Prayer: Spheres of Influence

Lord God, I confess that I need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus Christ much deeper than I currently do. I need to refer everything back to You instead of making my own commonsense decisions and then asking You to bless them. I remove my sense of duty off the throne of my heart and replace it with the resurrection life of Christ.

From my Master Gardener's perspective, one poor tool working all the time but with little results, is of small value compared with a sharp, keen instrument in Your hand used only a short time but turning out beautiful results. May I learn from Christ, who stated that apart from You He could do nothing. Given this knowledge, He chose to rise early, go out into the solitary places to pray and get in tune with You. May I learn to truly abide in You.

May I be a crown of beauty, a royal diadem, in Your hand bringing great delight and honor to You. I take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, keeping within the boundaries established for me. I place my hope in Your promise that my sphere of influence will be enlarged through those whose lives I touch as they in turn share Your Good News in their spheres of influence; thereby extending Your grace to lands far beyond what I personally could ever reach. Amen (Mark 1.35; John 5.19; Isaiah 62.2-4; 1 Maccabees 5.57,60-61; 2 Corinthians 10.4-5,13-16)

Prayer: Touching the Mere Hem of Your Ways

Lord God, I bow myself low, making my way through the press of the crowd and other things that block my way to You. Like the woman of long ago, I reach out and touch the hem of Your garment. Let Your power go out from You and into me to heal mind-thirsts, heart-thirsts, soul-thirsts, physical-thirsts. I acknowledge that I am touching upon the mere hem of Your ways. You are so much more compassionate, powerful and loving than I will ever comprehend.

I am humbled to realize that You choose to place Your Spirit upon me to anoint me to turn outward from myself and bring Your Good News to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoner, and to comfort those who mourn. May Your touch be released to give others joy instead of mourning, beauty for ashes, and a spirit of praise rather than a faint spirit. May I sow bountifully, for You, O Lord, provide every blessing so I always have enough of everything (spiritual gifts, money, time, etc.) to share abundantly with others. May I glorify You as I minister to others and may they become oaks of righteousness planted by You for Your honor, glory and praise. Amen (Matthew 9.21; Isaiah 61.1-3; 1 Maccabees 4.35; 2 Corinthians 9.6,8,13)

Prayer: Deep Wells of Doubt

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am like the woman at the well; I am impressed by what I hear, but I don't see how You can do what you say in my life. The well is deep and I don't know how you will draw up the living water of which You speak. I confess that I have often doubted Your almighty power to work out the details based on my finite understanding. Forgive me, Lord, and grant me faith; even that of a mustard seed, for You say it is enough.

May I no longer be like a King's daughter who sits in rags, while all around me are my Father's storehouses filled with all I could possibly desire. You speak to me, Arise, shine; for Your light has come. O Lord, let Your light shine upon me, let the glory of the Lord rise upon me. May I lift up my eyes to see whom You have gathered, whom You have brought my way. May I see what You are doing and be filled with joy and radiance. Strength, O Lord, comes from You, for in the sight of heaven there is no difference in saving by many or by few. May I do that which is right in Your sight, as well as in the sight of others. Amen (John 4.11; Luke 17.6; Isaiah 60.1-5; 1 Maccabees 3.18; 2 Corinthians 8.21)

Prayer: Gift of Tears

Your hand, O Lord, is not too short to save nor is Your ear too dull to hear. Rather it is my iniquities (going my own way, doing things in my own strength) which create the barrier between us. My sin has hidden Your face from me so that You do not hear. You say that godly grief produces repentance and with it comes spiritual insight, and thus maturity. Grant me, O God the gift of tears. Stir up to remembrance in my heart and mind examples of men and women of faith from past generations who were filled with a reverential awe of You. You bring to mind Joseph when he said, How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

