Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. That disciple was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord – what about him?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.” John 21:20-22
For who in the skies can compare to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord? Psalm 89:6
My words…
Praise
One of Your many characteristics which I find comforting is that You are incomparable. I love to read the account of Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. You vs. Baal. No contest. No comparison. I can boldly proclaim along with Elijah, “My God is the greatest and the only!” It’s as though I am on the winning team all the time. There is not a power or principality, seen or unseen, that can stand against You. They try and they fail, time and again.
Prayer for me
Humans practice the religion of comparison. Always have, always will. I am not the woman of Proverbs 31. I don’t possess the insight into scripture like my friends. I don’t have the writing skills of most published writers. And cooking? I don’t want to think about it. I relate to Peter when he questioned You about John. (“How do I stack up against that guy?”) Comparing myself to others is a trap. And even though I know it’s a trap, I still stumble into it more than I should. When I spring that trap, Satan smiles. So, I pray for singularity of spirit to remain focused on You and what You have done for me. Help me live for You and no one else.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I favorably compare myself to others: “I’m glad I’m not like that guy!” I’m the Pharisee turning away from the publican. Please pardon my lack of compassion.
Prayer for others
I pray for those who fall into the comparison trap and live there in constant shame and low self-worth. Each one is a precious soul, worthy of Your love and sacrifice. Pull them from the pit and set them on a path to You.
Thank You
There is so much to be thankful for! Blue sky and sunshine. Green grass and flower petals. Sweet corn and ripe tomatoes. Warm hugs. Children laughing. Time with You.
More praise
There is a place, not of this world, where I will live one day. In this place there will be no need for comparisons because everyone will be of one heart and one spirit. We will all be equal, not looking to each other but looking to You. I will be completely free of the things that I use to compare myself to others here on earth. And, thankfully, I won’t have to cook.
O Lord, You who dwells in my innermost place, I ask that I see everything there is to behold through Your eyes. Nothing on earth means more to me than the truth that You are ever before my eyes. The very best thought I had today was of You. Even when darkness creeps over my day, I know You are there. The brilliance of Your glory sends darkness scattering.
Be Thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father; thine own may I be.
Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee.
Lord, I pray Your wisdom be mine. Your words, whether written or spoken, are my true life guide. Through Your wisdom, I revel in the knowledge that You are with me now, and will be forever. You are my great, holy, selfless Father. I am not worthy to host You within me, but I do.
Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only first in my heart,
high King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
I don’t place any weight on being rich and famous. I am enjoying my heavenly inheritance every day, and I will continue to forever. My heart is filled with love for many, but I give You, King of Heaven, the first fruits of my heart. You are the priceless pearl that I would sell all to claim.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
It is because of You that I proclaim victory over death and will live forever under the radiance of heaven. What joy! I matters not what happens in this world; I will remain true to seeing through Your eyes. I know it is You who rules over everything that is known and unknown, seen and unseen.
The Lord is near all who call out to Him, all who call out to Him with integrity. Psalm 145:18
Lord, why do You stand so far away? Why do You hide in times of trouble? Psalm 10:1
“I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also. John 14:2-3
My words…
Praise
Where are You? I’m sure You hear that question prayed a lot. I tend to want to “place” you somewhere. When I’m struggling, I want you close. When I’m doing something excessively selfish, I’d rather You not be around. But it doesn’t work like that, does it? You don’t work like that. Who am I to build a boundary around You who is boundless? Who am I to limit the One who is limitless? Just as You proclaimed, “I Am Who I Am,” so You Are Where You Are. Beyond the galaxy and in my backyard. Outside of time and space yet here now. In the heights and in the depths. There is nowhere I can go where You are not. There is nowhere I want to be where You are not.
Prayer for Me
I often get caught up in the falsehood that if I cannot feel your presence, then You are not around. You have made Yourself known to me in so many ways. And when it happens, I feel as if You are not next to me but inside me. My spirit jumps for joy! I pray for more of that. (selfish?) Help me not to see it as a sign that You are there. I shouldn’t need a sign. Help me not to use it as proof You are there. I don’t need proof. When You confirm Your presence, it’s a faith-builder. And my faith can always use building up.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I mold You into something more easily understood. As Dallas Willard said, “We have a weak imagination toward God.” If I could understand You fully, then You wouldn’t be God. You certainly wouldn’t be my God. Forgive me whenever I feel You are distant. It’s the Enemy’s lie.
Prayer for others
Lord, there is someone I care about who is in the clutches of despair. He feels as if You are far from him, and he is so alone. I can’t be God for him. Only You can. Place Your hand of comfort on him now, I pray! Lead him through his darkness and loneliness.
