Dear God, I’m working a little faster this morning so I’m going to jump right into the scriptures. I just want you to know really quick that I love you, I am grateful for you, I am humbled before you, and I am sorry for the times when my selfishness overrides everything else. Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy.
Here are the passages today from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer.
AM Psalms: 102, 108
PM Psalm: 33
Jeremiah 23:9-15
John 6:60-71
Romans 9:1-18
Psalms 102, 108 – I like the juxtaposition of a psalm of lament and a psalm of worship. While I don’t feel lament in this moment, I have certainly felt it this week. It’s been a hard week. At the same time, I was worshipping you as well. Oh, keep me in a heart of worship, even in my times of lament.
Jeremiah 23:9-15 – Father, there are people in my community (not pastors) who I think are lying prophets, but I am not 100% sure I am right. Speak to me and inspire me, Holy Spirit. Speak to me and inspire me to do what you want me to do. Correct me when I’m wrong. Encourage me when I’m right. And always fill me with a spirit of your love. Let me always communicate love.
John 6:60-71 – Still finishing up the sifting of the disciples story. Jesus not only speaks of Judas in verse 70, but I think he is speaking to Judas. He knows Judas is struggling with what he just heard. He knows it’s bringing up anger and disappointment in him. Oh, Father, let me never be driven to sin out of my disappointment in you.
Romans 9:1-18 – There are parts of this passage that are hard to read. Oh, thank you for grafting my branch to your vine.
Dear God, I feel like my ship is leveling out a little. Thank you for walking with me this week. Thank you for being with me here this morning. Thank you for answer prayers, even when you say no.
I found out yesterday about another friend who is facing some personal challenges and scrutiny. I feel for them. Please help them. Please speak directly to them. Comfort them. Guide them. Love them. Help them to completely sink into your arms and feel your love. I know they love you. They have one of the most well-developed faiths for a fairly young person I’ve ever seen in person. Help them as they go through this.
And, of course, help the family of the woman who died two days ago. She has a son who turns 20 today. I don’t like that, for the rest of his life, he will likely relate his birthday with her death. Please redeem that somehow. And help his family and friends know how to love him today.
Psalm 107 – This psalm kind of reminds me of what C.S. Lewis said in The Problem of Pain. Not that this is a new concept, but it’s simply that you use trials that come into our lives to bring us back to you. We get so sinful and self-capable. But we are not as strong as we think we are. I am not as strong as I think I am. This week has been hard. I’ve needed you. Frankly, at times I haven’t even felt that comforted, but I still know I need you. With no trials I would never know I need you. But I need you today, Father. Jesus, and Holy Spirit. I need you today.
Jeremiah 23:1-8 – The part at the beginning about “the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of [God’s] pasture.” But you will send “a King who will reign wisely and do what is jut and right in the land.” I can’t help but think of Christian Nationalism here. I feel like there are some pastors whose hearts are in the right place, but they are scattering the sheep by making an idol out of political power. Help me know how to respond to this, and, if I am incorrect, help me to see my errors and teach me.
John 6:52-59 – Well, this passage makes me think of my difference in opinion with my Catholic friends and family regarding transubstantiation. But that difference really doesn’t matter. I tend to think the point of this passage is to thin the herd a little and find out who is really in and who isn’t. I’ve confessed many times that, had I been there, I’d have been out. But I want to be “in” today. I want to be totally “in” with you, your Kingdom, and what you are calling me to do.
Romans 8:28-39 – All things working together for good is something I’m incapable of evaluating. Going back to my need for suffering to draw closer to you and keep me close to you, I cannot say that I am a good judge at any given time of whether or not you are working things out for my good. Sometimes, it certainly doesn’t seem so. I’m sure my friend who just lost his wife doesn’t think this is working out for his good. And maybe he never will. And maybe I’ll never see it either. But our faith tells us that you are bigger than anything we can see. Please, work all of the different things that are on my heart out for the good.
I offer all of this to you out of gratitude, love, and submission, and I pray in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,
Dear God, I was just telling a friend through the WeTree app on my daily check-in that I feel glum today. The woman I prayed about yesterday who was dying passed yesterday. Between the crying I did on Tuesday over my personal situation and then the crying I did yesterday over her loss and for her family, I am pretty emotionally wrung out. I decided a few weeks ago that I really wanted to dig into this Lenten season with you. I wanted to consider the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus in an intentional way. I wanted to hear from you in a new way. Now, as I sit here about 2/3 of the way through Lent, I can’t help but wonder if this wasn’t about making sure my branch was securely fastened to your vine when these storms came. Either way, I am incredibly grateful for you while I go through this valley of the shadow of death.