May I, like Joseph, know that You are with me even when circumstances try to hinder that knowledge. May I seek to live a disciplined life in those areas where Joseph proved himself faithful to You: submission to authority, chastity, service, loyalty and leadership. May I allow my story to be shaped by sacred history, as well as by my relationship with You. Amen (Isaiah 59.1-2; 1 Maccabees 2.51,61; 2 Corinthians 7.10)

Prayer: To Spend and be Spent

Lord God, I open wide my heart to You and to all those You send my way. Lord Jesus Christ, I invite You to help Yourself to my life wherever I am, wherever I go. You have given me the ministry of reconciliation. May the silent work of Your Spirit be released to draw others to us. May I learn to see all who come as sent by You and may I always grant them a warm welcome. I willingly share my love, joy, happiness, time, food, gladly with all. I will very gladly spend and be spent for You. I will use all I possess for others, blessing even as I am blessed.

Lord God, guide me continually and be my Living Water as I go into the parched places. May I be a well-watered garden, with a fresh spring constantly bubbling up, whose waters never fail. May I be a repairer of the breach, the one who builds a firm foundation for future generations. I open wide my heart to You. Amen (2 Corinthians 2.15, 2 Corinthians 5.18, Isaiah 58.11-12, 2 Corinthians 6.13)

Prayer: A Contrite & Humble in Heart

O Lord God, You are the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity. Your name is Holy. Yet You choose to dwell with the one who is contrite and humble in heart. Every sacrifice, every fragrant offering to You is but a small thing. However, You tell us that the one who is in awe of You is a great thing, the perfect offering.

You have reconciled us to Yourself through Christ, and You have given us the ministry of reconciliation. You choose to make Your appeal through us, so others may be reconciled to You and experience Your healing love, mercy and grace. May we be worthy to be called Your ambassadors. The real healing of body, mind and spirit comes from within, from the close loving contact of Your Spirit with our spirit. It is then that the Sun of Righteousness rises with healing in His wings. Let the Spirit of the Lord rise within us. Amen.
(1 Chronicles 22.16, Isaiah 57.15, Judith 16.16, 2 Corinthians 5.18,20)

Prayer: We Do Not Lose Heart

Ah, Lord God, we do not lose heart, for it is by Your mercy that we are engaged in ministry. We do not lose heart even though our physical self is wasting away, because we know that our inner nature (our spirit) is being renewed day by day. Grant us eyes to see beyond those things which are merely physical; grant us eyes to see with our spirit.

We hide ourselves beneath Your wing. We put our trust in You. Cover us, O God, with Your feathers and warm our hearts. Still us, O God, and fill us with a knowing that You are God of all tribes, all nations, all peoples. Gather others to us who long to know You, who want to minister to You, who love the name of the Lord, who choose to be Your servants, and hold fast to Your covenant of love and grace. May we who gather willingly extend Your mercy and justice as we go forth; sharing Your blessings by blessing all whom we meet. Amen (Psalm 46.10, Psalm 91.4, 1 Chronicles 21.23, Isaiah 56, 2 Corinthians 4.1,16-18)

Prayer: Freedom

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. When I abandon myself to You, O Spirit of the Living God, then You are able to work through me all the time. May I not worry about tomorrow, but simply take one step at a time with You. Remind me that I do not need to see far ahead, I simply need to trust in You. Where You go, Lord, I will follow.

You, O Lord, provide living water. Wash me, O God, with the pure water of Your Word. I come to You, I incline my ear, I listen once again so that I may live Your abundant life now at this point in time, in this specific place. Your thoughts are not my thoughts, Your ways are not my ways. Your ways are far higher than the heavens -- may I choose to rise and fill my heart with Your Word. Your Word goes out from Your mouth and it shall not return empty, but it shall accomplish that which You have purposed. It will succeed in the thing for which You sent it.

