about an answer.

     It is all about You.

You help us to see differently.

You empower us to

       live differently

in the strange

    and in the ordinary.

In All We Undertake

 

And you shall rejoice

before the LORD your God

in all that you undertake.

              Deuteronomy 12. 18

(Rejoicing is not just tied to a

        favorable outcome

     or grand accomplishment,

but rejoicing before God

            in the doing.

The ancient Hebrew word all,

means exactly that:  all,

the whole, each and everything,

       all that we undertake,

even the difficult and confusing.

And through our doing,

God forms something new

      in us, training, equipping,

preparing us for the now and next.

When we come before Him

              in all that we do,

every good endeavor,

and every faithful deed,

   God transforms our hearts.

Do we see this task differently

      by worshiping God in this?)

O LORD,

Help us to go differently

             into this day

by rejoicing in You,

  instead of grumbling.

Increase our vocabulary

    to speak with a new heart.

   and to bring You glory in it.

Use our work profoundly,

      in all we undertake,

even what is beyond understanding,

    out of sight, 

    or on the far side of words.

Grant us the deeper joy

      not just in the doing,

but in being faithful to You.

Frightful Things and All Their Cousins

 

...and those who love His name

   shall dwell in it.

               Psalm 69. 36

(We all struggle with something,

    both real and imagined,

    irrational and overwhelming.

God never ignores a cry of

                   "Help me!"

He always hears us,

        but are we listening?

I asked the LORD to help me

   by taking away

        what was troubling me.

Over the course of days,

I walked and talked with Him

             through it.

He answered me unexpectedly,

       as He most often does,

"What are you dwelling on?

 Why are you dwelling on it?"

So many frightful things

       --with all their cousins--

    come knocking on our doors.

But we need not invite them in.

         Dwell with Me.)

O LORD,

Grant us the courage

     to dwell with You

  in this broken world.

Settle in, abide,

make our hearts

   Your permanent address.

Empower us to say to our fears,

   "No vacancy."

Dwell with us, Almighty One.

Fill every room.

The Power of First Responders Is Not Their Own

 

And I prayed for Aaron

also at the same time.

              Deuteronomy 9.20

(Even in his anger and despair

over what Aaron had done,

Moses responded

              by praying.

Praying defused his anger

and gave him the wisdom

   and courage to

   set the situation rightside up.

By praying not just about it,

    but through it,

 allowed Moses

         to love his brother

     back from his sin

and bring God's supernatural

          power to sink in.

Do we even consider praying

          as our comeback

   when someone messes up?

Praying is the way

       of loving other people,

       forgiving them,

   and doing something

            restorative about it.

Prayer exhibits the

  Newton's Third Law of Motion:

Every action has an equal

    and opposite reaction.

What if we responded

     by bringing prayer

     instead of ammunition to it?

The triggers may remain the same,

  but what if we trained our hearts

      to pray as our default?

Prayer is neither a natural

    nor equal reaction.

Prayer changes everything,

         deeper still

even ourselves.)

O LORD,

We confess that praying

  is not the first thing we do

when we have been wronged,

when someone messes up,

when we are angry with

        those around us.

Fill us with Your love

   to overflowing.

Grant us Your heart in this,

    even Your words to pray,

and another way through.

Guide our hearts

      to pray to You.

Fill us with Your Spirit

   in volatile circumstances

for Your unexpected glory.

May Your love prevail

  over our words and actions.

Help us to respond

   and not just react.

Even in this.

             Even today.

  

It's Not Easy Being Green

 

...but the righteous will flourish

      like a green leaf.

              Proverbs 11.28

(We are no ordinary plants,

but changed

    to bring God glory

    in impossible situations.

In the desert,

  a green tree is spotted

                miles away.

     It cannot be overlooked.

Our lives too should appear

             very different,

even in the harshest conditions,

  not to put on a cheery, cheesy face,

  but reveal a transformed heart.

We are strategically placed

to bud, sprout,

   burst forth with blooms and fruit,

and flourish on so many levels.

Especially in a drought,

it's not easy being green,

but God gives the strength

    to grow deep roots,

bear fruit,

and provide His beauty

   and nourishment for others.

We are not just here for a reason,

      but for His glory.

Flourishing never comes

  in single serving containers,

but to be shared

           and multiplied.)

O LORD,

Fill us with Your life-giving strength

   not just to endure,

   but to flourish

     in unexpected places.

May we recognize

       that we are Yours.

May others see the same.

Not that we are just different,

   but changed and used

   and loved by You.

Grant us the courage

        to be green.

 

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Too Heavy for Any of Us

 

Blessed be the Lord,

who daily bears us up.

God is our salvation.

             Psalm 68. 19

(God guides, provides,

sustains, and holds us tight,

through many dangers,

toils and snares

    --far more than we know.

