Prayer for Today

February 9, 2015

Father God, you alone are God!  There is no other god besides you. You alone created the heavens and the earth. You alone called forth light and separated light from darkness. You parted the water of the sky from the water of the earth. No one could have done these mighty acts except you!

You Lord God brought everything into being that have or had life. You are the only one who calls forth both destruction and deliverance and they must respond to your call. There is not another God on earth, in the heavens or under the earth. You alone are God!

We, your children, have allowed the world system to teach us to set up things in the earthly realm as our idols. Things made of clay, steel, plastic and wood. Things such as houses, home fixtures, clothes, cars, jobs, credit and money have become idols.

People such as our children, our spouses, our parents, our church leaders and our supervisors have become idols to some of us. We are more concerned about getting their approval than we are concerned about obeying your word.

Some of us have set up intangible things as idols; earthly power, authority and fame. We can’t see or touch these things, but we think we know them when we see them.

Forgive us! It was not our intent to place another God before you. Deliver us from the evil of this world and cleanse our hearts. In Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

Genesis 1

Deuteronomy 3:24

Psalm 71:16

Psalm 18

Isaiah 40:12 – 26

 

© Copy written materialPrayer

Prayer for Today

February 6, 2015

Father God, I know your word says that you have plans for me. Plans to do me good and give me hope and a future. But, if I’m being honest, some days I don’t like how your plans are working.

I look around and see people losing everything. I see murder and mayhem all over the land. I see heartache and hardship and wonder, “Is this really God’s plan?”

I see good people losing homes, money, jobs, etc. while the unrighteous still prosper and look for additional ways to oppress the less fortunate. Forgive me, but is this really a plan for my good? I feel like David when he said ‘“Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in the time of trouble?”’

In spite of all these things, I will trust in your unfailing love. I know that in the right season, if I don’t give up, you will bless your children with everything that is rightfully ours. Therefore, I will not weaver in my trust in you but I will stand firm and see your deliverance.

Thank you for being the kind of God I can be honest with in the times of my uncertainty, weakness or momentary despair. I will wait for you. I will be of good courage and I will allow your word to strengthen my heart. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture references:

Jeremiah 29:11

Psalm 10:1 – 2

Psalm 13:5

Psalm 27:14

 

© Copy written materialPrayer

Prayer for Today

February 5, 2015

Father God, thank you for making me the apple of your eye. I will walk in the fullness of your glory and will not fall short of the abundance you have for me. I am overwhelmed by the fact that there is nothing in my life that does not concern you. Everything; my spiritual, mental, physical, financial and emotional health are important to you. There is nothing nor no one who is more important to you than me.

The light of this truth propels me to walk into the destiny you have designed, purposed and planned for me. Knowing that nothing you have planned for me can be stopped gives me the courage to pursue what you have purposed for me.

You don’t hold my past against me and neither will I. I press forward; leaving yesterday, last month and my earlier years in my rearview mirror. I move forward to what you have for me.

Moving forward in Jesus name! Amen.

Scripture references:

John 10:10

III John 2

Proverb 21:30

Nahum 1:7

Deuteronomy 32:10moving forward world

Psalm 55:22

 

© Copy written material

Hold On – Part I

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.” Psalm 27:1 – 2

There is an old Sam and Dave song that has a hook that says, “Hold on, I’m comin!'” Thankfully, we did not enter into our Promised Lands with Sam and Dave. If we had, when we were in trouble, we would have had to wait until they got to us before they could help.

We entered our Promised Lands with God the Father, who is always with us. In fact, Deuteronomy 31:8 states God goes before us, therefore, we do not have to be afraid nor discouraged because God is always with us. If God had a song like Sam and Dave’s his hook would be, “Hold on, I’m here!”

We don’t have to worry if God is going to rescue us from our enemies. He’s with us when it feels like our enemies are overwhelming us and God never needs to be rescued. He’s always the mighty one. There is nothing and no one greater than God and he will never leave us.

