He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side while He dismissed the crowds. After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone. But the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning, He came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear. Immediately, Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Matthew 14:22-27
My words…
Praise
Clockmakers understand the mechanisms of their creations: every gear, wheel, and dial. For them, there is no mystery as to how the clock keeps time. And there is no anxiety when the clock acts up. They fix it. Is it the same for You and Your creation? I think so. For You, there is no difference between pounding waves and calm seas or gusting wind and gentle breezes. It’s all Your creation, and You understand its mechanisms. I see You in my mind’s eye, sandals on sea, robes billowing. Were You laughing with your old friends, the wind and the waves? Oh, to witness the Sea of Galilee celebrating the visit of its incarnate creator!
Prayer for me
There are times, when I am sailing along in life, when the wind is against me. It’s rough going, tiring, discouraging, even frightening. I don’t have the option of turning back or stopping. Life moves on. Day after day – wind in the face. Then, there are days when the wind is with me, the wind at my back. Smooth sailing, nothing to fear. With the guidance of Your Spirit, may I react to the wind in my face in the same way as when it’s at my back: Confident in Your care and praising You for it.
Forgive me
When the disciples saw you walking toward their boat, they assumed You were a ghost. They didn’t recognize You. I do the same. Blessings come my way, and I give credit to the wrong entity (usually myself). Forgive me when I don’t always recognize You in my life.
Prayer for others
I pray for those who are facing torrential storms in life right now. The wind is whipping their faith apart. They are blind to You walking beside them and deaf to Your pleas to be courageous. Open their eyes and ears, Lord. Save them!
Thank You
Thank You for exhibiting Your deity in spectacular ways for me to read about long afterward. I’m grateful for everything I have learned about You from this one stroll over the sea.
More praise
The bookends of Your words, “have courage” and “don’t be afraid,” hold in place the most important message: “It is I.” I’ve been taught this is translated I Am. These words are the catalyst for my courage. When I am weary, You Are. When I am discouraged, You Are. When I am frightened, You Are. That’s all I need to believe.
Now every house is built by someone, but the One who built everything is God. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. But Christ was faithful as a Son over His household. And we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope. Hebrews 3:4-6
My words…
Praise
The house of God. Trinity House, I call it. It’s not made of brick and mortar. It’s formed within the gentle, provisional, nurturing arms of God. Your arms. Within the breadth of Your arms dwells Your household. Your family. Your heirs. With gladness and honor I declare to be a part of Your household living in Trinity House. There I may speak freely, express honesty (even doubt), and I will be taught and encouraged. It is a place of protection from the Evil One, a place of rest from temptation, a place of counsel from the One who is All Wisdom, All Discerning. Your house is filled with others, yet I am not crowded. It’s a place where laughing is heard along with crying because we rejoice together, and we grieve together. Your house is a place of celebration where sinners are made righteous, and guilt and condemnation are left at the door. An indescribably sweet aroma fills the house. It’s the smell of Your love.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for those who stand outside and peek through the windows of Your house. For them, the decision to enter is too costly. I pray for those who avoid Your house. They take the long way around, so they won’t have to come in contact with You or Your household. And I pray for those, the saddest of all to me, who have enjoyed a time as part of Your household but made the decision to walk away. Your door stands open. Lead them all home, Lord!
Thank You
Thanks be to You, God, that there is room in Your household for everyone – no one is excluded. It’s a big house!
More praise
My earthly house provides comfort, safety, and rest. But it will eventually crumble and decay. Your house is a place of eternal comfort, safety, and rest. You have promised me this, and I place my hope in You – a confident hope in the loving Builder, the faithful Son, and the edifying Spirit.
Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet, I tell you not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! Luke 12: 24, 27
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus…
Hebrews 3:1
My words…
Praise
On my visit to the Grand Canyon, I spent nearly three days considering that stunning hole in the ground. I stared at it. I hiked it. I studied it. I wondered about it. I marveled at it. I gave it three days of serious consideration under no one’s instruction, just my own recognition of its majesty.
