March 2, 2015

"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."--Romans 13:12

Good Monday Morning, Lord!

Help us to say it is good--as You have declared it. We can so easily spin our own world of darkness by focusing on the bad, pouting about what we can't have, trying to grasp control.

But Lord, what we really want is to be in Your light. To be running to Your marvelous light.

So for our first step into that light, we confess our sins. Forgive us Lord for not trusting You, and wallowing in despair. Forgive us for loving things more than You. Forgive us for not trusting You, and trying to hold all things tightly in our hands.

And thank You for forgiveness. That itself is our marvelous light.

Lord, thank You for showing an extra measure of that light to the persecuted. Thank You for giving them courage. Thank You for bringing them home where death truly has no more sting.

So we pray for those of us left. Help us to help those still in bondage to this world's evils. We pray for safety for the captives--and for their witness. We look forward to hearing the miraculous ways You worked in these situations. We pray this persecution sparks revival. We pray this questioning in America sparks passion and understanding of the truth.

Lord, we pray for ISIS to be defeated. By Your marvelous light. May these people see that You are the Lord God Almighty, and they don't have to fight anymore.

May Your light shine forth amongst our military too. Lord, give them patience in dealing with the peoples of the world. Give them wisdom; and protect them.

We especially pray for our soldiers who are succumbing to the darkness. Lord, continue to cut them off from their wrong ways. Continue to surround them with people who love them and point them in the right direction. Instead of an epidemic of soldiers taking their own lives, we ask You for a revival amongst our ranks.

And Lord, we pray for us today. The moms around whom our homes spin. Lord, correct our attitudes. Help us to overflow with Your joy. Give us words of wisdom in raising our children; words of encouragement in helping our husbands. In the midst of it all, show us how You would have us use our gifts. Make us active warriors in Your fight.

Lord help us to make this a good Monday.

What an awesome God we serve that we can find an easy burden, a hope for the future, strength for the day. Just for the asking. Thank You Lord!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oA2ka7tnh8

February 23, 2015

Praying with Hebrews 12:18-29 today:

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.


Hallelujah! Thank You Lord! No more tears over sacrifice demanded. No living in fear without You. No more stonings.
To be invited into Your assembly! To be called Your firstborn! To see the thousands upon thousands of angels!
To see Jesus...
To know that all truth will come out. That You will be the righteous Judge. That all will be made right by You.
Hallelujah!

But for now, Lord, we live in this world which is being hit over and over with so many terrible problems. We were not created to handle so much grief. So many things we cannot do anything about.
Except turn to You. Lord, we plead with You to heal the broken hearts.

We pray for Your church.
We pray for the families of the 21 martyred.
We pray for the girls captured in Africa.
We pray for the Coptic Christians on the hillsides of Iraq.
For the pastor in the Iran prison.
For the hostages.
For the Chinese Christian.
for so many more living in fear...

We pray for the safety of our church leaders. Give them wisdom and courage.

We pray for the leaders of our country, and the world leaders dealing with these problems. We pray for wisdom on the path forward.

We pray for the soldiers and pilots in harm's way.

We pray for our soldiers who have no anchor, tossed about by raging despair. Lord, may they grab Your lifeline. May they be surrounded with 'coincidental' friendships with Your people. Open our eyes to see this spiritual battle that we are so often losing, and fight on our knees.

"...we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." --Hebrews 6:18b-20

Thank You Jesus.

Help us to live this balance Lord: secure in our anchor, yet motivated to fight the battle.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Amen
and Amen.

February 16, 2015

We love You because You are God.
We love You because You protect us.
We love You because You love us.
We love You because You make us better people.
We love You because all good things come from You.
We love You because You heal us.
We love You because You forgive us.
We love You because You promise us eternal life.
We love You because You comfort us.

Help us Lord to grow up into loving You for the right reasons, not just what You give us.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Thank You for Your protection. Thank You for the safe return of many of our soldiers. Thank You for the peace we live in. Thank You for protecting our children.

Lord, give us the courage that comes from knowing You are our fortress. Strengthen our children. May they have confidence in You and Your plan for them. It looks like they will have to face a world ever-more bent on destroying itself--where You are the only solid foundation. Help us to show them that.

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire. 

Without You Lord, how could we function in this world? When every newscast declares more atrocities--we will run into Your arms. Give us all courage for the battle Lord. Give our soldiers courage for the flesh and blood battles around the world. Give us courage for the everyday battles when despair and fear confront us. Give our children the courage to believe, to hope, to work for Your kingdom. Lord how we long for a world of peace. Our only hope is in You.

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Lord, raise up a generation that knows how to first be still before You. As our military kids see their parents courageously sacrifice, may they grow to do even better in Your service.

