"What do you say about yourself?"

[John] said,

"I am the voice of one

         crying in the wilderness,

'Make straight

         the way of the Lord.'"

                   John 1. 22-23

(What in the world

           am I doing here?

Did I take a wrong turn?

It may appear a bleak landscape,

     a wild unknown stretch,

but God has strategically placed

      each one of us

      to bring the name of Jesus there.

How do we see ourselves?

Preparing the way of the Lord

in the lives of those

           all around us.

How is that played out today:

         every divine encounter,

     every intentional action,

    every odd circumstance,

         every appointment,

                  sacred in His sight?)

O LORD,

You guide us in places

          unknown and uncertain,

  but also the very familiar,

that we would bring

             Your name there.

Help us to know

   that others are always watching

   and listening

     even when we don't notice,

to see if You are really real.

Help us to prepare Your way

and prepare the soil

that others would come

               to know You.

...but the tent of the righteous

          will flourish.

             Proverbs 14. 11

("How is it that these things

    are not crippling you?"

Do others see anything

    different in us?

Knowing that the LORD is God

         changes everything.

We are not dependent

      on favorable circumstances,

or impervious to the hard stuff,

           but responsive

to whatever,

wherever,

among whomever

              God places us.

Not our strength,

             but His.

And that should look

      very different

in how we look,

how we act,

how we love others.)

O LORD,

Please help us

to keep our eyes on You

to pivot on a dime,

or stay put

      even in drought,

to worship You

  in whatever we do.

and how we respond

  to what is swirling around.

We have been changed

            by You.

Please clothe us

   with Your power,

recognize You

          are with us,

know Your Word,

point others to You,

and bring You glory

   even in the unexpected.

We are Yours.

We are loved by You.

We are not alone.

You are God Almighty.

...and he was looking

    for the Kingdom of God.

              Luke 23. 51

(Even overflowing in those people

         all around us,

we would least suspect,

under invisible layers

  and impregnable shields,

    crying out for God.

People are always

                 watching,

not to see

      if we are perfect,

but desperately to see

    if God is real

and they are loved.)

O LORD,

Grant us Your vision,

give us Your heart

to see

and respond

to those around us.

May Your love

be translated through us

      in palpable ways,

even through what

   we may not be aware.

This day,

may whatever we do,

say,

think,

see,

    bring You glory

and love others to You.

And the LORD said to Gideon,

"With the 300 men

              who lapped,

   I will save you."

              Judges 7. 7

(Throughout the Bible,

God uses

       the most unlikely

in the most

   impossible situations

that His hand is evident,

that we would recognize Him,

that we would know Him more.

The Bible is not full of

                   information

     and extraordinary heroes,

but flooded with stories

       of transformation.

No one is ordinary

              in God's sight,

no one that He cannot use.)

O LORD,

You go before us.

It does not matter

    that the odds are against us,

because You

      always work against the odds.

And Your purposes

             always prevail,

even when we don't understand,

maybe particularly

            when we don't understand

            and are scared to death,

that we would know

                              You.

Strengthen, O LORD,

       our hearts into this day,

for Your Glory,

     in whatever we face today.

And Gideon 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 chooses the

          most unlikely,

because they know

beyond a shadow of doubt

that it is the LORD's strength

      and not their own.   

"But I will be with you."

Not just a perk of obedience,

but His Presence

      changes everything,

the odds,

the outcome,

    and even our hearts.)

O LORD,

You are God.

You are sovereign.

You are our Creator.

You see us.

Please help us

          to see You,

          to seek You,

   to know You more,

              even in this.

Grant us Your courage

that always comes

     when we obey.

Courage does not mean

   an absence of fear,

but realizing

           Your Presence.

Does not the LORD

    go out before you?

            Judges 4. 14

(How do I navigate this

         differently,

how does my attitude

         change,

how do I see this

      from another angle,

how can I

      find a new path

      through a familiar thicket,

because I know

      God goes out before me?

Seek first the LORD,

    not the answer,

    not the outcome,

    not success,

               but God Himself.

