Tag: Prayer

Posted on

Faith is Connection

Blessed is the person who listens to Me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds Me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 8:34-35

Life is more difficult when we find ourselves disconnected from God, when the magic of our experience of living becomes lost and the Lord is absent from our daily walk

Where are you this day?

How well are you connected through your faith with your Maker?

All of us lose sight of Him sometimes, as we live our lives. We leave Him off somewhere along the way

Let’s face it, living during these times is one gigantic distraction. It is challenging each day. There are an endless number of things that clamor and overtake us, which prevent us from refocusing upon our God

Perhaps you have never experienced a faith relationship with Him. We all start from that point during the course of our life

It begins in us from our deep need to believe in something more. To anchor on to something solid in this universe so vast and uncaring

Connection always starts at some place. It meets us where we are

God dwells all around us, He is near, yet unseen. Therefore, we must take action and move our life towards His presence

We must seek Him, for He can be found. When we draw closer to Him, He will draw near to us, and we will begin to experience a life of faith

If you feel disconnected to God, or you just are not experiencing His life moving inside you, call out to Him from your heart in prayer 

Ask Him back into your life, humble yourself before Him and ask for forgiveness, then ask God to reveal His Son, Jesus Christ, in your life

Find a quiet place without distractions, take a walk, sit in a garden, or visit a sanctuary

Read God’s Word, as He has spoken to us through the Bible and let the message soak into you. Apply His Words to your life, let them have meaning in what you have been experiencing this day

Take time to do these things each day and you will reconnect to your God. It may take some time, or it might happen abruptly

As you prepare your mind, heart, and soul; reach out to Him in faith and listed to what His Word reveals to you

God is more real than the air we breath. He is like light and life unto us, for He created us, and we were made to live before Him

I pray this day for you, my friend. That you would draw closer to God and that He would reach out with His hand and touch your life, so that You might become whole in Him again. 2/8/2022

Posted on

A Prayer For This Land

“if a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain, standing grain, or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.” Exodus 22:6

Oh great God of heaven and Earth, I bow my head in prayer to You this day, and pray for this land that stretches out before me

I call out to my Lord, that You would listen to me and feel compassion for the life that lives here

A drought has stricken our lands. It has made our fields dry and cracked. Our once lush forests have been weakened and are struggling. They have become like tinder that waits for a single spark to ignite them

All of life here is in retreat. The beauty of the west is disappearing and the survivors are hard pressed and stricken

The fires come in weary regularity now. They burn like gigantic furnaces that consume everything in their path and with a quickness that fiercely devoirs the gardens that once bloomed there

It has been heartwarming to witness the regrowth that springs up after. Like a miracle, it is a testament to the tenacity of these survivors. But, something is much different now, the old ground rules are being broken

For the heat and the drought is just relentless. Year after year it continues to surprise us and repeat itself

The rebirth of our lands and forests, so promising, is losing now . Restoration is being aborted, because of the harshness of our climate

The days keep growing warmer and the nights even more so. The heat and aridness are worse that anyone can remember

Our wet seasons happen in short bursts, and then vanish for months at a time. Brief periods of ‘normal weather’ are being displaced by strange periods of sun, winds, and drought

Lord look down upon us and this hard stricken land. Bring us relief for the sake of this beautiful place. Look fondly upon this land, for it is suffering

I can’t help but think of the ways in which we have caused all this

The excesses of our age that have tilted the balance and now wreak damage. Global warming is a man-made plague, a problem of our own making, and our responsibility 

This drought I see all around me is a consequence of our actions

Can I really ask God to help bring us relief?

Can I truly ask Him to clean up this mess that is a product of our disrespect for His creation?

Therefore, I will pray a new prayer. May we all develop a caring attitude for the Earth and all that lives here

Can we overcome the inertia and profit motives of our industries, so that we may focus on finding solutions to this difficult problem?

How great are the consequences if we decide to ignore and accept this and deadly for millions of people in the coming years

Climate change has the potential to accelerate rapidly from here. As it does, it will ripple unrest, starvation, and plagues across the globe

I will pray then that we commit to undoing the damage we have caused, and that we will work together throughout the world, to care for the health of our planet

For this I will pray for, and for this, I will accept responsibility  2/4/2022

Posted on

Our God Rescues

I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Psalms 34:4

Give thanks, all you who believe in the Lord, for He is good, and powerful to rescue those who trust in Him

Let everyone who has faith, offer thanksgiving to our God, because He has redeemed us from every trouble and from the sentence of death

He has rescued us from our wandering and given us a home within His Kingdom by His power and mercy

Some of us were found lost in deserts of despair, sentenced to dwell in hardship because of the poor choices they made

There, they had stumbled and found themselves lost, thirsting for a redemption from all that they were suffering from

They called out to Him in their anguish and our God answered them. He picked them back up on their feet and led them from despair

