Whatever. Wherever. Among Whomever.

 

Then the people rejoiced,

because they had given

            willingly,

for with a whole heart

they had offered freely

     to the LORD.

     1 Chronicles 29. 9

Giving and serving the LORD

far exceed our situation.

It is not a matter of stuff, resources,

    time or treasure,

        but a matter of the heart.

The root word in willingly

           is will.

    Not ours but Yours.

Giving willingly,

offering freely,

walking fully,

worshiping God in all we do,

infiltrates joy from the LORD.

Serving God

        in any capacity

    is never insignificant.

There is nothing 

       God cannot use 

   to redeem this broken world.

Serving Him with a whole heart

   impacts us

   and everyone around us,

everytime,

   even when we don't see it yet.

His incredible joy in impossible places

                   changes everything. 

O LORD,

May we be sensitive 

        to Your leading,

aware of our circumstances,

attentive to the obvious

  or not so obvious need,

and bring Your name here

    in tangible ways.

Help us to realize

    You cover us in joy.

It is not in us

      but all through You.

May Your impossible joy

   energize us

        into this day today

and radically change whatever

    lies before us.

Whatever. Wherever. 

            Among whomever.

Not Limited By What Is Seen or Unseen

...who gives life to the dead

and calls into existence

the things that do not exist.

           Romans 4. 17

God spells out

  how to face the impossible.

This situation is not dead yet.

This is not the end of the story.

Because God restores.

God redeems.

God multiplies.

God resurrects what 

     appears to be lifeless.

But our part is to

   give God the space to work

   and follow Him into it.

God is not limited

  by what is seen or not seen.

Even when it is against the odds,

       when we call on Him,

God cannot help but respond

   and bring something about.

Are we willing to change

           and trust Him in it?

God does the heavy lifting,

 but our part is to follow Him

into the space He has opened.

When we hold tight to Him,

   of what do we let go?

Selfishness, pride and despair.

O LORD,

Guide us into this unreasonable

   situation, relationship,

  and heavy circumstances,

all rolled into one big mess.

Help us to realize that the impossible

is what is not able to occur,

   exist or be done 

             without You.

Breathe Your life into this.

We cannot see our way,

  but You bring us through.

Order our day.

Order our way.

Reorder our loves.

And align our hearts

          with Yours.

Help us to run with You.

    

And Brings The Snacks

 

Arise and work!

The LORD be with you!

      1 Chronicles 22. 16

God grants us His strength,

wisdom, and courage

  to go forth into this day

and the opportunities

      right before us

to fulfill His purposes

    in all we do and say,

to be a witness in how 

  we love Him and others,

to be faithful in all

     He has placed on our path.

May we be responsive

    to get out there,

and willing to follow Him in it.

We are masters 

          of procrastination.

And we miss out 

   on the wonders of God

   running with us,

      setting the direction,

      setting the pace,

  and bringing the snacks.

In being faithful in one step

          and then the next,

we see Him.

O LORD,

Empower us to 

       rise and work,

even if we don't know

   the how, where

        and what of it,

we can be assured

  of Your Presence.

And that changes

       everything.

 

Doing What We CAN Do

They were given

   the cities of refuge...

          1 Chronicles 6. 67

May we be ready

with sensitive hearts,

boatloads of compassion,

pantries full of forgiveness,

beds made,

doors unlocked and open,

watchful on the porch,

aware in our comings

           and goings

   in the familiar

   and the unexpected.

We can't do everything

    to solve big problems,

but we can do something.

And having done all,

      stand in the gap.

God changes the landscape

    through us.

God gave cities of refuge.

    God's people built them.

We can always do something

  as a first responder

or as a steadfast friend.

And change the world.

O LORD,

You don't just give us

      something to do.

You invite us into Your work.

May You find us faithful.

And may we not 

     despise a day of small things,

but do what we can do.

Because blessing others

     is never insignificant.

And shifts the tectonic plates

           of this world.

You always bring about

 what otherwise

 would not be possible.

And sometimes You use us

        to do those things

    and cover Your glory over it.

