Tuesday, June 30, 2015

God Is the Truth

John 8:31-32 - So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Philippians 2:12-13 - Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 

Dear God, thank You for dying to set me free. Thank You for setting me free within Your bounds. Free to be loved by You, cherished by You, held by You, do Your will, be forgiven by You, and be accepted by You into Your kingdom. Thank You for working in me. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Be Aware of His Presence As You Get Out of Bed

Psalm 5:3 - O Lord, in the morning, you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. 

Psalm 63:1 - O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Dear God, help me approach each morning ready to say "Good morning, God." For in doing so, I immediately shift focus of my day and onto You. Thank You for giving me mornings as well as afternoons. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Taste and See That God Is Good

Psalm 34:8 - Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Isaiah 55:8-9 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Dear God, many people are angry after this week. The Supreme Court decided on something that is a win for the least of these with regard to helath insruance. And then they decided on something that most of us disagree with with regard to a lifestyle choice made by a certain population of people. Bt instead of being angry over things, I have chosen first of all to thank You as the ACA decision was critical for me. Even though I receive no help for my insruance, if someone else lost their help, it would make things more expensive for me and I am already struggling to afford what I have now. The second decision, I don't support the lifestyle choice, but I am choosing to entrust everything into Your sovereign hands. After all,  you are good and I cannot possibly fathom the reason You have decided to allow such things to be a part of Your master plan, but I believe in Your sovereignty. Thank You for being so good! In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Rest with God a While

Genesis 28:15 - "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Psalm 143:8 - Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Dear God, thank You for always being with me even when times are troubled. Thank You for going with me moment by moment. Thank You for watching me wherever I go. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Stay Calmly Conscious of God Today

Psalm 23:1-4 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in oaths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

II Corinthians 4:16-18 - So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary afflcition is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

Dear God, thank You for going before me and with me through the day. Before and with. Before and with. That is a good combination. That is something that was never done by that "care team" that caused more harm than good. Continue to lead me through the day, and continue to go with me through the day. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Open Your Hands and Your Heart to the Gift of This Day

Psalm 95:2 - Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Psalm 118:24 - This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 

Dear God, I thank You today because the Supreme Court ruled in favor of all the people in over half the country that need help buying their insurance. The humanity in that decision is so great that it had to be You. Sadly, though the fight is not yet over and I have to place that in Your hands. Keep providing for me and my family. Thank You for the gift of this wonderful and marvelous albeit hot and uncomfortable day. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Hold God's Hand and Trust

Psalm 62:5-6 - For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Isaiah 41:8-10 - Bt you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off"; fear not, for it am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Dear God, how I wish to continue to mature in dependence on You. Thank You for Your loving kindness and longing to be with me. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Let God's Love Stream Through You

Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

Psalm 52:8 - But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

Ephesians 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

Dear God, please help me to never forget that You are there waiting for me to come running into Your loving arms. I never want to hurt You the way that I have been hurt by so many others. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Thank God for the Things That Are Troubling You

Psalm 116:17 - I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

Philippians 4:4-6 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer re and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Dear God, is it ever hard to thank You for the troubles on life! Another infection? Thanks. Financial stress? Thanks. Job loss? Thanks. Death? Thanks. Power outage? Thanks. I can definitely understand the struggle of thanking You for troubles. BUT, I can also see where You can come through those troubles to still bless and provide for someone. So I will continue to thank You whether I am in a troubled time or whether I am in a good time. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Wait Patiently with God While He Blesses You

Numbers 6:24-26 - "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Revelation 1:8 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Dear God, time ticks away putting endless pressure on me as I have to do this or do that and I have to be there or be here. Help me focus on the timelessness of Your presence and to remember to allow You to help me through the time. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Saturday, June 20, 2015

God Speaks to You Continually

Psalm 8:1-4 - O Lord, our. Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out do the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 

Psalm 19:1-2 - The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 

Jeremiah 29:13-14 - You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I have sent you into exile. 

I Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the. Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Dear God, I am actually glad for the moments You speak to me with no loud words. From the budding of a rose that opens after the passing of a loved one through which You communicate hope to the soft song of a small bird. Continue to teach me to hear and see You in the quiet. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Friday, June 19, 2015

God Is the Firm Foundation

Joshua 1:5 - No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 

Psalm 5:11 - But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. 

Ephesians 3:20-21 - Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Jude 24-25 - Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. 

Dear God, how firm a foundation You are if only I will just take Your hand and trust You to keep me from falling. May I continue to dance and sing on that foundation You lay before me. Thank You for the plan You have for me and for being in control of what happens in my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

You Are God's Beloved Child

Proverbs 16:9 - The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ephesians 1:3-6 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:13-14 - In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee (down payment) of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 

Dear God, it is sometimes very easy to lose focus on Your plans for me. Worries about the future caused by the GOP hatred and other world events often try to distract me. Help to focus more clearly on You and Your plans for me, though not so focused that I actually end up losing sight of it. I have an inheritance in You because You chose me before the world even began. How wonderful is that! Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Learn to Laugh at Yourself

Proverbs 17:22 - A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.

Matthew 1:23 - "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which, means, God with us).

Matthew 11:29-30 - "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Dear God, thank You for giving me a light heart in light of the circumstances of this past week. It was hard emotionally for everyone, but You showed me the beauty and gave me peace and joy even in the midst of loss. Grandmother will be missed, but she would not want us to linger on her absence. God, I exchange my burdens for Your yoke. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Stay on the High Road with God

Micah 6:8 - He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Ephesians 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 

Dear God, my path is my path and no one else's nor is anyone else's path my path. For those times when churches or other people say that I need to deviate from my path, help me to never go astray and to learn to stand up for justice, kindness, and humbleness. No one should ever make me feel ashamed to be different just as I should never shame anyone for being different. Thank You for valuable lessons. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Approach God in Stillness and Trust

Psalm 130:5-6 - I wait for The Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Isaiah 6:3 - And one called to another and said,: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

II Corinthians 4:17-18 - For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us am eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Dear God, help me to never forget the unseen even in the chaos of the visible world. Help me to not become so overstimulated that I lose sight of you. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

God Has Loved You with an Everlasting Love

Isaiah 61:10 - I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

Jeremiah 31:2-3 - This says the Lord: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." 

I Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 

Dear God, thank You for loving me with an everlasting love, an endless love, a love like no other, a love that only You are capable of having. How often do we hear a person say, "I love you," but then at the first of trouble, they turn and run? That's not love. Love withstands all things, all torubles, all hurts, all aches, all pains. Love is forever. Love is not a term to be used loosely nor a term to take lightly. Once you say you love someone, you should expect to remain in relations or friendships with them for the long haul. Love does not run away. Love stays and says I hear you, now how can I help you? People are fickle when it comes to the word love. People do not always understand it. You clearly defined love in an entire chapter of Your message. God, although I still pray that maybe You will bring about at least a resolution between myself and Tom, I now recognize that he may never have been all he claimed to be. And that hurts. But if I really evaluate him based on the different passages of Your word that I have read through these past 18 months consecutively, he may not truly even know You. I really don't know. You have taught me so much. You have taught me that being a Christian is not easy and that being a Christ-follower will get me scorned by many. Some of those who have scorned me claim to be Christian, but they really may not be after all. I mean, if I really examine it, a real Christian will support laws that help the least of these, whether it be access to healthcare, access to food, access to clothing, access to shelter. A true Christian would never deny anyone access to those things. Jesus ate with sinners. And while I believe that anything outside of Your plan for a man and a woman is a sin, I do not believe that we should shun those who live outside of Your plan. I believe that we need to make a concerted effort to demonstrate You to them. There was a couple spotlighted this past week that said if gay marriage became legal that they would get a divorce. How does that even make sense? They will actually defy YOUR plan for marriage just because they don't support the sin? How does that help anything? Short of abuse, abandonment, neglect, and adultery, there is simply no justification for divorce. I question whether that couple really even knows You. I question whether that couple really even loves each other. Because real love does not do that. I can see where at the bottom of all those acceptable reasons for divorce, there is a lack of love. A lack of the kind of love that You have shown us. If only more people could really fall into the kind of love You show us. Thank You, God, for Your love. I saw it in a huge way this past week as You allowed us to experience release in my family. Thank You for love that is true, real, kind, patient, and everlasting. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Saturday, June 13, 2015

