Your words…

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it next to his statue. When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. This time, both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained.

1 Samuel 5:1-5

My words…

Praise

Poor Dagon. There he was, hanging out in his temple. Minding his own business. Then BAM! On his face! This demonstration of Your power had nothing to do with Dagon, I am guessing. It was the Philistines who created their own deity. They named him. They decided his dimensions and fashioned him from stone and gold. They placed him in a pretty room and worshiped him. Everything was going along swimmingly until they came upon You and learned the difference between a man-made god and The God. Your creation didn’t make You. We didn’t name You. We didn’t decide Your dimensions. There is no other god like You. There is no other god besides You. And that is why I worship You.

Prayer for us all 

When the Philistines found their god destroyed, they didn’t walk around, scratching their heads, wondering what happened. They knew the God of the Israelites had defeated the god of the Philistines. They wanted You out of their temple – out of their presence. So they took the Ark and sent it home. The “Philistines” are still around today. They know of Your power, but they don’t want you around. You disrupt what they worship. They are my neighbors, they are my co-workers, they are my family. I pray they will come to know who You really are and what Your love can do in their lives if they would only allow it. And my heart breaks as I confess that sometimes they are me. I live a very secure, comfortable life, which I hold dear. You have taught me not to worship what I own, it’s all Yours anyway. But sometimes I grasp it all a little too tightly and call it mine. Forgive me.

More praise

Dagon didn’t fall backward; he fell forward in Your presence. On his face. That’s where the whole of creation belongs.

Your words…

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

You are misunderstood by so many. We humans excel at misunderstanding and misrepresenting. Have You grown weary of it? Probably not. You are so long-suffering. Sam Harris states that You are either impotent, evil, or imaginary. Some believe You cause evil as a way to punish. Others are sure that You stopped performing miracles centuries ago. And then there are those who believe You are dead.  You are the only Way to understanding what I need to know about You, me, and my world. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone understood that?

Prayer for me

You remember the time I worked at a homeless shelter serving food. It’s not hard for me to remember since I ashamedly have only done it once. I scooped food onto a woman’s plate, and she asked me for more. I had been given strict instructions that I could not give more until everyone in the room had been fed. I explained this to her, and, using language that made my eyes pop, she shared with me her views about that rule. I had this woman pegged: she was ungrateful, selfish, and crude. I was relying heavily on my own understanding of her – a woman I had never met. I didn’t know the first thing about her past or her present. I am too quick to misunderstand those around me. Teach me how to understand people like You do.

Prayer for others

This world needs a heavy dose of holy understanding. Republicans misunderstand Democrats. Democrats misunderstand Republicans. One race is misunderstood by another. One faith misrepresents another. Then it builds, misunderstanding upon misunderstanding. That’s when rifts happen. Satan rubs his hands together in glee. Protect and strengthen everyone in my world who has the faith to “think about You in all their ways.” Let Your light shine through them like a beacon, blanketing the land in peace that passes understanding.

More praise

There is a “someday” when You will no longer be misunderstood. Your infinite qualities will be clearly known by all. For many, that someday will be a day of regret. But not for me.

Your words…

God created human beings; He created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. God looked over everything He had made; it was so good. So very good!  Genesis 1:27, 31

My words…

Praise

In the strictest sense of the word, only You are able to create. Making something from nothing happens only in the immortal realm. You created me as a carbon-based life-form, but You created the carbon. Now that I think about it, creation must be a fun thing to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if Your laughter was the first thing a yellow-bellied sapsucker heard on its creation day. And then You created humans – what a day that must have been. The beginning of the countdown leading to the night when a bright star hung over Bethlehem. Perhaps You weren’t laughing that day. But one thing is for sure: You love Your creation. So whenever one person mistreats another, You feel it. When a person cries out, You hear it. You hang close to what You created.

I’ve never created anything, but I’ve made a few things. I can make spaghetti. It’s not great, but it’s mine. And my family actually eats it, which makes me feel good about my “creation.” I know what it feels like to make something that actually turns out. But I’ve made some things I wish I hadn’t. At Christmas last year, I spent an entire day sewing a pillow. You saw it. Hideous. Now there’s seven hours I’ll never get back. But You – You never created anything that didn’t turn out exactly how You planned. You never wasted time (or whatever You call the passing of events in heaven) on a project. Everything You make is good.

