Eph 6: 14

Stand firm then, with the … breastplate of righteousness in place.

2 Cor. 5: 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 2: 21-25
21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Righteous God~
You are my Shepherd and the Overseer of my soul. Holy and awesome is Your name! I praise You with all my heart for Your wonderful works. It is a delight to think about them. They are glorious and magnificent! Your righteousness endures forever! It is the foundation of Your throne

I am unfit to approach Your holy throne. My righteousness is nothing more than torn and tattered rags. Bare naked and disgraced, I have nothing to offer You but my hollow heart. Humiliated and ashamed of my rotten rags, by faith, I gratefully accept the costly robe of righteousness You freely offer me. Bought with the blood of Jesus, it has immeasurable worth! It truly is the greatest transaction of all time. I give you nothing and you give me amazing grace! Your deeds are great!

The glorious and magnificent robe, protects my heart and covers my shame. I will stand firmer and taller before the adversary. Clothed and unashamed, I will show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience even to the inconsiderate, unkind, proud, abrasive, and impatient. Zipped with love, I will forgive those who hurl insults at me, as You have forgiven me. Even when the pain is excruciating, I will follow Your example and exercise self-control. You are the Perfect Example of righteousness. With the robe of righteousness in place, I will follow in Your footsteps. By Your grace, I will seek to live a holy life so rivers of blessings will flow through me for Your name sake. Amen.

Gratefully exchange your shameful sack of sin for the radiant robe of righteousness freely offered to you by Christ Jesus. Praise Him that you can appear holy, blameless and pure!

Put on truth and righteousness to protect yourself from the father of lies today.

John 14:6

Eph. 6: 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.

John 14: 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 8: 42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

Jesus,
Thank You for giving me direct access to Your Word, the Truth. What a blessing! When I seek You with all my heart and mind, You show me Your ways. You teach me and guide me. Your love and truth protect me. Thank You, Jesus!

Forgive me for not believing You! I recognize that Satan is the father of lies. There is no truth in him. Everywhere I go he is trying to deceive me. He entices me with lucrative language that sounds sumptuous. Please don’t let me give in to his lies, not even for one minute. He will subtly suck the life right out of me. Give me strength to cling to the fullness of life and Gospel of Truth. Please keep Your mighty hand on me. Help me to clearly understand and believe You. When I spend time with You, the Perfect Teacher, I will learn how You think and speak, and therefore how I should think and speak. You are the Perfect Example, showing me how to live, and giving me the power to live like You. Thank you that the Truth is no longer etched on cold stone tablets, but carved on my heart through Your warm-blooded flesh as I spend time with You. What a blessing!

Please dear Lord, buckle the belt of truth around my waist so that I am protected when Satan lures me with his counterfeits that look and sound good. Surrounded by Your commands and promises I will remain tightly fastened to You. Attached to You, I will believe that You are who You say You are: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen.

Are you believing God? What He says is always true! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist and prepare to battle the father of lies.

Ephesians 6: 10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Mighty God,
You are strong in power. Thank You for giving me Your power and the full armor needed to overcome the enemy of sin and temptation.

When Satan lures me with his counterfeits that look good, I will have the belt of Truth buckled around my waist. Surrounded by Your promises I will remain tightly fastened to You. Attached to You, I will believe that You are who You say You are: King of my heart, Ruler of the universe, My Father.

Satan will not be able to attack my heart when I’m wearing the breastplate of righteousness. It’s my Miracle Bra. It’s a miracle that I am in right standing with You, cleansed and forgiven because of Jesus. The breastplate of righteousness protects my heart. It lifts me up and makes me stand firmer and taller for You, my holy and awesome King.

Fitted with a good pair of walking shoes, I will take Your outstretched hand and begin walking boldly in faith. Together we will spread the Good News about the Gospel of Peace. Satan wants me to believe that telling others the Good News is worthless and hopeless. As I power walk with You, You will enable me to make a Kingdom difference wherever we go.

There are times when Satan’s fiery arrows of insults will impede and induce my tender heart. The shield of faith, with the family crest drawn in the blood of Jesus, tells that I belong to You. I will hold it up at all times to guard my heart.

When Satan tries to make me doubt You, I will put on the helmet of my salvation. It is my crown of forgiveness. It protects my mind from disbelief and despair, the twin thieves that sneak in and rob me of my heritage.

Finally, I will always carry with me the swift Sword of the Spirit, Your holy Word spoken to me. It is a big, powerful weapon, encrusted with precious jewels. With it, I will slash the enemy.