God brought them to a place of goodness and light and gave them hope instead of futility, mercy in place of the punishment they deserved for their actions

Let those who believe give thanks to the Lord for He is good

He delivered them from those dark times when hope became distant

Give thanks to The Lord for His unfailing love and for His great gifts of deliverance

Some were found in prisons, either literally or figuratively. They sat there behind bars, in chains, left to suffer a cruel punishment. Day after miserable day they dwelled in boredom and hardship, their very lives threatened by the dangers that lurked around them

When they cried out to their God in truth and in faith, He listened and drew near to them

At first, He gave them glimmers of hope, but then, as they continued to live a life of faith and humility before Him, He began to release them from their distress, Bringing them out of the darkness and deepest gloom, into the light of life

Let them give thanks to Him for His unfailing love, for He opened the most impenetrable doors and cut through bars of hardened steel

Some found themselves stranded in dangerous and difficult places threatened by situations that might injure or even end their life. Disasters, wars, crimes, accidents, mistakes, illness, and disease; People at the end of the line, clinging to life, in need of a savior

Some who were wise, reached out to their God. They cried out to Him for rescue, remedy, or a life rope of some kind. There, they prayed a prayer of deliverance

Then our faithful God came and rescued them from the grave, He reached out His hand, and snatched them from peril

God acts to save us every time from the troubles we face in life, because He is a God of love, forgiveness, and mercy

Let us all give thanks and consider the great love of our Lord.   10/30/2021

Posted on

Faith

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Faith is a both a living and active force in our life. It swells within us as we begin to believe in God and grows stronger as we come to trust in His Word, realize His great love for us, and begin to experience His grace and forgiveness

Sometimes, when we first come to believe, He fills us to the brim as His Spirit flows into us. It overwhelms our consciousness with an abiding sense of His presence. With His Spirit comes a knowledge of God’s truth, goodness, and love

As we come to know these things, we place our full trust in Him. Even during those difficult days of unending pressures and doubt, we can harken back to our faith in Him, to the truth of His Word, and sense His love, and then we are assured that God is good, and that He loves us without measure

No believer is immune to those days when we don’t feel God near us. Reach then into your toolbox and select a time for prayer, read a chapter in the Bible, or praise Him for something good in your life. Acknowledge Him in everything that you are given in life

Faith is both a living and active force in our life. It is an adventure we must take each day and precious beyond any earthly measure

That is why we cannot allow ourselves to store our faith in a safe place. We can’t keep it locked up like a treasure in our safety deposit box. Like we would with a piece of jewelry, or an important document

Faith is something that must live and breathe. It is active by nature, a reaching out to God, a quiet conversation with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, or a living out of His truth and goodness in our lives before the world

Faith is precious, it is real, it must be lived out in the moments of our life

Faith can be quiet in a moment of prayer, or, sometimes a bold and loud profession of faith in sermon or song. It can be our day-to-day soundtrack, our inner conversation, a calm response

But it is never present when we lock it away

Life in these times is full of distractions. There are a million pressing things that surround us each day that can distract us away from our faith and leave us empty

Faith cannot exist in us if we lock it in our safety deposit box. It cannot link us with our God, if we set it aside so that we deal with something, or focus on what is demanding our immediate attention now

How many times do these things take over our days and nights, so that we lose sight of Him, and get cast adrift in worries and stress?

Faith is not a natural part of this world we live in. It is the light and life that connects us with the God of the universe

Faith takes effort sometimes to continually come back to Him and acknowledge His presence and imminence within all that happens

It is vitally important for every believer, because it makes real our friendship we have with our creator and opens all the possibilities that He so generously offers, so that we might live a full and realized life for all our days.   9/20/2021

Posted on

Encouragement

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

For all of you who have been called of God, to employ yourselves in accomplishing His holy work, and to those who had heard His voice clearly, to live out their lives in faithful service to His will, Be strong and stand firm in Christ

Humble yourself, and conduct your life worthy of His calling. Nourish your relationship with Him, so that you will never stray far from His path for you

At all costs, make every part of your life as His home, and He will come in and strengthen you for your labor, giving you holy wisdom to accomplish all things

Defeat can only come from within you

Never accept criticism as a barrier to progress, or a reason for giving up. Rather, consider what council, if any, might come from these words so that you can improve your efforts

Don’t give in to failures. God is more powerful and wise than anything in creation. He will never leave you, or forsake you, on your journey

Don’t give up, but grow through every experience, trial, and victory

It is a sin to be weak in Christ, so never allow yourself to be completely defeated

Be wise about what people say about your work and your call. Do not fret if roadblocks are placed before your path. Accept it for what it is, but do not give up, or retreat

Place all matters before before God, and He will give you wisdom. Be courageous and brave, for there will be opposition

