THANKFUL

Friday, February 14, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, before I came to you, I never gave your ways a second thought. I marched along life’s highway being the center of my existence. I controlled my destiny. But now that I belong to you, there is a daily, moment-by-moment question I must answer: who will I choose to be Lord over me today? Will I suppress my selfish desire to be the center of my existence, or will I choose to play second fiddle and surrender to the leading of your Holy Spirit to bless others and honor you? The work of transforming my inner-man is an ongoing, lifelong work of the Holy Spirit, but he can’t do it alone. It’s up to me to cooperate with this work. Thank you, Lord, for loving me enough to not leave me as I was but to make me into a new creation in Christ Jesus.

We pray for the completion of your healing transformation of our dear friends and family who live with disease or afflictions. Your comfort and peace for them and us is immeasurable in the healing of their body, soul, and spirit. We pray especially for our friends living with mental issues, depression, thoughts of suicide. Pour your peace into their minds, their emotions, their memories. Be the God of peace they seek. May you destroy all spirits of suicide that haunt so many, especially those who serve and protect us.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. May we return to a society based on your biblical principles. Teach us how to love one another.

Choosing you as Lord of my life today, Jesus. Amen

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, you know my heart. I want to be all in for you, but I tend to be an up-and-down believer. I allow my circumstances to affect the steadfastness of my faith. At times, I’m like, “Rah-Rah, Jesus,” one moment, then griping like a snotty-nose, spoiled brat the next. What’s alarming is how comfortable I get with my wishy-washy behavior that doesn’t honor you. What’s the solution to steadfast faith? How can my faith not be ruled by my circumstances? Your Word tells us plainly:

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

With the help of your Holy Spirit living within me, Lord, I will order my life accordingly.

We pray especially for our friends and loved ones who are battling disease and afflictions. We join them in praying and trusting you even though the recovery is slow, the treatments painful, the physical therapy like torture. Be merciful to them in their afflictions. May these difficult times bring us all closer to you, Lord Jesus. You know physical and spiritual pain like none other so you can relate to what they are going through. Unlike those who feel that trusting you is just an imaginary crutch for the weak, with you, Jesus, we have hope. May we draw closer to you when the sickness mountain seems insurmountable. Your peace sustains us in inexplainable ways.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. Show us how to love one another as you love, Lord Jesus.

Choosing to give thanks today, Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, I get frustrated! Changing other’s behavior to match my righteous standards keeps me hopping. How can they be so blind as not to follow my example? If only they could live as good as I do. Doing all those ‘sinful’ things keeps you from loving them. Maybe I need to come down harder on them so they will see the error of their ways.

That noise I hear is your judgmental-buzz-saw cutting the legs off my self-righteous high horse. When I compare myself to other believers, I throw the door’s wide open for pride to gain a foothold into my spirit. It’s ugly. It’s sinful. It’s opposite of what you, Lord Jesus, called me to do. You commanded me to love others, not change their conduct. That is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit alone.

Use us, Lord, to spread your hope to the lonely and despondent, who have been pummeled by life, or possibly pummeled by self-righteous people. Many battle mental issues, depression, and anxiety. Those who have faced continued trauma or abuse live with the painful memories. May your Spirit seek these dear ones out and call them to you. Be the hope they desperately need, to fill the emptiness in their heart that seems never to go away. Fill them with the joy of knowing you and living with your abiding peace. Calm their fears, soothe their spirit. May they feel and know love as never before.

Heal the sick. Destroy all cancers! Raise the spiritually dead. Teach us how to love one another as you love.

Keep me close to you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

It happens every time, Lord. When I neglect our daily conversations, life’s problems trigger my anxiety, causing me to imagine the worse in every scenario. I pace back and forth, needlessly worrying but hoping my worry will change the situation. I send out invitations — Come one, come all. Join me in my “Oh, Poor Baby” pity party. Before long, people in party clothes are lined up, ready to join the non-celebratory sour feast.

