The LORD 

is my Shepherd...

           Psalm 23

(Recite.

 Repeat.

Stake your life on it.

As we close out

       the old year

and emerge 

       into the new,

the LORD 

    is still my Shepherd,

not life without 

   difficulties 

   or deep unknowns,

but trusting God

   and living without fear.)

O LORD,

Your Word,

     every word

     of Psalm 23,

becomes our prayer

         for this day,

for what has been,

for what is to become,

in what You have

  already gone before us.

Thank You 

    for life with You.

You did not promise

   that life will be easy,

but assure us,

     “I am with you.”

Behold

I make all things

              new.

     Revelation 21. 4

(God is already redeeming,

    the hard stuff

   and  that which we don’t 

                 understand ,

even what 

    we cannot yet see,

even this.)

O LORD,

You are Savior.

You are Redeemer.

You are Faithful.

We stake our lives

on You,

       Almighty One.

     

Let them praise

   the name of the LORD,

for His name alone

          is exalted;

His majesty is

   above earth and heaven.

              Psalm 148. 13

(Worship changes us,

    more than we can know.

When we praise Him

    in favorable circumstances

    or in the midst

                of the miry bog,

when we worship Him

    in thought, word and deed,

our hearts are re-aligned

                 with His.

We see God differently,

we see others differently,

we see ourselves

                   differently.

We are no longer

   reactive to circumstances

but responsive to Him.)

O LORD,

We praise you.

Be exalted, Almighty One,

     through us today.

May we honor You

          in all things.

May we bring You glory

   no matter what.

May we speak outloud

    and live outloud

Your grace and mercy

      and steadfast love.

...the LORD,

who stretched out the heavens

    and founded the earth

and formed

   the spirit of man within him.

                Zechariah 12. 1

(Lest we forget

         who God is,

not a religious belief system,

not just another worldview,

but God Almighty,

Creator,

Savior,

Redeemer,

Who loves,

Who sustains,

Who forgives,

      Who lives and reigns forever.

How do I approach

this day differently,

what I do and say,

who I am,

because of my love for Him?)

O LORD,

You are great.

You are good.

You are Almighty God.

Help me to look

   at everything around me,

every majestic tree,

every glorious sunset,

the sovereignty of the skies,

the profound beauty

             of a tiny child,

to know

    that You are God,

and live that way.

Ask rain from the LORD...

             Zechariah 10. 1

(Did it occur to me

to seek God about this?

I cannot tell Him what to do

or how to do it

or when

or where,

but I can pour out my heart

                  before Him,

listen

        and respond.

God does not just

 meet us in our point of need,

but He walks with us

   through the difficulties

   and the flourishing.

Sometimes we just

           need to get

to the other side of the drought

    to realize His provision,

    to see His hand,

    to grasp His Presence,

to come to a deeper dimension

                    of His grace.)

O LORD,

You are our help.

You are our hope,

  in Whom we stake our lives.

Help us to come before You,

help us to walk with You

    and not run ahead,

even into the unknown,

even into what

           we think we know.

May we be faithful to You,

   to bless You,

   to bring You glory,

even in asking for rain.

You know what we need

     even more than we know.

We need You.

For how great is His goodness,

and how great His beauty.

                  Zechariah 9. 17

(Even in the unlikely places,

even in the unexpected,

even in what we consider

        a barren landscape,

   the wonders of His love,

 and the unfathomable richness

              of the yet unexplored.)

O LORD,

You have revealed Yourself

                   to us.

Please help us

    to seek Your fullness

    right before our eyes,

no end to Your goodness,

no end to Your greatness,

even in what

         we cannot understand,

or explain,

or see.

You redeem.

You restore.

You are God Almighty.

Help us to

   never forget that.

May we bless You today

    above all things.

Merry Christmas!

For God so loved the world

that He gave His only Son,

that whoever believes in Him

should not perish

   but have eternal life.

For God did not

 send His Son into the world

to condemn the world,

but in order that

   the world might be saved

                through Him.

               John 3. 16-17

(That is why Jesus came,

because God loves us

               that much.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Jesus.

And the angel said to them,

"Fear not,

for behold,

I bring you good news

                 of great joy

that will be for all the people.

For unto you

   is born this day

   in the city of David

a Savior,

   who is Christ the Lord."

