All I Really Want For Christmas is Freedom

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Father of Freedom,
Your gifts are far too wonderful for me! Embellished in my new heart is the Spirit of Christmas that sets me absolutely FREE!! The same strong power that raised Your Son from the dead enables me to live:

Free from shame
Free from the pain of my past
Free from guilt
Free from fear
Free from selfish desires
Free to be Your dearly beloved child
Free to live in the power of Your love
Free to love and serve others
Free to stand firm on Your promises
Free to be all that You intended me to be

It’s so good to finally be FREE! Thank You, Jesus for this incredible gift bought with Your beautiful wounds. Today, I willingly walk out of the bondage of my past into the liberty of Your love. Please give me faith to BELIEVE in the true Spirit of Christmas so that I can live in the freedom of the cross every day of my life. I am forever FREE because of Jesus, the heart of Christmas! Amen.

God has given you the power to walk in freedom from your addictions, attractions, and afflictions. Have you accepted His generous gift? Accept it today with a thankful heart! With it will come peace and exuberant joy!

All I Really Want For Christmas Is Comfort

John 14:16-17
Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever - even the Spirit of truth." ASV

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

God of All Comfort!
With the Spirit of Christmas in my heart, I’ve also graciously received the warm, everlasting, security Blanket of Your love. Under Your soft feathers, there is peace for my confused mind, tranquility for my qualms and quandaries, and serenity to accept unchangeable circumstances. When suffering makes my heart heavy, I can fall under Your strong, supportive arms. Covered by Your promises, I’m invigorated with endurance. Beneath the mantle of Your love there is extravagant mercy and amazing grace. My pain is eased and my Spirit enlivened. Your tenderness gives me hope, healing and everlasting happiness. Thank You for this lovely, soft Comforter.

After I’m rested, I can confidently rise up with the help of Your strong hand and share my warm Comforter with someone else. Because I’ve experienced Your blessed consolation I’ll be able to soothe the sad souls around me. Please show me someone who needs the warmth of Christ this Christmas. I’ll gratefully share my Comforter with them for glory of His name. Amen.

If you are overwhelmed by confusion, doubts, and distress this Christmas allow the Comforter of the Holy Spirit to cover you with His love.

If you’ve been blessed by the Blanket of His love, share it with someone who’s brokenhearted. Let others see Christ glorified in You so that they’ll come to know the true meaning of Christmas.

All I Really Want For Christmas Is Power

2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

My Beloved Father,
I’m unspeakably delighted with my new Christmas heart full of Your beautiful Christmas Spirit. Now, I just need extra stamina to remain connected to the power of Christ this Christmas. The immense force that raised Your Son from the dead will energize me to rise above intimidating people and uncontrollable conditions to pour out the Spirit of Christmas.

Coupled with You, I’ll have enormous strength to:

C onscientiously think of others rather than myself

H appily encourage the brokenhearted

R adically love difficult people

I ntrepidly risk my reputation to socialize with the undesirable

S acrificially offer my time, talent and treasure with a grateful heart

T riumph over tragedy

M ercifully extend forgiveness

A ccept challenging situations with a song of hope in my heart

S erenely walk through each day

Please dear Lord, attach me securely to You. Let the extraordinary power of Your Holy Spirit flow steadily from my heart enlightening others to Christ this Christmas. In His powerful name I pray. Amen.

Are you plugged into the power of Christ? He will give you immeasurable strength to be His heart and hands this Christmas. Ask Him to show you who you can pour out the Spirit of Christmas onto this year. Then watch who He puts in your path. It will likely be a stranger. Without arguing or hesitating, obey Him by doing whatever He puts on your heart.

Last Christmas, the Holy Spirit nudged my heart to write an encouraging letter to a stranger whose story I read in the newspaper. I never expected my simple act of obedience to lead to a beautiful gift of sisterly love, daily encouragement, and lasting friendship. Try it!

All I Really Want For Christmas Is A Heart Like His

Ezekiel 36: 25-26
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. NLT

Heavenly Father,
You are the Maker of indescribable gifts. I hurry into Your holy presence unashamed to admit that I’m in desperate need of a new Christmas heart.

Consumed with materialism, I’ve become hard pressed like a cheap plastic toy that’s heartless, mindless, and lifeless. Unscrupulous marketing convinces me to join the frenzy of panicked shoppers in the mad fight to buy the latest gizmos and gadgets. Glossy magazines persuade me to perfectly deck the halls of my home, and host impressive holiday parties. Santa Claus has replaced You as the father of Christmas. Caught up in commercialism, my heart has become greedy, hard, and selfish. By worshipping the false images of Christmas, I’ve forgotten the reason for the season.

Please wash away the waste from Christmases past. When I’m clean, lay Your compassionate Christmas heart over mine, making a tender new heart for me. Shaped like Your Son and full of Your Spirit, my perspective will radically change. Suddenly, the joy of all the holiday fury will fade beneath the pure pleasure and divine excitement of making a permanent difference in the lives of others.

Thank You for giving me an indescribable new Christmas heart full of Your beautiful Christmas Spirit. Please show me who to share the heart of Christmas with and I’ll cheerfully oblige by generously feeding them Your perfect love and offering them a taste of Your infinite mercy. I’ll graciously look beyond their diseased hearts and have a good-natured visit with them to glorify the Christ of Christmas. Amen.

What’s your heart look like this Christmas? What are you worshipping? If you want to have an incredibly different kind of Christmas, ask God, with great expectation, to give You a heart like His this Christmas. When you are focused on the things that matter to His heart, your perspective of Christmas will be radically changed, and you will be extremely content and eternally blessed.

Hear the heart of Jesus: "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Matthew 25:34-36

All I Really Want For Christmas Is the Holy Spirit

Luke 11:13
Jesus said, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Father in Heaven,
O how I adore You because You love me so extravagantly! You’re perfectly loving, merciful, gracious, forgiving, approachable, available, and ever so generous. I’m extremely thankful that I can run into Your holy presence any time, asking for anything. Eloquent words and formal etiquette aren’t necessary. You’re ecstatic when I come with a humble heart, eagerly expecting to receive much more than good gifts.

Father, the One thing I really want this Christmas is the fullness of the Holy Spirit living in me. I no longer want to restrict You to living in just one room of my heart. I want the Spirit of Your Son to have unimpeded access to my entire heart so that I can live a holy and heavenly life consumed with Your divine love. Unity with You in Spirit is the best gift You could possibly give me!

I know that I’m utterly undeserving and unworthy; and yet, because I’ve asked with great anticipation, You’ve just given me a gift that is better than my feeble mind can possibly understand. You’ve given me the Spirit of Christmas. This is the Only gift I really need. It is the Source and Giver of absolute blessings.

I love You and thank You for being the magnanimous One that You are. I’m eternally grateful that Your Spirit is living in me, strengthening me, teaching me, guiding me, comforting me, helping me, interceding for me, and keeping me for eternal glory because of Jesus. Amen.

Unashamedly go to the Father and unload your heart to Him. Persistently ask Him to fill your whole heart with more of the Holy Spirit this Christmas. The Holy Spirit is the Source and Giver of everything you’ll ever need to have the most memorable Christmas ever.

Thanksgiving

Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Almighty, All-bountiful, All-gracious God,
It’s sheer pleasure to worship You with heartfelt adoration and undivided attention. Your unfailing love has put a song in my heart and a smile on my face. I believe that You are Lord, my God, Creator of everything. Thank You for making me intricately and uniquely with Your strong hands. I’m Your most valuable possession. O, how I praise You!

My Good and Gentle Shepherd, knowing You intimately is the greatest joy and blessing. Your voice is music to my ears. Willingly, I follow You. With steadfast devotion, You lead me to the lush, rolling meadows in my Bible where I can devour the rich delicacy of Your Word. Faithfully, You guide me through barren deserts to refreshing streams of Living Water that quench my thirsty soul. Along the way, You staunchly defend me from the wolves of sin and temptation that hound me. Thank You for protecting and providing for me.

With unbridled excitement, I enter the heavenly gate and come into the safety of Your beautiful sanctuary. My thankful heart, tells of Your tender kindness and continuous mercy. I sing of Your infinite goodness and everlasting compassion. Your enduring love has set my feet a dancing. O how I love and worship You for all You’ve done for me, Jesus, my Wonderful Savior, Redeemer and Friend. Amen

Prepare your heart for Thanksgiving, by pondering God’s goodness. Make a list of all the gifts He’s given you. Thank Him for each one, offering Him a sacrifice praise!

