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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.

Job 19:1-6

29 Apr

19 Then Job spoke again:

2 “How long will you torture me?
    How long will you try to crush me with your words?
3 You have already insulted me ten times.
    You should be ashamed of treating me so badly.
4 Even if I have sinned,
    that is my concern, not yours.
5 You think you’re better than I am,
    using my humiliation as evidence of my sin.
6 But it is God who has wronged me,
    capturing me in his net.

Job 19:1-6

Dear God, it can be hard to be a friend and know when to speak and when to remain silent. When to give a solution, when to give an admonition, or when to say, “That sucks,” and just give the other person a hug.

In this situation, Job was wrong, but he was also right. He was wrong that you had wronged him. But he was right in that he hadn’t done anything to incur your wrath so his friends were wrong to keep accusing him of such. Everyone was looking for someone else to blame when there was simply no one to blame. Job’s friends blamed him. He blamed you. None of them were right.

If I had been Job’s friend, what should I have done to help him? If I have a friend now, what is my role in their life. Where do I draw the line between helping them find a solution, perhaps pointing out an area where they are possibly at fault, and then just holding them and telling them, “That sucks”?

I heard a story recently about a father whose daughter intentionally threw a youth league game in a tournament so they wouldn’t have to go into overtime because she was too nervous about overtime. The father then sent out an email to the coach and possibly others saying his daughter was so anxious over two girls on the team who are not as good as she thinks they should be that she intentionally threw the game. In my mind, the father was so horrified he looked for someone else to blame so he put his daughter’s anxiety on these two young girls who are likely not part of the problem at all. But his blinders caused him to lose perspective.

Father, I’ve been too close to things and lost perspective before. I am sure there are things going on in my life that I can’t see as well. I am a fool, and I need to be careful in my own life to prayerfully consider situations before I speak. Before I act. To take a beat. Whenever I speak or act impulsively, I am almost always wrong. And I almost always cause more damage than I resolve. So continue to teach me. Forgive me for my foolishness. And I do want to say thank you for everything. For the food I am about to eat today. For the home I live in. For my health. For my wife’s health. For my wife and who she is. For our friends. Thank you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 29, 2025 in Job

 

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Philippians 2:1-11

28 Apr

2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:1-11

Dear God, Paul was using Jesus as the ultimate example of humility, but the point of this passage is for us to be humble. Humble with others. Humble with you. Loving. Serving. Sacrificing. Yielding. Comforting. Caring. Fellowshipping. And yes, Jesus was all of these things. He was the ultimate at all of these things. So where am I on the scale of zero to Jesus?

I can look at each of these characteristics and see how I am lacking in each one. I’m humble to some extent, but not very humble. I am loving to some extent, but there’s a lot of room for growth there. I could go all of the way through this. An honest assessment of myself tells me I have all of these characteristics to some extent, but I am probably an mile wide and an inch deep. Maybe two inches deep. I guess one of the things times like this with you does is it helps me to dredge out my mile-wide pool so that you can make me just a little deeper.

Father, help me to see myself through your eyes today. Open my eyes to my arrogance and sense of self preservation. Help me to see when I pull my love from others. Help me to see when selfishness is taking over and I am failing to serve or sacrifice. Help me to recognize my stubbornness and I am refusing to yield. Help me to recognize my lethargy in comforting and caring for others. Help me to not avoid relationship with others, but to reach out to them in fellowship. Give me a little more Jesus today. Holy Spirit, teach me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 28, 2025 in Philippians

 

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John 20:19-29

27 Apr

19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

John 20:19-29

Dear God, this is the gospel reading for many churches today so I thought I would spend some time with it. I guess I noticed a couple of things as I read this:

  • It was eight days after your first visit, and the disciples were still behind a locked door hiding. What was their plan? What were they thinking? Why were they still there? What were their conversations with each other like? Where did they think Jesus was for those eight days? It’s easy to read over those eight days quickly, but it was eight days. As it turned out, they wouldn’t really get out of the locked room until the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Jesus breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit hadn’t quite come yet.
  • This isn’t exactly a hot take, but Thomas was disillusioned and hopeless. He was hanging with these guys because he had so much invested with them and he was part of their tribe. If he was suffering, at least he knew they were suffering too. To paraphrase Ted Lasso, there is something worse than being sad, and that is to be alone and be sad. At least he wasn’t alone. But he was still hopeless and directionless.
  • You came and loved him. You showed him. You gave him his belief and hope back. In fact, you took that pain and made it count for your glory. He recognized you as his God immediately. And you had grace for him. You understood his disillusionment. You understood why he needed to touch and see. You gave him space for that.