God daily bears with us,

    lifts us up,

    carries us through,

and walks with us,

   even in this difficulty,

   even in this impossible situation,

   even in our hard relationships.

God reveals a new way through,

     starting with our hearts,

             new every morning.

A "good day" does not happen.

Look to see how God

    bears us up.

Even in the tough stuff, 

        or the ordinary,

  God does the heavy lifting.)

O LORD,

May You be blessed

    by what we do and say,

even in our turmoils

      and what looks like defeat.

You daily bear us up.

Help us to never forget

   Your Presence with us.

We are not our own.

We are not on our own.

Hold us tight.

Help us to bind ourselves

                to You.

You have brought us

           safe thus far,

and You will lead us home.

        (Amazing Grace, 1772)

 

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Carries Us Through

 

Do not be in dread

     or afraid of them...

The LORD your God

   who goes before you...

in the wilderness

  where you have seen

how the LORD your God

             carried you,

as a man carries his son,

all the way that you went

   until you come to this place.

          Deuteronomy 1. 29-31

(Every day is a story

         His faithfulness,

  still unfolding

  and being revealed,

past, present and future.

We just can't see that far.

       But He can.

Fear shakes its fist at us,

   anxiety tries to trip us up.

But God has already been there

    and back again,

preparing our way

and equipping our hearts.

He goes before us.

He does not just

            walk with us.

God carries us through.

Stay with Me.

  Don't get ahead

         or dread.)

O LORD,

We face great shadows

    of the unknown.

Please help us to not be

   paralyzed by the what if's,

but energized by what is,

     and that would be You.

You lift us up

     out of our turmoil,

You bear us continually, 

support, sustain,

and bring us through,

strengthened in You.

Help us to navigate this difficulty

         differently,

remembering how You embraced us

           in the past  

and carry us now as Your beloved.

We are not alone in this.

     Never have been.

Rearview Mirror And The Windshield

For the LORD your God

    has blessed you

in all the work of your hands.

He knows your going through

    this great wilderness.

These forty years

the LORD your God

       has been with you.

You have lacked nothing.

             Deuteronomy 2. 7

(Looking backwards and all around,

through the wanderings, the ordinary,

the rough roads, potholes,

what was hard, what was joyful,

what appeared to be a deadend,

       detour or wrong turn,

the significant

   and the seemingly insignificant,

       both failures and triumphs.

God has been guiding, providing,

    and redeeming all along.

How we see the past and present

   empowers us to trust God

in the now and the next.)

O LORD,

May we look back

and not just see Your hand,

   but Your Presence,

even in the dark places,

even in the impossible.

You are with us.

You are still with us.

Help us to not dwell in the past,

    but to abide in You.

Right now. Even in this.

Be glorified, Almighty One.

 

The Most Exciting Part

 

But God......

        Psalm 64. 7

(This is not the point of despair

              or defeat,

but the most exciting part

      of the story.

But God is when

          everything changes.

He is the LORD of breaking through

             --2 Samuel 5. 20--.

God does not just

    send a rescue helicopter.

Or eliminate the difficulties.

          Or solve the mystery.

God changes our hearts in this.

God engineers everything,

   even the parts hard to understand.

Don't write the story without Him.

God brings us to Himself.)

O LORD,

You do not just enter our story,

          our dilemmas,

      our impossible situations.

You have woven this story

          from long ago.

You do not just exist.

            You are with us.

We can depend on You.

Knowing who You are

     changes everything.

Carry A Big Net

"Put out into the deep

and let down your nets

             for a catch."

And Simon answered,

"Master, we toiled all night

           and took nothing.

But at Your word,

   I will let down the nets."

And when they had done this,

they enclosed a large number of fish,

and their nets were breaking.

                   Luke 5. 4-6

(That's what faithfulness does.

     Keeps on keeping on,

knowing God is doing

   a mighty work,

even in what we cannot comprehend.

God knows

    all the fish we do not see.

May we put out into the deep

       in one way or another,

       and trust Him with it.

Something always results

      when we respond to Him.

We would be astonished

           at what God is doing.

Carry a big net.)

O LORD,

Please grant us the courage

to do the work

   You have set before us.

Help us to trust You

    when there are visible results

and when we don't see a thing.

Empower us with Your strength

     to stay faithful

and abide in You through long nights,

empty nets,

          and calm seas.

Help us to live expectantly,

not for predetermined outcomes,

         but for You.

 

Where The Wild Things Are

 

O God,

    You are my God,

earnestly I seek You.

My soul thirsts for You,

my flesh faints for You,

as in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

            Psalm 63. 1

(This psalm was written by David,

when he was in the wilderness,

   being pursued by his foes.

It was there

   in that most unlikely place

that he did not

     experience God's absence,

but in those dire circumstances,

he realized his need for God

and the reality of

   God's Presence with him.

