Then God said, “Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:20-21, 24-25
Do you give strength to the horse? Do you adorn his neck with a mane? Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread its wings to the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and make its nest on high? Job 39:19-20, 26-27
My words…
A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise
Lord, Your boundless creative might flowed across the sky, rivers, oceans, deserts, forests and plains and produced creatures that fly, swim, crawl, and run. Not just skin, but scales, feathers, and fur. Not just hands, but paws, talons, and fins. I have two eyes, but the giant clam of the South Pacific has thousands! The tiny wax moth can hear 150 times greater than I. In order to beat a cheetah in a race, I would have to get in my car and drive 62 miles per hour on an open road. What creatures! What a creator! My knowledge of your creatures is so limited: I could study them the rest of my life and not learn a fraction of what is to be known. Yet You hear the song of each bird and know the lyrics. You know exactly what each elephant remembers. You know why the wolf howls. You give strength to the horse and adorn his neck with a mane. You understand the flight of the hawk, and command the eagle to soar. You, oh God, receive the praise of your creation: the dolphin’s whistle, the lion’s roar, the falcon’s screech – all of Your creatures know their creator and worship You! What a symphony of praise You must hear every day! Thank You – thank You, Lord – for the endless variety of creatures, each proclaiming Your creative majesty.
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years. They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights – the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night – as well as the stars. God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:14-18
Can you fasten the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? Can you bring out the constellations in their season and lead the Bear and her cubs? Do you know the laws of heaven? Can you impose its authority on earth? Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you? Can you send out lightning bolts, and they go? Do they report to you: “Here we are?” Job 38:31-35
My words…
A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
You appointed the celestial bodies a place in the sky, a place where they would never move. You would not let darkness prevail on earth; even when the earth revolves away from sun, there are lights to dispel darkness. When I fail to see Your presence in my daily view of the world, I need only to wait until nightfall and look upward. I see a dipper! Did You do that on purpose? And the sun! What a joy-bringer! Its rays of light and warmth chase away malaise naturally. Last week I gazed upon a “supermoon.” When the next supermoon is visible, I will be looking at it with 75 year old eyes or looking at it in Your company (dark side and all!). Beyond the beauty and grandeur of the stars, sun, and moon is the way they act as timepieces, for when You set them in place, “the clock” started ticking. I celebrate a birthday and an anniversary because You appointed a place for the stars. I observe special days and holy days based on the cycle of the moon or a specific day of a specific month. All of this and so much more exist because of what You created on the fourth “day.” What a “day!” Thank You for setting in place a spectacle of Your majesty and power in the sky for my eyes to behold each day and each night. Only You can fasten the chains of the Pleiades and loosen the belt of Orion. I turn my face skyward and thank You and praise You.
Then God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water. So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so. God called the expanse “sky.” Evening came and then morning: the second day. Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land “earth,” and He called the gathering of the water “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:6-10
Where were you when I established the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? What supports its foundations? Or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:4-7
My words…
A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
I praise You and thank You for revealing the spectacle of creation in a way that accommodates all levels of awareness and intellect of humankind throughout the ages. Although Your creation is a balance of energies beyond my cognition, You knew it need not be revealed so. Could I, using every molecule of my brain, comprehend what You spoke into existence? Never! Separating sky from water and water from land – a simple act for You! How much more glorious that as You spoke, Your heavenly angels shouted for joy and praised Your name! I often wonder: Did You have fun? I enjoy my time creating small works of art – a birthday card or a throw pillow, none of them perfect. But You! How fulfilling to just express an idea and have it happen before You, perfectly. You fixed the dimensions of the earth – You know its exact weight to the milligram. You limited the expanse of the seas, and You need not count the drops within, for You know the number. And the sky – sweetened by Your breath when You called it good. You are Boundless Wonder, Immeasurable Might, Loving Creator – my God.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Genesis 1:1-5
Where is the road to the home of light? Do you know where darkness lives, so you can lead it back to its border? Are you familiar with the paths to its home? Job 38:19-20
My words…
A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
God, You never intended for Your creation to live in darkness, so Your first creative demand was, “Light, be!” And it was. Scholars and scientists have speculated for centuries the nature of this light apart from the sun. (I often wonder how You react to the incessant blundering of those who insist on capsulizing the power of The Divine. Do you laugh or cry?) I am not troubled by this query. For me, it’s simple: Where the Father, the Spirit and the Logos exist, light prevails. As You know, I am no scientist, but I have learned that light is extremely complex, consisting of an electromagnetic spectrum of stuff I cannot comprehend. You willed it, and it happened. Only You may personify it as having a home. How uniquely amazing You are! My favorite definition of light is the absence of darkness. And that is what You are. No wonder You spoke it into existence first. Again, I chide myself on my inability to use the vessel of language to share my gratitude for who You are and what You have done for me. What a barrier my flesh is! But my spirit takes over, and the intents of my heart pass from my spirit to Yours, and I am refreshed. God of Light, please accept this prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ – which is far better – but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that, because of me, your confidence may grow in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Philippians 1:21-26
My words…
Praise
Because of You, Lord, I know that life after death will be far better than life before death. Your plan from the beginning was to gather the faithful to Yourself to live a new life with You. Your Apostle Paul boldly proclaimed this truth and believed it without a hint of doubt. He summed up his life in one word: Christ. And he summed up his death in one word: gain. In life he preached Christ. In death he is with Christ. What a gain! There is no other place more beautiful than the place where You are.
