Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Refining

“Praise be to the LORD, for He showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege. In my alarm I said,
‘I am cut off from your sight!’
Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
Psalm 31:21-22, 23

 

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you.  We thank you for your everlasting love, a love that is so profound, so complete, so encompassing, that we can never fully comprehend it on this side of heaven.  Lord, there are a multitude of ways we can find ourselves under attack, whether it’s from people, from our own failing bodies, or as a target of your enemy, but you constantly surround us with the strength of your  protection and provision. 

No matter what’s happening in our lives, we need not fear. We trust that you use those times of trial as heat that brings to the surface the dross of our hearts –  those hidden weaknesses only you fully see. 

Help us remember we don’t need to hide from you because of those weaknesses, but you call us to come to you in the confidence of your love and grace, in the name of your Son, and confess those weaknesses – our fears, our anxieties, our pride, and give them all to you, that you might refine us as pure gold, and prepare us to enter into your presence. 

We put our hope and trust in you again, for you are worthy, our LORD and our King. We pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus, our Messiah, amen.

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Comfort

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you.  We praise you that you are at once righteous and compassionate.  That you are holy and yet you draw near to us, and draw us near to you so that you may stand with us in our trials, identify with us in our pain, and comfort us in our suffering.

Thank you for the peace your comfort brings our hearts, the courage it gives us to walk in the midst of our trouble another day, and the compassion it fills our own hearts with for others who are suffering, too.

Lord, as you lay hurting or struggling people on hearts, or bring them into the scope of our lives, may you continue to fill our hearts with your grace and compassion and the boldness to step out in faith and comfort them with the comfort you’ve given us. May your love anoint our hearts with mercy and may we have deep and tender love for one another.

Help us continue to abide in you – never letting go for one second – so that you are glorified as the comfort you give us and that we share with one another is a bright light in the middle of a dark world. May our lives, as your Spirit flows through us, magnify your name and draw others to you.  In the precious name of Jesus, the Savior of the world, amen.

No Matter What

Finally, Saturday’s here!

I’ve been waiting all week long to share this song with you. We live in a rough, critical, judgmental, even cruel world, and it’s not hard to get sucked into that worldly vortex that colors our world dark gray, where even our view of God is obscured.

Where our perspective of Him is shaped more by the negative people and circumstances around us, and even what’s going on within us, than by the truth of His holiness, righteousness, love, and forgiveness.  If that’s you – maybe you knew God at one time but have walked or drifted away, or maybe you’ve never known God at all – this song is for you.

There is hope. While there is breath there is hope, because Jesus lives.  Jesus Christ came to give us life, and through Him God’s grace is big enough to cover whatever you’ve done.  All He wants is your heart.  I pray you hear these words, and come to Him now. Come as you are, and He will receive you with open arms, no matter what.

 

 

No Matter What
by Ryan Stevenson

A lot of us grew up believing
At any moment we could lose it all
And at the drop of a hat
God might turn His back and move on
A lot of us feel like we blew it
Thinking that we’re just too far gone
But I want you to know
There’s still a hope for you now
No matter what you’ve done
You can’t erase His love
Nothing can change it
You’re not separated
No matter what
There’s never been a better time to get honest
There’s never been a better time to get clean
So come as you are
Run to the cross and be free
Oh, be free
No matter what you’ve done
You can’t erase His love
Nothing can change it
You’re not separated
No matter where you run
He’s always holding on
You’re still a daughter, you’re still a son
No matter what
I don’t know what you’ve been taught
Don’t know what you’ve been told
All I know is my God
Will never let go of you, no
And I don’t know what you’ve seen
Don’t know what you’ve been through
All I know is my God
Will never let go of you
He’ll never let go!
He’ll never, never, never let you go
No matter what you’ve done
You can’t erase His love
Nothing can change it
You’re not separated
No matter where you run
He’s always holding on
You’re still a daughter, you’re still a son
No matter what
You’re still a daughter, you’re still a son!
No matter what

It Is Finished

“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. 

Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 

Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.” Hebrews 7:23-27

 

In the world people believe that if they do enough good, if they’re better than the other guy, if they’re more good than bad, if they just tip the scales, they will earn a place in heaven.

Those with no religion believe it, and those with religion alone believe it. My friends, this is a lie from the pit of hell, designed to keep people believing they’re saved without actually receiving salvation.

Sometimes even believers can slip into a subconscious belief that we must add good works to the grace of God given through the sacrifice of His Son, maybe not for salvation, but for acceptance and love. 