God redeems,

God provides,

God is in this.

He has prepared our way.

He walks with us.)

O LORD,

You go before.

You have our backs.

You walk with us

   through the impossible

   and even what only appears

              as ordinary.

Your Presence makes

         everything different.

Align our hearts to Yours

that we would not just

          see Your hand,

but know You even more

  because we followed You

  not into the unknown

                or mystery,

      but into Your glory.

It is good to give thanks

   to the LORD,

to sing praises

   to Your name,

           O Most High;

to declare Your steadfast love

       in the morning,

and Your faithfulness

                 by night.

             Psalm 92. 1-2

(Recognizing who God is

and being grateful to God

      are bookends of our day.

Gratefulness to God knows

    there is a lot more to the story.

And if we did that,

   first response and last,

how radically different

  we would see God,

  see others,

  see ourselves,

  the course of our day,

and the trajectory of our lives.

When God lays His day

                   before us,

there are no interruptions,

no accidents,

no delays,

     just divine appointments.)

O LORD,

We may be surprised

      but You never are.

We are not just thankful,

  but grateful to You.

Recalibrate our hearts

   that we would see need

   as an opportunity to serve,

   to love You and others

          and bring You glory

   in the most unlikely places.

May we start the day

                     with You,

and rejoice in the evening,

     still in Your Presence.

And he will show you

a large upper room furnished;

prepare it there.

               Luke 22. 12

(I always think about

the householder

who responded to God,

not knowing

what he was preparing for

                    or why.

How differently would I view

this work before me

   if I knew Jesus was coming?

No task is mundane

        in light of His glory.

Not a have to,

       but a get to.

The difference is love.)

O LORD,

Establish this day

    the work of our hands,

knowing there is

         nothing insignificant

   in Your eyes,

only faithfulness to You.

Go with us

as we enter Your workshop,

   the sanctuary of this day.

Help us to bind ourselves

        to You in love

in whatever we do

     for Your purposes,

     for Your glory.

The work of Your hands

extends far beyond our lifetimes.

 www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

This will be your opportunity

        to bear witness.

                 Luke 21. 13

(What is this impossible,

difficult,

scary,

       hard situation?

This is why.

For His glory.

People are always watching,

not to see if we are perfect,

not to see if we have all the answers,

but desperately to know

           if God is real.)

O LORD,

Help us to see every situation,

every hardship,

even every grace and gift,

as an opportunity

      to point others to You,

   by how we respond.

People don't want

   a theologically correct answer.

They want to know

             if they are loved by us

    and by You.

May we bring glory to You today

    wherever we are,

even when we are unaware.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Let us now build an altar,

not for burnt offering,

not for sacrifice,

         but to be a witness...

                Joshua 22. 26-27

(To build an altar

is not to gain God's attention,

        but ours,

to recognize that

            the LORD is God,

    and we are not.

Everything we do

           is a witness to God

           and to others.

A witness holds forth

        personal knowledge

        about the way things are,

the evidence of His Presence

     always around us.)

O LORD,

Even in what we are not aware,

      we are a witness to You.

Do others see anything different

   in us because

           we love You?

May we live out Your grace today,

bear fruit in every good work,

and walk in the light of Your face.

We come to lay our lives

            on the altar,

   and realize You already did

     --You are already there.

You love us that much.

And that changes everything.

Be glorified through us today.

 www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Only be very careful

to observe the commandment

and the law that Moses

the servant of the LORD

         commanded you:

to love the LORD your God,

and to walk

         in all His ways

and to keep His commandments,

and to cling to Him

and to serve Him

    with all your heart

    and with all your soul.

                   Joshua 22. 5

(Only be very careful,

these things will radically alter

    the condition of my heart,

    the rationale of my choices,

    the evidence of my actions,

    the very trajectory of my life.

To love, walk, keep, cling, serve

   reflect a deep abiding love,

   not an impersonal adherence

                   to a religion,

but the intimacy

          of a personal relationship).

O LORD,

Help us to be very careful

          in following You.

Help us to be very aware

          of Your Presence

   with us and all around us.