Prayer for me
Lord, I know that to die is gain. I know it. But I still cling, white-knuckled, to this earthly existence. Grow my faith to see death as gain. I will gain comfort from what hurts me. I will gain understanding of what confuses me. And most of all, I will gain presence with You. I pray that this truth will guide what I do, say, and think from this day until I see You.
Forgive me
Forgive me for not living Christ as I should. I am not an apostle like Paul. Forgive me for using that as a reason for not sharing You with those who think there is no gain in death.
Prayer for others
Lord, I just read another report of more Christians murdered in far away lands – killed by machetes or burned in their homes. I waver between being sad for their shortened earthly lives and joyful that they are now with You. They have gained. Those who kill think they have won, but it’s those who have been killed who are victorious. I don’t know what they are doing now with You – I just know it’s far better than what they were doing here.
Thank You
How hopeless and sorrowful our lives would be without Your promise of being with You someday. Thank You for loving me so much that You have made plans to be with me. Some describe death as loss. Thank You that I may describe my death as gain.
More praise
Unlike Your holy angels, I am unable to praise You in a way worthy of Your Being. I haven’t the voice, the intellect, the wisdom, the purity. But You are the One who accepts what I do have – one small voice saying, “I love You, Lord.” I pray it makes You smile.
When the Lord saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky – for I regret that I made them.” Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the Lord. These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God. And Noah fathered three sons: Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with wickedness. God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth. Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore, I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. And Noah did this. He did everything that God had commanded him. Genesis 6:9-14, 22
By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7
My words…
Praise
Father, I know you don’t have eyes with retinas, but You see. You don’t have ears with cochleae, yet You hear. Your heart doesn’t pump blood through ventricles, yet You experience heartache – like when You watched the depraved acts of Your beloved creation as they abandoned their devotion to You. They debased themselves and wallowed in the most despicable of sins. So You made the decision to destroy what You had once called “good.” (I can almost hear Satan saying, “Darn. Now I have to start all over again.”) Noah lived as the lone voice of righteousness, and he was given a task that would put his outstanding faith to the test. He began to prepare for an event that had never taken place before. He had no idea what it would look like, yet he prepared for it with his whole, faith-filled heart. He pleaded with his neighbors to turn from their way of life before the torrent of water destroyed them all, but they only hurled insults and taunted him: “A flood? Why would we believe a crazy idea like that?” Your Spirit worked mightily in Noah, for he never stopped working until You closed the door of the ark he had made. And the cleansing water fell, washing away the grime of sin. You are a long-suffering Lord, waiting until only one godly man remained before pronouncing judgement on the unrepenetant wicked. You are the God who provides a way of escape for those who walk with You.
Prayer for me
You have said, and I believe, there is a great day of judgement approaching – a date only You know. A world-wide cleansing will take place. For thousands of years, Your word and Your people have proclaimed this event will occur. I have no idea what that day will look like, for there has never been a day like it. But like Noah, I am preparing for it nonetheless, living in a world that taunts and hurls insults: “Why would you believe a crazy idea like that?” It’s a walk of faith. Some days I skip along the path, confident in what I believe while other days, I shuffle along, pummeled by naysayers who don’t care about me and gently jabbed by those who do. I pray for a faith like Noah, a faith that will keep me walking with You.
