Then God spoke to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out all the living creatures that are with you – birds, livestock, those that crawl on the ground – and they will spread over the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” So Noah, along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, came out. All wildlife, all livestock, every bird, and every creature that crawls on the earth came out of the ark by their groups. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took some of every kind of clean animals and every kind of clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, He said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even though man’s inclination is evil from his youth. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” Genesis 8:15-22
Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1
My words…
Praise
Lord, I doubt You have had many prayers lifted toward heaven regarding Your nose. Your face, eyes, and ears? Yes. Your nose? Probably not. But I have been meditating on Your nose – what You find pleasing and repulsive to smell. A long time ago, You shared with Your creation an acceptable way to worship, and it involved Your nose. Build an altar, place on it a sacrifice, and set it on fire. Where there is fire – there’s smoke. Smoke never falls – it always rises. And it always carries with it an odor. I have never smelled burning fur, skin, or feathers, but it doesn’t matter what it smells like to me. It matters what it smells like to You. The odor could be offensive to me but lovely to You because what You smell is not burning fur, skin, or feathers. You smell worship. You smell obedience. You smell submission. And to You, that is more pleasing than blooming lilacs, fine spices, or the smell of a newborn’s breath.
Prayer for me
You do not call me to build an altar, kill an animal or bird and set it on fire. Jesus was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. So now, You are pleased by the odor of a living sacrifice – my thoughts and actions offered to You as worship in obedience and submission. Not often enough, though. Not intense enough, either.
Forgive me
I know that my sacrifice to You sometimes smells like garbage. It’s not sincere. It’s offered lightly, with indifference, frustration, or even anger. Forgive me for not offering You the choicest, cleanest part of myself.
Thank You
I am so thankful for the fact that the sweet, pleasing aroma of Jesus’ sacrifice rises to You still. It permeates heaven, chasing away the repugnant odor of my faltering attempt at sacrifice.
More Praise
You are changeless. You are the One who accepted Noah’s sacrifice, and You accept mine. The methods may differ, but You welcome the fragrant smell of self-sacrificing worship from any who offer it – devout men and women, innocent children, martyrs, evangelists, prophets, teachers, all of creation! How sweet heaven must smell!
So Sarah said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!” Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I can’t bear to watch the boy die!” So as she sat nearby, she wept loudly. God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from the place where he is. Get up, help the boy up, and support him, for I will make him a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink. Genesis 21:10, 14-18
I love the Lord because He has heard my appeal for mercy. Because He has turned His ear to me, I will call out to Him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2
My words…
Praise
All praise to You, God, who hears the voice of a dying boy over the anguished weeping of his mother. No sound escapes Your hearing, no creature too insignificant to be heard. I don’t know what Ishmael prayed that prompted You to send Your angel to rescue him, but I love that You did. You hear my “proper” prayers spoken aloud with a steady voice. You hear my whisper prayers, my shouting prayers, and my crying prayers. You hear unspoken prayers: petitions, intercessions, and praise formed deep in my spirit and raised to You in silence. I never worry You cannot hear me.
Prayer for me
I pray earnestly for wisdom. A wise person knows what words and sounds to bring before Your ears.
Forgive me
Lord, there have been and will be times I fear You do not hear me when I pray. It’s a faith issue, I know. A loving Father always listens to His daughter. When I question whether You hear me, I doubt the strength of Your love for me. So, I ask for Your forgiveness.
Thank You
Thank You for hearing me and sending me confirmations. I am not even surprised by them any longer!
More praise
You hear the prayers of children and their weeping mothers, You hear every word of worship offered by angels and humans; You hear confessions and vows and eulogies. And You hear the conspiracies of demons and the vulgarity of humankind. You hear the flutter of hummingbirds wings and the sound of fur growing on a baby rabbit. But most importantly to me, You know the sound of my voice.
The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; He examines everyone. Psalm 11:4
No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. Hebrews 4:13
My words…
Praise
When I remain very still with my eyes closed in a quiet place and envision You on a throne in Your holy temple, my eyes burn, my throat constricts. Every time. Because when I see You with my spiritual eyes, You are looking straight at me. Eyes locked. I am being watched by the One who separated darkness from light, land from water, east from west. You’ve seen the birth of every star, and You watched my birth. You’ve seen mountains grow from the seas, and You watched me grow. You see the currents of air and water, flowing from place to place, and You’ve watched me move from house to house. You’ve seen the death of every creature, and You will one day watch me die as well. Living under Your gaze is a humbling, terrifying, honor.
Prayer for me
You see my intentions and my motives. I can’t cover them up or hide them from You. They are invisible to everyone around me but lay naked and exposed before Your eyes. I say one thing and do another; I intend to do something and do nothing. I ask for a measure of Your Spirit’s integrity and strength so I may by proud to offer You an account of what I’ve done.
