Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:6-7
My words…
A prayer for my faith
After decades of living around and gazing upon trees, I know there is a difference between having roots and being rooted. A sapling can be pulled from the ground with a little tug. Not so a sixty foot oak. The oak is established. The sapling is not. I am not an established sixty foot oak like Abraham, David and Paul, but I am rooted. And there is only one way my roots will grow deeper and stronger: walking in You, Jesus. Not walking with You where there is space between us. No, walking in You where You can personally and directly strengthen my roots. Then, and only then, will they grown deeper and farther. They will not be ripped out by the surge of doubt, the gust of trials, or the gale of despair. Satan will not have the strength to pluck me from the ground.
And so I pray for You to continue to grow my roots so they are thick and strong and deep. I look to Your word as my fertilizer. Praying to You is like drinking cool water. Praising You is basking in the light of Your glory. You are everything I need.
For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1
My words…
Praise
Paul presents a good point here. If we are to exist in Your presence – walking with You, praising You, sharing You – the least we can do is clean up first. Just as I wouldn’t show up to a wedding wearing my sweaty gym clothes, so I shouldn’t come before You with an unclean spirit. You promised to be my God, to be a heavenly Father to me. There is no promise in all of creation more precious. It’s a promise worthy of a heartfelt response – a purification of my flesh and spirit.
Prayer for me
There are toxins at work in my spirit. Some I recognize as poisonous, like the fading joy of walking in Your way or the exasperation that accompanies waiting on an answer from You. But there are other toxins I don’t see (or don’t want to see). Shine a light on the places in need of a refreshing detox. And give me the desire to want to do so.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I recognize the gunk in my spirit and decide to leave it there. It’s the easy way out, but it’s also the most insulting to You. How dare I bring gunk in the presence of pure, perfect, and holy radiance?
Thank You
You seem to enjoy making promises – promises with backbone. They are life-giving and life-altering. And the best part? You never go back on a promise. You do what You say You’re going to do. Thank You because I fear I don’t make it easy for You.
More praise
As much as I strive to completely cleanse my spirit and flesh, I always miss a spot (or ten). But this I know: You don’t hold that against me. Jesus, You took care of that.
The Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to fight against Jehoshaphat. He was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord. He stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem and said, “Yahweh, the God of our ancestors, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You. Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir. Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to You. Then, the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel, and he said, “Listen carefully. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. Yahweh is with you.'” Selected verses from 2 Chronicles 20:1-17
My words…
Praise
You never stop battling. The Enemy never stops attacking. You battle because You have been sought out by someone in trouble, someone who knows of Your power and might. At first thought, I think: What a troubling existence. Constant battles. No peace. But on second thought, I believe I am missing the truth. Perhaps it is Your joy that rings across the battlefield. You say, “This is my battle, not yours.” And You are overjoyed when Your children say, “Fight for me!” and stand back and watch Your salvation. I wonder what a joyful battle sounds like!
Prayer for me
I was attacked last week, and I didn’t recognize the Enemy for the first few days. I wallowed in self pity and confusion over my life’s circumstances. I didn’t feel as if I were on a battlefield. It felt more like a boxing ring. Satan had me up against the ropes while I tried to lace up my gloves. I don’t even know how to box. Then, from deep within my soul, I heard You say, “This is my fight.” I scrambled from the ring and took a seat in the spectator section. I’m very good at spectating. But I am troubled that it took me so long to hear You. I could have saved myself some bludgeoning if my spirit had been more in tune with Yours. I know we’ll continue to work on that together.
Forgive me
When Jehoshaphat was under attack and afraid, he resolved to seek You and call on You for deliverance. He didn’t wallow. He didn’t pace with his head in his hands. He knew what to do and he did it. Forgive me for wasting time and tears by not emulating him.
Prayer for others
Lord, there is someone I love who is being bludgeoned by the Enemy as I write this. I don’t believe he is aware. He is burdened with grief, guilt, desperation, and weariness. I pray he will recognize his enemy and call on You to fight for him.
Thank You
How do I thank You for taking me out of the ring and, with joy, sending my Enemy fleeing? Perhaps if I were the most eloquent writer to ever exist, I could pen something to adequately express my gratitude. But I doubt it.
More praise
There are no more comforting words than “Yahweh is with you” – four words powerful enough to chase away my fear and despair. I celebrate a victory I didn’t fight or earn. And that’s how it goes with a God who loves me.
For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11
My words…
Praise
I love the imagery of You as my foundation. In a world where rugs are pulled out from under me and guarantees are like ghosts, I know my foundation is unmovable. It is embedded with splinters from the cross, stained with Your blood, infused with hope. But it’s your love that holds it all together and makes it unbreakable. My foundation cannot be chipped, cracked, or broken. It is solid. A Rock of Ages. When I look very closely, I see you etched a heart in the corner!