Forgive me
Forgive me for my lack of faith – for the days when I actually take the time and energy to lend an ear and a part of my mind to scoffers, unbelievers, pessimists. Forgive me for allowing their venom to sting my heart.
Prayer for others
Noah’s enemies assaulted him personally, face-to-face. In my society, I am assaulted via the internet by anonymous nonbelievers who spout profanity, blasphemy, and hatred. Their hearts are made of granite. But Your Spirit can penetrate any soul, so I pray for those who view You as mythological, judgmental, or egotistical. How Your name will be glorified when one of them abandons his former way of thinking and joins You on the walk that leads to faith like Noah.
Thank You
How blessed are the faithful! You provide for those who follow Your ways – You provide in ways seen and unseen. The lives of the faithful are not always filled with earthly wealth or public recognition, but You grant us what we need to continue in our lives of praise and faith. You have provided for me my whole life. I have never gone hungry, lacked a pillow for my head, or feared for my life. How blessed am I! Thank You, Lord God!
More praise
You are the God who opened the earth below and skies above, purging the earth of those who refused to obey Your word through Noah. You are the holy judge of earth – now and forever. Your judgment is righteous. Your discernment is true. Your ways are perfect. Amen.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry. Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the Devil took Him to the holy city, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him: “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He will give His angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.” Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him. Matthew 4:1-11
My words…
Praise
Jesus, I offer this prayer to You in awe of Your unfailing strength in the face of gut-wrenching temptation. This confrontation is written so simply and succinctly that I often overlook the fact that this event is the second greatest battle ever waged on earth. You had just risen from the waters of the Jordan and been declared the Son of God by Your Father. Your ministry lay ahead, and in preparation, Your enemy was summoned. The Spirit led You to the battlefield: a cold, blustery, barren wilderness, home to wild beasts. You prepared Your body for battle, depriving Yourself of food until your fat stores were depleted and You were nothing but skin and bones. It was then that Satan arrived, ready to fight. He taunted You (If You are the Son of God) and spoke Your Father’s holy words from his foul mouth. The hosts of heaven – God’s mighty angels – kept their feet at the edge of the battle, eager to come to the aid of their master but waiting for God’s signal. Satan thrust You with a sword of worldly temptations, yet You repelled him with a shield of heavenly words. The stones remained stones. Your foot never left the pinnacle of the temple. And the wealth of the world remained undesired. You turned Your gaunt face and sunken eyes to Satan and said, “Leave now!” It was then that Satan knew that no matter how long the battle raged, he would leave defeated. And he did. You are the only One to stand against the Devil and claim a perfect victory. Your boundless will prevailed, and for that, I offer You all the glory my heart can hold.
Prayer for me
Lord, I know that Satan places temptations in my path in direct proportion to my faith in You. My faith is stronger now than it was this time last year. So the Devil has ramped up his attacks accordingly. With Your indwelling Spirit emboldening me, I am not afraid of Satan. I am still tempted to sin, but You have taught me how to stand against him with my sword. I pray for Your continued protection against the Devil when he turns his attention on me.
Forgive me
Forgive me for the times I fail to stand up to Satan. He focuses his attacks on me when I am weak, tired and looking for an easy way out. You were weak and tired in the wilderness, yet You provided me with the perfect example of how to defeat Satan. Forgive me when I fail to follow Your example.
Prayer for others
Lord, You know more than anyone the true wiles of Satan. He is the master tempter with a well-stocked arsenal. I met a man last week who is addicted to pornography, a well-used, effective weapon of Satan. This man is miserable, burdened with guilt. He has decided to seek You and learn Your way of defeating Satan. I pray for him and so many others who are bound by addiction. Teach them how to say, “Go away, Satan!”
Thank You
Jesus, I thank You for following the Spirit into the wilderness, knowing what lay ahead for You. You did it for me, for the world, to show us how to defeat the Devil. Thank You for loving us that much.