Fitted with Your full armor, I will be alert and pray on all occasions, all kinds of prayers. Because of Jesus I will be victorious! Thank You for every weapon You have given me to destroy the strongholds in my life! Deliver me from evil, for Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever! Amen.

Put on the full armor of God, one piece at a time, to protect yourself from the schemes of the devil.

Each of the next seven Prayer Pals will example a piece of God's armor.

2 Cor 10: 3-5

3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. NIV

O God You are my God and I will always praise You! I will seek You in the morning. I will learn to walk in Your ways. Step by step You’ll lead me. I will follow You all of my days!

Lord, I am fighting impurity and unrighteousness in a hateful, hostile world! Everywhere I turn, snipers shoot me with bullets of temptation. My mind is the battlefield where speculation, knowledge, and thoughts take place. It is a skirmish with sin in a corrupt culture. It is a dangerous place! The enemy is seeking me. I need You, Jesus, to lead and protect me.
By Your grace, I will earnestly seek You. I will claim the divinely powerful weapons You have given me to demolish the strongholds that fill my mind with faulty thinking. I will carefully read the map of Your Word and follow Your instructions. You are my Commander-in-Chief. I will submit my thoughts to Your control. As a loyal soldier in Your Army, I will be dedicated to the battle of the mind. When I am led me into combat, I will use the sword of Your Word and pray in the power of the Holy Spirit to be victorious over sin.

As I seek You, please hide Your Word in my heart. Give me an open mind and Holy Spirit power to overcome the mental block that prevents me from memorizing Scripture. Teach me Lord, as I study and meditate on Your principles so that I am prepared for the battle. I want to know my Commander. I want to believe Him! I want to trust Him! Above all, I want to obey Him and live triumphantly in His blessing! Let Your Words flow fluently from my lips in the name of Jesus. Amen.

What do you need to do to prepare your mind for the battle with evil and temptation in a hateful and hostile world?
Ps 119: 9-15 will tell you how to keep your mind pure.

Ezekiel 16: 4-22

Hear the words of the Sovereign Lord spoken to the prophet Ezekiel regarding the condition of His chosen people.

Ezekiel 16: 4-22
4 "On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised."

6 " 'Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" 7 I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels.

8 " 'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.
9 " 'I bathed you ... 10 I clothed you … with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewelry … and put a beautiful crown on your head ... 14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect," declares the Sovereign LORD.

15 " 'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute…16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur. 17 You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, … and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them … That is what happened," declares the Sovereign LORD.

22 "In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood."

Redeeming Father-
O how You open the eyes of my heart to see my pathetic condition! It is nauseating! Thank You for the beauty of redemption. You found me when I was a filthy little babe, cast out like the trash. You stopped, rescued me, took me home, and nurtured me. As I grew and developed in Your loving family, I became as beautiful as glimmering jewels. I became Your precious child. You made a promise to always love and forgive me no matter what I did. You sanctified me, bathed me, and removed all my dirt. You made me holy, blameless and beautiful. You clothed me with a costly garment made by the most famous Designer of all time, Jesus. No amount of money could buy such an elegant robe. You adorned me with expensive jewels including a glorious crown sparkling with forgiveness. The splendor that You gave me made me perfectly lovely. All the riches of Your kingdom were mine.

But, like a spoiled child, I wanted more! I left Your home, trusting in my beauty to get whatever I wanted. I sold my expensive Designer clothes and made them into idols. I worshipped the treasures you gave me and used them for my own pleasure and gain. I completely forgot that I was nothing and had nothing before You found me and focused on me. All this beautiful stuff was MINE. I was exploiting it for MY good.

O God have mercy! It is sickening to look at my behavior! Forgive me Lord, for exploiting my beauty. Cleanse my heart again. Renew a steadfast spirit within me. Please give me a fresh Designer robe of righteousness and I will wear it with dignity to love and serve others for Your kingdom. I will be genuinely beautiful when Your glory shines through me. I will humbly wear the crown of forgiveness and never forget what you did for me in the name of Jesus. Amen.

When and how do you do similar things with the beauty Christ gives you? What condition is your heart in?

Job 37: 22-24

This Prayer Pal was inspired by the magnificent landscape I saw in Sedona, AZ. It set my heart a dancin’!

Job 37: 22-24 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power … therefore, men revere him for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?