      

 

God Is Not About To Abandon Us Now

 

....and I have been with you

wherever you have gone.

       1 Chronicles 17. 8

Past, present, future tense.

God is not about to

     abandon us now.

We can see, approach,

navigate, and accept

  our surroundings, 

  experiences,

  and circumstances

           differently,

not just because 

   we are believers,

but because

            God is here.

He guides and provides,

even though sometimes

we cannot realize that

  until the rearview mirror.

But we can trust Him

and go forth with courage.

I am with you. Do not be afraid.

O LORD,

As we go forth with You

   into this day,

full of Your wonders,

even in the hard stuff,

fill us with Your strength

  and fulfill Your plans 

  in whatever we face.

Help us to remember

  the chronicle of

       Your faithfulness

in our past,

in the now,

    and in the next.

Empower us to

   trust You in this.

Even in this,

    wherever,

    whatever,

    among whomever,

help us run with You. 

All Eyes on Him

 

Seek the LORD

   and His strength.

Seek His Presence

        continually.

      1 Chronicles 16. 11

How do we endure

  this hard situation?

Not in our own strength,

        but His.

Seeking not an outcome

  or ease or success,

        but Him.

Continually

   requires intention,

not short spurts

     but the long haul.

Turning our faces

  towards the Lord

      directs our course.

O LORD,

We turn our eyes

           upon You

that we would follow You,

know Your strength,

and see You

   and circumstances differently.

Help us to approach

   and navigate this situation

with a fresh heart.

Grant us the courage

     to take Your path.

Form something new

            in us,

       step by step.

We don't know what to do

or even where this is going,

  but our eyes are on You.

The Lord of Breaking Through

 

And David said,

"God has broken through

my enemies by my hand,

like a bursting flood."

Therefore the name 

of this place is called

       Baal-perazim. 

       1 Chronicles 14. 11

Baal-perazim literally means

   the Lord of breaking through.

God does not just

    bring us through.

He does not only

    carry us through.

God intervenes.

He breaks through our fears,

   both real and imagined.

God brings about

      something new,

when we allow ourselves

         to be led

not by circumstances,

     but by Him.

O LORD,

We are so easily overwhelmed

   by all the noise around us,

by distractions

   in all shapes and sizes,

and when we think

     we are alone in this.

Break through 

    these circumstances,

               Almighty One,

for Your glory.

Help us to realize

            Your Presence

and respond to You.

Not to make all our problems

   disappear,

but in Your kindness

      lead us to You.

We cannot hold back,

nor control the circumstances,

  but You impossibly provide

              a way through.

         Even in this.

Seep into this rock hard situation

   that we would not miss You,

nor think that it is our own power

       that delivers us.

You hold us by the hand

           all the way through

           to Your wonders.

We are not stuck after all.

How To Kindle A Fire

 

The native people showed us

         unusual kindness,

for they kindled a fire

and welcomed us all,

because it had begun

    to rain and was cold.

           Acts 28. 2 

Kindle a fire

   in some way today

to fill the brokenness

  in lives all around us.

It cannot be contained,

    nor ever forgotten.

Ignite the gospel

   in tangible ways.

Let the love of Jesus

     heal wounds,

even those carefully disguised.

We are all desperate 

  to feel accepted,

valued and supported.

No exceptions.

May we never underestimate

  the immense power

  of unexpected kindness

toward strangers,

   friends and

            even family,

unexpected because

   a true kindness is never earned.

And we witness

  so little of it in this world.

O LORD,

We don't know what to do

   and how to respond,

but when our eyes are on You,

we see this situation

             and others differently.

We know a new way through

    with a fresh heart.

Help us to do the kind thing.

Help us to do it

   even when it is hard,

even when our pride

      tries to stop us.

Strengthen us through the grace

   which You have given us

   and forgiven us.

Help us to kindle kindness

  in unlikely places,

no matter if we ever

          see the outcome.

Because You do.

No Small Decisions

 

He did not seek guidance

     from the LORD.

          1 Chronicles 10. 14

Our lives are built in layers

   upon the daily choices

   that we make.

There are no small decisions.