Finally, your Holy Spirit speak up. “Enough of this nonsense! Have you forgotten who you belong to? What you used to be? Focus on my goodness and grace. Thank me for all I do for you. Worship and praise me and see how quickly your anxieties disappear.” And that happens every time I keep my daily conversations with Jesus.

Many are anxious about the uncertainty of their future. Some have thought by now the illness would have run its course and be gone, but for whatever reason, their sickness lingers. Others face the reality their disease may take them way too early. One day, life is rosy. Then without warning, life’s stuff hits like a freight train. Unexplainable tragedies happen. Foolish choices turn into disasters. Innocents are swept away with the guilty. At times like this, we pray for your overwhelming grace to wash over all the family and friends, bringing comfort and hope, peace to troubled souls. Use these events, which are tragic in and of themselves, to bring people to you and experience your goodness.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. Draw all people to you, Lord God. Amen.

Monday, February 10, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

The battle still wages, Jesus. You said the war wouldn’t end as long as we are here. When I placed my faith in you, immediately my carnal soul began resisting your Holy Spirit’s effort to transform my thoughts and lifestyle. This inner carnal man ruled my soul for so long, but now my inner man realizes he must be transformed to avoid the eternal abyss of separation from you. My old nature fights for its life against this new godly nature moving in to take over control of my soul. You command we surrender our desires to you, Lord Jesus, if we are to make you, not only the Savior of our souls, but, also the Lord of our life. As I yield more of my desires to your Spirit’s control, may my external transformation come more in alignment with my new, divine internal transformation.

Forgive our sins, Lord. Our nation is in need of a spiritual transformation if we are going to remain the last great hope of a free country left in the world. Let the spiritual renewal begin in each one who calls you Lord and Savior. May Christ-followers act like Christ-followers. Help us demonstrate how to love one another and love our neighbor as ourselves to show the world your incredible love and cause people to seek you.

May our transformed lives honor you in all things, Jesus. Amen.

Friday, February 07, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, my carnal pride tempts me daily to put on my self-righteous judicial robe to judge others. What an un-Christlike thing to do, compare other’s actions with my oh-so-righteous life. I don’t know their heart, what they are walking through, what mountains they face, but you do. Forgive me for the times I’ve fallen to that temptation. Help me keep my spirit in align with yours and remind me you didn’t call me to judge others. That is opposite what you called me to do. You called me to reach out with compassion to the weakest among us. You told us to encourage those despondent over the trials of life that never seem to end. Most important, you’ve called us to extend grace and mercy to the fallen souls in need of redemption when the crowd is yelling “crucify!” But you did call me to judge myself, to see where I stand with you (2 Corinthians 13:5). And as imperfect as I am, it’s only by your grace and mercy alone, Lord Jesus, that I stand redeemed, not “crucified” for my sins.

Draw close to you, Lord God, those who face challenges insurmountable for them. Life can be overwhelming at times, especially when sickness and disease, pain and discomfort make us vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. Give us a deeper faith in your promises, more assurance you are always with us, a clearer vision of your power to heal and restore. And even if your will is different from our expectations, give us the grace to trust your perfect will for our lives.

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

Standing redeemed in you, Lord God. Amen.

Wednesday, February 05, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, I’m faced with daily choices. Depending how I choose, some choices will lead me in the right way, or my choice will cause me to move off-tract and miss your best for me. Of all the choices I face today, my most important choice will be to follow you completely. You knew how the devil’s traps of false promises would tend to lure us away from you. In your protective grace, you placed your Holy Spirit to live within me to give me your wisdom to see every circumstance and situation from your point of view. Help me remember that as your follower, some choices may seem inconsequential to me, but to you, they may have eternal purposes.

Today, I choose to “Love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. And love my neighbor as myself.”

I choose to renew my commitment to serve you, Lord God.  I choose not to be judgmental of others when I don’t know their story, don’t know all they’ve been through, or the spiritual condition of their heart. I choose to show compassion for those who feel rejected because they made bad life choices and have little to no hope. I will show Christ’s grace for those who have fallen morally and are working their way back to redemption, since by your grace, that could have been me. I choose to speak what builds up and not tears down. I choose to see the good even when the bad is before me. And I choose to seek you in prayer before making any major decisions. These are my choices today.