God of all creation-
You are holy! All creation worships You! Thank You Lord, for showing me Your pristine beauty and majesty. I am in awe of Your magnificent creation. You are a God of wonders. My breath was taken away as my eyes gazed in utter amazement at the fantasyland of dramatic and spectacular weather-sculptured high buttes, spires and rock formations in crimson, rust, tan and cream. From the top of the copper-colored canyon, nearly 7000 feet in the azure celestial skies there was wonder in everything I saw. The pillar of cloud coming off the mountains speckled with emerald green oaks and pines that reached toward heaven made Your presence known. My heart danced for joy at the sight of the little stream splashing gaily down the mountain, tumbling over smooth rocks. As I stood there in wonder, I heard Your quiet whisper in the gentle breeze, "This is Your church, this beautiful land. Worship me here." I was on top of the world looking down on the creation of the most awe-inspiring artist of all time, and the only explanation I could find was Your great love. It was Your pleasure to give me these delightful sights. I was in the divine presence the Almighty God and my heart was filled with gladness. I witnessed Your sovereignty over all nature and it reminded me that You are sovereign over my life. Thank You God for revealing Your golden splendor and awesome majesty to me. I am celebrating the beauty of Your holiness. Amen.

As you travel to the beach or mountains for vacation this summer, take time to notice God's pristine beauty, and worship Him in His magnificent creation.

Ps 79: 7-14

Ps 19: 7-14
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Almighty God,
O how I love Your perfect law! It revives my soul and gives me renewed life. Your trustworthy ancient teachings last forever! They are the same today as they were yesterday and will be tomorrow. I can depend on them to give me wisdom and guidance. You are always right. Forgive me for doubting You. It is obedience that makes my heart glad. When Your commands shine brightly, they expose the misery of my sin. In the light of Your law, I will not trip and fall.
I long to worship You forever because You are holy, pure, and fair. I am a despicable sinner in dire need of a Savior! Your Word is worth much more than the finest gold. It is priceless! It is more delicious than the richest chocolate. Immersed in it, life couldn’t be sweeter!

When You teach me, I am warned of danger. When I wholeheartedly apply Your instructions to my life, I am greatly rewarded. Thank You! I do not know my own faults and frailties. I am blind to them. Forgive me when I sin unintentionally. I do not want to deliberately do wrong, Lord. Living in the prosperity of Your blessing is my dream. Please release the grip of sin’s curse from me. Cleanse me with the precious blood of the Lamb so that I will be innocent of every transgression. Let my words and thoughts be like a pleasing song to Your ear, O Lord, because You are my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Think about your responsibility to know and trust God. Consider His inevitable judgment against rebellion and indifference. Commit yourself to obey Him, whatever, whenever, and wherever he asks.

I have a ravishing appetite to know God more! I hope you do too!

John 8: 1-11

1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

My Beloved Savior-
I humbly and ashamedly bow at Your feet seeking mercy and grace. Forgive me for all the times I have insulted others for their immoral, improper behavior. Trying to show my disapproval, I disgraced and dishonored them. I am no better than the religious leaders and Pharisees! My own unduly and unbecoming behavior is repulsive!

I have bashed friends, family, and acquaintances with stones of criticism. I have battered, bruised and broken spirits with the rocks I have cast. I am so sorry, Jesus. I will never throw another stone at anyone, no matter what they do.

• 
  When I wish someone were dead and gone from my life, I have committed murder in my mind.
• When I flirt or am attracted to someone of the opposite sex, I have committed adultery.
• If I have not loved my spouse biblically, I cannot condemn divorce.
• When I do not regularly spend time in Bible Study and prayer, I am no better than the person who sleeps in on Sunday morning and worships the mattress.
• If I over eat regularly, I cannot convict the drug or alcohol addict.
• Taking tablets, pens, and paperclips home from work is stealing, and makes me thief.
• When I talk about others, no matter the situation, I am guilty of gossip and slander which in Your eyes is as bad as killing or stealing.
• Going shopping, running errands, and doing chores on Sunday dishonors You and the Sabbath. Who am I to criticize others, when I disrespect You in this way?
  

The list could go on and on. There is no sin I have not committed in my heart and mind. Like this woman, some day I will stand alone with You. You alone will judge me. With Your help, I will accept Your forgiveness and walk away from the wicked world that entraps me. By Your grace, I will show the same mercy to others that You have shown to me. Thank You Jesus, for teaching me this important lesson on judgment and forgiveness. Please just give me more Holy Spirit power to apply it to my life for Your namesake. Amen

Apply the lesson Jesus taught by dropping your rocks. You are no better than the Pharisees either. (For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.) Lord, have mercy!

