Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race. They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks boastfully. They say, “Through our tongues we have power; our lips are our own – who can be our master?”
“Because of the oppression of the afflicted and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the Lord. “I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place.” The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. You, Lord, will guard us; You will protect us from this generation forever. The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race. Psalm 12
My words…
Prayer for me
Lord, I need Your help. Will You lighten my heart? Satan is laughing, and I am crying. The Father of Lies controls so many tongues. King David struggled with the same problem 3000 years ago. Not much has changed. Living in a land of freedom emboldens anyone to say anything at any time. Some use their tongues to build up, but more wear it out with worthless talk – talk exalted by the human race. The dam of discernment has crumbled, and toxins spew forth, eating away at the respect which should exist between members of a civil society. But what I hear (and read) isn’t civil. It’s belittling, demeaning, and crude. And even though it isn’t directed at me, I am cut by it, bleeding on behalf of the one who must either bear up under it, or dive into the toxic flow and sling it back. Bind my wounded spirit by Your Spirit and send a ray of hope my way.
Prayer for others
Today is one of those days when I don’t feel like praying for those who blatantly burn others with their caustic tongues. But their souls are just as precious to You as the most innocent of Your children. So, I pray that they weigh each of their words before releasing them. I pray they will recognize worthless words and choose to keep them behind closed lips. And most of all, I pray they meet You who will empower them to do that and much more.
Praise
What a comfort I am afforded! After enduring the crush of worthless words which delight Satan, I know where to turn my ear and hear words of pure silver – Your words. They are truth. They are hope. They are healing.
For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. 1 Peter 2:20-21
My words…
Praise
Jesus, You are the Perfect Example – in all situations, across the ages. Your actions are lessons in how to comfort the sick, how to communicate peace to the violent, how to confront prejudice, how to teach, how to pray, how to glorify the Father – so many examples. But the example that clutches my heart and doesn’t let go is the example of how to be humiliated. You could have side-stepped the opportunities when they arose, but You chose to wear the yoke of humiliation. It was the only way to get from the manger to the cross.
Prayer for me
Since I am called to follow in Your steps, I am called to be humiliated. Teach me how to accept humiliation with dignity and honor. Being humiliated – it doesn’t feel good. But neither does crucifixion.
Forgive me
Forgive me for being rarely humiliated. It’s my own doing. If I share what I believe, then I open myself up to a spiritual black eye. If I keep my mouth shut and my hands in my pockets, I remain unharmed. Forgive me for taking the safe route.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for those men and women who valiantly walk into the path of humiliation every day. They open Your word to strangers and open their spirits to ridicule and their bodies to harm. Yet they get up and do it the very next day. There’s a need, and they fill it, no matter the cost. I pray that you will strengthen their armor.
Thank You
Thank You for enduring the humiliation caused by the very people You created and loved. In doing so, You cleared a path that I may walk to find favor with God.
When some from the crowd heard Jesus’ words, they said, “This really is the Prophet!” Other said, “This is the Messiah!” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does He? Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David’s offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David once lived?” So a division occurred among the crowd because of Him. Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. Then the temple police came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why haven’t you brought Him?” The police answered, “No man ever spoke like this!” Then the Pharisees responded to them: “Are you fooled, too? Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed!” Nicodemus – the one who came to Him previously, being one of them – said to them, “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?” “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” John 7:40-52
My words…
Praise
Dear Jesus, I often wonder how you were able to tread water for so long in the pool of ignorance. The Pharisees sputtered and choked on their own nescience all the while believing themselves to be the lifeguards. You listened while mortal men debated Your divinity. They belittled You for Your Galilean upbringing not knowing it was You who created that land from nothing at all. The crowd was moved by Your words but proclaimed You as a false Messiah since You did not come from the lineage of David, born in Bethlehem. Glub, glub, glub. But You continued to tread and teach. And we both know why.
Prayer for me
Lord, I want to be like the temple police. They were sent to do the bidding of the Pharisees, but then they heard You speak. Your words (the right words in the right order) and Your voice (a combination of tenderness and authority) drew a group of temple guards to disobey a direct order and return empty-handed. When I am on a path leading away from Your will, I pray for an ear to hear Your perfect words in Your tender voice guiding me back where I belong.