May our love for You

    be reflected in all we do,

    and choose,

    and how we live out this day,

even in the unexpected

      unlikely,

      and the hard stuff.

     

   

Hope deferred

   makes the heart sick,

but a desire fulfilled

   is a tree of life.

            Proverbs 13. 12

(How long, O LORD,

    will this last?

When will this affliction

           be over?

Hope in the LORD

   hangs on even in despair,

not wishful thinking

     "We'll get through this!",

but a deep organic strength

   energized and growing

              in the darkness.

And on the other side of this,

faithfulness to God,

      even through the storm,

bears fruit

   far beyond our lives.)

O LORD,

You see beyond this.

You carry us

       in the midst

    of what we cannot understand.

Your strength comes

         not just at the end

  but on the journey through.

Our hope does not hang

      on the "what if"

      of a specified outcome,

but staking our lives

      on the "what is"

      of Who You are.

And You, O LORD,

    bear and ripen

    Your life-giving fruit,

some of which

        we may never see.)

...for though it is a forest,

you shall clear it

and possess it

to its farthest borders.

             Joshua 17. 18

(Even in what appears

     an impossible situation,

     an overwhelming task,

God uses faithfulness

   to alter the landscape,

            tree by tree.

God can bear fruit anywhere.

We have only to be faithful.

There are no small details,

only opportunities to serve

and bear fruit in every good work.)

O LORD,

You have placed us strategically

in impossible situations

and even in the ordinary,

to serve You

and to bear fruit

in the unexpected

      and often the unseen.

Use us for Your Kingdom today.

Keep our eyes open

and our hearts aware

   of those divinely appointed

   on our paths today

and know how to respond

          to deeper needs.

...for the sake

of the Kingdom of God...

            Luke 18. 29

(That is reason enough

to follow Him

    and His way into this.

Because that's why:

        "for the sake of

                 My kingdom."

What does that look like

        for me today?)

O LORD,

Help us to live

          in such a way

that You are not just seen,

but You are glorified.

May Your Kingdom reign,

be seen,

be evident,

draw others to You,

       even in these troubled times.

May we love You

             in tangible ways

   that point others to You.

Bear Your fruit, O LORD,

       in every good work,

even in ways

              we may never see,

even in what

      we may not understand.

Why am I in this particular place

           or impossible situation?

Strategically placed

      for the sake of Your Kingdom,

even in this.

...because he

      wholly followed the LORD,

      the God of Israel.

             Joshua 14. 14

(Following is

not just an intention,

nor a casual consideration,

but an action

       and a direction,

not just to come after,

but to go after

            and pursue Him.

When we seek God,

not just marching orders,

God enlarges our vision

         and our hearts,

rarely to see

        the outcome of this,

but He makes

       His footsteps a way.)

O LORD,

Help us to trust You

   when we don't know what to do.

Help us to follow You fully

   even when we think we know.

Walk with us, O LORD,

dwell in us.

Help us to not always

         be thinking about next,

but how to follow You

             into the now,

into this day spread before us.

Help us to respond

   with grace and wisdom

that points others to You

and leaves on the threshold

     the lingering

     irresistible aroma of Christ.

For Your Glory.

Blessed are those

whose strength is in You,

in whose heart

are the highways to Zion...

They go

      from strength to strength...

             Psalm 84. 5, 7

(A not-so-new definition

     of strength training.

The way through the impossible

is not on our strength,

but deeper,

ever deeper in His,

step by step,

day by day,

layer by layer,

   ever stronger in Him.

How do we survive,

   how do we thrive

despite rapidly shifting

     dire circumstances?

By learning to trust God

      and His strength,

responsive to circumstances,

   not uprooted by them.

"I am with you.")

O LORD,

We are surrounded by

craziness on so many levels,

realizing things are

     not out of control,

     not in our control,

                       but in Yours.

Help us to trust You.

Despair and fear

        just trip us up.

And worry just

         blocks out the light.

Help us to watch for You.

When we walk with You,

   You grant us

  a different vision

        and deeper strength

that comes only from You.