And we pray for our wounded warriors...our soldiers who in body, mind and soul need the war to cease in their lives. Help them to see when the world is crumbling, how to run to You. Help them to be still before You.

With You, we will be strong and courageous Lord.
Amen.

Verses from Psalm 46 today.
Joining with others this Lent season to pray for courage here: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2015/02/how-to-get-really-serious-about-slaying-your-giants-demons-hidden-fears/

February 9, 2015

You could have just shrugged, turned away, and started over somewhere else.
You could have said 'I told you so. Serves you right.'
You could have said 'you wouldn't listen, so figure it out on your own.'
You could have invoked your right to be angry.
You could have said 'it's not worth it--you're not worth it.'

But instead You said I was worth it. On every. single. step to Calvary.

Thank You for Your love. It motivates us to love You back, and it teaches us how to love others. At this time when we market all kinds of definitions of love, help us to understand Your love. Maybe we should envision every heart shape around us broken. Tattered, torn hearts. That is more what Your love looks like: loving us so much You were willing to let it break Your heart. Not an ornamental arrow through it, but a spear pierced right through.

Teach us to love like that, Lord Jesus. Teach us that sacrificial love. And not the passive, submissive sacrifice. Teach us to be intentionally, aggressively sacrificial. To pull that cross, and take every step with You. Starting with the ones we love--our husbands. Out of gratitude for how You have treated us, help us to love and show our men and our children that same outpouring.

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will always serve and trust Him
In His presence daily live

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Him my precious Savior
I surrender all.


All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;Fill me with Thy love and power;Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Lord Jesus we give You our right to be angry. Our need to be respected. Our importance that prohibits patience. Our lack of worth that makes us put down others. Our lack of long-suffering.

Lord, there's planes flying over the Pacific, bringing our soldiers home today. Please keep them safe. There's planes flying over the Atlantic, and the Middle East, be with them now.

Lord we need a flood of Your love in this land, in our world. We pray this mighty tide overtake our hurting warriors, banishing depression and suicide and anger. May these people who have shown such sacrifice for others, be shown that love at home. In this culture where we struggle so to hold our marriages together, may Your grace abound.

And Father, even our enemies: may they see Your true love and desire it. 

We pray for the hostages.

We pray for the pilots.

We pray for the strategists and our leaders.

We pray that out of all this, the world would know what a real Christian is. We pray Your Name will be glorified.

In Jesus' precious name,

Amen.

February 2, 2015

I hear the tumult of the raging seas as Your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

Through each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing His songs,

praying to God who gives me life. --Psalm 42:7-8

God who holds the storehouses of the snow

Who swirls the winds in His hands

Who leads the sparrow to a tiny seed

Who rolls the mountains with earthquakes

Who shouts His glory in the stars without even a whisper

Give us a glimpse of Your throne room.

And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it! The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones--jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. And from the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder...

Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty-- the One who always was, who is, and who is still to come. --Rev. 4:2-5, 8

And still, You turn Your attention to us. We see offered before You the finest artists--presentations of beautiful fabrics, dancers of the most graceful movements, singers and musicians with music that immerses the deepest senses, acrobats of incredible skill, painters using colors of the emerald islands.

Then we find out You want our offering. How glorious to watch our meager little gifts--our kindergarten skill, our rags--transformed with Your touch. You make a place for us. You sing over us, with us. 

You. delight. in. me. 

Lord, help us live in this tension:

--resting in Your grace, yet understanding there's so much more to do.

--in the battle, yet under Your light yoke.

--willing to undergo the trials, yet knowing You've already won.

--not shamed about the having, but willing to give more.

Make us joyful, peaceful warriors.

We pray for our sisters:

--in our financial struggles, may we delight in waiting to see how You provide.

--even in our weariness, may we show our children how to turn to You.

--in our sickness, may we be Your witnesses to doctors and nurses and pharmacy technicians.

--that we would take our eyes off our selves--both our triumphs and our failures.

Help us to accept the same grace from You that we would hope heathens would.

Help us to breathe, every hour, 'Abba, I belong to You.'

Overflow us Army wives, so we can bless our men, our children, our communities.

Lord, please bring our soldiers home safe:

--from NTC

--from Korea

--from Iraq

--from Afghanistan

--from training

Lord, please, please, please, break our soldiers free:

--from the strangling hold of severe depression and the epidemic of suicide.

--from addiction to porn

--from addiction to alcohol

--from the endless anger

--from the constant need to prove their worth

Help us all to come as we are.