Here is the real reason I wrote this prayer: I am so very, very humbled and grateful and flabbergasted that I am a creation of Yours. Me! My spirit is not strong enough to relay the adequate words to my brain to write exactly how thankful I am to be part of what You created. I love that I was formed by the same hand that created the T-Rex, the honeysuckle vine, the Pleiades, and the redwood. When I “create” something, there is a part of me in that. When You created me, You put a part of You in me. And that is the only reason I can be called good.

Your words…

But where can wisdom be found, and where is understanding located? No man can know its value, since it cannot be found in the land of the living. The ocean depths say, “It’s not in me,” while the sea declares, “I don’t have it.” But God understands the way to wisdom, and He knows its location. He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.”  Job 28:12-14, 23, 28

My words…

Praise

There is nothing that can sustain my soul, straighten my reality, increase my understanding, or arm me against my adversary like Your wisdom. It is a treasure I have spent my adult years searching for and finding. You don’t hide it. You tell me exactly where to search. I find it in nuggets, for who could bear it all at once?

Prayer for me

Lord, today I reach out to You for more wisdom. It’s a request I’ve prayed the most but not nearly enough. My mind bustles with questions regarding things I don’t know. In other words, I have a mind full of questions about the unknown (and the unknowable). Some questions are harmless (What’s up with black holes?), but others influence the thoughts and intents of my heart (Why has a prayer gone unanswered for so long? Will I ever see it answered? If not, why?). I have used my ability to face the unknown as a wisdom gage. But, at the present, the reading is erratic. I’ve grown weary of staring at the unknown while it stares back and occasionally winks, taunting me that I will never know it.

Forgive me

Forgive me for seeking wisdom in other places, seeking answers to my personal unknowns. Information of every strain swirls around me, hoping to find a place to rest and release its influence. Sometimes I turn my mind toward something that sounds right from a reputable source and latch a mind stem around it before I place it in front of You for a test. That’s not wise. I know better.

Thank You

Thank You for making it clear the only place where wisdom dwells. Thank You for sharing its location with me and the world.

More praise

There are times when I am writing my prayers that I receive a clear idea in my mind regarding something I have just prayed. The idea is undeniably right. I accept it as a response from You – Your answer: I will reveal what is unknown when you are ready to receive it. I kneel in praise to Your for this answer.

Your words…

He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them: “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed this occurred: Some seed fell on the path . . . other seed fell on rocky ground  . . . other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. Then He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? The sower sows the word. The seeds are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  Selections from Mark 4:2-19

My words…

Praise

It’s all about producing a crop, isn’t it? When a seed is sown in the ground, growth should occur – a crop. When Your word in sown in my heart, growth occurs. My spirit is well nourished by Your word, growing upward toward Your light, strong enough to fend off attacks from wind and disease. I am a strong plant among others, an ever-growing crop, waiting for the day of Your harvest when there will be no more blight, no drought, only fresh morning dew, warm afternoon sunshine, and the brush of a cool evening breeze.

Prayer for me

But there are stretches of time when I neglect Your word. Communication decreases. Meditation is suspended. I have functions to attend, deadlines to meet, obligations to address. I’m just so busy. In those times, I am living among thorns, choking the crop. I know in my heart that Your book does not compare to the work of fiction on my bedside table, but the fiction seems to be read first. I know my time with You is more precious than the time I spend making the space around me more comfortable and stylish. I know that pondering Your truth and promises sustains me more than the time I spend second-guessing the past or planning for the future. During these times, I look to You to shake me by the roots and remind me of the basics of being part of a good crop.

Prayer for others

I am not the only one living in thorny ground. I pray for the whole field, Your entire crop. Give us discernment; give us strength to stand tall in the field and not give in to the things that choke the word.

Thank You

Thank You for forgiving me when I confess how badly I give in to the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and desire for other things. I am so grateful that You are always there, eager to talk, listen, and love.

