Dear Father,
It is so easy in our society to dwell on what is wrong with the world. What is wrong with the world irritates us, scares us and even amuses us. Focusing on what is wrong leads to cynicism, and, unfortunately it is popular to play the cynic. But cynicism denies your power. It assumes that there is nothing that can be done about what is wrong with the world. The worst and ugliest form of cynicism, and I confess I have walked this line, is Christian cynicism which is founded on a view that this world is so broken that there is no hope for it and therefore we just wait for the end when we'll all go to heaven.
But I do not believe that is what you intend for us. Yes the world is fallen and needs redeeming. But it is still your creation and the beauty of your creation is still there, even though corrupted. Though corrupted, there is still your beauty in nature. And there is still your beauty in humankind.
What I believe you are telling us through your servant Paul, is that we should not dwell on what is broken, rather we should look for and dwell on the beauty of your creation that still shines through the corruption. We see the light of your beauty shine through nature and we see it shine through our fellow man, and that we should focus on those rays of light that shine through the storm clouds of the fallen world, rather than focusing on the looming clouds. It is not a matter of abandoning all reality, rather it is a matter of focus and thankfullness for the beauty that is.
Father, I pray for these children and the ones raising them that you keep them from cynicism and from drifting into developing a cynical heart. Give them wisdom to recognize the warning signs of cynicism and the dangers of becoming absorbed in that thought pattern. Instead, open their eyes to the things, places, people and times that radiate the beauty of your perfect creation and give them a desire to look for that beauty, to dwell on it, to admire it and to praise you and thank you because of it. May they particularly search for that beauty in individuals around them, to see the rays of light shining out of fallen, imperfect human beings and to recognize that in each of those individuals, the spark of your original intent for mankind exists and will show itself.
Amen
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Whatever is True - Philippians 4:8
Righteous Father,
I pray that these children resist the post-modern view that there is no such thing as truth. Your word tells us that there is in fact truth and that such truth is found only in you and in your word. If these children hold to that, some will accuse them of being narrow minded and even ignorant. When that happens to them, they will second guess what they believe. I do not view that as a bad thing. I believe that truth, your truth, is not fragile. It will stand up to scrutiny and challenge. However, I pray that they never buy into the lie that there is no truth or that truth is relative. I pray also that, by a combination or your obvious presence in their lives, your wisdom in their minds and heart and an intellect that you sharpen, they will always look to you for truth.
I pray that they also "think on these things", that they care deeply about truth and think on it often. I believe strongly that the world needs thinking Christians, Christians who excercise their intellect both to decifer truth and to apply that truth to the problems and issues of this world. Instill in them a desire to be "ready to give an answer" to those who question their faith. (I Peter 3:15).
And lastly, Father, I acknowledge that it is one thing to appreciate, pursue and know truth, but it is another to apply and follow truth. Too many truth knowers in this world are hypocrites. "Having a form of godliness, but denying its power" (II Timothy 3:5). As their knowledge of truth grows, help them to keep their faith strong and pure, help them to avoid the trap of arrogance (because "knowledge puffs up" - I Corinthians 8:1) and help them to deeply understand that if they can "fathom all knowledge" but do not practice your love, they are nothing. (I Corinthians 13:2).
Amen
I pray that these children resist the post-modern view that there is no such thing as truth. Your word tells us that there is in fact truth and that such truth is found only in you and in your word. If these children hold to that, some will accuse them of being narrow minded and even ignorant. When that happens to them, they will second guess what they believe. I do not view that as a bad thing. I believe that truth, your truth, is not fragile. It will stand up to scrutiny and challenge. However, I pray that they never buy into the lie that there is no truth or that truth is relative. I pray also that, by a combination or your obvious presence in their lives, your wisdom in their minds and heart and an intellect that you sharpen, they will always look to you for truth.
I pray that they also "think on these things", that they care deeply about truth and think on it often. I believe strongly that the world needs thinking Christians, Christians who excercise their intellect both to decifer truth and to apply that truth to the problems and issues of this world. Instill in them a desire to be "ready to give an answer" to those who question their faith. (I Peter 3:15).
And lastly, Father, I acknowledge that it is one thing to appreciate, pursue and know truth, but it is another to apply and follow truth. Too many truth knowers in this world are hypocrites. "Having a form of godliness, but denying its power" (II Timothy 3:5). As their knowledge of truth grows, help them to keep their faith strong and pure, help them to avoid the trap of arrogance (because "knowledge puffs up" - I Corinthians 8:1) and help them to deeply understand that if they can "fathom all knowledge" but do not practice your love, they are nothing. (I Corinthians 13:2).
