December 29, 2014

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

Even in this hibernating winter, we see Your beauty. We see reasons for hope and life amongst the frozen land. Thank You for keeping Your eye on the sparrow. Thank You for the joy of the little chickadee, and providing the hundreds of seeds each one needs. Thank You for the individual crystals of the snow--the blanketing and watering of the earth for the coming growth of plants. Thank You for the scurrying squirrels. Thank You for the precious sunrises--how we need them. Thank You for the subtle pastels in the snow. 

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

Lord, we want to hear You pass. Open our ears. Quiet our hearts.  Help us to hear. 

And please help the hurting soldier hear. May they see hope in the midst of all this suffering. May they hear You in spite of all the noise. May the suicide thoughts be restrained. Lord Jesus, in Your Name, please comfort their hearts and heal their wounds.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

Oh how we long for that day! Don't let us be bitter about the tragedies. Don't let us--Your people--give up optimism. That would prove our distrust of You, Your plan, Your ability to carry it out. Help us to balance the seriousness of the spiritual battle we are in with the joy in Your ultimate victory. 

Help us to shine out that light, Lord! Use us in the lives of these wounded brothers and sisters. 

We pray for the families of those who have given in to the depression. Only You can turn their mourning into dancing, can make it good in the end. May this terrible event bring them closer to You.

We pray for wisdom for our chaplains, doctors, and other leaders. Help them to be Your tool to save these lives.

And we pray for those in theater--those who are confronting a flesh and blood enemy. Lord protect them. Make their mission clear and give them success. 

We pray for those PCSing right now--moving to new parts of Your world.  Go before them, come behind them, and place Your hand on their head. Please give them safety in their travels.

It's only because of Your gift to us, Lord, that we can come with such boldness to You. Thank You for hearing our prayers. Thank You for never tiring of listening to us. Thank You for being in all of our parts of the world--we can never get away from You, can never hide. 

Amen! 

Dec. 22, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGocwdIGb48

Lauren Daigle - Light Of The World Lyrics

From the album Christmas: Joy To The World

The world waits for a miracle

The heart longs for a little bit of hope

O come, O come, Emmanuel

A child prays for peace on earth

And she's calling out from a sea of hurt

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And can you hear the angels singing

(chorus)

Glory to the Light of the world

Glory the Light of the world is here

The drought breaks with the tears of a mother

A baby's cry is the sound of love 

Come down, come down Emmanuel

He is the song for the suffering

He is Messiah

The Prince of Peace has come

He has come, Emmanuel

(bridge)

For all who wait

For all who hunger

For all who've prayed

For all who wander

Behold your King

Behold Messiah

Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Behold your King

Behold Messiah

Emmanuel, Emmanuel

The world waits for a miracle

The heart longs for a little bit of hope

O come, O come, Emmanuel

Lord God Almighty

You came as a vulnerable little one.

The same way You make all of us. 

Lord this world can so easily crush the least of these.

There seems to be a war against children now.

There is still weeping in Ramah,

Rachel will not be comforted.

We pray for the parents of the murdered school children in Pakistan.

We pray for the parents of the stolen girls in Africa.

We pray for the parents of the beheaded children in Iraq.

Without You Lord, there is no hope. We need You to come down again and again.

We remember that You too came down as a baby.

We remember that You too weep.

We remember that You will make it all right--

that You wrap these children's souls in Your arms.

And we pray for our own children.

We pray for the children whose parents are deployed. Give their hearts Your unbelievable peace.

We pray for the children whose parents' hearts are still far away. Be their loving Father when their parents can't be.

When friends come and go, and families are so important, we pray for the strengthening of the military family. Be the grace between us. Help us to be what our children need.

And we pray for their futures.

May they be blessings to their spouses.

May they grow to be strong leaders in their communities.

May they grow in Your image.

There is a heart of a child in all of us, Lord. We pray for the soldier's heart--may it hold to hope and not give in to despair.

And may we all focus more on the good You lavishly spread than the evil we see.

You are our King! You are our Messiah!

We love You! Amen!

Dec. 14, 2014

Glory to God in the highest!

When the stars shimmer and the aurora lights dance, and we breathe, "Glory!", it is a small glimpse of Your Glory.

When the waves roar and the wind blows, we yell to You, "Glory!"

When the first delicate pink petal pops open until the whole tree puffs pink, we join it in singing of Your Glory.

When the rainbow arches over the meadow, and Your promises arch over us, we nod "Glory!"

When the clouds glow gold over the dark purple mountains before the sun bursts through the cracks, we whisper "Glory!"

When peace settles over the baby, and his breathing slows to sleep, we feel Your Glory.

When the child's language of a smile erupts in a mountain village, at a fish camp, in the desert, in the city, we see Your Glory.

When a man lays down his life for his brother, we know Your Glory.

When a man and woman live as sacrifice for each other, we learn to live Your Glory.

More beautiful than anything we can see--
More calming than anything we can sense--
More awe-inspiring than any tale we tell--
More awesome than we can comprehend--
More loving than we could ever give--

Glory to You God! Glory to You in the highest!

