October 21, 2018

God of the impossible

Who makes the impossibly big great white shark

the impossibly small chickadee

the impossible color of salmon and scarlet on the maple's fall leaves

the impossible number of stars swirled in the heavens

Lord God who does the impossible every day

who sends the money before the known need

who holds together under crushing grief

who starts the tiny heartbeat

who clears a safe path through the battle

who chisels the impossibly hard stone heart

who heals the one who is supposed to die

Lord, we ask for the impossible

we ask for unity in our Christian communities

we ask for military-strong people to submit their hearts, bend their knees to You

we ask for joy and blessings and good attitudes about living where we don't want to be

we ask for Your hand to lead and protect our kids

we ask You to change, mold, use us for Your will

Lord we pray for the new military wife, trying to learn this culture

We pray for the spouses facing their first deployment, or second, or third...

We pray for the tired mom of the little ones. Lord give her strength and joy

We pray for the moms of the school-aged kids. Help them be consistent in discipline and able to connect.

We pray for the moms of the young adults. Comfort their hearts as they miss them, and help them give wise guidance.

For all of us, Lord may we be inspiring examples of how to grow in You.

We pray for those waiting to be mothers. Lord, hold them close.

We pray for the many things we do to help our military communities. May our efforts be established for Your glory.

We pray for the hurting. We pray against suicide in our ranks. Lord, use us to reach out.

We pray You will win the battles, beginning with the ones inside of us.

We pray You will keep doing the impossible!

Every Giant Will Fall*

When my fear's like Jericho

Build their walls around my soul

When my heart is overthrown

Your love is my battle cry

The anthem for all my life

Every giant will fall, the mountains will move

Every chain of the past, You've broken in two

Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth

That nothing is impossible with You (woah)

With You (woah)

There is hope within the fight

In the wars that rage inside

Though the shadows steal the light

Your love is my battle cry

The anthem for all my life

No greater name, no higher name

No stronger name than Jesus

You overcame, broke every chain

Forever reign, King Jesus

Click here to sing to the God of the impossible!

*Every Giant Will Fall

CCLI #7051633

Written By Chris Llewellyn, Gareth Gilkeson

2015 Thankyou Music

October 7, 2018

Lord, our hearts are heavy for our children
for the premie fighting for her life
for the toddler who can't control her emotions or words anymore
for the school girl who constantly fights her mom
for the teen boy looking for the wrong love
for the little man missing his daddy
for the college student barely holding on
for the young man trying to decide what to do with his life

All of these issues are too much for us, Abba Daddy.
We cannot do anything.

Yet they are all secondary issues.
You have already won the hardest battle on the cross.
You have already given the greatest gift.
And so, we will sing of our Redeemer!

I will sing of my Redeemer and His wondrous love to me;
On the cruel cross He suffered, from the curse to set me free.

Sing, O sing of my Redeemer, with His blood He purchased me;
On the cross He sealed my pardon, paid the debt and made me free.

Forgive us Lord for so easily forgetting
for so easily losing faith
for discounting this greatest gift
and doubting Your love
or Your future power

I will tell the wondrous story, How my lost estate to save
In His boundless love and mercy, He the ransom freely gave

So Lord, today in our afflictions, may we sing
and may we teach our children to sing
May they know Your saving power!

I will praise my dear Redeemer, His triumphant power I'll tell
How the victory He giveth over sin and death and hell

And we come confident in Your love and Your power with these secondary concerns. You have already paid for our sins. Now we ask You will help our children grow.
Give wisdom to the doctors and the parents of those struggling physically.
Lord, please help families navigate the hormonal changes of growing kids.
We pray for direction for our young people. May they go out to change the world with Your song of redemption on their lips!
And Lord please give our military kids an extra measure of grace as they learn to deal with change and the unexpected in every part of their life. May they find their confidence, their stability in You.

I will sing of my Redeemer and His heavenly love to me;
He from death to life hath brought me, Son of God with him to be.