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Psalm 107:22
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

Father in Heaven,
As a gesture of appreciation for Your miraculous mercy toward me, I’ll joyfully show the world the wonder of Your amazing love by:

S elf-expenditure – I’ll gladly abandon my own dreams for absolute loyalty to You, determinedly following You wherever You lead.

A ttitude of gratitude – I’ll quickly and gratefully stamp out my personal agenda in order to enliven a broken heart.

C rucify myself – Deliberately, I’ll kill my spirit of intolerance and indifference in order to allow You to freely work through me to do anything You choose.

R adical love – Because of the extravagant love You’ve shown me, I’ll readily demonstrate extreme compassion to those outcast by society.

I mmediate obedience – Out of fear and respect of Your almighty authority, I’ll willingly do any assignment You give me without hesitating or complaining.

F ully devoted – Attached to no one but You, I’ll notice the people and situations that burden You.

I ndividuality broken – In order to effectively aid and assist You, I’ll allow You to crush me and shape me into Your perfect image.

C hallenging – I’ll intentionally accept assignments that may be beyond my mental and physical abilities, fully trusting You to energize and equip me.

E ndurance – The power of Your Word, coupled with praise and prayer will strengthen me.

Thank You, Lord for filling me with the sweet aroma of Your love. Let my life pleasantly emulate Your essence this holiday season, attracting others to Your fine fragrance because of Jesus. Amen.

God gave up His Son for your benefit. Ask Him what He wants you to give up for His benefit this holiday season. Then, obey immediately, without hesitating or complaining, cheerfully offering Him your sacrifice with a thankful heart.

O. Chambers writes in My Utmost For His Highest: We know something is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it immediately. If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later – it must be done now … Always guard against self-chosen service for God … God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed nor protested, but steadily obeyed. eyed.

Sweet Victory

1 Corinthians 15:57
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Triumphant Lord,
You’re the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Blessed Angels. I celebrate the sweet victory You’ve given me through Jesus Christ. Because of the glorious conquest, I can stand firm on Your powerful promises expecting You to defeat the enemy repeatedly.

My mind is the battlefield where speculation, knowledge, and thoughts take place. It’s constantly clashing with the opposition of a corrupt culture. A ferocious, frightening, and confusing hailstorm of suffering, shame and sorrow bombard me. Condemnation ruthlessly assaults me. Guilt viciously attacks me. Dying to my past is agonizing. The enemy is rapidly advancing and I need to take hold of the indispensable weapons You’ve given me to wage war with this world. Igniting the dynamite of Your Word with the matchsticks of prayer and praise, I’ll successfully demolish the adversary.

You’re my Commanding Officer. Respecting Your authority is a matter of life or death. It’s imperative that I obey Your orders, submitting my thoughts completely to Your control. With You in charge, I don’t have be fainthearted or afraid. Terror and panic won’t besiege me. I just need to comply with Your commands and rely on Your almighty armament.

Thank You for Your faithful promise to go with me, fight for me and give me the exultant victory through Jesus, Your Son. Hallelujah! The battle’s won! Amen.

Thank God for the spiritual victory! It’s a command. You no longer have to live in fear of condemnation, guilt or death. Ignite His Word with prayer and praise, and claim the sweet reward.

Deuteronomy 20:4
For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

I John 5:3-5
3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

The Keys to the Kingdom

Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

Holy and Awesome God-
Your splendor and majesty are breathtaking! My imagination’s running wild! I picture You seated on a glowing, golden throne high above the earth. I’m spellbound by the brilliant train of glory surrounding You.

It’s a treat for my mind's eye to visualize Your majestic kingdom as my heavenly home. I eagerly anticipate the jubilant celebration as thousands and thousands of adoring angels encircle You in beautiful worship. My heart is flooded with overwhelming joy as my name is read from the Lamb’s Book of Life. With all due respect, I confidently rise and approach the throne of grace hand-in-hand with my Best Friend, Jesus, Your Son. He presents me to You as pious, perfect and pure. Lovingly, You open Your arms wide, welcoming me to stay in the most elegant, enormous mansion my eyes have ever seen because of my relationship with Him. The keys to heaven are handed to me! It’s a gift too wonderful for words, too great to grasp!

Knowing You deeply, intimately, and personally is a joy and an honor. Because Your unshakable kingdom is in me, I’m stuck on You. When the fragile world around me is shaken and shattered, I won’t fall apart. Instead, with reverent awe, I’ll cling to You, praising You as the King who reigns with triumphant power in my heart. Your kingdom is mine forever and ever because of Jesus. Hallelujah! Amen.

The unshakable kingdom of God is in you too. Worship His Majesty with thanksgiving, in honor of all that He’s given you – a promised home in His heavenly kingdom where you’ll live happily ever after! Imagine it!

Love Dispels Fears

1 John 4:16-18
16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

God of Love,
Hot tears roll down my face as I ponder Your awesome holy love. Perfect love is Your fundamental nature. I’m overwhelmed that this unspeakable love is fully available to me.
Thank You that Jesus, Your dearly loved Son, models Your deep love and compassion. He willingly left the hallowed halls of heaven and came down to this dingy, dirty place on earth to show us how to wholly love. Knowing that He’d have to give up His life to save us from eternal anguish, He willingly endured the extreme shame and humiliation of the cross, suffering its unbearable pain to demonstrate Your unconditional love. At the cross I see Your great big beautiful heart.

Because of Your excellent love exhibited there, I can enjoy an intimate experiential relationship with You. I can live like You and love like You, confidently expecting to receive the rich, divine, imperishable, eternal inheritance You promise. Living in Your presence, I’m full of praise, power and perfect love. Enamored by You, there’s no room in my heart for fear.

God of Love, I just want to live in blessed adoration of You every day of my life demonstrating unwavering, irrepressible, triumphant faith in Your promises so that I can trust Your extraordinary love to wash away all doubt and fear in Jesus name. Amen.

Look at the Cross. Consider Jesus hanging there in pain and agony. Consider the crown of thorns pressed down on His brow. Consider the stakes driven through His hands and feet. Consider the beating He had already endured, ripping flesh from bone, so much so that He was virtually unrecognizable. Consider what He suffered. He did it all for love. He did it for us – to prove His love. Do you believe Him?

Confess your fears. Turn around and face Him. Looking into His face, thank Him for His perfect love that dispels fears.

Continuous Praise

Hebrews 13:15
Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Blessed Lord Jesus,
O how I love the sweet sound of Your beautiful name! I’m utterly devoted to You because You saved me from hell and total annihilation. Not only that, but You presented me flawless before the glorious throne of my Most High God. You’ve made me indescribably pure, completely blameless, absolutely acceptable and extremely wise. I ought to be struck dead at Your feet, but You’ve put a spring in my step, a song in my heart, a smile on my face and given me a zest for living. The least I can do is continually praise You, even when it’s excruciatingly difficult.

It ought to be a joy and delight to praise Your glorious name forever and ever! Not only when all is well. Not just when I’m perfectly healthy and sound. Not only when my bills are paid and there’s food on the table. But, it is an incredible honor to stand by faith worshipping You during pain and poverty, crisis and confusion, desperation and disaster. In tough times when my heart can sing of Your great love, there is increased peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as my sorrow turns to sheer joy in Your presence.

Help me to continually focus and determinedly place my faith in You and You alone. I want to give you my unlimited, unrestrained affection! I want to build my faith on strong determined confidence in You, my Blessed Lord Jesus. Focused on You, I won’t be able to fear or doubt. My life will be a lovely hymn of adoration resulting from my perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief in You, my Blessed Lord Jesus whom I love with all my heart. Amen.

Think of the despicable shortfall of faith we exhibit during difficult times. Then, think of what Jesus has done for you. You deserve to die. You deserve eternal suffering. But, He has given you life abundantly. If you’re alive because of Him, ask Him to put a spring in your step, a song in your heart, a smile on your face, and give you a zest for glorious living. Then, you will be a living sacrifice of constant praise.

Praise Him For What He's Done

Psalm 65:4-5
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness
.
My Glorious Father in Heaven,
You are King of my heart and Lord of my life. I’m blessed that You chose me to live in Your royal family! A scruffy ragamuffin, I don’t deserve to live with the Majestic King of Heaven who rules and reigns over the universe. It’s an incredible privilege to be here where I can freely enjoy all of the rich family benefits.