More praise

All of my growth is attributed to You. If I stood alone, dependent on my own choices, my own sort of wisdom, I would be a stalk, bent and wilted. You supply me with what I need to grow. I call it holy fertilizer.

Your words…

Here is what I have seen to be good: it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.  Ecclesiastes 5:18

My words…

I work a lot. I have several bosses (none of which is me). Many days there is work waiting for me when I get home. You work, too. Every day, all day. You know what it means to work hard and long. I’m not sure about King Solomon, though. The wealthy son of a king, surrounded by servants. Yet he, in his wisdom bestowed by You, finds it good for workers to kick back and enjoy the fruits of their labor. I do that, but I don’t do it correctly. I don’t give the proper recognition and thanks to the source of my enjoyment: You.

So today I acknowledge You as the creator of all that I find to smile at and laugh about: a baby’s wobbly first step; the kind of thunder that rattles my insides; the loud, complicated song of a small bird; a calm spirit which allows for restful sleep; the simplicity of cheese melted on bread; a field of sparkling snow on a sunny day; a hug from one of my kids; the crash of waves at my feet; baby animals; little league; the cool breeze floating through my window at night; a well-written novel; sharing funny memories with a friend; a clever play-on-words; the sweet strains of children singing; my husband’s incessant teasing; the way my couch feels after a long day of work. I could go on and on, but You already know the remainder of the list. Each of these enjoyments is a gift to me from You. And when I remember that, especially at the time it is happening, the enjoyment multiplies exponentially. That is Your spirit at work. I am so very grateful that You work all the time!

Your words…

“Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! Pay attention and come to Me; listen, so that you will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the promises assured to David.”  Isaiah 55:1, 3

My words…

Praise

Reading these words written by Isaiah made me consider some of the invitations I have received in my life. The other day I received an invitation to join a local neighborhood online yard sale group. Almost every day I find an invitation in my mailbox to participate in a frequent buyer program complete with points and rewards. I’ve received invitations to attend dinner with friends, lunch with colleagues, parties with family. But the most important invitation I have ever received came from You. An invitation from God. Let me pray that again. I received an invitation from God. Come, buy water, milk, and wine. For free. And if I accept, I get to live forever. It’s unlike any invitation I have received. It’s intriguing and sort of strange. But it is free, and it includes a prize, a precious prize. And so I accept Your water, which to me quenches my thirst for truth. I accept Your milk, the sustenance of Your word. And I accept Your wine, the true source of my happiness. I treasure the invitation. I keep it locked inside my heart.

Prayer for me

I realize that this is an open-ended invitation to every one who has ever lived and will ever live in the whole wide world. That doesn’t make it any less personal to me. But there are times when I place other invitations above yours. They glitter and sparkle, and they’re mesmerizing and pretty. Help me always to set Your invitation above all others. I can’t get them confused. Yours is the only one that’s blood-stained.

Prayer for others

I pray for those who have refused to even open Your invitation. They received it, for it is everywhere, coursing through nature, ringing across time, but they hold it at arms-length. You see them living out their lives with their arms outstretched. Lead them to release their fear and pride and draw Your invitation close and open the flap.

Thank you

Thank You, Lord, for Your invitation to drink of You and live. You don’t demand that I do so. You don’t plead and beg. You implore, but it’s my decision. Thank You for making it so worth it.

More praise

Your invitation reminds me how much You want me with You. The Great I Am, the Ancient of Days, the Everlasting Father wants me in His presence. I can’t comprehend it. But that doesn’t stop me from clutching the invitation and never letting go.

Your words…

Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.  Psalm 37:5

My words…

Praise

Commitment has evolved into an unpleasant word, a word associated with drudgery and imprisonment. So many I know have “commitment issues.” They do not want to be tied down to any one person, task, or belief. I get it. Commitment is no walk in the park. It’s often a walk through fire. Commitment to a marriage, a child, a job, a belief, a god is difficult because it always means giving up a part of me for someone else. Day after day. You don’t seem to have commitment issues. Thank You for that. You are committed to act when I trust in You. Like Noah. Now there’s a man who knew the meaning of commitment. His neighbors must have ridiculed him, yet he did not falter in the task You gave him to accomplish. He trusted You, and You acted – You saved him. And You placed a pretty marker in the sky to boot. You haven’t changed any since then. You still act when people commit their ways to You and trust You. You don’t sit on Your hands.

