Category Archives: Prayer

Our God and King, worthy are you to receive glory and honor and to be praised for your unsearchable greatness.  Who knows how the spirit comes to the bones of a child in the womb?  Who understands eternity past and future?  Who comprehends a throne founded on righteousness and justice?  You alone are to be feared above all gods.

But Lord, we confess we fear worthless idols, obeying their commands to our destruction.  Wood and stone, experts and popular opinion claim authority on our hearts and we willingly surrender to any promise that offers a life of fearlessness.  But you have not required us to be without fear, instead to live courageous lives, by fearing you alone.  Forgive us Lord.   Take captive our souls into your service and route our rebellion toward all powers that tickle our ears with false assurances.

Before we can ask that our children fear your name, we must first plead that we will.  The unspiritual are unfit to restore a brother caught in sin.  Until we seek first your kingdom and righteousness our children are stuck fumbling around in the insecurity of dark and crooked paths.  Greedy for unjust gain, we call our children to a standard that we don’t strive for and expect our wrath to get them there.  Forgive us Lord.  Grant us personal repentance, striving in sanctification, and gentleness in correction.  Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Our families bear the name Christian.   We claim that we and our households will serve the Lord.  For your name’s sake then, generously work in us and through us to be a fragrance of life to your people everywhere we go now and throughout the future generations of our families.

Teach us not to despise the days of small things.  Help us to fatten our babies’ souls with spiritual milk, nurturing their dependent little frames with your love.  Give us patience with toddlers as we teach them to obey you and your appointed authorities.  Give us faith to nurture the strengths and bear with the weaknesses of preschoolers.  Give us knowledge to teach our school age kids your absolutely true ways. Give us wisdom to guide our teens into maturity among a perverse and crooked generation.  Give us endurance to keep sharpening and humility to be sharpened by our adult children.

Teach our girls to be adorned with the beauty that Sarah had, fearing nothing that was fearful instead being a praise-worthy woman because she feared you alone.   Lead our boys in the way of David, the man after your own hear, give them whole-hearted devotion, bold repentance, and courage.  Do not list our children’s names among the cowardly.

To raise children in the fear and admonition of your name is a weight that threatens us with death.  In fact, it requires death.  Thank you that Jesus has died once for all and that we have died with him.  May the life we now live by faith free us to bear the fruit of generations of Christ-worshippers.

Amen

I can’t turn my head without coming face to face with more of the Lord’s favor and blessing.  He has done for me all things well.  He has forgiven me, softened me, protected me from myself, comforted me, and equipped me for joyful service, though my sin deserves only trials he has  given me good things.  Praise Him with me!

‘Choices’  from Valley of Vision

O God,
Though I am allowed to approach thee
I am not unmindful of my sins,
I do not deny my guilt,
I confess my wickedness, and earnestly plead forgiveness.

May I with Moses choose affliction rather than
enjoy the pleasures of sin.
Help me to place myself always under thy guiding and guardian care,
to take firmer hold of the sure covenant that binds me to thee,
to feel more of the purifying, dignifying,
softening influence of the religion I profess,
to have more compassion, love, pity, courtesy,
to deem it an honour to be employed by thee
as an instrument in thy hands,
ready to seize every opportunity of usefulness,
and willing to offer all my talents to thy service.

Thou hast done for me all things well,
hast remembered, distinguished, indulged me.
All my desires have not been gratified,
but thy love denied them to me when fulfilment of my wishes would have proved my ruin or injury.

My trials have been fewer than my sins,
and when I have kissed the rod it has fallen from thy hands.
Thou hast often wiped away my tears,
restored peace to my mourning heart,
chastened me for my profit.

All thy work for me is perfect,
and I praise thee.

Chris put this in front of me today because he knew I needed to pray it, every part of it.  He was right.  Hope you are encouraged as much as I was!

THE CONVICTING SPIRIT

THOU BLESSED SPIRIT, AUTHOR OF ALL GRACE AND COMFORT,
Come, work repentance in my soul;
Represent sin to me in its odious colours that I may hate it;
Melt my heart by the majesty and mercy of God;
Show me my ruined self and the help there is in him;
Teach me to behold my Creator,
his ability to save,
his arms outstretched,
his heart big for me.
May I confide in his power and love,
commit my soul to him without reserve,
bear his image,
observe his laws,
pursue his service,
and be through time and eternity
a monument to the efficacy of his grace,
a trophy of his victory.
Make me willing to be saved in his way,
perceiving nothing in myself, but all in Jesus:
Help me not only to receive him but
to walk in him,
depend upon him,
commune with him,
be conformed to him,
follow him,
imperfect, but still pressing forward,
not complaining of labour, but valuing rest,
not murmuring under trials, but thankful for my state.
Give me that faith which is the means of salvation,
and the principle and medium of all godliness;
May I be saved by grace through faith,
live by faith,
feel the joy of faith,
do the work of faith.
Perceiving nothing in myself, may I find in Christ
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption.

In Christ ALONE my hope is found.

My hope is not found in money, in government, or education.  Not in friends or family. Not in my legacy, my kids, or health.   Not in my church, my husband, or MYSELF. 

He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

Last night I went to bed hoping I’d wake up in heaven.  It’s been that kind of a week.  I was exhausted, overwhelmed, tired, buried.   Instead the Lord gave me a dreamless uninterrupted 6 hours of sleep (and then a little more) and sent me back to work this morning.   With all the basketball going around right now, I felt like an injured player who wanted to quit but instead got a good tape job and a pep talk.   He put peace in my heart, energy in my limbs, and a song on my lips.   Sleep is a precious gift.  Thank you Lord!!!

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹ Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

² How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame ^[a] ?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods ^[b] ?
Selah

³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

⁴ In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah

⁵ Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

⁶ Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.