Approach God’s Throne

Thank you, God for sending your son, Jesus, to bear the burden of our sins. You have enabled us to approach your throne and receive your mercy and grace, even though we are not worthy.

Thank the Lord

Yesterday my husband had hip replacement surgery.

Today I have so many reasons to thank the Lord.

Thank you, Lord, for enabling capable men and women to perform his procedure so he doesn’t have to live the rest of his life in pain.

Thank you, Lord, for giving others compassionate hearts and the ability to care for him while he recovers from the surgery.

Thank you, Lord, that the simpler procedure was done so that my husband could recuperate more quickly.

Thank you, Lord, for a husband who honors and worships you and was willing to pray with and for the surgeon just before the surgery.

Thank you, Lord, for medicines to ease his pain.

Thank you, Lorde, for family and friends who take the time to check up on both of us and offer to help.

Thank you, Lord, for loving us, in good times and bad.

Thank you, Lord, for your great love and amazing grace in all circumstances.

Prefer One Another

“I know of nothing that speaks louder for Christ and Christianity than to see a man or woman giving up what they call their rights for others, and ‘in honor preferring one another.”

– D.L. Moody

Lord, teach me to love others the way you love them. Teach me to humbly honor them as you would and to see others through your eyes.

Friday Prayer Challenge

Here’s a Friday challenge for you. Pray the words of the following scripture this week. Pray the words for someone different each day. Pray for your loved ones, your church, your neighbors, your enemies, your country, those who are lost and lonely. You get the idea. Here’s the scripture.

Philippians 1:9-11

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Today, I am praying for you, my readers, Father, I pray that you will grant abundant love to all who read these words. Fill them with your wisdom and insight to they can understand what is right and that they may be pure and blameless until your return. All praise and glory to You, our God and Father.

Love is an Action Verb

The older I get, the more I understand that “love” is an action verb. There is a difference between saying, “I love you,” and DOING something to demonstrate that love. God calls us to love with our actions, whether we are demonstrating love to a dear one, or to a total stranger.

Lord, reveal to me the actions I can take to show others your love, for we are all your children.

New Growth

I love springtime!  Overnight the world changes from dull, dry, and dead to colorful, vibrant, and alive.  The trees, which stretched their bare arms heavenward all winter, now dress in a pale green blush.  Our Bradford pear tree nods its white, blooming head gently in the spring breezes.  Yesterday, the grass was brittle and brown.  Today it is soft and green.  Even the dandelions (which Scott so diligently worked to exterminate last summer) look beautiful nestled in their greenery.

It’s exciting to examine new growth in the gardens.  The phlox, low to the ground, carpets the yard with purple.  The forsythia bushes glow a vivid yellow beside our gray house.  Everywhere signs of new life abound.  The greenery of snapdragons, daisies, hostas, bee balm, and yarrow promise future blooms.  The clematis vines, recently just dead sticks, sprout new growth at every intersection.  Dozens of purple cone flower plants already climb several inches high, assuring a future of beautiful flowers and nectar for bees and butterflies to enjoy.  Spring is such an exciting time as the perennials burst forth with new life and a promise for beautiful, fragrant summertime blooms.

Do you feel that sense of new growth and springtime revival in your soul?  Deep within our hearts we recognize a spirit of growth, its green tendrils growing ever closer to God, seeking His face.  The palest green blush of revival is evident in us as we stretch our arms heavenward.  While we work, pray, and seek God’s guidance, we can almost feel the buds of future flowers forming on the green plants of our spirits.  We eagerly anticipate the new blooms, filling our lives with God’s beautiful purpose and the fragrance of His sweet spirit.

Oh God, our master gardener, nurture the garden of our souls.  Eradicate the weeds of doubt, dissention, and fatigue.   Enable our garden to bring forth lovely blooms infused with heavenly fragrance, and receive all the praise and glory for the sweet beauty of the heavenly garden of our souls.

John 1:1, 4 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener….Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

Keep Your Heart Right with Christ

“Have your heart right with Christ, and he will visit you often, and so turn weekdays into Sundays, meals into sacraments, homes into temples, and earth into heaven.”

― Charles H. Spurgeon

Great words of wisdom here from Charles H. Spurgeon. Keeping our hearts right with Christ is a process, often involving time in His Word, in prayer, and in reflection. If you want to draw close to Him, seek Him. He promises that you will find Him.

Lord, keep my heart ever close to You. Keep me growing always more like Jesus.

There is Freedom

Ever feel trapped or boxed in? It could be in a relationship, a job, a health issue, or any difficult situation. That’s the time to remember, before Jesus left this world, he promised to send us the Holy Spirit to live in us. He’s promised that Spirit to all who believe in him. So remember, whenever you feel trapped, there is freedom. It may not come in the time or the way we wish, but God always keeps his promises.

Thank you, Lord, that you always keep your promises. Thank you for giving us your spirit and for our freedom in you.

How Do We Love Others?

“God’s definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love.”

— Francis Chan

Lord, show me the ways you would have me demonstrate your love to others. Teach me love like you do.