Tag: Love
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Strength, Courage, and Wisdom
Dear Almighty God, Heavenly Father, we praise your name. We praise you for your goodness and your faithfulness. We acknowledge that your ways are higher than ours, that your plans are holy and righteous.
Father, please forgive us for our sins. We pray your Holy Spirit is free to move in and through us with His love and wisdom and kindness. We pray for your strength and courage to remain steadfast and faithful to our calling as dearly loved children of the Holy One as we weather this storm.
Lord, let us be a beacon of your light as we walk in the peace and love that only you can give. May we stand out as a light in the darkness, prepared and ready to serve you in whatever way you call us. May your will be done.
Lord, we pray you would pour out your Spirit and bring a revival such as we have not seen in a long time. We pray you would soften hearts, open spiritual eyes, and grant repentance so many can come to faith.
Father, we pray for a swift end to the virus that is making its way around the world right now. We pray you would give wisdom to the leaders, wisdom to those who are working hard to come up with a vaccine, and wisdom for each of us as we choose our steps.
We look to you, Lord, the One seated on the throne in heaven, the One who rules the world, and yet is near to us, as near as our own hearts, indwelling us with your Spirit, leading us with love and compassion.
Thank you for all you are, for all you are doing, and all you will do. We pray in the holy and precious name of Jesus, our Yeshua HaMashiach, our Yahweh, our Adonai, our Elohei Ma’uzzi, our El Roi, our Jehovah Rapha, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Love
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy and precious name. We praise you for the love you are and that you show us that love through everything you do.
Lord, we who are your children know that greatest of loves, that love that infinitely surpasses any other love found on this earth, and we are overwhelmed and grateful for it.
Your love is unceasing, never-ending, all-encompassing.
Lord, throughout this week, no matter what happens, no matter our struggles, our pain, our trials, help us remember the immensity of your love. Help us remember that your word is true when you said nothing could separate us from your love.
And help us rely on that love. Help us know in the deepest part of our being that your love will never fail us, and let it be the anchor of our souls.
Lord, we give you every day, every hour, every minute of this week, and pray your love will flow in and through us. And just like you, may everything we do be done in your love, shining your light in the darkness. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.
Not a 9-5 Job
Pastors only work a couple of hours on Sundays, right? Maybe a couple more if there’s a midweek study? Well, not quite.
Not even close.
Besides spending time in prayer, studying God’s Word and preparing the teachings, pastors oversee all the church staff, each ministry, all the events, manage the church building maintenance, allocate church finances, counsel hurting people, resolve disputes (at least try!), perform weddings and funerals, and I’m sure a lot of other things that we don’t even know about.
And they do it all while also managing their own household, marriage, children, all with the same challenges we all have.
And it’s not only what they do, but how God calls them to do it – with all love, grace, mercy, humility, wisdom, patience, and stewardship.
In his first letter to Timothy (third chapter), Paul says, “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”
And speaking of the devil, make no mistake, pastoring a flock is a front lines position. Pastors, and their families, are particularly open to spiritual attacks.
This is not a job, but a calling they pour their hearts into, day in and day out, 24/7, and pastor burnout is not uncommon.
That’s where we come in. 
“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to appreciate those who diligently work among you [recognize, acknowledge, and respect your leaders], who are in charge over you in the Lord and who give you instruction, and [we ask that you appreciate them and] hold them in the highest esteem in love because of their work [on your behalf].”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 AMP
Every Sunday we walk in and sit down, taking for granted that someone has laid down his life in service to the Lord and to us, to feed us, to train us, to care for us as the Lord would have him do. Showing our appreciation is the very least we can do to serve them back, to encourage them, to let them know their service is not in vain, but is making a difference in our lives.
Of course that can be done any time of the year, but to come together in October to corporately show our appreciation during Pastor Appreciation Month is a way we can stand together with our pastors, and their families, as one in the Lord.
Thank you, pastors!
Heavenly Father, we lift up our pastors to you and ask that you would fill them up with your Spirit, and renew their hearts with the love, wisdom, and encouragement they need to continue faithfully in the service you’ve called them to. We pray you would strengthen their marriages and protect their families from the enemy. Help us to never take for granted all they do, and remind us to pray for them, this month and always. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
How God Can Put Together the Broken Pieces of Our Heart
Last weekend our church had the distinct privilege of hearing this man give a little bit of his testimony about what happened on the day this photo was taken and afterward. You might be familiar 
with this image of Chris Fields and Miss Baylee Almon that was taken, unbeknownst to him, on April 19, 1995, the day of the Oklahoma City bombing.
