THANKFUL

Wednesday, January 08, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, I confess my ugly pride is stubborn, refusing to fully submit to your Lordship. When I’m tempted to compare myself with others using the “I’ll-never-be-as-bad-as-you-are” list, open my spiritual eyes to see them as you see them. They are flawed people, wounded souls broken by life’s disappointments, whose dreams have gone up in smoke, who carry unresolved emotional hurts that linger. Hope is always just out of their reach. They need you, Jesus, a Savior who can heal their wounded spirit, just as you did for me.

Help me live in humility so you can create more of your compassion in me. As your representative here on earth, my witness is nothing but empty words unless your love and compassion is evident in my actions. Keep me from falsely judging those whose life’s journey seems more challenging. I don’t know their heart as you do, Jesus. You know everything about them as you do about me. Help me discipline my mind to stay focused on you so I’ll treat others as I’d like to be treated. Help me keep my heart pure so my love is sincere. Fake love is easy to spot, and Jesus, you are everything but fake.

Bless our friends and family facing medical and physical issues. These illnesses and afflictions can be daunting looking at them with our natural eyes, but when looking at them through your eyes, Lord God, we see the mountains are scalable, the valleys not that dark, the raging seas but a wading pool.

We pray our military and government leaders seek your wisdom to deal with the tensions erupting in the Middle East. We pray no more lives are wasted over centuries-old feuds. But we know peace will only come when men turn to you, Lord God. Protect those who have placed their trust in you, Jesus.

Looking at folks with your eyes, Jesus. Amen.