But the God of my father

         has been with me.

         Genesis 31. 5

(A chronicle of God's faithfulness

extends far in the past

    and way beyond in what is next.

Acknowledge not just His hand,

               what we can see,

    but recognizing His Presence

       even in what we cannot yet.

"Trust Me

               even in this."

Just because it is difficult

   does not mean

   it is not point-blank in His purposes.

God is at work

    and we are to be faithful,

nothing but nothing too small.)

O LORD,

Help us to listen, respond

   and to be faithful to You

                in all things.     

And above all,

     to bring You glory

and bear witness

         in this broken world.

Thank You

   that You are with us.

May we live that way

       covered by Your Presence.

 

Then Jacob awoke

    from his sleep and said,

"Surely the LORD

            is in this place,

and I did not know it."

             Genesis 28. 16

(We can trust Him

even in what we

             cannot yet see

    nor understand.

How would we respond

                   differently

   if we knew God was in this?

Trusting Him

    changes our journey

  because we walk with Him.

And God never works

            in singular outcomes.)

O LORD,

You are with us,

    even in this strange place

    or hard path.

Help us to awake from our sleep

    and know You are working,

    even in what we don't grasp.

Empower us to see,

    approach and embrace

        all things differently

   because we walk with You.

 

They said,

"We see plainly

that the LORD has been with you."

                 Genesis 26. 28

(Does anyone see or sense

      anything different in us---

how we navigate life,

what we desire,

how we approach problems

       or impossibilities,

what we say and do,

how we treat others,

what we love?

Even in our attitudes?

Spending time with Him in His Word

                 and in prayer,

listening and responding to Him,

    radically changes our hearts

and impacts everyone around us.

God changes the world

              one heart at a time,

    and He starts with us.)

O LORD,

May others not notice me today,

    but to see You in me.

"Not I, but Christ." (Galatians 2.20)

Flow through us

            Your steadfast love

    that others are aware

    that they are so beloved by You.

May even our attitudes today

            --even in the miry bogs--

       point others to You,

because we walk with You.

 

And the LORD appeared to him and said,

"Do not go down to Egypt;

     dwell in the land

     of which I shall tell you."

...And Isaac sowed in that land

   and reaped in the same year

              a hundredfold.

                         Genesis 26. 2, 12

(God's guidance is not always "go,"

   but to stay and sow,

                 not always

                 in the obvious soil,

   sometimes in what appears

                            as barren.

But even this

                   is sacred ground,

    even this God can touch

          with His blessing.

God blesses faithfulness

     even in the oddest places.)

O LORD,

Help us to follow You

    on the paths and sacred ground

                  where You lead us today

and to be assured

   that You are doing something deeper

   than what we can see on the surface.

Above all,

       may we dwell with You

       in every situation

and know that You always bring

    fruitfulness from faithfulness,

even in what we are unaware.

 

Ephron answered Abraham,

"My lord, listen to me:

a piece of land

    worth 400 shekels of silver,

what is that

          between you and me?"

                   Genesis 23. 15

(What do we allow to

           come between us?

Make the relationship

     the most important

-- not stuff,

   not wounded pride,

   not shards of

          what we have not forgiven.

Let Your grace change the trajectory.)

O LORD,

Help us to be both gracious

                and generous

with what You have given us.

Your love for us is undeserved

                 and unearned.

May we extend Your love

        and know that You work

   in deeper dimensions

   than on the surface.

Help us to trust You in this.

And know You are redeeming

      to draw others to You.

Help us to

      respond unexpectedly

with Your great grace and love.

 

Then God opened her eyes,

and she saw a well of water.

                Genesis 21. 19

(When we pray,

when we come before the LORD,

call to Him, walk with Him,

listen and respond,

God changes our hearts

that we can see differently

           His provision,

           His way in this,

           and know His Presence.

God changes our vision,

                        our appetites,

         even our requests.

He is our strength,

   even more than we need.)

O LORD,

We seek You into this new day

         and week and year.

We know that nothing can remain

    the same when Your name

                  is engraved on it.

Help us to dwell in You

                        and on You

We trust You, even in

    this situation before us.

Provide us Your way.

Help us to approach difficulty

            differently

   because we walk with You.

May others see something

            different in us.

   And may that be You.

 

But seek first

the kingdom of God

           and His righteousness,

and all these things

   will be added to you.

            

                Matthew 6. 33

(But implies a change of direction,

       not this but this instead.

Seek first God,

  not what He will -- or should--

                 give to us,

but seeking God Himself.

He will change our appetites,

          our prayer requests,

          our trusting in Him,

and the course of our lives.

He will give

          more than we ever imagined

      or thought that we needed.

God exceeds our needs.

         He gives us Himself.)

O LORD,

Help us to seek You

    not just in this situation

    or difficulty

    or this time of dire need.

But to seek You

    in the ordinary,

       which is never so ordinary,

not for our sakes

           but for Yours,

in Your name,

for Your Kingdom,

        and for Your glory in this.