Prayer for me

You are more committed to me than I am to You. No surprise there. My commitment fluctuates depending on upcoming deadlines, my mood, the weather. (It was just too cold to participate in that Day of Benevolence.) Cure me of my own commitment issues.

Forgive me

Forgive me when my commitment to You falters. You desire to act in my life even when I don’t show an interest in You doing so. How wretched am I? Forgive me, Lord.

More praise

When I commit all my ways to You, I leap along the path of righteousness, and You make my life brighter. The sky could be filled with clouds, but my spirit reflects Your glory, and I bask in the glow of Your love and laughter.

Your words…

While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!” So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. “Friend,” Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”

My words…

Praise

You called Judas Your friend. Judas. He was Your betrayer. He was a thief. He was a spy. But You never say anything randomly. You used the word friend for a reason: Judas was indeed Your friend. Your heart was broken not because of him, but for him because that’s how friends act. You did not condemn him on the spot because that’s not what friends do. Friend: The word doesn’t seem to fit in this violent scene. It rings like a clear bell in the midst of a riot or the coo of a dove among snarling wolves. A feather against a club. A fleece against a sword.

Prayer for me

When I think of You being a friend to me, I begin to feel a little of what Judas must have felt. How could I ever deserve to be called Your friend? But then You teach me that deserving it has nothing to do with it. We’re friends. Now teach me how to get up off my knees and be a friend right back.

Forgive me

For some reason, I feel more comfortable calling You my Savior, Redeemer and Lord. You deserve those titles. You deserve my adoration as the Son of the Most High. Calling You my Friend doesn’t seem as solemn, weighty or reverent. You called Abraham Your friend. I’m not in that league. But You also called Judas Your friend. Forgive me for limiting You. Forgive me for not seeing You as a Friend, a Mate, a Companion.

Prayer for others

Lord, there are so many that do not want to be Your friend. They don’t want anything to do with You. They keep their hearts away from You as if You were a disease. I pray that today just one will come to know You as their friend. Just one. Then tomorrow I will pray for just one more.

Thank You

Thank You for being the only God who is a friend to humankind. I agree with Lois Cheney: I know of no religion in which the God is both God and friend.

More praise

Proclaiming the same words or phrases over and over can wear down the meaning until the words slip and slide across my mind without heed. But today, I proclaim a well worn truth that bursts and shines with heart-felt meaning: What a Friend we have in Jesus!

Your words…

My heart is confident, God; I will sing; I will sing praises with the whole of my being.  Psalm 108:1

My words…

Praise

It’s raining. Again. The thunder is rumbling, the lightning flashing. Streams are rising and rushing. Water is everywhere…flowing somewhere, taking the filth of the city along with it. It all reminds me of Your love, care and mercy for me. It flows and gushes and floods. It’s everywhere. It’s powerful. It’s cleansing. You give of Yourself in whole measure, never in part.

Prayer for me

I can’t remember the last time I praised You with the whole of my being. Perhaps I never have. One day last summer, I worked in my garden with the whole of my body and mind and heart until I was completely spent. I have never worked for You like that. I’m not sure You expect me to, but I know You would love me to.

Forgive me

Forgive me for the innumerable times I have served you half-willingly, worshiped You half-heartedly, prayed to You half-mindedly. How grateful I am that I am wholly forgiven.

Prayer for others

I pray today for those who are not whole – they’ve been gutted. They are drug-dependent, abandoned, neglected, abused, rejected, forgotten. They no longer remember what it feels like to be wholly happy, loved, accepted. I pray You will fill the hole, Lord – fill it with Your words, with Your love, with Your Spirit.

More praise

When You decide to do something, You do it all the way. You could have created just three kinds of flowers or four different animals. The universe could be made up of one galaxy, or one planet, even. But You kept working until everything was good. You could have created a salvation plan which did not include the death of Your Son. You could have kept Your love in check instead of letting it loose at the crucifixion. But You do everything with Your whole being. You keep loving, and everything is good.