Posts by Dorci
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for the Weary
Heavenly Father, we praise your precious and holy name. No matter what’s going on in our world, you are ultimately in control and you are worthy of all praise and glory. We worship you and you alone. We set our eyes upon you, and desire to be one with you in heart and mind.
Father, so many of us are weary of what’s going on in our world right now. We grieve for the church and the persecution it’s experiencing all over the world.
We grieve for those who have lost loved ones;
we grieve for those who are out of work and struggling to provide for their families;
we grieve for the children who are growing up in the middle of the chaos and confusion;
and we grieve for the lost who have been blinded and led astray by the evil one.
Father, we pray you would renew our strength and our joy in you. While we wait, your precious Son has given us a promise – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Help us to be near you, Lord, and cast our cares upon you, and find our rest in you. We pray for your peace that passes all understanding.
We pray you would show us where a brother or sister is struggling so we can pray for them and help them in whatever way you would have us.
Remind us always, to continue in prayer for all the saints, and let us be about your business, Father, until you come to take us home. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
The Saturday Song – Give Me Your Eyes
If there’s anything God shows us about Himself in His word it’s that He is a personal God. Yes, He loves the whole world, but He also sees and loves the individual.
He saw Hagar and her son a distance away, alone in the desert, waiting to die, and had compassion on them.
He saw Hannah, alone in the temple, weeping and praying for a son, and granted her request.
He saw Mary, a humble worshipper of God, and made her the mother of the Messiah.
He saw the Samaritan woman, sitting alone by the well, and gave her hope through the greatest message of all time.
He saw the man with leprosy, and having compassion on him, healed him, restoring his life.
He saw the woman who had bled for twelve years when, in faith, she touched His cloak and was healed.
He saw John, alone on the island of Patmos, and gave him a vision of the Son and of His coming kingdom to give the world.
He sees you right now, too, and whatever you’re going through He has compassion for you.
Father, give me your eyes.
The Believer’s Speech
My son was at the store the other day standing in an aisle searching for what he needed when he overhead a couple of employees near him deep into a very colorful conversation deriding this group and that one. Their conversation disturbed him so much that he found another employee to let her know what was going on, and then he called me.
Of course it was disheartening to hear that that kind of divisive and hateful talk was going on, let alone by two employees who are supposed to be working, and that some of the hateful comments were directed toward Israel.
But it shouldn’t be surprising.
1 John 3:13 tells us
“Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”
The world doesn’t only hate believers, though. It just hates. And the hate seems to be revving up. Or at least people seem to feel more free to speak their hatred out loud, joining in the chorus.
Hate seems to be the speech of the day.
But it should never be our speech.
The speech of believers ought to be prayer.
Jesus said
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:43-44
As I talked to my son, empathizing with him, that yes, this was a terrible thing that people were talking this way, and even worse that it was in their own place of business for any customer to hear, the Lord put on my heart to tell him that maybe God put him in that aisle, at that moment in time, so that he could hear their hateful words and pray for them.
Is there anyone who needs prayer more that someone whose heart is filled with hatred? Is there anyone who needs the redeeming grace of God more?
I told him God’s given him an opportunity to pray for these men. Maybe, just maybe, God wants to save them and give the world two more souls who love instead of hate.
Praying for them also protects our hearts from unforgiveness and bitterness.
I hear a lot of believers talking about the terrible sins going on in the world, but how we talk about it much of the time is no different than the world. I hear speech that is hateful, mocking, divisive.
Friends, that is not God’s way. Yes, it’s our natural instinct and gut reaction to the sin we see, but being in Christ we should hate the sin because we know that the people caught in it are people loved by God and made in His image, and are being swallowed up by it. That should grieve us just as it grieves the Lord.
But if we act like the world instead, how do we expect it to see the love of Christ and know there’s a better way? How do we expect to be walking, breathing testimonies of His love and grace? How can we hate in one breath and in the next talk about God’s love?
As we let God’s love mature in our hearts, we’ll see with His eyes of mercy, our speech will always be gracious, seasoned with salt, and we’ll understand the privilege and responsibility we have to pray for the lost souls God puts in our way. After all, we were all lost once.
The world has enough hate. It needs our love and it needs our prayers.
Father, forgive me for the times my speech has not been glorifying to you or edifying to those around me. Set a guard over my tongue, and give me eyes that see with your grace, that I might pray and do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Father’s Day Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy and precious name. You indeed have been a Father to us and have called us your children. Thank you for setting us apart and blessing us with every spiritual blessing. Thank you for loving us, sacrificing for us, teaching us, being patient with us, gifting us, and being with us at all times, never leaving or forsaking us.
