(posting yesterday's this morning)
Dear Father,
SCP is such a bright and talented young man, and yes, I realize he is becoming a young man. I pray in the coming year, as he approaches the teen age, that you bring particularly strong positive spiritual influences into his life. I pray that some of those influences are adults, but that some are peers - that you bring spiritually strong and spiritually dedicated Christian peers into his sphere of influence. I pray that he too, begin developing his own spiritual leadership skills so that he will be that positive spiritual influence in the lives of other children.
In all things, I pray that your powerful angels surround him and protect him from the attack of the evil one.
Amen
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Peace beyond Understanding
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
Dear Jesus,
You bring peace to our hearts and minds. Peace when it doesn't make sense that we should have peace. These children will have many times in their lives when anxiety is the natural expected response to their situation. And many times the expected level of anxiety will be extreme. But you give a promise that such doesn't have to be. That through you living in our hearts, our response can and should be peace in the midst of the storm. I know that it is impossible for us to simply decide to be peace filled. It requires the miracle of your indwelling Spirit for this to happen. Our only role is to pray and you do the rest.
May these children and the ones raising them develop a pattern of prayer followed by receiving your peace so that that becomes habit and their inner beings know that the only thing that separates them from peace is prayer. May that become as natural to them as breathing. And may the lack of prayer have the same effect on them as attempting to hold their breath. That before too long they are gasping for your presence.
Amen
Dear Jesus,
You bring peace to our hearts and minds. Peace when it doesn't make sense that we should have peace. These children will have many times in their lives when anxiety is the natural expected response to their situation. And many times the expected level of anxiety will be extreme. But you give a promise that such doesn't have to be. That through you living in our hearts, our response can and should be peace in the midst of the storm. I know that it is impossible for us to simply decide to be peace filled. It requires the miracle of your indwelling Spirit for this to happen. Our only role is to pray and you do the rest.
May these children and the ones raising them develop a pattern of prayer followed by receiving your peace so that that becomes habit and their inner beings know that the only thing that separates them from peace is prayer. May that become as natural to them as breathing. And may the lack of prayer have the same effect on them as attempting to hold their breath. That before too long they are gasping for your presence.
Amen
Sunday, April 8, 2012
He is Risen!
Redeeming Father,
It is obvious when we look around that there is something wrong with the world. When you decided to limit your own power and allow humankind free will, we pretty much made a mess of things. You knew we would do that and you planned your redeeming act from the beginning. And in your Son's death we have forgiveness. But moreover, in your Son's resurrection we have hope. He is the "first fruit" of resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20), and because of that our hope is in our own resurrection and the redemption of all creation. Your servant Paul tells us that without the truth of the resurrection, we are without hope and our lives are to be pitied. But with the truth of the resurrection and our faith in it, we can overcome this life and its trials.
I pray for all of these, these children and for those who are raising them, that the resurrection of Jesus becomes a very real truth in their hearts and minds. A truth that they rely on, that they lean on and that they rest in so that the Peace that surpasses understanding takes deep root in their lives. Without the truth of the resurrection, there can be no peace. Without that truth rooted deeply within their hearts and minds, they will feel no peace. Jesus, I pray you show yourself in tangible ways to them via your hand in their daily lives and your place in their hearts such that there is no doubt in their minds that you did indeed walk out of the tomb and that you live for them today.
Amen
It is obvious when we look around that there is something wrong with the world. When you decided to limit your own power and allow humankind free will, we pretty much made a mess of things. You knew we would do that and you planned your redeeming act from the beginning. And in your Son's death we have forgiveness. But moreover, in your Son's resurrection we have hope. He is the "first fruit" of resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20), and because of that our hope is in our own resurrection and the redemption of all creation. Your servant Paul tells us that without the truth of the resurrection, we are without hope and our lives are to be pitied. But with the truth of the resurrection and our faith in it, we can overcome this life and its trials.
I pray for all of these, these children and for those who are raising them, that the resurrection of Jesus becomes a very real truth in their hearts and minds. A truth that they rely on, that they lean on and that they rest in so that the Peace that surpasses understanding takes deep root in their lives. Without the truth of the resurrection, there can be no peace. Without that truth rooted deeply within their hearts and minds, they will feel no peace. Jesus, I pray you show yourself in tangible ways to them via your hand in their daily lives and your place in their hearts such that there is no doubt in their minds that you did indeed walk out of the tomb and that you live for them today.
Amen
Saturday, April 7, 2012
But in Everything - Prayer. Phil 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
Dear Father, the God of all comfort,
We so often are practical atheists. We say we believe in you. We say that we trust you. We say we believe in prayer. And yet we don't pray, unless things get really bad and we decide we can't fix whatever it is that we are facing. Then you become our god of last resort, after all our other gods haven't worked. I confess my own guilt in that regard.
I pray first for those who are raising these children and for those of us who are attempting to live out Godly examples for them that, first, we will strongly embrace a life of prayer. Not so much a fixed time of day, though that is good, but more importantly a walk of prayer, a continuing conversation with you during our day. I pray this because I do believe you wait on us to call on you. And that you do respond to our prayer in your wisdom. Secondly, though, I pray that we are overt in our prayer life so that these children see a pattern of prayer in our lives.
I then pray for these children, that they will see our prayerful life pattern and will emulate it. That they will develop a habit of prayer and that through that, they will develop a walking conversational relationship with you. I pray that they will not rely on themselves but will look to you in prayer, that prayer will be their first resort in times of trial and concern. I pray that you reveal to them via daily experience that you answer prayer and that you are walking with them in the joys and trials of life.
Amen
Dear Father, the God of all comfort,
We so often are practical atheists. We say we believe in you. We say that we trust you. We say we believe in prayer. And yet we don't pray, unless things get really bad and we decide we can't fix whatever it is that we are facing. Then you become our god of last resort, after all our other gods haven't worked. I confess my own guilt in that regard.