For discord, O Lord, bring peace. For unrest, O Guardian of my heart, bring joy. You, O Lord, bring restoration, healing, and hope -- true Shalom. May I live, walk and serve in this freedom, to Your honor and glory. Amen (Matthew 6.34, Isaiah 55, 2 Corinthians 3.17)

Prayer: The Aroma of Life

Lord God, Fill us with courage to go on with You, to demonstrate Your glory to a watching world. We trust You to enlarge the place where You have planted us. Stretch us beyond our finite imaginations, enabling us to extend Your Kingdom far and wide into future generations. We open wide the gates, calling others to lift up their heads from the shame and humiliation of their youth; acknowledging instead Your love, strength and power to redeem our lives and make them count for all eternity. May we be the very aroma of life to all those around us. Teach us to live courageous, triumphant lives and speak as persons of sincerity, standing in for Your Presence, the very fragrance of Christ upon us. Now indeed is the time to help Your inheritance. You tell us that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us, and not only do You hear -- we have the petitions that we desired of You. Praise be to God! (John 14.31,1 John 5.14-15, 1 Chronicles 19.13, Isaiah 54.2-4, Judith 13.5,11, 2 Corinthians 2.14-17)

Prayer: Arise, Shine!

You, O God have established us in in Christ, anointed us, put Your seal upon us, and given us Your Spirit in our hearts. May we come to fully understand this and be enjoined with You in every detail of our lives. May You carry out by our hands what You have determined. Hallow even those tasks we deem as drudgery. May we not wander off as sheep without a Shepherd; turning our own way, mindlessly doing the next thing in our own strength. It is during those times that we lose our resemblance to You and bruise Your good name with our iniquities.

We long to hear, Well done, good and faithful servant! instead of...Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you!

May we bring the light of God to even our most humble tasks, hallowing them in the process. May we heed Your call to Arise, shine! (Isaiah 60.1, Isaiah 53.6,11, Judith 12.4, 2 Corinthians 1.21-11)

Prayer: The Irresistable Future

Who am I, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far, O Lord my God? You, O Lord, have blessed and are blessed forever. May I keep alert, ever listening to Your voice; stand firm in the faith, courageous and strong, doing everything in love and grace. You have done so much for me, O My Beloved. You have opened wide a door for effective work; I choose to move out into the irresistable future with You. Amen (Matthew 26.46, Luke 10.39, 1 Chronicles 17.16,26-27, Isaiah 52.1,6, Judith 11.1,16-17, 1 Corinthians 16.9,13-14)

Prayer: Rising on Beautiful Spirit-Wings

Ah, Lord of Hosts, may I rise from the torpor of this age and simply do the next thing that is before me. Grant me eyes to see Your beauty in the commonplace. May I be filled with wonder knowing that You choose to come and grace me in the midst of the ordinary stuff of my life.

You are the One who stirs up the sea so its waves roar. Stir me, O Lord of Hosts. Fill me with songs of praise to Your glory and honor. Stir up remembrances of all You have done for Your people. May I seek Your Presence continually and glory in Your name. Put Your words in my mouth and hide me in the shadow of Your hand. May I emerge transformed in appearance, changed, rising on beautiful Spirit-wings, excelling in Your work, bringing glory and honor to You. Fill me with Your strength. Fill me with the knowledge that my labor is not in vain. (1 Kings 19.5, 1 Chronicles 16.8-12,23-25, Isaiah 51.11-12,15-16, Judith 10.7,8, 1 Corinthians 15.52,58)

Prayer: Morning by Morning

Morning by morning You awaken me, O God. You rouse me up to hear Your Word in this dry and thirsty land. You make me aware of those around me who are hurting and searching for hope. Grant me, I pray, the tongue of a teacher so that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Your strength does not depend on numbers, nor Your might on the powerful. But You are the God of the lowly, Helper of the oppressed, Upholder of the weak, Protector of the forsaken, Savior of those without hope. Use my voice to encourage others to yet trust in the name of the Lord my God and rely upon You rather than seeking to light their own fires.

