Stop, Look, and Listen

"Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!" - Psalm 105:3

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." - John 10:27-28

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." - Mark 9:7

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which I is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." - Ephesians 6:16-20

Other translation focal verse: Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must aalways be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all God's people. - Ephesians 6:18

Dear God, 

I am stopping right now to talk to You. I am looking for the ways You have already impacted my life for the good. And I am listening for what You want me to do next. God, please intervene on behalf of the least of these in our country. The republicans have unleashed hate and injustice in both the budget and  with regard to healthcare. And they seem to be destructive! So all I can ask is that You intervene. I know that Your words hold what Your heart reflects toward the most vulnerable of people. I know You won't let them suffer at the hands of monsters. I feel so powerless right now and it's scary. So I lay these things at Your feet. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

Waiting in Hope

"Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield." - Psalm 33:20

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

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

Dear God,

You are my help and my shield. How am I waiting for You? Am I doing so in a tantrum? Or am I watching to see what You will do? You protect me. You are always ready to help me. All I need to do is ask. God, You did it again yesterday. You answered my prayer. The battle over the healthcare issue for the least of these is not over. The battle for good in our country is not over. But You showed Yourself again in a huge way yesterday. And it was really out of my hands. Advocacy organizations are saying congratulations, you all did this, but I feel that in some ways that I was powerless. And that all I could do was wait and hope for the best. And You did it. Thank You for that. Please keep doing that. The next battle is the budget. The budget of hate from Trump that threatens everything domestic.

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen