...which we have heard,

which we have seen

          with our eyes,

which we looked upon

and have touched

          with our hands

concerning the word of life...

              1 John 1. 1

(When we are on the witness stand

         in a court of law,

we are expected to tell the truth.

When we are before others

        in the court of life,

we are also obligated

       to tell the truth

    about what we have experienced.

This is not just our story,

but our testimony

--the evidence or proof

    of our experience,

    an open declaration--

as a witness before others

     and as God is our witness.

This is what God is

          doing in my life,

this is who God is,

this is how I know Him.

Am I open with others

about my relationship with Him?

Revealing that which we have seen

and heard and looked upon,

touched and been touched.)

O LORD,

What we are experiencing

is not just our story,

but Your story in us.

You walk with us

          in our struggles,

You bring Your strength

      to our heart and bones.

You bring the triumph

and Your glory,

no matter what happens.

You don't need our successes

and blue ribbons

and achievements

     to bring glory to You.

Give us the courage

  to testify openly before others

what You are doing

             in our lives.

What people know about us

   is based in what they see

   and what we talk about.

Help us to seize opportunities

   to tell Your story in us.

We never know who is listening.

We never know

        how You are using us.

More than we can fathom.

 

When Daniel knew that

the document had been signed,

he went to his house

where he had windows

   in his upper chamber

open toward Jerusalem.

He got down on his knees

three times a day and prayed

and gave thanks

          before his God,

as he had done previously.

              Daniel 6. 10

(For Daniel, it was not crisis,

but business as usual,

his first response to pray,

his source of strength

           not hidden.

But just another opportunity

to be faithful to God

       in plain sight.

Not "look at me,"

       but look to God.

Daniel's daily practices

formed his character,

empowered his actions

           and attitudes,

and deeply entrenched

               his faith,

so that he saw,

approached,

and responded differently

        to any circumstance.

This was not his first difficulty,

         nor his last.)

O LORD,

No matter what is before us

      in this day or season,

may we be faithful to You.

Grant us Your strength

    that we may follow You

and testify to You

         before others,

no matter the circumstances,

May faithfulness be seen

   in all that we do and say,

how we come before You,

how we live before others,

both in times of favor

               or turmoil.

Be glorified, O LORD,

      even in this.

 

Whoever works his land

will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows

       worthless pursuits

will have plenty of poverty.

The faithful will abound

                 with blessings...

              Proverbs 28. 19-20

(When we are faithful

to cultivate

the one square foot

          patch of ground

that God has entrusted

   each one of us,

God multiplies blessings

  that reverberate

  throughout the world.

God does not grant

      enough to share,

not even limited to leftovers,

but goodness in every degree.

Serving God faithfully

        is never insignificant.

Through every act of grace,

every opportunity for kindness,

every patch of dirt cultivated,

God transforms the landscape.

We are so myopic

  to what we see God can do

through us.)

O LORD,

May we be faithful

with our time,

our talent,

and what You have

   placed before us.

May we be steadfast

in our work

and vision

and attitudes

to serve You for Your glory,

no matter where

    You place us today.

Multiply our work

for the goodness of this world,

even in what we

         cannot yet see.

You have placed us

    for Your glory

    and purposes

even in this.

If we only knew

  how You are using us,

we would not hesitate.

We can trust that

       You are working

        as we work.

 

For this reason,

make every effort

  to supplement your faith

                       with virtue,

and virtue with knowledge,

and knowledge with self-control,

and self-control with steadfastness,

and steadfastness with godliness,

and godliness

         with brotherly affection,

and brotherly affection with love.

                 2 Peter 1. 5-7

(Every one of these qualities,

    every one of these strengths,

don't just show up on our doorstep,

but are based and deeply rooted

  in intentional daily decisions.

Every effort,

every opportunity to practice,

allows ourselves to train

    and engrave these strengths

          layer by layer,

          step by step,

    choosing to do something new.

What we face is not a hardship

            nor an affliction

            nor a pothole,

but an opportunity to practice

    what leads us deeper in Him.

"The proof of desire is

               in the pursuit."

          -- Chris Davis.)

O LORD,

May we not just be aware

of these qualities,

but practice them in our lives

      and before others

that we may know You more.

May our journey and outcome

        be radically transformed

by practicing these strengths,

     over and over again.

Each step changes

   the trajectory of our lives.

How differently we can

approach and respond

           in daily life

because of Your Presence

   and residence in us.

Grant to us the mind of Christ

    in whatever we do today,

    wherever we go,

    among whomever we are.

Glory be to You, O God.

www.nightlyteea.blogspot.com

 

...but there is

   a God in heaven

who reveals mysteries...

         Daniel 2. 28

(And that makes

    all the difference

in whatever we face.

It is not a mystery

              to Him,

but His hand

and His redeeming.

in His way,

in His timing,

for His glory.

Even if we do not understand,

         He does.)

O LORD,

May we know that

because of You

we do not just have hope,

   but we can know You.

Help us to trust You

   even more

in whatever we face.

We are not in this alone.

     You are with us.

  We need not fear,

      just to be faithful to You.

Even in this.

You weave Your glory

   seamlessly through it.

 

Always

be prepared

to make a defense

          to anyone

who asks you

for a reason

  for the hope that is in you,

yet do it with

   gentleness and respect.

           1 Peter 3. 15

(People are always watching

to see how we respond

in both favor and failure,

to see if God is real,

to see if God really makes

   a difference in how we live.

May they see us

    not just as nice people,

but those who know

     what grace means

     and bear a living hope

on which we have

            staked our lives.)

O LORD,

Help us to always

       be prepared,

not just with reasons

   and a firm defense

   of carefully selected words,

but with a heart overflowing

    with love for others

no matter the circumstances.

Show us how, O LORD,

to see difficulties

as an opportunity

   to practice grace in this.

And with a different heart

to surprise other people

with an unexpected response.

Because we can.

That is the love spilling over

that You place in our heart

and Your grace

    we have come to know.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grateful to God for you.

 

For this is a gracious thing,

when,

mindful of God,

one endures sorrows

while suffering unjustly.

          1 Peter 2. 19

(Not caught up in

what is fair

          or not fair,

uncomfortable,

inconvenient,

hard.

But even in this, knowing

God weaves His grace

       seamlessly into it,

nothing random at all,

   but eternal.

He gives His strength

to endure this situation.

He gives His grace

   to bring to the table.

Not "where are You, God?"

but knowing He is

   already redeeming it.

Knowing He is.

The LORD is here.

           Present tense.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

You are here among us,

not dependent on circumstances

    --favorable or not.

But Your Presence

           is present tense.

And You have strategically

          placed us

for Your glory

and for the blessing

and provision those around us.

Help us to not just

         be mindful of You,

but embrace the mind of Christ

   in whatever situation we are in,

realizing the suffering

   and struggling of others.

Help us to show grace

which is always

    an unexpected response.

Help us to approach

         the hard stuff

 with a new heart

because we love You.

 

This is the offering

that you shall make...

         Ezekiel 45. 13

(What if I viewed

this hardship,

these difficult people,

this tight spot,

this sacrifice of my time,

     talent and treasure,

this givenness,

the tight corners,

the upward slope,

this miry bog,

this plain old hard work

  that overflows its banks,

differently

   as an offering to God?

Am I willing

   to walk this path with God?

Am I willing for Him

   to use it for purposes

   beyond my vision?

Can I view it as worship?

Not just having a

       fresh attitude about it,

but a new heart.)

 

O LORD,

You never promised

that our path or life

would be easy,

but that You are with us

and You bring the strength.

Help us to see hard things

with new eyes

            and a new heart,

knowing that

      nothing is random

and no sacrifice

    is ever insignificant.

You are redeeming all things.

We just cannot see it yet.

Help us to know You more

    not just in the outcome

    but along the way.

Even in this.

 

May grace and peace

    be multiplied to you.

         1 Peter 1. 2

(God's fundamental

     law of mathematics:

He does not just add.

    God multiplies.

He is not limited by

   adverse circumstances.,

      but redeems them.

God's grace and peace

   are not intended

   to be kept for ourselves.

But spill over

   into the lives of everyone

   around us.

What am I bringing

      to the table today?

What aroma lingers?)

O LORD,

You fill us with Your grace

      and peace

into the most volatile situations.

Bless this time with what

cannot be understood

     if not for You.

May we realize our own

      need for grace

that we may willingly share it,

even in unlikely places,

   and in unexpected ways,

among those who need it

             desperately.

Grace is never earned

         nor deserved.

Your peace is not

   the absence of conflict,

but Your Presence into it.

Please change our hearts

     by Your grace and peace

that our with-ness with You

   is a clear witness to others.

Multiply Your grace and peace

not just as a blessing given,

     but as a way of living.

O Almighty, diffuse the volatile

by what we bring with us.

And that would be You.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

...the garments

in which they minister,

for these are holy.

             Ezekiel 42. 14

(A habit is a long loose garment

            worn by a member

            of a religious order.

     It is what distinguishes them.

But a habit is also

              a regular practice

that establishes a pattern of living.

The garments we have ready

and choose to wear into our day,

mark us by bearing His name

    wherever we are

    and among whomever..

Our clothing is more than appearance,

even surpassing daily practices,

by equipping us with

pockets full of grace and love,

ready and watching,

doing and being,

the marks and ministry

        of the faithful.

Grace is always

    the most appropriate clothing

    for any occasion.)

O LORD,

Help us to choose this day

to be ready and willing

   to minister to You,

     and to those around us,

with a wardrobe of love,

joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness,

faithfulness and self control.

May we be aware

of where we are,

among whom we are,

    and Whose we are.

Help us to be ready,

dressed and shoes tied on

to bring You honor

  in the most unlikely places

  and among the most unexpected.

May we be aware

          of the holy ground

          of ministering this day..

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

So whoever knows

the right thing to do,

and fails to do it,

     for him it is sin.

        James 4. 17

(What has God

placed on my heart to do?

Have I responded to Him?

Ignored Him?

Argued with Him?

Left that nudge

  at the bottom of my inbox?

Sin is not

       just what we have done,

but chosen to leave undone.

Sin is not failing in our doing

    but failing to do.

As my granddaughter surmised,

   "Sin is missing out."

Indeed, we are the ones

         who are missing out,

because no detail

              is insignificant,

and there are

         no small obediences.

Am I seeking the LORD in this?

God invites us into His work

and delights in us

        to be part of it.)

O LORD,

When we seek You,

entire new landscapes

     open to our eyes.

There are not just new doors

   but incredible adventures

                    to explore,

   even right where we are.

Forgive our complacencies

  when we are blinded by self

       and ignore Your nudges.

We have left so much undone

that would have/could have/

              should have

         brought glory to You

and goodness into this world.

May it be seen

           in tangible ways

   that You are among us.

May Your love

      and our love for You

be manifest in the restoration

         of broken lives

         in this broken world.

 

...look with your eyes,

and hear with your ears,

and set your heart upon

all that I shall show you,

for you were brought here

in order that

I might show it to you.

               Ezekiel 40. 4

(Don't miss a thing.

Nothing random in this.

This is why you are here,

strategically placed

        for His Kingdom,

        for His glory

to bring His name there.

God is revealing Himself

      even in this.

God is already redeeming

   deeper than we can grasp.

And He is using us

to make Himself known

   in this foreign land.

Be faithful in this.)

O LORD,

You redeem

all the awkward pieces

and impossible situations

and fearful places.

Help us to trust You

  even right where we are

or what we are walking into.

Your steadfast love

             endures forever.

Help us to walk

     with You in that reality.