God Is Creating Something New in You

John 3:8 - "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Dear God, thank You for the Spirit in me. Because of the Spirit, I can feel love, joy, and peace even in the darkest of times. Thank You for showing me that this week. Through the confusion and emotions of the week, I still felt love, joy, and peace. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Let God Help You Get Through This Day

Luke 1:79 - "...to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

I Corinthians 10:9-10 - We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

Dear God, I refuse to complain about the day ahead of me right now. Far worse things can occur than whatever You allow to be thrown at me. I would rather live fully in Your presence than to forget for one moment that You are already there for me waiting for me and even guiding me through the day. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Trust God and Don't Be Afraid - God Is Your Strength and Song

Isaiah 12:2 - "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."

Romans 8:6 - To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Dear God, You are my salvation. I will trust You. I will not be afraid. You are my strength. And You are the sweet, sweet song in my heart. Thank You for giving me strength and for Your help. Control my mind. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Rest in God

Psalm 62:5 - For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

I Thessalonians 5:17 - ...pray without ceasing,...

Dear God, thank You for allowing my grandmother to pass with some level of peace during her coma in the middle of the night. Please grant me the wisdom and the clarity that I need to try to help the rest of the family through all the yucky legal stuff that comes after death though. And I guess the secret's out. My two grandmothers in one place? Trouble! Quiet my spirit so I can get some sleep tonight and give me strength to tend to what needs to be dealt with before I go down and when I get back. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Seek to Live in God's Love

I Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sons. 

I John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

Revelation 2:4 - "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."

Dear God, perfect love casts out fear. Love covers a multitude of sins. Today, God, I really need Your love surrounding me and my family. We knew that grandmother would not have much time left. She was discovered to have her stomach in her esophagus due to a really weak hernia that allowed it to move. Mom said she had lost a lot of weight as it was and she was not exactly that big to start with. The phone call yesterday from her sister was earth shattering though. She told my mom that she needed to go down and say good-bye and that my uncle was flying in as well. The doctors are apparently advising not to force her to eat or to give or any of her regular medicines and have her some morphine for pain. God, this raises a couple of issues for me personally. The pain and suffering that comes with the end of life stages at times is unbearable. Out of compassion, we allow our pets to be out to sleep. Why can we not allow our loved ones the same dignity other than some stupid laws that say it is wrong? What seems wrong to me is that we allow people to suffer so much? The second thing it brings up for me is that I don't know what to do or what to say to help my mom through this. The pain is so unbearable. I was never that close to grandmother but it hurts that she is going to leave this earth as well. And there are a lot of uncertainties now. A lot of loose ends that will have to be dealt with in the coming weeks after. God, mom feels betrayed right now. She just had the most awful woman basically abuse her and treat her like a maid when what she was hired to do was something else entirely different than what she got stuck doing in the end. And that lady is rude and old. And she feels You picked the wrong person to take away. And God, I don't know where grandmother stands with You. In her last years, I have not heard her talk much about You at all. She spent a lot of time by herself during the days. And she and I have never really had common ground. She was so quiet and withdrawn. I hate that the family will be reuniting under these circumstances. I really do. Today, God, not only do I need Your love to envelop all of us in my family, but I also need clarity. In these next couple of days, I will largely be responsible for myself and the animals. This is the main reason why I cannot go down yet. That and I cannot handle the emotional good-byes like that. I'm already so horribly confused by the emotions of this situation. I have to somehow be strong right now and I cannot do that if I am confused. Oh, God, perfect love casts out fear. Please help me! Thank You so much for love inexpressible. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Sunday, June 7, 2015

God Wants You to Be All His

Psalm 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." 

