A Much Larger 24 Hours

 

And Samuel prayed

     to the LORD.

       1 Samuel 8. 6

(Enough said.

That sentence alone

tells us everything

         about Samuel.

Praying is not all

     we need to do,

but how the LORD

guides us in what to do.

First things first,

and that would be

         to pray.

Have I even considered

what the LORD has to say

     about this situation?

He shows us His way through.

He reveals His heart in this.

Not just what to do,

    but how to be His in it.

God orchestrates our days

   --even the so-called

             ordinary ones--

     for His glory.

When we pray,

   we become aware

   and responsive to Him,

instead of just reacting

      to circumstances.

And our praying

   leaves a witness there.)

O LORD,

As we walk into this day,

  may we choose

  to walk with You in it.

Soften our hearts

    and change our minds

Talk us into what to do

  and how to honor You

  in the ordinary

            or unexpected.

You reveal Yourself

         every day to us.

Open our eyes

   and enlarge our prayers

that we would see

  not only Your wonders

but how we can serve You.

Unexpected Courage In Unlikely Places

 

The Phinehas stood up

       and intervened,

and the plague was stayed.

              Psalm 106. 30

(Phinehas knew it was

 time to pray, to intercede,

to do something

     about the turmoil

     or the brokenness,

to bring peace as best

     as he was able.

Prayer is not

   an optional activity,

nor an excuse not to act,

but the most vital element

       in our response.

Prayer makes us aware,

not just to a solution,

but to the Presence

           of the Almighty.

The most profound thing

   we can do is pray.

When Phinehas prayed,

God gave him

    the courage to stand.)

O LORD,

You are our strength

           and shield.

You grant us

     the courage to stand,

no matter the situation

         in front of us.

You grant us

      the wisdom 

not just to know

   what to do

but even how to

       pray about it.

Be Thou our vision.

But One Thing We Can Know

 

But He said to them,

"It is I.

 Do not be afraid."

         John 6. 20

(We are not in this alone.

Nor is it something random,

      or a wrong turn,

      or a dead end.

How would we approach this

    differently if we knew

    God is in this?

God does not work in

     mysterious ways,

but in steadfast love

          and goodness,

even when we don't understand.

But one thing we can know:

   Trust Me in this.)

O LORD,

We tread in the familiar

    and the unknown.

Help us to not just know

    You are with us,

but that You are bringing

    Your glory

    and deep purposes

to what we only see

    as circumstances.

We do not know

       what to do,

but we can turn our eyes

        upon You.

This may be the ride of our lives

  or what looks like

  any ordinary day,

but You are still with us.

And that makes

     all the difference.

Not Lost In Translation

 

For those who honor Me,

I will honor.

            1 Samuel 2. 30

(This is not a conditional

if/then statement,

       but a lingering promise.

When we honor God,

   something always happens.

As we go into this day,

whether in achievement or defeat,

whether blue skies or storms,

may we carry His name here,

invite the weighty imprint

    of His Presence,

pursue His honor

and not our own arrogance.

Selfless acts and

    God-honoring choices

speak a foreign language

       in our society,

but His glory

     is not lost in translation.)

O LORD,

May we honor You

in whatever we do today.

Please reveal to us

  what that looks like

         in real time.

Refresh our hearts

   that we would join You

in the outworkings

  and redeeming

         of our circumstances.

Help us to know how to respond

   with Your steadfast love.

And write Your holy Name

   all over this situation.

  

Can't Touch Bottom and Way Over My Head

 

He rebuked the Red Sea,

and it became dry,

and He led them

through the deep

as through a desert.

       Psalm 106. 9

(Never deny His glory.

Never explain Him away.

No, we couldn't have

   done this at all

   without Him.

If it were not difficult

       or impossible,

would we even turn to God

  or acknowledge His hand?

What is my Red Sea

   right now in front of me?

God brings us through

   to His great goodness,

even in what we can't

       quite see yet.

Something out of our view,

     but not out of His sight.

And it just may be

what someone else needs

        to witness.)

O LORD,

We all struggle with something,

    deep and stormy,

and we don't just forget how to swim.

  We forget to follow You into it.

We ask You today,

not to remove the hard stuff,

    but strengthen us in it.

Reveal Yourself to us

   in what we experience.