Sing O sing of my Redeemer
With His blood He purchased me
On the cross He sealed my pardon
Paid the debt and made me free.*

*I Will Sing of My Redeemer
CCLI #7051633
Written by James McGranahan, Philip P. Bliss


Click here to sing of your Redeemer

September 30, 2018

A light more blinding than a million suns
A power stronger than all the earthquakes
or all the seas
or all the rulers of this world
A wisdom deeper than all the minds of all the ages together
A Being that time has no control over
without limitations
without imperfections
The One
True
God--

You alone we can call King
Lord

Let the King of my heart 
Be the mountain where I run 
The fountain I drink from 

Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
Be the shadow where I hide
The ransom for my life
Oh, He is my song

Cuz He is good, good, oh
You are good, good, oh
You are good, good, oh

That the all-powerful would also be the all-loving

The all-just is also the all-merciful

The God of all-comfort would also be the Commander of the Heavenly Armies--

It is too much for us, Lord

Even with all eternity, we will never be able to take You all in

Let the King of my heart
Be the wind inside my sails
The anchor in the waves
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
Be the fire inside my veins
The echo of my days
Oh, He is my song

Lord we do pray that we will be so in awe of You

so consumed

so overwhelmed--

May the wind in our sails not be to take us where we want to go

The anchor in the waves not merely for our comfort

Don't let us try to use Your power for our agenda

But help us to pour out our lives,

the only befitting sacrifice for such a King

We pray this for ourselves, and for our military

Lord, may our warriors know You

Woo them, and break them

Build them up, but only so they can serve

May they truly understand they are nothing without You

Be the fire in their veins

and may it spread

We pray for Your wind moving in orders, missions, daily work

We pray our warriors will be grounded on Your rock

regardless of the many changes life brings

You're never gonna let
Never gonna let me down
You're never gonna let
Never gonna let me down

Lord we pray for safe flights today

We pray for protection around our ships

Please give our soldiers strength

We pray for our hurting veterans.

May they see You have never let them down.

May their marriages be strengthened. 

Protect them from addictions; help them with the pain.

You are good, good, oh

When the night is holding on to me
God is holding on
When the night is holding on to me
God is holding on
Because You are good, good, oh*

Click here to sing to the "King of My Heart"

*King of My Heart

CCLI #7051633

Written by John Mark McMillan, Sarah McMillan

September 23, 2018

Lord, we want to know You.
We want to see You in the room when we're exhausted and don't think we can continue.
We want to feel Your presence when the tears come.
We want to know Your joy when a new day starts.
We want to hear Your voice when we have to make decisions.

We want to be like You.
We want to act as You would when the kids are crazy.
We want to think like You when someone lashes out at us.
We want to speak like You to the hurting soul.
We want to work like You when the to-do lists never end.

We want to be like our Abba, Daddy.

Lord may we be so overwhelmed by who You are that we respond as You would
to the orders
the deployments
the moves
the good times
the hard times

We want to be so overwhelmed by You that we become unaware of ourselves

We want to forgive like You do
We want to trust like You do
We want to see the perspective You see
We want to love the unlovable the way You do

For You alone are worthy of such admiration
You alone are big enough for such adoration
You alone are good enough to change us, heal us, save us.

Thank You Lord.
Creator of all beauty.
Holder of all power.
Keeper of all wisdom.

We pray for the military wife who has no peace in her marriage. Lord, show the way.
We pray for the exhausted and lonely mom. Lord, may she grow closer to You.
We pray for the new wife fearing her husband's first deployment. Lord, please give her courage.
We pray for the empty nester. Lord, give them new purpose.
We pray for the mom of the children with high needs. Strengthen them Lord.
We pray for our volunteers trying to do so many different things for our communities.

May we be a light to our world, Abba. May we be like You.

July 29, 2018

Lord, we can ask 'why so much ugliness in the world?'
But, like Ann Voskamp points out, we can also ask 'why so much beauty?'

Why the colors of the peacock's feathers?
Why the curve of the swan's neck?
Why the purple of the iris, the yellow of the daisy, the baby pink of the rose?
Why the movement of the clouds?
the twinkling of the lightning bug?
the depth of a baby's eyes?

You are the creative Creator!
You bless us with endless beauty
simply for our pleasure
simply because You love us

And though we could ask why the hard times in this military life,
the deployments
the separations
the frustrating work environment
the difficulties of moving
Instead we dwell on how You have blessed us with the good things:
The friends who become family
The adventures we have around the world
The times You have protected our warriors
The opportunities our kids have had
The corners of America we have come to love

We thank You for the roof over our heads
the extravagant food on our plates
the medical care
the security

May we remember our blessings, and live as people knowing we are loved.

And we ask for Your continued blessings
Guide our steps Lord.
May we use the gifts You have given to bless others. Show us how and where, Lord.
Heal our hearts when we are missing loved ones. We weren't made for separation. Yet You send great people when we need it most.
Strengthen us and teach us in the hard times.
May we find our identity in You.
Give us the words to encourage our children, our spouse.
Be the grace between us in our families.