You have instructed me to consider other things: birds and flowers. Why? Because I learn from them. And so I have after years of bird watching and flower gazing. Without Your instruction, I would not grasp the depth of Your care for me. Consideration yields understanding. So, when the writer of Hebrews instructs me to consider You, the creator of canyons and birds and flowers, I step into a temple space, a holy realm of contemplation, worship, and adoration. I stare at You. I study You. I wonder about You, and I marvel at You. When I come away, I come away more whole. Is there such a thing? Only in You.
Prayer for me
At the start of this new year, I pray I will seek to consider You more deeply in our set-aside holy time and not take for granted the moments we share. I want to know You more. Guide me to that place.
Forgive me
Part of considering You is Your desire for me to consider others. You emptied Yourself for others to show me how it’s done. But I’m selfish. Forgive me when I just don’t feel like it.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for Your church, Your followers who meet as a temple of believers. It’s a misunderstood body within my society – misrepresented and unfairly criticized. Satan rubs his hands together as his seeds of religious hypocrisy, hostility, and discrimination take root in the minds of those seeking justification for their unbelief. Cleanse the temple again in the hearts of those who view it through Satan’s lens. Lead them to the truth.
More praise
When I see the rise of hate acted out in the streets, I won’t despair. I will consider You. When I hear of an injustice which leads me to question Your love and care, I won’t waver. I’ll consider You. When the answer to my prayer is so long in coming, I won’t lose faith. I will consider You. And all the while I’m considering You, You are considering me more.
You Yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your records? Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call. This I know: God is for me. Psalm 56:8-9
My words…
Praise
I wish I could know what was going through Your mind when You created eyes – the lamps of the body. Colorful orbs, sparkling with lightly-salted liquid that overflows during deeply emotional times. A beautifully imaginative idea! Tears: the unmistakable signal that the heart has been filled, touched, seared, pierced, broken. Tears are the visual symbol of pain and despair, contentment and joy. It’s nearly impossible to keep a lock on a tear duct. When it is prompted to open, it will open, and anyone in the vicinity will witness the warm flow of sentiment. Weeping is one act all humans do the same, infants and elderly alike. We all cry, but then we all stop crying. The pain eventually eases. The gush of joy ebbs. We move on. But the tears remain, not on our faces but in Your bottle – each tear a story chronicled in Your impeccable records.
You know the number of tears I have shed and the impetus behind each one, which I find even more thrilling than You knowing the number of hairs on my head. It all comes down to this: You care about me more than I can fathom. You watch me, cheer me, grieve for me, lift me. In short: You are for me. It moves me to tears.
Prayer for others
Lord, I have special people in my life whose tear bottles have been filled this week. They grieve the loss of those they love because of a virus – the same virus that prevents friends from offering a sympathetic hug. Thank You for being the One who comforts when no one else can.
More praise
The Psalmist’s figurative language is delightfully captivating: a bottle for my tears. Still…I won’t be a bit surprised to find You holding mine when we meet someday. In bliss, I’ll add to it!
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us – to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations. Forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
My words…
Praise
You created me with the ability to imagine. What a gift! In my mind, without breaking a mental sweat, I can picture a purple polka-dotted octopus, a talking tulip, and a boat with human feet. Weird, but fun. My imagination has taken me places which do not exist. There I am able to twist nature to suit my mood or need for escape. And it is there, deep in my imagination, I find You most often. I don’t spend imaginative energy conjuring images of You in the heavens. What you look like, smell like, and sound like don’t enter my mind. My limited abilities could never do it justice. I’m more interested in imagining what you do and what You think. When I delve into a deeper realm of thought and remove myself from my world, I am the starving student, and You are the generous teacher. I lean forward at my desk so not one word from You falls to the ground. When I rise to leave, I am filled with the longing to return. But You follow me, reminding me that the classroom is everywhere.
Prayer for me
Dallas Willard writes that we have a weak imagination toward You. I agree. I pray for a Samson-strength imagination, one empowered by Your Spirit to grasp the edges of Your power – the edges would be enough for me.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I neglect to praise You for doing, over and over, that which is beyond all I can ask or imagine. Forgive me for not gifting You as I should. I know I could never offer enough…of anything. But I could do more. A lot more.