Lord we thank You for our military marriages. For all those tough soldiers who fight the battles of the day, then come home to have their hearts calmed and muscles smoothed by their help-mate. For the partnership in facing the challenges that mirrors the partnership we have with You. For someone to love and be loved by.

And Lord, help us in these marriages. As we follow our "Josephs" off to all kinds of unknown lands, give us strength, and joy. As you bless us with children to raise, with homes to care for, with more money to manage, give us wisdom. Always Lord, we pray for unity. Lord teach us how to help each other more, to grow into the best you would have us be.

We pray for those who cannot be together this Christmas. Lord, guard their hearts and fill their wounds.

We pray for the single soldier. Lord, hold them.

And always, Lord, we pray that the soldiers' hearts would not succumb to the spirit of suicide.  May they be aware of Your pursuit.  May they hold to hope.

Thank You Lord for loving us so--
Amen

Dec. 7, 2014

Let's pray with Zechariah (in Luke 1:68-79) for our world:

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited His people and redeemed them.

The children of Israel first, but all of us too. Thank You Lord for saving us. For giving us the only possible hope, the only possible peace.

He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of His servant David,
just as he promised through His holy prophets long ago.

From the beginning of time You had a plan. How can we not trust You with our todays?

Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.
He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant with them,
the covenant He gave to our ancestor Abraham.

Lord, many still hate us, because we live in Your name. Thank You for saving so many of us, for giving us peace in this time. We pray for our brothers and sisters who suffer from the hatred. May they know Your presence. We all look forward to the day when Your plan comes together--the glorious new heaven and earth!

We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear,
in holiness and righteousness forever.

Lord, thank You for freeing us from the terrible darkness of sin and guilt. We can come to You without fear! We are holy and righteous! Thank You for coming as a baby, so we can born clean.

And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.

Like John the Baptist before us, send us out Lord! We want to prepare the way for You to come and convict and redeem. Oh Lord, may we be called the children of the Most High. Lord, help us make Your name known this Christmas season to our neighbors, to our soldiers.

You will tell His people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
Because of God's tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.

This Christmas is terribly dark for many Lord. We pray for the families of the fallen.
We pray for the veterans, living in the nightmares.
We pray for the soldiers who don't know forgiveness. Lord, help them hold on until they find You.
We pray for our Chaplains--preparing the way--and for the people they counsel.
We pray for our leaders as they try to find a path of peace amongst this violent world.
We pray for the orphans without a family.

We look forward to Your coming Lord. We need the light from heaven. Help us to be Your light--to break upon the world around us.

We love You!
Amen

December 1, 2014

We say Come Lord Jesus, come.

Thank You for this time to remember Your coming and all the joy that surrounds it.
Thank You for love and goodwill.
Thank You for peace and grace.
As we are dazzled by our little cheap lights, thank You for stars and dancing aurora. Thank You for being our light.
As children wait anxiously for trinkets, thank You for the hope of the world.
As the snow covers and cleans blemishes over thousands of miles, thank You for covering our sins.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

Come into our homes. At this time when we are trying to celebrate Your coming, we can get so distracted. Be the grace among us. Make us slow down. Don't let us miss Your presence.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

Come into our hearts afresh. Help us to be the parents we need to be, first by example. Change us. Make us more like You today. Thank You for our families, for each child. We worry about so many things with our kids--teaching them, clothing them, disciplining them. Help us in these areas Lord. And help us to entrust them to You.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

We pray You will come into their hearts Lord. More than any gift we can give them, we want to show them the way to You. More than any protection we can give them, will You please give them peace? More than any lecture we can give them, will You please mold their lives to Your will? More than any gift, please bless them with contentment. More than any comfort we can fashion around them, please ignite their passion--for You, and for the hurting in this world.

In the nuts and bolts of learning this week, Lord help us to see the big picture with them.
As You close doors in their opportunities, help them to find the windows to which You are leading.
As we expect them to complete tasks these days, don't let us make them into 'human-doings' when You made human beings.
As we see our own sins mirrored back to us in them, help us to give the same grace You give us.
Teach us through them Lord: to find joy in the simple, to not be in a hurry, to trust You to take care of our needs, to delight in these holy days.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

May our families be Your cities on a thousand hills, Lord. We especially pray we will be contagious in our military communities. May we be family to the single soldiers far from their homes. Use us amongst the hurting Lord. To all our posts we pray:

Come Lord Jesus!
Amen!

November 24, 2014

Almighty God

Father in Heaven

Holy of Holies

Our Provider

My Lord and My God

Thank You. It would take our entire life to list all of our blessings, all the gifts You have sent. Which is the idea, eh? May we spend the rest of our lives thanking You.

Amongst so many other things, we thank You for the military.

Thank You for the many who returned safely from numerous deployments.

Thank You for a changed world because of the warriors You used to protect the innocent.

Thank You for changed people, who found You during their time serving.

Thank You for increased freedom to worship You because of our soldiers' sacrifices.

Thank You for the brave men and women who stepped up to volunteer.

Thank You for wisdom for our leaders.

Thank You for amazing technology and strategies.

