Saturday, February 1st

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.”  Romans 12:15-16

Dear Heavenly Father, I know you want to enlarge my heart enough so I can reach beyond my own struggles, hopes and dreams to feel with others what they are feeling.  You want me to see the equal value of every soul.  You want me to stamp out the loneliness our proud isolation creates.  Oh Jesus, turn me inside out and enable me to hurt with and help those who need me to.  And when I have reached my limit raise up other great lovers of souls to be there for those I see hurting but cannot help them myself. 

When we share life with hurting people its four-part music to God’s ears. 

Friday, January 31st

“Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.  But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents for this is pleasing to God.  The widow who is really in need and let all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.  But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.  Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame.  Anyone who does not provide for their relatives and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:3-8

Our nation with its work ethic, economic prowess, government programs and resort style living for the elderly, makes all of us think that parents and grandparents have to take care of themselves.  Then comes your word that lays care for the elderly at the feet of the family and the church.  Help us to fully embrace the rich spiritual experience of caring for our family until you call them home.  Make us people who won’t leave them lonely and afraid.  Help us to give them friendship, provisions, rides and encouragement.  Make your churches everywhere places that honor the experience and tenderness forged by years of living in our elderly members.  And give the elderly courage to tell of their needs and to share their perspectives with the next generation.  Thank you Lord for the privilege to live with people of all ages in our short sojourn on earth.  Amen.

Having a friend who is long in the tooth will slow you down long enough to enjoy the deeper meanings of life. 

Thursday, January 30th

“As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver!  When they are their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.”  Genesis 42:35

Dear Jesus, Unrepentant sin leaves us guilty and afraid.  For too long these brothers had been hiding this sin from their dad and their God.  And now 25 years later it was haunting them.  Lord God, I see myself in these brothers.  Hiding my sin covering it up, excusing it, even lying about it.  In all truth, I am sitting in it like a toddler in a dirty diaper and it rots.  Forgive me for my impenitence.  Lead me to come clean about my sin, for with you there is always forgiveness.  Lead me to confess it for there and then you will cleanse me of all my sin and guilt.  Lord, forgive me and take away all my fears.  You are not a God who pays us back for our sins if you did, we would all be dead.  But with you there is forgiveness.  Lord, set my heart free from guilt and free by your full and free forgiveness.  Amen.

Where there is forgiveness, there is life, peace, and freedom.  At the cross, there is always forgiveness.  And so as we confess our sins there to find and receive life, peace and freedom. 

Wednesday, January 29th

“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Hebrews 11:23

Dear Heavenly Father, How brave and loving were Moses’ parents!  They risked their lives to save him and through their heroism the whole world received great blessings such as: the first five books of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, and the accurate account of the beginning of the world, the beginning of Israel and the first promises of a Savior.  I can see now that long after I am gone, the actions I do today out of faith will have a greater impact than I can imagine today.  Help me to remember this when the pressure is on for me to conform to the world out of fear and convenience and help my by your Holy Spirit to be like Moses’ mom and dad.

God will do tons more than you can ever imagine with the small things you do today for him. 

Tuesday, January 28th

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”  James 4:7-10

Dear Holy Spirit, there is only one response left for me as I see and hear all that James calls forth from me.  I can only repent and draw near to you.  I can only humble myself under your mighty hand and confess that I am not who you call me to be.  I can only submit to you, your will and your Word.  Lord God, work this repentance in my heart hourly and daily.  Break my heart, O God, in sorrow and repentance.  And then, dear Savior, raise me up with your forgiveness and mercy.  Then, dear Father, raise me up to the exalted status of your dearly loved child, washed by Jesus blood.  Then, dear Spirit, raise me up to a new life in this day and an eternal life in heaven with you.  O Lord God, break me with your Word and then resurrect me by your Spirit.  That’s all there is left for me.  Amen.

