THANKFUL

Tuesday, March 03, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, this is one of the Scriptures I don’t like. When James wrote “Considerate it pure joy when you face trials of various kinds . . .” Your Word sometimes baffles me why it goes so against our human nature to live a problem-free life. In your wisdom, and since your ways are not my ways, you use these difficulties to strengthen my faith and develop more of your character in me. It’s these life challenges you often use to change your followers. Teach me not to plead for you to take away my problems. Instead, may I seek to know what you want to do in me. How much spiritual growth have I missed when I cried and begged for you to remove the things that would draw me closer to you?

We pray for our friends in Tennessee, reeling from the fatal tornadoes last night. Our hearts are broken for them, their lives shattered by this act of nature. May this catastrophe cause people to seek you. Provide their physical, financial, emotional and spiritual needs. Help the people put aside all social and political differences, and in our humanity, reach out to help one another. Comfort them and be the God they need you to be and may your church love and serve the communities affected. Give them new meanings as to what is important in life.

Trusting you in all life’s challenges, Jesus. Amen.

Monday, March 02, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, you want to be more than just my Savior. You want to be my Lord too. Of the countless benefits of salvation, probably the greatest is having your Holy Spirit living within me. But while I live in this broken world, the battle for control never ceases. Since I came to you in repentance, my carnal nature refuses to surrender to the new boss of my soul. May I allow your Spirit to guide my path and counsel my decisions. Forgive my stubbornness. Help me accept your will without throwing a hissy-fit when you overrule my selfish, and often foolish, choices.

Lord, we ask for your divine intervention against the coronavirus. Speak your Word to this virus and cause it to cease and retreat, eliminated completely. We pray for no further loss of life and all who have this virus will recover. Guard those in poor health, protect the innocent, bring peace to people who are fearful. Heal the sick, raise the spiritually dead, renew hearts to seek you, Lord God.

Forgive our sins, heal our nation. Show us how to love one another.

May your will be done, Lord. Amen.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, we all have them, and I’m no exception. You’ve brought people into my sphere of influence who irritate me to the point I roll my eyes and want to run away. Some are mean and rude. Others will stab you in the back in a heartbeat. There is an abundance of people who are, well . . . just irritating. I need your Holy Spirit to change my heart toward these folks. If I’m to succeed in living your “love your enemies” and “love your neighbor” mandates, I’ll need your Spirit’s help to do what is impossible to do on my own. Without a doubt, you will keep bringing these folks along as you help me fine-tune my “love-those-who-tick-me-off” challenge. Guess this is just a part of life for a Christ-follower.

We ask you for your supernatural intervention to stop this coronavirus. May there be no more deaths from this virus and may all infected recover fully. We pray people will not panic and do foolish things that will increase fear and confusion. And please bring an end to the politicizing of this virus, that “leaders” will stop pointing fingers at one another, making false accusations without merit. Instead, use this virus to unite us to call on your mercy and grace.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. May we return to living our lives by biblical principles and morals.

Jesus, you’re an awesome God. Amen.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, you know I’m committed to follow you for the long haul. I need your Holy Spirit to guide me as I travel Heaven’s Highway. Teach me your ways so I’ll stick to the roadmap you provide. The devil is sly. He places his attractive, colorful road signs at strategic places to disguise his pathways to resemble yours. At times, usually because I wasn’t paying attention, I’ve strayed off on to one of his diversions, only to have a flat tire or run out of gas. The devil’s road is always a spiritual dead end. Forgive me for straying, Lord. I need your Holy Spirit to fill my tank daily, so I won’t stumble and detour off Heaven’s Highway.

Keep close to you all who call on you during illness and when disease is present. Comfort those in suffering, strengthen the physically weak and those weak in spirit. Let faith rise when the diagnosis is not what we expected. Help us trust you, Lord God, no matter what the outcome may be, knowing you work for the good of those who place their faith in you. Bring a cure for this coronavirus, that no more life will be lost, we pray, and all who have this virus will recover. Help people not to panic but rest in the trust the “you’ve got this!”

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. May we humble ourselves to return to you in repentance and order our lives by biblical morals.

Keeping on the Highway, Lord, Amen.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, I’m all in for you. That is what I’ve told my friends and family. Yep! Just you and me, Jesus. After all, with all these blessings and good times, who wouldn’t want to be committed to you?

“Okay,” you say. “Let’s put our relationship to the test.”

You promised never to leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5), so you allow hard times and trials to come along. Now I must choose: will I leave and forsake you, or stay the course? Oh, Jesus, may my commitment be unwavering, defined by how I cling to you when life’s stuff hits the fan.

When illness and disease is present, Lord, may we draw closer to you. May we hold fast to your promises, even when the medical and physical results are not what we desired. We know you will never leave our side, knowing you are working for our good even when we cannot see.

Forgive our sins, heal our nation. Teach us how to love one another. Start by showing us how to talk civilly to one another, especially those we disagree with socially and politically. Only you can make that happen, Lord God.

Choosing to stay connected to you no matter what, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, you promised you’d send your Holy Spirit to us to guide our lives and show us all truths. The closer I get to you, Jesus, the more intensely the devil bombards my mind with distractions attempting to divert my focus from pleasing you to entertaining his temporary, worthless speculations. The enemy knows I’m eternally secure in you, so he disguises his distractions as harmless. Nonetheless, your Spirit exposes his half-truths and lies, all designed to make me ineffective for you. Thank you, Jesus, for guarding my heart and mind.

