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Philippians 4:4-5

12 Sep

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Philippians 4:4-5

Dear God, yes! This is exactly the type of verse I wanted to find this morning. Thank you for making it Bible Gateway’s verse of the day.

Why was I looking for a verse like this? Because I have a presentation tonight to a political group. And it doesn’t matter what type of political group or where they are on the “left” to “right” spectrum. There is a lot of anger and animosity out there, and I am sure there will be at least a little in the room tonight. When I woke up this morning, the word I felt like I was getting from you was to be a source of joy and hope to them. The goal for the evening is to leave them with joyful, tender hearts that are full of hope for how we can ALL work together for your glory.

So I sat down this morning and hoped I could find a verse to pray over today. That’s when I opened up www.biblegateway.com and saw the verse of the day at the top of the page. Thank you.

So this is my prayer–that I would be the embodiment of this passage. That I would be full of joy. That I would rejoice in ALL things. That I would be considerate in all that I do. And that I would be mindful that you are real, you are my God and to be worshipped, and that one way or another, I will one day meet you face to face–whether it be in death or your second coming.

Father, full the room tonight with your Holy Spirit. Fill it with your joy. Love through me. Represent yourself through me. And for any hearts in there that aren’t yours, turn them to you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 12, 2019 in Philippians

 

Psalm 121

11 Sep

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
Psalm 121:1-8

Dear God, I think the most important thing to know about this psalm is that it is “a psalm for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.” I like the idea of a group of people, walking together and singing this song along the way. Worshipping you through this song. Is it a song that Jesus used to sing with others when they walked to Jerusalem for the Passover? Did he sing it on his way to the fateful Passover? Put into that context–Jesus singing this as we walked to his torture and death–the song gains even more meaning and poignancy.

I haven’t even made it to work yet, and I’ve already had a work problem to solve this morning. But thankfully, you helped me solve it. And it wasn’t a slam dunk by any means. I recognize your provision. I hope that when you look down and see the problems I’m trying to solve, you see that the problems involve loving others and that I’m part of a group that is trying to do our best to represent you.

When I first read this passage this morning, I thought about the divisions between us and how there are so many people who are ideologically opposed to each other when the truth is, we all want the same thing. Why does it always take something special to unite us? Well, I know why. I’ve said it many times before. Satan’s Plan A is to divide us and he very rarely needs Plan B because Plan A is very good.

Father, as I do a radio interview today on a Tea Party radio show, and as I speak to both Tea Party and Democrat groups over the next 8 days, help me to be a united. Help me to love. Help me to be part of getting all of us to look to you, where our helps comes from. Keep watch over all of us. Unite us in our love for you and our love for each other. And when others who don’t love you look at us, let them see the God of the universe who is worthy of love because you love us so much.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2019 in Psalms

 

Isaiah 46:3-7

10 Sep

“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.”
Isaiah 46:3-7

Dear God, what are my other gods? What earthly things have I taken and turned them into things I worship?

Probably the first thing that I most often put before you is me. It starts with my ego/insecurity and doing things to please others. Frankly, a lot of it starts with that because when I’m putting my wife or children before you it’s usually, ultimately, to get something out of it for me. However, if I am serving them out of my worship of you then it’s altogether different and they can feel the difference.

Father, I do worship you. You are my god and I am your servant. Direct me and lead me. Help me to rest in your arms.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 10, 2019 in Isaiah

 

Titus 2:2-8

09 Sep

Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.
Titus 2:2-8

Dear God, when I read this the thought that comes to me is that nothing is new. Two thousand years ago, people drank too much, slandered, gossiped, cheated on their spouses, went to war needlessly, ignored the poor, sold people into slavery, etc. Kingdoms rose and they fell. There was corruption. I guess the only thing that might be new is that we now have so much more access to information (real, fake, and mixed) than we did before. We can now know what’s happening in places all over the world if we want to. But our hearts are still the same. Not better or worse– the same.

I guess there’s an odd comfort in that for me. Going back to the tribulation preacher I heard last week, it was almost like listening to someone who gives horoscope readings. Everything he said could have been applied to every year between now and when you gave John Revelation. But my comfort isn’t in the idea that things haven’t really progressed, but in that you are still God and this is nothing the world hasn’t seen before–well maybe except for our growing ability to damage the planet ourselves. That’s changed too.

