Monday 31 December 2018

Life in Him

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.                 Heb. 13.8


God – Father, Son and Spirit – is immutable. He is constant and consistent, never changing. God is faithful and true, but just, merciful and forgiving. He is patient and loving.

He has always been so. He is so today, and He will be so tomorrow. This is something to be ever aware of.

We stand on the change of the year. Yesterday has gone, today is where I live right now, and tomorrow brings the excitement, and likely challenge, of a new year.

I can reflect over the year that is coming to a close. For me, it has been a year of challenge. This time last year I most definitely would not have envisioned a brain tumour, surgery, and extended ongoing treatment. Fortunately, all that is past – at least for the present. It has not been the most pleasant experience, but I know that God has been with me every step of the way. I have felt His presence, and been recipient of His protection and guidance. His plan, I believe was not to spare me this experience but to lead me through it, accompanying me fully. Furthermore, I know God will work good through this. (Rom. 8.28)

I can live today to the fullest. I truly believe I honour God as I do so. Furthermore, I am obedient to Him in my living this way.

And tomorrow remains a mystery. It rises before me as an adventure. I look forward to it, but I will not anticipate. For God’s plans for me are greater than anything I could come up with. (Jer. 29.11)

Yes, at all times and in all things I am with Him – and peace and love abide.



Loving Father,
I thank You for all the yesterdays, for Your hand upon me and Your presence guiding me. Likewise I thank you for today, and I relish spending the day in Your company. In trust I look forward to tomorrow for my trust, my full trust is in You. I know You will not let me down, but bring good things to pass as we journey together. I thank You, in love.            Amen.

Friday 28 December 2018

Renewed

When you send your Spirit, 
they are created, 
and you renew the face of the earth.                   Psalm 104.30


In the beginning …God created.

Yes, God created. He created the cosmos, the earth, and man. He created us and we were made in His image and likeness. But He did not stop there. 

He renews, He re-creates. Through the power of His Spirit, God continues His work in mankind. He sustains His creation, holding everything in being.

I look for this renewal in God, by the Spirit. The prophet tells us that God’s mercies are new every morning. (Lament. 3.23)

I look for newness, re-creation in God, by God, and I look for it afresh each day.

I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5.17) – daily. The old has gone, the new has come.



Lord God,
I rejoice in this new day in You. I come before You in thanksgiving and praise. I ask You to breathe new life into me. Fill me, please, with Your Holy Spirit. Let me be renewed in You. I am truly a new creation, enriched and embraced by Your manifold mercy,
I pray not only for myself, but for this whole world. The word of the psalmist says you renew the face of the earth. Precious Father, hear my cry for the whole of mankind. I start with those I know, so many of them. Be with them Lord. Bring renewal into those lives that need to go forward in You. Bring release from sickness and disease, poverty and wrong thinking. I move out to the vast numbers I don’t know. They need You, Lord. Please, precious Master, move upon the world that all might know the glory of God. That they might see it, recognise it and acknowledge You.
That You will enter all hearts – this is my prayer. It’s a big prayer, but not too big for You.
Hallelujah! Praise You, Lord. Precious God.                 Amen.






Wednesday 26 December 2018

God

Let us come before him with thanksgiving 
and extol him with music and song.                    Psalm 95.2


The psalmist is extolling us to expressions of thanks and worship to God. He proceeds to tell us why we should be thankful and worshipful.

The LORD is the great God. My personal Lord, the being that draws me into intimacy, who loves me with the greatest love and who zealously guards and protects me, this same is God. He is supreme over all others who would seek to posture as gods. There is only ONE God, and this is my Lord and King.

My God is creator and master of all things. He holds the depths of the earth, the mountain peaks, the sea and the dry land.

He is all of this but He is also the one who cares for me in the most exquisite way. I am part of the flock that is more dear to Him than anything else. O, surely, I bow down in praise and worship before Him.

         Come, let us bow down in worship, 
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 
for he is our God 
and we are the people of his pasture 
the flock under his care.                   (vv 6,7)




Lord God,
I bow down before You. I exalt Your holy and powerful name. I embrace Your love, mercy and grace toward me. I extol You to the highest heavens.
O great Creator, precious Father, You are all things to me. I stand in awe, but I also nestle up in love.
Wonderful, wonderful Saviour, I praise You, I bless you. I rejoice in my being with You.
         I love You.                     Amen.