Thank You for armor, and uniforms, helmets and boots, and yes, for guns and ammo and supply trucks and helicopters and jets.

Thank You for our posts.

For commissaries and libraries and helping offices and MPs and child care.

Thank You for chapels.

And friends and worship songs and Your Word being boldly proclaimed.

Thank You for PWOC and AWANA and youth group.

Thank You for pay checks and health care and medicine and dental and housing.

Thank You for adventures and memories and friends all over the world.

Thank You for special events and discounts. Thank You for moving trucks and crews.

Thank You for ranks and challenges and encouragement. For discipline and order.

Thank You for young wives and children, grounding and building up many soldiers.

Thank You for the strength and tenacity to face this lifestyle.

Thank You for shaping our characters through these difficult times: for courage, for toughening us up, for resiliency.

Thank You for understanding the warrior's heart.

Thank You for forgiveness of sins.

Thank You that this life isn't the best there is.

Thank You for Your presence--no matter what part of the world, no matter what we've done, no matter how we feel.

And as You give us so much grace, help us to extend it to others. We pray for our enemies. You change hearts, Lord. We pray they would find You in all their seeking. Replace their passionate hatred with Your passionate love.

This grace, so amazing, how can it be?

May we live aware of this grace this week--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt5X91ciE6Y

I am guilty
Ashamed of what I've done, what I've become
These hands are dirty
I dare not lift them up to the Holy one

Chorus
You plead my cause
You right my wrongs
You break my chains
You overcome
You gave Your life
To give me mine
You say that I am free
How can it be
How can it be

I've been hiding
Afraid I've let you down, inside I doubt
That You could love me
But in Your eyes there's only grace now

Bridge
Though I fall, You can make me new
From this death I will rise with You
Oh the grace reaching out for me
How can it be
How can it be

Nov. 17, 2014

"Sitting in the presence of God for one hour each morning--day after day, week after week, and month after month, in total confusion and with a myriad of distractions--radically changes my life."--Henri Nouwen


Help us Lord!
We can't even pray with our 'myriad of distractions'. We are helpless to even ask for help at times. Incapable of letting go of the very things that are hurting us. Calm our minds Lord. Help us to focus on You. Help us to be changed in this prayer time.

And Lord, help us to pray. Prick our sensitivity this week. When we catch our breath from the colors in the sunrise, may we see a glimpse of You. When we hold a child, may we feel Your arms around us both. When we lash out, may we heed Your loving rebuke. When joy swells in our heart, may we breathe thanks. May we seek out the quiet. May we sit with You.

Make us a praying people Lord. In all our chapels, around the world, may we be a house of prayer. More than great worship, powerful preaching, successful and popular, we want to be Your children, in constant communication with You.

We pray for our chaplains and Christian leaders. May they always operate with integrity. Strengthen their walk with You, so they can break the trail. We pray for their teaching and preaching--that it would always be Your words for us.

We pray for our worship. Don't let us get too distracted with mistakes or greatness, but may our hearts turn and swell with You. It's been said we lie most to You when we sing. Don't let us lie with a callous heart Lord.

We pray-pray-pray for our children's ministries. Thank You Lord for the open, young hearts. Help us to rightly handle those. We pray for patience, strength and joy for our workers.

We pray for our fellowship. Help us to see the greeting time as a blessing--a time to rejoice that You have gathered people together. May no one leave feeling alone.

We pray for our outreach. Lord, give each of us a person to invite. May our chapel reflect Your open arms. And beyond our community: thank You for the opportunities to touch the world. Thank You for an abundance of offerings, and help us to use them wisely. Thank You for the Operation Christmas Child boxes going out, and we pray that each box finds the perfect child. May these little gifts spark a world-wide reaping of a harvest for You.

We pray for PWOC. May it continue to break through walls for women.

We pray against the spirit of suicide amongst our soldiers. Lord, please release Your Spirit in a mighty way among these wounded souls. Make us mighty prayer warriors in this spiritual battle.

"I seek the gift, find instead the Giver, and eventually come away with the gift I no longer seek."--Philip Yancey

It's pretty easy to worry without ceasing, Lord. Help us this week to pray without ceasing. And in finding You, change us.

We love You Lord!
Amen!

Nov. 10 amend, 2014

I can't verify the validity of this email, but we know it could be true. And either way, we need to be spurred to prayer.

And Father, we plead with You for our brothers and sisters in Iraq:

Date: Sat, Nov 8, 2014 at 9:05 AM
Subject: URGENT PRAYER NEEDED
To:

