Augustine and Prayer

I was cruising around the Internet thinking about the early church fathers and prayer and stumbled upon this gem at www1.villanova.edu and thought it was perfect for today's reflection and prayer:

St. Augustine on Prayer

According to St. Augustine, we need not pray for what we need because God already knows what we need before we even ask. Instead, we ought to pray, he suggests, to increase our desire for God, and so that we might be able to receive what He is preparing to give us.

"The deeper our faith, the stronger our hope, the greater our desire, the larger will be our capacity to receive the gift, which is very great indeed. .... The more fervent the desire, the more worthy will be its fruits. When the Apostle tells us: Pray without ceasing (1 Thes5:16), he means this: Desire unceasingly that life of happiness which is nothing if not eternal, and ask it of him alone who is able to give it."
(Letter 130)

Today's Prayer:

-Prayer on Finding God after a Long Search

Too late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient, O Beauty so new. Too late have I loved you!  You were within me but I was outside myself, and there I sought you! In my weakness I ran after the beauty of the things you have made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The things you have made kept me from you - the things which would have no being unless they existed in you! You have called, you have cried, and you have pierced my deafness. You have radiated forth, you have shined out brightly, and you have dispelled my blindness. You have sent forth your fragrance, and I have breathed it in, and I long for you. I have tasted you, and I hunger and thirst for you. You have touched me, and I ardently desire your peace. 

Confessions, X, 27, 38

Getting Still

I may be the only one that has this challenge, but I love to be going Mach 2 with my hair on fire.  The lack of being busy can be troublesome for me and if you know me at all this will make total sense to you.

For some with this issue, they feel the need to manufacture tasks or drama to keep the pace fast and their hair on fire.  I have discovered that there is enough to do on any given day that I don't need to add anything extra.  But I still struggle with getting still.  Yes the scriptures say a lot about the need, the urgency and the immediacy of the in-breaking of the kingdom of God.  Yes the scrtures say that the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few.  The Bible says all kinds of things along these lines.

But the Bible also says we should slow down, take sabbath time, recharge to be able to continue to meet the demands of life and ministry.

Specifically, Psalm 46:10 says to "be still and know that I am God."

I have a hunch that I'm not the only person that could use help in this area...so today's prayer is all about getting still.

Today's Prayer:

Holy God, help us to slow down the pace of our days and of our lives long enough that we might enjoy times of full communion with you.  Refill our spiritual tanks, that we may have enough fuel to complete the kingdom tasks you have called us to.  Allow us in our stillness to once again encounter the awesomeness of your presence and the fullness of your grace.  We give you thanks for all the ways you shepherd and renew us when we submit ourselves to your care.  Amen.

Ending favoritism

In studying the letter James wrote to the church during Sunday School, we are learning a variety of things...some for the very first time and some for the umteenth time.  This week we began chapter two and these words still ring in my ears:

2 My brothers and sisters, I know you’ve heard this before, but stop playing favorites! Do not try to blend the genuine faith of our glorious Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, with your silly pretentiousness.2 If an affluent gentleman enters your gathering wearing the finest clothes and priceless jewelry, don’t trip over each other trying to welcome him. And if a penniless bum crawls in with his shabby clothes and a stench fills the room, don’t look away or pretend you didn’t notice—offer him a seat up front, next to you. 3-4 If you tell the wealthy man, “Come sit by me; there’s plenty of room,” but tell the vagrant, “Oh, these seats are saved. Go over there,” then you’ll be judging God’s children out of evil motives.

It was funny that in second service one of the songs was from Brandon Heath entitled "Give me your eyes."  The song refers to a request for God to grant us his eyes so that we may see the world and people around us the way that he does.  I share this because it was an interesting followup to our Sunday School lesson.  It was something that I couldn't have planned better (although I had no idea or help,in the selections this week).

So here is today's Prayer:
Gracious God, help us to see as you do.  Keep us from favoritism and prejudice.  Help us to recognize the problems and challenges in our lives and in the lives of others.  Help us too, to see the divine solution and our part in it if there is one.  Please don't let us miss an opportunity to be a reflection of you to the world around us. Amen.

We all need healing

If we are honest with one another, we are all in need of healing at one time or another.  We need our hearts and spirits healed as much as our bodies.  Or minds need healing too.

Yesterday was a day of prayer for me as I tended to my daughter who is sick with a virus.  As symptoms began to escalate, I called a couple of trusted friends, took my daughter to the urgent care/ER clinic and continued to pray.  James tells us of the power of prayer in the scriptures, but there is an Old Testament promise relating to wholeness and healing:

2 But for you, the ones who tremble at the sound of My name, a warm sun of righteousness will come forth with healing in its rays, and you will go out, springing from the stalls like calves in open pasture. 

