One of the scribes approached Jesus and asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?” “This is the most important,” Jesus answered. “Listen Israel! The Lord our God. The Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” Mark 12:28-29
We love because He first loved us. For if anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen. 1 John 4:19-20
My words…
In An Attempt To Understand
It’s an interesting thought: being commanded to love. What’s even more interesting is that I’m being commanded to love the One who is commanding me to love. And not just any love but one that permeates every facet of what makes me who I am – the unseen parts: heart, soul, mind, strength. I need a weightier dose of Your teaching Spirit to help me understand. Committing all my heart, soul, mind and strength to You is not something to be taken lightly. And so I’ve been sitting in Your classroom, asking for deeper understanding. We both know You don’t need my love, then why command it of me? Here is what I have learned: If I didn’t love You, I wouldn’t know how to love others. And it is very important to You that I love others. When I lay claim to the inestimable treasure of Your love for me, my unseen parts are attuned to loving everyone You love. If it means commanding me to love You, then so be it. The two greatest commands are inextricably forged. If I am struggling to show love to those around me, then I must accept my love for You has floundered. Loving You with all my unseen parts is the gradual cutting away of the dead me so the living You is free to take over. You showed me how to love by loving me first. And You did so without being commanded by anyone because You are, of course…LOVE. This is my attempt to understand. How did I do?
Jesus said, “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will givehim a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? Matthew 7:7-11
My words…
Praise
I read today about a famous Hollywood actress who is asking publicly for prayers for her seriously ill relative. So, I prayed (as You know). There are many others, I’m sure, who did the same as I. But I also know there are many who prayed to a god who did not hear them. I am confident You heard me because You hear everything. My prayers do not bounce off images of wood or stone or gold. They penetrate the holy aura of heaven, winding their way among the harmony of angels and the clash of archangels’ swords. My prayers transcend time and enter the realm of eternity where they are held in the hands of Your perfect will. My prayers leave my lips as sloppy, halting, inadequate words and pass through the discerning intercession of Your Spirit, translated into a prayer worthy of Your attention.
Prayer for me
I often wonder about the time You spent with Your disciples. I imagine they asked You a lot of questions. (I would have.) And I imagine You answered every single one of them, in Your own way (by asking a question in return!). I’ve asked You a lot of questions myself. Some remain unanswered, but I have Your permission to keep asking. You apparently aren’t bothered by persistence. And repetition. (Thank You.) Lead me toward a place where I am not bothered by persistence. And repetition.
Prayer for others
Today I pray for those who have stopped asking. They prayed but felt ignored. Discouragement crept across their spirits, and they abandoned the pathway of prayer. They witnessed others’ answered prayers and convinced themselves they aren’t worthy of Your attention. I pray something will move them to keep asking, for it’s in the asking that we grow.
Thank You
You never toss aside my prayers. They are precious to You. I have forgotten most of my prayers, but You have not. You could recite each one back to me. Thank You for our many conversations, but most of all, thank You for allowing me to ask away.
More praise
One of my kids called me the other day asking, “Do you have time to talk? I have a question.” My answer? Always. What’s your question? Talking to my kids is like opening a Christmas gift. I come away with another priceless memory. When I come to You asking, “Do you have time to talk? I have a question.” You say, “How much more….”
Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Ephesians 6:11-17
My words…
Praise
Here I am again, Lord, praying over Ephesians 6! I remain heartened by the image of Your armor, protecting me against the Devi’s tactics. You do not call me to strangle with the belt, beat with the shield, or strike with the sword. In fact, what you call me to do is not offensive but defensive. You equip me to stand.
Prayer for me
All of heaven knows I’m not much of a fighter. I have never physically assaulted anyone. (Childhood interactions with younger sisters don’t count…right?) My primary reason for being such a pacifist is the certainty of my own injury as a result of the altercation. I’m not a big fan of pain. When I learn about Your invitation to put on an invisible armor to defend against an invisible enemy, I still recoil because I have an inkling of this enemy’s ultimate goal: my spiritual destruction. Pain on many levels. So, I’m thrilled to have Your armor of protection. But there are times when I feel like David wearing Saul’s armor. The armor is perfect. The wearer is unfit, too weak. Forgive me when I use my sandaled feet to bolt from the battle. I haven’t learned the full effectiveness of my sword. My belt slips. I pray earnestly for Your Spirit to open my eyes to the battle around me. Now is not the time to dawdle in the mess tent. I must stand! In the fray! With my feet planted like a tree by the stream. Teach me how to uphold my weapons like the archangel Michael. Strengthen me against the rancid smell of battle, the taunts by the Enemy’s minions, and my own weariness. And when I am called to not only stand but to take a stand, keep my feet from slipping.