Forgive me
I force You to narrow Your eyes and squint to see my good works, for they are few. Forgive me for not blinding You with the glory that is reflected off of my righteous acts. Convict me of what You call me to do, and forgive me when I openly neglect to do it.
Prayer for others
Lord, this week I have read of so much violence happening all around the globe You created. Stabbings, shootings, and bombings. Innocents slaughtered in the streets. A family eating at an outdoor café one minute and dead the next. You watched it happen. Did you turn your eyes away? I pray Your eyes will sear the souls of the terrorists who cause the suffering. Move them to question their actions. Your unending love is greater than their blind convictions.
More Praise
You see what I can’t and wish I could. You see light waves, radio waves, and microwaves. You see the path of the wind and every particle riding on it. You see the blood pulsing through my veins. You see those I love who have died. You see heaven. Oh to see through Your eyes! The best part? One day I will!
My heart says this about You, “You are to seek My face.” Lord, I will seek Your face. Psalm 27:8
Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11
For Yaweh Your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him. 2 Chronicles 30:9
My words…
Praise
Lord, You know I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what You look like. Why spend time thinking about something I cannot know? You may be formless, like the filmy mist hovering over the expanse before creation. You may be light, so gloriously bright that I could never fully see You. But You don’t call me to look upon a mist or a light. You attribute earthly characteristics to Yourself so that I may come before You, knowing what to expect. You have a face. I have a face. You create a familiar, comfortable, unseen space for me to seek You. And I thank You for that! Seeking Your face is like taking my spirit to school. Your Spirit instructs me how to think righteously and act holy. Seeking Your face is like admitting my spirit into the hospital. You soothe my wounds and allow me time to heal. Seeking Your face is like sitting my spirit before a counselor. I unburden my soul. Seeking Your face is like taking my spirit to the gym. I come away stronger, healthier. Seeking Your face is my act of worship and obedience.
Prayer for me
Your word describes the turmoil, heartache, and anguish of those from whom You have turned Your face away. You couldn’t bear to face the abject sin of Your children. I have lived through those times – rebellious times when I didn’t seek Your face, when You turned away from me. But when I sought You again, there You were, Your face shining like a beacon, welcoming me home. I have grown since then, but I remain sinful. I desire to seek Your face every minute of every day, but I don’t, as You know. Seeking You is an intentional decision my spirit makes when nudged by Your Spirit. Keep nudging me, Lord.
More praise
Genuine communication occurs when two are face to face. You are never distracted when I am before You; You never turn to the side. You meet with me full on – face first. It doesn’t matter that I cannot see the expression on Your face. I don’t need to. Yet I am unworthy to receive the full attention of the God who is above all gods, The Creator, The King, The Savior, The Judge. But You welcome me every time. And that makes me want to stand before You even more.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Jesus Christ, Himself human, who gave Himself – a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6
My words…
A prayer of praise and thanksgiving for the One who ransomed me…
Father, You are God in the highest heaven. If there are indeed levels of heaven, You rule from the highest place, a perfect place, a place of continual praise. There existed a great chasm between You and Your creation, between the perfect and the sinful. You watched the grip of sin close around the hearts of Your children – those who had been, those who were, and those who would be. You saw us all chained, kidnapped by the one who works tirelessly to enslave and ensnare. How he loves what he does. But our capture did not go unnoticed to the One who sees all. In Your proper time, You sent Your Son to pay the ransom for our freedom, the highest ransom to be paid. He lived apart from You, apart from the praise of the angels. He lived as one created instead of the Creator. He lived through illness, awkward adolescence, loneliness, ridicule, discrimination, and physical torture. But it was His death that shattered my chains. I am free. And although this precious act of love took place so long ago, Jesus remains with me, not as a man, but as a bridge between You and me. Everything I need to know about You, I can learn through Jesus. Anything I want to say to You, He ensures You hear it. He never gets anything wrong. I live here beneath the heavens in an imperfect place, a place filled with sin. But through Jesus, I am free to run to Your throne room in the highest heaven anytime I want, knowing I am welcome, knowing I am loved. It’s a blessing worthy of the ransom.
