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Author Archives: John D. Willome

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About John D. Willome

I post a blog of daily devotions that are my prayer journals based on scripture.

Ephesians 3:17-19

06 Jun

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19

Dear God, I read these verses at a wedding one time. As I read it this morning I’m noticing the real thing for which Paul is praying for the Ephesians is that they would have the power to grasp and know your love. Your love is so big that it’s not something we can casually understand. It’s also not something I can casually explain. We need your help to “grasp how long and high and wide and deep” your love is.

So how am I doing in grasping that reality? Do I have a long way to go? How about my explaining it and sharing it with others? How about receiving it? How about extending it to others?

Father, I am confident that I’m deficient in all of these areas. I don’t grasp it. I don’t explain it well. I don’t receive and experience it fully. And I don’t extend it to others at the level to which you would like me to. So please help me, I pray. Grant me the power to grasp how long and high and wide and deep your love is. When I’ve been able to fully grasp it, I’m confident that everything else will flow from that.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 6, 2018 in Ephesians

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11

05 Jun

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Dear God, yesterday day was a rough first day back. I went into the day with one set of expectations and then that got thrown completely off within the first two minutes of being in the office—literally. Honestly, though, the problem was me. I had a complicated problem to solve right off the bat and some of my natural weaknesses made it difficult for me to handle. I prayed to you in real time and I sought out your guidance, but it was still really hard for me. I’m really sorry I have this weakness. In the end, I did what I had to do, but I know that the situation for the patient still needs your attention and provision. There’s more to be done there than I can do.

I’m not sure what all that has to do with today’s verse except it’s what was on my mind as I started praying. Maybe I just need a little encouragement from you that I did okay and was diligent to try to handle a delicate situation carefully. And I do want to pray for the patient involved. You know the need. You know the situation better than I do. Please help him and his family.

Father, I also want to pray for scream other people I know who are suffering. There’s the little girl of a friend from Facebook who is really sick. There’s my friend in the hospital, my other friend just out of the hospital, my friend who is old and at home and not doing well, the woman going through a divorce, my coworkers who are either sick or have sick relatives…the list is almost endless. Please be with these people and more. Encourage them with your Spirit and through your people. Help us to all come around each other so that you might bring your power and comfort to all of us.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 5, 2018 in 1 Thessalonians

 

Mark 3:20-29

04 Jun

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

Mark 3:20-29

Dear God, there are so many times that we just don’t know what is going on. How can we? The only way is divine inspiration, but we have to be silent enough to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us. And we have to be willing to let go of our own paradigms and preconceptions.

I confess that it would have been hard for me to accept what Jesus was doing back then. I would have questioned and rejected, but not out of disdain for him as much as love and defense of you. When he did things that didn’t fit what I thought he should do—what my paradigm from years of living told me he should do—then I would have rejected him and told others they should do the same.

So how do I let my paradigms get in the way of the Holy Spirit’s instructions and directions now? Do I let it influence my politics? My social service? How I judge others? I’m sure that I get in your way a lot.

Father, give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to discern. Help me to be motivated into action and love others through me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2018 in Mark

 

Psalm 25:11

02 Jun

For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Psalm 25:11

Dear God, any moment when I lose sight of my sin and need for you is a moment when I am most vulnerable. I go back to the Charlie Peacock song and the part of the chorus I love so much: “What’s going on inside of me? I despise my own behavior. This only serves to confirm my suspicion—that I’m still a man in need of a savior.”

It can be very easy to judge others and miss the little things that I do on a moment-to-moment basis that draw me away from you. But I know I allow all kinds of thoughts to distract me from you. I act impulsively. I judge instead of loving.

Father, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. I am truly sorry for all of the little and large things I do that ultimately come between us and steal the joy you have for me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 2, 2018 in Psalms

 

Revelation 21:1-4

01 Jun

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:1-4

Dear God, there must be something about heaven and the state that we will be in when we get there that makes it okay not to struggle. I guess when I am surrounded by your glory in person I won’t be able to think about myself or my selfish desires. I won’t worship myself and my own agenda. Because here on earth, when there is no struggle and things are too good I start to find that I’d much rather be into me and my desires.

I say all of this because of John’s description in verse four. No more death, crying, or pain? I admit that it would not be good for me now. It wouldn’t be good for any of us. But I guess there is something that makes heaven different.

Father, I submit to whatever path you have for me—both here on earth and in heaven to come. If you need me to struggle, then I will hold your hand in the struggle. If you grant me a smooth path for a while, the I will worship you on that path. You are my God and I love you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 1, 2018 in Revelation

 

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

31 May

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

Dear God, I confess that I really don’t know what to do with the second coming stuff. Something about it really seems to encourage some people. I tend to find it to be more of a distraction. I guess my attitude is, hey, I’m running a marathon down here and someone is trying to tell me there’s a chance that the finish line MIGHT be just around the corner. Well, how does that help me now? I just want to keep plugging away.

Granted, the marathon I’m running is pretty easy compared to the races others must run. Even as I type this, I’m literally lying on the beach on vacation. So maybe these are encouraging words to someone whose race is harder than mine.