Prayer for others
You see my friend, Lord, armored yet barely standing. She has languished by her husband’s hospital bed for four months, witnessing his decline day by day. She is surrounded by helplessness and hopelessness. She prays to You. You hear her. I am attaching my prayer to hers. I have no idea what Your will is in her situation. Has her faith grown stronger? Probably. Has her heart been broken? Definitely. I pray You will prop up her armor. Tighten that belt. Sharpen that sword. She is in the thick of the fray, and she needs to know she does not stand there alone. Hold on to her by Your mighty right arm. Thank You.
More praise
I praise You that when I stand, I stand with the Army of God, heavenly hosts on my right and left. My uniform is stained with Jesus’ blood, not my own. I bear the insignia of a Child of the King. My battle cry is Hallelujah! There is no greater honor than to stand in Your armor.
Saul replied, “You can’t go fight Goliath. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young. ” David answered Saul: “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:34-37 selected
My words…
Praise
It would have been so easy for young David to take credit for slaying a lion and a bear, to drape his body with their skins or tack them to posts outside his tent. Wouldn’t everyone have been impressed? But David knew it was only by Your power that his lambs were not torn to shreds. You rescued the lambs. You rescued David. You still rescue. It doesn’t matter if my precarious state is a result of my action or the actions of others: You will rescue me according to Your will for my good because You are the God Who Rescues.
Prayer for me
Although I’ve never experienced life-or-death situations like David (Lions and bears live in zoos, right?), I have stumbled into danger unaware and strode into danger for the thrill. The Enemy had me dangling from a string at times, and I never knew. But You rescued me, nonetheless. Forgive me when I claimed my escape to be an act of luck (whew!) or worse, my own clever actions. Looking back, I see Your hand of protection so clearly.
Prayer for others
Lord, I know of so many close to me in need of rescue. Their loved ones are languishing in hospitals or nursing homes. Parents despair because their children are caught in the snare of addiction and abuse. The Enemy has snatched hope from their eyes and has filled their ears with messages like, “It is what it is.” Throw out the lifeline, Lord! Show them the way to the safe shore where You wait to welcome them.
Thank You
I read accounts of people who have been trapped in mines, or stranded in blizzards, or adrift at sea. They struggle to maintain a sliver of hope. At the sight of their rescuer, they crumble in tears of gratitude. I have not experienced these physical rescues, but my spirit has. Without a sliver of hope, I was rescued through Your broken body on a bloody cross. You know my heart. You see it flowing over with gratitude.
More praise
I lift You up as the God who does not hold my sins against me. You do not say, “You got yourself into this mess. Get yourself out.” The Father of Lies is a prowling lion, but You are eager to rescue us from his paws. And for that, I give you all glory.
I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon. But, if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to act in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:14-15
My words…
Praise
God, You didn’t create us to live insulated from each other. We dwell in community within society. We share culture with each other: our heritage, our past. So, it’s only natural for Your people to exist as a group and not as individuals. We hold a place within Your household, the church of the living God whose cornerstone is Jesus Christ. Your church, THE church, upholds Your truth as precious. We acknowledge our salvation is only because of a perfect life nailed to a bloody cross. You are The living God, and we are Your living, breathing, moving church, supporting your precepts and displaying Your glory to the world. And, I, for one, am humbled and grateful to be a part.
A Prayer for Your Church
Since its creation, Your church has stood as one big target. The pillar is scratched and nicked from both internal and external forces. Satan and his angels have been hard at work for centuries, inciting damage in an effort to ebb the flow of hope, the natural outcome of genuine worship. But, some of the marring is the aftermath of people not acting as they ought in Your household. They proclaim You as the only true and living God, but they are, in truth, an active cancer in Your body. Your church pays the price for the indiscretions of her leaders; her reputation suffers. She is lambasted publicly for the actions of a few, and my heart breaks. So, I pray for Your church, Lord; she is a strong pillar, I know. But she endures such devastation, most of it unjustly. Strengthen the spirits who come together and call themselves Your church. Fill the cracks. Patch the holes. Satan isn’t going anywhere, but neither are we.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh. Jesus speaking…John 6:51
My words…
Praise
Jesus, I love that You chose “bread” as one of Your personal metaphors. You could have proclaimed to be the “living meat” (Lamb of God reference), but You chose bread (manna reference). I love bread; it’s the original comfort food – simple sustenance. You took the reference and brought it to life when You became God in flesh. You came with Your hand extended; all I had to do was take it. Simple. Manna spoiled, but You are the eternal Bread of Life. I digest peace and hope, such comfort! Some people are disturbed by the correlation between bread and Your flesh. Eating bread – yum. Eating flesh – yuck. It causes one to stop. Reflect. Ponder. Pray. Hmmm…no accident. Figuratively speaking, I take You in and allow You to nourish my inner self – that part of me You died for. You gave me the bread at great cost. Who am I to refuse it?