The wilderness is never

     a God-forsaken place,

not to somehow earn God's favor,

   or learn some kind of lesson,

             but to yearn for Him.

These desperate situations

    equipped David

             for what was ahead.

And what is God forming in us

         through our difficulty?

It is not even that

   God meets us

         where the wild things are,

but we realize He has been

       with us all along.

God reveals His wonders there.

God reveals Himself.)

O LORD,

We are hungry.

We are thirsty.

We are weary of this

        dry spell,

    wild beasts,

      rocky road,

and long-distance loneliness.

Help us to not just believe

           but to know

that You are with us

and You are

                  in this.

Please make us aware

    of the wonders here

hiding under every rock,

around the next turn,

and emblazoned in

      the sunrise,

that pushes back the darkness.

       

Because God Has Put Us Here

 

...to give light

to those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death....

             Luke 1. 79

(We may find ourselves

       where we rather not be.

Why are we in this situation,

    dark and messy

    and maybe not even

                of our own doing?

Because God has put us here.

Nothing random at all.

God is generous

       with sacred encounters,

       divine appointments,

and as writer Kate Gaston says,

          "holy collisions"

to bring hope and light

      to the brokenness of this world.

And to let those in despair know

      life doesn't have to be this way.

We are not alone.

God is with us,

             even here,

             even in this.)

O LORD,

We try to do life without You,

and then wonder why we

    end up in the gutter of despair,

agony of defeat,

    and gloom without hope.

Please grant to us

    the awareness to be light

in the shadowlands

and to show others Your hope

   by how we love them.

 

And Take Everyone By Surprise

 

....and behold,

you have done nothing

        but bless them.

        Numbers 23. 11

(We are all faced with

volatile situations,

difficult relationships,

  and struggles of all kinds.

May we respond the same way 

    with unexpected blessing 

    and striving for good will.

May we see it as a conversation,

instead of a conflict

        or confrontation,

willing to grasp the best in

   and want the best for.

When faced with trouble

     and opposition,

what if we blessed instead?

And take everyone by surprise.

May others see

      a different heart in us,

      transformed by the gospel.

When we come before Him,

   God changes our triggers

   and the trajectory

                 of the situation.

God can redeem,

                    even this.)

O LORD,

Before we rush into the fray,

help us to stop,

        come before You,

and seek Your way into

   whatever is before us.

Empower us to approach,

navigate and negotiate

   with Your amazing grace.

And to experience

   what You make possible

       in the impossible.

Ready To Run

 

...let it be to me

    according to Your word.

            Luke 1. 38

(We don't have to have figured

     out the journey, the outcome,

     the details, or how in the way

              we can do this.

It is not that we need to

   lay out our day before Him,

but that we let God

   lay out His day before us.

Not interruptions nor detours,

or things not working out,

   but seeing them as divine appointments

   and sacred encounters.

This prayer of Mary

    changed the history of the world.

These words are not the voice

              of reluctant surrender,

but instead ready to roll in whatever,

whenever, 

        and however God leads.

God walks with us.

God brings the snacks.)

O LORD,

Place before us today

Your plans, purposes and

   ways to bring You glory.

We come before You

   with shoes double-knotted,

ready to run with You.

Please grant to us

   the wisdom and grace

to follow Your nudges.

Let Your glory be over all

    we do today.

Over all and all over.

Don't Miss The View

 

From there they set out

             and camped...

From there they set out

            and camped...

And from there

      they continued...

And from the wilderness

    they went on...

Numbers 21. 12,13,16,18

(This passage pretty much

   describes our many moves

             as a family,

every few years

     to a new place.

Are we there yet?

But for all of us,

in each place on our journeys,

    in every new experience

    or continuance of the familiar,

God uses it to change and equip us

           a little more.

There is nothing random in this

     nor wandering,

but instead, learning how to follow,

how to be faithful,

and how to trust Him,

even when we don't quite know

   why we are doing this

   or why we are even here.

For His purposes.

For His glory.

And all in His name.)

O LORD,

You take us on paths

       we both know

       and have never seen,

that we would know You more.

Please help us to set out

      and camp and set out again,

even through the wilderness,

the miry bogs,

the highways and byways,

knowing You don't just

        give us a map.

You walk with us

     every step of the way.

Help us to not miss the view.

Praying In Numbers

 

And the whole multitude of people

were praying

at the hour of incense.

             Luke 1. 10

(In praying

       and by praying,

what are we saying yes to?

              To God.

Praying in multitudes

   shares His Presence

   with everyone.

God doesn't need a multitude

   in order to hear us,

but sometimes we

   need a multitude to know

   that we are not alone in this.

Praying is one sacred way

      of loving people.

As Corrie Ten Boom once said,

"With such this prevailing prayer,

  something is bound to happen."