Help us to trust You

    even in the scary places.

Help us this day

      not to miss a bit

      of Your glory in this.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

The hand of the LORD

    was upon me,

and He brought me out

in the Spirit of the LORD

and set me down

in the middle of the valley;

    it was full of bones...

And He said to me,

"Son of man,

        can these bones live?"

And I answered,

    "O Lord GOD,

             You know."

             Ezekiel 37. 1, 3

(What in the world

    am I doing here

in this barren, forsaken place?

The point is not what I see.

   It is what God knows.

God breathes life

      into the impossible.

God says,

"Now watch what I do with this."

His love and faithfulness

are not limited

     by what appears.

God redeems.

            Even this.)

O LORD,

Help us to see things

             differently today,

not as a place of despair

and difficulty and hardship.

But to look and respond differently

        as a believer in You.

Breathe Your power

     into this situation

     that appears lifeless.

Even among the dry bones,

   Your love and faithfulness

   change the landscape,

not just our view of it

   but Your reality in it.

O Lord God,

           You know.

Help us to be faithful

  even in what

  we do not yet see.

  

 

And the land that was desolate

     shall be tilled...

And they will say,

"This land that was desolate

has become

like the garden of Eden..."

            Ezekiel 36. 34-35

(God sees this place,

these difficult circumstances,

this hard time differently.

This is not

    the end of the story.

God redeems.

Our work is not to despair,

     but to restore.

Till the land

        beneath your feet.

No matter how barren

    it may appear,

    God brings new life to it.)

O LORD,

Even when things around us

are shrouded by bleakness,

You are already at work

          in us and through us.

It is not that You will show up.

It is that we are the ones

             late to the party.

Help us, O LORD,

not just to see differently

but to live in Your newness.

You are bringing something new

        to every desperation.

Help us to be faithful

       and grateful to You,

even before we see the outcome.

You are changing the landscape,

right before our eyes.

 

I will make with them

a covenant of peace

and banish wild beasts

       from the land,

so that they may dwell

  securely in the wilderness

and sleep in the woods...

They shall dwell securely

and none shall

        make them afraid.

            Ezekiel 34. 25, 28

(Trusting in God

does not mean

there are no wild beasts,

or nothing to be afraid of,

    but that we can have

          no fear there.

God's peace passes understanding

and prevails despite circumstances.

When we dwell securely in Him,

           we see a new landscape,

    we see beauty in the wilderness,

    we know Him in another dimension,

    we make different choices,

    we live with a new heart,

    and we can enjoy the woods.

Fear locks up the doors,

    and blocks out the light.

Trusting Him

     enlarges our view.)

O LORD,

As we head into this new day,

help us to venture forth

   into the known and unknown,

equipped to see it differently,

to see hard stuff

           not to be defeated by it,

  but to grasp just another opportunity

     to trust You more.

Help us to not miss the wonders.

Thank you that we can

      sleep in the woods,

   not just unafraid

   but live fully in Your handiwork

and reside in peace there

             in Your love.

When we dwell securely in You,

we have the bandwidth

        to love others all around us.

And see You

   and our woods differently.

 

...and its heart was proud...

              Ezekiel 31. 10

(Pride in the Bible is not

a joy in accomplishment

but making oneself a god,

taking on the grandeur

    of God's rightful place.

Even the world recognizes it

   as haughtiness

   and despises it as arrogance.

Pride is the beginning of downfall,

the point of making different decisions,

a shift in perspective or vision,

and a change in trajectory

that puts self on the throne,

    the focus of the spotlight.

Everything shifts.

And never ends well.)

O LORD,

Help us to keep our eyes

           on You

that we may follow You

and bring glory and honor to You

          and not to ourselves.

You are the beginning of wisdom.

Help us to seek You

and not be distracted

or claim for ourselves

     the glory due Your name.

Keep us from the crime

  of claiming what is

              rightfully Yours.

May all that we do

   point others to You.