Those words are found in Malachi 4:2 and the above translation is from The Voice.  These were words of hope for me yesterday and I pray that they will be words of hope for you today.

Today's Prayer:

Gracious God, you know of our afflictions - mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual - long before the words leave our lips to be lifted to your ears.  Today we pray that you would hear our prayers for healing and would act in tangible and miraculous ways.  We give thanks for your faithfulness and look forward to all the different healings you will bring about in our midst.  This we pray with gratitude in Christ's holy and precious name.  Amen.

Doing Good Today

John Wesley said:

"Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” 

Sometimes we can get so busy with doing things that we can forget to pay attention to the good things God is calling us to do.  It is Saturday, after all, and there is shopping, playing, family time and chores that are scheduled for today in most people's lives.  Some are even working today and have those related tasks to accomplish as well.  My hope,is that no matter what activities are ahead of us this Saturday, we can find ways to continue to live into Wesley's words.

Today's Prayer:

Gracious God, help us to be mindful of those around us.  No matter what our context or schedule today, help us to do good by being your hands and feet in this world. Let this be not for our glory, but for yours, now and forever more.  Amen.

Where you want my focus

I had a very wise friend/mentor/sponsor tell me once, "Russell, whatever you spend the most time focused on in any given day...that will become your God for that day."  This could mean an individual in my life, or my schedule, or my job, or any number of things.  As I reflected on those words, and have frequently revisited them; I am taken back by how many things I can let interfere with my focus on God.  Sometimes it is things that I think are of great importance and sometimes it is the voices of my critics that edge my focus away from God.

In the psalms, there is a song that was sung on the way to worship that addresses our focus.  I have provided the first couple of verses below from The Voice translation/paraphrase:

Psalm 123

A song for those journeying to worship.

1 I raise my eyes to fix my gaze on You,
    for Your throne resides in the heavens.
2 Just as the eyes of servants
    closely watch the hand of their masters,
Just as a maid carefully observes
    the slightest gesture of her mistress,
In the same way we look to You, Eternal One,
    waiting for our God to pour out His mercy upon us.

Today's Prayer:

Gracious God, help us to keep our focus on you today.  Keep us from allowing the distractions of critics and being busy to take your place in our hearts.  Help us to see the mercies you promise, made new each day, once again in our lives this day. We give you thanks for your faithfulness.  Amen.

Bed time gratitude

It dawned on me that I didn't post a prayer for today...so here it is:

God, we give you thanks for the many blessings you presented us with today.  Help us to be ever mindful of all the ways you nurture and care for us.  Amen.

Hope for Today

Today we will celebrate the life of Gerald Morgan.  I am grateful for the opportunity to preside at his services.  Frequently, at some point in these types of services, the 23rd Psalm is recited as a text of hope.  I thought it appropriate to allow the 23rd Psalm to be our prayer for today.  I wanted to share it with you from a different translation/paraphrase than most of us are accustomed to reading or hearing in hopes that it may resonate with you in a new and deeper way.  So today's version of the 23rd Psalm comes to us from The Voice:

Today's Prayer:

1 The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always.
2 He provides me rest in rich, green fields
    beside streams of refreshing water.
    He soothes my fears;
3 He makes me whole again,
    steering me off worn, hard paths
    to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.

4 Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness,
    I am not overcome by fear.
Because You are with me in those dark moments,
    near with Your protection and guidance,
    I am comforted.

5 You spread out a table before me,
    provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies;
You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil,
    filling my cup again and again with Your grace.
6 Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me
    where I go, always, everywhere.
I will always be with the Eternal,
    in Your house forever.

Serenity Now

I loved watching Seinfeld for a number of years...it was an after hours staple.  One of my favorite episodes had Kramer yelling Serenity now throughout the skit.

Truth be told, life throws us curve balls.  The unmentionable or unimaginable can infiltrate our lives or the lives of our friends or loved ones in a moments notice.  For me, these become moments of necessary serenity.  I don't know exactly what each of you are going through right now, but it seems to me that the world could use a little more serenity...NOW!  So I offer this crucial prayer.  I know that it had been offered before and is familiar to many of you, but I offer it again nonetheless.

Today's Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.

Learning to Grow in Grace

Much of my spiritual journey has been shaped by my journey of recovery.  This prayer helps me to continue to learn to grow in grace.