Prov 1: 7-9

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
9 They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.

Ps 111: 10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Holy and Awesome is Your name O God!
It is a delight to reflect on Your great works! Your deeds are glorious and majestic! Gazing on Your marvelous masterpieces is pure and perfect pleasure for the eyes of my heart. Your righteousness endures forever! Your Words are the tremendous treasure that I seek. I desire nothing more than to live in the blessing You promise to those who love and revere You. How can I love and respect You, if I don’t KNOW You? Please fill me with a deeper knowledge of who You are so that I will live wisely and obediently before my children.

May my actions show them my deep reverence and dependence on You. You are the source of all my wisdom. I am ignorant without You. Open the ears of my heart to hear Your voice and receive Your instruction. As I receive Your wise and godly counsel, crown me with glorious grace to understand. Adorn my neck with a sparkling chain as a reminder:

• to love and honor You
• to live in awe of Your power
• and to obey Your Word

May I pass on this all-surpassing knowledge of Your greatness and power to my children and grandchildren so that they too will KNOW You, love You, and fear You because of Jesus. Amen.

How well do you KNOW God? Are you passing on Your knowledge and wisdom to Your children?

Ps 112

1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.
2 His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.
7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.

Gracious God~
I praise and adore You for the abundant blessings You offer to me. O how I love You! It is an honor and delight to obey Your commands because in keeping them there is a great reward.

• You will bless my children and grandchildren with success.
• You will lavish true riches on my family and remember our good deeds forever.
• In our darkest hours, radiant light of hope and peace will shine through when You turn our mourning to joy.
• From Your example, we will learn to be kind, compassionate and just in all our dealings.
  Good will come to us when we generously and freely lend our time, talent and treasure to You.
• With our eyes fixed on You, we will not be shaken by our circumstances. You will bless us with peace and calm beyond our understanding.
• We will fear no bad news because we believe that You will turn our tragedies into triumph.
• Our hearts will be secure when we trust in You and You alone. You promise to take care of us!
• When we fear You, we can confidently and fearlessly stand up against the strongest bullies. You bless us with supernatural power.
• By giving charitably to the needy, You will always remember our good deeds.
  

Thank You God, for the blessing You pour out on Your children who love and respect You by obeying Your authority. You promise us a beautiful life of honor for our obedience. You are the Pattern of all righteousness and the Giver of all grace. I long to follow in Your footsteps of righteousness forever so that I can be a blessing to You for the cause of Jesus. Amen.

Do you love God and delight in His law enough to obey Him? Is your family reaping the benefits of an obedient life? If so, praise God! If not, identify the areas of disobedience in your life. Determine to obey God and you will receive the abundant blessings He promises.

Prayer Pal Interruption

There will be no Prayer Pal from July 11-15.

John 7:37

This Prayer Pal was inspired as I stood on the rocky shore of
Oak Creek in Sedona, AZ in awe of God’s holiness.

John 7: 37 Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

God of all creation,
I have seen Your wonder and majesty in the pristine beauty of a gaily flowing stream. As the water rushed down the mountain I thought of You. Jesus, You are a steady stream of living water that flows down from above and into my heart. You meander through the dark valleys and deserts of my life, sometimes in torrents, other times gently trickling; always refreshing my dry and weary spirit. God, as I stood on the banks of this beautiful stream, beneath splendid red rock mountains, my heart danced for joy because I knew Your precious water would gush over me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. O God this marvelous stream is teeming with everlasting life. Thank You that I can freely come to it, take a long luscious drink and be re-energized. O how I long to linger on the shore, climb on the rocks, and bask in the Son. There on the Rock, the Son shines on my heart filling it with Jesus joy. O Lord, please let Your stream of living water flow in me and through me so that others will see Jesus and know the reason for my laughter and cheer. I love You Lord because of the faithful Stream of Living Water. Amen.

Matt 5: 3-9

Jesus said,
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

Lord Jesus, King of Heaven, Majestic in Glory.
Praise and honor to Your holy name, Son of God Most High. Thank You that Your Word is Truth. Lord, I want every blessing You want to give me in heaven and on earth, so please teach me to be like Jesus.

