May 30, 2008
“And You hold in Your hand every star, the sun, and moon;
Yet those hands are marred and wounded from nails.
Precious blood at the cross was poured out for the nations,
And this love that drove salvation never fails.”
Dear Lord, all too often I use a downswing in my life as an excuse to be rude, less helpful, less open,
and less friendly, and to not work as hard – sometimes not at all. When I read the words of this
anthem, I am reminded that despite Your pain and suffering, You still forgave – and forgive – everyone.
No one is too small or insignificant to You, and no problem is too large or difficult to overcome.
Heavenly Father, I am humbled by Your love and grace, and I earnestly seek Your forgiveness and
pardon. Help me to remember that my life is complete only because of You, and when things turn
bad for me, let me use Your life as an example to find the good in everything. You give me life, hope,
peace, and rest, and may I always remember to love and praise You for those gifts. Amen.
May 29, 2008
“I’m happy to be in the truth, and I will daily lift my hands
For I will always sing of when Your love came down.”
Dear Lord, I give You thanks and praise every day, but the nightly prayers that I offer are not enough to express my thanks and love for You. Through every experience, good or bad, I am grateful and thankful because I know all of it is for a greater purpose than I can imagine. Help me Lord, to pray not only at night, and not only when asked, but often and more frequently, and to not only give thanks for all that I have, but to lift concerns and requests to You. Let me prayer life be a form of worship and praise, and may I keep my eyes and ears open to see and hear You. Amen.
May 28, 2008
“For my pardon, this I see, nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Dear Lord, when something goes wrong, or does not go the way I want, it is easy for me to say, “It will be okay,’ or “In time, things will work out,” or “If I just ….” or “If only ….” In fact, though, none of those will resolve the situation, alleviate my fears, or help the situation. All that I need, and all that I must do, is pray for Your will and forgiveness. Heavenly Father, I cannot do this on my own – whatever the ‘this’ is. I know that I need You in my life, and I know that You will guide me to a safe, purposeful, rewarding path. Until I truly seek that, I am wandering in darkness. Lord, I pray for the desire to listen for Your voice, to repent of all my sins, and to follow You where You lead. Amen.
May 27, 2008
“Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.”
Dear Lord, my will is Yours. I put all my faith and trust in You to guide and direct me where You want and need me to be. I pray for that guidance every day of my life, and I pray also that I am doing Your will. There are things I still do for myself that are selfish and self-serving, and I pray for the strength to move away from that kind of behavior. Heavenly Father, I pray for the courage, strength, and desire to be more like You, to better serve You, and to better love You in all my thoughts and actions. May I continue to listen and look for Your voice, so that everything I do will truly be what You want and need. Amen.
May 23, 2008
“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the outermost part of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall find me, and Your hand shall hold me.”
Dear Lord, communing with You is often difficult for me, but for You, it is a simple, loving process. No matter where I am, You are there. If I choose not to follow, You will still be there. If I try to hide, You know where to find me. Knowing all that, and knowing what incredible gifts and blessings You have given me, why would I choose to follow anyone else? Heavenly Father, thank You for leading and guiding me, for watching over and protecting me, for giving me more than I deserve, and for Your many gifts. I pray to always be in Your sight, and to always keep You in mine. Amen.
May 22, 2008
“And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there – none other has ever known.”
Dear Lord, for perhaps the first time ever, I heard and comprehended the word ‘we’ in this hymn. ‘We share joy … we tarry ….’ as in, You are there with me, and You are sharing with me the happiness that I feel, and – possibly even greater – You are not hurrying me along so You can be with someone else. You will be with me as long as I need You. What an amazing, glorious, wonderful gift! Heavenly Father, thank You for never leaving me, for always loving me, for sharing all of my experiences, for celebrating the joys and mourning the losses, and for Your constant, abiding, everlasting, incredible, amazing gifts of salvation, peace, grace, and love. May I always see You with me every step of my way. Amen.
May 21, 2008
“Oh, happy day, happy day – You took my sin away.
Oh, happy day, happy day – I’ll never be the same; forever I am changed. Thank You, Lord!”
Dear Lord, what a glorious, wonderful way to start the day! The knowledge that I am free of sin and worthy of forgiveness and grace is an incredible thought. I am awed, humbled, and inspired – now I need to take those feelings and work with them, take action, and put them to Your use. Heavenly Father, thank You for the gifts You have given me and continue to give me. May I find within the strength to return to You, and to others through You, all that I have been given. I pray that I will use the examples of Your selfless acts of love, grace, kindness, and mercy to be a better disciple for Your word. Amen.
May 20, 2008
“Oh! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Dear Lord, of all the gifts I ever could receive, the greatest are the ones You gave me before I was born: Salvation, peace, and forgiveness. I am so grateful to live as one of Your disciples, and I am thankful and grateful for all You have given me. The disappointments and hurts have molded and shaped me; the celebrations and successes have given me great joy, and every experience has helped bring me closer to You. Lord, I know I can be a better man, father, son, brother, and friend, and I pray for the courage and faith to stand with You for the rest of my days. Let me give back to others as You have given me, and let me always share Your love and glory with those around me. Amen.
May 19, 2008
“Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul.”
Dear Lord, Through all my trials, hurts, and disappointments, I too often lose sight of the knowledge and assurance that You are there with me. I get too worked up thinking I need to make a decision on my own, when in fact all I need to do is turn to You for guidance and help in making the decision. Heavenly Father, that You for Your calming and reassuring presence in my life, and I pray for the strength to remember it and rely on it more and more – in fact, to rely only on You. Let me remember that You will guide me through the darkest paths and the most ominous shadows with strength and love – with You, I truly have nothing to fear. Amen.
May 16, 2008
“And age to age He stands, and time is in His hand, beginning and the end.
The Godhead Three in One, Father, Spirit, Son; the Lion and the Lamb – How great is our God!”
Dear Lord, choices … conflicts … how do I know what You want and need me to do, and how do I filter out the noise and distractions? I pray for wisdom and discernment, and the clearness of mind and heart to follow Your guidance, but forgive me, Lord – I do not always know what that guidance is. Do I need to pray as Christ did, so that I sweat drops of blood? I am trying, Lord – I really and truly am. Please help me find the right way and the right path, and help me make the right decisions – ones that will best serve You and Your kingdom. Amen.