Monday, January 27th

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30

Dear Heavenly Father, What wisdom was there in making Israel march around the city of Jericho for seven days?  All that did was give their enemies a good look at their strengths and weaknesses.  It removed all elements of surprise too.  Militarily the idea stunk, but spiritually it was brilliant.  It told both Israel and Jericho that this was your battle and not theirs.  It gave people in Jericho and Israel time to repent and find forgiveness before they faced you.  And finally, it created an encouraging story for all time.  I’m encouraged by your mighty hand at Jericho and I’m thankful for its remembrance when I face fortified challenges in my fight of faith.  Thank you for Jericho and the faith you have taught me through it.  Amen.

When God’s requests seem unreasonable, expect unreasonably amazing results. 

Saturday January 25th

“But Moses replied, ‘Are you jealous for my sake?  I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”  Numbers 11:29

Lord Jesus, Keeping sending your Spirit on me, on your people, and I pray raise up another generation of pastors.  Raise up people around me to take their place in the body of Christ to do their part and to fill their role.  I wish that all of the Lord’s people were full of zeal, of energy, of excitement and the Spirit to do your Work.  I wish that I had more of this myself.  And yet, I find myself lagging in zeal, discouraged and not always wanting to do the work you’ve given me to do.  I pray, pour out your spirit on your people, dear Lord, and raise us up to work together as the family of Christ.  I pray, send out your Spirit, on more men and women who would answer to the call to serve as pastors and teachers.  The harvest is ripe, O Spirit.  Raise up workers in this world.  And more than that, dear Lord, send out your Spirit into this city, this state, this country so that more and more people may hear, know and believe that you are the Christ, the Savior of the world.  Pour out your Spirit on them so that they might believe and then be joined to the body of Christ.  Come, Holy Spirit!  Amen.

Friday, January 24th

“You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”  James 5:8

Lord God, your coming is near.  You are right at the door.  Give me strength to bear whatever comes until that time.  I face temptation daily.  Give me strength to fight and to resist it every day.  I face trial daily.  Give me strength to endure and bear up under the suffering that enters my life.  I face the temptation to deny my faith and turn away from it.  Give me strength to stand firm for what you say is good and for what you say is saving.  Lord God, give me strength to endure, strength to stand.  Do whatever it takes in my life, Lord God, give me strength to endure, strength to stand.  Do whatever it takes in my life Lord God, so that I stand firm and remain in the faith until your coming.  Amen. 

Thursday, January 23rd

“Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem.  On the way, he took the twelve aside and said to them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.  They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified.  On the third day he will be raised to life!”  Matthew 20:17-19

Dear Jesus, My friends and me are addicted to finding some meaning in life that serves our own desire to gain more, live more comfortably, get more attention and impress others with our great works.  But then there’s you.  You were committed to dying for us so we would be preserved forever, saved from our own sins.  You “looked forward” to the great gift that would cost you everything.  The terrible way your life would end was the big thing for which you lived.  Because you knew you’d pass through it and then I would be free forever from the condemnation I keep earning through my waywardness.  You have freed me forever from my dead end.  Thank you for making my life last so I too will pass through death, just as you did.  Amen.

Your life has meaning because it means everything to God.

Wednesday, January 22nd

“You desire but do not have, so you kill.  You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.  You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  James 4:2-3

Lord God, as I look inside me and examine my desires, my motives and even what I do to get what I want, it shows me everything.  When I look at the arguments I have with others, it is often because I’m trying to get what I want and am unconcerned with what is best or good for them.  When I listen to my prayers, I’m so often asking with selfish and self-centered motives.  I see that I am chasing the world.  My prayers are not kingdom minded, not your will minded-even when I mouth the words.  Lord, forgive me.  And teach me to pray according to your will.  Teach me to pray for your kingdom.  Teach me to pray for daily bread.  Teach me to seek what pleases you instead of what pleases me.  Give me a distaste for this world and its fleeting pleasures and give me a deeper taste for your pleasures and an eternity at your right hand.  Your gifts to me are the only thing that has lasting and eternal worth.  Turn my heart, O God, to these things alone.  Amen. 