Each step,

each choice radically impacts

  not just the course of our days,

  but the trajectory of our lives.

And gets all over

     everyone else

    --for good or for despair.

It is not just what we are doing,

but what are we 

            practicing?

Pray, listen and respond

  not to circumstances,

  or our own desires,

but coming before God,

  seeking not only His guidance,

     but seeking Him,

listening for His voice

    in this loud world,

and following Him.

God carries us through.

God gives us 

       His Word on that.

O LORD,

Doing noble things 

           is difficult.

Choosing to follow You

  requires Your strength.

Help us to be attentive

  not only to Your way,

but to You.

May we inquire,

apply ourselves,

practice the art of breathing

    in Your Spirit,

treading with You,

choosing You,

and walking in Your light.

May Your Presence

     surround us on every side.

And God Makes It Enough

 

...mighty warriors

   of their generations....

         1 Chronicles 7. 2

God calls us to be the same,

bearers of His name

    in the familiar and strange,

prayer warriors,

carriers of grace,

providers of forgiveness

    where it is unknown,

carriers of fruit

   in times of famine,

bringing strong love under siege,

showing mercy to others

    who struggle with despair,

pursuing peace,

willing to do what is right,

ready to do something,

claiming and proclaiming

  God's Presence among us,

and having done all,

  to stand in His strength.

Sometimes that is all

    we can do.

And God makes it enough.

O LORD,

We have no strength and might

       without You.

Grant to us the courage

   to go forth among others

for the sake of Your name

   in this time and place

and for the well-being

   of this generation.

Find us faithful, O God,

no matter where we are,

no matter in what situation

   You have placed us today.

 

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Battle Cry

 

...for they cried out to God

          in the battle,

and He granted 

   their urgent plea

because

    they trusted in Him.

     1 Chronicles 5. 20

Trust Me in this

is the turning point 

     in any situation.

God guides,

God provides,

God directs and redirects,

God brings us through,

   not just somehow,

but by His strength.

Yes, over here.

Follow Me.

Walk with Me.

We may never understand why,

   but we don't have to

for God to be powerfully working.

He knows,

   and that is enough,

for Him to carry us through.

Trusting in God

          is never passive,

but all hands on deck,

ready to be responsive,

willing to be faithful,

            even in this.

Now watch 

     what God will do.

O LORD,

Amaze us.

Astonish us.

Enlarge not just our understanding,

   but our faith in You.

Our footsteps are unseen,

  because You are carrying us.

Help us to know that

  trusting You 

           changes everything.

Reveal Yourself in this day.

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When The Strength Comes

 

Give ear to my words, O LORD,

consider my groaning.

Give attention 

  to the sound of my cry,

      my King and my God,

for to You do I pray.

              Psalm 5. 2

God sends His Holy Spirit

to pray for us

when our groanings and pain

   are too deep for words.

God hears us.

He listens.

He pays attention.

And He responds in one way

        or another.

Are we listening, paying attention

     and responding to Him?

God multiplies our prayers

to cover and provide

   far beyond ourselves

and deeper than our immediate

     despair and need.

He is our King.

He is still God,

     even in this trouble.

Are we praying for

  our own ideas and agendas

  and wants in this situation?

Or are we praying to Him,

and no other

     than the Almighty? 

O LORD,

There is so much clamor

and so many voices

   shouting at us to come away.

Help us to listen

          only to Your voice

     to come to You,

     and come with You.

Grant to us the courage

   and strength

to turn towards You,

no matter how hard.

Redeem, O Father,

   our souls

           under siege.

Even the Unresponsive Tapping Their Feet

A man's gift makes room

      for him

and brings him

   before the great.

           Proverbs 18. 16

My mother was

   an accomplished violinist,

but she didn't limit where

    God appointed her,

whether first chair in a symphony orchestra

    or playing in a rest home

    for the elderly.

Sometimes nurses mentioned

  they even saw unresponsive

  patients tapping their feet.

God grants each of us spaces

to use our gifts. abilities and talents 

   to serve Him and His Kingdom

in the most unlikely circumstances.

When we are faithful,

sometimes we don't even consider 

                or realize it.