Monday 24 December 2018

All

The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.                                                                                         Psalm 103.19


In this song of thanksgiving, the psalmist begins with the individual: Praise the LORD, O my soul. He moves from the personal to the community. He then expands from the community to the cosmos. Indeed, the whole earth and the heavens form the dominion of our Lord and God.

I rejoice with the angels:
         Praise the LORD, you his angels, 
you mighty ones who do his bidding, 
who obey his word. (v20)

I am greatly uplifted to think that the whole of the heavens join in praise to the Holy One.

The acclamation that is ceaseless in heaven can be picked up on earth:
         Praise the LORD, all his works 
everywhere in his dominion.  (v22)

And I can be part of this wonderful celebration.
         Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Yes, yes, and yes again. Praise the Lord, my soul. Let me join with the heavenlies and those of the kingdom on earth, and raise the glorious name of the Lord in praise and adoration.


Lord God,
I praise You. I lift my voice in exultation of Your name. I rejoice in You, mighty God. I celebrate You as Lord and Saviour.
I hear the heavens proclaim Your majesty. I pray that all the earth will follow. O, let the earth be filled with the glory of the Lord. Let the people, all the people, rejoice in the name of the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised and hallowed. May the Lord be honoured and revered in my life and my testimony.
Lord God, I worship You before all else. You are Lord of lords and God supreme.
Hallelujah! Praise Your name.           Amen.

Saturday 22 December 2018

Another world

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.                            Phil. 6.14


Paul says quite clearly that he is separated from the world (crucified). After his magnificent encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, his whole life was given to Jesus.

I envy Paul. I would dearly like to live only for Jesus. I do this in part, yet I am obviously not doing it wholly. 

I do feel separate from “the world”. I identify with Jesus when He responds to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world….But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18.36) I feel that I am more in touch with heaven than I am with earth. Worldly things do not interest me.

As it is Christmas, I led a carol service at church this morning. I sought to present the carols as relevant to today as much as when they were written, some – several hundreds of years ago.  The carols brilliantly cover the birth of Christ, how He appeared to the lowly shepherds and the lofty magi. This tells me that He is there for both poor and rich. Indeed He is there for everyone who will receive Him: for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10.13)

To enter into this “other”, great and wonderful world, all we have to do is acknowledge Jesus as Saviour, and receive Him as Lord. As we do this, the attractions of the world will pall. When we truly give ourselves to Jesus, He becomes the focal point of all that we do. Through His love and power, we become His brothers and sisters. We belong to him, and our heritage is in another world.

In time we will live fully in this other place. Meanwhile we can enjoy glimpses of this glorious future in our present existence as we fix our eyes on Jesus.



Lord Jesus,
I thank You for the assurance of my place in the life and the world to come. I would not experience this miracle if You had not given Your life for my salvation. I thank You. I love You.             Amen.

Friday 21 December 2018

Old Age

They will still bear fruit in old age,
 they will stay fresh and green, 
proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; 
he is my Rock, and there is no 
wickedness in him.”                                           Psalm 92.14,15


The psalmist is talking about the righteous, who will retain freshness and health, remaining fruitful into old age.

I remember a recent discourse on righteousness, describing it, not as we may be wont to see it – as some sort of holy human perfection before God – but as applying to the person who is in right relationship with God.

Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15.6)

The verb “believe” used in this Scripture literally means to steady oneself by leaning on. The grammatical form used implies continuing permanently in this attitude. Surely, to steady oneself by leaning on the Lord and to continue permanently in this attitude would foster right relationship with God. Such a relationship will keep me ever fresh and healthy, and will allow me to bear fruit proclaiming the goodness of the Lord and my relationship with Him.



Lord God,
As I seek to steady myself by leaning on you, I ask for Your help. I pray You will support me and strengthen me. I seek to continue permanently in this attitude of leaning on You, of being steadied by You.
I pray for fruit long into my old age. I want to proclaim Your goodness and the joy of my relationship with You. I pray You will enable me to do this freely, and to draw many into closer relationship with You.
Lord, hear my prayer. Lead me on,
                  In Jesus’ name I ask.               Amen.