I pray first for those who are raising these children and for those of us who are attempting to live out Godly examples for them that, first, we will strongly embrace a life of prayer. Not so much a fixed time of day, though that is good, but more importantly a walk of prayer, a continuing conversation with you during our day. I pray this because I do believe you wait on us to call on you. And that you do respond to our prayer in your wisdom. Secondly, though, I pray that we are overt in our prayer life so that these children see a pattern of prayer in our lives.
I then pray for these children, that they will see our prayerful life pattern and will emulate it. That they will develop a habit of prayer and that through that, they will develop a walking conversational relationship with you. I pray that they will not rely on themselves but will look to you in prayer, that prayer will be their first resort in times of trial and concern. I pray that you reveal to them via daily experience that you answer prayer and that you are walking with them in the joys and trials of life.
Amen
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Lord is Near. Do not be Anxious. Phil 4:5-6
O YHWH Jireh, God who Provides,
How often we fail to think of you when we face difficulties and concerns. We think, we worry, we fret, we mull over and over in our minds how we are going to deal with a trial we are facing or concerns about things that might happen. And yet we are told that you, the creator of all that is, are near to us. And that you are near to us as a parent is to a child. And that because of that, we simply should not be anxious.
I pray first of all for those who are raising these children and for those of us who a trying to live out our lives as examples to these children. Give us a greater since of your presence. Show us more and more your glory so that our courage is increased such that we live as examples of people who are not anxious, but trust. And that by our calm and trusting lives, we pattern behavior that these children can follow.
I pray then for these children. That you will constantly show yourself to them such that they have a deep sense of your nearness. That they become people who truly walk with you moment by moment and that by that they do not have anxious hearts and that their peaceful confidence is evident to all around them. And that thereby they will pass on that spirit to their children and will draw others to you by reflecting a life that can only come through you and through your presence.
Amen
How often we fail to think of you when we face difficulties and concerns. We think, we worry, we fret, we mull over and over in our minds how we are going to deal with a trial we are facing or concerns about things that might happen. And yet we are told that you, the creator of all that is, are near to us. And that you are near to us as a parent is to a child. And that because of that, we simply should not be anxious.
I pray first of all for those who are raising these children and for those of us who a trying to live out our lives as examples to these children. Give us a greater since of your presence. Show us more and more your glory so that our courage is increased such that we live as examples of people who are not anxious, but trust. And that by our calm and trusting lives, we pattern behavior that these children can follow.
I pray then for these children. That you will constantly show yourself to them such that they have a deep sense of your nearness. That they become people who truly walk with you moment by moment and that by that they do not have anxious hearts and that their peaceful confidence is evident to all around them. And that thereby they will pass on that spirit to their children and will draw others to you by reflecting a life that can only come through you and through your presence.
Amen
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Let your Gentleness be Evident to All. Phil. 4:5
Dear Father,
Our society does not honor gentleness. It is seen as weakness. Yet your Son was gentle, but had more courage than anyone who has walked the earth. He showed us that gentleness can stand up to those who oppress others and use their power to hold people down. But at the same time his gentleness allowed him to show compassion toward the unlovable and the struggling. I pray that these children develop in you the stength of gentleness. A spirit that is strong and unwavering, yet spreading healing and compassion to those around them. Let their gentleness, though, show itself when people are oppressed and mistreated as a gentleness toward the downtrodden, but strong and courageous in their defense.
In everything, may their first response be calm and gentle, throwing over the money changers' tables only when necessary. And may their reputation as a calm, gentle and steady hand precede them.
Amen
Our society does not honor gentleness. It is seen as weakness. Yet your Son was gentle, but had more courage than anyone who has walked the earth. He showed us that gentleness can stand up to those who oppress others and use their power to hold people down. But at the same time his gentleness allowed him to show compassion toward the unlovable and the struggling. I pray that these children develop in you the stength of gentleness. A spirit that is strong and unwavering, yet spreading healing and compassion to those around them. Let their gentleness, though, show itself when people are oppressed and mistreated as a gentleness toward the downtrodden, but strong and courageous in their defense.
In everything, may their first response be calm and gentle, throwing over the money changers' tables only when necessary. And may their reputation as a calm, gentle and steady hand precede them.
Amen
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Rejoice in the Lord. Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice!"
Dear Father,
I pray that these children come to know and feel the joy that you intend for them. Life can and will be hard. But in you, even in the midst of difficulty, there can be joy. And we can rejoice and celebrate. Help them first to develop a keen awareness of the blessings they receive from you everyday and develop a heart of thankfulness for things great and small that you shower on them. Let them live in an attitude of thankfullness so that joy and rejoicing erupt naturally out of their thankful hearts.
May their joy, then not depend on their particular circumstances because they become able to see your blessings in the midst of adversity. Let the light of their joy brighten the world around them and may your salvation reach those in their spheres of influence because their lives reveal the true joy that comes from being in you and in your Son, filled by your Spirit.
Amen
Dear Father,
I pray that these children come to know and feel the joy that you intend for them. Life can and will be hard. But in you, even in the midst of difficulty, there can be joy. And we can rejoice and celebrate. Help them first to develop a keen awareness of the blessings they receive from you everyday and develop a heart of thankfulness for things great and small that you shower on them. Let them live in an attitude of thankfullness so that joy and rejoicing erupt naturally out of their thankful hearts.
May their joy, then not depend on their particular circumstances because they become able to see your blessings in the midst of adversity. Let the light of their joy brighten the world around them and may your salvation reach those in their spheres of influence because their lives reveal the true joy that comes from being in you and in your Son, filled by your Spirit.
Amen
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