THANKFUL

Friday, May 21, 2021

Lord, how lost would I be without Your grace and forgiveness? Where could I run to if I didn’t have You? In times of grief and pain, where could I find the solace to carry on? Lord Jesus, because our hope is solidified by Your Resurrection, mankind’s destiny is forever changed. I’m not who I used to be, to the amazement of family and friends. As all who have found You to be who You say You are, we can only credit this change as a divine act. Only in You, Lord, do we find eternal life and true purpose. You are my God. You call me Your child (John 1:12), No matter the circumstances or situations, for Christ-followers, we live confidently by faith in Your presence as You promised “surely Your goodness and grace are forever my companions wherever I go” (Psalm 23:6). You do stick closer than a brother!

Living in confidence with You, Jesus, Amen.

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lord, whatever You have to do, keep me from having a judgmental spirit. Nothing drives away people from You more than making snap judgments about them without knowing their stories (Matthew 7:1). Most times, we give someone a quick glance over and think we have them figured out.  We are so wrong! You see their lingering, unresolved soul wounds. We do not. Their fears lay bare before You, but not to us. Their suspicions about You and who You are increase when they see those who claim to know You hating and devouring one another. So much for that “love your neighbor stuff” Christ-followers are commanded to follow. Forgive me, Lord. Refresh my spirit today with an increased awareness of Your Presence, so I can bless others as You desire me to. May Your Spirit of love, kindness, forgiveness, and mercy be renewed in me. I want to show folks who You really are and what You can do in their lives.

Thank You, Lord, for the freedom not to judge others but to love them as You do. Keep changing me and use me to draw others to You, Jesus. Amen

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Lord, why are folks hesitant to pray? You are a loving and kind heavenly Father, quick to listen, eager to forgive, ready to heal, restore, and renew that which the devil destroyed. Some think unless we say certain words in the right tone, only then will You hear and maybe answer our prayers. Others insist we must position ourselves in a certain posture or our prayers will just stop at the wall. Many believe we must clean up our act before we even think of coming into Your presence. We’re so thankful You’re not that way, Lord. When we pray with a sincere heart, there is literally no way to get prayer wrong. You already know what we are thinking. You’re aware of what’s bugging us, know our fears, mourn when we mourn. We hide nothing from You since You know everything in our heart. And You heard and answered our most important prayer: “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” In this cancel culture of today, may I cancel procrastination and follow the messages of Jeremiah 29:10-14 and Hebrews 4:16.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You want us to seek You in all things. We will. Amen.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Lord, this broken world has broken people whose lives are falling apart. Life’s “stuff” has hit them like a freight train and derailed their lives. Because they need hope, and You are the God of hope, You have commissioned Your followers to be the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). You’ve given us the message of hope that displaces despair. Help us keep our eyes open, looking for the broken people You send across our path that we may show them Your kindness. May our godly lives influence them to seek You. Only You give our lives meaning and only You can make life better than they can imagine, just like You did for us.

So thankful how You changed our life from despair to hope with meaning and purpose. Life with You, Lord Jesus, is amazing! Amen

Monday, May 17, 2021

Lord Jesus, You are enthroned as the title of Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Today we call on You, our Prince of Peace, for the peace of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel as You command (Psalm 122:6). We pray for hostilities between Hamas in Gaza and the nation of Israel to cease. Protect those innocents who are held in the treachery of Hamas as human shields. May the slaughter of innocents on both sides come to an end, since only You, Lord God, can heal the deep wounds that have festered for decades. How it must break Your heart, Lord, to see the hatred people have for the God of Israel when You shed Your blood for their salvation too. But You knew many will reject Your offer of grace and forgiveness. May those who continue to stir up strife and hatred be silenced, turn and devour one another. Guard Your people who call You Lord and Savior. Thank You for Your promise in the second part of Psalm 122:6: You will bless those who pray for Jerusalem and Israel. May Your righteousness rise in this world as the Prince of Peace reigns in the hearts of people in the Middle East and may Your peace spread around the world.