Prayer is seeking God,

allowing ourselves to be led by Him,

and giving Him 

    the elbow room to work

in His way

and in His perfect timing)

O LORD,

We thank You

for those who gather around

    to pray for us,

in their quiet corners

  or in a mighty gathering.

Thank You too

for the opportunity

      to pray for others

and share in the wonders

  that only You can do.

Write Your name

    over this situation at hand.

And let Your Presence

       change everything.

Even our hearts.

.

The One Thing We Can Do

When I am afraid,

I put my trust in You.

In God whose Word I praise,

       in God I trust.

I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

          Psalm 56. 3-4, 10-11

(A phrase repeated in Scripture

   is like underlining it in

   permanent marker

      with a series of !!!!!!!

Pay attention to this.

It does not say if I am afraid,

     but when fear grabs me.

At some point,

    the scary stuff paralyses us all.

God does not say,

   hide and let it pass over,

nor pretend there is

      nothing to be afraid of,

           but trust Me in this.

Don't just sit there,

   but push back .

In God I Trust is neither a mantra,

    wishful thinking,

    a magical incantation,

or a nightlight

      when the house creaks.

But a way of

   singing louder than the despair,

not to make the boogie man go away,

but to grasp the reality

          of His unforgettable Presence.

Trusting God means singing

         a new song over it,

new lyrics,

and a psalm of ascent.

Fear is a reality

           in this broken world.

But God is stronger still.

Learning to trust Him

  in the everydays,

prepares us for the hard stuff.

When I am afraid?

         First response:

    I put my trust in You.)

O LORD,

Even in what we don't understand,

even when we are overwhelmed,

even when we are over our heads,

even when it is way too scary,

  the one thing we can do

           is trust You.

You hear our cries.

You are already here.

           Present tense.

May we trust You in this too.

 

Taking The High Road

Please let us pass

      through your land.

We will not pass through

   field or vineyard,

or drink from a well.

We will go along

   the King's Highway.

         Numbers 20.17

(Through any difficulty,

    known or yet unknown,

God provides the opportunity

   to take the high road,

     His way through this.

He guides us,

   even step by step.

When we pray,

   seeking His face,

  --and not just directions--

the next stepping stone

   rises up out of the mist

      --and not until.

His highway passes through

  the familiar

      and the most unlikely routes

with rest stops along the way

   we cannot foresee.)

O LORD,

Please help us to choose

   Your way in this wilderness

   or right through the crowds.

Help us to be faithful

  in all that we do today

and follow You into it

   with a new heart.

And to know You more

     along the way,

whether sharp turns

     or confusing detours,

not looking for signs,

   but looking to You.

Walk with us, Almighty One.

 

Can't Carry It Alone

 

Behold, God is my helper.

The LORD is the

        upholder of my life.

 

         Psalm 54 .4

(The cashier at the grocery

chuckled when he saw me

   overloaded with packages.

Next time, he reminded me,

        take a cart.

God tells us the same thing

      over and over again.

We need not try to carry it all,

navigate the confusion,

and walk this day alone.

Direct it to Me.

How differently we would approach

     what is before us

if we did not just recite,

but said out loud each morning:

                   God is my helper.

    The LORD is the upholder of my life.

              Even today.

              Even in this mess.

And engrave that truth

   on every part of our days.

He has a strong hold on us.

Don't leave home

              without Him.)

O LORD,

Our arms are overloaded with cares

    and heavy burdens

    and urgent stuff to do.

We are anxious,

because we insist on

          carrying it ourselves.

Help us to not just 

        direct these things to You,

but let You direct these things.

We are not alone in this.

             Ever.

Very Large Stones, Not A Problem

And looking up

they saw that the stone

    had been rolled back

---it was very large.

             Mark 16. 4

(Jesus did not need the stone

to be rolled back

               to get out.

The stone needed to be moved,

so that we would know

   that He was no longer there.

He is who He said He is.

What is the big rock

     impending our view?

The verse says,

           look up.

Define the problem.

Respond with the gospel.

God opens a pathway

    and open doors

in unexpected places

        and impossible ways.

Very large stones,

             not a problem.)

O LORD,

Thank You that the tomb was empty.

Thank You for what that cost You.

Thank You that nothing but nothing

       can keep us from You.

Help us to see every part of life

    through the lens of the gospel,

not that every part fits,

but every part was designed that way.

May we trust You

  even when rocks block our way.

 

Never Unnoticed

 

Joseph of Arimathea,

a respected member

          of the Council,

who was also himself looking

   for the kingdom of God,

took courage

and went to Pilate and asked

    for the body of Jesus.

               Mark 15. 43

(Take courage to be a witness

     with unexpected choices

                in unlikely places.

The opportunities surround us,

but do we seek to step into

  these divine appointments

in His strength,

with His courage,

        and in His name?