May all that You do

   be recognized

         and acknowledged

   by how we live.

 

For the moment

all discipline

     seems painful

     rather than pleasant,

but later it yields

the peaceful fruit

   of righteousness

to those who have been

       trained by it.

            Hebrews 12. 11

(See this situation differently,

not as hardship

      or affliction

      or woe is me,

but as training

       and strengthening

for the time we are in,

      for the time to come,

the now and the next,

or for the welfare

  and inspiration of others.

Every runner knows

that every step,

every effort,

every workout,

        strengthens.)

O LORD,

Help us to not shrink back

from the discipline

that makes us stronger

                in You.

Help us to realize

You are preparing us

   for what is to come

   and for what is now

   and even for today.

Help us to get up

and not just do something

but embrace it

and keep our eyes on You

       through it.

We may not know why

   but we can trust You in it.

 

A continual dripping

            on a rainy day

and a quarrelsome wife

            are alike...

          Proverbs 27. 15

(Have I even considered

     what I sound like?

Have I even considered

   what I am bringing

             to this situation

and how it is impacting

  everyone around

             and even me?

Grumbling

     never helps.)

O LORD,

Help us to consider

how powerfully our words

        influence others

and impact even our own attitudes.

Help us to see our words

    and responses

    as a huge witness

         of a transformed heart.

May our words

     bring Your light and peace

to a volatile situation

    or to a dark cloudy day.

Confirm Your Word in us

   that we may love others

                even more.

So you will be

   a sign to them,

and they will know

   that I am the LORD.

         Ezekiel 24. 27

(Whatever we are experiencing,

how we approach it,

how we respond to the situation

     and to those in it,

is an opportunity

    to point others to God.

People are always

          watching us,

not to see if we are

     perfect or imperfect,

   but to see if God is real.

In whatever we confront,

what do we do

               differently

because we are believers?

Does anyone see

anything different in us?)

O LORD,

May we be a witness to You

in whatever we face today,

whatever we do

      and how we do it.

May we have

     the mind of Christ in this.

And that is going to

not just look different,

but take us on

   a different journey

   and to a different outcome.

Sometimes we just need

   to be the strength for others.

Sometimes others are

      looking not at us

but looking for You.

Help us to be a sign

   to trust You .

 

 

...let us draw near

...let us hold fast

...And let us consider

how to stir up one another

to love and good works,

not neglecting to

             meet together,

as is the habit of some,

but encouraging one another,

and all the more

as you see the Day drawing near.

              Hebrews 10. 22-25

(Community is not just

   the habit of meeting together

but of meeting needs

by stirring up one another

   to love God,

   love others,

   and love each other.

And let us consider

what we are bringing

        to the table

to encourage others.

Not should we help,

           but how?

We learn how to respond

  by mimicking

      the contagious grace

               in our midst.

Love for others and each other

gets all over everything

      like an indelible marker.

And points to Jesus.)

O LORD,

Help us to know

that You have placed us

in awkward situations

and volatile places

and the shadowlands

to bring Your name there.

Show us how to love others

          and make You known.

May You even today

   strengthen us

   even in difficulty,

to seek You in it,

and encourage others

       right into Your Kingdom.

 

Let Your glory

   be over all the earth!

           Psalm 108. 5

(No matter what we face

     in the day ahead,

whether favorable

   or whatever we fear,

our struggles

   or our triumphs,

may God's glory

      get all over it.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

It never occurred to me

   to pray for Your glory

                  in this.

We pray for answers

and solutions

and even rescue helicopters,

but our myopic vision

prevents us

     from trusting You

and what You are doing.

May Your glory

   get all over everything,

not just in the outcome.

May our hearts be changed

     by what we pray

     and Whom we seek.

 

For He shatters

  the doors of bronze

and cuts in two

  the bars of iron.

...He turns a desert

  into pools of water,

a parched land

  into springs of water.