In Christ, you can overcome every kind of trouble

If God has truly given you this calling, then never believe the lie that what you’re doing doing is all a waste of time. God has ordained you, He has given you the strength and skill, and anointed you for this service

Your work is of infinite value, no matter how the world rates what you do

Guard yourself, so that you don’t stray off the path. Focus your life upon what our Lord has shown to you

Don’t become lazy about what God has said is vitally important, nor should you spend out all your energy in overheated activity. Instead, strive for a consistency of effort each day, and our Lord will will give you the strength and wisdom to continue on

Share in your effort with like minded believers, and have them pray for work, as you also do the same for them

Always maintain close contact with God. Pray to Him each day with requests and petitions for your work. Stay vitally connected to Christ, through His Spirit and His Word. As you do these things, God will use your work to bless many others. 1/18/2006

Posted on

A Conversation

Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs AR
For this is what the high and lofty One says- He who lives forever, whose name is holy; “I live in a high and holy place, but also with those who are contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite”.

My life is continually before You, Oh Lord. Every particle of my being is known to Your Eye; and yet I don’t always see the face that so loves me, and my thoughts are often on earthly things

How far, oh Lord, am I from You; yet Your thoughts are always upon me

Even though I seek You diligently, my mind is apt to wander; and though I often spend time in prayer, I can lose sight of You

As I make my way through life, I realize more each day just how weak I am, and how dependent I am upon You. For my life is held in Your hand. You could crush it out, but all I have ever felt is Your love and Your power

If You were to judge righteously, my life, and how I have managed it, You would not be found too harsh if You were to give me the stiffest of penalties

But, in all that You have done, I have found only gifts of forgiveness, second chances, and the chance to live the fullest life imaginable

Where do I go from here Lord?

It’s hard to believe that You have not grown tired of me asking that question. But I am reminded, that You have a plan for me, as You do for everyone

Help me to have the courage to follow Your ways, and not my own. Remind me of how futile it is to strike off in my own way, and strengthen me to know that Your way is always the best path I can take

You hold my life in a vise grip. I cannot wander far before Your Word reminds me of the route I should take

I praise You that You care enough lay hold of my life, and I thank You that You have never let me go, even when I have struggled with all my might against Your grip

I do not know what the future holds, only that someday You are going to send Your Son back to us. Someday, I am going to stand in front of You, Jesus; and I don’t know if I am going to be able to look You in the eye. For I would be undone by You. There is nothing worthy enough within me to stand in Your presence

But, You have placed Your Spirit within me, and it is preparing me for that day.

The very Spirit of Your being dwelling inside of me, attesting day by day of the incomprehensible goodness that is in You, that leads me to live out that goodness in my life

Lord, You have formed me from the dust of this incredible universe, breathed life into my body, and placed me here in this time and place

No doubt, You have a purpose for my life. I know now that it is not always to achieve the success of mankind, but to live out Your loving ways day by day throughout my life; and to continually seek to glorify Your most Holy Name.   1997

Posted on

Finding Life’s Path

Teach me your way, o Lord; Lead me in straight paths
Psalm 27:11

Lord, purify me, so that I may be a blessing upon the Earth

Lead me not unto temptation, but delivery me towards a pathway filled with Your truth and light, so that I may do good in this world and not evil

Enable me to do things that have an eternal effect. Daily acts that help build Your kingdom

Oh Lord, may I be guided by Your truth, and taught through Your Word. May I be made strong by these, so that I may accomplish Your will

Lord You are eternal. May my life make a difference for You long past my days

My God, You have blessed the entire Earth that You created. May I bless this earth and seek to heal the harms that have come upon it

My savior, You offer us salvation through Jesus Christ. Remind me always, to lead others towards this truth

Our Lord desires that we stay close to Him, and always seek His council. May my life always stay grounded in You through prayer, praise, and worship, so that Your spirit may always dwell richly within me

For You are the way, the truth, and the light of all the world. I shall always be thankful unto You

Our lives are like a brief flash of light; A puff of mist that quickly disappears. We are here today, but who can guarantee the tomorrows that lie ahead?

During our brief days, we can make a difference through our life. We can affirm that which is eternal in God, and be reflections of his truth and His light. Who knows How God might use us?

Even though everything we do may seem insignificant, God can use us to bring His purposes to fruition

Through faith and obedience to His call, we are put into action, and through our actions, God can accomplish His work

Without God, we can do nothing. But when we do God’s will, He does amazing things

Life is short, but many are the plans of God’s people. We strive after so many things during our life, but it is the Lord’s purpose that always prevails

Lord help me to realize this each day, and to always do your will. Let me see the eternal during the day to day

Teach me to value that which will have eternal consequences, which magnify your love flowing through my life

In You God, is abundance of life and light. Let it shine forth through me as I live out this gift, my life.    11/24/19