Dear God, thank You for giving me the freedom to choose to trust You as opposed to forcing me to trust You. You do have all the power, but You also have the wisdom to know that we humans do better to grow in our trust in You as opposed to feeling forced to trust in You. I pray for those who do not have any trust in You at all though. They need the light. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

God Is All Around You

Luke 12:22-31 - And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If you then are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Fathe to owe that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you."

John 16:33 - "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

Dear God, thank You for wrapping me in Your living arms even when I cannot always feel You as strongly. I turn over my worries and anxieties though I have them for good reasons to You. Give me the strength and the guidance I need to handle them or the knowledge I need to let them go into Your hands and timing. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Seek God's Face

Psalm 19:1-2 - The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 

Psalm 105:4 - Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Isaiah 60:2 - For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arose upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 

Dear God, thank You for beautiful things that reveal glimpses of You. Thank You for choosing me to allow Your presence to shine in this dark world. Continue to give me the strength, the power, and the courage that I need to continue to show Your light to the world. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Friday, June 5, 2015

Remember You Live in a Fallen World

Exodus 20:3 - "You shall have no other gods before me."

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Dear God, so much talk about how broken this world truly is. On the one hand, there is the Duggar family and a mishandling of a terrible situation that makes their oldest son a child predator. On the other hand, there are disabled people faced with the potential loss of access to services they need in order to either become more independent or to have care they need. On the one hand, you have a broken economy with politicians more fixated on protecting the rich. On the other hand, you have a poor child who just starved because his school lunch was inadequate because he ran 20 cents shy on his lunch account. On the one hand, you have churches doing missions overseas to countries that might not otherwise hear about You. But on the other hand, you have the families of special needs children and special needs adults right here on the home front who are not able to go to church either because they tried and got bullied or abused or because church is inaccessible for them for a plethora of other reasons. This world is definitely broken and fallen. God, I ask You to mend it and to right it. Raise up the men and women who will be the game changers that can make things right. For now anyway. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Welcome Challenging Times as Opportunities to Trust God

Isaiah 26:3 - You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

James 1:2-3 -  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 

Dear God, I need You to keep a good grip on my hand right now. I am facing a challenging day with some unknowns in it because of my mouth and throat having become red and inflamed looking. I am not sure what the doctor will do. I am sure there are also other challenges that I do not even know about yet as well. Thank You for being with me through them all though. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

God Wants to Be Central in Your Entire Being

II Thessalonians 3:16 - Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 

I John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Dear God, I desire right here and right now to turn over all of my worries, which are perfectly reasonable worries, over to You so that I can experience Your peace and Your light in this troubled time. In doing so, I need to trust in Your sovereignty more now than ever. Be it with health situations, financial situations, or even the persistent desire to make peace with Tom which is a good desire as a believer, but will only happen when You feel it is time and that we are both ready, You are sovereign over all things and all circumstances. I would rather live in peace than live in worry and anxiety. Thank You for that exchange being possible. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Relax in God's Healing

Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

I John 3:2 - Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall him as he is.

Dear God, be still and know that You are God. This has to be the best advise throughout the whole entire scripture. And not really advise so much as command. Be still. Stillness is not something that people adhere to easily. Constant media bombardment. GOP obstructionism and hypocrisy. Rules, rules, and more rules. Enslavement. Entrapment. Ugh. Be still and know that You are God. Help me to practice the art of stillness. It definitely has more perks to it than trying to win by performance. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!