In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: “The Lord of Hosts says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” The word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about your ways: You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to become drunk. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it. You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why? Because My house still lies in ruins while each of you is busy with his own house.” Haggai 1:1-6, 9
My words…
Praise
The other day I was listening to a podcast, and an unbeliever referred to You as a needy, attention-seeking, egotistical, worship-craving deity. Hearing those words made me want to find a sling, five smooth stones, and her address. (Not very loving. I know.) She used passages such as this as foundation for her belief. A remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem tasked with rebuilding Your temple, but they said, “Now is not the time.” So they built houses for themselves instead. They expected their lives to be a cake-walk. They were no longer captives. They were back in their hometown. They were in charge of their own lives, by golly. But no matter what they did or how hard they worked, life was not a cake-walk. Why? Because You made sure it wasn’t. And that is what bothers unbelievers. You do not bless those who seek You second or third or never. You desire to be first in the hearts of Your believers. It’s who You are. You know that if we do not place You first in our lives, we will, on our own, skip and dance our way to destruction. You see the evil we do not. You, who created time, who can see the past, present, and future, must endure Your children chucking Your plan because it doesn’t fit in our timetable. And that bothers You, the God of Love. So You stand in our way. You place obstacles in our path so we will veer toward You. You never stop working for us. You never stop loving us. Never. And that does not sound like a needy, attention-seeking, egotistical, worship-craving deity to me.
Prayer for me
Help me be a reflection of You when I am in the company of those who scorn and mock You. Pour on me a measure of Your Spirit so I may speak Your words and not my own.
Forgive me
Forgive me for the myriad times when I said, “Now is not the time” to You. Like the Israelites, I often desire to take care of my needs first. I keep a list of what I want to get done, and You get what’s left over when I’m finished. It seems as if this behavior should be unforgivable, but of course, with You it isn’t.
Prayer for others
I pray for those who see You as a god You are not. A veil hangs over their spirits, and they are not inclined to remove it. They see You through a smoky lens, one that obscures Your goodness. They see You as Satan wants them to. Send an apostle to them, Lord! Lift the veil and remove the smoke.
Thank You
I have been praying for special people in my life, and I am seeing Your answers! The embers of a once cold and dormant faith are growing warm, aglow with Your love. Loneliness has been chased away by friendship, and anxiety has been replaced by peace. All because of You. I am so thankful.
More praise
Praise to the only true God – the God above all other gods. You pursue me and those I cherish and pour on us what You promised through Your prophets of old. They are long dead, but Your words and Your promises live on. Your Spirit uses the ancient words of Haggai to teach me and show me the best way to live today. You are endless, never-changing, proving Your love generation after generation.
The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthy terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:31-36
My words…
Praise
One hundred twenty-one words. Simple words connected to express a simple, compact truth. All I need to know about You, I find in these words. You come from a place where I must lift my eyes to see – a heavenly place, a place above me. And in that hallowed place, You, Your Son, and Your Spirit existed perennially, immaculately. Pure truth and righteous wisdom filled Your infinite heaven. No earthly place could contain it. What was spoken in Your throne room didn’t stay there. Your Son embodied those words and brought them to us – holy conversations poured forth. Perfect words for an imperfect world. And although the words were from the complex mind of Almighty God, they formed a simple message: Believe in Me, and eternal life is yours. Love in a nutshell.
Prayer for me
Bring me back to Your simple truth, Lord. I get distracted by the mountain of biblical commentary, confused by the traditions man has woven into scripture, and weighed down by the unbelief of others. Help me step inside the nutshell and stay there.
Forgive me
I need to be forgiven of my faithlessness. I have been praying to You for a long time, laying the needs of a loved one at the foot of Your throne, and there those needs remain. I cry out to You over and over, yet my loved one is still in pain. I know You hear my prayers. I know You have a plan for him. But my faith is tested by waiting. Forgive me my lack of long-suffering.
Prayer for others
Jesus often said, “Verily, verily…I speak the truth.” How many times did He clench his fists in frustration and cry out to those around Him: “Don’t you understand? I am pouring over you the very words of God, words I heard, words I spoke, words that will ensure a life beyond the dust of this planet!” Yet so many did not – do not – bother to listen. And many who do listen, don’t believe. They are convinced they don’t need to. They hold in their hands the glitter of this world, and they are mesmerized by its sparkle. Lead them to a place where they will turn from the glitter and look to the cross.
Thank You
Thank You for giving me a simple message to understand. I couldn’t have embraced it otherwise. And thank You for holding onto the secret things that would overwhelm my faith until a time when I am able to perceive them.
More praise
The Apostle John, the unschooled fisherman, understood Your abiding words spoken in angelic surroundings before the world was formed. He grasped the simple message and, through Your Spirit, shared it with the world. He knew, as do I, that the simplicity of Your gospel does not diminish Jesus’ sacrifice and its impact on humankind, nor does it cast a shadow on the radiance of heaven. It’s just the only path from me to You – a path made up of one hundred twenty-one words.