There are times when I see people who have walked away from faith, church, or whatever, and a lot of it is over pain I know they’ve experienced. I have to think that there is something in your nature that recognizes that in them and makes an allowance for it. Kind of like me. I’m sure there are parts of my theology that are based on what I’ve been taught over the years, or what my own pain and trauma has steered me towards or whatever that are wrong. But I think you make allowances for that. I think you are nudging me and guiding me.

I was listening to a podcast this morning, and the two people are both pro-life and have been involved in the pro-life movement at various levels over the years. But they are now coming to the conclusion that you don’t stop abortion by bullying women into not getting an abortion. You love them into it. You do it from the bottom up, not the top down. They feel like your Holy Spirit has moved their hearts on that issue. I hope you will move my heart through these times we spend together as well.

Father, I don’t want to be paralyzed by fear like the disciples seemingly were, even after they saw you. I also don’t want to get out ahead of you. They could have jumped out and started going before the Holy Spirit came. Maybe that’s what they were waiting on. My point is, I don’t want to get ahead of you, but I also don’t want to be paralyzed into inaction. I also want your mercy and I want to give that same mercy to others. I know I’ve been disillusioned about you in the past, and it might happen again. But the illusion is mine, what I wanted to create in my own mind or what has been taught to me. You aren’t responsible for the illusion. What your Holy Spirit is doing for me is helping me see through the illusion and into your true nature. So keep me on the right path. Keep me moving closer to the inside of you and not diverting by my own foolishness or prejudices.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 27, 2025 in John

 

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Hebrews 7:23-28

26 Apr

23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.

Hebrews 7:23-28

Dear God, after I read this passage this morning I thought that if I were to hear five different preachers preach on this passage I would probably get five different opinions and explanations of what the author of Hebrews was saying here. Some would say it is evidence that everyone gets saved. Some would say it is just talking about Jesus being who he is and it doesn’t say anything about us and our salvation.

We really do get wrapped around the axle in our modern church about salvation and getting to be in heaven, and the deeper I sink into you the less I care. It’s not that I don’t care, but I almost feel like I can’t be distracted by the afterlife right now. I need to be about knowing you, loving you, and loving others now. That’s what this is all about. In her song, “In A Little White,” Amy Grant has a line that says, “We’re just here to learn to love him.” That’s what I feel like my job is right now. Learn to love you. Learn to love others. Learn to offer you to others (the part I’m worst at). If I focus on making sure I have my fire insurance and jumping through every hoop I have to in order to make sure my own rear end is “saved,” then I will have failed you and the whole point of being reconciled to you.

Father, I’m still not thankful enough, but it’s going to be a hard habit to break. But I am committed to breaking it. I still don’t share you enough with others. I want to break that habit/fear too. I don’t want power. I don’t want riches. More than ever, I don’t care how people look at me or see me. I’d just as soon have every deed I do be anonymous if I could. But I can’t. The work I do in the community has to have my name on it. So I’ll take that and lay it before you, ask you to bless it, and ask that maybe, if nothing else, when people see my name or face attached to something it will somehow make them think of you and want you a little more.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 26, 2025 in Hebrews

 

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Colossians 1:24-26

25 Apr

24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 1:24-26

Dear God, I was given an amazing blessing yesterday. A family came and asked me to officiate their mother’s funeral. I didn’t have a close relationship with the family, but the interactions I had with their mother were meaningful, to her and to me. On a basic level, she was a donor for our nonprofit. But I could tell that our work really meant something to her. And the really sweet thing is that she and her sister-in-law, each of whom had married brothers so were only connected through the men they married, expressed so much love for each other through donations they would make to our clinic in each other’s honor. I loved being part of their relationship with each other in that way.

I mention all of this because I cried when I told my wife about it because they said something that really struck me. They said they were praying about who to get to speak at the funeral and they felt like you gave them my name. Even now, as I type this, tears come to my eyes on this. The idea that you are there, you know me, and you wanted me for this is awesome. Amazing. AMAZING! I sit here day after day, and I believe you are here. I pray to you. I read about you. I hear others talk about you and seek out sermons and podcasts that might teach me something about you. I talk with friends and my wife about you. I write about you. But sometimes it can feel more like a philosophy I’m following more than the actual God of the universe. But then I have a moment like that where a family tells me you gave them my name and…well, it brings me to tears. You really do know me.

I guess all of this relates to this passage because I am one of those Gentiles you are living in. Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, I am humbled and amazed. I am grateful. I need you living in me. And not for my fire insurance. The truth is, at this point, I would follow you to hell if it meant serving you is wrong because you are my gracious God and I am all in for you. Show me how to take this “secret” Paul mentions here to others. Help me to internalize it, breathe it, and share it. Bring your love for others into the world in this way as well. I love you, Father. Thank you for knowing me and loving me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 25, 2025 in Colossians

 

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1 Peter 1:17-19

24 Apr

17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 

Dear God, when I just read this passage this morning, my mind instantly thought of the Twila Paris song “Lamb of God.” The chorus says, “Oh, Lamb of God. Sweet Lamb of God. I trust the holy Lamb of God. Wash me in his precious blood. My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.”

This is the verse of the day for Bible Gateway, and I assume they’ve put it here to coincide with Easter last weekend. It’s still remarkable. What you did. What you’re doing. Who you are vs. who I am. You are the Almighty God of the universe. I am 1/7-billionth of the earth’s human population (not to mention the rest of your earthly creation). And yet here you are, ransoming for me. Taking the blow of humanity’s sin, including mine, so I can sit here and pray to you this morning.

So yesterday, I talked about being more grateful for everything including my food and everything else. How did it turn out? Did it change me? Apparently not. I ended up praying before just one out of the four meals I’ve had since then. I was ashamed of myself after I finished my breakfast this morning and I remembered. I’m sorry for my sense of entitlement. Especially on a day when I was talking to someone else about the food insecurity for some in our community, and yet I am so ungrateful.

Father, I also take Jesus for granted. I take his difficult life, horrific death, and powerful resurrection for granted. I’ll do my best to be grateful. I am grateful in the limited way I can be given how great all of this is compared with what I can comprehend. Thank you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2025 in 1 Peter

 

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Romans 14:6

23 Apr

6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 

Romans 14:6

Dear God, I was looking at the verses around Bible Gateway’s “verse of the day” today (Romans 14:11), and I came across this line from Paul in verse 6. I was convicted. More often than not, when I am eating I do not give thanks to you for the food. I completely take it for granted that any amount of food I want is accessible to me any time I want it. The same is true for other things in my life.

  • My wife is amazing. Even though I try to not take her for granted, I know I do. I know I’m not nearly as grateful to you for her as I should be.
  • My home is terrific. As I heard the thunderstorm roll through at three o’clock this morning, I smiled. I was grateful for the rain, but I had zero fears of how a storm would negatively impact me. I knew my house would keep me safe from anything up to and including hail. Tornadoes were unlikely, so I wasn’t worried about that. And while an unlikely lightning strike could burn my house down, I never even worried about that.
  • Right now, I have a job that is pretty secure. I mean, anything can happen, but we are financially stable, and I do not wake up worried about my paycheck or if enough money will come to me on payday.
  • My wife and children and I are all healthy. This is huge, and probably the most fragile part of my life. It’s the part that could go South the easiest. But here I am, not worrying about these things when I wake up in the morning. We are healthy and safe.

I could probably go on and on, but my lack of conscious gratitude to you for the food I eat and the air I am able to breathe today is terrible. I am ashamed of myself right now.

Father, thank you for my daily bread. Help me to appreciate every morsel of food or drink that comes into my body. Help me to appreciate a body that processes it for energy and then service for you. Help me to appreciate the people you put in my life. And when I say help me, I’m not saying I want you to take these things away from me. Frankly, I’m too selfish for that. But I guess what I’m saying is that I really do feel convicted I’m not more grateful for the amazing life you’ve given to me. Give me the wisdom to use it how you would have me use it for your glory.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 23, 2025 in Romans

 

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Romans 1:18-20

22 Apr

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Romans 1:18-20

Dear God, knowing you is complicated. So much of my knowledge is wholly dependent upon what others have taught me. If I had been born in Saudi Arabia, my mind would probably be more likely to see you through the lens of Islam. If I had been born in India, I would believe in multiple weird gods. If I had been born in Utah, I would probably believe in you through the lens of the LDS church. You get the idea. I have taken what I have been taught and done my best to test it and mature in it, but I have only walked down a road I was fortunate to have been started on by others.

I think of people in my life now who have mental barriers in following you. Maybe it’s because they think you didn’t prevent a trauma or bad thing in their life. Maybe it’s because they have known “followers” of you who didn’t live like followers (probably the most common reason). Whatever the case may be, there is usually some kind of external force (Satan) pushing them away from you.

So when I look at the world and the way things are going, what gives me hope? It’s that all of us, every single one of us, has a need in our heart for you. And a lot of people will try to fill that hole with idols. I still try to do it when if feels like an idol will give me the immediate respite from stress, or just life in general, that I’m looking for. But I have a hunger for you. I have a need for you. I’m grateful that my hunger for you brings me back to you. I’m grateful that the world’s hunger for you ultimately brings us to you. That’s what gives me hope for the world.

Father, my wife and I just prayed together for our days. For our children. For the people we will encounter. Help us all to hunger for you, find you, partake of your body and your blood, eat well, and be satisfied in your presence. And help us to take you into the world to those who see the earth and the sky but don’t know its creator. Help us to introduce them to you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2025 in Romans

 

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John 10:22-33

21 Apr

22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”

33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

John 10:22-33

Dear God, sometimes we’ve just made up our minds and no answer will suffice. The group of people around Jesus that day already had their minds made up. No answer Jesus gave would have sufficed and made them believe. If he had said, “Yes, I am the Messiah. Get behind me and let’s make Israel great again,” they would have stoned him. If he had said, “Yes, I am the Messiah, but it’s not what you’ve always thoughts. I am here to die and come back to life for the redemption of the world’s sins and reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles to the Father,” they would have stoned him. The only answer that would have gotten him out of danger would have been a lie: “Who me? No, I’m not the Messiah!”

There are so many areas in life where I’ve already made up my mind. My heart is hard. Sometimes it’s easier to just walk away than go through the hard work of reconciliation. Or maybe I’ve developed a way of doing business at work that is out of date, but I keep doing it because it is comfortable, it is what I know, and it’s how it worked in the past.

Father, I need your Holy Spirit to speak to me gently but clearly. Well, maybe not even so gently if that’s what it takes. But I need to know when my thinking is stubborn and harmful. When I put a ceiling on people or opportunities. When I can’t see the whole picture through my limitations, so I shut down and decide to not see at all. I don’t want to be the people in the Temple from this story (I assume it’s largely the Pharisees). I want to love. I want to care about others and the work you have for me to do. I told my wife yesterday that, with Lent over and the Lenten meditations I was putting up daily on Facebook done, I feel like I need a new project. So then I set about trying to find something new on my own instead of waiting on your timing. Kind of like Peter looking for Judas’s replacement in Matthias instead of waiting on you to bring Paul around. So help me to wait. And help me to hear. Help me to learn. Help me to see.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 21, 2025 in John

 

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Exsultet from the Easter Vigil

20 Apr

This is the Night,
When Christ broke the
Prison bars of death
And Rose victorious from
The underworld…
O Truly necessary sin of
Adam,
Destroyed completely by
The death of Christ!
O happy fault
That earned so great, so
Glorious a Redeemer!

Exsultet from the Easter Vigil

Dear God, this entry bring my journey with Sister Miriam and her Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation to an end. It has been good to have something to focus on the last six and a half weeks. Sometimes I’ve liked it. Sometimes I’ve wanted to do something else but stuck with it. Some days have been good and some days have been hard. Some days I’ve felt spiritually attacked and some days I’ve felt incredibly protected by you. The truth is, I was always protected by you.

Yesterday, my day of not adding sound like music, videos, or podcasts to my world, was harder than I thought it would be. In fact, it might have been the hardest day. Then I had something going wrong with work that was really frustrating me. In fact, it is still frustrating me this morning. But when I would start to get frustrated yesterday, I would try to remind myself of the devastation the disciples experienced on that Saturday 2,000 years ago. My day and my experience was nothing like theirs as they hid in a house, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives now that they had seemingly been suckered in by a false Messiah. Could Peter, James, and John show their faces back on the fishing docks again after that?

Then came the morning! The night turned into day. The stone was rolled away. Hope rose with the dawn. Then came the morning. Shadows vanished before the sun (Son?). Death had lost, and life had won, for morning had come. (“Then Came the Morning” by Gloria Gaither / Chris Christian / William Gaither)

So here I am this morning, dressed in a bright pink shirt and ready to celebrate something that I paid nothing for. Something I didn’t earn. It’s like when the university I graduated from won a national championship in basketball a few years ago. I celebrated even though I had nothing to do with it outside of a modest donation to the athletic department. The victory wasn’t mine, but it was. In this case, the victory is even bigger and will never end. That national championship team has been replaced by other teams, and other universities have won the championship since then. But Jesus, oh my Jesus, you won for forever. You turned history on its head. I get to celebrate the richest victory because you not only won, but because of your victory I get to sit here this morning and community with you, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

Father, thank you. I love you. I worship you. I celebrate you. Let this Easter be impactful for some of the people who are coming to church for the first time in 12 months. Or maybe even 12 years. Bring healing to relationships this morning. Bring people to yourself. Help those who have been running from you and others to stop, turn, and sink into your love and the love of those who are always there for them. I know a friend who is mourning the loss of her mother from Friday. Love her and comfort her as well. Make this an Easter of resurrection, hope, peace and comfort for her.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2025 in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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