• You forget my past and give me an adventurous new life.
• You graciously pardon my inappropriate behavior, setting me free from guilt, shame and fear of punishment.
• You invite me to indulge in the rich delicacy of Your Word.
• You crown me with love and compassion.
• You wrap me in goodness and eternal beauty.
• You give me the inconceivable opportunity to know You personally and experientially.
• You train me to live like the child of a King.
• Your extravagant love is ever, always and eternally available to me.

O Lord, I’m absolutely astonished and trembling with overwhelming joy. It’s sobering to think that You’ve positioned me in a haughty place that I do not deserve, the heavenly throne room where I can dwell in Your divine presence forever and ever. Filled with extreme gratitude for the awesome things You’ve done, I’ll praise you with my obedience, honor You with my devotion, and glorify You by loving others. You alone are the key to heaven because of Jesus. Amen.

Spend the day pondering all the good things God’s given you. What has He done for you? Make a list of His awesome divine deeds. With a thankful heart, praise Him by your obedience, honor Him with your devotion, and glorify Him by loving others.

Praise Him For Who He Is

Psalm 34:1-3
1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

O Loving Lord,
My heart throbs every time I bless Your beautiful name! In awe of Your splendor and majesty, I inhale joyful praise and puff out sweet, long-lasting adoration. You are the pure air I breathe, O God.

My soul yearns to brag about Your greatness:

• Your holy love is deeper than the massive oceans.
• Your divine wisdom is higher than majestic mountains.
• Your mighty power is stronger than the thrashing waves of the sea.
• Your unending mercy expands to the ends of the earth.
• Your perfect peace is quieter than a whispering summer breeze.
• Your exuberant joy twinkles brighter than the brightest star.
• Your incomparable goodness is exceedingly greater than the fruitful farmlands.
• Your infinite faithfulness is more trustworthy than the dawning of the day.
• Your continuous forgiveness flows like a cool refreshing mountain stream.
• Your wondrous grace is more awesome than the spacious skies.

There is none like You, O Lord. Thank You for giving me a fresh vision of Your holiness. In the light of Your radiant glory, sorrow and suffering diminish, fear and shame disappear, and turmoil and restlessness dissipate, lost in the magnificent celebration of Your beautiful name. With thanksgiving, we bow down and worship You for Who You are. Together we exalt and glorify You because of Your Almighty, All-Powerful, Everlasting name! Amen.

Spend the day gazing of God’s beauty. What do you see? Make a list of His admirable characteristics. With a thankful heart, praise Him for Who He is all day long. Watch your heart lighten beneath praise and adoration.

Turn Around!

Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

God of Wonders, I marvel at the power of Your Voice. Thank You for opening my spiritual ears to hear the very first word out of Your mouth to believers, "Repent!" I hear You commanding the Church and me to turn around. We’re going in the wrong direction! We don’t listen or pay attention to You, but follow the stubborn inclination of our misguided hearts.

We don’t want to admit the depth from which we’ve fallen. We no longer love You, or our brothers and sisters. We bicker, squabble and argue over insignificant matters when we should be falling on our knees in unity of mind and soul praying for radical change. We use not only our hearts, but our sanctuaries as a front to worship our manmade gods.

Our leaders are feeding us a pack of sugar-coated lies and we swallow them because we don’t open our Bibles and seek the Truth. Afraid we won’t come back if we know the reality of our depravity, we’re not taught to obey Your rules. We’d rather praise and dance than fall on our face in reverent fear of You. The Church You set apart for holy worship has become a place to carry out our outrageous sacrilege. Have mercy on us for desecrating Your Holy House!

Living Lord, I want to experience the fullness of Your presence and power. I admit that I was heading in the wrong direction. Frustrated by lack of results, I gave up praying for change in the Church, but because of the power of Your Word, I just made a U-turn to follow You. Fuel my heart, O Lord, with renewed passion to radically pray for change that will bring You the honor and glory You’re worthy of. Amen.

Whew! God has just stirred up my heart! Do you hear the first words from our Lord’s mouth when He began preaching to His followers? "Repent!" This word is for you and me, friends - not for the unbelievers. We’re going in the wrong direction and need to do an immediate U-turn. I urge you, turn around and follow Jesus before it’s too late – the kingdom of heaven is near.

For additional reading, I recommend Jeremiah 7. It’s a very clear illustration of the condition of the Church today and the results of disobedience.

Weak Warriors

Psalm 78:9-11
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned back on the day of battle;
10 they did not keep God's covenant
and refused to live by his law.
11 They forgot what he had done,
the wonders he had shown them.

O Great & Mighty God,
Your Word is a swift, sharp sword that cuts to the very core of my soul. We, as a church are big cowards like the Ephraimites. You’ve armed us to the hilt for the spiritual battle, yet we’ve fearfully run away. We don’t believe in Your powerful, protective promises. We’ve ditched the indispensable weapons You made just for us.

Even though the Truth is readily available, we refuse to open our Bibles and access it. Because we don’t open our Bibles outside of church, we’re ignorant about Your Sacred Laws. If we don’t know them, how can we obey them? We’re busy making believers and baptizing them, neglecting to teach them to obey Your commands. We can’t instruct what we do not know ourselves. We’re a battalion of reckless rebels marching down a dangerous road.

Forgetting the high price You paid to save us from death and destruction, we’ve conscientiously objected to following You into combat. It’s each man for himself in this skirmish with the wicked world. Prayerless, we’ve abandoned our brothers and sisters, leaving them alone to fight the vicious foe. Self-absorbed, we’ve forgotten to declare the great works You’ve done. Have mercy on us for our lack of faith!

I never again want to withdrawal from the life-or-death fight with the Devil. I don’t want You to associate me with the weak and spineless Ephraimites who lost favor in Your sight.

From this day forward, I’m surrendering my life and my agenda to enlist in Your massive Army of prayer warriors. Equipped with Your Word, I’ll confidently open my mouth and speak in Your almighty power, watching until the enemy retreats. Show me a comrade who needs support today, and I’ll join them in the battle at the altar for the glory of Your victorious name. Amen.

Do you know someone in the midst of a spiritual battle? The enemy is strategically attacking Christ-followers from every vantage point. Who can you join in combat? I urge you, turn around and fight for someone in the name of Jesus. If you have a Bible and a mouth, you’re fully armed and equipped for combat.

Our pastors and spiritual leaders are under siege. The enemy is torturing and punishing missionaries worldwide. Our nation is under fierce attack. Marriages are falling apart. Children are innocent victims. There’s a whole world full of sick and suffering souls standing alone in their struggles. Everywhere there are broken hearts and shattered lives. You don’t have to look far to find someone to stand in the gap and fight with.

Spirit-Led Prayer

Romans 8:26-27
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Most High Priest,
Thank You for making my heart Your home. You know every nook and cranny of it. You understand the challenging circumstances, agonizing problems and incredible pressure I face. When I can’t find the words to say, You translate my inarticulate sighs. Thank You for constantly interceding on my behalf from the temple of my heart.

I’ve made prayer more difficult and cumbersome than it needs to be. All I have to do is keep the temple clean and pay attention to You. With a pure heart, when I open my Bible, You’ll tell me what’s on Your mind, prompting me to pray for specific people and situations. As I spend time in Your presence, pondering Your thoughts, I’ll gain divine wisdom and knowledge far above my feeble, finite thinking. Tuned in to You, I’ll notice the vast needs around me and joyfully bring them to Your throne, trusting You to take care of them.

Thank You for revealing Your thoughts to me, O Lord. Please search my heart and turn it into a beautiful house of prayer for the glory of Your name. Amen.

Is prayer difficult and cumbersome for you? That’s not the way God intended it to be. He’s taken up residence in your heart and made it a house of prayer. Ask Him to show you how to pray His way. It will radically change your heart for prayer.

Passionate Persistent Prayer

Deuteronomy 9: 8-10, 13-14, 17-19
8 … you aroused the LORD's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you … 9 I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water. 10 The LORD gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.

13 And the LORD said to me, "I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed! 14 Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven."

17 So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes.

18 Then once again I fell prostrate before the LORD for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the LORD's sight and so provoking him to anger. 19 I feared the anger and wrath of the LORD, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the LORD listened to me.

O Sovereign Lord,
There’s a striking similarity between ancient Israel and the corrupt, rebellious and unruly world today. Our nation is in terrible shape! The Sacred Laws that You inscribed with Your fingers have been deliberately broken. Your Holy Name has been desecrated. With You out of sight and out of mind, we’ve become a country full of senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless fools who expect blessing despite our defiant disobedience.

