For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 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 glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
My words…
Praise
Lord, You know how much my soul thirsts for knowing more about what is hidden – unseen. Even though I may only comprehend an infinitesimal part of You, I do understand, without doubt, that You, in spirit form, dwell within me. I have an inner self, an unseen self, where You stepped into when I opened my faith door. When You arrived, my inner self resembled a hovel – dank, dark, with the floor covered in dirt and cobwebs hanging in the corners. The walls dripped with the slime of my thoughts and intents: “I like being in control of my own life, thank you.” “Don’t expect too much from me – there are things I need to do.” “I’m a pretty good person – I pay my taxes, even on my online purchases (most of the time).” No place for a Savior King, that’s for sure. I tried to tidy up, but when I swept up the dirt and threw it out the door, another pile had accumulated when my back was turned. Then a miracle happened. You began to clean my dark, dank, cobweb-ridden hovel. And you’re still cleaning. It’s only by Your power that I have learned, over the years, to be less messy.
Prayer for me
Remind me, Lord, every day that You are my strength. Your Spirit stretches and empowers my spirit to grow, to build spirit muscle so I am able to do hard things and still stand when the task is done.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I rob You of Your glory by taking credit for anything good or worthwhile that I have done. It is only by Your power that I am able to look beyond myself and do what makes You proud. And forgive me when I don’t do what is good nearly often enough. I am really good at closing my ears to Your prompting.
Thank You
Lord, I thank You for interrupting Paul’s journey to Damascus. From that one act, You set in motion a whirlwind of salvation. And now, all these centuries later, I can read from this fellow disciple and prayer-writer words that transform my day, my life, my eternity.
More praise
Lord, the dimensions of Your love are immeasurable. And the most humbling incomprehensible aspect of Your love is that it flows from You to me. If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t believe it. But I know – from Your Spirit living in me – that it is true. And that truth is the reason You scoured my hovel and transformed it into a palace fit for a Savior King.
I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14
My words…
A prayer to see Your goodness every day
Father, I have walked into a tunnel – a tunnel named Everyday. I do mostly the same tasks every day. I do them at the same time every day. My life is controlled by calendars and clocks. Lists, deadlines, and alarms. Tasks, chores, and responsibilities. Week after week. Year after year. This sounds like a complaint prayer. It isn’t. I am happy to have something worthwhile to do. I am blessed by You with the ability to accomplish tasks and reach goals. But the Everyday tunnel, like all tunnels, do not let in the sun, and I become a mole. I remain in the tunnel by my own free will because when I poke my head outside, I don’t like what I see. My world is a mess.
But it’s not my world, is it? It’s Your world. And it’s not a mess. It’s Your glory. So, I pray today: Show me Your glory in Your world! Bust open my tunnel and let in Your light. I pray to see Your goodness around me, to hear stories of Your victory against evil. Nothing shatters the humdrum of the everyday like witnessing Your blinding, love-filled goodness in the land of the living.
Thank you, Father, for hearing my prayer. I am happy to wait on You.
This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, “Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?” And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?” But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it. See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life… Deuteronomy 30:11-16, 19-20
My words…
Praise
No wonder You chose Moses! The one who whined that he was not articulate enough to lead Your people sure figured out how to preach. His words formed a live-giving, life-saving well that Your people could drink from and live. I drink from that same well when I read his words. It’s an ageless, simple message: Love You. Obey You. And live. I do not have to climb a mountain or sail a sea to know this message. I hear it in my ears, hold it in my heart, obey it in my spirit. It’s very near. It’s a gift You have given to each of Your children – the way to life. And not just any life, but a life infused, enmeshed, enthralled by Your Spirit. Who wouldn’t want that?
Prayer for me
There are times when I take this ageless, simple message and wind a mile-long strand of doubt, guilt, bad theology, unbelief, pride, works, scriptural detail, and tradition around it so that it resembles a millstone. “It can’t be that simple,” I say. And I bind it with all sorts of unnecessary burdens. I think I know why. Long ago, Satan told me that it is very hard to love You, obey You, and live. And, like a fool, I believed him. Not anymore. You’re snipping away at that strand, and the pieces are falling away. I pray You keep snipping.
