December 28, 2015

Let's pray today with the prayer from War Room movie.

You are good and You are mighty and You are merciful

Praise you Jesus

Guide me to who you want me to help

Raise up more that will call upon Your name

Raise up those that love you and seek you and trust you

Lord we need an army of believers that will stand on your word above all else

Raise up warriors Lord, who will fight on their knees

Who will worship you with their whole hearts Lord

Lord call us to battle

That we may proclaim you King of kings and Lord of lords

I pray these things with all my heart

RAISE EM UP LORD, RAISE EM UP

An Army of believers, Lord! we pray
We pray for our soldiers
We pray for our husbands
We pray for our children
And for us, Lord, raise us up!

December 21, 2015

Let's pray with Mary in Luke 1:46- today:

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

Yes Lord yes! Today we stop and praise You. You hold the storehouses of the snow and cover miles and miles with inches of millions of exquisite flakes. And in the midst of all that, You find the sparrow a safe place to sleep. You move the winds that can stop our best technology in its tracks. You can thwart the strongest nation with a storm. You can melt the hardest heart. And Your love covers people of all nations, of all ages.

for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His name.

The Mighty One who turns the stars, also knows and sees and loves the poorest child in the most forgotten hovel. You have done such great things for us.
Holy is Your name! This is a sacred time, and we bow before Your throne.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

Forgive us, Lord, for when we don't fear You. For when we lose site of You in our quest for the perfect holiday. Thank You for Your mercy. You know our inmost thoughts, our hearts.

And You have done mighty deeds for us, for our country, for our soldiers. Thank You Lord for communities of friends, for battles won, for planes of warriors returning home safely, for a land of resources, for the best nation in the world.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty....

Lord, we pray for peace in this world. No one wants it more than You. No one knows the pain of the children more than You. We long for when You come again. Help us to do Your work--feeding the hungry, lifting the broken, freeing the prisoners. We pray for your workers on the battle field, in the classroom, in the home, in the Chief of Chaplains' office, in the barracks. 

And Lord, we need Your peace in our lives. We pray for those who are sick. We pray for those in the hospital rooms, and those going to visit, including the little ones with cancer, the sisters with shingles and rashes, the brothers recovering from gunshot wounds, the wounded warriors. We pray for our hurting veterans, may they find You in this season. We pray for our families who have lost their soldiers, may they have Your peace. We pray for those of us in transition--for houses and new jobs and the details of moving.

Move in our hearts Lord. We love You! Amen.

December 14, 2015

Click here to worship with "Thou Who Wast Rich"

1. Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love's sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love's sake becomes poor.

2. Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love's sake becamest man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heavenwards by thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love's sake becamest man.

3. Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.
Emmanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what thou wouldst have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.

Emmanuel! Emmanuel! God WITH us! God WITH us!

Not just in the perfectly decorated house with the loving children who never fight.

Not just in saintly churches where no curse word is ever heard.

Not just in perfectly orchestrated holiday dinner parties.

But in the manger--in the dirt, the cold, the dark, the dung.

God with our soldiers in the lonely outposts.

God with our sailors in the deep hull surrounded by unbelievers.

God with our warriors when the bullets are screaming through the air.

God with the Christian refugees who don't know where it's safe to sleep tonight.

God with Gracie and Brecklynn and Ron in their hospital rooms and homes.
God with the privates away from home for the first time, and their families.
God with the veterans alone in their war.
God with the sick mothers. And with those who want to be mothers.

Thank You Jesus! Thank You for dwelling with us. Please dwell within us. "Make us what Thou wouldst have us be." May we be Your vessels into people's lives this holiday.

We pray that You will be amongst all our ranks--from the Pentagon and the Chief of Chaplain's office to the barracks. Lord, may our chapel services shine, but more so may our lives shine. Please widen our sphere of influence, and may we handle that responsibility.

Lord please be the grace in our homes in this time. Help us with all our little concerns--to keep them in perspective and to trust in You. Please heal Gracie and Brecklynn and Ron and others who are struggling so. Please be with Pastor Saeed and other Christian brothers and sisters in prison cells. Please be with the refugees.

Please be with those for whom Christmas is hard. We know You understand, as the cross cast its shadow over Your manger. Thank You for being with us. 

December 7, 2015

Thank You Lord for being Emmanuel. Please be alive to us, with us, today.
Thank You for being born for us. God in a weak, fragile, pained body.
Thank You for living with us. Words and an example we could see.
Thank You for dying for us. Painful sacrifice.
Thank You for living again. Triumphant. Grace.

Thank You for our lives. Each day under Your design. May we serve You today.
Thank You for our husbands. Men of courage and bravery. May they be inspired to greatness today.
Thank You for our children. Potential. Hope for the future. May they be after Your heart.

Thank You Lord for this land of the free. Please help us be worthy of the sacrifices. We can never be free until we are free from sin. Lord Jesus, please bring revival. Please speak through our spiritual leaders--our chaplains from the Chief's office on down. Speak through Your body into all this hurt and confusion.

Thank You for this land. We can work and worship and dream in peace. We pray for Your continued blessings. We pray for peace. We ask for wisdom for our leaders, strength in our defenders. But we can't trust in them. We need You. We want You to be our fortress. We ask that You will thwart our enemies efforts. Lord please protect this nation that calls on Your Name.

Thank You for our military. Thank You for superiority. For victories. For strength. Thank You for a character that tries to make a change and help the innocent. We pray You will go before our troops, that You will come behind them, and place Your hand on their heads.

Thank You for our veterans. Thank You for their bravery. Thank You for bringing them home safe. Please heal their hearts and their wounds. Please use us in stopping the suicides.

Thank You for this season, help us to bask in Your presence and overflow that to all around us.
Thank You for Christmas ornaments. May we remember the joy they represent instead of focusing on them.
Thank You for the abundant food and the dirty dishes that come with it. May we share.
Thank You for the warm clothes and the piles of laundry. May we not lose our gratitude.
Thank You for money to pay bills and fulfill wishes. Please don't let us trust in it, Lord.
Thank You for our homes. Please fill them with grace and use them to bless.

Thank You for baby Gracie. Please keep her little heart beating. Thank You for beautiful Brecklynn. Please heal her body.
Thank You for saving Ron Mariani. Please continue to heal him.
Thank You for the Odells and others with a heart for adoption. Please help them complete it.

In everything, Lord, we give You thanks. How could we not?