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Colossians 2:6-7 (“Give Him Roots”)

24 Nov

Colossians 2:6-7 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Dear God, I first heard the following song before I had children. I tried to do this as they grew up. You know how I pray for them every day. I pray your presence over them as I type these lyrics to you.

——

“Give Him Roots” by Clay Crosse

So many voices in his ear
Are they playing on his fears
It’s a bad situation
All the way around
But with a solid foundation
He’s gonna stand his ground

Take a little time
Plant the seeds
Give him reason to believe

Give him roots, and give him wings
And he’ll grow up to do great things
Let him know the joy the he brings
Teach him the value of the truth
Oh you gotta give him roots,
Give him wings

When he comes to you
And he needs your help
And he so unsure of himself
Give him vision
So he can see the Light
Let him know the difference between
Wrong and right

Share the wisdom
Of your years
There’ll be laughter
There’ll be tears

Give him roots, give him wings
He’ll grow up
To do great things
Let him know the joy
That he brings
Teach him the value of the truth
Oh you’ve gotta give him roots,
Give him wings

He should aim as high as the sky
There ain’t nothing he can’t do
If he’ll only try

Give him roots, give him wings
He’ll grow up
To do great things
Let him know the joy
That he brings
Teach him the value of the truth,
Tell him there’s nothing
That He can do

Give him roots, give him wings
He’ll grow up
To do great things
Let him know the joy
That he brings
Teach him the value of the truth
Oh, you’ve gotta give him roots,
Give him wings

——

I pray these words over my children. I am sure my parents would pray these over me and my siblings. Oh, how we all long for our children to live fulfilled lives under your glory and grace.

In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2017 in Colossians, Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 

Psalm 123

23 Nov

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.

 

Dear God, wow, so this is the entire Psalm. Four verses and all about needing your mercy. Songs are normally longer than this. My prayers to you are normally longer than this. But the author here has some specific words for you.

 

  1. I’m looking to you as my God.
  2. I am completely submissive to you.
  3. Please ease my pain the midst of contempt.
  4. The people who are mean to me are arrogant and proud.
  5. The end.

 

Yes, there are people in my life who have been and are still mean to me. I’ve prayed a prayer like this in the past. And some of them are still mean to me. But I can say with gratitude that you have eased my pain. It’s still there. It still hurts. But I have been able to receive your blessing and move on in so many ways.

 

Father, I pray for those who show me contempt. Love them. Break through the pain that they have that drives their contempt. If it is something that I have done to earn it, then please show me how to repent and show them how to forgive me. Help me to take my pain and turn it into grace for them and for others. Be glorified in me so that they might be drawn closer to you.

 

In Jesus’ name I pray,

 

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 23, 2017 in Psalms, Uncategorized

 

Colossians 3:12-15

22 Nov

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Colossians 3:12-15

Dear God, what a great passage for all of us given the fact that a lot of our country will be with extended family for Thanksgiving! As for me, not only tomorrow, but every day, I need to clothe myself in tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. I need to make allowances for others’ faults and remain aware of my own and their mercy towards me. I also need to be quick to forgive, even if the other person doesn’t request it.

I really do love the people I’m going to see the next few days. In fact, I adore them, and I adore those family members whom I won’t get to see this weekend. That doesn’t mean it will always be easy. But what better way to destroy my ambassadorship of you and your Kingdom than by not doing everything Paul admonishes me to do here? Humility and love are the rules of the day.

Father, I am your ambassador, as if you were making your appeal through me (2 Corinthians 5:20). Help me to live up to that mission for the sake of your glory and those that I love.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2017 in 2 Corinthians

 

1 Corinthians 1:4-5

21 Nov

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.

1 Corinthians 1:4-5

Dear God, I have some things I need to pray about today. First, I have a hard decision to make at work that could impact others. That’s a problem. Second, we have our biggest fundraising campaign of the year kicking off today, and I need it to reach whom it needs to reach and help provide for our operations next year. Finally, the first of our relatives who are going to visit us for Thanksgiving arrives today and I am hopeful that this can be a place of love and peace for everyone who is here this week.

So this verse reminds me to not only be thankful for each person represented in the concerns above, but to pray out their spiritual gifts. I do thank you for my family that is coming. I thank you for my coworkers. I thank you for every donor and even potential patient that today’s mailing will find. Each person is adored by you.

Father, help me to live out the love you have for them through my own life and the interactions I have with them. Exude through me. Make my path straight and bless the fruit of my work both at home and at the nonprofit where I work. Be merciful through me. I really want to be who you need me to be.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 21, 2017 in 1 Corinthians

 

Matthew 25:14-30

19 Nov

Matthew 25:14-30 NIV

[14] “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. [15] To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. [16] The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. [17] So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. [18] But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. [19] “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. [20] The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ [21] “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ [22] “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ [23] “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ [24] “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. [25] So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ [26] “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? [27] Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. [28] “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. [29] For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. [30] And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Dear God, I have to confess that I’ve never liked this story. I guess that, on the face of it, I do not like the master and I think the guy with one talent was treated unfairly. What if he didn’t have the ability or knowledge to double the talent? Yes, he could have simply banked it for some interest, but I still don’t think he deserved to be booted outside where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then there’s the master. He harvests where he has not sown and gathers sheer he has not planted seeds. What is that about? I just don’t like this at all.

But then I try to consider this within the context of a spiritual life. Applying the metaphor to my life, do I bury myself, take myself out of circulation and only worry about my own survival until your return, or do I invest myself in the lives of others? Do you only seek those who are your children, or do you harvest and gather among the gentiles too? Maybe this story isn’t so bad after all if I change the example of money to be lives instead.