All of us had to fight to get into our Promised Land. We had to fight our past, our disappointments, our worries and our anxieties.  We had to fight our low self-esteem, our heartbreaks and our intimidation. Through all of these things, God was with us. By God’s grace and his mercy we made! Through hard fought battles, most won but some lost, we made it.

Here we stand on the soil of our Promised Land, and guess what? We still have to fight! Just like the Israelites had to fight when they marched into their Promised Land, so do we. The good news is, just like he was with the Israelites, God is with us! He is our very present help in the time of trouble.

DO NOT GIVE UP NOW! God has been and will continue to be with you. He sees what you’re going through and he’s right beside you helping you get through it. This is not the time or the place to give up! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. God is with you. Remember his hook, “Hold on, I’m here!”

Holding on to rope

Prayer For Today

January 29, 2015

Father, in the midst of making and fulfilling my plans for 2015, please help me to achieve balance in every phase of my life. Help me to be content, but not complacent, with what you have blessed me with thus far in my journey to live a purposed filled life.

Help me to remain humble while I wait on you. Remind me to cast my cares, burdens, unbelief and lack of trust on you because you care for me.

The world wants me to believe that I have to operate full board every day, all the time. But Father even you rested when your work was complete. You have created me to have peace. Peace of mind, soul and spirit. Help me to find rest in the midst of what can be a maddening pace.

Help me remember I do not have to wear myself out trying to complete my plans. I need to rely on you to be my help. Help me to operate within a balanced lifestyle. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Scripture references:

Philippians 4:11

I Peter 5:6 – 7

John 16:33

Mark 6:31

Genesis 2:2 – 3

Isaiah 41:13

 

© Copy written materialPrayer

Prayer for Today

January 21, 2015

Father waiting for you to answer our prayers can be so hard. Watching the ungodly succeed while your children struggle and sometimes suffer can be difficult to see. But I know you will answer your children’s cry and meet every one of their needs.

So today Lord, I ask that you strengthen those who are waiting for you to answer their prayers. I pray that you will remind them that their hope is in you. Remind them Lord that you will protect them from anything that rises up against them while they wait for you to meet them at their point of need.

Remind them Father that your plans for their lives can never be derailed. Just because things aren’t going the way they planned doesn’t mean things aren’t going the way you planned. Your plans for us stand forever while our plans are as fleeting as vapors.

God, remind them that you are dependable in your word and works. You are loyal in your love towards your children and your unfailing love surrounds us. Put in the forefront of their minds that your favor lasts a lifetime. Uphold them while they wait. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

© Copy written material

Scripture references:

Psalm 17:6

Psalm 27:14

Psalm 32:10

Psalm 33:11Silver-Clock1-wm

Psalm 38:15

 

Prayer for Today

January 20, 2015

Father, I feel like a fish out of water today. The place where you currently have me is not where I had planned to be. It is uncomfortable. I feel out-of-place and out of sorts.

There is nothing I can do to change where I am. I didn’t bring myself to this place and I can’t remove myself from where I am. Only you Father God can move me. I understand that you have positioned me in this place to force me to trust in you and you alone.

I thought I was trusting only in you before but know I realize I wasn’t. I was trusting in my marriage, my job, my bank account, my retirement plan, my stock portfolio or any number of other things in the world system. Please forgive me.

I can’t lean on or depend on my own understanding because I really don’t know what’s going on. I want to yell, “why me?” but that won’t help. Father, I want you to tell me what I have to do to get out of this situation so I can get back to my “normal” life. But I have learned that you love me too much to rush me through a lesson. The truth is I belong to you. I was purchased with the life of Jesus. You can use me as you see fit because my life is yours.

You know what is best for me and I  know I have to trust that as my truth not just a saying. I have to truth you. Father, help my unbelief. In Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

Jeremiah 10:23

Job 32:25 – 29

Proverbs 3:5 – 6

Proverbs 20:24

Mark 9:24

© Copy written materialDesert

Prayer for Today

January 15, 2015

Father, sometimes I feel like I can’t go on. I can’t get through this round of difficulties. I can’t press through this trial. My flesh is crying for everything to end; all the heartache, hardships and difficulties, so I can live what I call a “peaceful life”.

