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1 Timothy 2:1-8

15 Sep

2 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For,

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.

8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

1 Timothy 2:1-8

Dear God, wouldn’t it just be easier to complain about my leaders than to spend the time praying for them? Yes, I’m being sarcastic about this, but isn’t this what a lot of us do? What I do? If I were to count the number of words I’ve spent on praying for political leaders and compare it with the words used complaining about leaders or policies, well, the prayer words wouldn’t even show up on the scale the disparity would be so large.

So how should I pray for my local, state, and federal leaders, not to mention the leaders of other nations? My first prayer for them is that they will each experience you today. As I think about my local mayor, county judge, lieutenant governor, governor, vice president, and president, I pray that each of them will experience you today. That you will raise up people in their lives who will be your voice to them. That they will find time to get alone with you and pray. That you will do something supernatural in each of their lives that will help them to repent where necessary and lead as you have called them to lead. As I think about the politicians running for office in these mid-terms, I pray that you will influence all of them to yield to you first and not their constituents. I pray that you will not let anything happen in this country that is outside of your plan for the world. And for the world leaders who are making big decisions and impacting lives outside of their own countries (I’m thinking about wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza, not to mention conflicts in Africa and then the world powers like China), I pray that you would do something remarkable in each of their lives. Do something that will help your children. Ease pain. Feed the hungry. Save the wounded and sick. Bring repentance on all side. Bring mercy and forgiveness on all sides.

Father, even praying these prayers left me feeling very inadequate. I am not good at intercessory prayer. I don’t do it enough. But help me to do it so that your kingdom will come and your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven. When it comes to politics, I often say that I just have one vote and a very small sphere of influence. But I have more than anything else I can have. I have prayer. And I do pray for all of these people. Move supernaturally. Bring them to you. Love them. Have mercy on them. And help them to repent where necessary.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 15, 2025 in 1 Timothy

 

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Romans 8:26-28

09 Sep

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:26-28

Dear God, this is one of those precious passages that is so encouraging. The problem is it’s also easy to misinterpret if one is a subscriber to prosperity gospel teaching. But before I get to verse 28, I want to spend some time with verse 26.

You, Holy Spirit, are so overlooked by all of us, but I think I’m getting a little better at thinking about you and the role you play in my life. The depths of your companionship with me. The teaching. The comfort. And the praying. This is the one I probably don’t think about as much. That you pray for me. And I don’t have to ask you to pray for me “with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Paul indicates here that you just do it. And I have friends for whom I pray. I hope you are praying for them with groanings too because, frankly, I am just not a very focuses intercessory prayer. I’m not nearly as purposeful or disciplined about it as my wife is. She’s much better at praying for others than I am. But I also believe that you are there just loving me and praying for me and the things I care about.

This leads me to verse 28. The trick on my end is to not expect that I know what my good is. That’s where prosperity gospel teaching fails. It assumes we can identify when something is good for us or not. If I were to win the billion-dollar Powerball that was awarded the other night, I might think that is good for me, but you would know better. How many lottery winner who win large amounts actually have their lives improve? Not many. But there are the more practical things too. I remember in 2005 when I was really mad at you about not getting a specific job, but what I couldn’t see in the moment was you had something different for me. And there are things in my life that I want now. There are broken relationships I long to be healed. But maybe you don’t have that as what is best for everyone involved. I’m too ignorant to know what is your best, so the Holy Spirit is praying for me and my faith allows me (most of the time) to be patient and let you work things out for the collective good, not just my selfish wants.

Father, I love you. I trust you. I thank you. Holy Spirit, thank you for praying. Thank you for all that you do for me that I almost never acknowledge. Thank you for the comfort you give me. Thank you for teaching and directing me. Thank you for loving me. Now, as I have different names come to mind who need prayer, I pray that you will strongly support them. Love them. Bring glory to your name in their eyes and through their lives. Heal, but do it for your glory. Comfort. Teach. Provide. All for your glory. Our utmost for your highest.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 9, 2025 in Romans

 

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Wisdom 9:13-18

08 Sep

13 For who can learn the counsel of God?
Or who can discern what the Lord wills?
14 For the reasoning of mortals is worthless,
and our designs are likely to fail;
15 for a perishable body weighs down the soul,
and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind.
16 We can hardly guess at what is on earth,
and what is at hand we find with labour;
but who has traced out what is in the heavens?
17 Who has learned your counsel,
unless you have given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
18 And thus the paths of those on earth were set right,
and people were taught what pleases you,
and were saved by wisdom.’

Wisdom 9:13-18

Dear God, I have a confession to make. As I was looking at the Catholic readings for the day, I almost just prejudicially skipped over this reading from Wisdom because it’s part of the apocrypha and Protestants don’t consider it scripture. And I’ve done this before. I did it yesterday. And last week. So it’s not like this is a new prejudice. It’s a pattern.

Here’s why I think it’s wrong of me to act like this. I’ve done prayers around secular movies. I’ve done prayers around secular songs or just stories. And regardless of this book’s level of authority as scripture, I should be willing to look at it and see if you have something to say to me through it. I am sorry for disregarding something that has been seen as scripture for thousands of years simply because someone took it out of the Protestant Bible hundreds of years ago.

With that said, let’s see what this still set of wisdom proverbs has to say.

This is quite poetic. I love the line, “15 for a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind.” My physical body puts this finiteness on me and I have huge limitations. I can only think to a certain extent. I can only pray to a certain extent. Move to a certain extent. Live to a certain extent. I can train each of thee things to get better. I can get smarter, be a better prayer, and even train my body to get faster and stronger. But there is still a ceiling I hit. And then all of those things will probably diminish from a peak of performance as I get older. No, it is true that this body certainly weighs down my soul. But the struggle against its limitations makes my soul stronger as I strive to commune with you. Thank you for reaching down to my and my limitations to meet me where I am.

Father, I have some decisions that need to be made today. Please help me to peer into the fog of my limitations and see what you need me to see. Guide me with your Holy Spirit so that I might move in the right direction for your glory’s sake and the sake of your kingdom coming and your will being done on earth as it is in heaven. The more I think about it, the more I like the fog analogy. I drove a long distance in a heavy rain yesterday. I had applied Rain-X to my windshield and it helped greatly. I had an advantage to nearly every other car on the road because I could see better. I’m not looking for an advantage over others, but I do want to be able to see as best as I can. Let them prayer be applying you as Rain-X to the eyes of my soul.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 8, 2025 in Wisdom

 

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Romans 8:26-32

22 Aug

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

Romans 8:26-32

Dear God, this is another example of the importance of context. The verse of the day from Bible Gateway was just verse 32. And that’s great, but what are we talking about here. We are talking about how good you are and how you answer our prayers even in our ignorance. You know better than to give us everything we ask for. You know more than our eyes can see or minds can comprehend. Your Holy Spirit is with us and he knows how to pray for us. He knows how to intercede for us. And what is he saying in his intercession? Groanings that communicate beyond words. It’s those things you just can’t put into words. It’s just beyond language. That’s how deeply the Holy Spirit is pairing with me even right now as I sit and attempt to put my prayer to you in typed out words on a laptop.

I’m praying in a limited language with a limited mind and limited vision. But my prayer goes through the Holy Spirit filter to you. I pray about my daily bread and the Holy Spirit knows more about what my daily bread need is. I pray that you will forgive me of my sins, but those are usually only just some of the ones of which I’m consciously aware. The Holy Spirit is turning that into deeper healing for me. I pray for my wife and children, but the Holy Spirit knows more about what they need than I do. I pray about my community, state, or country, but the Holy Spirit knows the depths of the need and more about what you are doing in the world that is so much bigger than the needs I can think of.

I wonder how Paul got this revelation. How did he get this knowledge of how the Holy Spirit prays for us? Did you meet with him more often than just on the road to Damascus? Did he get words of knowledge like prophets?