Forgive me
The Pharisees thought they had this whole Messiah thing figured out. I have thought that, too. What an ignorant fool I am. Forgive me when I listen to the conjectures of men and do not rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me toward the real truth.
Prayer for others
Lord, there are so many in the world who are ignorant of You. Either they have not yet heard about You, or they have been surrounded by those who speak falsely of You. My heart hurts for them. Send a bright light of knowledge to them, Lord! Save them from the pool of ignorance.
More praise
Thank You, Jesus, for You are all love, compassion, and mercy. You climbed out of the pool and threw all of us ignorant, prideful sinners a cross-shaped life preserver.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
My words…
Praise
There is so much I don’t know. If I could somehow weigh everything there is to know (in other words, what You know) and compare it to the weight of everything I actually know, it would be like comparing the weight of the earth’s oceans (times infinity) to the weight of a starling’s feather. I am incredibly humbled by my lack of understanding and immeasurably awed by what You know. You completely understand, to the last detail, each event that has transpired on earth, from the beginning of time until now: why it happened, who did it, why he or she did it, and how that event affected (or will affect) future events. I can’t remember what I got for Christmas. So when the writer of Proverbs reminds me not to rely on my own thinking but trust in You for my knowledge and understanding, that makes sense to me. Who wouldn’t go to the clear, crystal fountain when dying of thirst?
Prayer for me
So, here’s the rub. Because there is so much stuff I don’t know, I go in search of answers in other places besides Your throne. I like listening to biblical scholars. There are so many of them – alive and dead! And they all sound so smart when they describe who You are, and explain how the bible came to be and why Genesis chapter one is so different from Genesis chapter two. And then there are those who don’t believe that what happened in the book of Genesis really happened, anyway. And don’t even get me started about what they say about the Judges. (You know!) And on and on it goes. After a while, I shake my head and stumble back to Your throne. Maybe that’s the best part about listening to them in the first place.
Forgive me
So many times, I rely on my own understanding more often than trusting in You to lead me to the truth. Perhaps it’s because I do not trust You with all my heart – only part. Forgive me for this sin of pride.
More praise
You are the fountain of ageless wisdom and understanding. Thank you for allowing me to drink from it any time I please. Just one benefit of being the daughter of the One who knows all.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful. John 14:27
My words…
Praise
Oh, Jesus, You are the Perfect Giver. When the sick and diseased pressed against You, You gave healing. When the evil-possessed screamed at and pleaded with You, You gave freedom. When it came time to sanctify the world, You gave Your life. You know just what to give and when to give it. Just before You were to ascend and be reunited with Your Father, You gave one last gift to Your disciples: peace. You knew the trepidation, confusion, panic, and pain they would endure in the coming years, so You gave them something to use to see them through. It wasn’t in a box with a pretty bow. It was something placed inside them, a gift they would never lose, a gift that would never wear out. The perfect gift at the perfect time from the Perfect Gift-Giver.
Prayer for me
Just as You gave peace to Your disciples, so You give it to me. It is a well-used gift. I wrap myself in it when I see and hear the triumphs of Satan and begin to fear for my children and their children. I tighten it against me when I feel the effects of aging and am reminded of how temporary I really am. My spirit grows calm, and I am strengthened in the knowledge of whose loving hand holds my world.
Forgive me
Forgive me for the times when I neglect to use Your gift. Your peace is what steadies me, and I am a fool when I think I can get through my earthly walk without it.
Prayer for others
Lord, I know so many who are battling despair. Some are suffering from physical disease, some from spiritual attacks. Give them an extra measure of Your soothing balm of peace, so they may close their eyes and feel Your arms around them.
Thank You
While You walked the dusty roads of earth, You received gifts as well: the “thank you” from those You healed, the expensive perfume poured over your head by a grateful woman, the praise of those who recognized You for who You truly were. Someone must have given You the seamless garment taken from You at Your crucifixion. I would love to give You a gift worthy of what You have given to me, but that would be impossible, for You are the Perfect Giver and I the sinful receiver. But today, I offer You the perfect purple iris growing in my yard. It is my favorite flower, and I give it to You with love. I realize the backwardness of this gift – I am giving You something You Yourself made, but I know You will receive it in the way it is intended. It’s the most perfect thing I can lay my hands on. I won’t call it mine anymore.