Thank You
Lord, I am so grateful that You are here, there, and everywhere. Thank You for being who You are – the God who is near all of us all the time.
More praise
There is a difference between You being with me and me being with You. In my life here on earth, You are with me. You created my world, and I am in it with You. What I long for is being with You in Your world – the heavens. Jesus, You promised that where You are, I will also be. No distance between us. I can hardly wait.
Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him – a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes. He will not execute justice by what He hears with His ears, but He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. Isaiah 11:1-4
Then the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery, making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. What do You say?” He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” When they heard this, they left one by one. Jesus said to the woman, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. John 8:3-11 selected
My words…
Praise
You are the Perfect Judge, executing justice with perfect fairness. Human judges execute justice only from what they see and hear. But not You because You understand where the wrong comes from. You didn’t just see a sinful woman being encircled by haughty, religious rulers. You saw her heart, her past, her reasons, and they weren’t much different from anyone else on the scene. You showed the sinful woman her sin, and You showed the religious leaders theirs as well. If she were to be punished, then everyone should be punished. That’s fair. That’s just. You were the only one who had the right to throw a stone, yet You didn’t. Instead, You claimed her sin as Your own and held onto it until the sword pierced Your side and all was forgiven.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I encircle sinners in accusation instead of compassion. Who am I to pass judgment when I am only using my eyes and ears? I am a fellow sinner with no way to peer into a person’s soul.
Prayer for others
Today I pray for those who are being drug before religious courts, accused of breaking religious laws. The leaders are not without sin, yet they sentence the accused to death. The sweet smell of compassion does not permeate their courtrooms. Only the stench of condemnation. Strengthen the condemned and lead the judges to the Spirit of wisdom and understanding.
Thank You
Thank You for not condemning me! All other reasons to thank You pale in the presence of this one. It is of most importance. I pray I could express my gratitude in a worthy measure, but I can’t. I know You will accept it as I offer it. And I thank You for that, too!
More praise
When I speak or write to others, I often wonder if I am being understood according to my intentions. Did a reader misunderstand me? Am I being judged unfairly? Thankfully, when I speak to You, I know I am being understood, accepted, and loved. My prayer may sound like a jumbled mess of thoughts, but You make it perfect along the way.
Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, Yahweh God of Hosts. Jeremiah 15:16
“Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4
My words…
Praise
Your words are sustenance, written so long ago yet so fresh. You present them as a banquet, each course created to nourish hungry spirits and fortify healthy souls. They’re meant to be feasted upon, consumed and digested. Your words are not vapid, and each time I consume them, they taste different, more savory, more satisfying.
Prayer for me
If Your words were a box of food, I would find a serving size with the recommended daily allowance for spiritual nutrition. But they don’t come in a box. The serving size is up to me, depending on the importance I place on my spiritual health, which is only slightly higher than the importance I place on my physical health. It comes and goes. Sometimes I nibble and pick at Your words; other times, I pull up a chair and dine. I pray Your Spirit will turn my erratic diet into a steady craving.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I do not place Your words above any others. Lately, the novel on my bedside table has been getting more of my time than Your words.
Prayer for others
I pray for those who have declined to feed on Your words or have stepped away from the banquet table. Perhaps they have tasted them and spat them out. Perhaps they find their delight and joy in the words of novelists, poets, or self-help writers. They are content with being spiritually malnourished, as if their diet consisted of only bread. Open their eyes to see they cannot live on bread alone.
Thank You
Thank Your for Your words. I have prayed this gratitude prayer so many times, yet it will never be enough. You know I’m a prolific reader, yet there are no words that compare to Yours. Yours are the words of life.
More praise
Your words are alive on the onion skin pages of my Bible. Your words flow from the lips of my encouraging friends. They are sung by the birds outside my window and shouted by the cracks of thunder during a storm. I can read Your words, feel Your words, listen to Your words. They are ageless yet new, powerful yet gentle, serious yet comforting. Perfect words from The Perfect God.
Be careful to obey the command and instruction that Moses the Lord’s servant gave you: to love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, keep His commands, remain faithful to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and your soul. Joshua 22:5
My words…
Praise
You offer me a set of instructions to travel from one edge of my mist of life to the other that assures I will emerge, wholly fulfilled, surrounded by perfect love. The instructions are not complicated, doctrine-heavy yokes. On the contrary, you offer the five-verb version: Love, Walk, Keep, Remain, Serve. These instructions are more precious than Lalique, Rembrandt, or the crown jewels. And, they come with a guarantee: Follow the instructions the best I can, and I will live as a daughter of The King, now and ever after.