We pray an end to this coronavirus that is spreading around the world. We pray you give knowledge to find a cure for this virus. May you reveal that which is hidden. Let no further life be lost and all who have this virus recover. Let men look to you for healing and give you glory for the elimination of this disease.

Forgive our sins, heal our nation. Help us as a nation and as individuals return to you and order our lives according to your principles and virtues. Teach us how to love one another.

Living in your truths, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Although the outside appeared squeaky-clean and well-maintained, it was just a façade. Inside, I realized how trapped I remained in the darkness of my spiritual tomb. My sin’s heavy stone blocked my exit. How did I get here? Despite my good reputation, my self-centered noble works that garnered numerous “atta boy/atta girl” accolades, my efforts couldn’t budge the stone even an inch. In my anguish, I cried out to you. Immediately, I heard your voice calling from the other side. “I’m here. I’m still in the rolling-stone business.” Thank you, Lord, for rolling my stone away, which no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remove. Your grace freed me from my tomb and gave me a new life in you.

Thank you, Lord, You’re still in the healing and peace-giving business. You answer all who call out to you, quick to extend grace and mercy. We pray for increased faith and changed hearts. May our relationship with you grow deeper and more meaningful. Let our hearts be filled with joy as we spend time with you, Jesus. Increase our knowledge of who you are and may more of your character be seen in us.

Forgive our sins, heal our nation. Teach us how to love those who we just don’t like. Show us how to pray your best for them, so their lives can be changed, like you changed our life. Help us remember, we too were once far away from you.

Thankful you are a stone roller, Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Help, Lord! I’m stuck living in this broken world. Temptations lurk everywhere, waiting for me to just give a glance in its direction. I admit I often don’t react to these situations as I should. I’m embarrassed, since I claim to know you, but my actions speak otherwise. Forgive me, Lord. I want to please you, I really do. The devil most aggressive temptations are when I’m weakest. May your Spirit put a checkpoint in my wandering spirit, to keep me focused and walking in obedience with you. This broken world needs to see how your grace transforms people and gives them hope, even someone like me.

Give strength to the weary, and may their hope not wane as they continue their battle with disease or afflictions. Bring peace to the troubled minds who struggle with depression and other mental illnesses. Calm the fears of all who are socially anxious, who live in such insecurity that they’re comfortable with isolation. We pray you are the great I AM to all who need you to divinely intervene in their situations. Heal the sick, raise the spiritually dead, send your Spirit to bring back the prodigal who has walked away.

May we never forget our police, firefighters, first responders and trauma center workers. Bless our men and women in uniform, deployed around the globe. Bless and protect them in body, soul and spirit. Thank you, Lord, that you have called people to do these jobs that most of us would be unable to do.

Wanting to walk in obedience with you, Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, I’m so tired of Satan’s lies. You’d think he’d learn, but he’s relentless, casting doubts about your love and your grace, the forgiveness of sins through Jesus. However, your Spirit, who lives within and will never leave nor forsake me, reminds me your love knows no limits. You are fully aware of my sins and imperfections and my tendency to wander off course, but you still chose me (John 15:16). Because of your grace, I’m declared blameless in your sight, since I am one with Christ (Romans 5:1,2). Lord God, you even go so far as to say I’m your masterpiece, created in your image, and there is not another in the world as unique as me (Ephesians 2:10). Wow! That’s cool. I pray these truths sink deep into my spirit, so I’ll never listen to that stinking, lying devil again. He’s such a loser.

Your Spirit also reminds us how you are close to the brokenhearted, the weak in faith, and those who struggle with addictions and spiritual strongholds. Your Spirit gives peace to your followers when life’s storms rage and disaster seems to be looming on the horizon. Your Spirit gives strength to persevere when illness, disease and afflictions result in us having a new “normal.” Your Spirit develops our godly character that show the world your sustaining grace in life’s trials. And your Spirit draws all people to you, to bring new life that destroys spiritual death.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. Show us how to love one another, because in our own efforts, we struggle to do that.

Loving your thoughts about me, Lord Jesus. Amen

Monday, February 17, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord I’m a recovered hoarder. To the world, the outside of my house looked presentable. But inside, was a disaster. Every room had boxes of shame, stacked on buckets of guilt that reached the ceiling. Unrepentant sins blocked the light from entering, keeping the house in darkness. I made little progress when I heard a knock on my door, since, no matter where I stepped, piles of unforgiveness higher than me lay everywhere, blocking my path to the door. And besides, I’m couldn’t let anyone inside to see what the mess I’d made.

But you kept knocking, Lord. You patiently stood outside, waiting for me to open. When I finally opened to let you in, your love never condemned my condition, but you went right to work, cleaning my house. You took all the clutter, all the trash and filth I’d collected over the years and buried it forever under your cross. Every room was swept clean, repainted and new pictures hung. Light now inundates the house. Open, clean hallways allow your Spirit entry to every room. Thank you, Lord, I’m no longer a hoarder Your Spirit helps me keep my house swept clean.

Keep our friends and family close to you when illness hangs around, refusing to leave. May your grace keep them encouraged in their faith, knowing your character and faithfulness will sustain them in their dark hours. Help all who are doing physical therapy and in rehab. Give them strength to endure the pain that comes with healing and wholeness. Pour your peace over them and their families to calm all fears and resolve any doubts.

Thank you, Jesus, for cleaning my house. Amen.