More praise
My heart is at peace right now because I am talking to You, Lord. I praise You as the perfect Prince of Peace.
For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us – to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
My words…
Praise
Lord, You know how much my soul thirsts for knowing more about what is hidden – unseen. Even though I may only comprehend an infinitesimal part of You, I do understand, without doubt, that You, in spirit form, dwell within me. I have an inner self, an unseen self, where You stepped into when I opened my faith door. When You arrived, my inner self resembled a hovel – dank, dark, with the floor covered in dirt and cobwebs hanging in the corners. The walls dripped with the slime of my thoughts and intents: “I like being in control of my own life, thank you.” “Don’t expect too much from me – there are things I need to do.” “I’m a pretty good person – I pay my taxes, even on my online purchases (most of the time).” No place for a Savior King, that’s for sure. I tried to tidy up, but when I swept up the dirt and threw it out the door, another pile had accumulated when my back was turned. Then a miracle happened. You began to clean my dark, dank, cobweb-ridden hovel. And you’re still cleaning. It’s only by Your power that I have learned, over the years, to be less messy.
Prayer for me
Remind me, Lord, every day that You are my strength. Your Spirit stretches and empowers my spirit to grow, to build spirit muscle so I am able to do hard things and still stand when the task is done.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I rob You of Your glory by taking credit for anything good or worthwhile that I have done. It is only by Your power that I am able to look beyond myself and do what makes You proud. And forgive me when I don’t do what is good nearly often enough. I am really good at closing my ears to Your prompting.
Thank You
Lord, I thank You for interrupting Paul’s journey to Damascus. From that one act, You set in motion a whirlwind of salvation. And now, all these centuries later, I can read from this fellow disciple and prayer-writer words that transform my day, my life, my eternity.
More praise
Lord, the dimensions of Your love are immeasurable. And the most humbling incomprehensible aspect of Your love is that it flows from You to me. If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t believe it. But I know – from Your Spirit living in me – that it is true. And that truth is the reason You scoured my hovel and transformed it into a palace fit for a Savior King.
I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14
My words…
A prayer to see Your goodness every day
Father, I have walked into a tunnel – a tunnel named Everyday. I do mostly the same tasks every day. I do them at the same time every day. My life is controlled by calendars and clocks. Lists, deadlines, and alarms. Tasks, chores, and responsibilities. Week after week. Year after year. This sounds like a complaint prayer. It isn’t. I am happy to have something worthwhile to do. I am blessed by You with the ability to accomplish tasks and reach goals. But the Everyday tunnel, like all tunnels, do not let in the sun, and I become a mole. I remain in the tunnel by my own free will because when I poke my head outside, I don’t like what I see. My world is a mess.
But it’s not my world, is it? It’s Your world. And it’s not a mess. It’s Your glory. So, I pray today: Show me Your glory in Your world! Bust open my tunnel and let in Your light. I pray to see Your goodness around me, to hear stories of Your victory against evil. Nothing shatters the humdrum of the everyday like witnessing Your blinding, love-filled goodness in the land of the living.
Thank you, Father, for hearing my prayer. I am happy to wait on You.
This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, “Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?” And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?” But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it. See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life… Deuteronomy 30:11-16, 19-20
My words…
Praise
No wonder You chose Moses! The one who whined that he was not articulate enough to lead Your people sure figured out how to preach. His words formed a live-giving, life-saving well that Your people could drink from and live. I drink from that same well when I read his words. It’s an ageless, simple message: Love You. Obey You. And live. I do not have to climb a mountain or sail a sea to know this message. I hear it in my ears, hold it in my heart, obey it in my spirit. It’s very near. It’s a gift You have given to each of Your children – the way to life. And not just any life, but a life infused, enmeshed, enthralled by Your Spirit. Who wouldn’t want that?