Father, I have relatives for whom I want to pray this morning. Some are struggling with life in general. Some are healing from medical conditions. Some are hurt and angry. Some are wounded and need healing. Some are just trying to serve you and need encouragement. Holy Spirit, you know each life I’m thinking about right now. Help me pray to the Father for them. My community, state, country, and world need you. Each of the 7 billion people on this planet right now needs you. I don’t know how your plan works or how this all works out, but I know you are working a plan. But I see suffering locally and overseas. Please be merciful and move the men and women with power to address the suffering. The horrendous things going on. I have some problems to solve at work. Please lead me to solutions. Lead me to your solutions. Holy Spirit, you know more about what we need and who we need than I do. Please pray for me. My family and community need you. Show me my role in being your presence to them. Holy Spirit, walk with me in every moment today.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 22, 2025 in Romans

 

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James 5:13-18

06 May

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

James 5:13-18

Dear God, for what shall I pray? That is my question this morning. Our nonprofit has a fundraising dinner tonight. It’s an important part of our fundraising for the year, but I have to tell you, while by head feels the pressure of bringing in as much money as possible, my spirit–your Spirit?–is telling me that it’s not about the money. It’s not about the strokes to my ego that will come with a financially successful evening. I am going to have about 290 people who need you. They need your love. They need your touch. They need your inspiration. They need to love you. They need to love their neighbors. They don’t realize it, but this evening isn’t about what they can do for us as potential donors. It’s about what we, as an organization, can do for them.

Perhaps we will inspire them to give. But maybe, just maybe, we will soften their hearts towards the hungry, the imprisoned, the lonely, and, yes, the unhealthy. Some say empathy is a sin, but I disagree. You have empathy with us through the life you lived on earth. We can’t say, “You don’t understand,” because you do understand.

So I am turning my eyes towards you for this evening. I am not praying for how much money we raise. I’m not even praying for our patients. Who I’m praying for are the people in the room. Prepare each heart, including mine, for what you might have for us tonight. Let your Holy Spirit flow through the room. Let it flow out of each believer there. Be glorified, oh Lord, be glorified! Whatever money may come is welcome and we will do our best to be good stewards of it for the sake of our patients. But I don’t want that to be the focus tonight. I want it to be about every soul we encounter tonight. I want it to be about every soul you love. Be glorified in our small town tonight, Father!

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2025 in James

 

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Romans 12:14

03 May

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 

Romans 12:14

Dear God, I heard something interesting on the Slow Theology podcast yesterday. Well, I listened to a couple of podcasts, but I think it was this one. It might have been the Esau McCauley podcast. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. They were talking about social media and some of the dehumanization we’ve done on social media to each other. One of the speakers suggested that it be a rule that if you say anything negative about someone on social media that you make a commitment to pray earnestly for that person for one year. Now, this was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it was serious too. We need to see others as your dearly loved children. We need to see them with your eyes.

So what does that mean for me? I need to think about blessing some people more. I need to pray for them. It doesn’t mean I need to be buddies with them, but I do need to care for them and care about them. I need to be curious and not judgmental. I am sure someone who persecutes me wakes up in the morning thinking they are right and doing the right thing. Very few people wake up with evil intentions. So why are the doing what they are doing? There are politicians in our country and the world who frustrate me. Do I pray for them or do I curse them? Do I care about them and bless them, or do I ridicule and hate them? Is there a limit at which I can not care about them? Does that level exist.

Father, help the people who are running through my head right now. And help me. The more I pray for their deficiencies, the more I can see my own. The more I start to feel self-righteous, the more I feel your Holy Spirit’s conviction. So I pray that you heal them. I pray that they might be forces of your good in this world at whatever level of society they operate. I pray that you might use them for your will to come and be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give them their daily bread. Forgive them as they forgive others. Lead them not into temptation. Deliver them from evil. And I pray the same for me. Give me my daily bread today. Bring your will into the earth through my small life. Forgive me as I forgive others. Lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the kingdom, power, and glory are yours forever.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 3, 2025 in Romans

 

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1 John 5:13-15

02 May

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

1 John 5:13-15

Dear God, the key phrase here is “according to His will.” According to your will. That’s the trick. There are times when it just feels like my will is so much better. Don’t you see, what I want is good (for me) and therefore must be good for you and everyone else.