May we unwrap and use

  our opportunities and gifts

  to love people today,

even the impossible ones.

Maybe especially them.

O LORD,

You have placed us strategically

and equipped us with gifts

not to hoard,

   but to share generously

with all those around us.

Make space for us

    to be used for Your designs

and grasp the eternal significance

           of being here and now.

Not just in what we are doing,

    but being Yours in this place.

 

But Then We Can

 

The following night

the Lord stood by him

and said,

"Take courage,

for as you have testified

to the facts about Me

         in Jerusalem,

so you must testify 

      also in Rome."

         Acts 23. 11

One response of faithfulness

to the Lord

strengthens us for the next.

"I could never do that!"

But then we can.

Faithfulness

    is a daily practice,

in big things and small

(that never turn out

    to be insignificant at all).

God grants us His courage

    to testify

in the most unusual

   and unexpected places,

sometimes when we are

     totally unaware

that anyone is listening,

sometimes when we realize

it is only by His strength in us.

We all have been

divinely appointed for 

   this time and place.

May we take up

      His courage in this.

O LORD,

Even when we face difficult

  situations, decisions,

  and impossible people,

You grant us Your courage

   when we have none.

Please give to us

    not just the right words,

          but a right heart.

Help us to realize 

that every day

  and every experience

is working Your strength

       into us as a testimony

     for Your glory.

Others are watching

   to see not that we 

   have all the answers

but You have

 transformed our lives.

 

Living Among the Chaldeans

 

Do not be afraid

because of the 

     Chaldean officials.

Live in the land

and serve the king of Babylon,

and it shall be well with you.

           2 Chronicles 25. 24

No matter where we are,

  we can worship God

    --the true King--

with all we do,

    with all our work,

   and in how we do it.

All of us find ourselves

     at one time or another,

  even one day at a time,

in strange and

  uncomfortable places.

May God find us faithful

       to You.

We may cry,

  "I don't want to be here!"

But God whispers to us,

"I have something

        very important for you

        to do here.

Be a witness

         in this situation.

Weave My name 

  into the circumstances."

We can live in the ordinary

   or a strange land

and serve Him fully.

O LORD,

Give us Your courage

  to work faithfully

wherever You guide us.

We are divinely appointed

and strategically placed

to bring You glory.

Enlarge what we do

      in greater detail

than we can ever imagine.

And to draw others to You.

 

What God Has Up His Sleeve

 

And I said,

"What shall I do, Lord?"

And the Lord said to me,

"Rise and go into Damascus,

and there

   you will be told

all that is appointed

      for you to do."

                Acts 22. 10

God does not give out 

        marching orders.

He calls us to Himself.

Pray, respond,

        rise and go

   (or sometimes stay

    right where we are planted).

When we follow Him,

God reveals not just 

  a path through circumstances,

  but He reveals Himself.

And God has many such things

          up His sleeve

far beyond our radar.

Eternity is bigger than

        our imagination.

We have no conception

   of what God is up to.

We don't have to.

We have only

            to be faithful to Him.

O LORD,

We come to You

    with open hands

and a willing heart.

Please show us Your way

     in this situation,

not just what to do,

but to be Yours in it.

We have no idea

     what You have 

     up Your sleeve.

May we fulfill Your purposes

   every which way

   we can today.

And bring You glory in it.

 

Swords, Shields and Hand-Me-Downs

And the priest gave to the captains

the spears and shields

that had been King David's,

which were in the house

                of the LORD.

               2 Kings 11. 10

What are we working on, 

investing in,

preparing and preserving

to be passed down

        as a legacy

and engrained strength

  for the generations to come?

What do others see in us?

May we scatter

           hand-me-downs

     of strength, grace and faith.

Our children witness

    our actions,

    attitudes and words

to the furthest generation.

Faithfulness to the LORD

   is not just observable,

but multiplies

      far beyond our lifetimes.

It can't help but

      change a life,

including our own.

O LORD,

Thank You for providing

the witness of the saints

that have come before us.

Strengthen us 

that we may pass on

the knowledge of You

and leave behind tangible shields 

for the well-being of others

      that they may know You.