Saturate Your glory

   all the way through.

Help us to be faithful

  to take a step into the deep.

You made a way through

     the Red Sea.

You guide us through our own.

Rocky Road Is Not Just An Ice Cream Flavor

 

He will guard the feet

of His faithful ones....

          1 Samuel 2. 9

(God does not promise that

there are not potholes,

nor that life will not be hard,

but He covers, sustains

and strengthens us

        with His Presence.

Even on this rocky road

      we walk today.

The journey will

   never be the same.

The faithful ones go forth

        differently into the day,

because they know they are

seen, heard,

      and deeply loved.

It is not that we will

    never trip up,

but in His hands,

       God redeems

in the most incredible ways.

And when we fall,

       He catches us

   and sets us back

   on our feet again.)

O LORD,

This is a scary and broken world.

Please cover us with Your shield.

Direct our feet

            and our hearts

   to what bears fruit

   and brings glory to You.

We know that others

       are watching us

to see the goodness You bring,

the strength You

        generously give,

and the secret joy

   that changes everything

   about us,

even where we go

and how we walk there.

Let Your footsteps

      be a guide to us

and a witness to the world.

     

What It Comes Down To

 

The man believed the word

that Jesus spoke to him

and went on his way.

              John 4. 50

(We can be assured

that in this broken world,

we will encounter

   what is a mystery to us,

   difficult, painful,

          and confusing.

But God is not

     surprised by it.

He is right by our side.

"Trust Me in this"

   changes how we walk,

respond and carry on.

In the hard stuff,

my grandmother used to say,

"And sometimes you just

    have to trust the LORD,"

no meaningless Hallmark phrase,

but the reality of His Presence

     spelled out in her life

            over and over again.

We never know the journey.

We never know

        the end of this,

because God's ways

      are seamlessly woven.

Having done all,

        to stand and trust.

Trust is taking hold,

binding ourselves to,

   and being led.)

O LORD,

You are trustworthy,

       faithful,

     and steadfastly loving.

Help us to walk

  into this day before us

with pockets bulging

     with Your grace

     and courage.

Even when it is beyond us,

   help us to trust You

and allow ourselves

             to be led.

May we bring Your name here

   and leave a witness

   in permanent marker.

Put It On, First Thing

 

Seek the LORD and His strength.

Seek His Presence

                   continually.

                Psalm 105. 4

(How differently we would approach

              this day,

              this difficulty,

              this road,

how differently we would navigate

       what is before us,

how differently we would journey

           through it,

     if we trusted God in this.

              Different experience.

              Different outcome.

Seek Me.

See Me.

Seek My strength

      and put it on,

                 first thing.

Count on My Presence,

     even in this.)

O LORD,

We are so often in the midst

           of a mess.

We realize so often that

   we are way over our heads.

Remind us who You are.

Remind us You are with us.

Remind us

     we are not alone in this.

We need not go it on our own.

     Indeed, we don't have to.

It is Your strength,

         not ours,

    that pulls us through.

You may or may not change

        these circumstances.

But You change our hearts in it.

And bring about Your glory.

Bringing About the Impossible

 

When You send forth Your Spirit,

they are created,

and You renew

       the face of the ground.

               

             Psalm 104. 30

(The Holy Spirit hovers over

what appears only to us

    as barren, rock-hard

    and impossible.

His Spirit infiltrates,

bringing about something

      new and unexpected

to sprout, to come forth

                  and flourish.

God has positioned us

to sow, nurture,

      and faithfully tend

this patch of ground

    and multiply here.

God brings about His fruit.

More than we can know.)

O LORD,

Renew the face of this ground.

May Your Holy Spirit

       hover and cover

this little patch of earth,

whatever it may be,

however difficult and arid,

   wherever we are today.

Change the shape

       of the landscape

       as only You can do.

May we bless others

through all we do and say,

    in how we respond,

    by how we love them,

---those we know

  and those we don't know yet.

May Your Presence

in this unlikely spot

            be compelling

   and evident.

             

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

All The Way To The Top

 

Jesus said to the servants,

"Fill the jars with water."

And they filled them up

         to the brim.

          John 2. 7

(We have no clue

    what God does

when we respond to Him,

when we fully follow,

even when it might not

    make sense at the time.

We have only to

       be faithful.