ACC Prayer Request

Please pray for this urgent request.
Prayer Request from Dan and Marilyn Wilson.  Missionaries who are in
the areas that are being attacked by ISIS are asking to be showered in
prayer. ISIS has taken over the town they are in today. He said ISIS
is systematically going house to house to all the Christians and
asking the children to denounce Jesus. He said so far not one child
has. And so far all have consequently been killed. But not the
parents. The UN has withdrawn and the missionaries are on their own.
They are determined to stick it out for the sake of the families -
even if it means their own deaths. They are very afraid, have no idea
how to even begin ministering to these families who have had seen
their children martyred. Yet he says he knows God has called them for
some reason to be His voice and hands at this place at this time. Even
so, they are begging for prayers for courage to live out their
vocation in such dire circumstances. And like the children, accept
martyrdom if they are called to do so. These brave parents instilled
such a fervent faith in their children that they chose martyrdom.
Please surround them in their loss with your prayers for hope and
perseverance.
One missionary was able to talk to her brother briefly by phone. She
didn't say it, but I believe she believes it will be their last
conversation. Pray for her too. She said he just kept asking her to
help him know what to do and do it. She told him to tell the families
we ARE praying for them and they are not alone or forgotten -- no
matter what. Please keep them all in your prayers.
This came this morning...
Just a few minutes ago I received the following text message on my
phone from Sean Malone who leads Crisis Relief International (CRI). We
then spoke briefly on the phone and I assured him that we would share
this urgent prayer need with all of our contacts.
"We lost the city of Queragosh (Qaraqosh). It fell to ISIS and they
are beheading children systematically. This is the city we have been
smuggling food to. ISIS has pushed back Peshmerga (Kurdish forces) and
is within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more
fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated its staff in
Erbil. Our team is unmoved and will stay. Prayer cover needed!" Please
pray sincerely for the deliverance of the people of Northern Iraq from
the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for
mass conversion or death for Christians across this region. May I
plead with you not to ignore this email. Do not forward it before you
have prayed through it. Then send it to as many people as possible.
Send it to friends and Christians you may know. Send it to your prayer
group. Send it to your pastor and phone him to pray on Sunday during
the service - making a special time of prayer for this. We need to
stand in the gap for our fellow Christians.
Thank you for all your prayers !!!!
--
Dr. Becky Peters
Professor of Education
Director of Lutheran Teaching Programs,
Colloquy, & Lutheran Placement
Concordia University Irvine

Nov. 10, 2014

Let's pray with Jonah for our soldiers:

Jonah 2:2-
"In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and You listened to my cry. 
You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all Your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, 'I have been banished from Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.'

Thank You Lord, for answering the prayers of our troops. For progress made: for Afghan girls in schools, villages in peace, bad guys on the run. Thank You for IEDs  that didn't work, bullets that missed, RPGs that went astray, evil plans that failed. Thank You for wisdom for our generals, for necessary working equipment, for our courageous infantry.

Thank You that we can call to You. You are strong enough, and loving enough, to hear. Thank You for forgiveness. Otherwise, who could stand?

Father God, help us to look to You when we are at our lowest--even when it's deserved punishment. We look to You, we turn toward Your holy temple. You have brought us all out of the pit. None can stand before You on our own. May our soldiers look to You and to Your temple--may we, Your church, be Your beacon of love and forgiveness, of sanctuary.

The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. 
But You, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered You, Lord, and my prayer rose to You, to Your holy temple.

Many turned to You in the fox holes, Lord, in the depths. May they remember those vows now that they are home. May the worst part of their life be changed to the best thing that ever happened to them--because it turned them to You. May the traumatic experiences bring words of praise. Not fear. Not terror in the night. Not raging anger. But thanksgiving!

Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to You. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.'

So often we feel like we are drowning Lord. Probably we are clinging to worthless idols, hoping they will keep us afloat. How many places we look for steadfast love--how hard we strive for it, in being undeniably attractive, unshakably stable in our finances, perfectly competent. Yet in all this, we lose our hope of steadfast love, because we have to turn away from You to grab at them. Forgive us Lord. Help us to hold to You, our Rock.

Help us all to learn the lessons of war, God. So few things really matter, but the ones that do, matter greatly. Help us to daily kill our idols, and sacrifice instead to You.

Salvation is from the Lord. And it is not always in this life. Thank You for saving our souls. Thank You for sparing our soldiers, our country. We ask for Your continued guidance to our leaders. May more soldiers find eternal life in You. You saved them in war, now we ask You save them in peace.

Nov. 3, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiGb14tTaH4

Lord help us! We are so easily overwhelmed--
by kids
by illness
by schedules
by expectations
by relationships
by anxieties of so many stripes
by that cursed money.

Ugg!

Lord help us! Help us to be overwhelmed by You--because You are overwhelming.
We put our worries in the middle of the Red Sea, and You can drown them. We can remember that You care for the sparrow, and be overwhelmed by Your great love--for all the sparrows in the world--and even more for all Your children. Instead of wondering if our kids will ever get through this, we can praise You for all the milestones they've conquered. Then we can watch and wonder in awe of how You-- will-- use-- them. And when we look at the numbers in the bank, help us to turn our eyes up to count the stars and remember nothing is too much for You.

We can trust in You because You remember we are fragile beings. You became one of us. You understand. How easily we tire. How small of a thing can turn our world upside down. How a one-inch piece of metal can kill. But we are unafraid because of Your mercy. Mercy that saves us now. Mercy that will save us eternally. Forgive us for the many times we doubt that mercy, doubt Your love.

So this week, overwhelm us Lord. You are more than enough. You are all good, all love. You are power beyond any weapon, beyond any government, beyond any disease, any enemy, any failure.

And Lord, through us, sweep over our families. May our homes be overflowing with grace, sanctuaries for our warriors. May our presence be sparks in our communities.

Overwhelm our chapels, Lord.
Overwhelm our neighborhoods.
Overwhelm our posts.

When disease and war and terrorism threaten to overtake our world, we look to You. You hold the ultimate victory.
We pray for our deployed. Bring them home safely. Please, Lord, settle their hearts.
We pray for the lost soldiers. Engulf them in Your love.
We pray for each other. May we be fully immersed in You this week.

Thank You for our sisters!
Amen and amen!

Oct. 27, 2014

Your love is like radiant diamonds bursting inside us
We cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us like blazing wild fire 
Singing your name 

God of mercy, sweet love of mine 
I have surrendered to your design 
May this offering stretch across the skies
These Hallelujahs be multiplied
--Need to Breathe's "These Hallelujahs Be Multiplied"

Oh Lord thank You for Your love for us--a love that saves us from our self. Self-absorption. Self-preservation. From hopelessness.

We cannot contain this love! It is too much. May all of us cracked vessels be spilling out Your light and hope amongst our military, and our world. Make us radiant. And as we, and our soldiers, give our lives for God and country, may our offerings be known for Your further glory. Help us to surrender to Your design. Over and over again. Forgive us for our stubborn selfishness that thinks it knows what it needs to be radiant.

Multiply these hallelujahs, Lord! May they spread through the 'hooahs' of thousands of soldiers. Lord, we pray for their safety. We pray for their success. But ultimately, we pray for their salvation. Spread like wildfire through our posts. May the military lead the way to revival for the whole nation.

From a wood shack in desert sands to the old stone chapel with a spire to the modern building in the middle of post to the insulated tent in the snowy field, Lord be in our chapels. May they be cities on hills. Filled with Your Spirit. Overflowing rays of hope. Pointing to You. May we be unified as Your people Lord. Focused on this mission and not our own agendas. Help us to see You in each other.

Because the stakes are desperate. Soldiers are dying without You and without hope. Fan our fire, Lord.

We pray for our chaplains. Give them strength. Courage. Give them wisdom in how to deal with this dual-culture. Thank You for putting them on the front lines in this spiritual battle. Use them mightily in many lives. 

And we pray the same for our Christian soldiers. Give them the weapons they need to fight this fight.

We pray for the rest of the soldiers in Afghanistan making their way home. Keep them safe in this critical, difficult time. Keep them patient. May their families be strengthened through the separation. May the trials be opportunities to come to You.

Give wisdom, clarity, purpose to any future missions, Lord. Protect our troops until they can all come home. We long for the day when we can come home to You.

Thank You for the hallelujahs rising across this great nation, and around the world. May we join in this song today!
Amen!

Oct 20, 2014

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!

For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
-Psalm 21: 1, 7, 13

Thank You Lord for your victory. For Your strength that makes all things possible. With a flick of the wrist, You send the stars in orbit. From the dust You fashion bone, sinew, muscle--an elephant can pull a load, a horse can lunge up a hill, a man can carry his brother.

All victory comes from You and ultimately You will be victorious over all. Oh we look forward to that day, when You conquer all evil. So many things can take life, but only You have the strength to give life. It is easy to hate, but You have the strength to love.

Thank You for our many returning victorious troops. Thank You for timely sand storms, and timely clear weather. Thank You for insightful strategies, and for bubbles of protection that have no earthly explanation. Thank You for truth revealed and small steps of winning hearts and minds. We pray for those seeds to germinate in the children of the Middle East's next generation. Thank You for our warrior's safety.

Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
--Psalm 20:6-7

And Lord we pray for our soldiers:
--for the safe return of more of our troops
--for the safe transport of those continuing to travel--for those deploying on new missions
--for wisdom for our leaders on how to continue

Lord You understand the warrior's heart. We pray You will guard it. As our people come home, help them to adjust. May they not feel forgotten or dishonored. May they find their place again. Give them a new sense of purpose.

Calm their hearts Lord. Calm their hearts.

Do not let the spirit of depression and suicide get to them Lord. Draw them to You day by day. May they sense Your chasing them down. Forgive their sins, and help them forgive themselves.

And use us in this mission Lord. Show us how to be Your light amongst our Army.

Amen.

Oct. 13, 2014

Lord, help us love You.

Remind us Lord, remind us of how much You love us.

Open our eyes to see Your gifts all around us.

Pursue us--don't give up on us--till we live as daughters of the King. The way You made us.

Thank You for loving us when we are ugly, hateful, selfish. Thank You for loving us when we are far from perfect, utterly helpless to make ourselves good. Thank You for loving us when we are totally useless.

Increase our love Lord, as we can only reciprocate what You have already given.

Thank You for surrounding us with beauty to remember You by. To see You in the mystery of the aurora. To receive a bouquet of wildflowers from You. To feel Your comfort through a loved one's hug. To have a book of love letters from You in the Scriptures.  To see Your paintings in the sunrises for our joy. To have a glimpse of Your unconditional love through our pets. To feel You swell our hearts with a beautiful melody.

The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you, in His love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing. --Zephaniah 3:17

You love us like a perfect Father to His daughter.
Like a groom enchanted with his bride.

Lord remind us. May we throw away all the guilt, all the doubt that make us feel separated from You.

Thank You for answering our prayers. Thank You for surrounding us with blessings. Thank You for filling us with peace. Thank You for life. For all the ups and downs and messiness and busy-ness and craziness. Thank You for being with us through it all.

And thank You for forgiving us. For Jesus. For giving Your precious Son to die a horrible death for a bunch of rebellious, weak creatures. And setting us free.

http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=559022

Yes, we are so weak, and we so desperately, completely need You.

Lord, we pray for each other.
--For the friend whose strange illness is incapacitating her. Give her strength for the difficult therapy, and may she be healed by You.
--For the woman in a coma after brain surgery. We ask for healing Lord.
--For the one whose family member has hurt them terribly.
--For the babies who are coming soon.
--For all of us who let life toss us around and harass us--leaving us over worked, over stressed, overwhelmed. But we are daughters of the King. You have no limits to Your resources. Make us live that way Lord! May it overflow into our marriages, our children, our neighborhoods.

We pray for the safe return of our soldiers.
And may they know, deep down, Your love. May the spirit of depression and suicide not be able to take hold. May our military lead the way in knowing Your love!

Thank You Father God. We trust in You and how You will answer these prayers.
Amen.

Oct. 6, 2014

God of time,
God of creation,
God of life,

You unfurl the leaf and cause it to stretch to the sky.
You expand the tiny chickadee brain, so it can remember where it stashed its seeds.
You teach the whale to sing.
You fill the horse's lungs as it races across the prairie.
You cause our little one's eyes to flutter open.

And You reach down and hold our hands. You let us curl up on Your lap. You wrap Your arms around us.

Thank You Lord, for being our perfect Father/Mother. Thank You for love unending... unconditional. Thank You for grace that picks us up and puts us on our feet again.

Thank You for the beauty and diversity of creation, made for our pleasure. We see Your care for it, and we love it too.

And thank You for our children, Lord. For giggles, and helping hands, and skipping, and snuggles, and funny sayings, and yes even for scraped knees and tears as they show life. Thank You for growth--for new heights and new sizes and awkward moments and deeper thoughts and bigger challenges.

Lord, we pray for our beloved ones. We pray for their direction of life. No matter what they do, may they honor You. Give them vision and mission. May they find what is worth living for. Give them Jesus.

Our posts are filled with these children Lord. We ask You to keep them safe. Help them to find good friends. Help them to be good friends. May their lives be filled with good adults who help them along. May they grow in integrity. But mostly:
Give them Jesus.

Yes Lord, we want them to be safe. We want them to be comfortable. We want them to be happy. But more than anything:
Give them Jesus.

Help them through their challenges right now, Lord. The schooling. The peers. The tasks it seems they will never master. The attitudes. May we be the parents they need. May their future spouses be protected and blessed. But mostly, may they grow in You. Nothing will bless our hearts more than to see them walking in You; and nothing will break our hearts more than to see them stray.

Which You understand more than we ever could.

So Lord, give them Jesus.

We pray for our young soldiers--somebody's baby. Keep them safe so they can grow closer to You. Thank You for bringing many home. Please be with those still in transit.
And we pray for all our soldiers. May they know deep down that they are loved. May they know it enough to be saved from the severe depression that lies to them.

We ask these things, knowing that You love them and love us with the love of a perfect Father.
And we just want more of You.
Amen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu2E2FUcIiE

Sep. 28, 2014

We take up our weapon in this war: we pray.

God of the Heavenly Armies,
We stand in front of our enemy, and it seems too big. We get surrounded, and there seems to be no hope.
Until we look up. Up past any star wars that man wages. Up to the highest heavens. Up to You.
What an awesome thing it would be to hear Your army rushing past in the top of the trees. Or to look out past the enemy's camp and see Your army rushing in on the clouds. What an awesome thing it is to spend the night afraid for our lives, only to walk out in the morning and find the enemy dead. Scattered. Gone.
Lord, open our eyes to see.

To see You: the ever-powerful One. You never get tired. You never get out-witted. You have no vulnerabilities. You don't trip. You don't make a mistake. You don't make wrong decisions. You don't arrive too late, without the weapons.

And You are the giver of all strength. All wisdom. All mercy.

For our generals who are standing in front of maps that are growing increasingly black and spotted with red, we pray. Lord give them wisdom. Morality. Fortitude.

For the private, dodging bullets far from home. Lord give him/her skill in their duties. Please be the shield around them.

And for all our soldiers in the middle, Lord we pray. May their trials bring them closer to You. May they be in the right. May You be their might. Help them to protect Your children. Courage, Lord. They need Your courage.

And Lord guard their hearts. Only You can help them deal with the things they have to do. Only You can heal this broken world. Please protect them from the spirit of depression and suicide.

"Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer-- it does not rise from deceitful lips.
Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right...

My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.
I call on You, my God, for You will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show me the wonders of your great love, You who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in You from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

They close up their callous hearts, and their mouth speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life....