Prayer for others
Father, there are those whose imaginations have been damaged by abuse, substances, abandonment, loneliness. They cannot imagine themselves as whole, fulfilled people with hope for the future. Spark their imaginations, Lord! Fill their minds with what could be when Your Spirit is working in them.
Thank You
Thank You for imagination. The cow, grazing in the field, has none. You blessed Your children with a place to go within our minds, a place where we will learn and yearn. A place where I meet You. Thank You!
More praise
I praise You, Lord, for Your imagination. You formed in Your mind the cherubim’s wings, the strength of gravity, the roar of thunder. And it happened. You pictured the velvety petals of a rose, the soft blue of a robin’s egg, the stinger of a hornet, and it was so. You are preparing a place for those who confess You as the creator of all these things. What will that place look like? I can only imagine.
I greatly rejoice in the Lord, I exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness… Isaiah 61:10
My words…
Praise
When You see me with Your holy eyes, do you see me wearing jeans and t-shirt? I hope not. I hope you see my spirit dressed in the clothes You gifted me, costly raiment for which You sacrificed greatly. I picture them in my mind, so delicate (yet enduring); they do not weigh me down. My garment of salvation is seamless, woven with strands of truth from Your words; ribbons of hope for that someday; strands of peace, perfect peace; braids of communion with believers; and skeins of Your unbroken promises. The weave is held together with filaments of light, not a cosmic photon, but the radiance which illuminates the heavens. It changes hues as it spirals and whirls, creating fabric like a butterfly’s wing.
My robe of righteousness is fashioned with the fibers of Your wisdom and stitched with the thread of the Fear of God. Exquisitely it flutters behind me and around me, never to unravel, always abiding. Bells, attached to the hem, echo Your love throughout my spirit, my comfort in joy and pain. The robe drapes like a vapor yet is as strong as the sword of Michael the archangel – precious gifts from Your Spirit to mine that I wear in Your presence whether standing, kneeling, or prostrate.
But this I know: What You have tailored for me is more glorious than I could ever imagine. And for that I greatly rejoice and exult in You. (And I’m looking forward to trying it on.)
Lord, I don’t think about You every hour. Not when I sleep. Not when I’m crafting work emails. Not when I’m cheering for my favorite team. But I don’t need to think about You every hour to know that I need You every hour. When I “hear” You, You are never yelling. Your voice is the voice of heavenly tenderness which brings me a peace no mortal can.
I need Thee every hour, Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.
I’m walking my path through life with You nearby. I often ask You to stay where I can see You. And You do. I have come to believe You like being with me. Wonder of all wonders. When I want to wander from the path, the intensity of my desire wanes when I see you beside me or a little ahead. You teach me how to walk with You. I’m listening.
I need Thee every hour, In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
I need You with me whether I am celebrating or grieving (and every time in between). Without You abiding in me, my life lacks all meaning. If, by some infernal power, I feel alone, I only need to call Your name and it’s as if You had never left. Which You hadn’t, of course.
I need Thee every hour, Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son!
I need You, Most Holy Son of God! I have accepted Your invitation to dwell within me, and You do! I am Yours. Nothing brings my heart more joy than the thought of You saying to one of the heavenly hosts, “Look there. She is mine.”
I need Thee, O I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, my Savior: I come to Thee! Amen.
I have lived many (many) hours. I have no idea how many more hours I have left. But this I know: You have blessed me through all I have lived, and I know You will bless me in all I have yet to live. How do I know this? Because I come to Thee!
The Lord counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Our Lord is great, vast in power; His understanding is infinite. Psalm 147:4-5
My words…
In Praise of the Unfathomable
After about an hour of listening to theoretical physicists’ explanations of the universe, I felt my brain melting inside my skull. Just when I began to wrap my mind around light speed, they throw in Planck time. Not fair. I felt a little better when they described spaghettification because I actually know what spaghetti is. Not that it helped. But here is the wonderfully, marvelously, glorious take-away from submitting to a cosmic brain-melting: I catch a glimpse of You. You hold the pulsar in one hand and the quark in another.