...but did not ask

counsel from the LORD.

           Joshua 9. 14

(Did I even consider

asking the LORD

           about this?

Nothing too small,

    nothing insignificant.

It matters.

It matters a lot.

It is not that God's counsel

        keeps me from

        making mistakes,

or keep it from not ending well,

not that the destination

               will be different,

    but the journey with Him

    even carries profound designs.

It is not just what I am doing,

   but what is it doing to me.

Following God,

walking with Him through it,

     changes me profoundly.

Sometimes it is not

      about outcomes at all.)

O LORD,

What is Your way in this?

Help us not just to

      seek a path,

      or a clear answer,

      or even a favorable outcome,

but to seek You

   even right where we are today.

Lead us

  into Your profound purposes,

         the unexpected,

         the unlikely,

         the extraordinary,

even in what only appears

      as ordinary and familiar.

May we seek

and know

and realize

that You are the Most High

          over all the earth,

and You love us

          more than we know.

...all the foundations

        of the earth

        are shaken.

              Psalm 82. 5

(Everything ordinary

and familiar

and expected

    has radically changed

    in the blink of an eye.

Crisis is only realizing

  we are not in control

                       after all.

Wishful thinking

       and cheery boasts,

"We will get through this!"

            changes nothing.

But if God is our hope

  --He on Whom we can

    stake our lives --

we can know God redeems,

restores,

and makes all things new.

How do we respond

  and navigate change

                differently

because we know and love

     a Sovereign God?

God never promised

         life would be easy

     in this broken world,

but says over and over again,

   "Do not despair.

    Do not fear.

          I am with you.")

O LORD,

You are our foundation

on Whom we hope,

on Whom we stake our lives,

our Rock

          and our Redeemer.

We need You.

Please reveal to us

   how to navigate

            this hard stuff

in ways that

   bring glory to You

and bring Your name.

Show us

     how to respond

with love and grace

and point others to You.

Jesus said to her,

"I am the resurrection

                and the life.

Whoever believes in Me,

though he die,

            yet shall he live.

                 John 11. 25

(Because He lives,

our lives are

           changed forever,

not just in the life to come,

       but right now.)

He is risen.

He is risen indeed.

O LORD,

You burst forth from the tomb

to show us

that You are victorious over death,

that You give us life,

that You love us so much,

    to bring us

    into relationship with You.

Help us

   to practice resurrection

until we know it by heart.

 

But He was wounded

    for our transgressions;

He was crushed

    for our iniquities;

upon Him

   was the chastisement

   that brought us peace,

and with His stripes

              we are healed.

All we like sheep

   have gone astray;

we have turned

        -- every one --

   to his own way;

and the LORD has laid

    on Him

the iniquity of us all.

             Isaiah 53. 5-6

(Written 740 years

         before Christ.

this prophecy

points to our need

            for a Savior

and to the literal fulfillment

through the suffering

and death of Jesus.

But while the cross

is central to our faith,

God did not leave Jesus

                   there.

This is not

    the end of the story,

but the fulfillment of it.

"He Himself bore our sins

in His body on the tree,

that we might die to sin

and live to righteousness.

By His wounds

     you have been healed."

               1 Peter 2. 24)

O LORD,

You came

   that we might know You,

that we may live

           with You forever.

And those who passed by

                 derided Him,

wagging their heads

               and saying,

"You who would destroy

         the temple

and rebuild it in three days,

                  save yourself!

If You are the Son of God,

     come down from the cross."

So also the chief priests

with the scribes and elders,

mocked Him, saying,

"He saved others;

He cannot save Himself.

He is the King of Israel;

let Him come down now

               from the cross,

and we will believe in Him.

              Matthew 27. 39-42

(But if Jesus came down

         from the cross,

He would not be Savior.

This is not

         the end of the story,

but the reason why

                Jesus came.

He loves us

  enough to die for us,

not because we are so good,

   but to take our sin upon Himself,

to bring us into relationship

                      with God.

The word "excruciating"

comes from the Latin for

                "to crucify."