As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness." --from Psalm 17

Lord our soldiers need You more than ever. Our nation needs You. Your church needs Your protection.

Thank You for all the safe travel of thousands of troops, and we pray for continued as more come home this week.

Please show our leaders the way to go.

Our only hope is in You. Thank You that You hear our prayers. Thank You that the battle is won. We wait for You.
Amen!

Sept. 21, 2014

...It is better to groan 
With my old, old load
Than to search within,
And find nothing there
But folly and sin....
--from "The Empty Cup" by Thomas Edward Brown

Oh Father God,
No suffering. No pain. You created us that way, and that is what we long for, and that is what we wait for in eternity.
But for now, we suffer. And we look to You. We ask for healing. But if not the healing, Lord make us better through the refinement, make us stronger with the pain.

Help us Lord, to pray with Paul:
"Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance."

God we pray for deliverance. For the little girl struggling to breathe. For the mother with an unknown malady causing her dizziness. For those recovering from surgery. For our soldiers who beat their bodies into all kinds of aches. For our parents who deal with the effects of age. We know You can heal all. You know the causes, and the remedies.

You've given us a small glimpse into the knowledge of medicine. Thank You for our doctors and researchers and medicines.  Thank You for the many remedies You give us through our world around us. We pray for continued progress, and may the people see You in all the discoveries.

Thank You for people to pray. Thank You for people who help. May we be available to those in need. Thank You for deepened relationships through walking this road together. And Thank You most of all for Your Spirit that carries us through. You are the source of all courage, strength, endurance.

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."

Lord when we are hurting, it is so hard to be good. But with You we can. We can reach out to the nurses and ask about their day. We can be patient with our child's new boo-boo. We can encourage our spouses. Help us Lord. Live through us as we die with Christ.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me..."

Lord whatever Your answer to our prayers, we trust in You. We live for You and give You full rein over our days. We have nowhere else to go, You are the giver of life. You are the one who breathes the stars. You are the one that makes the baby's chest heave and gasp their first breath. You are the one who sees every sparrow. You are the one who grows the beautiful pile of carrots, who swells the apples till they drop, who turns the pumpkins orange and adds the smell to cinnamon. All this to give us life, and life abundantly. You are the one who can rock us in Your arms and give us peace. Unbelievable, unshakable peace.

So in sickness and in health, we face this week with You Lord.

"We pray that you will be STRENGTHENED with His glorious POWER so that you will have all the PATIENCE and ENDURANCE you need. May you be filled with JOY, always thanking the Father." --Colossians 1:11

all other verses from Phil. 1: 19-22

Sept. 15, 2014

Wow! Let's get back to praying together! I need it. And so many fronts on this spiritual battle need our attention...at a time when attention is perhaps one of our most priceless, treasured commodities...

Thanks for joining with me, Sisters.

Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God My Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassion they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Oh Father God,
Everything around us is changing--everything we know changes. Border lines. People's minds. Our own bodies resisting efforts to remain timeless. Yet somehow, beyond the beyond, You are constant. You are everlasting. You are faithful.

Faithful. How we need that. And how we can't even give it back. On our own, we are so adrift. Please anchor us Lord. Hold our thoughts when the grocery list, the beheadings, the lost school books distract us. Lord we lay down our lives, we lay down our attention before You.
Thank You for Your faithfulness. Make us faithful. Thank You for new mercies, morning after morning after morning.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Lord thank You for a beautiful fall! Thank You for leaves turning aflame! Thank You for harvests--wheat fields turned golden, full corn ears, ruby red tomatoes, perfect chunky pumpkins. Thank You for overflowing abundance.

Lord forgive us for being carried away by anxiety. And our wants. And just plain old self-centeredness.

So many things, Father God, that we need You to help us with.

We pray, pray, pray, pray for the persecuted church. May they see You even in their last breath. Strengthen and comfort them. May they be found faithful.

And may their chains cause our boldness. Even as young people are attracted to the passion of the extremists, may more be attracted to the commitment of the Christ followers. May we be heard today--at the commissary, the soccer field, the mail boxes. Lord may we overwhelm our post--the place where You assigned us--with the gospel.

Lord, please bring Pastor Saeed home.

Lord be with our deployed soldiers. Give them wisdom and strength. May they be in the right.

Lord please protect our soldiers and families from the depression and suicide. Open our eyes to the hurting. Use us, we pray. We want to be the light in the darkness.

Lord help us to carry out our little lives today as You would have us. We have to pay bills. We have to run car pools. We have to cook dinner. But we can do this all Your way.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me!

July 30, 2014

Note: this is a guest post by Emily Moore.

A prayer based on Psalm 31.

O Lord, I take refuge in You; don’t let me put to shame!  Deliver me, in Your righteousness; answer me and rescue me quickly!  You are my Rock and my Fortress.  Who else can I go to?  If You fail me, I will be utterly destitute, because my spirit has been committed into Your hands.  Demonstrate Your saving power; prove Your Name strong and secure!  You are the faithful God of all gods.  You are my redeemer, and I trust in You.