The world cannot help

      but be impacted.

No witness for Jesus

       goes unnoticed.

It always changes lives,

     even our own.)

O LORD,

We are Yours.

   You paid for us.

May we know You.

May we be known as Yours.

May we make You known.

Let Your unforgettable Presence

       guide us into this day.

You have given each of us

   a story of Your faithfulness.

May we not keep it to ourselves.

Grant to us the courage

    to speak up in Your name

    and live out our love for You,

even in the most unlikely

            circumstances.

May Your Spirit

   change our choices

and get all over everything.

Short Term Memory Loss

 

Would it not be better

for us to go back

          to Egypt?

        Numbers 14. 3

(Beware of 

    short term memory loss

and ignoring our own personal

  chronicle of God's faithfulness.

Lack of trusting God

  distorts what we remember,

what we are experiencing,

and how we face

            what is ahead.

God empowers us to see

    with a fresh heart,

to go forth into the day

  and even into the fray.

Not with an attitude of

  "doesn't make a difference"

but with a mindset of

         with a difference.

And that would be

   from God Himself.)

O LORD,

We all struggle with something.

We all face difficulties.

Please help us to be mindful

   of what you are forming

   in us on this hard road

and what You are

      making possible.

May we place before us

     Your unforgettable Presence.

 

No Tree Can Grow There

 

But I am like

    a green olive tree

in the house of God.

I trust in the steadfast love

                 of God

forever and ever.

 

          Psalm 52. 8

(No matter the barren landscape,

the ongoing drought,

the dismal forecast,

the rocky soil,

we always walk differently

  when we trust God in this.

Taking root downward

    and bearing fruit upward,

still standing tall,

even as

    the most unlikely tree.

God sings His steadfast love

          and goodness over us,

even in what

     we don't understand,

not just surviving

   but thriving

with His strength, hope,

and a witness to others.)

O LORD,

It is not in us,

           but You.

Please grant us

            the courage

not just to act differently,

but respond to You

  in impossible situations.

May Your abiding in us

   be evident,

 life-giving

and beautiful as a shade tree

  in a barren place.

Help us to

     trust You so much,

it shows like that.

The Power of the Seen And Overheard

 

But be on your guard.

For they will deliver you   

    over to councils,

and you will be

   beaten in synagogues,

and you will stand

before governors and kings

         for My sake,

to bear witness before them.

 

           Mark 13. 9

(Jesus spoke these words

   not to make us afraid,

but to make us aware,

to pay attention

      to every opportunity

      to bear witness.

Witness comes in

    unlikely packages,

  casual conversations,

and unexpected moments.

We may not realize

  that others are watching,

   listening, or overhearing,

whether we react or respond,

how we treat difficult people

    or unfavorable outcomes,

    even displayed in our attitudes.

Our testimony is not

     a scripted answer,

but tangible evidence

      of a changed heart.)

O LORD,

Help us to be bold

       with the gospel

in our ordinary places

       and scary spaces,

among the familiar and strange,

even with those

     who stand against us.

May others who watch us

  see not just a difference in us,

        but that You are real.

Create in them

   a homesickness for You.

More Than "Have A Nice Day"

 

The LORD bless you  

    and keep you,

the LORD make His face     

    to shine upon you

  and be gracious to you,

the LORD lift up 

   His countenance upon you

and give you peace.

           Numbers 6. 24-26

(Not just a casual greeting

    "Have a nice day,"

but a lot deeper blessing

           than that.

It is writing the LORD's name

over circumstances,

yet unforeseen moments,

His Presence over the delights

   and even the hard stuff.

Unlike a generic smiley face,

this blessing acknowledges

     His Presence with us,

and expresses to others,

you are loved,

you are seen,

   and God is very real.)

O LORD,

Enlarge our vocabulary

    and our hearts

to cover others

   with blessings.

May we not just fill 

    the space with words,

but fulfill this holy moment

      with blessing,

  no matter the situation,

among those we know

and those we don't know yet,

   to see the best in

and desire God's best for.

Aware of What God Makes Possible

And you shall love

   the Lord your God

with all your heart,

and with all your soul,

and with all your mind,

and with all your strength.

The second is this:

You shall love your neighbor

              as yourself.

There is no other commandment

      greater than these.

               Mark 12. 30-31

(What is our overriding agenda

         for this very day?

Of all the significant things

     we urgently need to do,

that which is needful

                   and profound

   is to love God and others

           with a whole heart.

It covers everything.

And answers not just what,

but how, why, where and when.

Our circumstances

    are neither an interruption,

    nor a pothole,

              nor deadend,

but a divine appointment

     on holy ground.

How differently would we go forth

     if we equipped ourselves

              into this day

     with those commandments?)

O LORD,

We love You.

Please help us to be faithful

    in expressing our love

by loving those around us,

those we know,

those we have not even met,

divine windows,

sacred encounters,

and holy moments in disguise.