Thank you for setting us apart and for sanctifying and preparing us. Thank you showing us your way, Lord, and for empowering us with your Spirit to do all things. Even as we go through suffering, you help us go through it with your peace and even with a deep and abiding joy knowing you’ve prepared a place for us where there is no more suffering, only eternal life in your presence and the fullness of your love and joy. We are forever grateful.
Thank you for wrapping your loving arms around us and having your eyes upon us, for knowing what we need even before we ask, and for providing for us in miraculous ways.
We thank you for the earthly fathers and father figures you’ve given us, too. We pray each one would look to you for wisdom to be the godly fathers you’ve called them to be in every stage of life, knowing you are the perfect Father.
We give you our hearts and lives in worship, Heavenly Father, for you are worthy.
In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for All the Saints
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. We lift up your righteous and holy name above all names as the one true God, the maker of heaven and earth, the one who created us to have relationship with you, to know you, to commune with you, to be a grand part of your creation that would glorify your goodness and beauty and grace.
Father we pray for all the saints. We pray you would consecrate us, that we would understand you have made us a holy people that are meant to be separate from the world, that is, to live in a different way, to have a different perspective, to see people and circumstances through your eyes rather than as the world sees.
We pray you would lovingly convict each of us of any sins we’ve allowed as we’ve become complacent, and that we would repent, turn, and do the right thing, live the right way so that we would honor the calling you’ve so graciously given us.
As we do that, let us be a light in the darkness, shining brightly for the world to see what true love and grace and forgiveness are so that many come to know you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We pray you would encourage us and fill us with joy that we might have strength in the face of the enemy, and with your peace that passes all understanding no matter what storms rage around us.
We pray we would be one just as you and your Son are one, and that we are all one in you.
We pray we would be filled with the Holy Spirit, that we would worship you in Spirit and in truth.
Let us remember who we are in you, Lord, that we are children of the King, holy and righteous because, through your Son, you have made us so.
Sanctify us that we might live as your chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that we might speak of the praises of the One who has called us out of darkness into your marvelous light.
May we empty ourselves and let you fill us up with your Spirit who gives us everything we need to live in these hard times, and not only to live, but to prosper and to be victorious. May we come together and live for you and you alone, and bring you all the glory due your name. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Our Leaders
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. Thank you for the grace and mercy you continue to show us by giving us another day to prepare ourselves, another day to love others, another day to pray for those who have yet to come into a relationship with you.
You know those who will be yours and we stand in the gap for them, praying you would bind the hand of the enemy, that your Holy Spirit and your truth would surround them, open their eyes, and with repentant hearts they would receive the forgiveness you gave your Son to die for. We pray they would receive your love and grace and mercy and that you would mold their hearts and character to be like yours.
Father, we lift up all our leaders. No matter what political affiliation they’re with, no matter what their beliefs, we pray you would bless them according to your will.
For the good of our country and for your glory, we pray you would show them the right way. That even though they don’t understand it, they would move in ways according to your perfect will, to bring about the change you know we need.
Lord, you blessed us with a land where we were free to worship you, to serve you, to work hard and make an honest living. We humbly ask for your forgiveness for using our freedoms to hurt one another, and worst of all, to push you out of our beliefs, our schools, out of every facet of life.
Father we pray our leaders would see how much we need you, how vital your word is to us individually and as a nation if we expect to continue to be blessed by you.
We pray for the salvation of our leaders, and for their boldness in prayer and in relying on the truth in your word to lead us as a nation as we move forward.
We pray again for the pouring out of your Holy Spirit specifically on our leaders, that they might lead humbly and graciously according to all you still have for us.
We give this country to you, merciful Father, and we wait for you.
In Jesus’ holy and mighty name we pray, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for our Nation
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. On this Pentecost, we remember all you’ve done for us. For giving your Son in our place so we could be forgiven and reconciled to you, and then for giving us your Holy Spirit and all He does to comfort us, teach us, lead us, convict us, mature us, and fill us with your peace that passes all human understanding. We are forever grateful.
Father, we know you’ve shown this country immeasurable grace and mercy. And because we’ve turned away from you, we are a nation that is hurting deeply.
Father, please forgive us for how we’ve strayed from you, for how we’ve consistently denied you and removed you from our lives.