                 Luke 2. 10

(And nothing

    would ever be the same,

God's Promise was fulfilled,

as declared in Isaiah 9. 6,

written 800 years before:

"For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government

    shall be upon His shoulder,

and His name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace."

On these words,

on the birth of this Child,

on His life,

His death,

His resurrection,

   we can stake our lives.

Forevermore,

              changed.)

O LORD,

The angel did not say,

     "Merry Christmas!"

but  "Fear not!"

You came to earth

     to save us.

Help us, Almighty One,

to never forget that.

Thank You

   for loving each one of us

   that much.

We are loved by You.

We belong to You.

Help us to be awestruck

    by these familiar words.

...despise not

  the day of small things.

          Zechariah 4. 10

(For life

       is built on the every days,

extraordinary moments

   in what we consider ordinary.

All is sacred.

Nothing insignificant.

Nothing too small

    that God is not already using.

God's glory

     is seamlessly woven.)

O LORD,

Please grant us

                new vision

and a new heart

in what we think

             as ordinary..

Help us to realize

        Your glory in it,

the opportunity to love others,

the privilege to love You

          in it and through

   whatever you place

                     before us,

wherever,

among whomever.

Everything in Your Name

    and by Your strength.

And I lifted my eyes

                 and saw,

and behold.....

         Zechariah 2. 1

(What is Your way in this,

               O LORD?

The radical change,

what different things

     in my vision and heart

when I come before the LORD.

That which I never saw before,

that I could never imagine

                    on my own.

God changes

   not just the trajectory

           of this situation,

but of my life.)

O LORD,

Reveal not just Your way

                   in this,

but reveal Yourself to us.

We will not just be surprised.

We cannot help but

            be changed by You.

...the wilderness,

where she has a place

prepared by God,

in which she is

         to be nourished...

             Revelation 12. 6

(The wilderness is not

    such a barren place after all,

but of strengthening

               and new vision.

Be not afraid

      of the wonders

      that God reveals

in the places

           yet unknown,

  even right where we are.)

O LORD,

Help me to know

   that You are in this,

even that which is mystery

       and difficult

       and scary.

Hold my hand

   and guide me in Your way.

The unknown

    is not unknown to You.

Help us to not miss out

     on Your purposes,

 or be unaware of Your majesty,

   help us not overlook

            Your glory here,

even in the unexpected turns,

even in the most unlikely  

   between a rock and a hard place,

  or where it appears nothing at all,

       the most astonishing,

            even in the tiniest details.

  You have not abandon us.

              You are not about to.

You are with us.

              Always.

Be strong,

all you people of the land,

       declares the LORD.

Work,

    for I am with you,

declares the LORD of hosts.

...My Spirit remains

              in your midst.

Fear not.

                  Haggai 2. 4-5

(What part of "fear not"

    do we not understand?

"Trust Me in this

    and get to work.

   I am right here with you."

No matter

        the circumstances.

Fear only distracts us,

anxiety drains

      the energy we need,

and despair leads us

      down the wrong path.

How differently would we live,

    if we trusted Him?

God actually knows

  what He is doing.

           Imagine that!

   "Just watch this.")

O LORD,

You are God.

You are the Almighty.

Grant us the courage

   we need,

 to trust You,

         no matter what,

Your strength within us,

Your Spirit in our midst.

The LORD your God

         is in Your midst,

a mighty one

         who will save.

He will rejoice over you

             with gladness,

He will quiet you

             by His love,

He will exult over you

             with loud singing.

             Zephaniah 3. 17

(Because the LORD

    is in our midst

    and in our hearts,

His Presence changes

                   everything.

His songs of rejoicing

   are a shield over us,

His strength within us,

His profound purposes

     and divine appointments

   defy the power of circumstances,

allowing us to be responsive

    and walk with Him

              in impossible places.

Not that God will fulfill

      His purposes for each of us;

He is already fulfilling and redeeming

   in ways we do not yet see.)

O LORD,

We have seen too much

      to question You in this.

Please fulfill Your profound purposes

         for us,

         in us,

         through us,

knowing that this difficulty

     is drawing us into

     a deeper intimacy with You,

for Your kingdom,

for Your glory,

in Your Almighty name.

We are beloved by You.

You are in our midst.