Tuesday, January 21st

“And what more shall I say?  I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.  Women received back their dead, raised to life again.  There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.  They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.  They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-the world deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”  Hebrews 11:32-40

Dear Jesus, Your list of Old Testament saints that endured terrible persecutions in this world is very humbling to me.  They endured the loss of everything, even their lives for the sake of their faith in you.  I on the other hand live in a country that protects my religious freedom, allows me to spread and defends my human rights.  Thank you for the blessings of my country and give me the faith and love to use this freedom to lead others to you instead of fritter away my time on only selfish pleasures.  Drive the luke-warmness out of my heart and kindle in me a fire that cannot be quenched.  Amen.

Monday, January 20th

“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”  James 4:13-15

Lord God, I often forgot how small, insignificant, and powerless I really am.  There is an arrogance about me when I plan as if my plans were the only ones that matter.  There is an arrogance about me when I worry as if my way was the only way.  There is an arrogance that happens whenever I think about my life as if it was my will.  Lord, teach me to pray, “Your will be done.”  My life is a mist; I’m here one moment and gone the next.  My control over the events of each day is so limited, but yours is unlimited.  My view of the future and my plan for it is hardly clear; but your view of the future and plan for my life is crystal clear.  You’ve been seeing my life and my eternity long before I was even born.  Lord, you are great.  Your plans are perfect.  And your will for me is good.  Your will be done.  Teach me to pray it.  Amen. 

Saturday, January 18th

“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomes the spies was not killed with those who were disobedient.”  Hebrews 11:31

Dear Heavenly Father, Now wait a minute God, I know that Rahab lied when she hid those Israelite spies and yet here and in James 2, you commend her.  That challenges my pedestrian mind.  When I look closely at the story in Joshua I see her faith.  She feared you and held on to her 40 year old belief that you delivered Israel through the Red Sea.  She chose your people because they were yours.  She loved and trusted you no matter what.  It was her choice to follow you that made her do anything she felt you wanted even if meant hiding the truth from her king and his men.  Give me that faith that makes every decision about you and not me or anyone else.  Amen.

Faith knows what’s right and wrong without a rule-book to quote from. 

Friday, January 17th

“What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”  James 4:1

Lord God, I learn so much about myself as I watch my kids live their lives.  I learn so much about myself as I ask my kids about why they do what they do.  I ask them why they fight with each other; I often get the answer, “I don’t know!”  I ask the question why they get so mad about certain things; I often get the answer, “I don’t know!”  And I don’t think it’s a cop out.  They know that there was no good reason for them to be so angry or to get so upset.  They don’t quite understand what’s going on in them.  I find the same going on inside of me, dear Father.  I find myself getting upset with people, but I can’t quite put my finger on why.  I notice frustration rising in me but I don’t know why.  But James puts his finger on it here.  Where does fighting quarrels and frustrations with other people come from?  They come from a battle raging inside of me.  They come from competing desires in me.  My new man wants to do work for peace, wants to get along; it wants to get rid of frustration.  My old man loves to fight and quarrel and bicker.  Lord God, by my baptism help me to put to death that old man that lives in me.  Help me to kill him every day and all day long.  Put him to death, O Holy Spirit, that I might put away fighting and quarrels and work for me.  Do this in me, O Savior, I cannot do it.  My life has proven it.  You alone can save.  You alone can kill him.  Work this in me, dear Savior.  Amen.

Thursday, January 16th

“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.” Hebrew 11:29 

Dear Heavenly Father, What it must have been like for the children of Israel to take those first steps into the chasm you formed in the Red Sea.  Their hearts must have been beating out of their chests as they gawked at the walls of water on either side.  But you led them with your mighty word and you allowed them to watch their enemies fall behind them.  Help me to remember your great act of deliverance in the Red Sea crossing when you call on me to step in between two “walls of water” for you.  Protect me from my enemies and give me the privilege to see either their conversion or their end.  Amen.

When God’s on your team the wins are embarrassingly obvious. 