Amen
Friday, April 13, 2012
Guard their Minds - Philippians 4:7
Dear Jesus,
I also learn from Philippians 4:7, that prayer leads to peace which leads to you guarding our minds in you. These children are hit on every side by a society that is increasingly alienated from you and hostile toward you and what you represent. Ungodly images, attitudes, viewpoints, and language are constantly assaulting their minds. Their minds cannot be guarded by shear effort on their part or on the part of those raising them. Only your power can guard their minds. And your power is unleashed by their and our prayers, and thereby your miraculous peace enters their hearts and with that peace as a foundation - a peace that comes by them resting in you and resting in their knowledge of their true identity in you - on that foundation you build a hedge around their minds to protect them from the contamination of this world.
I pray that is what you do. I pray that you build a hedge around them and give them a strong sense of your presence. At the same time, though by your guarding they do not become "of the world", I pray that you empower them to be in the world. That is a hard road, to be in the world and having an impact for you in the world, and yet not be contaminated by it. But I pray you empower them to walk that road so that they have the greatest possible impact for your cause as they wade into the mess this world has become, without being pulled down by it.
Amen
I also learn from Philippians 4:7, that prayer leads to peace which leads to you guarding our minds in you. These children are hit on every side by a society that is increasingly alienated from you and hostile toward you and what you represent. Ungodly images, attitudes, viewpoints, and language are constantly assaulting their minds. Their minds cannot be guarded by shear effort on their part or on the part of those raising them. Only your power can guard their minds. And your power is unleashed by their and our prayers, and thereby your miraculous peace enters their hearts and with that peace as a foundation - a peace that comes by them resting in you and resting in their knowledge of their true identity in you - on that foundation you build a hedge around their minds to protect them from the contamination of this world.
I pray that is what you do. I pray that you build a hedge around them and give them a strong sense of your presence. At the same time, though by your guarding they do not become "of the world", I pray that you empower them to be in the world. That is a hard road, to be in the world and having an impact for you in the world, and yet not be contaminated by it. But I pray you empower them to walk that road so that they have the greatest possible impact for your cause as they wade into the mess this world has become, without being pulled down by it.
Amen
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Guard their Hearts - Philippians 4:7
Dear Jesus,
As I read Philippians 4:7, I understand that in some way prayer leads to peace which then allows heart and mind to be guarded in you. As I reflect on what it means to guard their hearts, we think of emotion and love. And certainly I pray that their emotional relationships are guarded in and by you. That their emotional motivation will center on you, and out of their relationship with you, healthy emotional attachments and healthy emotional responses will emerge, and that health will exist because they are at peace with you, at peace with their circumstances and at peace with themselves. All brought about through a healthy prayer walk.
But heart here means more than emotion. It means a person's entire being, everything about a person. That which sustains us, that which motivates us and the whole of who we are. A person's destructive path begins when that person loses their identity. When they forget who they are - when they forget that they are a loved child of God.
My prayer for these children and for those who are raising them is that, though a solid prayer walk, you give them unnatural peace and that in that peace, you guard their hearts by returning them constantly to the truth that they are children of the King, loved children of the Creator, created in His likeness - royal children. And help them to evaluate every circumstance in that light.
Amen
As I read Philippians 4:7, I understand that in some way prayer leads to peace which then allows heart and mind to be guarded in you. As I reflect on what it means to guard their hearts, we think of emotion and love. And certainly I pray that their emotional relationships are guarded in and by you. That their emotional motivation will center on you, and out of their relationship with you, healthy emotional attachments and healthy emotional responses will emerge, and that health will exist because they are at peace with you, at peace with their circumstances and at peace with themselves. All brought about through a healthy prayer walk.
But heart here means more than emotion. It means a person's entire being, everything about a person. That which sustains us, that which motivates us and the whole of who we are. A person's destructive path begins when that person loses their identity. When they forget who they are - when they forget that they are a loved child of God.
My prayer for these children and for those who are raising them is that, though a solid prayer walk, you give them unnatural peace and that in that peace, you guard their hearts by returning them constantly to the truth that they are children of the King, loved children of the Creator, created in His likeness - royal children. And help them to evaluate every circumstance in that light.
Amen
Happy Birthday SCP!
(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
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
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
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