Grant us the courage

       and strength

to make Your love known.

Nudge us, if necessary,

   to be aware of what

       You make possible.

 

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Even What We Pray For

 

Therefore, I tell you,

whatever

    you ask in prayer,

believe that you have          

           received it,

and it will be yours.

And whenever

     you stand praying,

forgive,

if you have anything

         against anyone,

so that your Father also

   who is in heaven,

may forgive you

        your trespasses.

           Mark 11. 24-26

(Notice the connections here.

The whatever is connected

   to the whenever,

  the anything to anyone.

Also bound together are the ask,

   believe, receive, and forgive.

Prayer is an act

     not of demanding,

     but of asking,

coming before,

willing to be submissive

    to His purposes, power

            and His grace.

Repenting and forgiving

   realign our hearts

 how to pray about this,

what to believe about God,

and to know what we receive

           is from Him.

This verse is not about

    getting what we want,

but being willing to receive

              His will in this.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize

   that more than anything,

               we need You.

Rewire our hearts

   that we would not just pray,

  but able to trust You on the way.

Give us the courage

    to ask forgiveness

    and to grant it,

so that our hands and hearts

   are ready and unburdened

to believe You

   and receive Your goodness.

Make us aware

   how to pray,

   and how to believe not in an outcome,

              but in You.

Your Presence changes everything,

   even what we pray for.

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We Are All Storytellers

 

And He began to speak       

      in parables.

              Mark 12. 1

(We are all storytellers.

God has given

each of us stories 

     of His grace and glory

in our everydays

   and the extraordinary.

There are

    no insignificant tales.

A speaker or writer

can wax eloquent

   with head knowledge,

but when they tell a story,

   the audience wakes up.

A parable literally means

placing one thing

   by the side of another,

positioning a common story

  besides its deeper meaning,

in order to bring understanding.

The impossible stories 

God weaves into our lives

   show us His power

   and reveal His glory

     as a side-by-side

     verbal witness to others.

Jesus told stories

   to bring the "aha" to our souls.)

O LORD,

You have granted us

stories to bring You glory,

a journey of words

        not to keep

   but to share in this world.

May we be bold

   in speaking not just

   of what we experience

but how we have seen You.

You are the grand Author

    of our lives.

May we be faithful

        in the telling.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Attention Deficit

 

The LORD spoke to Moses

in the wilderness of Sinai....

           Numbers 1.1

(The most unusual places,

unexpected circumstances,

barren landscapes,

the deserted bus stations of life,

a crowded waiting room,

 or painfully rutted gravel roads,

     are never random at all,

               nor a wrong turn.

But perhaps,

where we listen

without the usual distractions

     or frantic pace.

We are more aware

  that God is here with us.

It is not that we give Him

   permission to speak,

but He gives us the margin

     to take notice of Him

     and pay attention.

What am I supposed

           to be doing here?

Be with Me.)

O LORD,

Help us

to be still and know

    that You are God.

Help us to realize

that we cannot do

       this day without You.

Guide our eyes and hearts

  to take notice

 of what You are doing.

And grant us the strength

    and courage

        to respond

with energy, grace and love.

May we be not just

           aware of You,

but sensitive to those

  You have divinely placed 

         right before us.

Capture our attention

  and help us

to keep our eyes on You.

In Our Comings And Goings

 

If you walk in My statutes

and observe My commandments

          and do them......

          Leviticus 26. 3

(It is not a matter of what

we say we believe,

but if our lives engraved

     by living out our faith

in how we walk,

what we observe,

     and what we do.

Life will look very different,

   not just for us

   but through us

in the lives of everyone

  we touch and encounter.

Indeed, the world's trajectory

   would alter greatly

if we walked with God

in the familiar and ordinary

and in the incomprehensible

         and extraordinary.

We cannot forecast this day,

but we can be aware

of His divine appointments,

sacred encounters,

   and holy collisions.

And respond differently.)

O LORD,

Thank You that we can walk

       with You through

whatever is before us--

tromping through the miry bog,

scaling the scary cliffs,

even sweating on the uphill hikes.

May we bless You

        in this day,

sensitive to Your leading,

loving and gracious

       in our dealings,

and courageous

  to do what is good and right

        and selfless.

Never Comes In Individual Servings

 

Redeem us

for the sake of

Your steadfast love.

            Psalm 44. 26

(Why do we always think

the hardship or the favor

     is just about us?

God is spreading

  His grace in unexpected places

  and in unlikely people.

It is not just what God

   is forming in us

   through this difficulty

           or benevolence,

but what is He forming

   in those around us,

drawing not just us

    but others to Him.

Redeeming never comes

  in individual servings.

What if this situation

  or our own struggle

  is about them?