Prayer for others
I pray for those who are spiritually glucose intolerant, or on a self-proclaimed low carb/no carb diet when it comes to “living” bread. Perhaps they have living bread confused with dogma, theologies, or traditions. For them, it’s not sustenance. It’s poison. They do not reach out to take it. They run from it. I pray they may see You as You really are: the One God who died for them because You love them. Period.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.Luke 6:37-38
My words…
Praise
My first bible was given to me by my parents. All of Your words, Jesus, are written in red ink. These words from Luke are written in red. I believe with my whole heart that the red words are all I need to live fulfilled on this planet. There aren’t that many red words, especially in light of the fact they were spoken by the Almighty Son of God for all humankind. They may be few, but they’re weighty, given with an eternal perspective. I am grateful for every word You spoke and for every person who wrote them down, so I could read them on a day like today. Because today, these words visited my house.
Prayer for me and Samantha
As I worked in my front yard, a car rolled by my house. I took notice because the car was not covered in a shiny coat of paint, but in dull, gray primer. Who would paint their car in primer? I went back to work, and I noticed the car had turned around and was headed back my way. Oh no. I paid too much attention to that car. Now they’re coming back. A smiling, pleasant looking woman called to me from her open window. I approached, assuming she would ask for directions to a nearby home. “Hi! I have a job interview this afternoon, and I was wondering if you could help me out. I have an apartment nearby. You may have seen my around.” She went on to assure me she was not on any government assistance programs, spouting acronyms I had never heard of. She’s probably lying. When she stopped to draw breath, I asked, “What do you need?” “Some money to buy gas and food would be great.” She smiled. An old man sat in her passenger seat. He never stopped talking, yet I heard not a word. The woman looked his way and nodded back at me as if I were part of the three-way conversation. If only I had not paid so much attention to that car.
It’s not everyday an opportunity for me to be You pulls up outside my house. I see people in need, seated by the roadside, holding signs with messages of need. But I’m tucked safely in my car, behind a barrier of metal and glass with a choice of whether to turn my head or drive by. But not this time. Only a barrier of soft spring breeze separated me from woman in the car. If everything she said were true, and she didn’t have enough gas in her car to get to her job interview, and she was hungry, then the woman (and apparently the old man with her) had fallen on hard times, had swallowed their pride, and asked a perfect stranger for help. They were in need of You in action. If, however, the woman was lying, and she was trolling the streets of my city, looking for an unsuspecting person within calling distance from the curb to work her scam and take her chances on getting a few bucks, she was still in need of You in action. I judged her the minute I saw her primed car. In that moment, I was judged. I find it compelling that judging and giving are mentioned in the same lesson. It’s easy to judge and not give, but it’s also easy to judge as I give.
Before she drove away, I asked for her name. “Samantha,” she said. “I’ll pray for you,” I replied. She smiled and drove away. And so I pray for Samantha. If she needs a job, I pray you will bless her with one, so she will have the means to care for herself and the man in her passenger seat. I pray she will never go hungry. You love her. I pray she comes to know that fully. And lastly, I pray for me. Forgive my snap-to judgmental heart. I am ashamed. I didn’t do a good job of living according to the red words. If Samantha stops by again, I’ll be ready.
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted and unfading kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-4
My words…
Praise
Although I do not dwell on death, I am surrounded by its reminders: road kill, cemeteries, flags at half mast. As sad and (at times) unpleasant as death is, it provides the best contrast to what is living. We go to great lengths to save a life. We teach our children CPR. AED machines are attached to the walls of every public building. We grasp life like the precious jewel it is. Where does this come from? You, of course. Each of Your children is a special soul worth saving. So, when I read about a living hope, hope with a pulse, I know it’s from You! This living hope is the antithesis of a hope that is dead (no hope). It’s a hope that nourishes, sustains, grows. When I fail You, hope lifts me up and sets me on a higher plane. When I allow myself to forget how You have blessed me, hope reminds me. Hope leads me to open my Bible. Hope is the reason I pray. Hope is there to greet me when I wake. When Your resurrected body drew its first miraculous breath, living hope was born. It busted out of the grave along with You, and it hasn’t stopped providing the very best reason for living, and dying.
Prayer for us
This past year has been a hope-zapper for nearly everyone on this planet. In truth, I’m weary of thinking about it; yet, it lingers. Sickness, death, shortages, riots in the streets, confusion and distrust. It’s enough to make one lose hope of ever having hope. So I ask Your Spirit to shine forth in living hope like a beacon on this dark world and send the Evil One scuttling. Bring us back to life with hope for a future with You.
Forgive me
Climbing suicide rates. Economic uncertainty. Dwindling morality. Doom and Gloom. Day after day. Forgive me when I allow the measly predictions of humans to overshadow Your divine plans for this world.