Psalm 69 – Verst 1: Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. This reminds me of a line from the TV show The West Wing. One of the characters is cryptically telling someone that something confidential that is bad is happening and the person asks the character, “Friend to friend, is the water over your head?” She replies, “No, the water is right at my head.” From a functional standpoint, I don’t think the water is that high in my life, but emotionally I feel like the water is getting up to my neck. Oh, how I am grateful that it is okay to feel that. I don’t have to deny it and always be “happy all the day” as the hymn “At the Cross” suggests. There is room in your plan for me for me to mourn, even for my own sin and mistakes. I am grateful that David shows me that even as I sit here this morning praying to you in my sadness, it’s okay. The man after your own heart was sad sometimes too and prayed to you out of that pain.
Psalm 73 – Verses 25 and 26: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Yes. This whole psalm is worth a read for anyone who is envious of the godless who are successful, but, at least at this moment, I do not have that envy. But I am getting closer and closer to the real belief that even though my heart and flesh may fail, you are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Jeremiah 22:13-23 – “Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?” Oh, Lord, please keep me from envying that which is not of you. Give me your eyes to see. I’m not saying that wealth is a bad thing. I depend upon the excess wealth and generosity of others to do the work I do for your people. But I also don’t want to envy any other life. The one you gave me to live is more than enough.
Romans 8:12-27 – “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for , but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches out hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Holy Spirit, pray for me. Pray for those I love. Pray for the family that lost their wife, mother, daughter, sister yesterday. Thank you for searching out our hearts.
I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,
Dear God, there is something to be said for sisters. I was able to have a great visit with my sister yesterday to talk through some of the things with which I was struggling. It was good to have someone who has known me my whole life and has history with some of the things that were bothering me. I was very grateful to have her yesterday. Thank you for that relationship in my life.
One of the families I’ve been praying for where one of the spouses is sick had to be put on hospice yesterday. They expect her to pass by the end of the week. I’ll say that their son’s birthday is in a couple of days. Please don’t let it happen on his birthday. But comfort them. Love them. Knit them together. Strongly support her, her husband who adores her, and her children who love her. Oh, Holy Spirit, please be very present with them and pray to the Father for them.
Here are the verse from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer for today.
AM Psalms: 101, 109
PM Psalm: 119:121-144
Jeremiah 18:1-11
John 6:27-40
Romans 8:1-11
Psalms 101, 109 – First, I want to stop and remember why I am doing this Lenten series in the first place. I want to really sink into this experience of Jesus doing what he did for me. For us. I want to really meditate on that and appreciate it. Next, I want to just say that Psalm 109 is an example of one of those psalms where I appreciate what David is feeling, but I wouldn’t take this as prescriptive from you. It might be descriptive of his experience, and I appreciate the vulnerability of him writing this down and articulating it so well. Also that he shared it so that others would see it. But it’s hard to read in light of Jesus and the New Covenant he brought us.
Jeremiah 18:1-11 – I am so glad I had the Bible in a Year podcast two years ago to help me understand Jeremiah more. And the analogy here is powerful. The potter with the clay. I am very malformed. You are constantly remaking me into your image. Oh, help me, Lord, to be in your image.
John 6:27-40 – Jesus was who he said he was. I would not have believed it then, but I believe it now. I’m so grateful to be alive now and not then.
Romans 8:1-11 – Holy Spirit, live in me. I know you do, but there are times when I crowd you out with my own selfishness and sinful nature. Live in me. I make you welcome here. Jesus, thank you for breaking any condemnation from the Father onto me. Thank you for your life, death, and resurrection.
And now as I go into this day, walk with me, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Help me to take you to others. Help me to love others. Help me to bring you everything that I think is mine and lay it at the foot of your cross. And help me to know how to love this family who is losing their precious wife and mother.
I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,
Dear God, my heart is incredibly heavy this morning. I learned some truths last night that I’m still trying to process. How could this have happened. To some extent, I think I feel let down by you as well, but I’m not sure. A couple of really important good things happened in the midst of all of the terrible. I don’t know. I apparently made a huge mistake that I prayed through at the time and since then. Did you lead me the wrong way? Did I not hear you correctly? I know I’m not the start of the current pain being experienced, but I now understand in a new way the role I played in contributing to it and making it greater. I know that anyone who reads these prayers I make to you doesn’t know what I’m talking about, and I have to keep this publicly vague to protect the privacy of others, but I didn’t want to not be transparent about the raw emotions I’m currently feeling.
