Daily Prayer - Let me be singing when the evening comes

Good Monday morning, my friends.

Do you sometimes wake up with a song in your head?  I do - some are very annoying (Copacabana?), but some, like this morning, are great.  It is a song we sang in church yesterday: "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" by Matt Redmond.  I love the first verse - it speaks of praising God at the beginning of the day, and petitions God to "Let me be singing when the evening comes".  This is my prayer for me and for you today.  Let us be singing His praises at the end of this day!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

[Chorus]

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

[Chorus]

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

[Chorus]

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

[Chorus x2]

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name

Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name

I'll worship Your holy name

(by Jonas Myrin & Matt Redman)

Daily Prayer - Opening words ...

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

I have been delving in to "31 Days of Prayer - Moving GOD's Mighty Hand" by Warren and Ruth Myers.  They suggest beginning your prayer time with a prayer like the one below.  I have found it a wonderful way to approach God, remembering that Jesus is praying for us at the same time:

Consequently, he (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Try opening your conversation with God today by lifting this prayer - and see how your heart aligns with His as you bring your petitions before Him.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,

Bruce

Father in heaven, great and powerful and full of love, I lift my heart in praise for the privilege of coming to you in praise for the privilege of coming to You in prayer. Give me special grace as I join Your exalted son in His ministry of prayer.

Search my heart, Lord, and show me if any sin is hindering Your work in my life. May I respond without delay wherever You make me conscious of sin. How grateful I am for Your total forgiveness the moment I confess my sin, turning back to You as my Lord!

And Father, teach me to pray. How much I yearn to know your will and Your way. I thank You that Your Son lives within me. What a joy to know that He is my teacher - that through Him I can learn to pray. I can learn to release Your boundless power for both my needs and the need of many others, near and far. Teach me to pray.

Day by day may Your spirit work in me, motivating me to abide in Christ and pray in faith, moving Your mighty hand to fulfill Your purposes. Keep reminding me that You are able to do infinitely more than I would ever dare to ask or imagine, by Your mighty power at work within me.

To You be the glory both now and forever.

Amen.

(31 Days of Prayer - Moving GOD's Mighty Hand, pp. 46-47, Warren and Ruth Myers)

Daily Prayer - Exercise

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

Do you have a love for God's Word?  Do you thirst for more time reading your Bible?  The more I read mine, the more I want to read it.  It is like a muscle that must be exercised in order to grow.  This morning I was reading Psalm 119.  It speaks over and over of the joy and delight of knowing and following the commands of scripture.  It is wonderful for reading and meditating on.  Take the time to read a few of the verses today.

Are you getting your exercise?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Father, Your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. 

The radiant light of Your Scripture goes before us dispelling the darkness of the enemy. 

It is living and active; therefore, it is always relevant, right up to date, and a foundation for our soul. 

Help us not to turn to the right nor to the left, but to keep our eyes fixed on Your Holy Word and our hearts tuned to the Holy Spirit so that we will be faithful to the very end of this life as we know it. 

Eradicate both visible and hidden sin that would stand in the way of our hearing Your words of commendation on the other side, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." 

Amen.

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/a-prayer-for-gods-penetrating-word/)

Daily Prayer - What is Truth?

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

"What is truth?"  That is the question Pilate asked Jesus and then walked away before the author of all Truth could answer him (John 18:38).

I once heard Ravi Zacharias say that "Truth is God's perspective of reality". Hard to argue with that.  We can claim what ever we want to be "true", but in the end it's God's truth that will prevail.

On Sunday our pastor gave a sermon with the message that we must share the Gospel in truth, righteousness and love.  All of these are important, but, he said, "Without the Truth, righteousness becomes morality and rules and love becomes feelings and sentiment".  It all begins with Truth.  And to these we add righteousness and love.  The "truth" is that Jesus was and is the unique Son of God, who lived, taught, suffered, died, and rose again so that we could be saved from our sin.  He IS the Way, the Truth and the Life, and NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him.  

