Saturday, January 29th

“May they all be one, as you, Father are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us, so that the world may know that you sent me.”  John 17:21

Dear Father, Strengthen and deepen the unity of your church.  Make it just like the unity that you share with your Son.  I can hardly imagine how tight, deep, and synchronized the unity that you share with your Son is.  How your thoughts completely align.  How your beliefs and characteristics are in total synchronization.  You share completely in everything-your goals, your desires, your characteristics, your motives, your works.  They are all united fully.  Strengthen and deepen the unity of your church.  We are all unique and different, made that way by you.  Yet, we are all one!  By faith in you, we share a unity that goes beyond the differences and uniqueness.  Remove all false doctrine and teaching from church so that we all stand together and confess the truth together.  I pray, dear Father, bring the church to united confession in all that your Word clearly teaches.  Give us a full and complete unity in mission too.  Align your church in confession and in mission, dear Father, with your Word and your mission.  Yes, Lord, strengthen and deepen the unity of your church.  Make it just like the unity that you share with your Son.  Amen.

Friday, January 28th

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”  1 Peter 1:18-19

Dear Heavenly Father, What am I worth to you?  What price would you pay to get me back after I had wondered away and enslaved myself to the devil?  I cannot fully fathom that you, as a Father, would give your own perfect Son for a broken and self-defeated person like me.  But you did.  You redeemed me and now you call me your own.  Forgive me for not valuing myself at times as much as you do.  Forgive me for trashing and re-trashing my thoughts with negativity, criticism, envy and anger.  Forgive me for being selfish and petty.  Forgive me for thinking am worthless when you say I am priceless.  And give me the power of your purifying grace to rise above my self-centered feelings to make others know their worth in you by the way I handle them even when they are wandering and wayward.  Make me a life changer like you have been for me.  I ask this all for your glory and the glory of your Son who gave it all for me.  Amen.

God thinks we are worth his greatest sacrifice.  So, don’t diminish the value of any human being including yourself. 

Thursday, January 27th

“I am not prying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world just as I am not of the world.”  John 17:15-16

Dear Lord Jesus, I don’t belong here.  It is becoming clearer and clearer to me every day.  My thoughts are so different than those who still belong to this world.  My priorities and goals in life are so divergent from theirs.  My wants, my likes, my pursuits and my passions are all from a different place.  Lord Jesus, first, I thank you that you set me apart from this world and made me an heir of eternity.  Because of your grace, this is not my home; I don’t belong here.  Then Lord when my thoughts, priorities and goals clash with those of the world protect me from those who would cause me harm.  Protect my thinking and my wanting.  Protect my planning and my pursuing.  Protect my heart, Lord, because if the evil one can get my heart then he has my life.  I pray, deliver me from the evil one by protecting my heart from his temptations.  Keep on praying this prayer before the Father’s throne that I might be protected by your praying and your power.  Amen. 

Wednesday, January 26th

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”  Isaiah 30:15

Dear Heavenly Father, How much energy I can spend worrying and scheming on how to control my life and get what I want!  But you give me clarity here in this verse about the path to a secure future.  It’s through repentance of what I am by nature and resting in your grace that erases all the guilt.  It’s about silencing my self-defense and trusting that you have already fixed the problems.  It’s in letting go and letting forgiveness repair every relationship and all the fallout from my life.  It’s in letting myself be a child again while you do all the parenting.  I want that life where I give the controls to you but I learn to be honest, humble and trusting.  Give me this attitude by your Holy Spirit and make me a quiet but strong Christian.  Amen.

Sometimes it’s just best to sit quietly by, admit that you are powerless to fix the big problems and leave room for God to do what he does best. 

Tuesday, January 25th

“I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”  John 17:26

Dear Father, Your love for me is beyond all knowing and all expression and yet your Son wants me to know it better.  He is the one who makes known your love for me.  By his coming, his living and his dying you show me that there is nothing that you wouldn’t do for me.  You deeply loved your own Son, yet you gave him up for me!  Me!  I can hardly believe it sometimes.  That you would love me so deeply and cherish me so dearly and would give up your Son for me is hard to fathom.  You loved your Son from all eternity.  He was and is your dearest treasure.  Fill me with a higher and fuller understanding of your love.  More than that, let your love dwell in my heart and spill over into my life so that my whole life is moved by your love for me.  Let your love dwell in me and move my whole life.  Amen.

Monday, January 24th

“The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.  How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)  Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’ “John 4:9-10

Dear Jesus, That woman threw poo at you and you stayed in the conversation and loved her through it all.  When you ignored the poo and reached out again boldly with your love and truth, I’m sure she could feel it.  But she held to her hard hearted guns for a few more moments.  Then you outlasted her and got behind the walls to rescue her lost soul.  Help me to ignore the poo that people throw at me in conversations and to stick to a loving course of communication so I can reach behind their walls to either save or encourage their hearts.  Help me to hang in there and not just walk away.  And maybe more importantly, keep me from throwing poo at others.  Instead, give me the courage to humbly accept their help even if it makes me feel a little uncomfortable.  Amen.