• Humble my heart. Take away my pride and independence. Lord, I am bankrupt without You. I have nothing and am nothing. No amount of work or money can get me into the kingdom of heaven. You are the Only way. I need You Jesus, desperately. Please bless me with a poor spirit.
• Father, I offer You the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart. I am sorry for the pain my sin has caused You. Comfort me and restore to me the joy of my salvation.
• Sovereign God, take my will and make it thine, it will be no longer mine. In meekness, I surrender all to Jesus with the hope of my eternal inheritance.
• O how I hunger and thirst for righteousness. Fill me dear Lord, with Your presence. I am trading my dirty rags covered in the filth of shame and sorrow for a rich, elegant robe of righteousness so that I can appear holy and pure before my Father, the King.
• Bless me dear One, with mercy and patience. Help me to love people despite their condition, just as You mercifully love me. I want to be an imitator of Your love.
• And please, bless me with a pure heart and steadfast spirit so that I can see You clearly and know Your ways.
• Jesus, Lamb of God, help me to be a peacemaker, just as You made peace for me with our Father through Your atoning sacrifice. Please bless me with a forgiving spirit so that I will be recognized as Your precious child.
  

Help me to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others hinder. I gladly give up my own rights in order to serve those less fortunate because I know that abundant rich blessings beyond my imagination await me in the kingdom of heaven. Looking forward to more of Jesus, Amen.

Bountiful blessings await you when you become more like Jesus. Which blessing do you need most? Surrender your heart and receive it.

Lamentations 3: 22-33

Lamentations 3: 22-33
22The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. 24I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"

25The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. 26So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. 27And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline.

28Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD's demands. 29Let them lie face down in the dust; then at last there is hope for them. 30Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them. Let them accept the insults of their enemies.

31For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. 32Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love. 33For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.

Faithful and Merciful God-
I rejoice in Your great love! Your compassion is unending. With each sunrise You show me new mercy, grace and love. I trust in Your faithfulness day by day. Confident in Your great promise of blessings for my future, my hope is in You Lord! I seek You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I wait quietly in Your presence for You to work out Your plan and purpose for my life. Strong and powerful God, You are my Teacher and Counselor. I willingly come under Your authority in order to learn what You want to teach me. I wait in silent reflection for You to show me what it is You want me to know. My heart is humble and repentant because I am not worthy to be near You, yet You graciously accept me. Please fill me with power to control my attitudes and behavior in the face of adversity. Lord, I wait with confident patience, depending on You, my divine Teacher, to bring about loving lessons in my life. I know there are long-term and short-term lessons You want to teach me right now. Please quiet my heart, calm my soul, and open my mind. Let Your lessons of love flow in me and through me, faithful God. I am Your favored student, hungry for divine wisdom and knowledge. Teach me through Jesus I pray. Amen.

How have you seen God’s unfailing love and mercies? What is He trying to teach you through your trials, troubles, and tribulations?

Matt 11: 28

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

I will follow Jesus’ command and take a time of rest. Weary and burdened from the journey through the dark valley of death, I need to take time to re-energize my heart, mind, and body. This week I will be republishing previous Prayer Pals. Next week, God is providing my family with a much-needed vacation and there will be no Prayer Pals.

Acts 1: 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer.

Father God-
Thank You for showing me that prayer does make a difference. I am so thankful for the dedicated prayer team that covers my ministry, family, and me. When I am honest before them about my weaknesses and temptations – and You know that’s often – they boldly approach the throne of grace with confidence on my behalf. You faithfully listen and answer them.

They have prayed me through times of sickness and suffering. You answered by filling my heart with peace that surpasses all human understanding. They prayed me around boulders obstructing my path. You answered by removing them. When I take off the mask of pride and am authentic before them, they lift me up to You. You’ve heard their prayers and my heart has been forever changed. Thank you, God.

God, I am so thankful for these loyal friends who love me enough to pray for my ministry, my family and me daily. Let my testimony of the power of prayer be an encouragement to anyone who is reading this Prayer Pal. May each and everyone find a few faithful friends who will love them enough to pray for them constantly. In addition, may lives be forever changed because of the power of prayer in Jesus name. Amen.

I could not have gotten through the past few weeks without my Faithful Prayer Pals. I would encourage everyone reading this, to find a prayer team of 5 – 10 people with whom you can be open and honest on a regular basis. You will never be the same again!

If you are a prayer pal willing to commit to praying for my ministry, family and me on a daily or minimally weekly basis, please let me know by responding to prayerpal@comcast.net and I will gladly count you as a Faithful Prayer Pal.