There is a great sorrow I carry every day. And most days, I can sit and pray–and really believe–not my will, but your will be done. Maybe this sorrow will lead to something great one day that I cannot see. Maybe this sorrow is bringing about some result that I am blind to. So I can be at peace in this sorrow, with you holding me.

But there are other days where I go to you and I simply, selfishly say, “This isn’t fair! I don’t deserve this. I did the best I could. Why do I have this pain?” All about me.

Father, the first thing I need to do when praying according to your will is to take any gains for me out of the equation because as soon as I have even the slightest ounce of selfishness the prayer is tarnished. Like yeast in the bread. The yeast of the Pharisees. So help all of my prayers to be about you, about others, and about your kingdom coming and your will being done, regardless of what it might cost me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 2, 2025 in 1 John

 

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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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Isaiah 50:4-5

16 Apr

4 The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
5 The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
    and I have listened.
    I have not rebelled or turned away.

Isaiah 50:4-5

Dear God, these are beautiful words. They are words completely out of context and in the middle of a bunch of other words I totally don’t understand. And I don’t know if they have the same meaning in isolation that they do as part of the whole, but for this morning, being the words Sister Miriam has for me in Restored: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, they are beautiful words I want to sink into.

Why am I here? Well, it’s to comfort the weary. It’s to be your hands and feet to others. To be your ears. To speak your words of comfort and wisdom. My job is to be as tied into you as I can so that I can 1.) hear your Holy Spirit when he is nudging me to move and 2.) have your words or physical strength to do what you’re calling me to do. I need you to awaken me so that I might understand your will.

I need to listen to you as you speak to me. That’s a really hard one. I need to listen as you speak to me. Listening requires shutting up, and I have a hard time shutting up. I have a really hard time shutting up. I have a hard time turning off the other noise as distractions from you. Maybe that’s a spiritual attach that keeps me from hearing you on a consistent basis. I don’t know. But I need to listen as you speak to me.

Father, help me to not rebel and turn from your way. Help me to listen as yo speak to me. Help me to be aware of when you are calling me to act, and give me the courage to act–even if maybe the action required is for me to stop and pray for someone. Give me your words of comfort and wisdom for others. And help me to hear your words of wisdom and comfort for me through whomever it is you choose to send into my life with your words. I love you, Lord. I am here to worship, bow down, and say you are my God.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2025 in Isaiah

 

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Psalm 102:1

08 Apr

Psalm 102

A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the Lord.

1 Lord, hear my prayer!
    Listen to my plea!

Psalm 102:1

Dear God, I wanted to capture not only the verse that Sr. Miriam highlighted today in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, but also include the description of the psalm given to us by scripture. As I think about the pervasive problem in my life that I have poured out to you for well over a decade now, I can say that I’m actually tired of it. I’m tired of praying about it. I’m tired of lamenting it. I’m tired of the pain that I’m addressing when I pray about it. I’m tired of the pain I feel from it. To some extent, I feel hopeless about it, and my prayer feels fruitless.

It’s that last one that gives me pause and want to un-say all of the rest of the things I just said. Has the prayer really been fruitless? I don’t know that it has done anything to make the situation any better or the pain any less, but I can say that it has affected me. It has changed me. I’ve discovered things about myself and about you that I didn’t know 10 or 15 years ago. I’m better now. I’m also more sensitive to the pain of others. The fire has refined me. The breaking has allowed you to put me back together in a better way.

It’s interesting to get older and feel legitimately closer to death. I’m still relatively young and likely have decades ahead of me, but I’m just feeling the slippage of time in a way I didn’t used to. I think part of my pain now is that I don’t know if the situation over which I lament will be resolved in my lifetime. Will I die with this pain and disappointment?

So now I need to think about the forgiveness part of this lament. The hurt I’m experiencing was caused by the actions of many, including my own. Do I forgive the actions of the others? Do I forgive myself?

Father, that is part of this process too: Forgiveness. I need to remember that the sorrow comes from some situation, and my mind is probably blaming someone for that situation, including myself. Help me to identify what needs to be forgiven in others and myself, and help me to not only extend that forgiveness, but then know how to and how not to act on that forgiveness. Where do I draw the line? Help me get there.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2025 in Psalms, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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