I wait on You, O Lord, knowing that You have designed the things that are now and those that are to come. All Your ways are prepared in advance and Your judgment is with foreknowledge. I place my trust in You and wait before You, O God. May I build up those around me and speak words of encouragement and consolation. (Ephesians 5.14, Isaiah 26.3,1 Chronicles 15.12,13, Judith 9.5-6, 11, 1 Corinthians 14.3)

Prayer: Made for Community

Ah, Lord God, You who are above all time, space and history -- it is in You that we live and move and have our being. It is in You that we find our purpose and meaning, our story. When You created Adam, You then removed a rib so there would be an incompleteness, a recognizable void, a familiar ache. None of us lives our life unto ourself; we are made for community. May this knowledge increasingly dawn in our hearts and lives. May we see that we are responsible for other souls before You; You have placed us here in this very specific place to demonstrate Your love to those around us.

Forgive us for being spiritually dense, mentally lazy, and physically selfish. May we begin to understand how these traits negatively impact those around us. Fill us with Your love and grace. Grant us eyes to see those in our lives with Your eyes of compassion and love. May we believe You have placed us here to be a light to the nations, and their spiritual lives depend on us faithfully living our life of love before them. Fill us with Your love, or we are nothing. Amen (Acts 17.28, Romans 14.7, Job 32.8, 1 Chronicles 14.2, Judity 8.24, 1 Corinthians 13)

Prayer: Separating the Darkness

Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, You who create light to separate the darkness, breathe Your Spirit-wind into our lives, our circumstances, and create Your order out of chaos. As we sit in the midst of darkness, may we sit quietly and wait upon You. May we listen and heed Your voice. May we not generate greater chaos by rushing to speak to others about the darkness, or by reading books to find out the reason for the dark night of our souls. We confess that if we are busy talking we will never hear what You are saying.

You tell us that we are blessed if we hear You, if we watch daily at Your gates, if we wait at Your door posts. We confess that we would break down under the weight of our cares if not for the renewing time in Your Presence. It is Your Presence that strengthens us. It is Your Presence that heals us. We acknowledge that we cannot understand how this is so, for it is far beyond our comprehension. Grant us ears to hear new things, hearts that trust in You, and spirits willing to wait upon You, our Shield and our Deliverer.

May we realize that when one of us suffers, we all suffer. May we be willing to comfort those around us who are suffering. Forgive us for compassion fatigue. Grant us grace to bring Your healing hand into lives filled with misery, so all may be filled with wonder and praise at the revelation of Your great compassion, love and grace. Amen. (Matthew 10.27, Proverbs 8.34,Judith 7.19,22,32, 1 Corinthians 12.26)

Prayer: An Ear to Hear

Ah, Lord God, speak for Thy servant heareth. I realize there must be a listening ear, as well as Your still small voice. May I choose to be united to Jesus Christ so I not only hear You speak but choose to quickly obey. May I learn a devotion to hearing all the time, not just in crisis moments. I willingly give up those things which compete with Your voice and so easily drown it out. Grant, I pray, an understanding of the times in which I live. May I be wholly consecrated to You, O Lord, and humbly come before You each morning expecting to hear Your voice. Amen. (1 Samuel 3.10, Galatians 6.9, 1 Chronicles 12.32, Judith 6.19,20)

Prayer: Eternal Life Now

Lord God, we are so dull and so obstinate, so set on doing things our own way, that we do not hear You. You offer us a new life, a new existence, an opportunity to live eternal life now in abundance. Instead, we choose to carry our own burdens, our own idol of self-reliance, and then wonder why we are so weighed down, so lacking in joy, stumbling wearily through life.

May we stop, look back through the years, and recognize that You have carried us since the day we were born. May we listen to Your promise that even when we are old and gray-headed, You will continue to carry us and accomplish that which You have planned.