Please forgive us for the way we’ve indulged in sin and called it good, or entertainment, or our rights. And yet all it’s done is hurt us to the core.
We pray for revival among your people. Where we’ve only had the appearance of being Christian but our hearts have not been fully given to you, we humbly ask for your forgiveness. Where we’ve been poor examples of your love and grace we humbly ask for your forgiveness.
We repent, O Lord, and we ask for a fresh baptism of your Holy Spirit to be and say and do all you would have us to in these dark days when people are seeking an answer to their pain and suffering, when people desire rightful change but don’t know how to make it happen.
We know you’re the answer. Help us to boldly and lovingly proclaim Christ as the only way.
We pray for revival among those throughout our country who have yet to receive you.
We know the enemy has people blinded, so we ask that you would bind the hand of the enemy and that you would mercifully pour out your Holy Spirit and draw people to you, to open their spiritual eyes and soften their hearts toward you.
Please reveal yourself to them and show them how much you love them. Show them that you see them, you see their hurting hearts and you desire to heal them.
You know each of them by name, you know what they’ve done and what they’ve been through, and you sent your Son to die in their place, and if they will believe on Him as Lord and Savior, and receive the gift of His death that was given as payment for their sins, in that instant you will forgive them and never again remember their sins.
And that by your Spirit you will make them new creations, with new hearts, giving them peace and joy, beginning a new, lifelong relationship with them, never leaving or forsaking them. Ever.
Father, fill us up. Change us. Lead us. Empower us to live and speak the truth in love. Please perfect your love in us so we can live through these dark days not in fear, but in perfect peace and confidence that your love for us will never waver, and you will give us all we need until you bring us home.
May we glorify your holy and precious and worthy Name.
In Jesus’ Name we pray, amen.
Tongues of Fire
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24:49
Luke records these as some of the last words spoken by Christ before He ascended into heaven.
Other apostles recorded some of the acts Jesus said they would do in their ministries, but they could go nowhere and do nothing until they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
And once the Holy Spirit filled them – watch out.
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one 
place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
Acts 2:1-4
This ragtag group of people who had hid in the upper room, afraid that the soldiers who came after Christ might also come after them, suddenly changed into a group who immediately began speaking “great things of God” in languages from all over the region.
The sound was so loud that people came to see, and hear, what was happening, and hearing the Lord being glorified each in their own language, they were amazed.
Peter, who had just weeks before claimed he didn’t know Christ as He hung on the cross, now stood as he was filled with the Holy Spirit, “raised his voice and addressed the crowd,” proclaiming the prophecies of Joel, confronting them with putting the Messiah to death, witnessing to His resurrection, speaking the prophecy of David, and declaring that this Man – the Lord – was now at the right hand of God. And because of the power of the Holy Spirit, the people were convicted, and the Church grew by 3000 that day.
That first Pentecost was a small seed of what God would do through the disciples and the early church as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In the Spirit the disciples were one in heart and mind, witnessed boldly, spoke with authority, prayed in faith, saw visions, prophesied, healed the sick, cast out demons, time-warped, performed signs and wonders, gave glory to God, and remained steadfast in their obedience to Him even when faced with jail, flogging, and death.
And when they were punished they entrusted themselves to their Lord.
On at least one occasion while in jail they prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:25), and on another “left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41)
And all these years later, nothing has changed. We still need the empowering and leading of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s will.
So why don’t we see the magnitude of the miraculous works the early church experienced?
Have we run ahead of the Lord, instead of praying for and relying on the empowering of the Holy Spirit to do His work, His way, and in His time?
Are we trying to do spiritual things in our own strength, using only talents and human knowledge instead of our Spirit-given gifts and godly wisdom?
Have we been grieving the Holy Spirit by some ongoing sinful attitude or behavior?
If there’s ever a time we need the Holy Spirit to move in us and among us to do a mighty work, it is now.
On this Pentecost, I pray again for revival of my own heart and for the hearts of all God’s people. That as fellow citizens of the household of God we will recognize the gift we’ve been given in the Holy Spirit and wholeheartedly recommit ourselves to the Lord, praying our way through each day and night, yielding our wills to our Lord and Savior, putting aside the flesh and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
That as one we will burn with a Spirit-driven holy passion of faith, trust, and boldness in our witness of Jesus Christ and the hope we have because of Him.
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Heavenly Father, for the sake of the lost and for your glory, we put aside confidence in anything of ourselves, and we give our lives to be walking, breathing manifestations of the Holy Spirit, that we might move, serve, and worship as one body.
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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13