God constantly pursues our hearts with love and truth through people.  Give up the fight and embrace it. 

Saturday, January 22nd

“Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.”  Isaiah 32:2

Dear Jesus, I love how you tell me that you will make me a shelter in the storm for other people.  I am yours Lord.   Lead me to the people that you want me to show this to.  And make me a stream of freshwater for their soul.  I will not be such a blessing if you don’t do this through me.  I need your words, I need your wisdom and strength.  Are you my savior and their Savior at the same time?  Make this day useful and a blessing.  Amen.

God loves to help others through his own people.

Friday, January 21st

“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent-Jesus Christ.” John 17:3

Dear Lord Jesus, You had one thing on your heart and mind when you came to earth.  You wanted us to know God, our Father.  You wanted us to know you, the one sent by the Father to save the world.  You wanted us to know you and your Father that we might live with you forever in all glory.  Dearest Jesus, continue to reveal yourself to me in your Word that I might know you better.  Continue to make my Father known to me that I might grow closer to him.  Holy Spirit, keep teaching me that my eyes might be enlightened to see and know how long and wide and deep and high your love for me is, to know your power that passes all understanding, and to know your presence in any and every circumstance of life.  Dearest Jesus, continue to work in me to know you and to make you known.  Just as it was your mission to make your Father known, so let this be my main endeavor to make sure that people know who you are that by hearing they may believe.  Work this in me, O Spirit, and keep me in this faith until my dying breath.  Amen. 

Thursday, January 20th

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.  James 3:17-18

Dear Jesus, Give me this wisdom from above.  I cannot produce it on my own.  Make me peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Help me see the supreme value of unity and togetherness.  Produce this wisdom between others AND ME.  Make it fun and peaceful for us to live and work together.  I want to live in the peaceful fruit of righteousness and help others experience it too.  Amen. 

Godly wisdom always heals, always helps, and always unites. 

Wednesday, January 19th

“Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.  For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.  But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating or doing wrong and endure it?  But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you.  Leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.  ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.  Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.  ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’  For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.’”  1 Peter 2:18-25

Dear Jesus, From heaven you decided to come to earth and endure the most foolish and cruel hardship to buy my salvation.  It never was about you.  It was always about me.  Give me your Spirit so I purposely follow your example when I experience hardship in my job.  I will commit my life and behavior to your care.  You can use my story to encourage others in the same way your life encourages me.  Don’t let me fall short by whining, quitting or trying to get even.  Amen.

Loving someone who has hurt you is supernatural behavior with supernatural consequences. 

Tuesday, January 18th

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.”  1 Peter 2:13-16

Dear Jesus, You modeled how to submit to leaders in government and in the streets even when they are oppressive and represent causes you don’t approve.  You lived for a higher mission.  I want to live by your higher mission too.  I realize that makes me forego my opinion about the more menial rightness or wrongness of more common things.  Don’t let me become disrespectful and disobedient to officials during this pandemic just because I have a certain opinion about what they say about masks, vaccines or anything else for that matter.  Help me to respect police and clerks behind city desks.  I trust you to preserve my good behavior in their memory so you can remind them later that they should listen to your people because they saw my good life before them.  Amen.

Don’t be tempted to think that any political cause old or new can be the mega-guide for your behavior. 

Monday, January 17th

“Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.  But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’”  1 Peter 3:7-8

Dear Jesus, You and your love have become the rock that my life is built on.  You give me stability, purposes and peace.  But I know people who scorn your name, ignore your message and make fun of people like me.  It’s comforting to see your apostle Peter reminding me that all this was spelled out in Scripture thousands of years ago.  You are the dividing line for all social grouping.  If a person is in Christ, he is my friend and family.  If not, he’s not.  Case closed.  Help me have an open heart to those who have closed theirs to you and me.  Make me comfortable being grouped with your people while being open to friendships with pagans.  Amen.

The trick of living as a Christian in the world is to take punches from people ignorant of Christ while not swinging back in frustration. 

Saturday, January 15th

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  1 Peter 2:1-3

Dear Jesus, Just as great food satisfies my tongue, your great words satisfy my soul.  I marvel that you have chosen me of all people to understand the beautiful truths of your living word.  Every time I read them, they change my thinking, repair my attitude and restore my faith.  They satisfy a hunger deep within me.  I see people every day that are starved for your word.  They live in anger, bitterness, envy and fear.  They struggle with the power of selfishness and despair.  I have all those struggles too, but I have your word to combat them and to push them back out the door for my heart.  Help me to crave your words so I take time to “eat” them every day.  I want to live in the strength of the powerful gift you have given us.  Amen.

If you are tired of mulling through your own thoughts today, get off the merry-go-round and sit quietly with God’s word and ingest the newness of life.