May we begin to see how much You hate iniquity (doing good things in our own strength). May we realize that when we do things on our own we have departed from You, have ceased to give You glory and honor, and in so doing have started the spiral of our own defeat. We confess that choosing to go our own way is a common affliction in this life. We choose instead to look to You the Author and Finisher of our faith as a means of escape from this self-defeating cycle. In whatever we do, may we determine to do all for Your glory. Amen. (Romans 8.14, Isaiah 46.3-4,10-11, Judith 5.17, 1 Corinthians 10.13,31)

Prayer: Kept In Perfect Peace

Ah, Lord God, may I remember Whose I am and Whom I serve as I go about each day. Keep me in perfect peace as I choose to constantly re-engage my imagination with thoughts, images, and remembrances of You. May I wait on You and keepYour way.

Go before me, O Lord, and show me the way. Level out the mountains of difficulty, break into pieces the doors of bronze that refuse to open, cut the bars of iron that close off the way. I praise You for the times of darkness and depression that have come in my life. During those times You have granted me treasures as I turned to You; riches beyond compare which were hidden away in the darkness. I learned to trust in You and have come to know it is You who called me by name and that You will not forsake me.

You, O Lord, are the Potter and I am the clay. You fashion me into the vessel You think best to accomplish Your purposes. What right do I have to ask You, the Potter, What are You making?! May I simply be responsive to Your fashioning and intentions. O Creator God, hear my prayer. I place myself in Your hands and humble myself before You. May I let Your light shine through me. May I be a vessel of honor to You, bringing You all the glory. Amen (Isaiah 26.3, Psalm 37.34, Isaiah 45.2-3,9, 1 Cor. 9.16)

Prayer: Our Source of Life

Lord God, fill our hearts with love for You. Knowledge of You merely puffs us up. Love for You builds us up, as well as those around us. Our imaginations today are starved of You. With all that bombards us in today's world, we become anesthetized to You and fail to see You all around us. May we lift up our eyes on high and behold You -- the Creator of all things. In this fresh breath of springtime, may our eyes and hearts be filled with wonder. May our hearts and lips overflow with praise as we gaze upon the beauty unfolding around us. May we see You in every blossoming and withering, in the rythms of day and night, in the cycle of the seasons, and in every wind that blows.

When our hearts get overwhelmed, lead us to the Rock that is higher than we are, and set our feet on firm footing and a wide path. We are Your servants, You formed us and You reassure us that we will not be forgotten by You. You have swept away all our transgressions like a cloud and our sins like a mist. Pour out Your water on us -- this dry and thirsty ground. May You be the life-sap that rises in us and fills us with new hope and vitality. We place ourselves in the hands of our Master Gardener, knowing that You have skillful hands and make no mistakes in pruning. May we trust in Your pruning to bring about an abundant fruitful harvest. Amen (Isaiah 40.26, Psalm 61.2, Isaiah 44.3, 21-22)

Prayer: A New Thing

Ah, Lord God, may we choose to pull back from busy-ness and still ourselves so we hear Your voice, and move into a heart-consciousness of Your Presence and activity in our lives. You created us, You formed us, You called us by name and redeemed us. Thank You for being a personal, ever-creating, loving God who neither faints nor becomes weary. Thank You for reminding us that when we pass through waters of difficulty You are with us; when turbulent waters threaten You will not allow them to overwhelm us. You promise that when we walk through firey trials, we will not be burned and the flames will not consume us. You, O Lord, are our God. You, O Lord, are our Savior. Thank You for reminding us that we are precious in Your sight, we are honored and loved by You.

O Lord, we confess that You alone are God and there is no other. You work and no one can hinder Your plan. May we forget those former things that demanded so much of our time and attention and counted so little in Kingdom terms. May we no longer spend time considering how things used to be...You tell us that You are about to do a new thing; it is about to spring forth. Grant us eyes and hearts to perceive that which You initiate. O Lord, only You can make a way in the wilderness. Only You can release Rivers of Living Water in the desert. May it be, Lord Jesus, may it be. Amen. (Psalm 46.10, Isaiah 40.28,Isaiah 43)

Prayer: Immense Broadening

O Holy God, You call us to sanctification and we wonder what it will cost -- An intense narrowing of all our interests on earth and an immense broadening of all our interests in You.