Father, I don’t know how much you think you’ve given me, but I do want to be faithful with it. Help me to be what you need me to be for everyone my life touches so that I might bring you as much glory as possible.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 19, 2017 in Matthew

 

John 17:13-19

18 Nov

“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.”

John 17:13-19

Dear God, how does Jesus pray for me? This is how. He asks that you protect me from the evil one. He asks that you make me Holy by your truth and teach me. He offers himself up for me as my sacrifice. There is a lot of love from him in this prayer.

How do I pray for others? Is this how I should pray? If I pray for my wife, children, parents or friends, would this prayer cover the important stuff? Let me try.

Father, please protect my children from the plans Satan has to steal, kill and destroy their lives. Teach them your word, which is truth. If you need me to sacrifice anything in my life for them, please reveal it to me. I offer it to you and them. I pray all of the same things for my wife, parents, extended family, friends, community and world. Protect us from evil. Teach us truth. Use me however you will.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 18, 2017 in John

 

Genesis 22:15-19

17 Nov

Gen 22:15-Gen 22:19 NIV The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed…

Dear God, this is the “My Utmost for His Highest” verse of the day, but it takes me back to the passage before it where you tell Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in the first place. Chapter 22 starts by saying that you “tested” Abraham. Is that what some of the struggles I’ve had have been? Tests? If so, I’m not angry about it–even though I’ve experienced some of the worst pain of my life the last few years. As I sit here, I’m okay with the idea with the idea that they were tests. Actually, my thought is, I hope I did okay.

You gave Abraham a promise and I believe that you tested him in this way because he had begun to put more hope in that promise than he surrendered to you. He received the promise of descendants because of his devotion to you, but then you made him put that promise on the altar. No more Isaac, no more descendants with Sarah. Only Ishmael would be left which would be something but not fulfilling the original promise. Did he need a physical reminder that you are his God? Did the last eight years of my life serve the same purpose in some way? Are some of the struggles I’m still experiencing still teaching me to look to you daily?

Father, I’m not asking for any tests, but I submit myself to whatever you have for me. I almost just typed that I can’t think of any promises you ever made to me, but that’s not true. There are times in the last two years that I’ve told friends that there were certain protections I expected from you in return for my prayers, worship, and submission. Maybe I made those protections an idol in some way. Whatever the case may be, you are my God, and I submit to whatever path you have for me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 17, 2017 in Genesis, My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 

Am I an “Evangelical”

16 Nov

https://thegathering.com/unfaithful-to-holy-things/

Dear God, I read the blog post I linked to above this morning, and it got me thinking (I suppose that’s what a good blog post will do). The author talked about how the word Evangelical has lost its meaning as a description of someone’s faith. He pointed out that it has not only become part of a political demographic, but it has also been saddled with the baggage of being judgmental and bigoted.

The thing that came to my mind is, as an Evangelical by the original meaning of the word, how often to I explicitly share the Good News with someone who needs it? How often do I miss Peter’s lesson in Acts when he and John are walking by the beggar and he says, “Silver and gold have I none…,” and then shares Jesus direct power with him? By the true definition of what we would like Evangelical to mean, how many real Evangelicals are left?

Father, help me to be an Evangelical. Help me to boldly share your love for others’ sake. Offer your hope through me. Let our culture redefine Evangelical back to its original definition and let that start with me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 16, 2017 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

Psalm 119:143

15 Nov

As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.

Psalm 119:143

Dear God, pressure and stress are such relative things. For someone like David (not necessarily the writer of this Psalm), he experienced a level of stress that I will never know. As king in that environment, I can’t imagine what he saw and had to live up to on a day-to-day basis. In my little life, on the other hand, I worry about the financial and operational well being of the place where I work, my own family’s financial situation, my wife, my children, my family, my friends, etc., but in comparison to others, my burden is not that bad. As I’ve taken to saying, my problems are first-world problems.

Yet, I can feel that pressure and stress. Worrying about those things I listed above can get to me. For example, I am constantly concerned about revenue at work. Will we be able to sustain our operations? I always worry about my children and I can’t imagine a day when I wouldn’t. No matter how well they are doing, they are my loves and I think of them constantly. I worry about the health and wellbeing of relatives and friends. But I am learning a little better to do a few things.

  1. Turn it over to you, lay down my yoke and pick up your cross. I’m still learning, and as I’ve told some people before, there’s a fine line between living by faith and living in denial, but I’m getting better.
  2. Being open about the burdens and sharing them as appropriately as possible helps. For example, as I’ve worried about work in the past, the more I share it with the board the better. The more I share with my wife the better I do. The more I confide in friends. The more I pray to and worship you. You get the idea. It is not good for man to be alone.

Father, I do indeed find joy in your commands because your commands are for my good. Help me to remember to be humble and bring others closer to you as I reach out to them through my own stress and pressure.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 15, 2017 in Psalms

 

1 Peter 3:18

14 Nov

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

Dear God, thank you. I’m not sure what else to do with this passage except to humbly accept your sacrifice and say thank you. Your sacrifice is what gives me, a Gentile, the privilege of sitting here this morning and praying to you. It’s what gives me hope through the darkest times, and reminds me to give of myself to others instead of only being out for myself. It’s my ultimate example for how I should consider my own life worth nothing compared with your will and what I can do to serve you.

Father, help me to live up to your gift today. Help me to love others richly, be productive in the work you have for me to do and live a life that draws others closer to you and into your presence.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 14, 2017 in 1 Peter

 
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