With that said, I’m really hoping to find something in the scriptures that Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer.
AM Psalms – 97, 99, 100
PM Psalms – 94, 95
Jeremiah 17:19-27
John 6:16-27
Romans 7:13-25
Psalms 97, 99, 100 – After reading these three psalms together, the last line of Psalm 100 is what sticks with me (maybe because I was distracted while I was reading them): For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Oh, LORD, please be good in my situation. Let your faithfulness continue through all generations.
Jeremiah 17:19-27 – I’ve tried to do better about having a day of rest when it comes to the Sabbath, but I could certainly be more intentional. But I also wonder how much this passage is about loving you and leading by example.
John 6:16-27 – The people wanted to know how you, Jesus, got to the other side, but you ignored that question and told them a truth about themselves. Holy Spirit, help me to ask the right questions and pursue the right answers.
Romans 7:13-25 – This whole thing about my sin nature, doing what I don’t want to do and not doing what I want to do . Yeah. I feel that.
Father, show me your path for me today. Please, show me your path.
I offer this to you in Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit,
Dear God, I want to start again by praying for my couple friend where the wife is very sick. I spent a lot of time praying for them last night during a sweet worship service at our church. Oh, Father, please be merciful. Oh, Jesus, please be merciful. Oh, Holy Spirit, please be merciful. Show their friends and family how to love them. Heal her. Give her strength. Support him. Give him strength. Support their children. Give them strength. Father, show me what you would have me to do for them.
While I am here, I have the three women who work with me who were pregnant. Two have now had their babies and one is still due in September. Please take care of all three mothers and their babies. And prepare their siblings for their new roles and big brothers. And for my friend pregnant with triplets, please protect her babies and her. Please protect all of them.
Psalm 89 – Wow, this really took a turn. It was all happy and worshipful until verse 38 when it starts talking about you forsaking David. Was this during Absalom’s uprising? I don’t know. But it’s interesting. Of course, you never broke your promise to David. It just didn’t look like it in the moment. We can almost never see what you are doing in the moment.
Jeremiah 16:10-21 – I heard Father Mike Schmitz point out one time that after the exile, the Israelites really didn’t have a problem with idol worship anymore. Yes, the Pharisees were very legalistic by the time Jesus came along, but (and this is me, not Father Schmitz, talking) this almost seems like a kickback reaction to the Israelites being unfaithful and exiled. An accepting of the words of prophets like Jeremiah by them generations later.
John 6:1-15 – I wish we knew more about Andrew. It seems like every story about him is sweet and positive. I need to spend some more time with him at some point. In this story, he is the one who found the boy with the bread and the fish. He didn’t know how it could work, but he somehow saw the potential in it when the others saw impossibility. I think back to Andrew following John the Baptist and switching to Jesus. I think about him recruiting his brother Peter. I think about how brothers can often be opposites, and these two seem like opposites. Yeah, I like Andrew a lot.
Romans 7:1-12 – I wonder what Paul coveted. Much like I know the vices of my heart, Paul knew the vices of his own heart, and here he reveals that coveting was high on his list of personal vices. I also read this and think about someone I know who walked away from you because they decided it was easier to get rid of the “rule maker” to deal with the guilt of their sin rather than address it and accept your grace for themself.
Father, as I get ready to go into this day, help me to walk with your grace. Help me to remember the suffering of those around me, pray for them, and then serve in some way. I worship you as my Lord and my God.
I offer this prayer to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,
Dear God, I actually finished a book yesterday. You know I don’t spend tons of time reading whole books, but this one had some theology in it that I suspected I would disagree with (and I was right). I read it because some people I respect really liked the book so I wanted to be informed as to what it was saying and the arguments it made. I am hopeful that i will be able to discuss it with my friends so that they can explain what they see in it that I don’t, and then maybe I can share some of my perspective. Maybe neither of us are all right or all wrong. Where can we learn from each other? I pray this will go well.
While I am thinking about prayers, I just learned that a friend is expecting triplets. Oh, please protect the women I know who are currently pregnant (there are three of them). One is imminently due, the triplets are due this summer and one is due in September. Please be with all of them. Be with their babies. Be with the fathers of the children too. Protect their lives. These are all wanted children. Wrap them all up in your love. Bring yourself into their lives. Help them to all seek you.