Who will you share the truth with today, in righteousness and love?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Lord, Jesus Christ,

You are the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Hear our prayer for truth and integrity

in all segments of society today.

 

May the truth be spoken by us and affirmed in others,

that in seeking truth, the world will come to find You,

the Source of All Truth.

 

Wherever relationships are weakened by deception or hypocrisy,

strengthen good Christian character among us

that we may bear witness to the critical need for truth.

 

May your Spirit of Truth fashion minds and hearts

open to a moral integrity so strong

that both words and actions can be trusted.

 

In public and private life,

deepen among us a genuine commitment

to honest, sincerity and truth-telling.

 

Let nations and peoples not compromise truth

by rationalization or pretense,

but safe-guard and defend it always

as Your most precious gift.

 

Lord, may those around us come to know

that they can take us at our word,

until that day when all the world lives in truth

and the Truth sets us free.  Amen.

(http://www.holynameebg.org/Parish_Prayers/prayer%20for%20truth.html)

Daily Prayer - Draw near

Good Monday morning, my friends.

Do you desire, as I do, a closer and more intimate walk with God?  

James gives us the answer: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8a).  

Whether we realize it or not, God is always nearby.  And if we recognize that we are always in His presence we can have that closeness.  But we have to take that time to be still and know that He is God and that He is with us.  Practice the presence of God.

If we can truly have this sink into our hearts, if we could stop believing the lies of the enemy - that lie that we cannot be close to God, imagine the impact that would have on our walk with the Lord, and the impact it would have on those around us.

Grace and peace and nearness to God be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Lord, my highest good is to have you near.  

And how wonderful that you want me to come near to You - that You delight to see my face and hear my voice.  

You want me to walk close to you all day long, resting my heart in the joy of who You are.  

Enable me to do this more and more.

May I spread the fragrance of Christ to everyone my life touches day by day.  

Make me a gracious witness to those who don't know You, and a blessing to those who do.

(Thirty-One Days of Prayer, Day One - Warren and Ruth Myers)

Daily Prayer - Is anyone taking note?

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

In Chapter 4 of Acts, Peter and John are hauled before the "Sanhedrin", the high council.  Peter, who only a few weeks previously had been intimidated by a school girl (Luke 22:54-57), now delivers a no-holds-barred message to the most powerful people in Israel.  We read:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. (Acts 4:8-10)

After Peter and John leave, the council "took note that these men had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).  So here is my question for you and me: is anyone taking note that we have spent time with Jesus?  Are we living a life of love, courage and righteousness that makes people notice?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Father, Your Word tells us that Jesus suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we might also suffer indignity and injustice just as the disciples did, many of them giving their lives for the Gospel. 

But when we consider all that You have set before us: 

redemption, 

forgiveness, 

a clear conscience, 

a pure heart, 

a satisfied mind, 

virtuous gifts that increase over a lifetime, 

unconditional love, 

grace beyond measure 

and a home prepared for me in heaven, 

things suffered in this life pale in comparison. 

May the lives we live, the words we speak, and the love we generously pour out to others "amaze" those who see it so that they might declare, "We recognize them as having been with Jesus." 

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/a-prayer-for-being-like-jesus/)

Daily Prayer - Trouble

Good Monday morning, my friends.

A number of years ago my daughter, Mary Kate, was in a local production of "The Music Man".  It was a lot of fun to watch and to be a part of.  I remember the main character, "Harold", singing a song called "Ya Got Trouble": 

Ya got trouble, my friend, right here, 

I say, trouble right here in River City

Well folks, as Christians, ya got trouble. Jesus said so: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

We will have trouble so we should not be surprised when it happens.  Troubles are an opportunity to test and strengthen our faith, to trust more in God and less on us (Proverbs 3:5-6).  And a chance to remember that Jesus has overcome all trouble and even death.

There are a couple of other lyrics from "Ya Got Trouble" that we would be wise to remember:

We've surely got trouble!

Right here in River City!

Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule!