Prayer for others
I pray for those who have built their lives on a foundation other than You. The most popular foundation I see is the Personal Accomplishment Foundation. Then there’s the Life Isn’t Fair Foundation. And let’s not forget the Foundations Are Overrated Foundation. They buckle and crumble, and those who have built their lives there are not safe. But You can save them.
Thank You
I drove by an old wooden barn the other day. The boards were weathered, dry, and splintered. The roof sagged; the door hung crooked on its hinges. Yet it stood – after decades of being rattled by wind, pounded by rain, and scorched by sun. A smart farmer built that barn on a solid foundation; otherwise, it would have fallen years ago. I am that barn. I have relied on You to keep me upright. I have built my life on You, board by board. When I lost a child, I kicked a hole in my wall. But I patched it. I sway at times, but I am still standing, and it’s only because of You.
More praise
I praise and exalt You as the Solid Rock on which I stand. I know that all other ground is nothing more than sinking sand.
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10
My words…
Praise
Who is seeking whom here? I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking You are stationary. I do the searching, and when I find the right path which leads to Your throne, the game of hide and seek is over. Yay! I win! But the fact that You seek me – well, that changes everything. As C. S. Lewis expounds, “But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, king, husband – that is quite another matter.” What does that say about You? What kind of God would take it upon Himself to do the seeking? And then I think about the parents who search for their missing child for years, devoting all of their life savings, chasing down every lead in hopes of saving their precious loved one. Yet Your love is of a purer variety, perfect and limitless. And so You seek because when You seek, You save. So seek. Seek every day. Seek perfectly.
Prayer for others
The exciting thing about believing in You is learning more deeply how You work. You are never idle. You are always moving, always seeking to draw another soul to You. You don’t like separation. I pray for that soul You have been seeking for years and years. I pray that person will turn her eyes toward You because when she does, she will bump right into You.
More praise
If You didn’t love, You wouldn’t seek. But it’s not just that You love. You are Love. I can’t grasp it. I can’t explain it. I only know it’s true. It’s the hook on which I hang my belief (if it were a coat). I was sought by You – the hunter, king, husband – because You love me. There is no greater title that I can wear: One sought by God.
Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13
My words…
Praise
In a world rife with political turmoil, social dissension, cultural shift, economic fluctuation, and personal anxiety, You are the One who brings order to chaos. You are the lifeline. There is no storm You cannot calm, no heart You cannot soften, no soul You cannot save. You keep diligent watch. It’s serious business – You don’t take it lightly. And for this, I praise You!
Prayer for me
You (and Peter) counsel me to be serious about where I place my hope. My complete hope. Then I wonder, how serious am I? Is my mind ready for action – to combat doubt, to uphold Your truth, to share Your love? The answer: Sometimes. “Serious” and “sometimes” don’t go together. I pray for Your hand to lead me from sometimes toward every time.
Forgive me
Being mentally and spiritually serious sounds like a worrisome, wearisome state in which to live daily. But I have it wrong, don’t I? I really need to think of “serious” as “sincere.” Living sincerely in Your hope, I should be joy-filled, delighted to be called Your child. But some days…well, You know. Forgive me.
Prayer for others
Lord, protect and sustain the fragile spirits of those who have recently turned to You and said, “Save me, Lord.” They haven’t much practice in being ready for action or being serious in placing their hope completely on Your grace. I realize I am praying for something You are already doing. So if you need me, use me.
Thank You
Thank You for providing me a place to set my hope. I cherish my hope, and having it secured and protected in You affords me a life of peace. And for that, I am so grateful. Seriously.
God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate and without water. So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory. My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life. So I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:1-4
My words…
Who can write like David? Not me. His prayers and songs to You have freed the shackled hearts of people for centuries. I just listened to the story of man, worldly in every way, who, upon hearing one sentence from one hymn, found You. And he didn’t even know he was seeking. Just one phrase of a song brought tears to his eyes and his spirit to its knees. I know how he feels! There have been so many psalmists besides David who have drawn words from deep within their souls, like water from a well, and recorded them for You and for others. As much as I would love to write a psalm worthy of David’s, my well is not as deep. So I offer to You, my favorite psalms, written by others, strung together in one song of praise and reflection. Your angels can put it to music:
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die.
You didn’t want heaven without us, so, Jesus, You brought heaven down.
The waves and wind still know Your name.
Who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls of men?
Unheard by mortals are the strains that sweetly soothe the Savior’s woe.
All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom.
I can only imagine.
The heavens are roaring the praise of Your glory, for You are raised to life again.
Bread of heaven, feed me til I want no more.
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well with my soul.
Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart.
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
God, who called me here below, shall be forever mine.
God has made His saints victorious; sin and death shall not prevail.
Lift your voice; it’s the year of Jubilee. And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day.
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be. Lord let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.