Father, I’m going to go back to the serenity prayer from AA. Give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 9, 2019 in Titus

 

Psalm 143:10a

08 Sep

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
Psalm 143:10a

Dear God, this seems like the scariest thing I could pray. This was a psalm of David. Were some of the struggles he brought upon himself, especially in the second half of his reign, just you answering this prayer.

I’ll admit that I’m not sure I have the courage to pray it. Aren’t I doing enough to follow your will already? I don’t really need to grow from here, right? (Sarcasm intended.) But seriously, is there any way that I can discipline myself to learn the lessons you have for me without suffering too much?

The problem is that there are multiple things that come from my suffering. Beyond the lessons I learn about following you, there is also a humility and empathy that comes from struggle and failure that can often only be learned through in the valleys. They add depth to my character and make me more salty as I go into the world as your ambassador. (Luke 14:28-35)

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Luke 14:28-35

Father, I guess I have to say it anyway: Please make me salty. Whatever that means. I have counted the cost. I consider my life worth nothing to me. I am yours. Please be gentle.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 8, 2019 in Luke, Psalms

 

Suicide Prevention Month

07 Sep

Dear God, I was scanning through The Athletic for some college football news (it’s Saturday, after all) and I found this video series on Suicide in college athletics and what some schools are doing to address mental health. I’ve put a link there. Since it is a pay site, I don’t know if people will be able to click on it or not. I would hope that that The Athletic would make the series freely available.

Anyway, it got me to thinking about suicide. It must pain you to see us in such pain. When you’re watching people attempt or succeed in taking their lives, are you weeping? I imagine you are. Our lives are so precious. Our time here is so short. It must be maximized, at least to some extent. To cut it short for any reason seems like a slap in the face.

But having been around enough people who have struggled, I can see how people would get to the point where they just give up. I never considered myself suicidal at the time, but looking back to some of the struggles I went through six years ago, I can tell you that there were times when I was on a bike ride that I would think that if a car were to hit me then the pain I was experiencing would be over. Even typing that makes it sound much more stark or powerful than the thought felt at the time. I would actually compare it more to the little thoughts Satan plants to tempt us. “Hey, wouldn’t it be nice.” No, sorry, Satan. You can’t get rid of me that easily. But he must have sensed that I was at a weak moment to throw that at me.

I’d like to sit here and come up with what is going through people’s minds when they are suicidal and then think about your response, but the truth is that I don’t know. I know that, for my own mental health, the best things that I do include these prayer journals to you and exercise. I know that when I put myself in the mindset that “I consider my life worth nothing to me,” (Acts 20:24a) then I start looking for ways to use my life for your glory and not give up because there is no glory for me. I know that when I am feeling good physically and getting the right hormones going through my brain then the brain you gave me responds and clears up a lot of bad thinking. You designed our bodies for motion and activity. You designed us to move, give, love, and serve. If we aren’t doing those things then our bodies will not respond correctly.

Of course, I’m not trying to minimize clinical depression or other forms of mental illness. I know that it’s not always as easy as just saying a prayer and hopping on a bicycle for some situations. But I also think that we are over consuming antidepressants in our country simply through lethargy and selfish, self-indulgent lifestyles.

Father, I pray over my own mental health, the mental health of my family, and the mental health of those who are in my sphere. Help me to be a source of your love and hope to them. I will spend some time with a friend later who is walking a dark road. Help me to know what to say and how to be there for him. Help me to love him. Help me to reveal your essence to him.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 7, 2019 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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John 14:15-31

06 Sep

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.
John 14:15-31

Dear God, there’s a little second coming action in this story today. But what does Jesus say about it?

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

You came to bring peace and to take away our fear. You didn’t attract people to you through fear. The early church didn’t attract others to faith in Jesus through fear. If I’m doing something in my representation of you that brings fear then I think I’m doing something wrong. Not that Jesus didn’t get angry or warn people about not being ready. But what he really offers is relationship with you and peace.

Father, make me an instrument of your peace. Holy Spirit, please live through me and in me today. When anyone looks at me I want them to see the light of the world inside.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2019 in John, Uncategorized

 

Revelation

05 Sep

Dear God, I was speaking to a young man in my office yesterday who is heavily influenced by pastors that focus on the rapture and tribulation. He gave me a website to check out and a DVD to view. I watched a little of the DVD and looked at the cover of the website. I’m thinking about writing the young man today with my thoughts.