It means unbearably painful

            or extreme agony,

originating from

                 the crucifixion.

Without Good Friday,

     there is no Easter.)

O LORD,

Thank You that we can know You.

Thank You

   that our salvation is not based

           on what we have done,

but what You have done.

Be glorified this day

   as we humbly remember

        Your love for us.

Anxiety in a man's heart

     weighs him down,

but a good word

     makes him glad.

            Proverbs 12. 25

(Anxiety pours over

     like a tsunami wave,

particularly in these

           uncertain times,

facing a menacing horde

   that we cannot see

   nor know the end of.

But the unease can also

 stir up a desire

      to do something about it.

There are a lot of things

            we cannot control,

but some things we can.

I can't do everything about it,

         but I can do something.

A good word,

a kind reaching out to someone,

   may help lift their burden

   in astonishing ways.

But what we do for others

   also does something to us.

A good friend who was struggling

was advised that when

    she saw that

   deep dark wave approaching,

to immediately reach out

          and do something,

not for "me-time"

           or benefiting herself,

       but for somebody else.

That good word

      someone desperately needs

may be not just from ourselves,

         but for ourselves too.

God changes the situation,

         word by word,

         kindness upon kindness,

    brings the light of Jesus there,

          and changes us through it.)

O LORD,

Help us to be mindful of others,

the struggles,

the burdens of anxiety

   visible,

   unseen,

          and very real.

Show us how to minister

     in tangible ways

that are not just meaningful

and outrageously timely,

     but fruitful for Your glory.

Help us to respond

            to Your nudges

and be faithful

      right where we are today.

         

Stay dressed for action

and keep your lamps

                burning...

          Luke 12. 35

(God has placed us

      strategically

for His profound purposes.

It is not that opportunity

      to be faithful

will come with a notice

and invitation

and package on the front step,

but we are surrounded

   by His purposes.

Not coming before God

     with our agenda,

even giving it to Him,

but God

   laying His day before us,

all His purposes,

all His possibilities,

         for His glory.

Even in this.

We have only to

keep our eyes on Him,

keep our shoes tied,

and be faithful in all things.)

O LORD,

We don't know what to do,

but our eyes are on You.

Guide us into

         Your eternal purposes

this day,

even in what seems impossible,

not very evident,

or even what just appears

     as an ordinary day.

There are no insignificant days

        in Your eyes.

Help us to be faithful to You

in all things today,

       both great and small.

     

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

(No exclusions.

Anxiety is

   leaving God

   out of the equation.

Fear only blocks out the light,

worry distracts from

    the way to navigate this,

and courage is being scared

   but knowing not just

       God is in this,

     but God is with us.

Courage is not

      the absence of fear,

but knowing God's Presence

            with us.

Crisis is realizing

      we are not in control.

Courage is knowing

               God still is.)

O LORD,

Thank You for being

            with us,

for Your hand on us

   to fulfill Your purposes

   in these strange times.

Please help us

   to be distinguished

          as Your people

   by our response

       to circumstances,

knowing Your power

and remembering

the chronicle of Your faithfulness

through our lives,

knowing that what we even realize

          is only a glimpse

     of what You have done.

We are surrounded by bad news.

Help us to respond

           with Your good news,

because that is what

    the Gospel is all about.

For this commandment

that I command you today

is not too hard for you,

neither is it far off.

It is not in heaven

that you should say,

"Who will ascend to heaven

for us and bring it to us,

that we may hear it

                 and do it?"

Neither is it beyond the sea,

that you should say,

"Who will go over the sea

for us and bring it to us,

that we may hear it

                and do it?"

But the Word

            is very near to you.

It is in your mouth

              and in your heart,

so that you can do it.

      Deuteronomy 30. 11-14

(God is,

    and He has spoken.

God is not hidden

  that we cannot find Him,

or made it so complicated

    we cannot grasp,

or made it impossible

       to know who He is.

But in His love and grace,

God sent His Son to earth

to die for us

that we can know Him

                 personally

as He loves us, each one.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Your love.