For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself. Philippians 3:18-21
My words…
Praise
The other day, as I worked in the heat of the sun, I closed my eyes as a rare, cool breeze blew across my face, lifting the hair off my sweaty forehead. I thanked You for that refreshing gift, then I went back to work. During the course of any day, as I go through scheduled tasks and appointments, I often remember (or You bring it to my mind) that I am a citizen of heaven. That’s when I feel a different cool breeze refreshing my spirit. Nothing covers me with a blanket of peace more than remembering that I am a rightful, though undeserving, citizen of the place where You are.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for my nation. I am a citizen of a country in its adolescence – bickering, biting, and scratching at each other, like middle-schoolers brawling between classes. I am proud to call America home, but many of my countrymen and women live as enemies of the cross of Christ, hence the brawling. I live among Your enemies. But You love them with Your whole heart. Help me to love them, too.
Thank You
There are so many more perks with being a citizen of heaven than there are being a citizen of earth. Of course. So I take a moment to thank You for creating a place for all of us citizens to be together, free from enemies, free from earthly things. I long to be a part of the throng whose transformed faces are refreshed by the cool breeze of heaven.
More Praise
It’s both mystifying and wonderful, being a citizen of a place I have never seen. Mystifying because I cannot fathom life beyond my senses, and wonderful because it doesn’t matter. I trust You with my eternity. I can’t wait!
This is what the Lord says: The man who trusts in mankind, who makes human flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-8
My words…
Praise
The interesting thing about trust is that I have to place it somewhere. I can’t keep it locked in a vault. When I purchase an appliance, I trust that when I get it home, it will work. When I am admitted to the hospital, I trust the doctor will make me well. An investment company has a hold of my retirement funds, and I trust they are making sound investments. This trust is in humankind – a bored factory worker, a tired physician, and a speculating financier. It’s enough to make me shudder. But thanks be to You, Lord, for being the perfect receptacle for me to place my trust, for my trust in You overrides my trust in the world. Every facet of my well-being is in Your hands. It’s enough to make me praise!
Prayer for me
I am not, by nature, very trusting. My trust is not easily earned. And when it’s earned, it’s prone to weaken if I don’t see timely results. You have earned my trust, and You treat it as a treasure. But I still have inklings of doubt, and my trust in You wavers during times of waiting. I have placed much of my worry and concern on You lately, trusting You to give me rest. Is it too much to ask for a shot of holy adrenaline to get me through?
Forgive me
When I concern myself with what I have already trusted You to handle, I reveal my lack of faith. Forgive me for not wholly trusting You with every care of my heart and every atom in my body.
Prayer for others
I know of so many who are like junipers in the Arabah. Their souls are parched. They have placed their trust in humankind and have been burned. They cannot see You in their world. I pray for those who are wandering, seeking the perfect vessel in which to place their trust. I pray they find You today.
Thank You
It is written that when I place my trust in You, I am blessed. How true! Thank You for blessing my life with innumerable pleasures, joys, successes, and comforts. You have also blessed me through trial, challenges, and pain. It’s all from You, and I lay every ounce of gratitude at Your feet.
More praise
Because of You, I am a tree planted by a flowing river. My roots are well-watered, and I do not wither when the heat comes. It’s been a long growing season for me, and I trust that You will not leave my side. You never have.
Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20
My words…
Praise
This is no ordinary knock. It doesn’t sound like knuckles rapping against wood. It is the sudden lyrics of a hymn remembered from childhood. It is the words of the cashier inviting me to have a blessed day. It’s the sound of the Salvation Army bell at Christmas. It’s the social media post declaring Your love for all. It’s the pamphlet from a local church, left on the sidewalk. It’s Your still, small voice invading dreams. It’s skepticism in an atheist’s reason. It’s the conversion of a friend. Your knock doesn’t chide. It doesn’t belittle. It doesn’t accuse. You don’t beat down the door. But You are persistent. You will never leave the doorpost, and You will never cease to knock.
Prayer for others
So many doors remain shut. Some are aged and worn with rusted hinges. Some have been reinforced with steel and concrete to muffle the sound of Your knocking. Some owners have painted the door black and pretend it doesn’t exist. No door. No knock. Others scream at You through the door, ordering You to leave. I pray for these hearts, these doors. I pray they will do one thing: Listen! Your gentle voice is the oil on rusted hinges. Your life-giving words permeate steel. Your unceasing presence is proof of Your love that is real. And Your invitation can disarm all hate. I pray for locks removed! I pray for doors flying open all over Your kingdom!
More praise
When heart-doors are open, the feasting begins! I realize we don’t sit down to actual meat and potatoes (but someday perhaps?). But it’s a dinner, nonetheless. Delightful conversation, informative communication, refreshingly quenched thirst, heartily satisfied hunger. As long as I stay around, the meal continues. Dinner with You. How great is that?