Forgive me
I recently watched a biblical history TV show about archeological digs in the wilderness where Moses and the Israelites wandered for 40 years. The narrator reported that no archeological evidence has been found of this journey. “How can a group of over a million people camp all around a region and not leave any evidence of their presence?” he asked. Now, I know that their tents and their shoes and their clothes did not wear out. But I began to wonder, myself, why no broken pottery or altars or graves have been found. See what I mean? It’s part of the strand of doubt I wind around Your message. Forgive my doubt. Forgive me for leaping down rabbit holes to find answers. (And forgive all of my disjointed metaphors in this prayer.)
Prayer for others
Today I pray for those who have lost sight of how near Your message of life really is. They search their whole lives to find answers and meaning and insight from star charts, self-help books, professors, and, of course, drugs. Guide them toward Your simple message, and fill their need for answers, meaning, and insight.
More praise
Life is a mix of joy and grief, health and pain, contentment and regret, prosperity and adversity. When I “choose life” (when I chose You), I do not celebrate alone or despair alone. You hang near to see me through the mix. And for that, I give You my best praise.
For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
My words…
Praise
When weeds begin to grow, I am compelled to pull them. When hunger pangs unsettle my concentration, I am compelled to eat. I have invited guests to my house tonight, so I am compelled to clean the bathroom. When I think seriously about it, I am compelled all the time to do something. There is always a “force” which drives me to action. There is no greater “force” than the one behind why You died and were raised – Your love. How many times, Lord, have I said and heard these three words: Jesus loves me? You know the number. It’s a big number. Those three words compel me to do all sorts of things, but the one thing which drives all others is to live for You, not me. You died for me, so I could live for You. I praise You as the only One who is worth living for.
Prayer for me
The truth that You love me is the glue that holds my life together in this universe. Period. A God who loves me. Almost beyond belief! But I am guilty of loosening my grasp of that truth and viewing it like I would McDonald’s menu. I know it. I’ve seen it a hundred times. I ask to be reminded of Your love for me. I want it to wrench my heart every day in a way that it sounds and feels brand new. Because it is.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I live for myself instead of You. It’s a daily occurrence. I am more compelled by my love for me than by Your love for me.
Prayer for others
There are people dear to me who do not believe they are loved by You. “Gods don’t love,” they say. “Gods don’t care.” They seem content in that belief. Shake that contentment, Lord! Awaken their sleeping spirits to the assurance of Your love. That it’s real. That it’s theirs.
Thank You
Thank You for teaching me how to live. Thank you for teaching me how to die. You did both perfectly.
More praise
Three words: Jesus loves me. These words are packed with power, power to turn a murderer into a preacher, power to break the shackles of addiction, power to breathe new life into a dead soul. I don’t know how You do it. I just know that You do. Praise God!
“Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Supposing he was the gardener, Mary replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said, “Mary.” She went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” John 20:15-16, 18
My words…
Thrilling – that is the word that flashes in my mind when I think of Your resurrection. Any resurrection, really…but Your resurrection, especially. I know so many people who have died that I would love to see again. On earth. Just to say goodbye to properly, or to get/give one last hug, or to seek just a little more wisdom (one last recipe from grandma). What a thrilling concept! Mary Magdalene was able to experience that thrill. Seeing not just anyone, but You, her Lord, whom she knew to be dead, standing in front of her, speaking her name. She received that last goodbye, that final hug, those words of wisdom. She must have been downright giddy.
Life after death. It’s what I want. And because of Your resurrection, it’s what I get. But not just any life – life with You. I get to see You. What a thrill! Like Mary, I get downright giddy just thinking about it!
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle. And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” Saying this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:44-46
Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way He has opened for us through the curtain (that is, His flesh), and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22
My words…
Praise
God, You are the One who makes the impossible possible. It’s impossible for the sun to fail for three hours in the middle of the day. It’s impossible for the sanctuary curtain to split in two down the middle. It’s impossible for one person to carry the guilt of everyone else. Yet it all happened on the same day. You lowered the lights on the stage, opened the curtain, and gave everyone free admission to heaven. Your Son paid the ticket price. Paid in full. Paid in blood.