O Lord, stir up in me a heart like Moses. He knew You intimately; therefore, he knew what was on Your heart and mind. He knew how angry You were over the blatant misconduct of his nation. Twice, he spent 40 days and 40 nights alone in Your holy presence, passionately interceding, fasting, and crying out for You to spare his people from annihilation. He believed with all his heart that You would answer him, and didn’t leave Your presence for any reason until You responded to his urgent appeal.

Lord, I can’t spend 40 minutes fasting and praying, let alone 40 days and 40 nights! Have mercy on me! Radically change my heart, O God. Draw me into the same kind of deep love relationship that Moses had with You. I want to be so enamored with You, that I’ll desire to spend endless hours in Your presence without thinking for one minute about food or drink. Fully possessed by You, I’ll fervently plea to You to spare this nation from complete obliteration. With One heart and One mind, I won’t give up until You answer me. Lord, teach me to diligently pray with enthusiasm and expectation so that Your name will be blessed in my homeland. Amen.

Dr. Henry Blackaby asked, "What kind of praying have we been doing to lead our nation to the mess we’re in?" What changes need to be made in Your life so that God can work through you?

Read Deuteronomy 9 & 10 and ask God to take you to a deeper level with your prayer life. If not you, then who will pray for our nation?

Shriveled Leaves

Isaiah 64:6-7
We all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and made us waste away because of our sins.

O Divine Artist,
The vivid illustrations You paint in Your Word delight my imagination. Over the past several weeks, the dazzling autumn leaves dancing in the brisk fall air have mesmerized me. Their elegant display of rich, stunning colors that seemed so full of life tricked me. Kissed by the warm sun, they quickly withered, weakened and were swept away by a gust of wind. The once stately trees are suddenly lifeless. Dormant, there’s nothing pretty about them.

So it is with my life. I try to elegantly display my wonderful works for a watching world. I’ve wasted endless time and energy trying to impress people. In pursuit of the dreams and desires of my heart, I’ve neglected to seek the plans and purposes of Your heart for me. Like the shriveled autumn leaves that once thrived with abundant life, I’ve fallen from the Tree of Life. Blown away by the compulsion to prove my value, my works have become worthless. Fruitless, there’s nothing striking about me.

If I want to remain vibrant and productive I need to take time be with You daily. Diligently studying Your Word and communicating with You in passionate, persistent, heartfelt prayer You’ll show me what’s on Your heart and mind. When I turn around, face You, and accept the blazing Truth, my soul will dance like the autumn leaves. Devoted to You, my life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that will naturally attract others to Your inexplicable beauty. In my life Lord be glorified because of Jesus. Amen.

Our works will shrivel up like the autumn leaves and be blown away; but our worship will last forever. I urge you to get connected to the Tree of Life by spending time in God’s Word and passionate, persistent, heartfelt prayer. Ask Him to show you the desires of His heart and watch as He reveals His glory. Then, you will be impressed with Him and His work.

Worship Before Work

Revelation 2:2-5
Jesus said:
2 "I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches." NLT

O Precious Lord, Who knows all and sees all,
Thank You for speaking directly to my humble heart. Nothing goes unnoticed by Your holy eyes. You see my labor of love and enduring perseverance. You know how hard I try to avoid impropriety. With all my heart, I seek the truth, steering clear of liars. Without complaining, I put up with the harassment of belligerent people. You’re aware that it’s exceedingly difficult to live morally in this corrupt culture where personal choices and alternative lifestyles are not only acceptable, but also tolerated. Graciously, You praise me for doing what’s right in Your eyes.

On the other hand, You also notice that my worship has been deluded by works. My love for You and others has grown cold. In the struggle to maintain sound teaching and moral and doctrinal purity, I’ve taken for granted Who You are. I’ve placed the significance of service above my affection and adoration for You. More concerned with what I do for You than who I am to You, I’ve fallen away from You. My usefulness is diverted and my testimony is tarnished.

Thank You for shining the light of Your Word on my heart. Broken and ashamed, I come back to the Cross. Falling on my knees, I admit how far I’ve backslid in my love relationship with You. Forgive me for spending endless energy on activities while neglecting passionate, prolonged time in prayer and studying Your Word. Lord with all my heart, mind, soul and strength I want to make You my priority again. Consumed with You my joy and zeal will return, allowing me to effectively shine Your light of love on others.

O Lord, that I may love You more today than yesterday and that my light would burn brightly before man for the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

O. Chambers writes in My Utmost for His Highest, October 19: The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes from the systems of the world. The work insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing … In our Lord’s life there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today, and a disciple is to be like his Master. The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others.

Have you put work ahead of worship? I challenge you to stop and evaluate what you’re doing. Is your relationship with the Living Lord right? If not, the command is clear, "Turn back to Him again and work as you did at first." If you choose to disobey, the consequence is also clear, "I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches."

What did you do when Jesus first found you?

Pray Like Jesus

Matthew 26: 37-39, 42,
37 He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death … 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."

44 So He … went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. NKJV

O Lord Jesus,
Thank You for teaching me how to pray! Forgive me for my casual, careless prayers. My happy-go-lucky heart would rather be singing praises and dancing than falling on my face in deep sorrowful prayer. I’ve failed to follow You. My prayers have been hasty, shallow and sloppy. I wonder why they go unanswered.

Please lay Your heart over my heart, O God, and teach me to pray. O that my soul would be exceedingly anguished even to the point of death for the things that trouble You. Rather than praying as I drive down the road asking You to bless this person and that person, give me this and give them that, I want to go to the garden alone, far away from the hustle and bustle, where I can experience prayer with You.

In Your presence, I’ll fall on my face. Crying out to You in deep distress, You’ll tell me exactly what’s on Your heart. As I sit still, quietly listening to Your voice, my prayer life will change. I’ll be overcome with grief for the things that grieve You. The intense pain will be unbearable. It’ll be tempting to walk away from the severe problems and pressures you reveal to me, but Lord, with all my heart I want to follow You, even to death. I want to pray like You, Jesus, not my will but Yours be done. Amen.

Have you ever had this heart of God? Have you ever prayed like Jesus? Would you be willing to allow God to take You to a different kind of praying? Turn around and follow Jesus. He’ll teach you how to pray powerful prayers that will make a kingdom difference.

Tempted to Sleep

Matthew 26:38, 40-41, 43-45
38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them … 45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near …"

Precious Jesus,
I am so sorry! You’ve invited me to join You in agonizing prayer, and I have failed you miserably! Surrounded by the sorrow of sin, overwhelmed by the misery of severe suffering, and swallowed up in the sheer terror of impending death, You’ve asked me to keep vigil, but like Peter, I’m drowsy and prone to dozing off. Forgive me, O Lord!

You know the brutal battle that lies ahead for me. Clearly, You warn me to pay attention and pray. Deep agonizing grief from the consequences of poor choices will besiege me. The intense suffering from sickness will be unbearable. The cruel killing of souls and maiming of minds will torment me to the point of overwhelming despair. With all my heart, I want to obey, but the nighttime of the soul seems eternally long. Worn out and restless, I’m tempted to drift from You during difficult times.

I beg You to awaken my spirit to the power of prayer. Teach me to pray, with passionate persistence, prayers that will crush the adversary. The hour is near when You’ll come back, and I don’t want You to find me sleeping again. I want You to be pleasantly surprised when You find me in the garden wrestling over the burdens of Your heart for the glory of Your name. Amen.

O. Chambers writes in My Utmost for His Highest, October 16: "The key to the missionary’s difficult task is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work … the key is in following the Master’s orders – the key is prayer.

The Master has given you the key and ordered you to watch and pray with Him. His intense agonizing prayer in the garden gave Him the strength to face the journey to the cross. If you don’t pay attention and wrestle with Him in prayer, you’ll snap when the stress and strain do come – and it will come. Ask Jesus to teach you to pray powerful prayers that will destroy the enemy.

Beautiful Pots

Isaiah 64:8
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

O Perfect Potter,
You are the most famous artist of all time. I could search the whole wide world and find no one as creative or talented as You.

You have a distinctive technique for sculpting original works of art that are eternally beautiful, valuable and useful. All we have to do is stay soft and pliable in Your skillful hands every day. As we wait quietly throughout the lifelong process, our eyes will turn toward You, our Designer, when we open our Bibles. Meditating on Your sacred Scriptures will form our true character. They’ll expose the rough spots of rebellion that need to be scraped away. They’ll correct our cracks, flaws, and blemishes. They’ll squeeze us and change us into Your perfect image. Through the heat of life we’ll come out of the fiery furnace strengthened with Your power and glazed with Your glory.

With Your Holy Word permanently etched on my heart, it will be radically changed to look like Your heart. Knowing Your heart and mind, I’ll be concerned for the things that burden You.

Lord, I want to be yielded and still in Your dexterous hand where I can be shaped into a pleasantly perfect pot to pour out Your extraordinary love. Please transform my heart and mind today, making me an eternally beautiful, valuable vessel for the praise of Your most creative name. Amen.

Oswald Chambers writes, "Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God … Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing … ‘Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2) … God is at work bending, breaking, molding and doing exactly as He chooses … We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ … Let Him have His way." –My Utmost For His Highest, October 25.

Do you know what’s on the heart and mind of God? Are you burdened for the things that burden Him? Ask God to lay His heart over yours. Pray repeatedly, the lyrics to this beautiful hymn …

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.

Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907.

My Extreme Encounter with God

Following is a testimony of my Extreme Encounter with God experienced at the Mid-west Prayer Conference in Terre Haute, IN from October 26 -28.

God is good! Thank you for your faithful prayers. The Mid-west Prayer Conference was beyond my expectations. I’m ecstatic to tell you that God did a mighty work and gave me a boat load of blessings!

On Thursday morning, in my time alone with God, I read O. Chambers:
Submitting to God’s Purpose – October 25

• Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. … Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing…
  
• God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us …
  
• Once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you "turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . ." (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.
  

That afternoon, as I drove from Cincinnati across the state of Indiana to attend the conference I continually prayed the song, "Have Thine Own Way Lord, Have Thine Own Way! You are the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after your will, while I am waiting, yielded and still."

That evening, Dr. Blackaby challenged us to know what’s on the heart and mind of God. He asked us if we were burdened for the things that burden God. During the altar call I left my seat, got on my knees in the aisle and again prayed, "Have thine own way Lord, have thine own way" … I asked God to lay his heart over mine and give me a burden for the things that burden him.

Friday morning, Dr. Blackaby taught from Matthew 26 and told us that this is the kind of praying God lays over our hearts. The Son read the heart of the Father. "My soul is sorrowful even unto death."

He challenged us, "Would you be willing to allow God to take you to a different kind of praying?" I wrote in my notebook, "Yes, Lord! Take me there!"

Then he called us to join God in the battle at the altar. God has called us to go with people into battle. Blackaby said, "If God has moved in your heart, you need to move from your seat." I knew that God had moved in my heart, so I got on my feet and moved. I went to the altar, looking for an inconspicuous space in the distance. I knelt down before my Lord and thanked Him for equipping me for the battle. He laid a very heavy burden on my heart for a Prayer Pal reader’s family. And, as I prayed, I began to weep. And, I wept. And, I wept. And, I began trembling and weeping. I suppose this is the closest I’ve ever been to a Gethsemane experience. Before I knew it there was a woman on her knees beside me, with her hands on me, holding me as I wept and prayed for this family. She began praying for restoration for me. She didn’t know what was on my heart. This went on for what seemed like 5 or 10 minutes, maybe longer. I was finally able to tell her it wasn’t my restoration we needed to pray for but the restoration of this family. She prayed over me, with me for the burden on my heart.

I knew that I had a radical encounter with our Most High God. And, I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I am equipped to do battle for Him on behalf of this family.

When the service ended I went to the lobby thinking, "I’ve got to go back to my motel room and wash my face and fix my make up." But, God had other plans.

Life Action Ministries, an organization that does revival crusades, was at the conference. I was part of one of their crusades two years ago to that very day. As a result of their crusade at Manor Church I began writing Prayer Pal. I was compelled to thank them for their ministry and tell them how God used it in my life. As I told them about Prayer Pal, I began crying again. I shared with them how God is using Prayer Pal to minister to extremely broken hearted people. They were awestruck and immediately prayed over my ministry and me. Their hearts were deeply touched.

When the evening session was over, I was compelled to walk up to Dr. Blackaby. I shook his hand and said, "I have to tell you, I’m another life radically changed by Experiencing God. You taught me how to read, reflect and respond to His Word, and today I write a daily devotion called Prayer Pal that God has sent world wide and into the prison. His response was filled with immense warmth and courtesy toward me.

Now, wait ‘til you hear this, dear ones, Dr. Blackaby asked if he could pray for me. Right then and there, he laid his great big hands on me and prayed over my ministry and me! Before I knew it there were hands all over me and I was completely covered by prayers of strangers. And, again I wept and trembled before our Lord. When he was finished, he said, "Beth, you will never be the same again." He knew that I had a direct encounter with the Living God.

During his session on Saturday morning, he reflected on two of the stories that were shared with him the previous night. Mine was one of them. He encouraged us to take time to process our experience with God. The teaching was from Mark 6. The disciples had just witnessed the miraculous feeding of the 5000 when Jesus told them to get in a boat. A storm came up and Jesus walked to them on water. Jesus was about to pass them by (47) because the disciples hadn't taken the time to process the miraculous feeding (52).

Blackaby advised us to take time before Sunday morning to process our experience with God. If we don't understand this encounter, then we won't understand the next one.

He took us back to Gesthemane ... after the agonizing prayer, there was great suffering. He told us to expect to suffer for the commitments we made. So, again, I went forward and thanked God for His mighty presence and committed to obey Him no matter the cost. I was thankful to have a quiet night alone in my hotel room to process all that God had done to me at the conference.

I’ve received more than the boat load of blessings! Thank you for watching and praying with me! May the love in my heart pour out onto your heart. I love you with the love of Jesus!

All glory to God from whom all blessings flow!
Beth

Shepherding Hearts

Dear Reader,
Since I will be out of town, there will be no additional Prayer Pals this week. Feel free to browse through the archives on my blog. May the Lord bless you as you seek Him.

Love,
Prayer Pal

John 14:12 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing."

Matthew 9:35-36
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus, You are the King of Compassion!
If I follow You, I can easily see what You have doing. The problem is I’m prone to wandering! I’m distracted by my own agenda. With my mind focused on finishing my mission, I’m oblivious to the crowd surrounding me. Forgive me for my lack of compassion! Open my eyes to the lost souls entangled in the rush of life. Give me a sensitive soul to stop and set them free. You’re not asking me to sell church. You’re asking me to:

• Teach them by the example of my peaceful lifestyle what it means to know the Shepherd and be sheltered in the safety of His arms.
• Preach the God News by telling them the story of how You rescued me from Satan’s snare and brought me to the safety of the sheepfold.
• Nurse their wounds caused by the disease of despair and sickness of sin.

Please give me a heart like Yours to teach, preach, and heal. Please fill me with fresh faith and Holy Spirit power to notice the harassed and helpless hordes crying for release. I will follow You and do the things I see You doing to bring glory and honor to Your name. Amen.

Ask God to put the name of one lost sheep on your heart and in your mind today. Begin to pray specifically for their release.

Gentle Shepherd

Isaiah 40:11
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Good and Gentle Shepherd,
So tenderhearted and compassionate, You certainly love Your sheep! You carefully lead us to the lush mountain pastures in our Bibles where we can graze to our heart’s content on the fertile food of Your Word. Faithfully, You guide us through barren deserts to refreshing streams of Living Water to quench our dry and thirsty souls.

Along the way, You protect us from animalistic humans who threaten to attack our character. Prone to wandering off, we slip into clefts of criticism and condemnation, plunge into ravines of rejection and ridicule, and sink deep into depressions of disgrace and despair. In our times of trouble, You never fail to hear our cry, find us and set us free. Your sheep are Your most prized possession!

Bruised and bloodied from the fall, You meticulously bandage our broken hearts. Scooping us up in Your powerful arms, You hold us close to Your loving heart and carry us to safety. Resting in Your presence, we have nothing to fear. You are bigger than the people, problems and pressure pursuing us.

Thank You dear Shepherd for diligently doing Your job twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, year in and year out. Because of Your hard work I’m alive and well. I know from experience that danger lurks around the bend. It’s crucial that I trust and obey You. Huddled in Your flock, there’s protection, provision, and perfect peace because of Jesus. Amen.