God completes it.

And He brings His glory

            to it,

often in ways we do not

       recognize.

Fill the jars He gives us.

    All the way to the top.)

O LORD,

We need not know

what You have

          up Your sleeve,

for us to respond fully.

Help us to not just

   be aware of need,

but serve You

   with a generous heart.

May You be honored

      in this day

in whatever You place

      before us.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

And Then The New Begins To Grow

 

 But the hair on his head

    began to grow again

after it had been shaved.

            Judges 16. 22

(Samson was not perfect

      by any means,

        nor are any of us.

Yet we are not defined

    by our failures or sin,

            but forgiven.

God redeems

    when we come to Him.

That is how God's grace

        enters in,

not by what we deserve,

but how He transforms us.

And then

  the new begins to grow.)

O LORD,

Help us to not dwell

   on what has been,

how we have wounded

and how we

    have been wounded.

We are not just sorry,

   but realize Your forgiveness.

You have already begun

      to redeem.

Let our lives

   begin to grow again.

Help us to be faithful to You.

           Starting now,

Even in what is before us

              today,

You show us another way

                  through.

And give us Your strength

    to be faithful to You in it.

Way Beyond Our Own Reach

 

...and offered it on the rock

      to the LORD,

to the One

   who works wonders...

            Judges 13. 19

(Wonders in the ancient Hebrew

means that which is hard,

hidden, too high, and

way beyond our own reach.

And that is what the Almighty

    specializes in.

The Holy Spirit hovers over

whatever we encounter,

whatever we offer to Him,

whatever we have to give,

and He does something

   we could not do

   on our own.

God reveals Himself

in the familiar and ordinary,

the unexpected, extraordinary

        and even strange to us,

no degree of separation,

but with His name and glory

   written all over it.

Wonders abide even in what

    we don't understand

or could ever hope for.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Your wonders

past, present and future,

   all woven together.

Thank You for working

   what is way beyond us.

We offer what we do to You,

   knowing You complete it.

You bring the fruit to it.

You cover it with Your glory.

You work wonderfully--

      full of wonder.

Help us to trust You in it.

This Little Light of His

 

...but came to bear witness

        about the light.

            John 1. 8

(What in the world

      am I doing here?

No wrong turn after all.

But our daily commission

    is to bear witness to God

in whatever we do,

whatever we say,

among whomever,

wherever we are,

how we respond,

and any which way we can

      to point others to God.

What does that look like

          right here,

          right now?)

O LORD,

Help us to approach this day,

    this difficult assignment,

    this awkward situation,

    this messy relationship,

with Your supernatural strength          

   to bear witness to You

        and to bring You glory

in unexpected places

   and creative ways.

May Your light in us

  draw others to You.

It is not in us,

   but Your love

   and grace shining forth.

Nothing Too Little, Never Too Big

 

They called to the LORD,

and He answered them.

             Psalm 99.6

(Did it even occur to me

to ask the LORD

       about this dilemma,

decision, distress, direction,

harrowing situation,  

     or opportunity?

Nothing too little,

        never too big.

To listen to

           what He says?

Or respond to

     how He directs?

Is praying our first response

     or last resort?

God never intended

   for us to go it alone.

Walk with Me through this.)

O LORD,

Remind us of Your Presence,

that You are already here.

It is not that we are

          waiting on You,

but You are

      waiting on us,

even to ask You about this.

You do not just lift our burdens

      or help us carry them,

but You empower us

    to see them differently.

What we encounter

  is not always as it appears.

Grant us Your vision to approach,

   Your grace to navigate,

Your strength to fulfill,

even what we don't understand.

Soften our hearts

      and change our minds.

Be glorified in this.

Morning, Evening, and Every Moment Inbetween

 

The heavens proclaim

       His righteousness,

and all the peoples see

       His glory.

            Psalm 97. 6

(Every sunrise

     and every sunset,

whether we see them or not,

the blueness of the skies

   that does not have a word

   deep enough to describe,

even in the clouds swirling,

the beauty does not just reveal

       His existence,

but a witness of His Presence.

We are left speechless.

Beauty beholds the Creator

      and cannot be hidden,

    ignored or denied.

The awe we feel

       is a call to worship.)

O LORD,

We are so moved by the beauty

  You seamlessly weave

   into this world.