Help us to watch for

     Your encouragement today

and listen for

    Your songs of jubilation

               covering us.

                    

Though the fig tree

        should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

   and the fields

              yield no food,

the flock be cut off

              from the fold

   and there be

        no herd in the stalls,

yet

    I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy

    in the God of my salvation.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;

He makes my feet

            like the deer's;

He makes me tread

      on my high places.

                   Habakkuk 3. 17-19

(Literally in the Hebrew,

"tread" can mean "dance."

God lets me dance

          through my fears,

those places where

    I have only Him to hold onto.

Yet

    is one of my favorite words

            in the Bible.

It is the word and the promise

       of God's faithfulness.

God does not just "work things out,"

   but He works out all things

                 much deeper than that.

He works out all things

           for His glory.

There is so much more,

       not just that we cannot see,

but a myriad of dimensions,

      we are not even aware.)

O LORD,

You are redeeming all things.

There is so much more

                      at stake

than we can ever know,

             or see,

             or understand.

You are far deeper

       than appearances.

Surround us by Your glory,

fill us with Your strength,

help us

   to dance in our scary places,

knowing that You

   hold everything in Your hand.

You are with us.

Your divine purposes prevail,

           even in this.

The LORD is good,

a stronghold in the day of trouble;

He knows those

    who take refuge in Him.

                    Nahum 1. 7

(Living in the reality

    of who God is,

choosing to dwell in Him

        and not in despair.

A refuge is a

     place of strengthening.

Where do I

        seek my courage

        and endurance?

God will not bring me through;

   God is bringing me through.

Even now.

Even in this,

  to a deeper intimacy with Him.

"Trust Me.")

O LORD,

When we seek You,

You bring us to a different place.

You have a strong hold

            on each one of us.

In favorable circumstances

       or extreme difficulty,

we can come to You.

You provide,

You protect,

You surround us

         with songs of deliverance.

You are not about to

    abandon us now.

Help us to not be distracted

    from abiding in You.

It is not our strength

                 but Yours.

With what shall I come

         before the LORD,

and bow myself

     before God on high?

...He has told you, O man,

what is good,

and what does the LORD

             require of you,

but to do justice

and to love kindness

and to walk humbly

            with your God?

            Micah 6. 6-8

(God does not want our stuff,

or achievements,

or trophies,

but He wants our hearts.

What is God's will in this?

To love God and others

by doing justice,

loving kindness,

and walking humbly with Him.

What does that look like

       in what is before me today?)

Who do I want to be?

                 Above all,

                                His.)

O LORD,

Please help us

  to show our love for You

in what we do,

what we say,

even in our attitudes,

and how we love others.

Open up our hearts

   to do justice,

        not just talk about it,

   to love kindness,

        in unexpected places,

and to walk humbly

        with You,

   even through this,

   even into Your purposes.

Come let us go up

to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house

     of the God of Jacob,

that He may teach us 

                  His ways

and that we may walk

          in His paths.

                   Micah 4. 2

(Worship changes us.

When we seek God,

we do not just learn

             something different,

but God changes our hearts

and the very course of our lives.

Not just information 

          but transformation,

not just knowing about Him

          but knowing You.)

O LORD, 

We seek You

that we may 

       know Your ways,

       know Your paths,

    and know You more,

even in the mysteries,

even in the hard places.

When we seek You

           through it,

when we walk with You,

we come to know You even more.

You reveal deeper dimensions 

        of who You are

   and Your Presence with us.

We cannot help

     but live differently

when we walk in Your name.

...and golden bowls

        full of incense,

which are

the prayers of the saints.

              Revelation 5. 8

(Our prayers

are a sweet aroma to God,

so precious 

that He keeps them forever,

not as a stored up memory

         of what has been,

        of things over and done,

but what is even now,

     beyond the borders

     of what we know and see.

Prayer never ceases

           in its effects.

Prayer has no expiration date.)

O LORD,

You invented prayer 

as an ongoing conversation,

not just to communicate

but to commune with You,

sometimes far beyond

   what words can contain.

Thank You that 

     we can talk to You,

that You listen and respond

   and hold our words 

         as precious to You,

that we can bring both

         the cries of our heart

   and praises to You.

For Your Kingdom,

for Your glory,

in Your holy Name.