Prayer for me
When I was small, I heard my mother say, “Careful,” many times. Be careful crossing the street, sitting near a fire, biking to the city pool, choosing my friends. I knew I must pay serious attention to her instructions. I didn’t take them lightly (well, maybe once or twice). You remind me of the same thing: Be careful to follow My instructions. Take heed! Be watchful! This is not like a road map I used to clumsily re-fold and toss in the glove compartment. These are the cherished Words of My Creator. I pray for help in being more careful, paying greater heed to Your instructions.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I weigh Your instructions and decide which are the most important – to me. I spend more time remaining than serving, more time walking than loving. Who am I to pick and choose?
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for those who are not interested in knowing or heeding Your instructions. They have created their own to live by. Some get by just fine while others languish. Many are turned off by the word command. “Don’t tell me what to do!” I pray they will one day find themselves on their knees, pleading with You, “Please, tell me what to do!”
Thank You
I am so thankful You didn’t create us and then leave us without any instructions as to how we should live on this orb. Love You. Walk with You. Keep Your commands. Remain faithful. Serve You. And, oh yes, thank You for loving me.
More Praise
When my mom repeated her charge for me to be careful, she did this because she loved me and wanted me to stay safe. There were dangers around every corner. I had to be watchful. You, too, want to keep me safe from danger, seen and unseen. You have given me the instructions as proof of Your love. I will carefully follow them as proof of mine.
Now, on the same day [as the resurrection of Jesus], two disciples (one named Cleopas) were on their way to a village called Emmaus. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus Himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing Him. It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. Luke 24:13-17; 30-31
My words…
Praise
Dear Jesus, much of Your humbleness and compassion is on display when, after Your resurrection, You hung around on this lowly planet for forty more days. I would have hightailed it to heaven and been done with this place. But, thankfully, that’s not how You think and act. The private lessons you taught weren’t understood as they should have been, so You had to stick around and keep teaching. Your followers must have slept through the lesson on fulfilled prophesy. They had no idea what was going on. They were expecting one thing only to have their hopes dashed. Discussions and arguments ensued. Who knows how it all would have been sorted out if You hadn’t stuck around a while? But something about You was different; You were no longer recognizable by Your disciples, that is, until You wanted to be. The travelers on the road to Emmaus listened to You interpret scripture while walking for seven miles, and they had no idea it was You. But then You performed a simple act or said a simple phrase, and then they knew! How much more momentous would it have been if they had recognized You right away?
Prayer for me
I don’t want to miss out on opportunities to recognize You. Help me grow to see You where You are in my day, in my work, in my worship.
Forgive me
There are times when I feel like the disciples traveling to Emmaus. You’re close by, but I don’t recognize You. I attribute a success as something I accomplished and not a blessing bestowed by You. I witness the power of medicine and not Your healing hand. I deposit a paycheck without depositing praise for Your provision. I neglect to recognize Your answers to my prayers. (Well, didn’t that turn out nicely?) Forgive me.
Thank You
Thank You for spending forty extra days on earth following Your resurrection. I wouldn’t have been introduced to Cleopas or Rhoda or other followers who were so endearing in their honest reactions when they recognized You!
More praise
It isn’t surprising that when you donned Your servant hat, Your disciples said, “Oh, it’s You!” It was in those moments of close, personal contact that memories were made before Your death and recalled following Your resurrection. You said a blessing over a meal. You shared a loaf of bread. So simple, but so memorable. It’s the same for me. Whenever I read or recall Your words of life, I sit up and say, “There You are!”
When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mt. Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved on the tablets. As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became enraged and threw the tablets out of his hands, smashing them at the base of the mountain. Exodus 31:18; 32:15, 19
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Exodus 34:1
My words…
Praise
You are The God Who Works. You’re not a sit-around-and-wait-to-be-worshipped-god. You worked with Moses to create the tablets of testimony. It doesn’t surprise me that You engraved the words. (I can’t read this without wondering about Your penmanship.) But then Moses got angry and smashed Your work. You didn’t blame him. You just fixed it. You performed the work over again. If Moses would have smashed that set, You would have done it a third time, and so on. You perform wonderous works, and Your children smash them. Then You say, “I will fix what you broke.” You work to create, then You work to fix. The never-ending cycle. Praise to The God Who Works…and Fixes.
Prayer for me
Since I am not a stone tablet, I cannot be fixed as such: Write it again. Done. Fixes of the spirit are a work-in-progress. Your work-in-progress. And You’re still working on me. I pray I will welcome Your repairs even when I contend I’m not broken in the first place.