You call us into a covenant relationship with You and then gently take us by the hand and draw us to Yourself. You then ask us to reflect Your light in order to open the eyes of those who cannot see Your great love; to bring others out of darkness into Your light. May we see that our bodies are the temple of Your Holy Spirit and we are no longer our own, but we belong to You and bring You glory as we let Your light shine in and through us. May we realize the great price You paid and know our cost is nothing in comparison. May the former things pass away and may new things You have planned spring forth. Amen. (Isaiah 42.6-9, 1 Corinthians 6.19-20)

Prayer: Our Guiding Light

O Lord God Almighty, in the midst of calamity or confusing circumstances it is so natural for us to want an immediate answer from You. We cry, Why, Lord, why?! May we come to recognize and confess this as spiritual lust -- demanding what we want to know from You instantly. May we choose instead to seek You, knowing You will grant us understanding in Your time.

When we walk in a tunnel of darkness, may we trust You to guide us into Your light. Grant us eyes to see our life with You through child-trusting eyes, filled with wonder at seeing Your hand at work around us. Pour out Your grace on us so we know with assurance that You are answering us even before we cry out to You. You hear us even before we speak. You, O Lord, know our hearts better than we do ourselves. You chose us to be Your people, strengthen us and uphold us as You draw us out of darkness into Your wonderful light. Thank You for being a faithful and true Guide. Amen. (Isaiah 65.24,Isaiah 41.9-10,2 Esdras 16.75)

Prayer: Waiting & Renewing

O Lord, grant us a listening ear when You speak; a heart that waits on You. Your Kingdom, O God, does not depend on us or on our talk. May we be willing to close our mouths and spend more time listening. Your Kingdom is based entirely on You and Your power. You, O Lord, are the Creator of the heavens and the earth. You tell us that Your Kingdom is unshakeable and everlasting. May we take comfort in Your everlasting arms and know that we cannot get lower than those loving arms that hold us so firmly!

Hold us ever close so that we may hear Your heart beat and know that it beats out of great love for us. You, O Lord, do not faint nor do You grow weary. Your understanding of us, our circumstance and the events of our lives is immense and unsearchable. You know so much more about us than we ever will! Grant us power when we are faint, strengthen us when we are not strong.

You tell us that if we but wait upon You, You will renew our strength so that we can fly like an eagle; we will run and not be weary, we will walk and not faint. O God, how we long for Your kingdom! Our souls long for You, O God! We place our hope in Your Word and trust in You. Bring us into Your Kingdom, Lord God Almighty. Amen (Psalm 130.5, 1 Chronicles 5.20, Isaiah 40.28-31)

Prayer: Lighting the Lamp of Understanding

Ah, Lord God: So often we come to You only for the hand of Your blessing or to ask You to protect us from pain or harm; we confess that seldom do we come to You just to be with You and begin to know You intimately. Your call is simply, Come. In that quiet place, may we begin to listen and hear You speak to us right where we are, and visibly see Your hand move through time, space and history. May we come to the place where we truly believe that the problems and difficulties of our lives can be explained by You more clearly and more effectually than by any other.

May we set our house in order, for You claim us as Your temple and tell us that we are not our own, we have been bought at a great price. May we divest ourselves of our weaknesses, put away all that is not pleasing to You, and allow You to light in our hearts the lamp of understanding and increase our spiritual wisdom. Amen. (1 Chronicles 4.10, 2 Esdras 14.13-15,25, 40, 1 Corinthians 3.16)

Prayer: Held as in a Vise

To be held as in a vise by the love of Christ -- what, O God, would that look like today? Is it possible in today's world to simply go forward step by step trusting You to show us the way? We confess that it is easier with all the rush, noise, and confusion to simply go our own way without even thinking about it. We do not quiet ourselves so that we can hear Your voice and be stirred to seek out Your way.