Wednesday 19 December 2018

Radiant

Those who look to him are radiant; 
their faces are never covered with shame.                               Psalm 34.5


The radiance that the psalmist refers to here is the expression of joy that inhabits the faces of those who look to the Lord. The preceding verse warrants inclusion here:
         I sought the LORD, and he answered me; 
he delivered me from all my fears.

God’s faithfulness ensures a wonderful consistency throughout the Bible. As I seek Him, He will not disappoint me. I know that, and it is greatly uplifting to me. My Lord is faithful. As I seek Him, He does answer me. By His answer He delivers me from all of my fears. I need to be attuned at all times to know He’s there, and to be open to hear His answers to me.

As I look to Him, I will know the radiance of joy in Him. My face will not be covered with shame. He is my covering. May I truly reflect His image.



Father God,
I thank You for the affirmation and reminder in Your Word today that You will answer me as I seek You. You will deliver me from all fears. As I look to You, Lord – even as I merely ponder on the thought – I feel my face begin to radiate with the joy of knowing You.
Gracious Lord and Wonderful Father, I want to know You more. I seek a closer walk with You. I invite You to be my constant covering. I ask You to shine through me that I may truly and constantly reflect Your image.
I marvel that I am Your child. It excites me to know that I am so accepted by You. O Lord and God, I want to be the very best I can be for You. Please help me, in Jesus’ name I ask.               Amen.





Monday 17 December 2018

Open

Then I acknowledged my sin to you 
and did not cover up my iniquity. 
I said, “I will confess my transgressions 
to the LORD” – and you forgave 
the guilt of my sin.                          Psalm 32.5
         

There is a guilt that attaches to all sin, and we cannot persuade ourselves that this is not so. When the sin is contained, the guilt sits, and broods, and festers. But when the sin is acknowledged – first within the individual – and then confessed to God, there is significant, indeed total, release from guilt. Tremendous healing power is released with God’s forgiveness.

I know I can hide nothing from God, but the conscious act of my being, in bringing my own failure and sin before Him in true confession and repentance, ensures His wonderful releasing of me into His provision and well-being.



Lord God,
I pray that I might always bring my sin before You in humble, but true, confession. I should like to say that I will not sin, but that very statement would be saturated with the sin of pride.
Rather, I will thank You for Your exceeding grace and mercy. The psalmist records, so simply – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
And so it is. Your forgiveness is generous and complete. Upon my sincere confession, Your forgiveness is instantaneous. Thank You, O merciful and loving Father.
I echo the words of my Lord in His teaching on prayer. I ask You to keep me from temptation and deliver me from the evil one.
Lord God, may I walk with You today? Would You show me Your ways and lead me in them? Would You walk with me and talk with me? The day is before us. I offer it to You and ask that You would take me with You into this day. May we have a joyous, wonderful adventure together, in Jesus’ name I ask.         Amen.






Friday 14 December 2018

Always there

Where can I go from your Spirit?                                                            
Where can I flee from your presence?                  Psalm 139.7


This would be one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible. The psalmist is both asking questions and making statements. He continues in the psalm to identify a number and variety of places and situations where he is able to go and, of course, God is in each and every one. 

In short, there is nowhere he can go and not find God.

So it is for me. when I am happy and celebratory it is perhaps easy for me to know that God is with me. He is also there, however, when I am struggling and maybe feeling myself to be in the pit. Yes, I can find God in the darkest, smelliest pit if I look for Him. As well, and this is something I really need to get hold of, God is there in the seemingly dry and indifferent times, those days – and they do come – when I feel almost apathetic to life and what might, or might not, be going on. I need never be without God. Perhaps the action is with me!



Lord God,
The psalmist says, “You have searched me and you know me.” I know this is true for myself also. But there are times when I feel I must search for You. And these are not always desperate times. There are the in-between times, the times of seeming nothing-ness. I know You’re there but there is, perhaps, a lack of action or response when I need it. Even as I write this, I see that it is my need rather than Your will. I ask You to forgive me for any impatience and to strengthen me to wait on You.
Yes, Lord, holy God, I know You are there. Let me be patient, holding on to Your word, as refreshed to me by the preceding psalm, that You will fulfil Your purpose for me. (Psalm 138.8)
Thank You, Lord. I rejoice in You. I yield and submit to You. Have Your way, in Jesus’ name.           Amen.