My first thought is that any time anyone around Jesus was afraid he told them to fear not. Jesus didn’t sell his message using fear. He offered mercy. If I believe what I say I believe and if I share that with others then the rapture and the tribulation will take care of themselves. My job isn’t to scare anyone into Heaven. That isn’t much of a sales pitch anyway.

While we were in my office, he referenced the fruits of the Spirit and said that the first one is love. I agreed with him, but then we listed through the others and I tried to point out peace to him. I’ve told you this many times before, but peace is the one thing that I can’t fake. I can pretty much put up a facade and fake the other fruits. To other people, I can make myself look loving, joyful, kind, gentle, etc., but I am unable to fake peace. When I am truly in you is when I am at peace, and if I am not following you then I have no peace.

Father, I could go on and on, but I guess the thing I really want to say is that I am grateful that you take away all my fear. Your love drives out all my fear. (1 John 4:18). I don’t have to fear the rapture, the tribulation, a one world government or the anti-Christ because you are my God. You have this. I am in you and you are in me. You gave me a great bridge to reach you through coming to earth through the part of your essence that is your son, Jesus, and showed me not only how much you love me, but also how to love and live. Thank you for all of this. I need you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 5, 2019 in 1 John, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Revelation

 

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2 Timothy 1:13-14

04 Sep

Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.
2 Timothy 1:13-14

Dear God, I wonder what it was like to be a disciple of Paul. I mean, the guy was in prison and seemed to completely accept the idea that that is where you had him. Society considered Paul a radical to the extent that it put him in jail and ultimately killed him. I never thought of it before, but that fact had to be sitting in the back of Timothy’s mind all of the time. Would that be his fate as well? Would listening to Paul’s teaching and loving you land him in prison? What kind of a life can one build with that?

I have to admit that I just can’t relate to this, and I’m grateful for it. My faith in and worship of you doesn’t cost me very much in terms of material things. In my community, I am able to live out my faith without disruptions to my marriage or my work. I’m not looking over my shoulder to see if someone is ready to throw me in jail, so listening to Paul’s teaching through scripture has only upside for me.

Father, maybe my faith in you costs me more than I realize, but right now, sitting here, it feels like an amazing gift. I’m sorry for when I let you down, get petty, or try to promote myself over others. I’m sorry when my ego takes control. I want to be all yours so that I only think of your glory and not my own.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 4, 2019 in 2 Timothy

 

Isaiah 48:17-18

03 Sep

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
Isaiah 48:17-18

Dear God, I think that sometimes we get confused by your pattern. On the one hand, passages like this tell us that if we obey you then things will be okay, but then stories about people like Job or Paul indicate that we shouldn’t focus on our own circumstances, but simply follow you. Maybe there’s a difference between whether people as a group/nation follow you vs and individual? I don’t know. But it seems to be pretty inconsistent.

I wonder what it would be like if it really worked that way–that you rewarded us as individuals for our performance and punished us for unfaithfulness. What if all of those who were rich were rich commensurate with their goodness and all of the poor were poor commensurate with their evil deeds? When I put it like that, it sounds like a terrible idea. It’s a little like what I was talking about regarding how you gave the Bible to us. What would have been better? Any other way would probably have been a terrible idea.

But what about as a country? Are the rules different for large groups of people than they are for individuals? If a country is lead by people who love, worship, and pursue you and then filled with people who love, worship and pursue you, then will that country experience your favor? It’s hard for me to thoroughly think through it just sitting here, but I can see where the rules would be different for larger groups of people than they are for the individual.

But I suppose at the end of the day, it is all about serving your larger purpose. Maybe, just maybe, you needed to use the 400 years of Israelite slavery to grow them in the incubator of Egypt. It’s horrible to think that millions of people had to live and die in slavery for that, but maybe. And maybe the early church had to be persecuted to get them out of Jerusalem and into the world. Maybe Stephen had to die a martyr for your plan to work.

Father, the truth is, my job isn’t to figure all of that out. My job is to remember you and everything you are. My role is to worship you, ask how you would like to use my life, and then yield to your plan. Whether or not I experience the peace Isaiah describes here is more contingent on the attitude of my heart than it is the circumstance of my life.

I pray all of this by the power of Jesus’s name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2019 in Isaiah

 

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