More praise
I can only imagine how wonderful it must feel to be comforted by angels. Once Your hunger was satisfied and Your body restored, You lived each day fulfilling Your mission given You by Your Father. This mission led You to a different, lonely place three years later where another battle was fought. And oh, what a victory! But that’s another prayer for another day.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of one’s death than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart. Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad. The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure. Ecclesiastes 7:1-4
My words…
Praise
Lord, whenever I read these words, I am reminded of how many of Your most important lessons sound backward at first. A funeral instead of a birthday party? Grief instead of laughter? Are you sure? Parties are fun. Funerals are heart-wrenching: I am serious instead of silly; I participate in sorrow instead of games; I reflect on a whole life instead of a moment in time. But Your Spirit has taught me that whenever a heart is broken, healing follows. And during the healing process, wisdom flourishes. So it makes perfect sense that the heart of the wise is in a house of mourning. I praise You as the God who longs to teach His children the secrets to living wisely, for we alone would never choose the house of mourning over the house of pleasure. I praise You as the God of backward lessons.
Prayer for others
Father, I have spent the last few days in the house of mourning, and I have exited. My time there was made up of moments of sadness, remembrance, and tears. You were there the whole time. You were my comfort-giver. The remainder of my prayer is written for those who are in a house of mourning. Their hearts are beat up, wounded, bleeding. Some know that You are the source of healing, but many others do not. They wallow in their grief. They either refuse to heal, or they don’t know how. You never intended for us to “move in” to the house of mourning. It is only a temporary abode. So I pray that You will heal the hearts of those who are in pain so they will experience Your soul-soothing comfort and grow in Your wisdom.
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
My words…
Praise
Jesus, you must have spoken millions of words in the years You lived as a man, but there are so few for me to read. I’ve grown to be content with the few precious passages because I know that what I have is all I need. Of all Your words I have to ponder and remember, these I can actually hear You speaking in my mind. The words that describe You – gentle, humble, rest, easy, light – are a soothing balm on the spirits of those of us who are burdened, exhausted, spent. Our souls are chafed by the unyielding yoke and considerable load. You have the perfect remedy: swap yokes. You implore us to cast off our yokes and take Yours instead. In other words, learn how to handle burdens the way You would do it. Learn from You. Your way is the best way. Your way is the right way.And then, our spirits will rejoice in the One who has replaced our burden of granite with feathers.
Prayer for me
Lord, at times I am not a very ardent student. I do not take advantage of the opportunity to learn from the One who knows all. I pray Your Spirit will convict me of my need to learn from You every day of my life.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I do the ridiculous: I place Your yoke on the hook and take mine back again. I am tempted to believe in the independent, “boot straps” method of carrying my own distressing load and turn my back on Your free offer of an easy yoke and light burden. Pardon my audacity. Forgive my lack of trust.
Prayer for others
Lord, I know of so many souls who carry a load of painful emotional baggage that was strapped to their souls years ago, yet they continue to drag it around day after day. Each year the burden grows heavier. Despondency veils the eyes of their souls, and they throw hope overboard. I fervently pray that these souls will take up Your yoke as You teach them how to hold on to hope and throw the baggage overboard.
Thank You
Thank You for being the One who longs to surround Himself with those who are heavy laden. All of them. You care about our hardships and afflictions, and You want to teach us how to live a burden-free life. And for this, I am eternally grateful.
More praise
There is no greater rest than the soul-sustaining rest of Jesus. I praise You for offering this divine rest to me.
Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth. Numbers 2:3
But as for you, do not be called “Rabbi,” because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:8-12
My words…
Father, a man who calls me “daughter” and whom I call “dad” lies today in a bed – his final resting place on this earth. He is tired. His body is failing. I will not hear his voice again. I will never again be greeted with a warm hug and bright smile when I walk through his door. You know him even better than I, for You have conversed with him for decades. You watched him pack his suitcase and leave the comfort and security of his rural childhood home and travel to an urban mission field throbbing with violence and prejudice. You praised him among Your angels when he bore up faithfully under undeserved persecution. Everyone he met became his brother or sister. He served others with a gentleness not found in many men who have ever lived. Every moment of his life he claimed You as his only Father and Your Son as his only Master. He is not world-famous. His words are not inscribed in stone. His legacy is not found in an estate or inheritance but in the lives of those whose hearts were changed after knowing him. He would not feel worthy of these words I am writing. He is like Moses: a very humble man more so than anyone on the face of the earth. His spirit is longing to be with You. The time is drawing near for Your humble, precious servant to be exalted. Exalt him, oh Father!