I hate those who pay regard to idols.  They’re worthless!  They cannot save anyone.  I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love alone, because You see my trouble and rescue me.  Idols are a deception, and the enemy seeks to overtake me, but You have not delivered me into their hand.  You know my suffering, and You will conquer and save.

Be gracious to me, O Lord!  I am in distress!  My heart, soul, body and mind are sick with grief.  I know I don’t deserve Your grace.  It’s because of my sin that my strength fails.  And it’s because of my enemies that I’m shunned by all my acquaintances.  No one wants to be near me, because they know it means trouble.  There’s no escape – people are conspiring against me on every side.

But I trust in You, Lord!  You are my God.  Even though the situation looks hopeless, You are my only hope.  My life is in Your hand.  Rescue me; make Your face shine on me and save me in Your steadfast love!  Don’t make me look like a fool for trusting You.  Instead, make my enemies be silenced!  Let the wicked be put to shame; turn the tables on those who were full of pride and contempt.

I know the end of the story.  You have stored up such abundant goodness for those who fear You and take refuge in You!  You will come through.  You thwart the plots of evil men and You safeguard the righteous.  It’s so easy to get alarmed, in the middle of trouble!  I said You cut me off from Your sight.  But I spoke too soon.  You have wondrously shown Your steadfast love to me.  You heard my pleas for mercy.

Love the Lord, all you his saints!  The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.  Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

July 21, 2014

Note: this is a guest post by Emily Moore.

Psalm 34:19-22

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Father, it’s so easy to remember how many our afflictions are!  It’s easy to remember the sickness and injury and death and danger that daily surrounds us.  It’s easy to pay attention to the things that are right in front of us.  Sometimes the situation seems hopeless.  We can’t see a way out of it.

But You, O Lord, are our help and our shield!  You are our Deliverer.  Perhaps we will remain in the midst of affliction for a long time, or perhaps You will save us quickly.  But this we know: You alone will deliver us from all of our afflictions.  For the sake of Your Son, the Righteous Redeemer, have mercy on us!  We know that just as Your Son suffered and was glorified, so too if we hold fast to Him our suffering will result in glory.  Just as You kept Your promises to Your Son – not one of His bones was broken! – You will keep Your promises to us.

But for the wicked – those who refuse to acknowledge Your Name, those who murder and lie and steal and glory in their shame – You will not rescue them!  They will die because of their affliction.  They will receive justice.  They will be condemned for their hatred.  Lord, let Your justice prevail over the wicked!

But we know, and tremble because we know it, that only Your grace keeps us from the same fate.  We are all murderers in our hearts.  We all deserve to be slain by affliction.  But thank You for Your redemption in Your Son!  Our lives are secure in You, because we have taken refuge in You.  Look upon Your servants with favor!  Let us live in the light of Your presence, and let us live by mercy as we have been given mercy.

In Jesus’ holy and precious Name,

Amen.

July 14, 2014

One of the most commonly shared prayer requests is healing. We all get sick or injured at some point, and we yearn to be healthy. We ask for protection for soldiers in harm’s way. We long for the ability to engage in life with full joy and confidence.

But often, we remain sick and injured. We keep asking, over and over, for protection, and yet soldiers are wounded and killed. Why does a God of life, of healing, seem to ignore our prayers? Is it because of a lack of faith? Is it because God is disciplining or punishing us?

The Bible does speak of these possibilities. However, Psalm 34:19a says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” God also chooses to let His children struggle, without any apparent reason. Job is the classic Biblical example of righteous suffering.

In light of this difficult, sometimes heartrending, truth, what should be our perspective as we pray for healing?

First of all, we must trust God and fear Him. He is not a puppet, to be bound by our wishes. He has promised to answer our prayer, but He has complete authority to respond according to His wisdom and His timing. We must fear God, because His power is unlimited. However, this same truth causes us to trust Him. Because He has all authority, He is able to execute His plans according to His perfect wisdom and love. We pray to God, knowing that He hears us, loves us, and will certainly accomplish what is best for us – even if it causes us pain for a little while.

Secondly, we must maintain an eternal perspective. As many of the psalms remind us, we are made of dust, and like the flower of the field, fade and die in the blink of an eye. There is no such thing as perfect health in this lifetime. As soon as we reach our prime, our bodies begin to wear out. However, we have an eternal weight of glory awaiting us in heaven. The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us!

Finally, we must pray with confidence that God will heal us. If a son asks his father for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks him for a fish, will he give him a snake? God has not commanded us to pray in futility. Instead, God has given us His unbreakable promise to answer us as a father would his son. God delights to give us good things – not just in some over-spiritualized pie-in-the-sky, but here on earth, in our frail, temporary jars of clay. Yes, our ultimate hope and our only perfect healing is found in heaven. But David also wrote in Psalm 27:13, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!”

Each of these aspects of praying for healing is important. Overconfidence can lead to treating God like a genie in a lamp or a powerful puppet. Forgetting God’s fatherly goodness will lead to a faithless over-spiritualization of God’s healing promises. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and everyone who trusts in Him will find refuge. Easier said than done! But God is gracious, and He will surely give to those who ask.