Friday, January 14th

“Love one another deeply, from the heart.  For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field, the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’  And this is the word that was preached to you.”  1 Peter 1:22-25

Dear Jesus, It’s easy for me to think that if big things will change in my circumstances then I can really live.  But that’s not true.  The truth that you teach me here shows that the gospel changes me so that in all circumstances I can live a purposeful life of love toward all people.  I can do that when I am a small child with little influence and an old man in a death bed, and everything in between.  My flesh is like grass and will soon fade.  But the word about your love and the gift you bring, it endures forever.  So, help me to live out the gospel love you have given me today ad not to wait for changes in my circumstances to really start living.  Amen.

The gospel enables us to blossom where we are planted.  So, stop paying to be transplanted. 

Thursday, January 13th

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.  1 Peter 1:18-21

Dear Heavenly Father, Since you are eternal, the sacrifice you and Jesus made is an “ever present” event for you.  It’s as fresh in your mind as the morning dew.  I confess that it isn’t always as fresh in my mind.  But your word through Peter is helping make it more imminent.  My sins are current.  So, it’s very comforting to know your grace is fresh in your mind.  Help me to live today with holy fear and gratitude for what you give up every day for me in your heart.  Amen.

To the eternal God, Jesus died on the cross this very minute.  When was it to you? 

Wednesday, January 12th

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.  On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  Romans 12:17-21

Dear Jesus, How easily I fall into getting even.  It’s sometimes so subtle, only I and you know about it.  Other times I selfishly want it to be painfully obvious to the one who hurt me that I’m evening the score.  Either way, I see that I’m far from the faith filled “hands off” attitude you want from me.  I know that you want me to be grace filled and to leave justice to you.  I can’t do it without a supernatural makeover from your Holy Spirit.  Fill my heart with the Spirit’s love and make me a goodness factory.  I’m tired of keeping score and I’m tired of getting even.  I just want to love and be loved.  Only you can make that happen for me.  Amen.

Getting even is a myth.  It’s really a downward spiral into emptiness. 

Tuesday, January 11th

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”  Proverbs 13:20

Dear Jesus, It’s one of the biggest choices I make every day.  Who will my friends be?  Who will I spend my time with?  How will I let them influence me?  I can see this passage coming true for me in both scenarios.  I’ve let some people be my friends indeed.  In my remaining days help me to make the tough choices of who my friends will be in real time and in my digital consumption.  Give me friends that will be grace-filled, word-of-God-driven, and exuding the fruit of the spirit.  In the same vein, make me that kind of friend for those who choose me for a friend too.  Finally, thank you for being the friend of sinners, even a sinner like me.  Amen.

Choose your friends carefully.  They will shape who you become in good times and bad. 

Monday, January 10th

“In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  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 most gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Corinthians 2:7-10

Dear Lord, I never tire of needing this reminder from my friend, the Apostle Paul.  You send challenges and difficulties my way from all angles in order to keep me humble.  You make me weak so I need your strength.  You want to be my everything, not just my something.  Your grace is your benevolent promise to meet all my needs in your time and way.  Help me to hold on to your grace and avoid treating you like the big vacation planner in the sky.  I know that my eternal rest will begin when this epic struggle is over.  Be my rest internally today while I wait for my rest eternally that will come at the end.  Amen.

God isn’t just a big thing in our lives.  He’s everything. 

Saturday, January 8th, 2022!!

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.  Even angels long to look into these things.”  1 Peter 1:10-12

Dear Jesus, By grace you chose me to learn what you had your prophets write down for centuries about your life and sacrifice for mine.  By grace you had apostles tell their stories about how you lived out the prophecies right in front of you.  By grace you had family and Sunday school teachers faithfully teach me the grand story of the Bible.  By grace you had mentors available to talk me through my doubts and guide me to your promises.  By grace you sent your Holy Spirit who used your word from the prophets, apostles and my mentors to give me faith in your salvation for me.  Here in the first chapter of Peter’s he leads us in a word of praise (doxology) over the grace you have showered on us through all these people.  I am “wowed” by your grace.  I am privileged not because of race but because of grace.  Help me to live this grateful and graceful mindset all day today.  Amen.

Live in gratitude for grace today or destine yourself to be a confused, ignorant, curmudgeon. 

Friday, January 7th, 2022!!

“’Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory?  How does it look to you now?  Does it not seem to you like nothing?  But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD.  ‘Be strong, Joshua song of Jozadak, the high priest.  Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work.  For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.  ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt.  And my Spirit remains among you.  Do not fear.’  “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.  ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.  ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”        Haggai 2:3-9

Dear Heavenly Father, I am intrigued by this word you sent through the prophet, Haggai, when the rag tag remnant of your people was rebuilding your temple for you.  You comforted the older people that although the rebuilt temple would nowhere near match the old one, that you would give it more glory by sending your Son and his gospel there.  In the same way, I have often wondered what it is about my home church building that makes me like it.  It’s not because it’s the most beautiful building I have ever worshiped in.  It’s so much more.  It’s because I meet your Son there and I receive his mercy and peace.  My heart is purified, set right and comforted when I’m there.  Thank you for my home church and your servants who labor there to bring Jesus to my heart.  Amen.

If you have a home church where one or more servants bring you Jesus, you are among the most privileged souls on the planet.