Click here to hear Come As You Are:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=come+as+you+are+crowder&qpvt=come+as+you+are+crowder&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=B227DC847C1C4514A570B227DC847C1C4514A570

Come out of sadness
From wherever you've been
Come broken hearted
Let rescue begin
Come find your mercy
Oh sinner come kneel
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You're not too far
So lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are

There's hope for the hopeless
And all those who've strayed
Come sit at the table
Come taste the grace
There's rest for the weary
Rest that endures
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't cure

Read more: David Crowder - Come As You Are Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

January 26, 2015

Let's pray with David in Psalm 27 today:

Dear Lord,

The Lord is my light and my salvation--so why should I be afraid?
The Lord protects me from danger--so why should I tremble?

When evil people come to destroy me, when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will know no fear.
Even if they attack me,
I remain confident.

Thank You God for the continued safety of the majority of our troops. Thank You for good battle plans. Thank You for superior fire power. Thank You for excellent defenses. Thank You for good equipment. Our enemies are so hateful.

Thank You Lord for smart soldiers. For good hunches--intuition. Thank You for the awesome bomb-sniffing dogs. Thank You for night vision goggles, and amazing medics, and helicopters and planes and vehicles working right.

Thank You for children saved. For schools opened. For working relationships made. For community projects completed. For indigenous soldiers trained.

We pray for our soldiers still in harm's way:
--In Iraq, doing training, advising and flying missions
--In Afghanistan
--In Korea
--In Okinawa
--In Germany
--In numerous small outposts
--On massive ships
--and for our Special Forces in all kinds of forgotten places

We pray for our spies, and our allies. We pray for the doctor and his family who led us to BinLaden.

We pray for continued safety in our soldier's transportation. Whether it's the commute to work or a flight around the world, please bring them home.

The one thing I ask of the Lord--the thing I seek most--is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in His Temple.
For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

Lord, how our soldiers need Your sanctuary. Their souls need rest, and beauty, and protection. Please be that for them. Not alcohol. Not anger. Not depression. But may they be wrapped in You. May their experiences be turned for good, as only You can do.

Listen to my pleading, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." 
And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

Lord, hound our soldiers. May they get to chapel, and may it be a good word for them. Make them restless until they rest in You.
Starting with us Lord--Your believers. Make us listen. Thank You for the invitation to be with You. Forgive me when I ignore it. May my life say every day, "Lord, I am coming." And help me bring a friend.

Do not hide Yourself from me.
Do not reject Your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation!
Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.

For the glory of Your Name, Lord, we ask for continued success for our soldiers. Don't let us use our power corruptly. But help us to be Your tool. You have always been this nation's helper, please continue.

Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the path of honesty, for my enemies are waiting for me to fall.
Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I've never done and breathe out violence against me. 
Yet I am confident that I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Yes, we will wait patiently for the Lord.
We will be brave and courageous.
Yes, we will wait patiently for the Lord.

January 19, 2015

Lord God,
The stakes are high! We could lose it all. We are dying at the hands of those with great passion. We are losing our children to those with great commitment--who are willing to do anything for what they believe.

Lord, help Your church. For the glory of Your Name. We can't even want to--want to be on fire without Your help. We don't know where to start. We can't manufacture it. We can't even describe what it is. And those around us see when we are faking it.

Our church needs this. Our families need this. Help us to start with ourselves.

Lord, bring that first love back in my life--today.

Sometimes the run towards You slows to a walk. We get tired. Or discouraged. Distracted. Bored. We forget. Forget how important You are.
Forgive us.
Encourage us.
Remind us.

We pray for our husbands--our soldiers. We are on the front line of the spiritual battle for the souls around us. Our soldiers are fighting for the physical lives of our Christian brothers and sisters--overseas, and at home. Help us to see the battle as You do. Encourage the battle-weary. Let us see You use the work of our hands.

Whatever it takes to spark the fire, Lord, we pray a willing 'yes.'

And we pray for our children, as they ready to take the torch. 'The world is burning, and their friends are playing video games.' Lord, raise up a generation of on-fire, passionate followers. God, we get caught up in praying for their future, their happiness, their comfort. But we pray now for passion. For a love of You that is willing to sacrifice. it. all.

And may we be examples of that kind of  love for them. Love is the best motivator. So Lord, deepen our love. Remind us of all You are. The Lord of the Universe, seated on the throne of heaven, surrounded by the angels and all kinds of heavenly host. Yet, You still the crowd, create a path, and beckon us to come climb on Your lap, whisper in Your ear.

Our soldiers are dying without seeing that path to You. Lord, make us burning torches to light the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7lv9oMjv_0

God, I'm running for Your heart
I'm running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I'm longing for Your ways
I'm waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire

Lord, restore the joy I had
And I have one to bring me back
In this darkness, lead me through
Until all I see is You

Lord, let me burn for You again
Let me return to You again
And Lord, let me burn for You again
And let me return to You again

--Third Day's new song "Soul On Fire"