Prayer for You

Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and high and long and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Lord, I pray that his may be so. What more can we ask for?

King of the World

When I opened the back door, I heard a small voice yell, “I’m king of the world.”  In a yard nearby a small boy perched about eight feet high on top of his backyard playground equipment.  With tousled hair, smudged cheeks, and torn jeans, he was quite an unlikely looking king of the world.

Jesus, too, came as an unlikely king.  In His day, He was expected to be a great and powerful king who would be victorious in vanquishing the Roman conquerors.  As a king He would be expected to have certain qualities: wealth, power, authority, and the ability to conquer with force. On the surface, it didn’t appear that Jesus had any of these powers.  As a carpenter and son of a carpenter, he certainly was not wealthy.  As an Israelite living in a conquered country, he had no political power, nor did he have an army of men providing military might.  His authority appeared limited—He used none over Caiaphas, the high priest, or over the Pharisees or the Roman rulers who put Him to death.

But looking below the surface, one can see Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was, and is, King of the world.  Those who know Him realize that He has wealth far greater than we can imagine—even His streets are paved with gold.  He is far greater than any king or

army that ever existed or ever will exist, for His might created all the heavens and the earth, every animal and plant imaginable, the highest mountains and the deepest oceans.  He is commander-in-chief of a host of heavenly angels who would have rescued Him from crucifixion if He had commanded it.  His power is far beyond our ability to comprehend, and His authority is endless.  Even while He was on earth as a man, He had the authority to calm the waves of the sea.  Think what authority He commands now, reigning at God’s right hand!  Yes, He was an unlikely king of the world, but He is our King of kings and Lord of lords.  He has wealth, power, and authority, but he chooses to conquer with humility, sacrifice, and love.

Almighty Father, King of creation and King of my life, even though you have all power and authority in heaven and earth, you do not abuse your authority or force your subjects into submission.  Thank you for giving each of us the choice to yield to your authority.  Give us the wisdom to choose wisely.

            Matthew 26:52-54 (NIV) “’Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’”

Appreciating the Nail-scarred Hands

“If you had never known physical pain in your life, how could you appreciate the nail scarred hands with which Jesus Christ will meet you?”

~Joni Eareckson Tada

Truly, Lord, I can give thanks for times of pain, for they draw me closer to You.

Praying for You

May our Lord walk beside you in all things. May He open your eyes to see how very much He loves you and how He is working in your life for good. May He open your ears to hear His word and teach you to apply it to your daily life. May He teach you to be His hands and feet so you may love others the way that He loves you.

He Takes Away Sin

“Remember that the Lord Jesus came to take away sin in three ways; He came to remove the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and, at last, the presence of sin.”

― Charles H. Spurgeon

Oh, God, I am so grateful that you were willing to die on the cross to take the penalty for my sin. Thank you for enabling me to resist the temptation of sin, and for constantly rooting out sin in my life and the lives of others.

Be Nice to Your Brother

When my grandsons were younger, they loved to torment one another: A poke here, a kick there, and a headlock for good measure. I had a mantra for them, “Be nice to your brother.” That helped them remember to be kind…sometimes.  Now they’ve outgrown that stage, but they still occasionally give one another an “affectionate” poke or kick.

Most adults don’t torment one another with kicks, pokes, or headlocks. We use something more harmful: words. An unkind word here, a sarcastic tone there, and some backbiting gossip for good measure. Sometimes we just aren’t nice to one another.

I’m sure every one of us is guilty of those verbal pokes and kicks to our neighbors and to our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ. Fortunately for us, Jesus will forgive us. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  With His assistance we can follow the second greatest commandment and love our neighbors.

(Matthew 22:37 & 38) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind….And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

PRAYER: Lord, forgive my unkind pokes, both words and thoughts, and teach me how to be nice to my brothers.

Giving Back His Gifts

“Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have, Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship.”

― Oswald Chambers

I don’t know about you, but this challenges my thinking. How do I give back to God the gifts He has given me? I do try to do this with my writing. I share my devotions, hoping that they will bless others and give glory to God. How about you? Any thoughts on this topic?

Lord, You have given me so many blessings. Show me ways to return these blessings to you in that deliberate act of worship.

Jesus Example

My husband and I were so blessed today to have a stranger stop to help shovel 7.8 inches of snow off of our driveway. What a blessing to have that stranger take the time and energy to serve us.

Lord, I may not be able to help others with heavy lifting, but I can still serve. Show me the ways that you would have me serve, bless others, and be a Jesus example.