When we seek You,

we will find You,

    not just an answer.

I will not enter my house

     or get into my bed,

I will not give sleep to my eyes

   or slumber to my eyelids,

until I find a place

              for the LORD, 

a dwelling place

for the Mighty One of Jacob.

                   Psalm 132. 3-5

(Have I spent time

        with the LORD today?

Not slipping God

     into a convenient corner

     in case I might need Him

                  in a crisis.

Not a priority,

or prominent,

       but preeminent.

How do I approach this day,

this dilemma,

those around me differently 

     because I dwell in Him?)

O LORD,

Help us to not find 

       a place for you,

but for You

    to dwell fully in us.

May our lives look different,

our journey,

our direction,

our hearts,

     because we seek You.

I was no prophet,

  nor a prophet’s son,

but I was a herdsman

and a dresser of sycamore figs.

But the LORD took me

   from following the flock,

and the LORD said to me,

         “Go prophesy...”

                   Amos 7. 14-15

(God uses us 

       right where we are,

those who are

         faithful to Him

in the most ordinary days

for His most profound purposes,

the extraordinary of which

     we are never aware.)

O LORD,

Help us to be faithful

   and fruitful in the now,

not so obsessed 

             by the next.

You have strategically 

         placed us,

no task insignificant,

no small obedience,

all for Your glory

    and in Your name.

Out of the depths

    I cry to You,

          O LORD!

          Psalm 130. 1

(Seeking the LORD

   may not change

       my circumstances,

but changes my heart

          right in the midst.

First response

    determines my path

    and my direction.

Is my default to

       trust the LORD

or to panic first?)

O LORD,

In the depths,

   You lead me through

      into Your purposes.

You never promised

   life would be easy,

but that You are with me.

And that changes

     everything,

even my heart.

Guide me, O LORD,

   through the brambles,

   through the hard places,

even when I cannot see

   but yet the next step.

Grant me the courage

            to follow You

      even in this,

for Your glory.

The words of Amos,

who was among

       the shepherds...

        Amos 1. 1

(God uses the

     unlikeliest people

in impossible situations

in unexpected ways

for His divine purposes.

"Who, me?"

In what

     is God using me?

Am I willing to

            follow Him in this?

God multiplies obedience

   in ways

   beyond our comprehension.

There are no small obediences.)

O LORD,

Please place feet

and words

and deeds

to our love for You.

Help us to bring Your name,

to bear Your name,

to be responsive to You,

   right where we are.

Even here.

Even in this.

Let Your glory

       get all over this.

Help me to be faithful to You

     in the now,

     not just in the next.

Why should they say

        among the peoples,

"Where is their God?"

              Joel 2. 17

(Others are continually watching

to see if God is real,

to see if God makes

   any difference in who we are,

in how we respond,

in what we choose to do,

in how we love each other,

    our neighbors,

    sojourners,

    strangers,

    even those who are

                 against us.)

O LORD,

May others see and witness

    Your abiding in us.

May we be willing

    to bring Your name here,

    even in unexpected places,

    even among the unlikely.

How do we navigate

    this difficult passage,

    this hardship,

    even favor differently

  because we know You?

May our lives bear the marks

        of changed hearts,

   not reliant on performance

              or perfection,

but transformed by Your grace.

Help us to live in the reality

   of being fully loved

               and fully forgiven.

Please help others

          to see You.

...from Me

     comes your fruit.

             Hosea 14. 8

(God bears

      His fruit in us

for the wellbeing and blessing

            of many people,

most of whom

      we may never even meet.

We have only

    to seek the LORD,

    sow and cultivate

           the fallow ground

           all around us,

and be faithful to Him.

God brings the fruit

  in many unexpected ways.)

O LORD,

I cannot see beyond

   the next step before me,

but I can be faithful to You

               in the now.

I cannot do everything,

     but I can do something.

I can seek You

       and not just an answer.

I can pray,

      be faithful in the plowing,

   even the hard rocky places,

                 and trust You.

You do not just bring about

          a singular crop.

     You change the landscape.

     You change my heart.

You see this situation differently,

not just what is,

but what can be.

Let us know,

let us press on

     to know the LORD;

His going out

  is sure as the dawn;

He will come to us

            as the showers,

as the spring rains

   that water the earth.

