God is the fountain whence ten thousand blessings flow;To Him my life, my health and friends, and every good I owe.
You are the sweet, flowing source of my limitless blessings; All of the good things in my life – my health, friends, family – I owe to You.
The comforts He affords are neither few nor small; He is the source of fresh delights, my portion and my all.
The comforting peace You offer is no small thing; All of the wonders of this world that delight me are gifts from You: the sweet song of the birds at dawn, the feel of a cool breeze on a summer day, the laughter of a dad and his children playing, the taste of perfectly brewed tea, the smell of baking bread, the certainty of Your Spirit instructing mine. You are all I need to live fulfilled in every way.
He fills my heart with joy. My lips attunes for praise; and to His glory I’ll devote the remnant of my days.
Perfect joy is found in You. I hold Your joy in my heart, and it is filled to the brim. Because of this, I want to sing like an angel. And for Your glory I will remain faithful to You for the rest of my life. Amen.
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who depend on horses! They trust in the abundance of chariots and in the large number of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel, and they do not seek the Lord’s help. Egyptians are men not God; their horses are flesh not spirit. Isaiah 31:1, 3
I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2
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The Assyrians were at the gate, and Judah needed help. To whom did they turn? They turned to the ones who had enslaved their ancestors instead of the One who had liberated them. They depended on the riders of horses instead of the horses’ Creator. They trusted in the abundance of chariots instead of the Holy One. Isaiah declared to them, “You’re looking to the wrong source for help.” When calamity strikes, when sickness weakens, when hope fades, where does help come from? There’s only one source: the Maker of everything. It’s perfectly logical. If help is needed, why not go to the most powerful source? Spirit instead of flesh. God instead of humans.
Prayer for me
Judah’s back was to the wall. Without help, they could not survive the battle. I don’t find myself in that position (thanks be to You). But I am often in need of help, and I have many options: friends, family, therapist, manuals, substances, YouTube. Some are good options, but they are options with limits. With You, there are no limits to what You are able to do. Your Spirit has taught me to choose the limitless option. But I am a child who is still learning NOT to say, “I can do it myself!”
Forgive me
“Help me, Lord,” are three heavy words, loaded with power. Forgive me when I don’t use them more. Forgive me when I don’t use them first.
Prayer for others
Lord, today I pray for those burdened with addiction. I know so many whose bodies are craving substances that will ultimately destroy them. They are desperate for help. The enemy is at the gate, and they are powerless. I pray they will look heavenward and find their true source of help: You, their Maker.
Thank You
Thank You for being a God who helps. You aren’t above getting Your hands dirty, carrying others’ burdens, keeping vigil. I know this is true because it’s what You did, Jesus, during Your years on earth. You do it still.
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There’s a big advantage to getting help from the Maker of Heaven and Earth: You eagerly provide help based on everything You know about me: my thoughts, my memories, my regrets, my weaknesses, my past, and my future. All I have to do is ask.
Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Psalm 95:6-7
Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
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Lately, I’ve been pondering the posture of my heart – the part of me You see. You are worthy of a humble posture: knees on the ground, face to the floor, head bowed, hands lifted, face raised. Human hearts are made to assume such postures. You made sure of it. Sheep know how to posture themselves before their shepherd. They turn an ear to the shepherd’s voice. They move their hooves in the shepherd’s direction. They obey without wavering. You made sure of it. I am Your child; I am Your sheep. The posture of my heart is a gift from me to You, my Father, my Shepherd.
Prayer for me
I wish I could proclaim a daily, humble posture, but You know a lie when You hear one. I am guilty of a prideful posture in Your presence: arms crossed, hands on hips, a cold glare. Where is the answer to my prayer? Didn’t You hear me the first time? Or the fiftieth time? (I’m good at this. I could go on.) You love me through it, I know, but I still need to drop my arms, fall to my face and plead for Your Spirit to be patient with me. I can’t learn with the cold glare. I can only grow on my knees. So I pray for Your hand on my shoulder as I kneel and listen to the voice of my Shepherd.
Thank You
I could be prostrate in church, and my heart criticizing the sermon. You’d know. My head could be bowed in prayer, and my heart focusing on my to-do list. You’d know that, too. And for this, I am so very grateful! You get to the heart of the matter. Everything You care about is connected to my heart. This truth is both troubling and thrilling. Troubling because You see my weaknesses, my dirty corners. Thrilling because You love me in spite of it. Sprit to spirit. Heart to heart. That’s where we meet. You’re welcome any time. You’re welcome all the time.
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Your posture toward Your children? Arms outstretched, nailed to a post. Head slumped, pierced by thorns. Those who witnessed Your death may not have recognized it for what it was: a posture of eternal love.