The sacrifices of old were given as a forerunner, a sign of the full and complete Sacrifice to come. Jesus Christ, and He alone, was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. Any attempt to add onto that perfect sacrifice is sin. It is an offense to Christ and His work done on the cross, and to the Father who gave His Son to do it.

It was given once. No other sacrifice, by Him or any one else, is needed for salvation ever again.

It was given for all. Anyone and everyone – no matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done – is invited to partake of the Sacrifice, to receive it by faith, for full payment of one’s own sins, now and forever.

If you recognize that you’ve been trusting in your own good works alone, or as an “add on” to Christ’s sacrifice, or trusting in another person to be the one who sits between you and God, offering up prayers for your forgiveness, or giving you ways to atone for your sin, telling you that through them you will be forgiven, I urge you to hear what Christ Himself said on the cross:

“It is finished.”

That phrase means to end, complete, execute, conclude, to discharge a debt, to pay. It’s done. There is nothing left for us to do, and no other human being needed to remove the guilt of our sins. He is the LORD, and the High Priest who lives forever, and no other can take His place.

All we need to do is believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior sent to die as the perfect and last sacrifice that paid for our sins, and pray, asking God for forgiveness, receiving Christ and His sacrifice, by faith, as a free gift in payment for every sin we’ve ever committed, and ever will commit. And then follow Him. If you want to read more, click on How You Can Know God at the top of this page.

And to my brothers and sisters in Christ who, for whatever reason, struggle with feeling like you need to earn God’s love, to you, and to myself, I say this: rest. Take a deep breath and rest in His abiding love; rest in His grace; rest in His mercy; rest in the finished work of the cross; rest in the resurrection.

You may have had to earn someone else’s love, or try and try and still never receive it, but that’s the world’s way, not God’s. That’s not who He is.

God is love, and the source of all true love. He cannot deny Himself. The Father sent His Son out of love, and the Son came out of love, and died out of love. He is preparing a place for us in heaven out of love. He is maturing and readying us out of love, and will come back again out of love.

It was His love that drew us, and it’s His love that will keep us, and welcome us home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for the Spirit

 

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9

 

Heavenly Father, we praise you. Thank you for calling us out of the darkness and, through your Son, adopting us as your own dearly loved children. And then you called us, as brothers and sisters, into a sacred life to carry out your will, to show the world your light and your love. Father, give us continued passion for living and breathing and walking in your Spirit, that we would never be tempted to live out this calling of a spiritual life in our own strength.  We are called to think differently, act differently, and speak differently than the world and it’s only by your Spirit that we can do that with truth and integrity. Search our hearts and show us where we need to get right with you through repentance and obedience, and help us to do that. And then we pray your Spirit will fill us to overflowing with so much love and light and boldness of the good news that countless people will hear your calling, turn to you, fall to their knees in repentance, receive your forgiveness, and join us as your chosen ones.  Father, our world desperately needs you, and we ask for a renewal of your Spirit within and upon all of us and for a revival of your salvation throughout the world.  In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Victory

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. Ephesians 1:3-6

 

Heavenly Father, we praise you.  You know that many of us were not chosen in the world for much of anything.  You know that we were, and are, the neglected, rejected, and outcast. But you have chosen us.  You, the Creator of all the universe, the originator of all things, the LORD Almighty, the Beginning and the End, has chosen those the world deems as foolish and weak to bear your holy name.  You saw us and loved us, and drew us to yourself so that you could pour on us the greatest blessing of all – to receive the life of your Son, and be made holy and blameless.  You have made us the proof of your glory, and we are overwhelmed with gratefulness.  May we live every minute of every day in the victory you bought for us through the sacrifice of your Son.  May we walk in your glorious light, and never give the enemy a foothold.  Please keep us from falling into sin, so that our lives are an unbroken testimony of your glory.  And when we do stumble, help us to quickly repent, and receive your grace.  And Lord, please help us to freely give the love and grace and mercy and forgiveness that you have given us as an act of worship to you.  In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen.

Don’t Give Up

Don’t give up.

Those are my words to you today. Well, those are God’s words to me, and I’m sharing them with you. Don’t give up.

That health issue you’ve been dealing with for so long? Don’t give up.

That relationship you’ve been trying to heal for so long? Don’t give up.

That person you’ve been praying about for so long? Don’t give up.

That ministry you’re in, that job you’ve worked hard at, that goal you keep trying and maybe failing… Insert your own seemingly impossible situation. 

Don’t. Give. Up.