He described a little bit about that horrific, rainy day that would end the lives of 168 people, 19 of them children, and injured more than 500. How rows of first responders dug their way through rubble, 5 gallon buckets at a time, passing each one behind him or her until late into the night, looking for people, dead or alive. How they had to try to match body parts to the rest of the body. How they came across a woman, barely alive, and were able to get her to safety, only to learn later that she and her unborn baby didn’t survive.
And how another firefighter handed Miss Baylee (the name her family called her) to him for a few moments while he went to find something to lay down so they wouldn’t have to lay someone’s precious child directly on the ground. Even how the Pulitzer Prize winning photo itself caused a lot of grief and controversy.
Chris struggled hard to deal with all that had happened. Sometime later, when the smell of wet cement triggered a flashback of that day, he began to realize just how much the events were affecting him.
Chris talked about the fact that his mom had always been the family’s prayer warrior, and she told him God had a plan for him. But Chris didn’t see it, and he decided to make his own plan, and he moved away from his wife and young sons.
Chris’s wife, Cheryl, talked about the fact that she didn’t grow up in a Christian family like Chris had. Still, when her husband left, she turned to the Bible. People encouraged her to read the Psalms, and when she didn’t understand something, she called Chris to explain. And she began to pray.
She didn’t try putting on pretenses with God. She was honest. She prayed that if Chris wasn’t coming back, the Lord would take away her love for him.
Some people might not dare pray a prayer like that. Some people might just get mad at God and not pray at all. And they might miss out on all God wants to do in their lives because of it.
“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.” Matthew 11:28-29
Cheryl kept praying, and never once did God turn her away for praying that prayer. On the contrary. Sitting in the presence of God, over and over, allowed God to work in her heart. Of course, God didn’t take away her love for Chris. He strengthened it.
God filled Cheryl with His amazing grace. And when Chris called one day about a year and a half after he’d left, Cheryl said, “Come home.”
And he did.
I’m sure the road since hasn’t been easy. There’s been counseling, and Chris still gets emotional talking about it. But with God they’ve persevered.
Since then Chris and Cheryl have spoken to many groups about PTSD, and about the hope that God gives. Looks like Chris’s mom was right (as moms often are).
The enemy does not have the last word. he will not have the last word as long as we sit with God and pour out our hearts to Him. He will never turn away someone who’s genuinely seeking Him, no matter what the prayer.
God’s not one bit surprised at the thoughts we have. He knows our hearts better than we do and already knows the thoughts we have. He just wants us to be honest, and know we can go to Him with anything. He’s our loving Father, and He wants us to know that no matter how broken our hearts are, if we’ll offer up those pieces to Him in prayer, He can put them together even better than they were before. If we abide in Him – cling to Him – through the good, the bad, and the ugly, He can fill us with His love and grace and mercy, fulfill His plans for us, and set us on a path we never dreamed possible.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for all you do. Thank you for loving us through everything, for giving us your strength and courage as we go through trials. Help us to give you our hearts, no matter how dark they seem or how many pieces they’re in, so you can heal them and fill them with your light. Help us to daily abide in Christ. Help us hold onto Him, to pray without ceasing, no matter what. Make us more than conquerors, Lord, and we pray that you have the last, victorious, glorious word in our hearts and in our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Miracles
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. We praise you for your immeasurable love and grace and mercy, and for your joy that surpasses all understanding. Thank you for the joy of our salvation that resides deep in our souls and remains no matter what’s happening at the surface of our lives.
Father, we come to you and petition for those who have been affected by storms and hurricanes. For those who have lost loved ones we pray that you would comfort them in a way that only you can. We pray you would provide for them in miraculous ways. We pray you would provide food and medicine and clothing and shelter.
We pray for restoration and salvation. We pray for wisdom and hope and healing to hearts and to the land. We pray for those first responders and those who are there in your Son’s name to bring provisions and to wrap their arms around them in love.
Father, the devastation seems overwhelming, but we are asking you, the One who is omnipotent – all powerful, and omniscient – all knowing, the One who is El Shaddai – The All Sufficient God, to do miracle after miracle in the wake of these storms.
May your powerful name be called upon over and over, and may you hear and answer those calls over and above anything we could ever ask or think. May your holy name be glorified, Lord Jesus. We trust you and we thank you in advance for all you’re going to do. In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name, the Name above all names, amen.
Saturday Song – God Only Knows
I haven’t posted a song in a while, but I just saw for King & Country’s and Dolly Parton’s video for God Only Knows, and I had to share it with you.
My friends, God’s love knows no bounds.