           Psalm 107. 16, 35

(God lays another new day

         before us,

full of appointments

           and big rocks,

and opportunities

           to trust Him into it.

What we see as impossible,

   God says,

   "Now watch and see

    what I do with that."

The impossible does not mean

     our story is over

         and results in despair.

God is working yet.

This difficulty,

this struggle,

this dark and miry bog

is not the end of our story,

but we have only

come to the exciting part,

   the point of redemption.

The outcome may not be

   --probably will not be--

what we expect,

but God is there.

He is unfolding

yet another dimension

             of Himself.

This is not

      the end of the story.

Not even close.)

O LORD,

We find ourselves

   not just between a rock

             and a hard place,

but once again in Your hands,

even in impossible situations.

Grant to us the courage

  to push back the darkness

by praying, listening

         and responding to You.

This is not a place of despair

but another opportunity

to see You at work

and point others to You.

And another exciting chapter

  in our chronicle

           of Your faithfulness.

You are good,

Your steadfast love

     endures forever,

and Your faithfulness

              has no end.

On that reality,

   we can stake our lives.

They served their idols,

which became

       a snare to them.

            Psalm 106. 36

(What is distracting me

from my relationship with God?

What is nurturing me?

An idol

       --whatever it is--

is always a snare.

There are no small idols.)

O LORD,

Help us to not just

     be aware of you

but to have the

             mind of Christ.

Help us to approach

this day, this week,

  this impossible situation

             differently

because we love You.

May distractions fade away

  from our pursuit of You,

not exchanging

       one thing for another,

but staking our lives on You.

Keep us wise in our choices,

keep us faithful in our walk.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Affirm and confirm

       Your Word in our hearts.

 

 

...and make the dry tree flourish.

               Ezekiel 17. 24

(No matter the struggle,

no matter the dismal landscape,

in spite of the drought,

beyond how it appears,

God's faithfulness

   is producing fruitfulness.

We have only to

          trust Him

          even in this.

With God,

   this is never

   the end of the story.

God redeems

     in ways we cannot

     even imagine.

God brings flourishing

  far deeper than

  what is on the surface.

We can choose despair

    or the Almighty.

God is working still.)

O LORD,

When all looks rather bleak,

help us to trust You

            all the more.

This is not the end of the story

   but only the exciting part

   of Your redeeming.

We cannot comprehend

  the vastness of Your work.

We see a dry withered tree.

You see a deep green forest.

We live only in the now.

But Your grand narrative

             is forever.

Redeem, O LORD,

             for Your glory.

May trusting You

   be our first response.

He rebuked the Red Sea,

and it became dry,

and He led them

       through the deep

  as through a desert.

So He saved them

  from the hand of the foe

and redeemed them

  from the power of the enemy.

            Psalm 106. 9-10

(We are clueless

about what God has done

  --and is doing--

to guide, provide,

  and to protect us

  in ways we are not aware,

even when we don't realize it,

far more than we will ever know.

But one thing we can know:

   "Trust Me in this."

Sometimes we see the danger,

     sometimes we don't.

We all have Red Seas

             in our lives.

But God does not leave us

      alone on the shore.)

O LORD,

We see the impossibilities

       daunting before us.

We don't know the way through.

But You are providing a way

         that we don't yet see.

Not just a solution

              or an answer

or a rescue vehicle,

but Your strength

when we keep our eyes on You.

Help us to trust You

            on the dry ground.

Help us to trust You

  even when we have to

            get our feet wet.

May we bring glory to You

  on the banks of the sea

  and even in its midst.

You are saving us

   from whatever we fear.

You are working powerfully.

You are redeeming.

We just don't see it yet.

But we can still trust You.

 

 

...in their sight.

         Ezekiel 12. 3-7

(This admonition is

repeated 7 times

   in the space of 5 verses.

When a phrase is repeated,

       take it to heart.

Live out your relationship

    with God --

His grace and forgiveness

   and love and goodness--

before others

            in their midst

that they would see

      and ask "Why?