Choosing to love and serve you, Jesus. Amen.

Monday, February 03, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord Jesus, unless your Spirit is active within me, it’s futile trying to live the life you’ve called your followers to live. To do so requires me to make choices daily. May I daily choose to surrender my heart, my desires, my will, and my thinking to you. Give me the courage to be honest with myself and empty my heart of all things not pleasing to you. Some areas have always been off-limits to everyone except to my inner man. Help me lay these carnal holdovers bare before you. Lord, I ask you cleanse my heart of everything unpleasing to you. Purify my thoughts, so that my Spirit-filtered actions influence others to seek you.

Guard the hearts and minds of those who look to you for physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Many have fought for so long to stay well, to defeat disease and illness. For some, healing has come after their transition to their eternal reward. Others have experienced the miraculous and cannot stop telling the world their story. Still others live with their illness or afflictions, yet refuse to let their plight identify them, their spirits saying otherwise. We acknowledge all healing comes from you, Lord God. Your peace replaces anxieties. Our confidence in who you demolish doubts. Fears of the unknown melt in the presence of your incredible love.

Forgive our sins, heal our nation, unite us under your biblical principles and values. Spark a spiritual renewal in each of us.

Surrendering my all to you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Good morning, Jesus

Lord God, we’ll never quit knocking, praying, asking for our prodigal loved ones to come to their senses. You are standing at the open door, looking to the horizon, expecting them to come home. For whatever reasons, they left to do their own thing, to be the supreme authority over their lives. Human nature never changes, regardless of the era of time. Placing one’s self on the throne of our heart leaves the door open for deception and disappointment. Once the illusion of a perfect life miserably comes to a dead end and they come to their senses, realize their mistakes and desire to change, you remove every obstacle attempting to block the road on their way home. When they come into your sight, you throw wide open the doors of your storehouse of grace to wash away the guilt and shame of their foolish choices. Oh, the comfort and peace of being washed clean, forgiven of sin’s stains. Inexpressible joy floods our souls to see you bring the dead back to life, like you did for me when I finally came to my senses.

Be close to the brokenhearted of those who have lost loved ones recently. Much has been said of the death of Kobe Bryant, the famous basketball legend, who leaves a legacy of many accomplishments. But just as important to you is the loss of that beloved father, mother, brother or sister, aunt or uncle whose names we will never know. Most grievous is the loss of a precious child, taken before life could be lived to the fullest. But know all who have transitioned from this life to their eternal home leave a legacy of influence to others. May we leave a legacy of unselfish love and faith in you. Help us make a priority of never letting a day go by that we do not tell our family and friends how much we and God loves them.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. Teach us how to love you, Lord God, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. And help us love and forgive ourselves so we can love neighbors as ourselves.

Thankful we can always come home, Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Good morning, Jesus.

Another one, Lord? Another problem. I claim to have faith, so you test the depth of my faith, my commitment through trials and problems. You say in Romans 5 how these trials are good for me, since I’ll depend on you as you draw me closer. As a Christ-follower, in my sphere of influence, people watch how I live. My critics are very aware of my imperfections. They’re quick to point a finger when I stumble. Despite my weaknesses, you love and accept me, flaws, failings and all And in love, you give me another test, so I’ll have another chance to respond in a Christlike manner. And again, the skeptics observe how I respond. Help me Lord, to always be aware of your presence, and may my responses honor you, and silence the critics. Instead, may my actions show skeptics that living for you is a better way of life.

May your works of grace and mercy poured out on our friends and family who face medical, physical, and emotional challenges reflect your goodness when life’s stuff hits us head on. Your faithful to divinely intervene when we look to you in faith. Use these illnesses and afflictions to draw people to you, especially those who never thought they had a need of faith in  God. Show your faithfulness so the skeptics won’t have an injured leg to stand on when they attempt to spread doubts among those seeking you.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. As only you can, Lord God, use our imperfections to further your kingdom.

Living by your grace during these trials, Jesus. Amen