Strength and dignity

         are her clothing,

and she laughs

   at the time to come.

            Proverbs 31. 25

(When we know our strength

           is not our own

                     but His,

we rejoice in what

       is ahead of us,

       because we are ready.

Dignity is not how highly

            we think of ourselves

            and what we deserve,

but how we treat others

         with kindness and respect.

What are we wearing

          in the now and into the next?

What do we reach for?

What is in our wardrobe?

We can rejoice as we are getting older

           and closer to Him.

God does not just change our hearts.

     He changes what we wear.

We can approach the time to come

                  differently,

     not with despair and regrets,

but with joy and hilarity

   because we walk with the Almighty.

We are not alone.

We are Beloved.

As we get older,

    we come even more

    into the person

    God always intended us to be:

                         His.)

O LORD,

We don't know what is ahead,

      not just the future,

      but even today.

But You do.

You walk with us through it

           into Your glory.

Help us to be faithful to You

    in what is before us

                        even today,

even in the hard stuff,

even in what we do not understand,

even in what is beyond our abilities

             but fully in Your hands,

even for Your glory.

 

Praise the LORD!

Sing to the LORD a new song,

His praise in the

           assembly of the godly.

                 Psalm 149. 1

(Because very profoundly,

   praising God changes us.

The very act of praise,

rejoicing, worshiping,

recognizing not just His hand

           but His Presence

alters radically our trajectory,

how we respond to God,

                 to others,

    and to circumstances.

Praise changes our course.

Sing a new song

   right in the midst

   of what is unfolding before us,

the words of "Trust Me in this,"

       yet another stanza.)

O LORD,

Please give to us

   Your words of strength

to sing over the situations

   You have appointed today.

Help us to hum a new tune

     even in the familiar.

Show us how to encourage others

    by sharing our stories

    and songs of Your faithfulness.

And through our singing something new

       and unexpected

      in unlikely places,

point others, O LORD,

            to Yourself.

 

And on that day

there shall be inscribed

on the bells of the horses,

       "Holy to the LORD."

And the pots in the

house of the LORD

shall be as

       bowls before the altar.

               Zechariah 14. 20

(Whose name do we write

    at the top of our page?

Whose name at the

      start of this day?

Our own....or the LORD's?

Nothing is ordinary or common

   but all a means of

                 worshiping God.

All we do

            --and even use--

is sacred in His sight

        and for His glory.

May we inscribe on our days

     and deeds and words

     "Holy to the LORD."

How differently

             we would live,

nothing that God

    is not redeeming.

Present tense,

even that which we

       cannot yet see.)

O LORD,

We come into this sacred day

   with all of Your

   divine appointments and encounters

   already written on it.

Help us to recognize Your holiness

       in what You lay before us today.

Empower us to write

           "Holy to the LORD,"

over every action and word.

And to trust You through it.

 

Great is our Lord,

and abundant in power;

His understanding

     is beyond measure.

               Psalm 147. 5

(Just because we don't

             understand something

does not mean God doesn't.

There are divine purposes

         and sacred designs

   far beyond what

            we can comprehend.

His love, grace and goodness

      is embedded in what

      we can only see on the surface.

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

You are intimate and personal.

You know us.

You love us.

You call us by name.

We are precious in Your sight.

You surround us with Your love

     and shouts of deliverance.

You are great.

            And You are good.

Help us to trust You even more.

Even in this.

 

Ask rain from the LORD...

          Zechariah 10. 1

(What do we miss

in our relationship with the LORD

            and in our lives

because we do not

                  come before Him.

Not just, "I need this or that."

Not even, "I need You to help me."

        But, " I need You."

When we walk with the LORD,

He does not just strengthen us,

He does not just reveal

           something new,

but our walk with Him

   even changes what we ask.

The mark of the blessed

     is not rain when asked for it,

but those in whom it is seen

    whose help is the LORD,

    whose hope is the LORD,

    whose strength is not their own,

              nor on circumstances,

    but those who love Him

        and everyone around them.

Those who trust in God.)

O LORD,

No matter what the situation,

   may our trust in You

       be a visible reminder

    to us and to others

that You are God,

            and we are not.

Thank You that we can come before You,

       not just with our needs,

but we can walk with You

                  and know You more,

even through where we are today.

You watch over us.

You uphold us.

You forgive and set us free.

You redeem.

You give us strength

         when we run

    and even when we are weary.

You unfold the unexpected.

 

Every day

      I will bless You

and praise Your name

   forever and ever.

            Psalm 145.2

(How can we bless God

and praise His name

                    today?

Not just when the skies are blue

           and the wind is favorable.

How radically that focus

would reorder our days,

our loves, our thoughts,

   actions, words

                 and attitudes,

seizing every opportunity

   and circumstance

               to praise Him

and bring the name of Jesus

          right here.)

O LORD,

We don't know what to do,

but our eyes are on You.

            (2 Chronicles 20.12)

Help us to walk with You

    in all that is before us today.

Order our day.

Guide our steps.

Direct our thoughts.

Confirm Your Word in us.

Align our hearts

                  with Yours.

Help us to see differently

     and respond differently

                 for Your glory.

 

And the streets of the city

shall be full

of boys and girls

   playing in the streets.

            Zechariah 8. 5

(The way it should be.

It is a visible picture

of the way God intended

                 all along:

peace, joy,

    and steadfast love.

"Have no fear.

     I am with you."

We are seen.

We are heard.

We are so amazingly loved,

     that God sent His Son

     to show us.

Merry Christmas!)

O LORD,

We yearn for You.

Thank You for loving us

           so very much.

Help us to love You

       by loving others

and restore Your Kingdom

   in all the earth

in all that we do and say.

Thank You

      for sending Jesus.