Are you sticking with the Shepherd or have your wandered away from the flock? You are valuable to Him! He wants to take care of you, but you need to follow Him.

If you’ve lost your way and are stuck, cry out to Him. He’ll find you right where you are, pick you up in His strong arms, and carry you close to His heart to the safety of His presence where there’s protection, provision and perfect peace.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 92:1-5
It is good to praise the LORD

and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning

and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

and the melody of the harp.
For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;

I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
How great are your works, O LORD,

how profound your thoughts!

O Lord Most High,
It’s a delight and honor to sing of Your wonderful works. In humble adoration, I gratefully thank You for Your ever loving kindness each morning. Your unbelievable mercy has kept me from complete obliteration. Each evening, I fondly remember Your incredible faithfulness. With a cheerful song in my heart, I love to tell of Your excellent greatness! My eyes have seen Your magnificent handiwork!

Merrily, I sing the praises of my drastically changed life. Your marvelous grace has miraculously covered all my past, present and future. Clothed and unashamed, I’m free to come into Your holy presence and worship You. With sheer confidence, I can stand up and assuredly sing with all my heart, "How great is my God!"

Jesus, You mean the world to me! The amazing works of Your hands have made me glad. I’ll sing of Your love forever because of the blessed promise I have in Your gloriously beautiful name. Amen.

It is good to praise the Lord! Bless Him for keeping you from complete obliteration! If you’re alive today, thank Him! It’s only by His amazing grace!

Eternal Word

1 Peter 1: 24-25
"All men are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath of the LORD blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God stands forever."

Glorious One,
Thank You for the beautiful lessons of autumn. With a gentle breath from heaven the dry, yellowed grasses wave impassively in the chilly fall air. The leaves, while glistening with dazzling colors, begin to crackle and drop from their branches, blowing here and there. The pretty pallet of posies that peeked in my window all summer has long since faded. As I reflect on the sights of the season, I’m reminded that life is short. Like the flowers, fame and fortune will fade. Good health will eventually wilt and wither. Beauty will flee like the falling leaves.

Only Your Word lasts forever. Your perfect promises are the same today as they were yesterday, and will be tomorrow. I’ve got to stop looking to people and possessions for pleasure. They could perish in a heartbeat leaving me disappointed and disillusioned. Instead, I need to focus on the power of Your everlasting promises. They are altogether trustworthy and all that I need to live happily ever after in the beautiful kingdom of heaven. Eternal glory is Yours because of Jesus. Amen.

Take a fresh look at the sights of autumn. Life too is fleeting. How will you spend it?

Photo copyright of Freefoto.com

Clean Heart Living

Psalm 119:9-11
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

Blessed Writer of the Word,
O how I cherish the wisdom recorded in Your Holy Scriptures. It teaches me about Your holy character and divine nature. An amazing documentary on love, it tells the dramatic story of my rescue from deadly peril and endless pain. It reveals that You chose and adopted into Your holy family. I must; therefore, learn to love You and live like a divine child.

It is essential that I open the Book of Life, my Bible, and read it fervently. It will teach me precisely how to live with integrity in a relativistic society that doesn’t take You seriously. The more time I spend studying and applying Your rules for righteous living, the more I’ll become like You. Gradually, my heart will become more sincere and my mind unadulterated.
Out of deep heartfelt devotion, I’ll passionately pursue You. Spending intense time alone with You, my heart will synchronize with Yours. Rather than tirelessly trying to make people happy, pleasing You will be my life ambition.

Daily digging into the sacred Treasure Chest of Your Word, I’ll uncover Your costly commands and precious promises. Gingerly picking each one up, I’ll meticulously study them. Memorizing their fine details, I’ll recognize their great worth during conflict and crisis. Tucked securely in the pocket of my heart, they’ll prevent me from offending You.

O blessed Writer of the Word, thank You for imparting me with wisdom to do Your will, Your way for the glory and honor of Your holy name. Amen.

How can you practice clean-heart living? The Bible says it’s easy as 1-2-3 …

1. Live according to God’s Word.
2. Seek Him with all your heart and obey His commands.
3. Hide His Word in Your heart so that you won’t offend Him.

Listen Carefully

Psalm 85:8-9
8 I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying,
for he speaks peace to his faithful people.
But let them not return to their foolish ways.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
so our land will be filled with his glory. NLT

Amazing, Loving, Wonderful Lord,
You are beautiful beyond description! You display Your brilliance and glory radiantly in the rich colors of creation. Even though we ignore You, You faithfully bless us with Your prosperous presence each day. You’re right where You’ve always been, doing what You’ve always done, creating spectacular miracle moments from heaven on high.

If we would just look up to You, acknowledge Your greatness, and admit our stupidity, You’d forgive the awful things we’ve done. Lovingly, You’d rescue us from death and destruction. You’d revive our stone-cold hearts with Your precious blood, giving us a fresh new start. Gladly, You’d restore our laughter.

God of Help, I’m concerned for the impotent church that desires to reach lost people with pleasant programs and plans that exclude the Truth. If we want to live in the prosperity of Your presence, we must diligently study Your Holy Word, paying careful attention to what You say when we open our Bibles each day. Listening to You, we’ll know right from wrong, never having to live foolishly again. Accepting and respecting Your authority, love and loyalty will miraculously come together. Goodness will bond with peace and our great land will be inexplicably blessed with everlasting happiness. Our vividly changed lives will spectacularly display Your brilliance and glory because of Jesus. Amen.

Pray for revival in the church, and let it begin with you. Study God’s Word daily so that you will know the Truth and obey it. Choose to live differently, wisely, brilliantly, according to God’s Word so the His glory will shine through you, drawing others to Him like a colorful neon light.

Rejected Law

Romans 1: 32
32They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Holy God~
Creator of everything~
Your invisible qualities have been clearly seen since the beginning of time. The earth and sky proclaim Your almighty power and divine character. There’s no excuse for not knowing You! You, O God, deserve our praise forever and ever!
Even though we know You perfectly well, we fail to accept and worship You as the One and Only True God. We pretend to know it all, but are really quite stupid. Foolishly, we’ve traded Your prosperous, pristine beauty for worthless, tarnished trash. We’ve shrouded the Truth with wicked lies.

Pornography, homosexuality, and adultery have become acceptable standards. We tolerate the killing of unborn babies, while viciously fighting to save wild animals. We cry out, "God bless America", but we’ve removed You from the classroom, the courtroom and the currency. We deny Your intelligent design, deliberately, spitting in Your face, as we invent new ways to ruin the rich life You intended for us. We’re a nation full of senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless fools who expect blessing despite our defiant disobedience.

Something has gone terribly wrong! This isn’t the way You created it to be! Have mercy on us for disrespecting and desecrating your Holy Name, O God. There’s no fear of Your sacred laws or holy judgment. It’s a free for all world. Though Your Word is freely and readily available, it also freely and readily rejected. We’ve rebelled against You, our Creator, and we don’t deserve to live.

I’m thankful that Your Word convicts me of my wrong beliefs and behaviors. I want to relinquish my tarnished treasures in order to live happily in your beautiful, prosperous presence. By Your strength that’s within me, change the desires of my heart and mind. With all due respect, I desperately want to love and obey You, bringing honor to Your almighty power and divine character, Jesus, Creator of everything. Amen.

Will you acknowledge and cry out to God for the sin of our nation today? Will you pray for changed hearts and transformed minds? Will you admit and turn from your own sin?

Holy Law

Romans 7:12-13
12But still, the law itself is holy and right and good.

13But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my doom? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commandment for its own evil purposes.

Righteous King~
Honorable Ruler of Heaven & Earth~
I tremble in fear of Your Highness. Standing in awe of Your holy, right and good law, I praise You with an upright heart. Your spoken Word is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. It’s pure joy to my heart, mind and soul, guaranteeing my rich heritage forever.

Completely righteous, fully trustworthy, and thoroughly tested, Your rules awaken my conscience, warning me of dangers. Satan has set a snare for me. Don’t let me be baited by his perfidious lies and deceptive charm. Distorting the truth, He’ll try to persuade me that You are behind his treacherous shenanigans. He plans to mutilate me and sever my relationship with You.

O Lord, my God, I know that You are forever good. Nothing bad has ever come from You. Please hide Your Word in my heart so that I won’t be seduced by sin. Teach me knowledge and good judgment. I need wisdom to differentiate between fact and fiction so that I’ll choose to do what is honorable, right, and good in tricky situations. Connected to You, fear and shame will never rule over me.