Prayer for me
There are times when I take this ageless, simple message and wind a mile-long strand of doubt, guilt, bad theology, unbelief, pride, works, scriptural detail, and tradition around it so that it resembles a millstone. “It can’t be that simple,” I say. And I bind it with all sorts of unnecessary burdens. I think I know why. Long ago, Satan told me that it is very hard to love You, obey You, and live. And, like a fool, I believed him. Not anymore. You’re snipping away at that strand, and the pieces are falling away. I pray You keep snipping.
Forgive me
I recently watched a biblical history TV show about archeological digs in the wilderness where Moses and the Israelites wandered for 40 years. The narrator reported that no archeological evidence has been found of this journey. “How can a group of over a million people camp all around a region and not leave any evidence of their presence?” he asked. Now, I know that their tents and their shoes and their clothes did not wear out. But I began to wonder, myself, why no broken pottery or altars or graves have been found. See what I mean? It’s part of the strand of doubt I wind around Your message. Forgive my doubt. Forgive me for leaping down rabbit holes to find answers. (And forgive all of my disjointed metaphors in this prayer.)
Prayer for others
Today I pray for those who have lost sight of how near Your message of life really is. They search their whole lives to find answers and meaning and insight from star charts, self-help books, professors, and, of course, drugs. Guide them toward Your simple message, and fill their need for answers, meaning, and insight.
More praise
Life is a mix of joy and grief, health and pain, contentment and regret, prosperity and adversity. When I “choose life” (when I chose You), I do not celebrate alone or despair alone. You hang near to see me through the mix. And for that, I give You my best praise.
For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
My words…
Praise
When weeds begin to grow, I am compelled to pull them. When hunger pangs unsettle my concentration, I am compelled to eat. I have invited guests to my house tonight, so I am compelled to clean the bathroom. When I think seriously about it, I am compelled all the time to do something. There is always a “force” which drives me to action. There is no greater “force” than the one behind why You died and were raised – Your love. How many times, Lord, have I said and heard these three words: Jesus loves me? You know the number. It’s a big number. Those three words compel me to do all sorts of things, but the one thing which drives all others is to live for You, not me. You died for me, so I could live for You. I praise You as the only One who is worth living for.
Prayer for me
The truth that You love me is the glue that holds my life together in this universe. Period. A God who loves me. Almost beyond belief! But I am guilty of loosening my grasp of that truth and viewing it like I would McDonald’s menu. I know it. I’ve seen it a hundred times. I ask to be reminded of Your love for me. I want it to wrench my heart every day in a way that it sounds and feels brand new. Because it is.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I live for myself instead of You. It’s a daily occurrence. I am more compelled by my love for me than by Your love for me.
Prayer for others
There are people dear to me who do not believe they are loved by You. “Gods don’t love,” they say. “Gods don’t care.” They seem content in that belief. Shake that contentment, Lord! Awaken their sleeping spirits to the assurance of Your love. That it’s real. That it’s theirs.
Thank You
Thank You for teaching me how to live. Thank you for teaching me how to die. You did both perfectly.
More praise
Three words: Jesus loves me. These words are packed with power, power to turn a murderer into a preacher, power to break the shackles of addiction, power to breathe new life into a dead soul. I don’t know how You do it. I just know that You do. Praise God!
“Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Supposing he was the gardener, Mary replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said, “Mary.” She went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” John 20:15-16, 18
My words…
Thrilling – that is the word that flashes in my mind when I think of Your resurrection. Any resurrection, really…but Your resurrection, especially. I know so many people who have died that I would love to see again. On earth. Just to say goodbye to properly, or to get/give one last hug, or to seek just a little more wisdom (one last recipe from grandma). What a thrilling concept! Mary Magdalene was able to experience that thrill. Seeing not just anyone, but You, her Lord, whom she knew to be dead, standing in front of her, speaking her name. She received that last goodbye, that final hug, those words of wisdom. She must have been downright giddy.
Life after death. It’s what I want. And because of Your resurrection, it’s what I get. But not just any life – life with You. I get to see You. What a thrill! Like Mary, I get downright giddy just thinking about it!