Thank You that we can

           know You,

and that You broke down

   the separating walls

because You love us

                  that much.

May we live so radically

             in that grace

that Your love

      transforms our hearts

and radically changes

   the course of our lives.

We can know You.

Our hope is in You.

On Your love and Word,

    we can stake our lives.

And all these blessings

shall come upon you

    and overtake you,

if you obey

   the voice of

   the LORD your God.

    

        Deuteronomy 28. 2

(Overtake literally means

to pursue and catch up

while traveling

       in the same direction,

to impact in a sudden

     or unexpected way.

Not that things will be easy,

    or easy at all,

but blessed

even in the really hard stuff,

no matter where,

or what,

or how,

not different circumstances

or another path,

but His Presence right now,

seeking Him and His strength,

and walking with Him.)

O LORD,

Please help us

to not be overwhelmed

     by despair

     and difficult circumstances,

but instead,

     overtaken by Your blessing,

even in unexpected ways

     and the most unlikely places.

Every day

  is a story of Your faithfulness.

May we be aware

               of Your blessing

   and responsive

             to Your Presence,

to not just

      travel in the same direction,

but walk with You.

          

And the LORD

has declared today

that you are a people

for His treasured possession

...and that you shall be

a people holy

      to the LORD your God...

       Deuteronomy 26. 18-19

(It has been revealed

  in real time

  these past few weeks

that the Church

  is not confined by walls,

nor defined by

       a weekly meeting,

but overflows into the world

   by a people

   anointed and appointed

who know God.

That personal intimate

   relationship with Him

transforms our hearts

and radically alters

   everything about us:

how we see circumstances,

how we respond,

what we do,

how we love others.

As His people,

God changes

the very course of our lives

and directly impacts

    everyone around us.)

O LORD,

We come before you

in this broken and fallen world,

surrounded by desperation,

clinging to You.

We seek You.

Please transform our hearts

that we would not just

behave like Your people,

but that we would

           be Your people.

Even as this virus infects,

we pray that even more

   Your Holy Spirit

   would infiltrate, invade,

   intercede,

   and infuse our hearts

          for Your glory.

May we be a people

   who seek You,

be known by You,

be known as Yours.

Even now.

Even in this.

Whoever works his land

will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows

   worthless pursuits

             lacks sense.

               Proverbs 12. 11

("All we have to decide

is what to do with the time

that is given us."

      --Gandalf

      in Fellowship of the Ring.

We have the blessing

              of unexpected time

    in these unusual times,

even as we shelter in place.

What are we going to do

             with this day?

Are we willing to follow God

             in it?

Not finding something

          to fill up these hours,

but letting God

fulfill and redeem each minute.

God provides through

   the hands and work

   of His anointed people,

strategically placed

    with divine appointments

to bless Him

and seek the welfare of others.

There is nothing too small,

       nothing insignificant,

done in the name of the LORD.)

O LORD,

It is not that we lay this day

          before You,

the things on our list,

the things "we will do for You."

But we come to before You,

            O Almighty God,

and You place Your day

        before us

and bid us to

     follow You into

     those divine appointments,

which may seem inconsequential

       but always profoundly eternal.

May the underlying patterns

           of Your sacred order

     unfold before us

and provide a way into our day.

Help us to be faithful to You

   in whatever You place before us.

Bring Your fruitfulness to it.

How can we minister to others

    and bless Your holy name today

for Your glory,

          even in this?

As they were going

       along the road...

            Luke 9. 57

(Jesus doesn't just

   meet us

   in our comings and goings.

He walks with us

              through them.

Am I walking with Him,

listening for His voice,

watching for His hand,

knowing His Presence,

          even in this?)

O LORD,

We walk with You

in the newness of this day,

so out of the ordinary,

new patterns,

new paths,

new purposes

            for Your glory.

Help us to stay tuned

      to Your voice,

Your direction,

Your being

       right where we are,

       right on this road,

no matter what,

no matter where.

We are not alone in this.

      You are with us,

Your glory unfolding in

    the most unexpected times

    and the most unlikely places.