.

 

We Don't Know What To Do

 

Hezekiah received the letter

from the hand of the messengers

             and read it,

and Hezekiah went up

   to the house of the LORD

and spread it before the LORD...

             2 Kings 19. 4-5

First response:

  not defeated by despair,

  but reaching out in prayer.

Whatever the situation,

   spread it thick before God

 and pray about it,

every dimension,

prayer and layer,

spread it out,

     no holding back.

Each piece and plea is

   connected to another.

Praying opens 

         another door

and then that room

   leads to another portal.

Praying is the 

     deep stuff of abiding,

right where we dwell,

and we are nurtured by it.

O LORD,

We ask You today

to give us the courage

not just to follow You,

but how to do that 

       step by step,

     prayer by prayer,

approaching and navigating

   whatever is before us.

Provide us the strength

   and wisdom that go along

with being faithful to You. 

We don't know what to do,

but our eyes are upon You.

         2 Chronicles 20. 12

 

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Holding Us Fast

 

For he held fast to the LORD.

He did not depart

        from following Him...

And the LORD was with him.

Wherever he went out,

             he prospered.

         2 Kings 18. 6-7

Not pursuing success,

   but following the LORD

through whatever drought,

siege,

or trouble he encountered.

God does not show up,

but shows us,

unfolds to us,

and reveals Himself to us.

Follow Me. I am with you.

And that changes everything.

We see differently.

We worship the LORD

         and not the outcome.

We trust Him in the journey

         and hold tight to Him.

The word prosper here means

      to act wisely,

be attentive to God,

and complete 

   what God has given us to do,

showing care and 

         thought for the future. 

O LORD,

May we hold tight to You

   in the calm and in the storm.

Bind us to You.

Tie us to Your mast

that no matter what 

         we encounter

    or struggle with,

we know You embrace us

    with love and mercy.

We know that

           You are God.

The Future of Impossible Situations

 

But his servant said,

"How can I set this

    before a hundred men?"

So he repeated,

"Give them to the men

that they may eat

for thus says the LORD,

"They shall eat 

      and have some left."

So he set it before them.

And they ate

   and had some left,

according to the word of the LORD.

              2 Kings 4. 43

When we are faithful

    in following the LORD,

even into what

   we cannot yet understand,

God's fundamental law of 

       leftovers kicks in.

Lay before Him our day,

our work,

our efforts,

     and He multiplies.

What seems to us a lack,

   God redeems for His glory

in ways we may never

               comprehend.

The point here is

      not what God can do,

but are we willing

     to submit to Him?

O LORD,

We bring before You

what seems to be

    an impossible situation.

We lay it on the altar

   that You may touch it

and turn the natural

            into the supernatural

and the ordinary

      into the extraordinary.

Help us to be sensitive

     to the needs of others.

And to be aware of 

     Your hand upon us. 

You do not just show up.

      You sustain us.

What We Talk About

 

So Paul reasoned

     in the synagogue

     with the Jews

and the devout persons,

and in the marketplace

         every day

with those who

   happened to be there.

              Acts 17. 17

Wherever God leads us

  is never a random occurrence,

no matter the situation.

Among whomever we encounter,

there is sacred design

  and eternal purpose.

Start a conversation.

And bring the name of Jesus there.

    Love people to Him.

The word marketplace

  is not limited to the mall

  or even the grocery,

but encompasses

    any assembly of people,

a gathering of persons

      for any reason,

no place more divine

   than another,

whether a coffee shop,

   gas station,

   or pickleball tournament.

As it says in Scripture,

        hold not back.

What if God Himself

   has brought ua together

   in sacred encounters

       to point others to Him

or even make us aware

    of the presence of God

    in this situation?

God does not expect us

      to know all the answers,

but calls us to know Him

     and make Him known.,

not forcing Him into

         our conversations,

but discussing, pondering,

and mingling 

        thought with thought.

O LORD,

We pray that You will

 bring a deeper dimension

to our conversations with others

and make us sensitive

   to Your leading and Your words.