Prayer for me
Help me grasp a deeper understanding of the price paid that day. I have so few words to go by in the gospels. Your Spirit was there, watching the scene unfold, the scene that had been foretold. I look to You, Spirit, to replace any of my misconceptions with Your perspective. A little at a time is fine.
Forgive me
Forgive me for not falling on my face in gratitude and praise for all that happened that day, the day that changed everything that means anything.
Prayer for others
I think about those who were in the temple when the curtain tore from the top down. There they stood, gaping into the one place they were strictly forbidden to enter. Word must have spread through the temple courtyard and through the city. Hurry! Get a seamstress to repair the curtain! For there couldn’t be a way for just any ole person to enter the Most Holy Place. Impossible!
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow – to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So couldn’t you stay awake with Me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:36-41.
My words…
Praise
Father, when I think of Gethsemane, I see the setting of the preamble of the holy declaration, the definitive affirmation of Your love for Your creation. It was just an olive grove, a secluded place set off from the city of Jerusalem. Yet never had any garden on earth been the focal point of so much power. Jesus wasn’t alone. Father, You were there; it was Your will that illuminated the road to Golgatha. Your Spirit was there, strengthening Jesus to endure the weight of every sin that had or will be committed and still have the physical strength to carry his own cross. And Satan was there, wasn’t he? He wouldn’t miss the opportunity to cast his net of torment over Jesus. He belittled the Plan. He poked holes in its soundness. I’m sure he offered all manner of revisions. You willed. Jesus submitted. The Spirit strengthened. Satan tempted. Angels hovered. The disciples slept.
Prayer for me
I am somewhat validated by the fact that the disciples gave in to their weak flesh when they should have been spiritually on guard. I give in all the time. But I also struggle with double weakness. Not only is my flesh unwilling, there are times when my spirit is unwilling as well. What a wretch I am! I need the strength to remain on guard, and I earnestly pray for a inpouring of nourishment from the Spirit.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I have been called upon to watch and pray, and I have fallen asleep, or have put it off, or have forgotten altogether. Watching and praying – the roadblock to entering into temptation. Forgive me when I walk around it.
Prayer for others
I love that Jesus was so concerned for His disciples all through his agonizing ordeal in the garden. He was teaching them right up until the end. He knew they would need to learn to watch and pray if they were to spread His message of love and safety to a lost generation. I pray for Your disciples the world over. What a beautiful body of spirits! Help us all to be willing, both in spirit and flesh, to keep our eyes and hearts open to those living without You.
Gratitude and Praise
Father, You planned for the scene in Gethsemane before you separated light fromdarkness. There was no other way, and You knew it. You are One with the Son and the Spirit. You all recognized the destruction of sin and its horrific effect on Your lovely creation. You all suffered together, Your agony manifested in the drops of blood seeping through the pores of Jesus. The host of heaven stood ready to block the path to Calvary, but they knew You would never allow it, and, for that, they praised Your holy name. As do I.
When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples and told them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. So they went and found a young donkey outside in the street, tied by a door. They brought the donkey to Jesus and threw their robes on it, and He sat on it. Many people spread their robes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting: Hosanna! He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One! The coming kingdom of our father David is blessed! Hosanna in the highest heaven! Mark 11:1-2, 4, 7-10
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9:9-10
My words…
Praise
You knew this would be Your last journey into Jerusalem, and You knew this would be the time You would fulfill Zechariah’s prophesy written 500 years before. It was time to find the colt and attend Your coronation as King. You didn’t arrive on a horse and saddle like a warrior. You rode an animal of peace with coats of Your followers to sit on. Trumpets and cymbals didn’t accost Your ears; they were caressed by the praise of the people who had felt Your healing touch, learned from Your parables, and witnessed Your compassion. Some had been following You for days, months, or years, walking from town to town, sleeping on the ground or in a borrowed bed. Not the life of a king. But when You mounted a donkey as You entered Jerusalem, Your royal processional began – Your Triumphal Entry. The people recognized it for what it was. It was not proper that the feet of the animal carrying the King should touch the ground, so they carpeted the path with branches. “Hosanna!” they shouted. “Save us!” It was as if the people finally “got it,” and they could not hold back their praise. The Apostles soaked in the adulation, proud to say to anyone who would listen, “I’m with this guy. I travel with the King.” It wasn’t much of a coronation, compared to that of Solomon, for example. But Your Triumphal Entry “fit.” It fit Your message of humility, approachability, and simplicity. My spirit is lifted each time I read it.