God is already redeeming

          our suffering,

covered even now

by His name, steadfast love,

   and His indelible grace,

marks that

      cannot be removed.)

O LORD,

Thank You

that whatever we encounter,

or endure,

or experience,

is covered by Your steadfast love.

And for the sake

       of Your holy name.

You redeem even what

  we cannot comprehend.

Please make us aware

and responsive

   to those around us

to bring Your grace to them.

Even in this,

You are powerfully working,

restoring, and multiplying.

Not just for us.

Antidote To Fear

 

Do not fear,

       only believe.

       Mark 5. 36

(The world has hijacked

     this phrase.

Jesus does not intend

for us to believe in ourselves,

or favorable outcomes,

or particular answers,

          but in Him.

Trusting in Him

    is the antidote to fear.

His Presence with us

   is not dependent on

   how much we believe,

like racking up enough likes

  or wishing hard enough,

      but that we believe in Him.

God knows what He is doing,

even in what is so far 

   beyond our comprehension.

Believing and trusting God

   does not change circumstances,

but alters how we approach

            and navigate this place.

  God's power and Presence

help us see His trail through it.)

O LORD,

Help us to leave our fear behind

and trust You in this situation.

You are here with us,

       not dependent on

    if we believe hard enough.

We hold tight to You,

and then realize

  You have a tighter hold on us.

We need not fear,

   not even just believe

       that You are God,

but know You are.

Enlarging Our Vocabulary

 

...may those who love Your salvation

say continually,

        "Great is the LORD!"

          Psalm 40. 16

(God does not just change our hearts.

    He enlarges our vocabulary.

Does anyone see

        any difference in us

in how we speak,

how we respond,

      even what we talk about?

What if we said

    --in so many words--

       "Great is the LORD?"

We rarely acknowledge Him

      even among church people.

What if we make others aware

   to what God is doing,

engraving His Presence

   into our conversations,

allowing God to transform

  the trajectory of our chats?

We talk freely about a lot of things.

But do we mention Him?)

O LORD,

May our conversations,

our vocabulary,

our words

   bring glory to You.

Nudge us in situations

   to speak of You.

We cannot know

  how You will use

      even an informal chat

      to draw someone to You.

Enlarge our vocabulary

and our willingness

   to know You

   and make You known.

  

How We Say Yes

 

And He answered them,

     "You give them

       something to eat...

How many loaves

    do you have?

             Go and see."

And when they found out,

they said, "Five and two fish."

             Mark 6. 37-38

(We pray for God

        to guide and provide.

And in turn,

God reveals that

He has already

      supplied the answer

   for us to unpack.

When we respond and go forth,

we realize God does not just

                 cover a need,

  but multiplies,

    exceeding beyond what we can imagine,

      way more than enough,

        sometimes even with dessert.

Praying enlarges what we see,

   but also what we can do.

When we cry out,

       "Oh, God, do something!"

He replies,

    "That is why I put you there."

What resources

         has He put in our hands?

     Do we even know?)

O LORD,

We see the gaps and needs

    and broken places.

You see the opportunities

  for us to be

          Your hands and feet.

When we pray,

please make us aware of

    how we are saying yes to You.

Grant to us big hearts

    to set many more places

                       at the table.

In Your eyes,

    there is always room for more.

You do not just make it work

    with rolls and two fish,

    but cast Your glory over it.

Help us to not just do

         with what we have,

but create a feast

   in impossible situations.

May our love and grace

be a strong witness

   to everyone around us.

Surprise even us!

    

Who Exactly Is Waiting?

 

But for You, O LORD,

       do I wait.

It is You, O LORD my God,

      who will answer.

             Psalm 38. 15

(Do we wait on the LORD

    or barge right through?

Do we even give God

   the space to squeeze in,

   enter and move?

Answering is not

   the only action verb here.

But listening, waiting,

     watching and responding.

Waiting is not at all about

     God's ability to act.

His answers don't fit

  on the short dotted line we allot,

but a shelf of 800-page volumes

     would not be enough.

It is, perhaps, on us

       that He waits

to get a word in edgewise.)

O LORD,

Please grant us 

not just the strength

      to wait,

but how to wait.

You never meant

   for waiting to be

   a passive verb,

but a passage through.

Waiting is being aware

     of Your Presence

          and dwelling in it

in unexpected places,

when we would rather be

       somewhere else.

Please help us

   to trust You

in Your divine appointments,

Your precise timing, and

Your strategic positioning,

         for Your glory.

You have shown us 

that waiting is not about

         what is next

but what is eternal.

Even When We Don't Know How

 

...the seed sprouts

       and grows,

he knows not how.

        Mark 4. 27

(We scatter the seed,

nurture our patch of ground,

water, and pull up weeds,

but God brings His growth,

      sometimes fruit

      we don't even recognize,

and casts His glory all over it.