Our faith is grounded in truth and history, and Jesus' words are true.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Father, You never tried to pull the wool over our eyes, but clearly presented the harsh reality that we will have troubles in this life. 

This resounding message was spoken through the many prophets, the disciples, by Jesus Himself and was portrayed plentifully in the lives of those who walked in Your ways. 

Help us not to be surprised or frightened when trouble comes knocking at our door, for it is evidence that Your Word is truth and it gives us opportunity to trust and rely upon You in the good and the bad, in that which is known and that which is uncertain. 

Faith that is not tested is faith that cannot be trusted, so we pray that we will remain faithful in the testing of our faith, in Jesus' name we pray. 

Amen.

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/a-prayer-for-trusting-in-gods-sufficiency/)

Daily Prayer - Shine Brightly

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

I am fairly short of time this morning, so I will just share with you this prayer.

It is easy to feel inadequate, unworthy, and unprepared to share the Good News.  But God sees us differently, and we need to take His perspective.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Father, You sent Jesus to be the Light of the world, and He now sends us out as redeemed messengers in the places where we live. 

Some of those places are very dark and we're afraid to share the message of light and truth because we feel inadequate, unworthy, and unprepared to convey such a wondrous message. 

But in holding back we fail to introduce others to You whose searchlight from the Holy Spirit guides us into all truths, delivers us from the evil one, and sets our feet upon a rock to stay. 

We know that it is not by our might or power that we are able to shine like stars in the universe, but it is through Your Spirit that we can lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 

Amen.

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/a-prayer-for-shining-brightly/)

Daily Prayer - Fearlessness

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

We are so easily paralyzed with fear in this world.  Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear when our health or the health of a loved one deteriorates, fear of financial issues, fear for our children's future.  The list is endless and the enemy is constantly whispering these in our ears.  No wonder "Fear not!" is the most oft repeated command in the Bible (reputedly 365 times - once for every day of the year).

My fears threaten to overtake me on a daily basis, sometimes hourly, and I need to lay them at Jesus feet.  This prayer is a great reminder for me, and I hope for you.

What is your fear today?  Is it bigger than God?  The God who upholds you with His righteous right hand?

Grace and peace and fearlessness be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Father, 

You speak to us through the prophet Isaiah:

 "Fear not, for I 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" (Isaiah 41:10). 

Though this passage is somewhat general we know that You deal with the specifics in our lives as we encounter personal difficulties and quandaries. 

How comforting it is to know that You are alive forevermore and not only go before us, but You walk alongside us in our times of pain, confusion, loss, and when we're uncertain what direction You want us to take. 

Ever-faithful and ever-loving God, we praise You for Your presence in our lives. 

It is through Jesus that we come to You in prayer. 

Amen.

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/a-prayer-for-overcoming-fear/)

Daily Prayer - Storms and Peace

Good Monday morning, my friends.

I read this devotion on the weekend and wanted to share it with you.

Dear Jesus, in the hollow of Thy hand there is peace.

Yes, My child, but do not ask me to give you peace when you have removed yourself from My hand or are unwilling to rest quietly there.  I give My peace to all who love and serve Me with singleness of heart.  Any duplicity either in character or in aim shall bring disquiet.

I do not send storms upon your soul.  They are generated by the pressures of your disobedience.

Only in repentance shall my people find peace, and only in singleness of heart shall they find joy.

(Come away My Beloved Daily Devotional - Frances J. Roberts)

There was no doubt in my heart as I read this that the Holy Spirit was at work.  When I do not have peace in my heart (despite what storms are going on around me) I know it is either because I have removed myself from His hand (through rebellion, sin), or was just unwilling to rest quietly there (wanting to be on to the "next" thing, taking no time to enjoy His presence).  The storms in my soul are indeed generated by the pressures of my disobedience.

This is great news!  Recognizing the cause of my lack of peace allows me to rectify the situation.  What level is your peace meter at today?

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours!

Bruce

Dear Jesus, in the hollow of Thy hand there is peace.