Wednesday 12 December 2018

Dependence

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, 
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, 
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, 
till he shows us his mercy.                                  Psalm 123.2


The slave is totally at the mercy of his master. The maid is dependent on the generosity, or otherwise, of her mistress. These are clear, unequivocal positions. The dependence of the one upon the other is virtually absolute.

Is it this way between myself and God? The psalmist is saying that I should be as reliant upon God as the slave is upon his master or the maid is upon her mistress.

I know this is what I want in my heart. I don’t know that I always seek it or allow it. But I can ask God for help.



Lord God,
I love You and I wish to devote myself entirely to You and Your will for my life. I’m not sure that I always act out in this leading. Where I don’t, I ask Your forgiveness.
I also ask for Your help. Please lead me and guide me. Lord, how do I get my life and my living to follow the deeper desires of my heart, which are totally Yours? How do I do this? What is the action for me? And what must I leave to You?
I surrender to You. I ask You to show me and to guide me.
You are the centre of my life. Without you, nothing would make sense. Precious Lord, I yield to You. I give over all that I am and all that I have to You, and I seek only Your will and Your way for me.
Be with me today. Lead me forward. Be in all that I do. Let me know Your presence with me. I love You, and just want to be with You.
Draw me close, in Jesus’ name I ask.           Amen.

Saturday 8 December 2018

Holy fear

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
aIl who follow his precepts have good understanding. 
To Him belongs eternal praise.                            Psalm 111.10


This psalm is a hymn of praise to God for His unfailing righteousness. Interwoven with praise is instruction in wisdom. God is worthy, O so worthy, of all praise. His works are great; glory and majesty fit well with Him. He works wonders, and is a gracious and compassionate provider. He is faithful, just and trustworthy.

How wise it is to acknowledge these things, to take them into our being with understanding and to base upon them a fear – a holy respect and acknowledgement – of God. This is not terror, but a most healthy regard and a desire to act always out of the deepest respect for a mighty and loving, faithful God.



Lord God,
I join with the psalmist in praise of You. I rejoice at Your great works. I acknowledge Your faithfulness, justice and mercy. I marvel at the wonders You bring to pass.
I have a certain knowledge of You and Your wonderful attributes. I ask for a deeper understanding and the promotion of wisdom in me.
Lord God, may I know You with a holy fear. May progressive understanding lead me into a deeper respect and reverence for You. I love You, but I so desire to live my life in full accord with Your wishes. Hear this, the cry of my heart. Lead me deeper into You.
I lift my heart and my voice in praise to You. Great God and wonderful Saviour, I extol You. I thank You for Your great works and glorious deeds. I thank You for all that You are and all that You do. I love You.                Amen.






Supported

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” 
your love, O LORD, supported me.                                        Psalm 94.18


This verse highlights, for me, the psalmist’s understanding of God. He has a confidence in God. He knows that God is there, for him, in times of trial and testing.

He has earlier touched on God’s understanding of His creation:
         Does he who implanted the ear not hear?
         Does he who formed the eye not see?          (v9)

         The LORD knows the thoughts of man; 
he knows that they are futile.                     (v11)

There is, at once, comfort, hope and strength in these words. Of course God hears and sees. He hears all that is said in my life – by whoever! He hears every prayer and plea that I utter. He sees everything – the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. And, as much as all else, He knows my thoughts. Oh, horror!!

Oh no, not horror. I can be glad that my Maker, my God and my Lord knows me this intimately. I can hide nothing from Him. Nor do I wish to. I want hypocrisy to be no part of my life. I am a real person and I praise God that He knows, even better than I do, the reality of the person that I am. He knows, and He loves me! His love supports and strengthens me at all times. It is especially there when my foot starts to slip.



O Lord,
I thank You that You know me and there is nothing I can hide from You. I thank You that, though You know every adverse thing about me, You love me – faithfully, lastingly, unconditionally.
My foot will often begin to slip. I thank You that Your love is there to support me each time the slip begins. Your love corrects and restores me. I thank You. I love You.           Amen.




Tuesday 4 December 2018

Eternal

Lord, you have been our dwelling place 
throughout all generations. 
Before the mountains were born 
or you brought forth the earth and the world, 
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.             Psalm 90.1,2


God is constant. He is there at all times. Since before time began He has been there. And He will be there. God is faithful. He says He will never leave me nor desert me, and He is true to His word.