Thank You for living hope. Five very inadequate words of gratitude for such a gift. It was all because of Your resurrection, which was all because of Your death, which was all because of Your love for me. Thank You for accepting my thank You. You always do.
More praise
I am happy and relieved that my inheritance doesn’t spoil, rust or fade. It’s indestructible! But what’s even more glorious is that You are keeping it for me. For me! Like a treasure in a hope chest. A living hope chest.
So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on earth. Colossians 3:1-2
My words…
I keep a list of all the tasks I am currently working on and plan to work on in the future. When I accomplish a task, it gives me great pleasure to take my pencil and draw a line through the item. I usually draw four or five lines in order to soak up more pleasure. Regretfully, “seeking what is above” is not currently on my list. My list is an earth-dwelling list not a heaven-bound list. But, that’s all right because these words of Paul’s (and Yours) have nothing to do with lists or tasks or pencil lines. Seeking what is above is a mind-set (“set your minds”). Your Spirit taught me that. If my mind were set on what is on earth, my reactions to events would be misguided, my outlook bleaker. A mother grieving over her mentally ill child would nudge me toward helplessness; instead, I raise that family up before You and have faith You will work Your will in them. A country embroiled in violence and division could lead me to abandon my hope for its future; instead, I remember You rule over the nations (Ps. 22:28), and You rule with perfect wisdom. Satan tightens his grip on Your church and sets Your children on a dangerous path, yet You have already defeated the ruler of this world, and Your church will stand victorious against him (Matt. 16:18). Where You are, there is hope not despair. In Your presence is eternal light not darkness. I look heavenward, yet my head is not in the clouds. I consider You on the highest plain while my face is bowed. I throw off the uncertain tomorrow for the certainty of heaven. I release unsatisfying pursuits and take hold of Your intentions for me. I am not distracted by what will pass away but focused on a promise of an incorruptible treasure. There is no task list for seeking what is above, no pencil lines drawn through these items. I’m not the one doing the work. All I do is set my mind on You as best as I know how. Seated at the right hand of God, You are in the perfect position to take it from there.
And a road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path. Even the fool will not go astray. There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it, and the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee. Isaiah 35:8-10
Jesus said, “I am the way…” John 14:6
My words…
Praise
There is an element of fear in my soul when I am preparing to travel somewhere, and I don’t know the way. What if I find myself lost in a dangerous part of town? What if I drive around so long, I run out of gas, and I’m stranded? Alone. These images trouble me. It’s very important to me that I know where I’m going before I start out. The journey is made even better if I have a traveling buddy. Without the threat of getting lost, I am free to sing songs, play road games, and arrive refreshed and safe. Isaiah’s description of the Holy Way resonates with my soul. First of all, it’s a path, which means someone went before me and blazed it to make my journey easier. Thank You, Jesus. This path is well-marked (a “raised way” Is. 35:8-10), a level path (Ps. 27:11), where You are the leader, the guide (Ps. 25:8). So, I don’t have to worry about getting lost. Just follow You. Those who strive to oppose You (“vicious beasts”) do not roam this path. Only the redeemed travel with me. It’s a toll road, but You paid the price so I wouldn’t have to. The toll was heavy, but You bore it by the strength of Your love. If sorrow sidles up along anyone, my traveling companions and I will sing it away! The only thing more beautiful than this path is where it leads.
Prayer for me
You spoke to your disciples about the difficult, narrow road and how few find it (Matt. 7:14). The way is narrow because there isn’t enough room on the path for all the stuff I want to bring along with me. I must leave my pride at home. (Step aside, Jesus. I know the way.) There’s not enough room for Your will and mine. (The path should go this way.) So, teach me how to be content on the path, without the luggage.
Forgive me
I praise You for teaching me to love traveling on the path. It wasn’t always a favorite place of mine. Now, however, I find myself wanting to sit and rest on the path instead of moving forward with You. Can’t we just take a breather? What does that say about my spirit? My joy and hope are frayed. Forgive me for allowing that to happen.
Prayer for others
Although I have so many beautiful souls traveling with me, there are some whom I love that do not wish to sojourn with us. I miss their company. As do You. I don’t know how to pray for them. I simply ask Your Spirit to intercede for me to bring before You, Father, the perfect petition.
Thank You
A couple of years ago, I went on a retreat to a place where there were several paths created for any who wanted to walk in silence surrounded by nature to worship, meditate, and ponder. (You were there with me.) I followed a path into a wooded area, enjoying the sound of the birds and the breeze rustling the leaves. Then, the path just…stopped. My next step would have placed me in an unmarked, thick forest. I turned back, feeling cheated. I am deeply thankful the path I walk with You leads to the place You are preparing for me. It’s all right that I cannot fathom an image of such a place in my imagination. All the better!
More Praise
Jesus, You said, “I am the way.” Four words. Do I really need to know anything else in this life? Nope.