May we come to Your Word each day, trusting in You for guidance, instruction, wisdom and understanding. You promise us that eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor the human heart conceived what You have prepared for those who love You. Ah, Lord God, we do love You! We long to know You more! We want to know what You have prepared for us. Grant us eyes to see, ears to hear and a hearts overwhelmed by Your great love. We lift up our hearts to You -- fill our every longing, O Lord. Amen. (2 Corinthians 5.14, 2 Esdras 13.54, 1 Corinthians 2.9)

Prayer: Our Source of Strength

You tell us to Be not afraid, only believe. You remind us that the walls of Jericho fell not because of axes or spears or human strategy. The walls fell because of the songs of praise of Your people and Your thought carried out in action.

We confess that Your thoughts are often not our thoughts and Your ways are not often our ways. You remind us that You determined things long ago and You bring to pass Your plans when it is the right time -- the fullness of time. May we be willling to search out Your ways, even when we are weary in mind, weak in spirit, and have not even a little strength left. We entreat You, most High, to strengthen us to fulfill Your purposes until the end. You remind us that You call those who are not wise by human standards, those who are not powerful. In fact, You state that You choose the weak to confound the wise! You, O God, are the Source of Life. You, O Lord, are the Source of our strength. We confess that Jesus Christ becomes for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. May our only boast be in Christ our Lord. Amen. (Mark 5.36, Isaiah 37.26,2 Esdras 12.3-6,
1 Corinthians 1.26-31)

Prayer: Finding Favor with the King

Ah, Lord God, You are most gracious unto us! You call out to us and tell us to remove our prison clothes, to put on the robes of righteousness You provide and come into Your Presence. You call us to come to Your table each morning and dine with You. Your food, O Lord, is the richest of fare! Yet we alone make the decision of whether or not to come to You and enjoy Your favor.

O Lord, be our Mediator and our Advocate, so that we are not overwhelmed by our circumstances and bound with fear. "The chains begin to break when we are willing to believe we are who God says we are" -- a child of the King! May we beware of stopping our ears to Your call. We place our trust in You for You alone are our Confidence and Strength. Your words are the words of life, to whom else can we go, O Lord?! (2 Kings 25.29, 1 Corinthians 9.16, Isaiah 36)

Prayer: Building the Highway of Holiness

Ah, Lord God: May I release those things which are now behind me and willingly stretch forth my hand and heart to that which lies before me. I have been in a wilderness for so long, a dry and thirsty land, -- yet now You say it is time for gladness! You proclaim that the desert shall rejoice and blossom -- it shall blossom abundantly like the crocus in spring! Some of my crocus began to blossom here this week and it brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart when I discovered them in the garden. Strengthen me, O Lord, for that which You have planned, make my hands strong for Your work. Make firm my knees in prayer. May I not be fearful of heart for what lies ahead. You reassure me that I have nothing to fear for You are my God and You will come and open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf, and cause even the lame to leap for joy. You promise that You will even put a song of praise in the mouth of those who have been speechless. Amazing!

Ah, Lord God Almighty, may Your waters break forth in the wilderness and may there be streams in the desert. May we build up Your Highway of Holiness. You tell us that this Highway is for Your people and no traveler, not even fools, will go astray! Your redeemed shall come and they will have everlasting joy poured out upon them. You promise that they will obtain joy and gladness and their sorrow and sighing will flee.

You, O Lord, have blessed us with more than many, and You have called us to be in relationship with You as few have been. May You fill us with all joy and peace in believing so that we may abound in hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit. May it be our ambition to proclaim the Good News, activated by Your Holy Spirit and actuated by Your great love. Amen. (Philippians 3.13, Isaiah 35, 2 Esdras 10.57, Romans 15.13.20)