Your essence is beyond my comprehension. And in this I revel. If You became fathomable, You wouldn’t be God. You certainly wouldn’t be my God. I don’t need to fathom You. Even in eternity. But I would like to comprehend Planck Time if it’s not too much trouble.
Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4
My words…
Praise
When You healed the lame, You did it completely. They didn’t tentatively hobble around. They sprang up and jumped and danced! When You brought sight to the blind, You did it absolutely. No blurry vision. Clear, vibrant colors in motion. Perfect 20/20 eyesight. You don’t do anything halfway. You love entirely. You give constantly. You bless fully.
Prayer for me
I would love to be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Who wouldn’t? But hanging out waiting for it to happen is like expecting to lose weight while lounging around gobbling fast food and ice cream. There’s a price to be paid, and it’s called endurance. If I desire the higher calling of completeness of growth, I must embrace complete endurance. Hmmm. My first inclination is to settle for fragmentary growth, partial maturity. That’s good enough, right? “No,” I hear You say. So then, in obedience, I pray for more testing of my faith, which produces endurance. Dare I say it: No pain, no gain.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I have failed my faith tests in the past. My failings are the result of not enough time spent studying, praying, meditating, and, especially, trusting.
Prayer for others
Today, I pray for the believing elderly who know their time on this planet is short. They struggle between two worlds: anxious about letting go of their flesh and hope for what lay beyond death. I feel like that myself sometimes. I pray that we all strive for complete maturity, every day of our lives, so we won’t be lacking when we meet You in the air.
Thank You
I am grateful You expect much of me and all of Your children. When trials occur, You provide the way through. Even though it may not be easy, there is always blessing on the other side. When I get there, I’m stronger. I’m better. I’m nearer completion.
More praise
Answered prayer! Is there anything in all the world more fulfilling than witnessing Your response to my request? Nope. It is the ultimate outpouring of Your power and care. It is the magnificent faith-builder. It is the catalyst for my praise today. I petitioned then stood under a deluge of blessing. I pour it back to You in the form of praise and thankfulness.
For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
My words…
Praise
I’ve been enraptured by Isaiah’s writings lately. “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace.” (Is 26:3 – not that You need chapter and verse. You said it to Isaiah Yourself!) Perfect peace. Ahh. The Hebrew translation is actually shalom shalom. Peace upon peace. Complete peace. The peace that only comes from Your Spirit. But just as love is magnified after experiencing hate, so is peace fully appreciated in the wake of warfare. Your words, through the Apostle Paul, describe a violent struggle where enemies form lines and take stands. It’s an armor-wearing, shield-bearing, sword-wielding battle unseen by human eyes yet nonetheless real. I prefer to think of Your angels existing with You in a cosmos of shalom shalom, but the Enemy has not surrendered. So You battle unceasingly and unwaveringly. Your archangel brandishes the sword of Truth. The demons shudder.
Prayer for me
Decades ago, when I confessed my belief in You and counted myself among the saved of Your children, I wasn’t aware I entered into unseen warfare. If I had known, I may have turned spirit and run. I, by nature, am not aggressive, confrontational, or battle-smart. Like Bilbo Baggins, I am fond of my chair, books, and tea. But I am part of the “we” Paul wrote about. I am not called to sit back and allow the Enemy to build a trench through my spirit and hole up.
When I am under attack, You implore me to cry out! My first thought should not be, “How am I to handle this by myself?” You are always there to fight for me. All I need to do is let You do Your thing and know You will be victorious.
Forgive me
Your host, Your army, fights my battles for me. Forgive me when I grow weak in my faith and back away, or worse, back down. I do not take every thought captive to obey You. Sometimes I allow destructive thoughts victory over Your peace within me. When the lies of my enemy break out of the prison, it’s because I left the key within reach.
Thank You
Thank You for Your plan to indwell Your children. That was a very good, strategic move. Your Spirit is my Arsenal, so I am drawn to stand and fight rather than sit and wait.
More praise
Evil strongholds crumble at Your touch. Wicked rhetoric is silenced at Your word. You are all mighty, all wisdom, all loving. Together, a perfect, divine combination. Unbeatable.