When I’m confused, Your law counsels me. Drowning in a sea of sickness, it’s the life preserver that saves me. Consumed with sorrow and sadness, it comforts me. Weak and weary, Your Word encourages, strengthens and fortifies me. Blinded by the shadow of darkness, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

I’ll delight in Your laws, meditate on them daily, and try to never neglect them. Use them O Lord, to preserve my life, according to Your love through Jesus I pray. Amen.

God’s laws aren’t meant to restrict us, but protect us. Be thankful for their convicting power because it saves your life!

To grasp the goodness, righteousness and holiness of God’s Word, I encourage you to read the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. Highlight all the ways God’s laws benefit you

Extreme Faithfulness

Recently as I was contemplating current events, not only in my community, but also in the world, the Lord took me to this perfect Word picture describing the world in which we live. The harsh realities are startling.

Zephaniah 3:1-5
1How terrible it will be for rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime. 2It proudly refuses to listen even to the voice of the LORD. No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the LORD or draw near to its God.

3Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims--out for everything they can get. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. 4Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God's laws. 5But the LORD is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day his justice is more evident, but no one takes notice--the wicked know no shame. NLT

My Forever Faithful King,
You are an amazing word artist. Your illustration of ancient Israel is strikingly similar to our disgusting, corrupt and unruly world today. Violence and crime permeate the whole earth. No place is sacred, clean or safe. Rebellious self-righteous leaders refuse to acknowledge Your Highness. They won’t listen to Your wise counsel. Pompous and proud, they ignore You.

Like rapacious lions waiting to pounce the most vulnerable prey, leaders use their influential positions to pad their pockets while plundering the poor. Judges behave like voracious wolves ready to rip apart Your Sacred Laws like a fresh carcass, leaving barely a trace of Your divinity. Everywhere false prophets are twisting the truth, attempting to capitalize on their sweet sounding lies. It’s difficult to know who to trust. Even our preachers desecrate Your Sanctuary by using Your Holy Word as a weapon to maim and kill souls.

Lord, I just want to cry when I think about the mess we’ve made of Your beautiful land! We accuse You of failing to protect us when bad things happen, but in reality we haven’t heeded Your warnings. Not much has changed since the ancient days.

O Sovereign God, the one thing that makes my soul leap for joy in the midst of the current chaos and confusion is that You’re smack-dab in the middle of it with us. Man hasn’t changed and neither have You. Immersed in modern culture, You’re just as holy, righteous and sovereign as You were in the Beginning. You’ve never made a mistake and You’ve never failed. Consistently, day after day, for thousands of Years, You’ve patiently and lovingly pardoned countless people, saving them from death and destruction. Yet, wicked men and women without conscience or shame persist in evil. O Lord, how much longer will You tolerate us?

Please give me a deeper desire to walk humbly with You. Quiet my raging soul so that I’ll hear Your sweet voice rejoicing when I choose to do what is right in this counter-Christian culture. Until You bring me home, Lord, make me an everlasting witness of Your amazing love and extravagant grace to a wicked watching world because of Jesus. Amen.

If the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of your heart to the harsh realities of the world in which we live, I challenge you to live differently. How will you practice godly living in a counter-Christian culture?

You might want to begin by spending time in the Word daily so that you’ll be able to know and discern the Truth when you hear it.

Extreme Forgiveness

Colossians 3:13-15
13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Father in Heaven,
As I recollect the tragic events of last week, I wonder at the watching world witnessing the epitome of good and evil. On one hand, we watched, stunned, as a violent madman unleashed his fury by massacring Your innocent children. On the other hand, the whole world observed the miracle of Your amazing love and extravagant grace as heartbroken Amish parents immediately extended forgiveness to the family of Charles Carl Roberts IV, the cold-blooded killer.

I praise You Father for offering me the absolute assurance of Your blessed forgiveness. I acknowledge that apart from You, I too, am capable of any heinous act. I’m thankful that You found me when death was staring me in the face and hell was hard on my heels. I’m ecstatic that You saved me from complete destruction, graciously forgetting every bad choice I’ve ever made. Now I have the responsibility to show others that same kind of mercy.

Forgive me for allowing petty grievances to annoy me. I get hot and bothered by such trivial matters. If I can’t tolerate the small irritants how will I ever be able to display Your brilliant glory during a crisis or catastrophe? Please pardon me for letting little things disturb my peace.

I’m acutely aware that everything I do and say is an everlasting testimony for or against You. People everywhere are watching me, waiting to see my response to difficult people and tricky situations. As I walk and talk with You today, reading my Bible and obeying Your commands, please let Your perfect peace rule my heart. Fill me to overflowing with more of Your exuberant love and marvelous grace so that in the face of trouble or tragedy Your miraculous mercy will supernaturally spill out of me onto someone undeserving. O that I could be as gentle, peaceful, and forgiving as the Amish for the honor of Your glorious name. Amen.

Is there someone you need to forgive? In light of the undeserved forgiveness extended to you by Christ, you would be wise to show the same kind of mercy to those who’ve offended you. Can the watching world see God’s glory displayed in You through your attitudes and actions?

The following awesome testimony was printed in the local newspaper about Roberts’ burial: "About half of the roughly 75 mourners at the small Methodist churchyard bordered by cornfields were Amish. The interment was attended by the families of the Amish children who lost their lives."

Jesus leaves us with this example. Two thousand years ago as He hung on the cross dying a torturous death He cried out: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

Persevering Through Pain

James 5:10-11
10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

O Great and Powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are Your purposes and mighty are Your deeds. Nothing is beyond Your control including Satan who ruthlessly and relentlessly torments me. You are fully aware of my tremendous distress and difficulties. My troubles do not surprise You. You’re with me always, full of compassion and mercy.

Thank You for Your ancient words, long preserved for my walk in this world. All I have to do is look at Job as an example of patience in the face of suffering. Rather than cursing and abandoning You, he depended and drew strength from You in his anguish. Please use my adversities to strengthen my faith. During difficult days I want to dig my roots deeper into You in order to withstand the storms.

I won’t hide my overwhelming despair. My emotions will show that I am human. Mourning my loss, I’ll continually worship You, Sovereign God, who has authority over everything. Like Job, I want to pass the test, proving that I can love You for who You are and not for what You give. Help me to find happiness and fulfillment in the one reality no one can take from me – Your great love for me.

Please dear Lord, make me a person of patience, faith, and endurance like Job. I long to pray continually and give thanks to You in all my circumstances, recognizing that difficulties will
transform me to be more like Jesus through whom I live and pray. Amen.

If a suddenly strong storm comes up today will you be able to stand firm through it? Will you be able to worship Him in it? I encourage you to dig your roots deeper into Jesus. He will strengthen you to withstand even the strongest storm. Spend time with Him reading your Bible and in prayer.

Read Job, chapters 1 and 2. Let him be an example of faith and endurance through the storms. Then, read Chapter 42, with hope.

Ultimate Test of Faith

Job 1: 6-12
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"

Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."

Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Most High and Sovereign King,
I know that You rule over the entire universe from Your throne in heaven. All power and might belong to You. Even the Prince of Darkness submits to Your almighty authority. Nothing can happen without your permission. Satan always has to answer to Your Highness. Knowing and believing the truth about your sovereignty makes it easier to obey Your command to rejoice and give thanks in ALL things.

When others mistreat me, I can give thanks. In the midst of misfortune, I can rejoice. Through difficult circumstances You’re building and strengthening my character. If I believe You are who You say You are, God Most High, who rules and overrules everything in heaven and earth, I will trust Your perfect love to see me through difficult tests and tough trials.

Just because I’m walking closely with You doesn’t mean You won’t allow bad things to happen. Many people have superficial faith, believing You when things are going well, but denying You when life gets rough. Adversity destroys superficial faith, but strengthens real faith. Do I really believe You? If I do, I will cling tightly to You. You will be my Life Line. Firmly attached to You with the belt of Truth, I will praise Your heavenly name, and recognize You for who You are and not for what You give.

Knowing that Satan has to ask Your permission to torment me helps me to understand. While You allow him to do so, to test my faith, You also put limits on him. He can take away my family and all my possessions, but He can’t destroy me! I am Yours! Please dear Lord, give me faith to believe so that I can stand firm like Job through the storms of life. Amen.