Show us how to weave eternity

      into what we talk about

for the wellbeing of souls

           all around us.

What Are We Listening To

 

Let me hear in the morning

of Your steadfast love,

     for in You I trust.

Make me know 

  the way I should go,

for to You

     I lift up my soul.

       Psalm 143. 8

We cannot hear

    unless we are asking,

listening,

trusting,

     and responding.

God whispers,

  Can you hear me now?

God reveals to us

   the way to go,

sometimes just one step

at a time,

    every one significant.

We do not just lift up

   our prayers to Him,

our desires,

our needs,

our heartaches

             and joys,

but we lift up our souls.

O LORD,

We lift up to You

     our very being,

all we are,

all we will be,

all You have created us

           to be,

       not just to do.

Even in what we are going through,

   saturate us in Your love

and form in us faithfulness,

Your mercies new

          every morning.

 

The Secret Art of Eavesdropping

 

About midnight,

Paul and Silas were praying

   and singing hymns to God,

and the prisoners were

   listening to them.

             Acts 16. 25

Believers and even those who

    do not yet believe

are continually watching us,

listening to us, 

eavesdropping how we respond 

   and what we worship,

how we love them,

on what we dwell, 

and how we 

    approach and navigate

difficult circumstances,

  whether theirs or our own.

No matter what time,

no matter how uncomfortable

       or inconvenient,

no matter what it costs us,

to bring the name of Jesus here

and let His witness linger.

O LORD,

May the way we do our work

   and how we love others

             point others to You,

even when we are unaware.

Who is listening to me today?

May they see

  how they can listen to You.

And how deeply 

     they are loved.

How To See Something New

 

Because he has

   humbled himself

   before Me...

        1 Kings 21. 29

When we are on our knees,

we see everything around us

    from a different perspective.

Praying is taking 

   a new posture before the LORD,

      not a place of defeat,

   but receiving His deeper vision

            in the midst of them.

And God always uses that

  to change our trajectory.

A humble heart,

     coming before God

     and responding to Him,

             enlarges our vision.

Our pride no longer blinds us

         or binds us.

What does God have to do

   with this situation of ours?

Everything.

O LORD,

Help us to know that 

coming before You

      with humble hearts

is not a place of weakness,

but fills us with 

        a greater strength

than we can realize.

Help us not just

    take a different posture

    before You,

but take up Your purposes

   and see all things new.

We come to You,

   and You embrace us.

Surounded on All Sides

 

Then Elisha prayed and said,

"O LORD, please open his eyes

that he may see."

...And behold the mountain was

full of horses and chariots of fire

        all around Elisha.

                   2 Kings 6. 17

When we pray,

God reveals Himself to us,

right in the midst of hardship,

    or trouble,

or completely overwhelming

             circumstances.

We have all been there,

  when there seems to

          be no hope.

But that is what only we see,

    not the reality of it.

We are surrounded

          on all sides,

but not by what appears.

God is working 

    His glory into this.

"Be not afraid.  

 I am with You

         even in this."

God opens our eyes

        and our hearts

to what is really real.

And that would be Him.

O LORD,

Help us not just to turn to You

when we are so very overwhelmed,

but to help us see 

   that You are with us

in both the ordinary,

           the extraordinary,

when we face trouble

           or experience joy.

Please soften our hearts enough

to pay attention,

absorb, 

see You differently,

        and respond to You. 

God Is Our First Responder

 

It is He

who remembered us

     in our low estate,

for His steadfast love

           endures forever,

and rescued us

     from our foes....

          Psalm 136. 23

Sometimes that rescue

  from what we fear

means running for our lives,

sometimes standing our ground

          and facing them

--or praying them down.

God does not leave us

  in what overwhelms us.

He calls to us,

       remember Me,

trust Me in this,

walk with Me through this.

God is our first responder.

O LORD,

We all face scary situations

at one time or a million.

Carry us through.

Strengthen us against

      what we fear

and align our hearts

                 with Yours.

Fulfill Your purposes

      for our lives,

even in this hard thing,

for Your glory

and the well-being of many.

Help us to shout

      grace, grace to it.