Wednesday, January 15th

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”  James 2:26

O Holy Spirit, Give me a living and active faith.  You are the One who gave me new birth into a living hope.  You are the one who raised me to spiritual life and adopted me into God’s family.  Continue to stir in me, O Holy Spirit, and give me a living and active faith.  Work in me a daily sorrow and repentance for my sins.  Stir prayers to my loving Father in heaven every day, yes, every moment.  You have made me a temple where you dwell.  Work in every part of my body to live and move and offer up to your sacrifices of a living faith.  Work in my mouth to speak about things that are pleasing in your sight.  Work in my eyes to see things that are good and right.  Work in my hands to move and do things that would serve my neighbor.  Work in my feet to go places where the gospel might be preached and where I might serve the people around me.  I am, Oh God, your mouth, your hands, your feet.  Work a living and active faith in me so that people might know you.  Amen.

We’re not doing faith to get noticed, but faith is always noticed. 

Tuesday, January 14th

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”  James 1:5

Lord God, I need wisdom.  I need it desperately.  I need it deeply.  I need it to see my life as your child the way that you do.  I need wisdom to be able to know when and where and how and who to live.  I need wisdom to be able to know what way I should be loving people.  I need wisdom to see where my faith is not as active it needs to be.  I need wisdom to repent of my sin and my failures to love and to be useful.  I need wisdom to see your grace to me, to see how long and wide and deep and high is your love for me.  I need wisdom for all of this, dear Savior.  Pour out your Spirit on me and grant me wisdom for all of this and more.  You know what I need, O Savior.  Give it to me according to your gracious promise.  Amen.

Monday, January 13th

“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.” James 2:1

Lord God, I know he’s right.  I know this is the way that it should be.  I know that I shouldn’t give preferential treatment to someone who dresses nice.  I know that I shouldn’t give substandard treatment to those who are still dressed in their pajamas.  I know that he’s right, but I find myself judging people by their appearances and treating them according to the way they appear.  I find that I’m looking at them and forming an opinion of them long before there is anything substantial on which to base that opinion.  Forgive me, dear Jesus, and help me to see them with new eyes, with Spirit-given eyes.  Help me to see all people as those for whom you died, as people whom you desperately long to have in heaven with you.  Help me to see them as people who are valuable, simply because of your love for them.  Help me to serve them, care for them, and wait on them regardless of how their appearances seems.  Lord Jesus, this is the way in which you saw me and had mercy on me.  Help me to see all people the same and to treat them accordingly.  Amen.

Our favoritism makes us poor in God’s sight: God’s lack of favoritism makes all people rich. 

Saturday, January 11th

“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.  By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.  And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”  Hebrews 11:4

Dear Heavenly Father, What secrets are locked away in that little story about Cain and Able!  What was it about the faith of Abel that pleased you so much?  Was it his thankfulness, his pure worship, his desire to please you and not himself?  Was it his deep love for you?  I think it was all of that.  All of those virtues are caused by faith.  It had little to do with what he offered.  It was about his heart while he offered it.  Even though his shallow hearted brother snuffed him out; his life, the first to pass on this earth, still speaks to me.  You have made his life count.  You will make mine count too.  I can lose myself in loving you instead of striving to make a name for myself with anyone.  Make my life like Abel’s, one that worships you and is pleasing to you without regard for the opinions of people.  Amen.

God has earned the right to be our audience of one!

Friday, January 10th

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”  Psalm 9:9-10

Lord God, You are on your throne.  You ruled yesterday and you will rule today too.  Your enemies will never stand nor will mine.  Lord God, stay close to me today.  The devil is always close at hand, crouching in the tall grass.  He desires to have me.  Come close to deliver me, God.  Sin is always right there too.  It wants to lead me astray.  Lead me not into temptation, dear Father.  People are there and they hurt me, attack me, undermine me, and mistreat me.  Do not forget me, dear Savior!  Remind me who I am-I am yours.  Remind me who you are to me-you are my Father.  You will not abandon me.  You will not forget me.  You are my refuge and strength.  Amen.