But the three Hebrew men had to be delivered from the furnace in order for the king to recognize you as the King of kings. The king had to see the King of kings do the miraculous before he was willing to acknowledge there was a God greater than his gods and a King greater than him.

In this world system there are a lot of kings and gods; our government system, the rich and powerful and corporations to name a few. Sometimes you have to put your children in the furnace in order to prove to the kings and gods of this world that you are the only true God and sovereign Lord and King.

Thank you for trusting me to go into the furnace. Thank you for giving me enough faith to know you will deliver me unharmed. Thank you for instilling in me enough faith in you to know that you have my best interest at heart and you will never leave me nor forsake me.

Thank you for trust me with suffering for your glory! In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Scripture references:

Daniel 3:19 – 27

Hebrews 13:5

Job 42:2

 

© Copy written material

Faith – Is Not For Wimps

Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it  will certainly come and will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:2 – 3 (NIV)

If we follow God’s commands and decrees, are obedient to all God has instructed us to do and carry out our duties in excellence and expectation; we are operating by faith.

Faith is not neat and pretty. Faith is often not easy nor convenient. It doesn’t come in a cute little package all wrapped up and delivered to us just when we need it. FAITH IS WORK!

In the aforementioned passage of scripture, Habakkuk was asking God questions because, while he trusted God, he was confused about God’s methods. Habakkuk states, “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts…” (Hab. 2:1a NIV) In other words, Habakkuk states he’s not going to stop doing what he’s supposed to do while he awaits God’s answers. He’s going to continue to fulfill his purpose and wait with expectation to get the answer he needs from God. He is ready to be rebuked by God, but he still seeks an answer and is waiting for God to give it to him.

Faith can be nerve wracking! Faith can cause you to loose friends and gain haters. Faith can be a dividing line. Do you really trust God enough to work while you wait on the answer? Do you really trust God enough to know that the answer is coming in God’s perfect time? Are you willing to never give up on your purpose no matter what other people may say or do?

Noah operated in faith.  Abram – even before he was Abraham – operated in faith. Able operated by faith which is why his offering pleased God and Cain’s didn’t. Jesus operated in faith. He allowed himself to die on the cross because he had enough faith to believe he would be raised on the third day.

We must be grounded and settle in our faith in Jesus Christ and not move away from the hope of God’s word. Faith comes by hearing God’s word. The more word we hear, the stronger our faith in God will become. Faith is our foundation. We have to be steadfast and immovable in our faith in the Word of God.

Maturing into You

Story is excerpt from my book: It’s Still Relative, The Word of God for Today’s World

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. We’ll call her Maggie. She was saying that her grown daughter sometimes act less mature than her six-year-old. It seems that no matter how much Maggie or her husband request their older daughter ACT like an adult, she just isn’t willing to take on the responsibilities of being a grown up.

My friend lamented, “‘I don’t think she will ever grow up. I don’t thing she will ever be a responsible adult. I don’t know what we did wrong, but obviously we didn’t raise her right or something. So, we’re just going to have to cut her off and see how she does. At some point, she’s going to have to stand on her own.”‘

As Maggie and I were talking a though struck me deep in my spirit. How many times has God said, “I wonder if she or he will ever spiritually grow up? I wonder when they will learn their lessons and start acting like the Christians I have raised them to be? I wonder if they will ever stop through temper tantrums when they don’t get their way or things don’t seem to be working out they way they want them to. I wonder if they will ever learn to trust me.”

Maturing is Christ as Christians is about trusting God; His word and the finished work of Christ Jesus. Without that trust, we can’t mature into the people God has called, anointed and appointed us to be for and in the Kingdom of God.

Maturing in our Christian walk is not easy but it is necessary and there’s no way around it. (Deut. 6:17 – 18). This blog is a part of my maturity. The daily prayers I send out are a part of my maturity. Starting a non-profit is a part of my maturity. These are things I never wanted to do, never thought anyone would read and under normal circumstances I would NEVER have the courage to do them but, God is maturing me.

So, over the next several days I’m going to use this blog to explore our spiritual maturity. You are welcome to join me!