Forgive me
The other day I complained that a friend was too persistent in her communication with me. Why must she be so needy? Day after day, pouring out her problems and worries. You brought me to the truth that I have not accepted neither your repair of patience to my annoyed spirit nor compassion to my selfish heart. Forgive me.
Prayer for others
I pray a blanket prayer for those looking for fixes in the wrong places: substances, other people, work, distractions. You long to stitch together lives that are unraveling. I pray they allow You to do so.
Thank you
Thank You for mending broken marriages, repairing shattered families, refreshing weary faith, healing diseased spirits, restoring crumbling hope. Thank You for fixing us.
More praise
Write a message to me, Lord! With Your finger on my heart.
To the one who lacks sense, Folly says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten secretly is tasty!” Proverbs 9:16-17
To the one who lacks sense, Wisdom says, “Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; pursue the way of understanding. Proverbs 9:4-5
Jesus said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country where he squandered his estate in foolish living. He went to work for one of the citizens of that country who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat the food the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘I will go to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while his son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.” Luke 15:11-20
My words…
Praise
I wonder: Just how many senses do I have (beyond my five sensing organs)? I can sense fear and contentment, tension and peace, and much more. I have come to rely on my senses. But what happens when I leave my senses behind and forge ahead without them? In other words, what happens when I take leave of my senses? I haven’t done it lately since it tends to be a young person’s choice. It doesn’t need to happen very often before vital lessons are learned and remembered. During those times when I turned toward Folly and left Wisdom at the gate, I could not sense danger or regret, nor could I sense peace or self-worth. After a while, the sparkle of Folly faded, and I came to my senses. Wisdom opened the gate, and I walked through. And there You were. Waiting. Like always.
Prayer for me
Wisdom offers a home for my senses – a safe place where they will mature. There is no doubt that I need more wisdom. I will always need more until the someday when I am with You. Grant me Your wisdom. Just a drop will do.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I turn toward Folly, when I make rash judgments, when I allow my pride too much power, when I keep unwholesome secrets. Wisdom assures me that Folly is my enemy. Forgive me when I don’t listen.
Prayer for others
I pray for all the prodigals who are spending their way toward regret and sorrow. They are skipping alongside Folly, laughing without any sense of where they are headed. Lead them back to their senses, Lord.
Thank you
Thank You for never leaving Your children even when they are living outside of Your wisdom. It doesn’t matter how many times we mess up. It doesn’t matter whether we take leave of just a few or all of our senses. You NEVER leave. You NEVER abandon. There are no words of gratitude worthy enough for Your faithfulness to us – to me. But You take what I offer each time I offer it. I pray that’s enough. For now.
More praise
Your compassion is shouted from the hilltop in this parable. Your heart breaks when Your children lose touch with the spirit You placed in them and waste precious time that could have been spent with You. When You see us from afar, You run to meet us, wrap Your arms around us, and welcome us back home. It’s so much more than a parable. It’s a solemn promise. With all of my senses, I know it to be true.
Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
My words…
Be Still… In these two words, I hear you say, “Cool it, calm down, relax, chill.” It feels as if the whole planet is tightly wound. Most people convey a calm exterior, but their insides are bound and tense. I, myself, carry a latent package of apprehension deep in my soul, straining at the packing tape, hoping to be set free and run amok. When I feel it banging around, I remember Your words: Be still. I am not alone in my soul. You’re there with me, guiding me, teaching me how to be wholly still, cool, calm, relaxed, chill in my soul. A still soul wipes away the film covering my spiritual eyes. I see You more clearly. A still soul flushes out the wax of my spiritual ears. I hear You more clearly. No pacing, wringing, or fretting. All is still.
and know… I believe You placed these two directives together because they are symbiotic. I can’t have one without the other. I cannot know You in the way You want me to unless I attain stillness of mind, heart, and spirit. It is in this stillness You reveal Your nature – a nature that I can know. For sure. Without a doubt. I should not be still and question. I should not be still and speculate. When all is still, then I know.
that I am God. For me, this is the prize. The treasure. I am not still so I can know that You’re some nebulous, baffling power source. You are GOD, the One Always Being, before the beginning and after the end. You created time, and You’re the only One who understands it completely. You chuckle as we play around with Schrodinger’s cat. The universe stretches at Your command. You hold my heart in Your hand along with the Pleiades. You knew me when stars were forming for the first time. Even now, You see the blood coursing through my veins and hear the thoughts as they form in my mind. You see my life’s end. All of this I know when I am still. You are GOD, and You are exalted!