God is so available. He has been available for humanity since time immemorial. He has been our dwelling place through all generations. He has been a refuge for all who would turn to Him and seek Him out.

The earth may change, the ancient mountains may crumble. But God is constant. He is ever there.



Lord God,
I salute You. Your constancy and faithfulness are there for all, at all times. You made the mountains, but You were there, in faithfulness, before any of Your great acts of creation.
You are compassionate. In Jesus, You looked upon so many and You saw them with compassion. The sinner You forgive, and You raise him up in new life. The lonely You befriend and they are lonely no longer. You bring healing to the sick and peace to the heavy-hearted.
Dear Lord, You are all that humanity needs. I cry out to You in wonder and worship. I fall to my knees before You. I confess my sins and ask You to release me in sweet forgiveness. I look to You to lead me forward. I join with the psalmist and say:
         May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us; 
establish the work of our hands for us
.
Yes, establish the work of our hands.           Amen.




Monday 3 December 2018

Closer

Do not cast me away when I am old; 
do not forsake me when my strength is gone. 

Even when I am old and grey, 
do not forsake me, O God, 
till I declare your power to the next generation, 
your might to all who are to come.             Psalm 71. 9, 18



The psalmist entreats God to be with him in his old age, to not forsake him.

He repeats his entreaty asking for God’s presence and power to be with him as he declares the message of God, His power and His might, to the next generation.

I echo this plea. I wish to work for the Lord, sharing the message with those who are growing even now – the next generation – those who will perpetuate the message.



Lord God,
I believe You are with me. There are times when I strongly sense Your presence with me. I pray this will continue.
I believe You have much yet that You wish to do in me and through me. This excites me. I am with You Lord.
Forgive me, my dear Father, I sense I am often declaring to You that I am with You. This is my desire and, whilst I hope this is the case, I’m not always sure that my full focus is on You. Help me, please.
It needs to be You, not me, saying if I am with You. My heart is that I should be always with You – and You with me.
I entreat You, my Lord and my God, to draw me closer to You. Do not forsake me. Do not give me up, but rather strengthen me and empower me. Enable me to reach out to many in Your Name, to touch them in Your love. To lead them in Your way.
I love You Lord, and wish to serve You, in Jesus’ name.           Amen.  

Saturday 1 December 2018

Not afraid

In God, whose word I praise, 
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. 
What can mortal man do to me?                Psalm 56.4

In God whose word I praise, 
in the LORD, whose word I praise – 
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. 
What can man do to me?                          vv. 10,11


These words are obviously important. So important indeed, that they are repeated. And the second time they are given even greater emphasis. 

The psalmist praises the word of God. As I read God’s Word I am reminded, time after time, of His goodness and mercy, His faithfulness and trustworthiness. Praise the word of the Lord!

Yes, indeed, I can trust God. I need not be afraid, for mere man can do no real harm to me when God is with me. I will not be afraid.

In the repetition of this trust in God a further dimension is added. The psalmist refers to the LORD whose word he praises. When all-powerful God is also Lord – Lord of me and every part of who I am and what I do – then I need fear for nothing.

God will be God despite anything I do. But He will only be my LORD as I allow Him.



Lord God,
Thank You for Your word today. I bow before You as God Almighty – Creator, Redeemer, Preserver. I embrace You also as my Lord. I invite You into the depths of my being and ask You to exercise Your Lordship over every part of me.
When any person seeks to harm me, I will remind myself that You are God. You are almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing and all being. And You are my Lord. You care for me. You protect and guide me. I trust in You. In You I am safe. I thank You, good and gracious God, in Jesus’ name.           Amen.              

Thursday 29 November 2018

Mercy

I said, “O LORD, have mercy on me; 
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”             Psalm 41.4


This short and simple verse gives a complete prayer. I am a sinner, and however much effort I put into aiming for a sinless walk, I will fail.

So, what do I do? Do I give up and label myself “a hopeless sinner”? No, for my situation is not hopeless. I may be a sinner but I am also redeemed. My wonderful Lord Jesus paid the price for my sin and restored me into right relationship with the Father. This allows me to cry out in my sin for God’s mercy and forgiveness. 

