I will walk with integrity

of heart within my house;

I will not set

       before my eyes

anything that is

               worthless.

         Psalm 101. 2-3

(The key word here is

        anything.

Am I willing

to walk away,

put down,

turn off

   even in the middle

   of a sentence,

to choose

   not to pursue

or even let in the door?

What is it

       doing to me?

All things are lawful,

but not all things

        are helpful.)

O LORD,

Help us in our practices

and patterns

and pursuits

to honor You

even in these daily choices,

even in what has

       become so familiar

that we don't think about it.

Please help us to

have the courage

     and wisdom

to walk away

when these behaviors

clutter up our lives,

cling to us,

and distract us from You,

from what You are doing,

from following You fully.

 

Serve the LORD

    with gladness.

     Psalm 100. 2

(Did it ever occur to me

    my attitude

    in serving God

in what He has

      placed before me?

Did it occur to me

          to serve Him

          with gladness?

Not "I have to,"

out of obligation

      or drudgery

      or earning His love,

but "I get to,"

   out of sheer love

               for Him.

God does incredible things

   with a new attitude

   to work with.

Same circumstances,

  completely different

  journey.

"Walk with Me.")

O LORD,

It is a delight to serve You.

We just don't recognize

   that all we do

   serves You

     in some capacity.

Trigger in us

a new heart and vision,

not just in the big stuff,

  but even in what

  we see as ordinary.

Because the smallest

action and response

can bring honor to You.

Show us how to

  approach what is

  before us,

not as an odious task,

but in the joy of serving You

and being used by You,

more than we

           can imagine.

 

...the LORD

will rule over you.

         Judges 9. 23

(Completely different

          journey,

radically different

         outcome.

Whom do we seek?

Whom do we choose

    not just to bow before,

    but walk with?

Everyone worships

   something or someone.

Who I worship today

changes the trajectory

                 of my life,

and impacts

everyone around me.)

O LORD,

You are the Almighty.

Rule not just over us,

but in us

and through us,

Your steadfast love,

Your forgiveness,

Your hope and joy.

Be manifest in us today

wherever we are,

in whatever we do,

and among whomever

  You place on our path.

May we take Your hand

and walk with You

through the joys

and through the mess.

Help us to know

that You are God,

and we don't have to be.

Calm our hearts,

order our days,

align our hearts

           with Yours.

Help me to take Your hand

as I walk with you

   into what I cannot yet see

to trust You more,

to know You more,

to love You even more.

 

The LORD said to Gideon,

"The people with you

   are too many for Me

to give the Midianites

into their hand,

lest they boast over Me,

saying, "My own hand

has saved me."

             Judges 7. 2

(God uses

impossible situations

that we would know

that He is God,

   and we are not.

"There is no way

       I can do this."

God says, "Exactly.

   Trust Me in this."

God doesn't pay

   attention to the odds.

He is not limited by them,

but turns them inside out

     for His glory.)

O LORD,

You are greater

than our fears,

both real and imagined.

You bring the victory

      in our lives.

May we not just

   acknowledge Your hand,

but acknowledge You.

You are doing

    marvelous things

    in our lives,

and we miss most of them,

because we are looking

at ourselves

        and not at You.

Help us to trust You,

in the every days,

that we may know

how to trust You

         in the crises.

Align our hearts

   with Your glory

   in this day.

 

And he said to Him,

"Please, Lord,

how can I save Israel?

Behold, my clan is

   weakest in Manasseh,

and I am least

   in my father's house."

And the LORD said to him,

"But I will be with you."

                Judges 6. 15-16

("But I will be with you."

And that makes

    the ultimate difference,

not our own power

or ability

or special talents

or achievements.

But God.

Throughout Scripture

and throughout history,

God chooses the most

        unlikely candidates

who already know it is

by God's Almighty hand

     and not their own.

"I can't do this."

And God replies,

"Exactly.

That's why I chose you."

I am not in this alone.

And I have no idea

  the magnitude

  of what God is doing.)

O LORD,

Help us to not just

     be aware of You,

but sensitive and

responsive to Your Presence.

As we enter into this day

and this week,

help us to be faithful

             to You alone,

in what You have

  placed before us,

our work,

our attitudes,

our struggles,

the big rocks

   and the pebbles.

Help us to

     build an altar to You

                over it

to bring honor to You

and gain our strength

     from You alone.

 

And Deborah said to Barak,

"Up!

For this is the day

in which the LORD

has given Sisera

     into your hand.

Does not the LORD

go out before you?"

         Judges 4. 14

(Who do I need

    to encourage today

in what I say,

how I pray,

by what I do,

how I respond to need,

and in coming alongside?

God has no

         secondary actors.

Everyone of us has a

     profound appointment

     in His work.

God uses community

   to strengthen His people

in the face of the overwhelming.

God uses community

  to challenge us

to "Get up and be at it!")

O LORD,

Fill us with Your courage,

   "in-courage" us,

that we may encourage

    others with Your strength.

Help us to seek fellowship

   with other believers,

build community,

and witness Your power

         of with-ness,

wherever we may be.

You never meant for us

     to go it alone.

Please provide Deborahs

to come alongside in our lives.

And help us to be Deborahs

   who are fearless for You,

willing,

faithful,

and ready to respond,

not just to need,

            but to You.

 

But I am among you

   as one who serves.

          Luke 22. 27

(Is that what we seek?

Not to achieve,

or be the best

or lead

or be esteemed

or even liked,

but to love God

by loving and

    serving others.

Nothing too small,

nothing beneath us,

being aware of need

   in all dimensions

and not just responding

      to it,

      but to the Lord.)

O LORD,

We are surrounded

by the needs of others,

some more visible,

some the quiet struggles.

Show us how to respond

in ways that do good

and point others to You.

Help us to help others

in meaningful ways.

And to remember that

acts of grace and love

             and kindness

are never insignificant

in Your eyes,

nor for Your glory

      in the lives of others.