             Hosea 6. 3

("Press on"

     describes intentionality.

God calls us.

Do we respond?

What am I doing

          to take root

    in my relationship with Him?

"The proof of desire

     is in the pursuit."

           -- pastor Chris Davis)

O LORD,

I want to know You more.

Show me how.

Help me to

    daily respond to Your leading.

Please help me to press on

      in seeking You.

For Your glory.

In Your name.

...seek My face...

          Hosea 5. 15

(That is always 

the beginning of change.

Seeking God —

    not an answer, 

    or a particular outcome—

        but the LORD Himself.

His grace covers our sin,

His love leads us back.

Have I sought His presence,

His way,

His forgiveness

           even in this?)

O LORD,

In the rush of the day,

in the busyness of life,

in the distractions

      we surround ourselves,

let our hearts be quiet

         before You.

Show us and help us

    to seek Your face,

to know You more,

to know You intimately,

to not miss out

  on walking with You.

     

...and make the Valley of Achor

       a door of hope.

                Hosea 2. 15

(Achor literally means

           "trouble."

God redeems

    the really hard places,

    the mysteries,

    the storms,

    the impossible situations,

to bring us to a

deeper intimacy with Him.)

O LORD,

When You deliver us

   through the hard stuff,

You draw us to You.

Please help us

   to seek You through this,

not just seeking an answer

    or an exit door,

    or the outcome.

Walk with us

and redeem even the journey,

even every detail.

Help us to know You more.

...for He who is in you

  is greater than

he who is in the world.

             1 John 4. 4

(Because His love,

His strength,

His power is greater,

   even here,

   even in this.

Following,

abiding in,

loving,

serving God

      wherever,

      in whatever,

     among whomever.

God has strategically placed

   each one of us,

   for such a time as this.)

O LORD,

Help us not to shelter in place,

but be faithful

even in the impossible,

even in what

        is stronger than us,

even in what remains

      beyond our understanding.

Fill us by Your Spirit.

Let Your purposes prevail.

Help us to

            be faithful to You.

...but the people

     who know their God

shall stand firm

and take action.

            Daniel 11. 32

(Knowing God,

loving Him and serving Him,

changes the core

           of who I am,

what I see,

how I respond,

and what I do.

How do I navigate

     this situation differently

because I am a believer?)

O LORD,

May we know You more

in new dimensions today,

sensitive to Your leading,

aware of Your Presence,

trusting You

         even in the hard stuff.

Equip us for Your work

even in ways

     we have no clue.

Please help us today

to stand firm in what counts,

shoes tied on,

ready for action

   for anything You place

   before us

           or on our hearts.

For Your Glory.

For Your Kingdom.

In Your Name.

I lift up my eyes

          to the hills.

From where

   does my help come?

My help comes

    from the LORD,

who made heaven

                and earth.

            Psalm 121. 1-2

(I awoke in the night,

a little overwhelmed,

panic creeping

          into my heart.

And I felt the LORD saying,

"Have you

      asked Me about it?"

Asking,

listening,

trusting,

responding.

His peace thrives

       in impossible places.

God enlarges my vision

     as I wait on Him

          and walk with Him.)

O LORD,

Align our hearts with Yours.

Let not fear and anxiety

    drain us

    and distract us

from the task before us

or cloud our vision.

Please show us

    Your way,

Your scarlet thread

      through the brambles,

even through what is

          too strong for us,

even in what

     we cannot understand,

even in this.

...but whoever keeps His Word

in him truly

   the love of God is perfected.

By this we may know

   that we are in Him,

whoever says He abides in Him

ought to walk in the same way

   in which He walked.

            1 John 2. 5-6

(By this we may know

    that we are in Him,

by this others know

    that we are in Him,

we keep His Word,

we love,

we trust Him.

Our lives should

       look very different

because we walk with Him.)

O LORD,

It is not our strength,

but Your strength in us,

worked in

   and engraved by Your Word.

May our first response

    be to call on You

    and walk with You

wherever,

whenever,

among whomever

     You place us.

You change our hearts,

You change

    the trajectory of our lives.

You deliver and redeem

    in extraordinary ways

even in the most

          ordinary of days.

Others are watching us

               continually

to see how we walk,

how we love

        and respond,

and with Whom we walk.