What if Moses had given up during his 40 years before God called him, or the 40 years he wandered in the desert after He called him? What if Jeremiah had given up prophesying to God’s people because they refused to listen to him? What if Abraham and Sarah had given up on having the promised child? What if Nehemiah had given up when the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed? What if Job had given up when his wife told him to?

What if Ruth had given up when her husband died? What if Joseph had given up while he languished in prison? What if Gideon had given up and let fear take over while hiding in the winepress? What if David had given up when he sinned so colossally? What if Peter had given up and never come back to Jesus after His resurrection? What if John had given up on the island of Patmos?

God’s Word is not a cleaned up, whitewashed story showing only the good side of mankind.  God intentionally lets us see the worst of it – the sin, the shame, the end of the road, the hopelessness that exists in all our lives at one time or another.

And then we see God. Time and time again we see a loving, gracious Heavenly Father who loves to change the story.  He loves a surprise ending. And a surprise beginning and middle.  He loves to show the greatness of His mercy at a time when no one would have expected it.

God’s Word, which continues in all His believers, is a story of a God who makes the impossible possible. He makes the wretched sinner new and free. He makes the dead alive again. He gives hope to the hopeless. He is the miracle-maker, the faith-giver, the blessed redeemer. He is the power and the glory. He is the overcomer.

Call on Him now in the confidence of who He is and confess the sin, present the problem, and then wait with great expectation.

 

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”  Psalm 42:5

 

If you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, let me say this – God loves you. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son to die in your place. Yes, you. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, it doesn’t matter how you’ve failed, it doesn’t matter where you are, who you are, how old or young you are.  (Believe me, no one was as lost as I was.) God is able to save you right here, right now. 

Simply acknowledge that you have sinned –  in other words, confess you’re not perfect. None of us is. We have all sinned and fallen short of the perfection of God. Then tell God that you receive Jesus Christ’s payment on the cross for your sin, and ask Jesus to come into your life, into your heart, to make you a new person, and to fill you with the Holy Spirit. 

If you want to read more, you can click up at the top on How You Can Know God, and you can read a little snippet of my story of redemption at My Testimony. If you prayed this prayer, or if you have any questions, or would like prayer for any reason, click on A Place For Prayer Requests or you can email me by clicking on that swanky envelope to the right. May the Lord bless you and fill you anew with His hope and peace.

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Obedience

 

 

Heavenly Father, we praise your Name.  We know that everything comes from your gracious and loving hand and we are so grateful.  Anything we have, anything we’re able to do, anything praiseworthy in our lives, is because of you.  We glorify you, we magnify you, now and forever.  May we continue to look up to you this week, to seek you in continual prayer that we might know you and love you more, that we might do your will in loving obedience. LORD, help us make choices that shine your light in this increasingly dark world. May those around us who don’t yet know you see you in us, and may those around us who do know you be spurred on to good works because of your light in us.  May we walk continually in your Spirit, and may our zeal for you abound more and more.  May you give us steadfastness in our faith and trust in you that we might bring your name glory and fame throughout the world.  In the mighty Name of Jesus our Messiah we pray, amen.

Sunday Praise and a Prayer of Praise for Our Portion

“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 16:5-8

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you, Lord, that of all the treasures in the earth, you are by far the greatest, and we are blessed beyond measure that you have given us the treasure of your presence, your love, your forgiveness, and your salvation. There is nothing else we need or want but you. We praise you for the peace you’ve poured into our lives, especially at those times when a storm threatens to take us, but your peace delivers us.  We praise you for counseling us when we don’t know which way to go, what to do, or what to say.  No matter how long we wait, you always lead us at just the right time. We listen for your voice as we patiently wait and learn to be still before you. There are many distractions in this life, but we will keep our eyes fixed on you, remaining steadfast until we see you face to face.  You are our portion, and in you we have everything.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Sunday Praise and a Father’s Day Prayer

Image result for 1 john 3:1
 

 

Oh Heavenly Father, we praise you today for your great love, that you have drawn us, adopted us, and made us co-heirs with your beloved Son. What an amazing gift!  Thank you for showing us more and more the height and depth and breadth of what that means not just for eternity, but for here, right now, in our joys, in our pains, in our weaknesses. Thank you for your faithfulness to bring us through every trial, and to discipline us when we need to grow more. Help us trust you as our dear and precious Father as you grow our faith to maturity, and often use ways we don’t understand.  We praise you for your goodness and that your way is perfect.  That you are always with us, no matter what, and that your love never runs out. Thank you, Father, for your grace and kindness toward us, for your gentleness and your constant provision. Thank you for sending your Son, for providing a way to forgiveness and life, both now and eternal. Help us take ahold of your hand and never let go. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.