We pray for the mommas setting up new lives in new homes.
We pray for the mommas planning their homeschool year.
We pray for those who are waiting for babies and adjusting to little ones.
We pray for those preparing to minister to others.
We pray for those who are just trying to keep little ones alive.
We pray for those gearing up to teach this year.
We pray for the lonely
We pray for the overwhelmed
We pray for the hurting

We especially pray for the mothers, the wives, the loved ones of our fallen. Lord, hold them close in Your arms.

July 22, 2018

Praying 'Every Giant Will Fall' with Rend Collective this week:

I can see the Promised Land
Though there's pain within the plan
There is victory in the end
Your love is my battle cry

From their first breath, our children's lives are a struggle in this world, Father.
If it weren't for You, all would be hopeless, meaningless.
Thank You for the ultimate goal.
Thank You for making the pain worth it.
Thank You for showing us how to fight with love.

When my fear's like Jericho
Build their walls around my soul
When my heart is overthrown
Your love is my battle cry
The anthem for all my life

Lord, we pray for the fears of our children
from their first steps
to first bike ride
to first day of school
to first day on the team
to deploying parents
to being afraid to be loved
to what to do with their lives,
May they glorify You.
May they see Your hand in every step.

Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible with You (woah)
With You (woah)

There is hope within the fight
In the wars that rage inside
Though the shadows steal the light
Your love is my battle cry
The anthem for all my life

Father God we pray for the ultimate victory in our children's lives--that they would live for You!
In their dark days, may the struggle help them grow in You.
Make them courageous. Make them patient. Make them bold for You, as this generation must be.
Lord, may they find fellow believers for the journey.
May their teachers and leaders shine Your light.
Please keep them from idol worship of social media, sports, grades, popularity...anything that distracts from You.

No greater name, no higher name
No stronger name than Jesus
You overcame, broke every chain
Forever reign, King Jesus

And when they fail, Lord, may they not be stuck there.

We know You will pick them up again.

May they not keep looking back.

We especially pray for the children of the fallen warriors. Lord, may they have a deep sense of knowing who they are in You.

We pray for the children of the hurting veterans. Give them strength and wisdom beyond their years.

We pray for the kids of the deployed. May they have Your peace.

For these kids who've grown up in a fish bowl and with parents coming and going for their jobs, Lord use those hard times to make them better.

And we thank You that nothing is impossible for You! May the giants fall!

*Every Giant Will Fall
CCLI #7051633
Written by Rend Collective
2015, Thank You Music

July 15, 2018

Praying with excerpts from II Samuel 22 for our warriors this week:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior--
from violent people You save me.

Lord, may our warriors trust in nothing other than You
Not the thickness of the ship's hull
Nor the quickness of a plane's maneuverability
The strength in their legs
or the wisdom of the orders
But only trust in You!

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.

Thank You Lord for the many ways You have saved our warriors.
Most of all, thank You for those who have turned to You for their eternal salvation, the ultimate triumph.
Thank You for the many times You physically saved.
Thank You for the times You gave mental strength
and helped them be brave.
Thank You for holding our veterans close.
And we pray You will save them from the enemy of suicide.

In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called out to my God.
From His temple He heard my voice;
my cry came to His ears.
The earth trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens shook;
they trembled because He was angry.
Smoke rose from His nostrils;
consuming fire came from His mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.

Thank You Lord for loving us. For being a God who hears our cries and comes running to our rescue. For knowing, and giving, just what we need when we need it.
You are all-powerful. And that gives us true comfort.

He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under His feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
He soared on the wings of the wind...
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded...

We pray for our military Lord.
Please continue to help and rescue those who bear Your Name.
Please keep safe those in the skies, on the seas, marching up the mountains, driving over the roads.
We pray for our leaders and the decisions made every day.
We pray for the offices, the motor pools, the training grounds--
May iron sharpen iron
May they be able to work together
May truth and fairness triumph.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
He rescued me because He delighted in me.

Ultimately Lord, we pray for the salvation of all our military.
May the hard times show them Your love, Your power.
May Your servants in our ranks shine their light.

You, Lord, are my lamp;
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
With Your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall...
It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
He causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make Your saving help my shield;
Your help has made me great...

The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!

Thank You Lord Jesus!
Amen.