And while I’m praying for others and the health of others, I have another couple friend where the wife is struggling against cancer. Oh, Father, have mercy. Oh, Jesus, have mercy. Oh, Holy Spirit, have mercy. Heal. Comfort. Strengthen. My prayers seem so feeble. I believe. Help my unbelief.
And then I have a friend who is really struggling with his marriage. Speak to him. Guide him. Guide his wife. Be with their children. Marriage can be hard. Bring people to them who can be your words, your comfort, and your joy.
Finally, I have another unpleasant project to do today. I’ll keep it vague as I type here, but you know what I mean. Help me to learn from it, change from it, and be more loving after having experienced it. Bring good from it, please.
Psalms 66, 67 – These are just two nice, straight ahead, worshipful psalms. The first one made me think of the song “Shout to the Lord.” The second one reminded me of “The Blessing” which really touched me when different people from the UK recorded it for the world. I know that text is actually from Number 26, but this psalm starts that way as well. In fact, I just kept it running while I type this. I remember 2020 as such a surreal time. Scared. At home. A sense of isolation. Significant problems to solve. Prayer walks around our local hospital. Changes to how we functioned at work. But there were beautiful expressions of your love like this song as well. If those who are hurting in the world had only seen these types of expressions of your love during that dark time, how would they have responded to you and to your Church? But too many started fighting for the Church’s rights to assemble, not wear masks, or whatever else they decided to be angry about. It did nothing to be your witness to this world or comfort it during a scary time. Instead, the Church just looked like any other group looking for power and influence.
Psalm 19, 46 – Just a few lines from Psalm 19 that touch me this morning: The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The things you have given us to do. The “rules” to obey. They aren’t arbitrary. They aren’t for your kicks so that we will be good rule followers. They are for us. Following them leads us to joy in our hearts. They make us wise. They give us light. The other line from Psalm 19 that is great is, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” And then, “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.” I know I have faults that are hidden from me. I know I have sin I commit that I don’t think is sin or I don’t want to admit is sin. Holy Spirit, please continue to work with my heart.
Jeremiah 14: 1-9, 17-22 – What is the best way to bring a nation to repentance? That seems to be the question Christians are asking each other. Some are answering that we need to be a force for repentance. We need to force those who are doing what we think are wrong to repent and agree with us. Others will say that we need to completely love and accept everyone and then let you work on their hearts individually. Still others say we need to just work on ourselves in the church and become as Christlike as possible and then let the church grow organically from there. Personally, I agree with some of those perspectives more than others.
Mark 8:11-21 – The yeast of the Pharisees. I started to write what I think it is, but then I deleted it. What exactly do I think the yeast of the Pharisees is? I’ve already admitted that, had I been there at the time, I would not have believed Jesus was the Messiah. So does that mean I have their yeast in my heart too? First, Jesus was critical that the Pharisees had become so legalistic that they couldn’t see what you were calling them to do at any given time–particularly in loving others and having mercy. They were superior. Harsh. Egotistical. Judgmental. Hateful. Jesus said that we should not judge. We should serve our neighbors and love them as ourselves. We should forgive easily. We should humble ourselves.
Galatians 4:21-5:1 – I’ve got to say, I don’t care for Paul’s analogy here. Hagar was ultimately freed, as was Ishmael. I need someone more educated than me to explain this to me theologically. I think Paul is encouraging them to be free from their sin, selfishness, and shame through Jesus. That’s great. I don’t like the Hagar and Ishmael comparison, but maybe I’m wrong and that’s just me because I came to like Hagar when I read closely about her in Genesis.
Father, I offer this fourth Sunday of Lent to you. Help me to accomplish the things you have for me to accomplish. Do it for the good of my soul, the good for the souls of those I love, and for your glory.
Dear God, I went with my wife last night to a presentation of “God’s Megaphone: A Visit with C.S. Lewis” by Steven Fenley at our local community theater. It was terrific and inspired me to get back into some of Mr. Lewis’s writings and also some of my own projects that are related to his work.
Of course, it started with The Problem of Pain, which Lewis called God’s megaphone to us. Then it went from there touching on a number of his works including The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and others. I’m so glad I went. Thank you for last night.
Now, as far as today goes, I am delighted to be here continue my Lenten journey using Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer. Okay. You know that isn’t true. I’m not really delighted. It’s Saturday morning, and I’m feeling a little slothful. I’d love to kick back, make myself a big breakfast, and then watch some YouTube videos or find another way to just disengage my mind and “veg out.” But I know I need you. I know I need this. I’ve made this commitment to do this before I do anything else to start my day, so here I am. I know I need you. I know I need to worship you. I know it’s for my good. And it has been for my good over these previous 24 days. So I embrace it now, and, even as I finish typing this paragraph, am finding myself ready to connect with the Holy Spirit within me and spend some time with you.
AM Psalms: 87, 90
PM Psalm: 136
Jeremiah 13:1-11
John 8:47-59
Romans 6:12-23
Psalms 87, 90 – “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me–Philisita too, and Tyre, along with Cush–and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion'” Yes, Father, thanks to you, I am born in Zion. I was listening to Mr. Fenley’s C.S. Lewis presentation I mentioned earlier last night, and he mentioned there are all of these little references wrapped throughout the Old Testament referring to the idea that one day your Kingdom will be for the Gentiles too. And then I get this passage from Psalm 87 this morning. Yes, through Jesus, I was born in Zion as well. Thank you! And I have to mention Psalm 90 since it is a psalm of Moses and mentions how fleeting our lives are. Moses gave up a comfortable life twice for the people of Israel. Once when he was 40 when he made a mistake but for the right reason and once when he was 80 and he responded to your call. His days were not easy, but you used him. Use me, Father, however you will.
Psalm 136 – What strikes me about this is the record of everything you have done to bless Israel. The recounting of your glory and provision. I need to do this more. I need to reflect more on everything you have done for me. Your love endures forever.
Jeremiah 13:1-11 – I have two thoughts about this story. One, you gave Jeremiah these instructions one at a time. He was ignorant of the next step until you told him what the next step was. His task was to just be obedient in the next thing you were telling him to do regardless of why or how much he understood. The second is the obvious. You were there with the Israelites. It’s obvious you hadn’t left because you were still there talking to Jeremiah and giving him to them as a prophet, but you were useless to them because their lives and decisions had made you useless. Oh, help me to not render you useless in my life.
John 8:47-59 – Following up on the passage from Jeremiah, this line from Jesus strikes me: “My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him.” At this point in their lives, you were among them and with them, but you were useless to them because they could not see you and did not know you. Oh, Father, help me to know you as much as is humanly possible.
Romans 6:12-23 – This passages brings it all home for my Lenten journey. I am only able to be here this morning because of what Jesus did. I am here because you sent a piece of your nature here to earth to live as fully man and fully God, teach me, die, and the come back to life. And to go back to Lewis, I cannot believe that the resurrection didn’t happen without discounting the entire Jesus story. He was either liar, lunatic, or Lord. Jesus, you are Lord.
Father, I thank you. I worship you. I submit myself to you. Make me salt in your world. Make me a source of love in your world. Oh, Lord, show me what to do one step at a time. Keep me ignorant if my knowledge and human wisdom will get in your way.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,p
Dear God, I was listening to a podcast yesterday that talked about the “gift of disillusionment.” Usually, I think of disillusionment as a negative thing, but the person being interviewed pointed out that it is actually the act of believing the illusion that is bad and being disillusioned can be good. The problem is that when we become disillusioned there is usually anger, hurt, and sorrow–mourning–that accompanies it and, if I don’t deal with it correctly, it can leave a hole in me. Several years ago, I went through a disillusionment process with parenting. I knew that I couldn’t control how things would go with my children, but at some level I believed if I followed the right formula I would be protected at some level. I was talking about it with a pastor friend one time and he told me, “It’s hard when we are disappointed in God.” Yes! That was it. Disappointed in you. I had an illusion of what life as a dad would be if I followed you faithfully and did the best I could with my children, but then it didn’t work out the way I hoped, and the truth of who you are and the reality of what you don’t do to override free will became clear. Thankfully, I was able to heal from this, although I still have some sorry, hurt, and anger.
Psalm 88 – Speaking of becoming disillusioned. the Sons of Korah here are really feeling it. They feel abandoned by you. They feel like you have heaped misfortune upon them. I can feel their pain. I can relate to their pain. I can also, now that I’ve come through the other side of some pain and worked with you through it, realize that their assignment of these things to you is in error. You didn’t do this. You didn’t fail them. You were with them, even as they wrote that psalm.
Psalms 91, 92 – So Psalm 91 seems to be part of the illusion. I hope it’s not blasphemous for me to say that. But I just don’t believe this line (and the others like it): “If you make the Most High your dwelling–even the LORD, who is my refuge–then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.” I heard one time that Jimmy Stewart was inspired by the psalm as he served on a bomber in World War II. I’m sorry, but I think the protection you give me is on an eternal scale, but not necessarily what I would want for my earthly life. Yes, I give you credit for all the good in my life. I thank you for it. But part of my disillusionment is I no longer expect you to save me from the rain. I’m just looking for you to comfort me when the rain falls. To that end, Psalm 92 makes a lot more sense to me.
Jeremiah 11:1-8, 14-20 – Following my disillusion theme, Jeremiah certainly got disillusioned of the idea that he had the right to a happy, peaceful, fruitful earthly life by following you. You had a tough row for him to hoe. You needed him and he gave himself up to you. The other thing I notice relates to Christian Nationalism in our own country right now. Christians, in my opinion, are making an idol out of governmental entities and expecting them to do the work that Christians should be doing at the grassroots level. But Israel had all of the laws from the government. What they didn’t have were the hearts. You were calling for the Israelites to repent as individuals, not as a government. I saw an interview about some people trying to make moral movies outside of the Hollywood system because of it’s liberal bent, but even when they talk of Hollywood they don’t speak out of Christian love and concern for them. It’s “us against them.” It makes me so sad that your church has lost its love for the lost. Instead, the lost are our enemies and they must be subdued through strength, power, and force. It breaks my heart.
John 8:33-47 – There is a lot here about Jesus being who he said he was. I’ve said before that, for John’s Gospel, you have to believe the first 15 verses of chapter one. If you don’t, then Jesus is either a lunatic or a liar. But if those first 15 verses are true, then he is, indeed, who he says he is. Jesus, I’m cheating because I have 2,000 years of history to use as well as well-organized Scripture to read and good teaching to learn from, but I nonetheless believe you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
Romans 6:1-11 – I’ll admit that doing this Lenten focus on spending the extra time with you every single day over the last three and a half weeks has made a difference in me. I’ve responded to some hard things differently than I have in the past. The vices with which I struggle seem far away. I’m grateful that I am not a slave to sin because you, the Son, have set me free from it. I know I still sin. I will sin today. But there is still a freedom you give me that enables me to share love with others.
Father, I offer you this day. Live through me. Love through me. Speak through me. And teach me. Correct me. Guide me. Use your Holy Spirit to form me into the man you need me to be.
I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,
Dear God, I have two coworkers who might be delivering babies today. One I know is. The other I’m not sure. We’ve prayed for them. I’ve prayed for them. I lift them up to you now. Be with these babies, their parents, and everyone involved in their lives. And help our work to know how to work around their absence while they are out with their babies for these first several weeks.
Psalms 42, 43 – “Why are you downcast, O my soul? why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” These words were in both of these psalms, and I appreciate them. I woke up this morning a bit troubled. Could be some frustrations from work. Could be frustrations with a family thing. And I wish it was as easy as turning the switch that the Sons of Korah encourage here. I do put my hope in you, but I also mourn and have sorrow. But as I go into this day, help me to remember at each moment for whom I am living. I am living for you, O God.
Psalms 85, 86 – Psalm 85 is a lot about looking to be restored to you like previous generations were restored to you. David wrote Psalm 86, and I think it is refreshing to see him publish his insecurities and frustrations for all to see. Someone was once reading the prayer journals I write here and asked if I was okay. I told them that I really was, and to try writing down their own prayers. They will be amazed at what comes out. It’s actually very therapeutic. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for being with me up close and personal in these times, encouraging me and guiding me. Comforting me.
Jeremiah 10:11-24 – A lot of this is about the coming exile for Judah and the collapse of everything. But Jeremiah’s prayer at the end captures my attention: “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Correct me, LORD, but only with justice–not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.” I am truly at your mercy, LORD. I have greatly sinned. In my thoughts and in my words. In what I have done and what I have failed to do. Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Have mercy on me, O LORD.
John 8:21-32 – Reading this passage, Father, just confirms to me that I would not have had time for Jesus in my life had I been alive and around him at that time. I’m sorry for that. He is a stone that would have made me stumble; a rock that would have made me fall.
Romans 5:12-21 – This just reminds me why I’m here and doing this for Lent. I am feeling my sin. I am feeling the depths of my depravity. But I am also being reminded that this is the reason you came, Jesus. You came, lived, taught, prayed for me, died, and then were resurrected for the depths of my sin.
Father, I have victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. Thank you.
I offer all of myself, including this prayer, to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Emails to God 