Daily Prayer - The Greatest

Good Friday morning, my friends.

According to Jesus, the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37).  Jesus is basically telling us "if you don't get anything else right, make sure you get this one."  This is the greatest commandment.  All others are secondary to this.  I gotta tell you, I have been struggling with this.  I don't feel that I am loving God this way, this deep, this committed.  At least not yet.  

However, like the exhortation to be perfect as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48), or to love one another with a love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres and never fails (1 Corinthians 13), this commandment is not something we can fully accomplish on this side of heaven.  Still, I know I can love Him more fully.  And the fact that He has awakened this desire, this shortcoming, in my heart actually gives me hope!  I am pursuing it, I am asking Him to help me love Him this way.  And I know He will honour and answer that prayer.

How are you doing with this, the greatest commandment?  Do you also need to repent of your failing in this regard and seek to love God with a love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres and never fails?

Grace and peace and a deep love of God be yours,

Bruce

Lord, as I consider the great mystery of your resurrection, I come before you in prayer so that you can form and direct me. 

I long for the sinfulness of my life to be burned away so that I can glorify you with a pure and contrite heart. 

You know my sinfulness. You know my pride and sensuality. 

I offer you my prayer today as a small token of my love. 

My hope is that from the little I am able to love, you will teach me to love with a magnanimous heart. 

I want to be part of your Kingdom. 

I do not want to be on the fringes, but to plunge myself into the depths of your love.

(adapted from http://www.catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=2511)

Daily Prayer - The Two Lost Sons

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

I have been reading a great book by Timothy Kellar called "The Prodigal God" (you can see a short video introduction by the author here).  The book centres around the parable we commonly call "The Prodigal Son", but Kellar explains how a better title would be "The Two Lost Sons".  Both sons in this story have rebelled against the father's love.  We tend to focus on the younger son who demands his share of the inheritance and squanders it on "wild" living.  But the elder son also rebels.  He refuses the father's invitation to join the celebration of the younger brother's return.  He proclaims "All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends" (Luke 15:29)  and in doing so, he exposes his heart.  He does not obey because he loves his father and his father loves him, he obeys because of what he wants to get from his father.  His rebellion is much subtler than the younger son's, but no more displeasing to God.  Both of these young men needed the grace offered by the father, but only the younger one recognized it.

My friends, it is all too easy for us to slip into the place of that older brother.  That place where we rely on our own righteousness, our own good deeds, and become our own saviors and fail to recognize that we still need the grace of God and the sacrifice of His Son to save us from our sin.

Another interesting thing about this parable is that Jesus tells it as the third in a series of parables in Luke 15.  They are all about something that is "lost": the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.  In the first two someone goes looking for that which is lost.  The shepherd searches for his sheep and the woman her coin.  But no one searches for the lost son.  When our "younger brothers" are lost, my friends, it is our job to seek them out and lead them back home.  That's what a true "elder brother" would do.  That is what our elder brother, Jesus, has done for us.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

(Luke 18:13)

Lord,

Make my younger brother's way back to you

as smooth as it can be and

as rough as it has to be.

Amen

(adapted from http://www.inspirational-prayers.com/prodigal-son.html)

Daily Prayer - Soar

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

Too often I feel that I am walking this life of faith in my own power.  And it is tiring.  However, when I pause and let God take over, when I let Him use His unlimited power, I feel peaceful and rested and energized.  The Resurrection of Jesus shows us that power, that power that overcomes even death.  Let us let God sustain us with that power.  

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Grace and peace and power be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Father, we greatly rejoice that our Lord is risen. He is risen indeed! 

Therefore we walk in the resurrected power of Jesus Christ who gives us power to take our stand against the enemy and to stand up for righteousness and truth. 

Because You raised up Jesus in power You also raise us up by Your own power so that we are not dependent on our own wisdom or strength but we are able to conquer every foe by the power You grant to us through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. 

Amen.

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/a-prayer-of-thanks-for-our-risen-lord/)