You give us a sunrise and

      sunset every day,

Your artwork radiating

        across the heavens.

You are mindful of us.

May we, O LORD,

     be mindful of You.

Victory With Empty Jars

 

And Gideon divided the 300 men

into three companies

and put trumpets

into the hands of all of them

and empty jars

with torches inside the jars.

             Judges 7. 16

(God arms us with the improbable

           to take on the impossible.

In whatever situation we face,

God whispers,

     "Trust Me in this."

Following Him may not make sense

               at all to us,

but when we are faithful,

      God redeems

and brings about His glory,

sometimes in unexpected ways

            and with the unlikely.

Someday we will understand,

   "So that's why

           You did it that way........"

His victory is not just

            over our foes and fears,

but that we may know

         that He is the LORD.)

O LORD,

You narrowed down Gideon's army

until it was impossible for them

            to win,

so they would know Your glory

         cannot be denied.

Shine Your light over our

            circumstances.

We come before You

  with weak hands 

                and empty jars.

For we are powerless

against this great horde

that is coming against us.

We do not know what to do,

but our eyes are on You.

            2 Chronicles 20. 12

His Way in Impossible Places

And he said to Him,

"Please, Lord,

how can I save Israel?

Behold, my clan is

the weakest in Manasseh,

and I am the least

  in my father's house."

And the LORD said to him,

"But I will be with you."

        Judges 6. 15-16

(God provides a way

where there is no way.

Don't calculate without

the intervention

    and Presence of God.

Of course, we can't do it

      without Him.

That is why God chooses

  the unlikeliest ones

that His strength is revealed

   and His glory evident.

We have only to be faithful.

But I will be with you

       changes everything.)

O LORD,

Surround us by Your Presence.

Infiltrate Your Spirit

         within us.

Build Your courage in us.

Help us to believe You

      at Your Word,

trust You through

  to the other side of this,

and even beyond.

 

But Then.....

 

If the LORD

  had not been my help,

my soul would soon have

  lived in the land of silence.

When I thought,

         "My foot slips,"

Your steadfast love,

  O LORD, held me up.

When the cares

  of my heart are many,

Your consolations

            cheer my soul.

          Psalm 94. 17-19

(Anxiety is not a

     modern plague.

Anxiety through the ages

  is trying to do this life

          without God.

The cares of my heart

  are the Hebrew words for

"When my anxious thoughts

     multiply within me."

And invite in all their cousins

    --fear, stress and despair.

When implies

        a common occurrence.

 But then....

  Do we push back the darkness?

  On what do we choose

       to dwell?

When life shakes us

and makes us totter and fear,

God's lovingkindness

supports, sustains,

strengthens and holds us up

   in unexpected ways.

Because He is our help,

       we live differently.)

O LORD,

When anxiety comes

    knocking at our door,

when fear sneaks

    through the cracks,

grant us Your courage

to shout,

"you are not welcome here."

Almighty One,

   You are our help.

   We know that.

   We have seen that.

Now is no different.

You grasp our hands

   in slippery places.

Help us to walk with You

   and bind ourselves to You.

On whatever treacherous cliff,

   You already hold us tight.

No Degree of Separation

 

Do this

in remembrance of Me.

           Luke 22. 19

(How do we approach

   whatever selfless opportunity

God places before us today?

As hard as it may seem,

even in what joy

           it may bring,

"Would you do this for Me?"

No degree of separation.

     It's all worship.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

Help us to see the needs

      around us

as opportunities

     to serve You

and allow Your glory

to pour over it.

Empower us to worship You

    in whatever we do.

Not just serving others

    or serving You,

but worshiping You.

No exclusions.

Not just an attitude change,

    but awareness

    of Your Presence.

Ready for Anything

 

Let the favor of the LORD our God

          be upon us,

and establish the work

   of our hands upon us;

yes,

  establish the work of our hands.

                Psalm 90. 17

(In the Hebrew, establish means

to set up, confirm and maintain.

God completes our work

    and gives it meaning.

His goodness causes it

             to endure,

perhaps beyond our vision

         or our lifetimes.

Every good endeavor matters

   more than we can know,

appointed and anointed

        by the Almighty

        for His Kingdom.