And really, don’t we kind of believe that the dead in Christ are already with you? Didn’t Moses appear at the Transfiguration? Don’t we run for the cloud of witnesses. Don’t we tell stories of those who die briefly having seen a glimpse of the afterlife? Is this where time meets timelessness?

See? It’s all a distraction. I could chase these questions all of the way to a logical end and the answers won’t get me any closer to accomplishing the tasks you have given to me.

Father, the last sentence says that we are to encourage each other with these words. Help me to be an encourager. Help me to strengthen others and to be strengthened through them. Help me to know what’s important and demands my thoughtful meditation and what is a distraction. And if I’m wrong about this particular issue and it is more important than I think it is, reveal it to me and teach me that too.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2018 in 1 Thessalonians

 

Rest & Relaxation

30 May

No Verse.

Dear God, the last two months have been a whirlwind. When we woke up on March 26, everything was status quo. Then, by the end of the day, everything had changed and it set us on a stressful course for the next two months. Not a terrible or bad course. It’s not like we are experiencing great tragedy. In fact, in a lot of ways, things conspired to unfold the way we had been wanting them to. But in getting what we wanted it created a lot of work and some amount of stress.

So now we are going to get away for a couple of short days. We need it. We need some time away from our routines. I need to be away from my work. I need to sit and think, pray, read, study, relax, and even indulge in some of the more frivolous things I enjoy. My wife really needs it. The lion’s share of the burden from the last two months has fallen upon her. She has worked so hard, pushing through a lot of fatigue to ensure that everyone around her has what they need. She has been the ultimate giver. I hope I’m able to give back to her over the next couple of days, relying on what you and your provision for what she needs.

Father, I submit this vacation to you. Please give each of us what we need on a spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical level. Love us through each other, but more importantly, through your still small voice. Thank you for everything you’ve done and provided over the last two months. Thank you for what you will. Do this summer. Please watch over where I work and let your Holy Spirit move through the entire place. Be glorified.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 30, 2018 in Miscellaneous

 

Psalm 103:15-17a

29 May

Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him.

Psalm 103:15-17a

Dear God, I don’t think there are many people who ever get comfortable with the idea of this passage. Because it only happens once to us and it’s so final (and we have very few reports as to what the experience is like after having gone through it, the idea of our death is daunting and scary. We avoid it with everything we have. And now our technology has made it so that we have moral questions to face about quality of life and keeping someone alive artificially. Those are questions we didn’t have to ask 100 years ago.

My wife and I updated our wills and powers of attorney just last week. I’ll admit that I really struggled with the documents that addressed life support and resuscitation. It was and is really hard for me to know how to make a decision now about something that could happen in any number of ways in the future.

But the psalmist reminds me here that my life is short, but my access to your love is forever. And it’s okay for my life to be short (in relation to all of time) and finite. I can be at peace with whatever the length of my life is because, in the grand scheme of things, it is a rounding error compared with your eternity.

Father, help me to be responsible to use the days you have given me for whatever purposes you have for me. I know I’m going to miss opportunities, but please be with me and guide me into kissing as few as possible. I really don’t want to waste any of the days you have for me here on earth.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 29, 2018 in Psalms

 

Romans 12:14-16

28 May

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Romans 12:14-16

Dear God, you figured out early on that we all need community. Adam wasn’t doing well just hanging out by himself. He needed relationship. And when we are in community we need to embrace the art of loving you with all our hearts and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Taking these verses, when we are in conflict we need to pray for the other person and want the best for them. When someone is celebrating we need to celebrate. When someone is mourning, we need to mourn. We need to get out of ourselves and really care about others. We need to decrease and let you increase through us so that you might reach others through us.

And then there is humility. To be able to acknowledge that every human life is as worthy as mine. I have been very guilty of judging someone’s character by what I observe on the outside only to find that the successful person was morally bankrupt and the bankrupt person had a heart of pure gold. I’m sorry for this.

Father, I submit to all three verses today. Teach me to love well and to learn from everyone around me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 28, 2018 in Romans

 

Acts 20:24

27 May

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Acts 20:24

Dear God, I was 17 years old the first time I read this verse. It was early in my senior year and I was trying a short-lived plan to memorize scripture. But this was one of the first and it really stick with me. I don’t know if it’s fair to say that it is a “life verse,” but it’s close. I’ve always had a bit of an attitude of eschewing personal advancement or gain in deference to service. But frankly, I’ve always felt like a bit of a failure when it comes to the part about testifying about your Gospel.

But maybe I am doing the work assigned to me by you—no, that’s a cop-out. Yes, I do a lot of things to serve others in your name, but I am really weak in reaching out and offering your freedom that is available to others through your grace. The peace and joy that is available through the pursuit of relationship with you.

I saw a Facebook post today from a woman I know very tangentially, but she was expressing fear. I’ll admit that part of my reticence in commenting of contacting her was that she was a female that I’m not that close to and I might have been more likely to contact her if she were male, but still, I wondered what I would say to her. What of you would I offer to her? I was glad to see that several people had reached out to her.

Father, I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only I might finish the task and complete the mission you’ve given to me. The task of testifying to the Gospel of your grace.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 27, 2018 in Acts

 
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