Enjoy the Warmth of His Presence Shining Upon You

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 a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Romans 8:1-2 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 

Dear God, how I wish more Christians could exemplify the very grace that You are so full of and freely give! If they could only exemplify that grace, NO person with special needs, child or adult, would ever be excluded from any activity in any church because they would be fully embraced as You fully embrace them. You cover them with Your grace. You set them free from the law of sin and death. You do not condemn them. Thank You for Your presence, Your grace, Your love, Your righteousness, and just You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Do Everything in Dependence on Him

Genesis 1:26-27 - Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 

John 15:5 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in h he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

Ephesians 6:10 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Dear God, help me to remember that no matter how independent I may become in life that I am still fully dependent upon You to accomplish huge things that have lasting meaning in life. Thank You for creating me to be dependent upon You and Your power. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

God Is Your Best Friend As Well As Your King

Isaiah 61:1-3 - The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion–to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of oraise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of  the Lord, that he may be glorified. 

John 15:13-15 - "Greater live has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

II Corinthians 6:3-10 - We out no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and oraise. We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 

Dear God, thank You for being both King and Friend. Thank You for being able to achieve the ultimate balance of peace and adversity, joy and sorrow, beauty from lost lost dreams. Help me to never lose sight of You as I walk the path You have chosen to put me on. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

You Are Safe in Closeness to God

Genesis 3:8-9 - And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to them and and said to him, "Where are you?"

Psalm 32:7 - You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 

John 8:12 - Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Dear God, thank You for energizing me when I spend time with You. Thank You for being near me even in times of struggle when I might not be able to necessarily feel You close to me. Thank You for filling the emptiness in my heart that only You can fill. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Let the Dew of His Presence Refresh Your Mind and Heart

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!"

Luke 10:38-42 - Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Matthew was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and dai, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

I Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. 

Dear God, refresh my mind with Your Presence. Prepare me for the day ahead, the good and the bad. Refresh my heart with Your presence. Give me strength and courage and peace and comfort. Help me to not get so distracted that I forget You. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Living in Dependence on God Is a Glorious Adventure

John 14:20 -"In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you."

Acts 17:26-28 - And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'"

II Corinthians 12:9-10 - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect  in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Colossians 2:6-7 - Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 

Dear God, with You, life is always an adventure. Adventure in my strengths and adventure in my weaknesses. Today, give me the strength I need to face whatever adversity may come my way. Give me wisdom to know whether I need the toxicity of the adversity or need to block it out. Strengthen me as I fall into more of an advocacy role in which there will be many attacks from people who feel inconvenienced and would rather murder people because of it than to make reasonable accommodation. Strengthen me when I support a candidate that supports everything You teach me is right and good yet someone wants to attack me by claiming "socialism doesn't work." And for things I cannot change, be with me as I have to trust You more during those moments. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Seek God with Your Whole Being

Deuteronomy 4:29 - But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. 

Psalm 145:20 - The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

Hebrews 10:23 - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 

Dear God, I stopped asking why when I go through hard times because I now understand that You have Your reasons. Thank You for always being there through the good and the bad times. Through the times when it is easy to see You and through the times where I am forced to choose to trust You and believe that You are still there or fight on my own. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!