God pours His favor

  over our divine appointments

          and sacred encounters,

even work not recognized

                 or affirmed,

but prepared and ready for anything,

     any way God uses it.)

O LORD,

We lay our work before You

  even as we are doing it,

that You would be glorified

        by what we do

        and what You do with it.

We have but to be faithful

              to You.

And to know the joy

     of serving You

                   in all things.

       

Not If, But When

 

And when they cried

        to the LORD....

         Joshua 24. 7

(Not if,

          but when.

That is the point

    of radical change,

coming before the LORD,

not telling Him what to do,

but admitting our need for God.

We all struggle

        with so many things.

No waivers there.

We live in a broken world.

It is not that we are

    waiting on God to act.

God is waiting on us

  to invite Him to intervene.

"Not my will or way,

            but Yours be done."

The biggest blockade may be

    sidestepping our pride

    or favorite despair,

and letting God enter in,

not just the situation,

           but our hearts.)

O LORD,

We grumble. We gripe.

We complain incessantly.

We even cry out.

We pray but not to You.

May we not just come to You,

but walk with You

through the miry bogs,

the deep dark forests,

and into the unknown

  --which is not unknown to You.

Because when we pray,

when we call out to You,

You make us aware,

not to another way through,

not to an answer in neon lights,

     but to Your Presence.

Even in this situation today.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Well-Oiled Hinges

 

...but a faithful envoy

         brings healing.

         Proverbs 13. 17

(Envoy means messenger.

But the word in Hebrew

also means

       hinge of a door.

Because healing opens doors

      we never expect.

Healing is a hinge

  on which things change.

What are we bringing

         to this situation?

Are we approaching it

   with healing in mind

   or ammunition stored up?

Be faithful,

bring healing,

nurture well being,

even in ordinary places.

Even in ways

     no one sees coming.)

O LORD,

Help us to approach

and navigate with healing

    in mind and in hand,

Make us aware of

       our words and actions,

even our attitudes

   that infiltrate everything.

Help us to know that

   well-being impacts all,

                  even us.

Show us how specifically

   to bring healing to this

with Your glory imprinted 

                            upon it.

Please help us to

  keep our hinges well-oiled.

Even The Snacks Along The Way

 

....for though it is a forest,

you shall clear it and

possess it to

     its farthest borders.

For you shall drive out

        the Canaanites,

though they have

   chariots of iron

and though they are strong.

                Joshua 17. 18

(What has God placed

before us to do, to occupy,

to sow and be fruitful?

There will always be something

   beyond our abilities

and something always to fear,

but God goes with us

                   into it.

The reality is

    "I could never do that."

A bigger reality is

           God intervenes.

God brings His courage,

His strength,

and even the snacks we need

            along the way.)

O LORD,

Overcome, we pray,

   what overwhelms us.

Grant to us Your vision

   in this hard thing.

Help us to trust You

      through to the other side.

Strengthen us to follow You

   and to hold tight.

Energize us

   to get the work done.

Seven Words That Change Everything

 

But on the first day of the week,

at early dawn,

they went to the tomb,

taking the spices they prepared.

And they found the stone

    rolled away from the tomb,

but when they went in

they did not find

   the body of the Lord Jesus.

....He is not here but has risen.

                    Luke 24. 1-2, 6

(He is not here but has risen

are the seven words

that changed 

       the history of the world

       and radically changes us.

Jesus is not a dead

          historical leader,

but is the Son of God,

  still right here with us.

Jesus did not need

   to move the stone

   to get out of the tomb,

but He did it

    that we would know

    He had risen.

And that changes everything.)

O LORD,

We come to You in awe

   of who You are

and what You did for us

to save us

and bring us into relationship

               with You.

Come and live in us.

And He Did

 

And when he came near,

Jesus asked him,

"What do you want Me

    to do for you?"

             Luke 18. 40-41

("I would do anything for you."

           And Jesus did.

His life for ours.

There is no Easter

   without Jesus giving His life

   for us.

We are seen.

We are heard.

We are loved.

We are forgiven.

Always loved. Already forgiven.

Because that is

        why Jesus came.)

O LORD,

You came to save us

              from our sin.

You came to save us

       from ourselves.

Release us.

Complete us.

Transform us.

That others will see

     that we are different now.

And we will see the same.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Thank You for dying for us.

Thank You for rising from the dead

   that we can know

   You are who You said:

Savior of the world.

Savior of me.

And Never Lose Heart

 

And He told them a parable

to the effect that

they ought always to pray

and not lose heart.

            Luke 18. 1

(Never stop coming

             before Jesus.

Never stop praying.

God always responds

   in one way or a million.

And not always

       as we expect.

Trust in the slow work of God.

And even when it appears

         the long way around.

It's not about answers

                 after all.

Praying may or may not

  change our circumstances,

but alters how we see

the situation, others,

    even God Himself.

In the process of praying,

  God changes our hearts.

That may be

   the biggest miracle of all.

And then we are where

  we can see His wonders.)

          

O LORD,

Help us to realize that praying

is not wishing for,

nor getting what,

but all about

  our relationship with You.

Align our hearts

        with Yours.

Sometimes we don't even

   have the words,

but You hear our hearts.

Empower us to pray

                 even then,

and never lose heart.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

From Strength to Strength

 

Blessed are those

whose strength is in You,

in whose heart are

   the highways to Zion.

As they go through

   the valley of Baca,

they make it

    a place of springs.

...They go from

          strength to strength.

          Psalm 84. 5-7

(We go from strength to strength,

     ever stronger, ever more gracious,

     not just aware of opportunities

         to bless others,

     but pursuing those moments.

What can we do in this situation?

Turn a dry desert place

  into a refreshing oasis

           of beautiful springs,

When our strength is in God,

we can't help but come alongside

    to strengthen and bless

               in tangible ways.

God's strength multiplies

        exponentially.)

O LORD,

You are our strength.

You have provided all along the way

    in unexpected places

    and difficult situations.

Your strength transforms circumstances,

from obstacle

          to opportunity.

Be our shield in this very day.

Help us to know

   the strength we experience

             is not ours,

but Yours.

Help us to be generous

  in helping others.

           Because we can.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Never Asking Directions

 

...but did not ask counsel

from the LORD.

             Joshua 9. 14

(As a young girl,

I was very aware that

  my dad never asked directions

or followed printed instructions.

One wrong turn led to yet another.

But when we ask, listen,

      and respond to the LORD,

we take a far different journey

       into our day.

No matter where we are

           or what we face,

we see differently

     and think differently,

very aware

   that we do not travel alone

in the familiar and ordinary

  or in the unexpected

        and extraordinary.

Did I even consider

     the LORD about

   His guidance in this situation?

Nothing is too small

   or insignificant in His eyes.)

O LORD,

May we come to You

not with our own agenda,

but asking that

You lay Your day before us.

Nudge us to ask Your counsel

Please help us

to both listen and respond.

There is a different way

          through this.

And that would be with You.

May we be aware of the wonders

  all around us

when we walk with You.

Going Around In Circles

 

You shall march around the city,

all the men of war

going around the city once.

Thus shall you do

             for six days...

...On the seventh day,

you shall march around the city

           seven times,

and the priests shall

     blow the trumpets.

...then all the people shall shout

     with a great shout,

and the wall of the city

          will fall down.

           Joshua 6. 3-5

(We all at one time or another

     face the impossible

the difficult, and the worrisome.

Are we willing to follow God,

respond to Him, obey Him

even when it doesn't

     seem to make sense,

even when we don't

        see the outcome?

We have but to be faithful.

God has something

        up His sleeve

we cannot yet comprehend

to leave a witness there

that cannot be forgotten.

And for us

       to know Him more.)

O LORD,

Please guide our way through

   this road block,

these impenetrable walls,

this hard thing

   that keeps us up at night.

Help us to march with You,

even when it feels like

     we are going in circles.

Fulfill Your purposes

          even in this.

And empower us

      to be led.

The Art of Not Missing Out

 

Then Joshua said

            to the people,

"Consecrate yourselves,

for tomorrow the LORD

   will do wonders among you."

               Joshua 3. 5

(There are no ordinary days

without God's wonders

   seamlessly woven into it.

But where is my heart?

Joshua warns the people

   to get ready, be on the alert,

equipped, out of their ruts,

and devoted to the LORD,

   lest they miss out.

May we be aware of

     His Presence.

God is doing a work

   in our lives

   and in our midst

that we wouldn't believe

      if told.

           Habakkuk 1. 5

And He has strategically

  positioned us

  for His glory in this.

Is my heart in the right place

                to see?)

O LORD,

Realign our hearts,

reorder our loves,

sharpen our vision, 

help us get ready

      and be aware

of all You are doing

    around us

    and in us.

May we not miss Your wonders

     even in this day.

Can't Count That High

 

But we Your people,

the sheep of Your pasture,

will give thanks to You forever.

From generation

           to generation,

we will recount Your praise.

              Psalm 79. 13

(What marks our conversations?

Do our children,

grandchildren, neighbors,

co-workers hear 

and overhear praise 

    and gratefulness to God?

Or complaining and grumbling

    about circumstances?

Our words are marked

     by what we worship.

Our witness is shaped

        by what we say.)

O LORD,

Change our vocabulary

   that our gratefulness to You

is deeply engraved and passed on

from generation to generation.

Help us to

       count and recount

Your goodness, steadfast love,

    and Your wonders.

Let those words be remembered

    and resound for lifetimes to come.

May praise to You

  change the course of our lives,

in how we live

      and by how we respond to You.

Those Who Watch Us

 

One who is righteous

is a guide to his neighbor...

         Proverbs 12. 26

(Through whatever we walk through,

God is forming something new

         in us.

We are not changed by our circumstances,

           but by Him.

Yet our response also

   affects all those around us.

People are continually

watching us,

not to see if we are perfect,

    if we succeed or fail,

but how we respond

    when life is difficult.

Others want to see

          if God is real.

And to see if He makes

  a difference in us.

Yes, there is another path

    through this situation.

And a strength

          that is not ours.)

O LORD,

Help us not just to be aware

   of those around us,

but how to point them to You,

in words and deeds,

   attitudes and grace.

Empower us to live out

the reality of Your Presence

and to reveal life is different

      when we walk with You.

Please redeem our mistakes,

our wrongdoings,

our deafness to Your voice,

that we may know You more

   and guide those on our path

   to You.

Whatever, Wherever, and Among Whomever

This Book of the Law shall not

depart from your mouth,

but you shall meditate on it

       day and night,

so that you may be careful

to do according to

    all that is written in it.

For then 

you will make your way

               prosperous,

and then

you will have good success.

Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened,

   and do not be dismayed,

for the LORD your God

          is with you

wherever you go.

           Joshua 1. 8-9

(This is the commandment

 we all too often forget

that flavors everything we face:

       Do not be afraid.

       I am with you.

How important is God's Word

     in our lives?

When we read and absorb it daily,

it does not change circumstances,

but through it, God changes us,

how we face difficulties

and how we traverse

   what is before us.

God changes our journey through

and how we view that wilderness

     --with fear or trusting Him.

The choice boils down to

            our strength or His.

The key word here is wherever.

God brings us through.)

O LORD,

Only You know what

   we are going through.

And for that You have

       given us Your Word

and Your promise

  that You are with us.

May Your scripture

daily infiltrate everything

we face today

   and how we respond.

Help us to not miss

   the view or Your strength

along the way,

        walking with You.

 

Strength Training Program

 

He chose David his servant

and took him from the sheepfolds,

from following the nursing ewes.

He brought him to shepherd

     Jacob his people,   

     Israel his inheritance.

             Psalm 78. 70-71

(God's training ground

            in faithfulness

is not always obvious,

   nor where we want to be.

But what is God

   forming in us through this?

What purpose is there

    in this mundane work?

Eternal ones

     we cannot yet see.

God is equipping us,

  beyond what we can

  ever do on our own.

What is God doing with this?

    Strength training.)

O LORD,

Help us to trust Your

     training program,

in what You have

    put on our plates,

where You have placed us,

 and among the people

          on this path.

Complete Your work in us

and help us to serve You

   even right where we are.

Help us to grow into

      faithfulness,

present and future tense.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Ready, Willing and Faithful

 

Stay dressed for action

and keep your lamps burning....

           Luke 12. 35

(Shoes double-knotted,

dressed in layers,

lunch packed,

fresh batteries in our headlamp,

ready, willing

           and faithful

for whatever God places

   before us today

or whomever is on our path.)

O LORD,

It is not that we lay our day

           before You,

but we ask that You lay

   Your day before us.