Rule and Reign, our Prince of Peace, Amen.

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Lord, it’s a given that life has its share of disappointments. I don’t always get what I want. It’s also a given that as a Christ-followers, You give me a choice. When things don’t go as I would like, I can either gripe and solicit “Oh, poor baby” sympathies, annoying everyone around me, or I can accept You have something better in mind for me. Lord, may I choose the latter. You see the whole picture of my circumstances. I don’t. Help me accept Your plan is to teach me to trust You in all things.

Choosing to accept Your plan, Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Lord Jesus, because of Your resurrection, You are able to save forever those who come to God the Father through You. And to keep us completely saved forever, You are always praying for us (Hebrews 7:25). If I’m gonna make it in this broken, often hostile world, I need Your prayers to face these hardships. Many times, I wish to just leave all these problems behind and be with You in glory, but You say the same thing every time, “No, I need you where you are. Your steadfastness to hold on to faith in who I AM amid the trials and problems of life is needful for those who are weak in faith right now and barely hanging on to Me. They don’t yet fully understand how ‘faith is our handle on what we can’t see’ (Hebrews 11:1). I’m using you to show them, despite struggles, they are gonna make it!” Okay, Lord, I get the message again. I’ll keep on “keeping on” in faith.

Jesus, I’m loving faith in You that makes life worth living. Amen!

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Lord, You said there will always be temptations to sin (Luke 17:1). Because You faced the same temptations Your followers face, You are aware of the battle that rages within the souls, whether to stand firm or yield to our flesh. In Galatians, You instruct Your followers to “conduct yourself in the manner as the Spirit of God directs so we don’t fall for the devil’s schemes” (5:16). Here is a biblical truth: if the devil had the nerve to tempt You, Jesus, the very Son of God, he won’t hesitate to come after us to snatch away the faith You are building in our lives. But You did not leave us helpless. Here is every Christ-follower’s strength: the same Holy Spirit’s power You used to defeat the devil’s temptation is the same Holy Spirit’s power You placed within each of Your followers. Boom! Lord, help us fully implement this powerful weapon whenever the devil comes around trying to cause trouble.

Like You did, Jesus, we too can send the devil packing. Amen!

Monday, May 10, 2021

Lord, in this broken and ever-changing world, people are searching for relevance. Those who are committed to following You find their meaning and purpose in life in You. Romans chapter six details how You redeemed us from “slaves to sin” and set us free to be “slaves of righteousness.” We have gone from being outside the Kingdom of God and Your grace to feasting at Your table as Your son or daughter. You have made us heirs of all Your promises through Jesus Christ. Pity those poor souls trying to find relevance without You. The world frustrates itself, looking for relevance with every new fad or ideology. You wait patiently, watching as their virtue-signaling through “wokeism” falls far short of what they expected, disappointed their effort do not bring meaning to their existence. They will twist themselves into a pretzel trying to find meaning before looking to You. They need redemption. You stand by, arms open, waiting for them to run to you. Knowing that my identity, my worth, my salvation comes from You alone, Lord God, keeps me grounded and humbled, aware everything I have comes from You.

Finding meaning, purpose and true life in You, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Friday, May 07, 2021

Lord, because of Your grace, we trust You with our eternity by the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus for our sins. Even though we’re stuck in our flawed humanness, or as the Bible labels, these “jars of clay,” You have trusted us with this “treasure of personally knowing God” to share with this broken, hurting world. We can’t keep quiet how You pursued us to redeem us from the kingdom of darkness and placed us forever into the Kingdom of Light as Your child. How can we keep our story to ourselves? Having Your Holy Spirit living within us, sustaining us amid hardships, trials, life’s disappointment —even persecution— shows the world this power is not of our own efforts, but it is the power of God living within us (2 Corinthians 4:7). This makes this treasured Gospel message of salvation through Jesus even more powerful (Romans 1:16).

May I never cease to tell of Your goodness, Lord Jesus. Amen