I keep the Lord in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
The one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8
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I have learned so much from You, Holy Spirit of God. One of the greatest truths You have taught me is this: The outcomes of my daily existence are a direct result of where I place my confidence. I have a high level of confidence in myself when I know the outcome before it happens, like following a recipe for the hundredth time. But when I can’t see what’s around the bend, which makes up 99.9% of my day, I must place my confidence in the only One who is already there. I have rooted my very next moment in Your omniscience. It’s the safest place – on Your left.
Prayer for me
Although You have taught me well, I falter as a student. I ponder too often about the future. What if this? What if that? The ground beneath my feet shifts, and I am unnerved. Forgive my weakness. I am blessed when Your strength shores up my spirit, and I find myself standing on solid rock again.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for the shaken, the fearful, the doubtful. I pray they will place their confidence in You because You know exactly what to do with it.
Thank You
Thank You, Father, for walking at my right hand. So close! When I look to You, You’re there. And all of my apprehension melts.
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How blessed are we who trust in You. When the scorching heat of heartache, unworthiness, and temptation or the drought of despair, shame, and weakness threaten to destroy us, we stretch our roots to the stream, the source of our strength and health. Our leaves are green. Our fruit abundant. We will not be shaken!
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
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How interesting that You, who are changeless, spoke into creation a world that is ever-changing. In Your wisdom, You created me to grow toward You, to enjoy transformation and renewal. You want to change me, but you’re not going to pull, push or cajole. Your one desire is to mold that lifeless lump of clay into something useful, something beautiful. But it’s up to the lump.
Prayer for me
Transformation, like any change, occurs on a scale. I have experienced renewal and growth in my spirit and in my mind. But only to a point. I’ve plateaued. It’s comfortable here. To keep transforming, I will need to give up more of my time and more of my will. Lead me to want to keep growing away from what’s comfortable and toward a deeper reality with You.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I prefer to remain a dried, lifeless lump of clay. The whispers of Satan cause me to lose heart sometimes, and I grow fearful. That is no way for a child of the Master Potter to act.
Prayer for others
I know many people who don’t like change in any form. Status quo is fine with them. The future feels safer if they know what to expect day after day. The morning cup of coffee. The commute. The evening news. I pray for a change of heart, a surge of Spirit, a renewal of mind. I pray for a spiritual growth spurt!
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So that…I love those two words. Be transformed so that I may glimpse Your perfect will. (Your perfect will! No big deal!) With You, there’s always a bonus following change. I praise You for always including a so that.
“Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to You on the water.” “Come,” He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:28-31
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Middle of the night. Dark sky. Dark seas. The wind whips around Peter’s head. Waves splash over the side of the boat, drenching his sandals. But Peter’s a fisherman. He can sail. He can swim. This isn’t his first stormy night. Then he sees You, walking on the sea toward the boat. You know what’s going to happen before Peter does. He makes a faith-filled request. You grant it. He climbs out. As soon as his sandals are supported on the surface of the sea, everything changes. He is suspended on a supernatural plane. He has entered a divine realm, a sacred space with You. He is no longer witnessing it from afar, like watching You feed thousands with so little. He is in it. Events unfold differently there. What could never happen, happens. What could never been seen, is seen. Sandals grounded on liquid. Why not? The fact that Peter desired this when the others didn’t is a testament to his…what? Some scholars say he was too rash, not thinking before he leapt. Maybe. I think he just wanted to be near You. The gap between You and him was too big; Peter wanted to close it. I don’t dwell on what happened next. I just love that Peter climbed out of the boat.
Prayer for me
Before he could turn cartwheels on Galilee, the howling wind drew Peter’s eyes away from You, and the supernatural plane fell away. I can’t identify with sandals grounded on liquid, but I’ve been on crossings with You when I’ve been lured away or scared away. Like Peter, I didn’t doubt You. I doubted me. I don’t have enough faith in my faith. Please help me with this.
Forgive me
I’ve been struggling with my priorities lately, placing projects and hobbies before my time with You. Lying in bed at night, I attempt to make up for lost time, and we both know the futility of that attempt. Forgive the condition of my heart. It’s flabby and needs discipline.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for those who have taken their eyes away from You, and they are sinking. Some are terrified. Some don’t care. I pray that something or someone will enter their lives to cause them to reach for Your outstretched hand.
Thank You
Thank You for granting Peter permission to walk with You on the sea. And thank you for saving him. Thank You for walking with me on our own version of the Sea of Galilee. And thank You for saving me. Over and over.
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I often wonder if Peter, while imprisoned in chains, thought back to his stroll on the sea. I imagine he remembered every moment – the thrill of water beneath his feet, the blast of the wind in his face, the grasp of Your reaching hand. He couldn’t have regretted his decision to climb out of the boat. I never have.
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
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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.
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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
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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!
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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!