Prayer for me
Not long after this coronation event, You were killed. The mood of the city darkened and the cries of “Hosanna!” were replaced by the shouts of “Crucify Him!” The Apostles, who had followed You for years, scattered. Would I have attended Your coronation and shouted “Hosanna!”? Absolutely. At Your crucifixion, would I have scattered? Probably. I come to You, the well where I draw strength, and ask for a deeper faith, so during the dark times, I will not scatter.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I neglect to praise You for the innumerable reasons You should be praised. You are my King, but I don’t spend enough time and energy proclaiming that to You or others.
Thank You
Thank You for riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, sitting on other people’s coats. You accepted the praise of the poorest of Jews, laying branches at Your feet. I am so grateful to know that I don’t have to hold a position of power, wear fancy clothes, or claim a certain level of education to praise You. You accept praise from anyone.
More praise
You are the blessed One who came down from the highest heaven where angelic praise is perfect and fitting, to a dusty road riding on a donkey, accepting the inharmonious praise of imperfect people. And it was all right with You. And that’s another thing I love about You. Hosanna, Lord! Save me!
When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. As He laid His hands on each one of them, He would heal them. Luke 4:40
Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. And while He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple complex praising God. Luke 24:50-53
My words…
One of my bibles is very old, the binding worn. I like that bible because Your words are written in red ink. Many times, I would open my bible and read the red words only, and that was enough for me. But I have learned that Your hands tell a silent story of their own. I picture them small and smooth, clutching Mary as Your family fled for Your lives into Egypt. You grew to learn carpentry skills, and You earned every cut and scar on Your palms and fingers. They were immersed in river water at Your baptism and cracked and dry during Your time of fasting and temptation in the wilderness. You did not recoil in the presence of those with unsightly, contagious diseases, oh no. You reached toward them, touched them, and cleansed them. Peter’s mother in law felt the touch of Your hand, and her fever fled. You placed Your fingers on the eyes of the blind so they could see. In the presence of thousands, You held loaves of bread and caused them to multiply. Just as Peter began to sink into the sea, You caught hold of him and asked about his faith. During one of the most insightful scenes in scripture, You placed Your weary hands on a group of little children and smiled and blessed them. A woman who had walked bent over for 18 years stood upright when You touched her disfigured body. You used Your hands to teach a lesson on justice when You overturned the tables of the temple money changers. You placed Your fingers in a deaf man’s ears, and Your soothing voice was the first sound he heard. You neglected to wash Your hands when dining with a Pharisee and used the occasion to teach him what true cleanliness is. The apostles never forgot the touch of Your hands on their feet when You washed them. You broke a loaf of unleavened bread and held a cup of wine as You served the first Lord’s Supper. You carried Your own cross, and the pain from the splinters did not compare to the pain caused by the iron spikes piercing Your palms. And then, the final time Your hands were seen, they were lifted in a position of blessing. How fitting.
Even if Your spoken words were never captured in red ink, I would still be able to know You, learn from You, and love You just by reading about Your hands. That is enough for me.
When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on You during the night watches because You are my helper; I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings. I follow close to You; Your right hand holds on to me. Psalm 63:6-8
My words…
As You welcome Your daughter, Judith…
She no longer draws breath on earth; instead, she breathes the pure air of Paradise. Her eyes no longer look upon her family, yet she sees everything they do. Her words of wisdom and humor will be repeated to the next generation. With grace, she accepted the truth that her days were but a few. She did not blame You or curse You. She knew what to expect when the end came, for the mysterious moment from life to death was something she witnessed nearly every day. When the final days became one long night, You were her helper. She followed close to You; Your right hand held on to her. She didn’t linger in the shadow of death but in the shadow of Your wings. And there she will remain for eternity.