God freely forgives a repentant sinner. He brings healing from the sin and, often, healing from physical or emotional dis-ease that might well have been occasioned by the sin.



Lord God,
You are wonderful. I look to You and I marvel. Each time I come to You in my sinful state I want to hope that it will not happen again. But it does!
Yet Your great and gracious mercy forgives me and sets me free.
Lord God, I know that I will never be free of sin, yet my desire is to so please You that sin will not be any problem.
I dare to ask for healing. Lord, may I be healed and filled with the fullness of Christ in me. I get so excited, Lord, to know that You are in me.
Oh! Precious Jesus, take me and lead me forward into this day, in Your sweet name I ask.                 Amen.




Monday 26 November 2018

Hidden

Why, O LORD, do you stand off? 
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?               Psalm 10.1


I can hear the psalmist’s anxiety and desperate cry in these questions. He is afflicted and in desperate need of God’s presence and help. And God seems to be nowhere near.

I hear his cry and I taste his desperation, but I’m not sure that I agree with his sentiments. I like to think – indeed, I choose to think – that God is there with me in every time of trouble. I may not feel it, and this might be because I allow the threat, the danger or the adverse circumstances greater focus than my efforts to reach God and to rest in Him.

In such times my efforts to touch Him must surely be increased. He is there for me. My Lord Jesus paid the price of all suffering for me. I should not allow any present confusion (the subtle and effective work of Satan) to rob me of the assurance that my Lord and God is right there with me. I re-affirm His words to me that He will never leave me nor forsake me. I remind myself that God is with me (Immanuel) and I ask, “Who can be against me?”



Lord, Mighty Wonderful God,
I extol Your name. I sing high praise to You from every part of me. I thank You for Your faithfulness. I remind myself of Your constant presence and I rejoice. I pray that I might always know that You are with me. In times when it does not feel so, I ask for gentle reminders from You, and a strengthening of me that can only come from You.
O Wonderful Master, I feel You are with me right now. Lead me forward into this day. May Your name be hallowed, Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done, in Jesus’ name.            Amen.




Sunday 25 November 2018

Stubborn?

From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.    Jer. 11.7,8


From this passage God might appear stern, unbending and even harsh. In fact, He is just. He continually reminded the Israelites of the behaviour He expected from them. This was no one-off warning. Time and again He spoke to them. And each time they chose to ignore Him and follow the stubbornness of their own hearts. The result was curse, as the natural consequence of disobedience to God. This is, truly, a sorry state.

But the converse is wonderfully encouraging. God’s blessing is upon those who fear Him and seek to do His will. He is a faithful and patient God who will help us and lead us through our weaknesses if we will only turn to Him and be guided by Him.

Today’s God time began at Psalm 103 where I noted the following verse:
         The Lord works righteousness and justice 
for all the oppressed.



Lord God,
I praise You with all of my soul for Your goodness and mercy. My desire is to follow You. I ask You to lead me in Your way, to forgive me and correct me when I falter. 
I rejoice in You. I praise all the wonderful aspects about You – Your love and care, grace and mercy, faithfulness and truth. But my love is given to You because You are. You are the great I AM. I am both privileged and humbled to be Your child.
Lord God, I thank You, in Jesus’ name.                Amen.


Friday 23 November 2018

Family

He decreed statutes for Jacob 
and established the law in Israel, 
which he commanded our forefathers 
to teach their children, 
so the next generation would know them, 
even the children yet to be born, 
and they in turn would tell their children.           Psalm 78.5,6


Passing the message to our children’s children brings my grandsons to the fore in my mind. I most strongly desire that they will know, and walk with God. 

I feel limited, I feel limited in opportunities to share with them, and also limited in my own ability to share. Even so, my God is able to do all things. He can equip me as is necessary. He can bring opportunities to light. He can make a way.



Lord God,
I thank You for my grandsons. I release and commit them to You with my prayer that they will grow up, and grow strong, in You.
I pray that You will open ways for them to learn of You. If there should be opportunities for me to share with them, I ask You to give me all that I need to fulfil the task.
I commit their home to You. I ask You to infuse that home and that family with Your presence. Please minister to each member of the family with Your grace and Your love.
I rejoice in my biological and my spiritual families. I marvel in Your headship. My Dear Father, lead us forward further into Your family, in Jesus’ name I ask.               Amen.