Solomon and all Israel with him were offering sacrifices in the Lord’s presence. Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: 22,000 cattle, 120,000 sheep. In this manner, the king and all the Israelites dedicated the Lord’s temple. Solomon and all Israel with him – a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt – observed the festival at that time in the presence of the Lord our God, seven days, and seven more days – 14 days. On the fifteenth day, he sent the people away. So they blessed the king and went home to their tents rejoicing with joyful hearts for all the goodness the Lord had done for His servant David and for His people Israel. 1 Kings 8:62-63, 65-66
My words…
Lord, You have accepted centuries of praise from Your people. Festivals, feasts, and special services when multitudes of worshipers emptied their hearts before Your throne in adoration and gratitude. I know you don’t rank them, but the dedication service for Solomon’s temple must have been one special worship service. The people remembered Your goodness; they were filled with pride to be called Your chosen. And they showed it by an act of unprecedented worship – 120,000 sheep sacrificed on the altar. That’s a lot of sheep. Two weeks of uninterrupted festival worship. That’s a lot of worship. But it wasn’t a hardship. It was a privilege. It was an honor to show You – in the most excellent way they could – how much Your loving kindness meant to them. I am not required to worship You this way. The cross did away with burnt offerings, “counting sheep,” if You will. I don’t have to get blood on my hands because Jesus got blood on His. And for that I am thankful beyond words. But then I ponder the scope of my worship and find it to be woefully inadequate. You have lead me across my Red Sea. You have leveled my wall of Jericho. You have been my armor when I battle my Philistines. Yet I do not worship You according to what You deserve. Not even close. You deserve 120,000 sheep worth of worship from me. You deserve two weeks of non-stop exultation. Month after month. Year after year. Then I hear You say, “Don’t you know that Your heart is worth more to Me than a million sacrificed sheep and a lifetime of festivals?” So I offer my heart to You as an act of worship. I lay it on Your altar. The fact that You accept my imperfect, impure heart with gladness is the reason I keep it there.
But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” When the Sanhedrin heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while. He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re going to do to these men. Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his partisans were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. That man also perished, and all his partisans were scattered. And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” Acts 5:29-39
My words…
Praise
Praise God who gives His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him! Praise to the One whose following has grown over the centuries, across the globe. The message of Jesus of Nazareth rings with peals of hope and peace. It draws those who are seeking a transforming life on earth and a complete life everlasting. Your way is supernaturally powered by Your Spirit – and it comes with a guaranteed eternal reward! False prophets have come and gone, and still come. They claim to “be somebody” – a rival of the true Savior – but their messages do not sustain their followers, and the messenger perishes. But the words of Christ remain alive because the messenger is still living!
Prayer for me
Lord, You have placed a few Gamaliels in my path over the years. They provided wise discernment, a voice of reason during a time of turmoil. Their words were Your words given to me when I needed them most. Oh that I could be a Gamaliel to others! I pray for a deeper understanding of Your holy words and a greater awareness of Your presence so I may be a voice of wisdom for my children and those who walk along life’s path with me.
Forgive me
You make plans, Lord, plans for me. This passage begs the question: Have I fought against You by not submitting to Your plans? Am I like a member of the Sanhedrin who refused to believe your message because it sounded too good to be true? Or because it would mean a major change in my life, one I didn’t want to make at the time? Please forgive me for my weak faith and my pride for taking a stand against You.
Prayer for others
Father, I pray for those wayward souls who have heeded the messages of false teachers; they are like sheep among wolves. Theudas and Judas the Galilean have been followed by many who offer the vulnerable and misguided a way that seems to provide comfort to an aching spirit. But so often it ends in exploitation and sometimes even death. Protect Your children from being devoured by these wolves. Show them the true way, the way that leads to the cross.
More praise
Praise to You, God, whose followers cannot help but praise You even when faced with danger, dissent, ridicule, or indifference. Just as Your apostles stood firm in the presence of the Pharisees, so I, by the power of Your Spirit, stand firm in the presence of my own “Sanhedrin.” With You as the power source, no authority on earth or in heaven or in hell will succeed in diminishing Your message to the lost and suffering. Gamaliel was right then. He is right still. Anything powered by You will never be overthrown. Your plans will prevail.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24
My words…
Prayer of Praise to the One Who Tests Me
Lord, if You walked into the room right now and offered me a chance to ask You one question – only one – what would I ask You? I ponder unusual situations such like these, as You well know. I have concluded that, after praising You prostrate at Your feet for as long as You have time, I would ask You this question: “How am I doing?” I’m not sure that is the best question out of all of the questions in the world. But it’s an honest question. I am not concerned with the age of the earth, the extinction of the dinosaurs, the Nephilim, the flood, or the location of the Ark of the Covenant. I believe David had the same question: Look really hard at my inner-most being. What do you find? Is anything there offensive to You? How am I doing?” You are like the physician who searches for disease, the professor who tests my knowledge, and the pastor who examines my character. What do You find? Is there anything offensive to You in there? Please tell me. I should know. Opening my heart to You so You may sift through all of my thoughts and intentions is an exercise in submission, an act of worship. Test me Lord! You’re the only One who truly can. Show me my offenses, so I may follow You in the way everlasting.