We have no idea

      how He will use us,

planting a seasonal crop

  or a forest of Sequoias.

But we can be faithful.

Right here,

         in the now

and in what is about to emerge.)

O LORD,

You change the landscape

    of our circumstances.

You have placed us

  in these situations

  to repair and restore

     and scatter seeds

    of hope and grace.

No ground is too hard or fallow

      that cannot bear fruit.

And only You can bring it.

Redeem, Almighty One,

    our work for Your glory,

even when we

         don't know how.

Something Always Happens

 

And Moses said,

"This is the thing

that the LORD commanded

     you to do,

that the glory of the LORD

may appear to you."

           Leviticus 9. 6

(God does not demand.

       He commands.

Demand is to force.

Command is to invite us

           to join Him.

Demand is 

   an impersonal "Do this."

Command is an intimate

     "Follow Me."

Command means to appoint,

    to set up,

    to charge us with His purposes,

most of which we may never know,

  but to be faithful anyway.

When we respond to God's leading

in the familiar or unexpected,

   something always happens.

God covers it with His glory

    and reveals Himself to us,

often in unlikely, improbable,

    and unexplainable ways.

And others are impacted too.)

O LORD,

Thank You that You show us

   not just a way to go

            or what to do,

but You draw us to Yourself.

Appoint us, set it up,

   charge us not just

with stuff to do

   but to be

   in relationship with You.

Spread Your glory

     in thick layers

             over this day.

Help us to grasp Your Presence.

You do not just show up.  

    You reveal Yourself.

You are already here.

How To Handle This Day

 

Trust in the LORD,

        and do good;

dwell in the land

  and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD,

  and He will give you

  the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD.

trust also in Him,

            and He will act.

                  Psalm 37. 3-5

(God spells out

      how to handle this day:

  trust, delight in Him,

          commit our way,

   and trust Him again.

Our part is seamlessly integrated

             with His.

The promise is

         "and He will act,"

in amazing ways

  we cannot ever foresee.

Diligently following Him

    into this day,

    into this mess,

    into His wonders,

changes not just

   our perspective or attitudes,

but our heart, vision, actions,

   and how we respond.

Circumstances may or may not change,

      but we can.

Trusting God never comes

      with a Laz-E-Boy recliner

but trail shoes double-knotted,

     ready to roll. )

O LORD,

We can be confident and sure

   that You are God

            we are not.

Thank You that we can trust You.

Help us to go forth into this day,

trusting You, relying on You,

allowing ourselves

            to be led,

being strengthened on the ascents,

and astonished by Your scenery

        along the way.

Please make our trust in You

      be infectious in others.

It is not that we

        lay our day before You,

but You lay Your incredible day

            before us.

May we walk with You

    hand in hand into it.

Not Just A Bow On Top

 

...as a gift to the LORD.

            Leviticus 7. 14

(This awkward, difficult situation

   looks nothing like a gift.

It is not just doing what

the LORD has placed before us,

but going above the needful

and turning it into a present,

             given willingly.

A gift is not that I have to do this,

       but I really want to.

Because any gift always has love attached

   and price tags removed.

How can we transform

     what we are doing today

--fixing the toilet,

   discovering a cure,

   accommodating interruptions,

   starting a difficult chore--

        into a gift to the LORD?

Intentional effort,

a willing heart,

and seeing it differently.

Not a task or obligation,

    but opportunity,

to love Him more.)

O LORD,

You offer to us

the wonders of this new day,

even its difficulties,

     storms and potholes.

Grant to us the strength

and creativity to turn it

   into blessing You.

Not just putting a bow on top,

but allowing ourselves

           to be led into it

with hearts that see

      something new and different,

even in the same ol' details.

Renew our energies

  not just to do,

  but to be Yours in this.

We offer to You our time,

our endeavors, our hearts,

   as a gift to You,

and watch how You

 multiply it amazingly

in the lives of others.

 

    

What We Can't Afford

 

And rising very early in the morning,

while it was still dark,

He departed and went out

to a desolate place,

and there He prayed.

               Mark 1. 35

(Spending time with Jesus

   first thing in the morning

--finding and making time--

radically changes

   the trajectory of our day,

      far more than we know.

A recalibrated heart changes

   what we see,

   what we feel,

   what we pursue,

and how we respond to God,

to others and to circumstances.

Not just having a better attitude,

   but having the strength

  to take a higher road

              through it.

We can't afford

            not to pray.)

O LORD,

Wake us early

with a desire to meet with You.

Soften our hearts

   and change our minds

that we would walk

      differently into this day.

Help us to not just be

      aware of You,

but mindful of You

   in whatever we do,

   in every divine appointment,

   and every sacred encounter.

Enter in.

Infiltrate our hearts

        with Your Spirit.

May others see the

      difference in us.

May we see it even more.