Help us to listen to You,

be attentive,

and responsive to Your nudges

and Your purposes.

Where You guide,

            You provide.

Align our hearts with Yours.

And fill our pockets with

     more grace than

     we think we need.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Because We Don't Have To Be Afraid

 

Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear

   or be in dread of them,

for it is the LORD your God

    who goes with you.

He will not leave you

          or forsake you.

     Deuteronomy 31. 6

(In whatever we face,

wherever we go,

     God is with us,

and God is in this.

How does that change

how we go forth today?

Worry deflates all the tires.

Fear blocks out

        all available light.

Trust Me in this.

Always a different journey

    when we walk with Him.)

O LORD,

Hold onto us tight.

And help us to

  not just believe,

  but to know,

that You are with us.

Guide us in Your way.

Fulfill Your glory

       even in this place.

Pour Your strength over us

   and give us Your courage.

We need not fear.

We don't have to.

Peace In Unlikely Places

 

...but those who plan peace

            have joy.

                Proverbs 12. 20

(Peace does not just happen

    without some kind of effort

    on our part.

How can we approach, plan,

equip ourselves, and navigate

differently this brokenness

      before us?

As much  as it is up to you,

 live peaceably with all.

                -- Romans 12. 18

Not a matter of wishing

     the conflict away,

but preparing our hearts

    by planning what to do,

what to say,

and snapping in place

           a loving attitude.

Peace is not 

      the absence of conflict,

but realizing and grasping

    the Presence of God

    right in the middle of strife.

Realizing our need for Him

   is what makes peace possible

   in unlikely places.

Yet not I,

    but Christ in me.)

 

O LORD,

Infiltrate our hearts with Your peace

that we may be peacemakers

   wherever You place us.

Help us to love others

             right to You,

even those who stir up strife,

those we may not even like,

    or who do not like us.

Fill our pockets

           and hearts

with Your grace and love

that we may instead

seize this opportunity

    to serve up peace.

Show us Your way through

  to pave peace in this situation

  today.

 

Enlarging My Vocabulary

 

There is one

whose rash words are

like sword thrusts,

but the tongue of the wise

        brings healing.

             Proverbs 12. 18

(What is the intent

        of my words,

  and what is the effect?

The wise choose carefully,

because they know.

words are final sale

      and not returnable.

What am I bringing

     to this conversation?

Bring healing to it.

Kind words

      are never forgotten.)

O LORD,

Enlarge our vocabulary

     and our hearts

to turn conversations around

    in unexpected situations,

    among unlikely people,

and bring Your

steadfast love, grace

and goodness

     that changes lives.

And surprise everyone.

Our Comings and Goings

 

Now as they went on their way,

Jesus entered a village.

And a woman named Martha

welcomed Him into her house.

 

                 Luke 10. 38

(Martha had no idea how

this simple invitation

and kindness

would literally change

  the course of her days

and even her brother's life

     would hinge on it.

When we invite Jesus

into whatever is before us,

or what we struggle with,

or even our everydayness,

   He changes everything

   in our comings and goings.

Jesus grants us awareness

    of the needs around us.

And He bestows

      strength and courage

to be a faithful witness

even in unusual places.)

O LORD,

Help us to live out

the love You have given us

by loving others,

those we know

and those we don't know yet.

Help us to realize

that You have placed them

on our path,

along our ways,

on our front porch,

or the next cubicle

            at work.

May we extend warmth

    and kindness

with Your name on it.

Divine appointments,

sacred encounters,

  

Face Lift

 

And as He was praying,

the appearance of His face

was altered,

and His clothing became

     dazzling white.

            Luke 9. 29

(Praying does not just

   change a situation or outcome,

but through it,

        God changes us.

Our hearts are refitted, reformed,

remodeled to see,

       respond differently,

  and realigned by God Himself.

God alters us spiritually

   and even physically by prayer,

so much so that others

  can observe a change in us

--in our responses,

   attitudes, and countenance.

Our facial expressions

  are attached to our hearts.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize

    how You change us

by spending time with You.

Guide us in what to pray,

how to pray,

        and for whom.

Change our being.

Align our hearts with Yours.

When we pray, 

may others not just see

         a difference in us

but that we also see

    a difference in us.

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.