What kind of person

            lives like that?"

And that they may see

    one who has been

   transformed by God.

One who has a new heart

bears a new operating system,

makes different decisions,

sees and responds

            self-lessly

because God's forgiveness

  and grace has changed them.)

O LORD,

You continually surround us

with opportunities to

love others right into Your kingdom.

Help others not

         to see us as different

      but to see You differently.

Life with You does not just

            look different

   but brings a new heart to it

and Your unexpected Presence.

May Your with-ness in us

   be a witness to others

that You are here

       and that You love them too.

Help us to live that way

        in their midst.

 

Then I looked

    and behold...

          Ezekiel 10. 1

(When we seek God,

He reveals something

         very different to us,

a new way to see

      the same circumstances,

how to approach difficulty

     (or even favor),

and how to respond.

No matter what

we are going through,

God redeems and provides

far beyond our own vision

    and even our lifetimes.

When we look,

            behold,

that which we have

not yet considered before.

We may not see the outcome,

   nor His grand narrative,

but God provides

          the next step

     that lies nearest

and then, look again,

     and there, the next.

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

We cannot know what the day

              may bring,

but we can know

  that we can trust You

  and You are with us in it.

You are sovereign

            and we are not.

There are some things

    we will never understand.

It may not look the way

      we imagined it would be,

but we can seek

  the heart and mind of Christ

                in this.

We can stake our lives

        on our hope in You.

 

O give thanks to the LORD;

call upon His name;

make known His deeds

     among the peoples!

Sing to Him,

sing praises to Him;

tell of all His wondrous works!

                   Psalm 105. 1-2

(There is a strength,

a provision,

a protection

when we dwell upon

and make known

how God is working

          in our lives.

Singing praises to God

tangibly changes

not our perspective

          nor feelings

     but our hearts.

Worry blocks out the light.

Praise increases our vision.)

O LORD,

May we sing not just

   the same old words,

but a new song,

new recognition

   of Your hand

and grace

and goodness to us,

even in what we

   cannot yet understand.

Open to us new ways

   of bringing You praise.

May the songs stuck in our heads

         and our hearts

bless and glorify Your holy Name.

 

But the Spirit

entered into me

and set me

      on my feet.

       Ezekiel 3. 24

(There are times

when everyone of us

has the rug pulled

     out from under us.

There are times

when we have no strength

   to get up on our own.

And that is when

we realize our need for God.

God empowers us

not just to get back

              on our feet,

to see not just

         our own struggles

but to find the grace to help

    in time of need.

God's strength and grace

are never

   individually wrapped,

but more than enough

    to help others

    and not only ourselves.

God does not just redeem.

God multiplies.)

O LORD,

Fill our pockets,

fill our hearts,

fill our vision

      with Your grace.

Help us to come prepared

not just to the table

        set before us,

those situations we expect,

but into this day

  and in all unlikely corners.

Help us to find the strength

   to respond to You

and to bring with us

   Your overflowing

      and unexpected grace.

May others not just

   see a difference in us,

but to see You differently.

Grace to all we

           encounter today.

May Your Spirit

   lift us back on our feet.

 

But exhort one another

      every day,

as long as it is called "today,"

that none of you

may be hardened by the

   deceitfulness of sin.

              Hebrews 3. 13

(We are all surrounded

  by a clamor of voices,

loud and ever present,

shouting for our attention.

But do we push back

    against the darkness

by speaking truth and grace

    into the lives around us?

How can we daily encourage,

urge, and strengthen others

    in their walk with God?

How can we do that

  in tangible ways today?)

O LORD,

Help us to realize Your with-ness

    and opportunities for

    Your witness through us.

What are we

      bringing to the table?

Help us to be

    the voice of strength

               and encouragement

   in the lives of those around us,

whether believers or seekers,

not where we may find ourselves today,

but wherever You have strategically

                     placed us today.

Your divine encounters.

Your sacred appointments.

Especially those we

              don't expect.