Lord, help us remember that when we’re out in the world, when we’re at home, when we’re at work, when we read the news, when we share on social media, when we’re before you in prayer. Thank you, Father, for your grace and mercy, and for your forgiveness through Jesus Christ. None of us would survive without it. May your love shine through us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
God Only Knows
for King & Country
Wide awake while the world is sound asleepin’
Too afraid of what might show up while you’re dreamin’
Nobody, nobody, nobody sees you
Nobody, nobody, nobody would believe you
Every day you try to pick up all the pieces
All the memories, they somehow never leave you
Nobody, nobody, nobody sees you
Nobody, nobody, nobody would believe you
God only knows what you’ve been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows how it’s killing you
But there’s a kind of love that God only knows
God only knows what you’ve been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
There’s a kind of love that God only knows
There’s a kind of love that
There’s a kind of love
You keep a cover over every single secret
So afraid if someone saw them they would leave
But somebody, somebody, somebody sees you
Somebody, somebody will never leave you
God only knows what you’ve been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows how it’s killing you
But there’s a kind of love that God only knows
God only knows what you’ve been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
There’s a kind of love that God only knows
There’s a kind of love that
There’s a kind of love
There’s a kind of love that
There’s a kind of love
For the lonely, for the ashamed
The misunderstood, and the ones to blame
What if we could start over
We could start over
We could start over
Oh for the lonely, for the ashamed
The misunderstood, and the ones to blame
What if we could start over
We could start over
We could start over
‘Cause there’s a kind of love that God only knows
God only knows what you’ve been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
But there’s a kind of love that God only knows
God only knows what you’ve been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
There’s a kind of love that God only knows
There’s a kind of love that
There’s a kind of love
There’s a kind of love that
There’s a kind of love
God only knows where to find you
God only knows how to break through
God only knows the real you
There’s a kind of love that God only knows
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Love
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. We praise you for your love, your grace, and your mercy. We praise you for your faithfulness, and for the hope only you can give. Father, we lift up our country today. We are hurting in the face of still more tragedy which has become far, far too common. I pray that no matter how often we see it, may we never get used to it. May it break our hearts, not harden them. May it cause us to trust you more, not less. May it continue to bring us to our knees in prayer, rather than throw up our hands in defeat. We pray for all who have been affected, that you would be near them and comfort them as only you can, our Mighty Father.
Father, help us remember that we who are your children are the light of the world. You have made us to be a city set on a hill, not to be hidden. May we hold high our light – your Spirit of love within us – for all the world to see. May we put away our sins and our distractions and walk worthy of the calling with which we were called. Take away our mentality that growing in you can wait until tomorrow; praying can wait until tomorrow; reading your Word can wait until tomorrow, obeying you can wait until tomorrow…
Wake us up, Lord!
May we who are the body of Christ start within the church, and love each other. May we, by your power, put away our pettiness, our judgments, our biases, our cliques, our jealousies, our pride, and just love each other. May we repent where we need to repent, and love each other, forgive each other, extend grace and mercy to each other. People are hurting, in the church and out. May we open ourselves up to be vessels of love to those who are hurting and make it our mission to never be the cause of someone else’s pain.
May we take seriously the commandments we’ve been given – to love you and to love each other. Remind us daily, our gracious Father, that it is we in the church who have your love and we are to extend it to one another, and to those you place in our path. May we shine so brightly with your love that the world sees it, is drawn to you because of it, and we see a revival, in the church first, and throughout our country and beyond. May we see people coming to you in droves, by faith, receiving you as their Lord and Savior. May you bring healing to our land.
May we glorify and magnify you, Lord, walking in love and boldness, showing the world that the way to hope and peace and love is a path that walks straight to the foot of the cross, and that anyone and everyone, no matter what they’ve done, is invited to come, acknowledge their sin, be forgiven by the sacrifice given for us by Christ, and receive the love they’ve always needed. Father, renew our passion for you, for one another, and for the lost. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer to Not Grow Weary
Dear Heavenly Father,
We praise you, Lord, for who you are, for all you’ve done, for all you’re doing, and for all you will do. You’ve done so much good in and through us, Lord. Help us to not grow weary in doing good to others. The world will often not notice, or care, or appreciate the good we do, but help us remember we don’t do it for the applause of people, but to glorify you.
Help us remember to keep loving even when people don’t love us back, to show mercy even when mercy is not shown back to us, to offer grace, even when it’s not offered back to us. Lord, help us to keep abiding in you so that we can be filled with your strength and courage to love, to show mercy, to give grace, in whatever ways you would have us live those out, remembering that we’re doing it all for you, not for others, and not for ourselves.
Help us to move away from our natural desires to fit in with and act like the world around us, and instead walk and act in the Spirit, being willing to stand out from the world, living boldly for you and magnifying your holy Name. Renew our hearts now, Lord, as we go into this week, ready to do the good you call us to do, knowing that if we don’t give up there is a precious harvest waiting prepared by you. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.