What do you believe about God? Do you believe He is who He says He is? During difficult circumstances do you cling to the Life Line of God Most High or do You abandon Him? It’s a test of faith.

Live Intentionally

On an ordinary Monday morning 26 innocent children went off to school with their lunch pails, scooters and jump ropes. It was just another Indian Summer day in a quiet, picturesque community of horse-drawn buggies, green pastures, and neat-as-a-pin farms. Parents probably didn’t consider that their gentle, peaceful lifestyle would be forever interrupted that bright Monday morning when an unthinkable tragedy came out of the blue like jetliners on a beautiful September morning five years ago. In the twinkling of an eye, life can be forever changed.

Psalm 39:4-5
4'O Lord, let me know my end and how many days I have to live. Let me know that I do not have long to stay here. 5You have made each of my days as long as a hand is wide. My whole life is nothing in Your eyes. Every man at his best is only a breath. NLV

Heavenly Father~Creator of all living things~
Thank You for the fabulous, fragile gift of life. I will cherish every day as a valuable present from You, my loving Father. Forgive me for tossing miracle moments aside to worry about insignificant incidences. Often I spend more time securing my life on earth, than I do thinking about where I will spend eternity.

Life is short! I don’t have long to stay here. Enlighten my mind to Your Holy Spirit and fill my heart with more grace so that I’ll be ready when You call my loved ones or me home. This is a picture perfect day that You have made. I’ll rejoice and be thankful for it. Living in the blessing of each precious moment, I’ll joyfully love and serve others because today could be my last chance. Please just give me more of Jesus to focus on the most important matters today for Your namesake. Amen.

You just don’t know when your life will be interrupted by a tragic event. It is imperative that you live each day like it’s your last. Don’t miss an opportunity to tell someone you love them. Give someone a hug today. Call a friend. Be a friend. You too, could find your life suddenly shattered.

Prayer For Amish Families

My heart is deeply saddened this week for the families affected by the horrific Amish Schoolhouse tragedy. I live only a few miles from the peaceful countryside where this unspeakable devastation occurred. Today several of the families lay their precious innocent children to rest. Please join with me in praying for these gentle people.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

God of Life~
I come to the throne of grace today with an enormously grief-filled heart for the families affected by Monday’s horrific tragedy in the serene farmlands of Pennsylvania. Guide each of their precious souls through the valley of darkness. They are utterly helpless and totally dependent on You, their Good Shepherd, to lead and protect them.

Gentle Shepherd please pick up these crippled lambs. Carry them in Your loving arms. Comfort their crushed spirits with a crimson blanket of peace. Heal their hurts with the priceless blood from Your wounds. Desperate and distraught, You are the Only One who can save them.

Please dear God, reach out and touch these humble, passive souls with Your amazing love. Shine the light of Truth on them so that they can see beyond the darkness of despair to the Golden City where Your glory shines brilliantly. There, their innocent children will live in Your splendid house forever because of Jesus. Amen.

If you wish to express your condolences to the families of the children who were killed or wounded in Monday's tragic shooting, you may send cards or letters to:

Amish Families
C/O The Bart Fire Company
Box 72, Bart, PA 17503 - Fire company officials will deliver the cards to appropriate families.
Amish typically don't carry health insurance for religious reasons. Their medical bills will be astronomical. Donations can be sent to:

Nickel Mines Children's Fund
C/O Coatesville Savings Bank
1082 Georgetown Road
Paradise, PA 17562
or www.coatesvillesavings.com

or Amish Schoolhouse Disaster
C/O Mennonite Disaster Service
1018 Main Street
Akron, PA 17501

Because Charles Roberts committed suicide his wife and three young children under the age of 8, are ineligible for life insurance benefits. Donations for the Roberts family can be sent to:

Roberts Family Fund
C/O Coatesville Savings Bank
1082 Georgetown Road
Paradise, PA 17562
or www.coatesvillesavings.com

Overflowing Love

I Thessalonians 3:12-13, 4:7
12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

Holy Lord,
I must constantly remind myself that You’re the perfect Model of holiness. You’re more loving and powerful than I can possibly imagine. I marvel at the beautiful new life You’ve given me. It’s Your plan to make me exactly like Your own dear Son. Please enlarge my heart with more of Your love. Strengthen me with Your almighty power so that I’ll be scrupulous and blessed in Your pristine presence.

Full of Your amazing love and great power, my lips that once spewed angry, hateful, filthy language will now sing lovely songs of praise and thanksgiving. My mouth that once deceived will now declare the truth. My tongue that ceaselessly complained will gratefully compliment. My lustful eyes that used to notice attractive people now compassionately see the problems and potential of others. My ears that listened to the pressure of people now tremble at the sound of Your voice. My hands that were once busy building wealth, instead build rich relationships. Please continuously replace my greedy desires with generosity and contentment.

O Lord, let the sweetness of Your excessive love flow out of me onto a hemorrhaging world. Even when my own pain is excruciating, with my eyes focused on Your holiness, I’ll emanate joy. In times of crisis and conflict, peace will exude me. Let my words and actions be a harmonious love song that draws others to Your healing and holy presence. In my life Lord be glorified for Your namesake. Amen.

Look for an opportunity to express God’s love to someone today.

God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Called To Be Holy

1 Peter 1:15-16
15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Blessed King,
Approaching Your divine throne, with overwhelming gratitude I’m captivated by Your holiness! Your presence is pristine and Your power is terrifying. Though You are preeminent and transcendent beyond my understanding, I marvel that You come close to me. Shrouded in Your beautiful love, I’m unable to speak. Your mercy and justice takes my breath away.

The moment I heard Your voice and responded, I was adopted and accepted into Your beloved family. From the billions of people in the world You chose me to be a holy, pure and blameless ambassador, representing Your kingdom to a dark, desperate and hurting world. Out of deep love and gratitude, I’ll respectfully submit to Your authority by obeying Your commands.

Please help me to take time to be holy each day. The more time I spend silently in Your company and actively in Your classroom, the more I’ll become like You. As I peruse my Bible and pray, look deep into my heart. Teach me and test me. Scrutinize the words that flow from my mouth. Examine every one of my thoughts and motives. Show me anything that’s unpleasant to You. Make my heart sweet and mind pure so that others will see You gloriously exhibited in me. In my life Lord be magnified for the praise and honor of Your Holiness. Amen.

God is the Model of all holiness. He is holy in all His ways. If we are to be like Him, we must be holy in all that we do and say. In this life we will never be as holy as He is, but we should strive to be holy because He is holy.

Isn’t it true that we tend to behave like those we associate with? Who are you hanging out with? Who does your behavior and attitude reflect? People will mimic the God whom they worship.

God's Holiness

Isaiah 6:1-8
1In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew. 3In a great chorus they sang,

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!"

4The glorious singing shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke.

5Then I said, "My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty!"

6Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. 7He touched my lips with it and said, "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven."

8Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"
And I said, "Lord, I'll go! Send me." NLT

Holy and Sovereign God,
With all due respect and reverent awe I come into Your divine presence. Silently, I fix my eyes on Your inexplicable, splendor and majesty. High above the cosmic galaxies, beyond the stars and moon, is Your lofty throne. The earth and everything in it is Your footstool. Never ending fabric from Your crimson robe flows supremely through Your royal palace. Jubilant angels harmoniously sing of Your holiness, while the entire world epitomizes Your brilliant glory. I shudder at the view of Your unsurpassed excellence.

Aware of Your magnificent holiness, I fall down in utter fear of You. Ashamedly, I admit that I’ve made many terrible choices and done a lot of awful things. I’m tarnished, broken and unfit to be in Your holy presence; yet, I too have seen and felt Your greatness. With a single merciful touch You blotted out my mistakes, forgot my failures, and removed my shame. Graciously, You asked me to clean up my act and represent Your heavenly kingdom on earth.

Please dear Lord, expand my view of Your dominion. Gasping at Your supremacy daily, I’ll tremble in Your awesome presence, fearing You because You alone are the Lord God Almighty, and You alone are holy, holy, holy. No one else can touch my heart like You do. All glory, honor and praise belong to You, the Sovereign King, who reigns over all the earth from beyond the spectacular spacious skies. Hallelujah! Amen.

When we get a right view of God, we get a right view of ourselves. This helps us to remember that He is big, and people are little. Rather than living our lives to please people, we need to devote our lives to pleasing Him. Do you have a clear view of God’s holiness?

Photo copyright Public Domain, Hubble Telescope visit http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album