Today's Prayer:

Eleventh Step Prayer

Lord, make me a channel of thy peace--that where there is hatred, I may bring love--that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness--that where there is discord, I may bring harmony--that where there is error, I may bring truth--that where there is doubt, I may bring faith--that where there is despair, I may bring hope--that where there are shadows, I may bring light--that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted--to understand, than to be understood--to love, than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

The World's Most Dangerous Prayer

Tonight as I head to bed, I am thoughtful of the Prayer that Jesus left us and believe that it is fitting for today's prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

The 3rd Step Prayer

Sometimes there is nothing needed more than the prayer itself:

Today's Prayer:

The Third Step Prayer

from page 63 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

God, I offer myself to Thee-
To build with me
and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self,
that I may better do Thy will.
Take away my difficulties,
that victory over them may bear witness
to those I would help of Thy Power,
Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.
May I do Thy will always!

Copyright © Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

 

 

 

Prayer for Protection

Tomorrow my daughter will attend her first UIL competition.  She was selected as an alternate at her school for her grade.  This means that she will likely not compete.  She seems quite alright with this, and for that I am grateful.  But I wonder what is really going on on the inside.  I think that we have done all the right things we can do as parents to prepare her for rejection and for not always winning at everything she does; but today I am thinking about protection as it relates to her.

Now when we talk about protection in general terms we usually use such terminology for the safe-gaurding of our troops or protection for those who are traveling; but truth be told, we all need protection in our every day eating, breathing, walking around lives.  My daughter needs protection of her spirit and her self worth.  I want her to continually know that her well being and her value are heavenly and not just earthly.  I want her to know that God has made her special and unique and that her value is found in being made in the image of her creator.

And for my friends and parishoners, I want them too to know that the situation or circumstances they find themselves in don't have to define their worth or identity.  So today, I look to the Psalms for the beginnings of God's protection on all of us that need it spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Psalm 5:11-12 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. ¹² For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Today's Prayer:
Holy God, may the words of the psalmist be our mantra today.  May we remember and repeat them in each of our trials and challenges.  May the promise of protection that these words represent become the reality for each of us who prays them.  Protect us O God, from all types of evil and wrong-doing.  Keep us within the span of your shield that we may be kept from harm, no matter what the threat is to us this day.  We give you thanks and praise.  Amen.

Luke Warm

Have you ever been involved in an activity that you could really care less about?  I think if we are honest with ourselves, we can all come up with times that this is true.  That business meeting that is a complete waste of our time, but we are required to be at might be such an occassion.  Having to take a class in high school or college because there were no other elective options available might be another example.  Going to a party that we really don't want to be at, but must attend in order to get our annual bonus or some other reason.  In each of these instances, we likely are there, but not there, if you know what I mean.  We are physically present, but our hearts just aren't into it.  This can happen in our churches and in our individual faith journeys as well.  The scriptures have something to say about this:

Revelation 3:14-22 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹ To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Today's Prayer:
Gracious God, help us to be passionate about our faith in authentic and transparent ways.  Rescue us from the laxidaisical and luke warm ways we worship, study and engage you and others.  Allow us to be full of your joy and presence this day and always.  Amen.

Hope in Christ

Sometimes life seems to throw more at us than we think we can handle.  We are met with bills, health issues, car problems, relational struggles, etc.  Globally, we have witnessed people who have lost their homes and loved ones due to various tragedies such as plane crashes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and the like.  We have gone through these moments of loss and of struggle continuing in prayer and accountability with other Christians, yet in the quiet stillness of our alone time, we feel we have lost all our strength.  We have been faithful to God and can see a light at the end of the tunnel, but just aren't sure that we have the strength for the last leg of the journey.  To all of those in this place, individually and corporately, God offers us a promise of hope: Revelation 3:7-13 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹ I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars-- I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. ¹¹ I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. ¹² Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. ¹³ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Today's Prayer:
Holy God, you are our hope and our strength.  We give thanks that you have recognized our faithfulness and that you have been our shepherd in our times of need.  God we recognize that you are faithful and give thanks for all the ways you fulfill your promises in our lives.  Help us this day to rely completely on your strength.  Help us to see that you are our all in all and that you will guide us at last to the door you have opened for us.  Amen.

Alive in Christ

I was reading a Bible study once that Bill Hybels and John Ortberg had co-written while they were both at Willow Creek.  There was a story there about a woman who was always at the church everytime the doors were open.  She was on many a committee and team and always seemed to be doing things for God.  Yet the text said that in all of her busy-ness with the work of God, she completely missed the fullness of the presence of God.  I took this to mean that while she appeared to be alive on the outside, she was missing the life giving presence of God on the inside.  Simply put, she was dead even though she appeared to be alive.  We have heard that we shouldn't judge books by their covers because the inside may not always match the outside.  I know that there have been times in my life that this is true for me.  Times where I have put on a smile even though I was breaking on the inside.  Times where I have showed up to do some church activity, something that was completely honoring to God, but my heart wasn't in it.  I may have appearted alive on the outside, but my insides didn't match.

Revelation 3:1-6 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. ⁴ Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. ⁶ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Today's Prayer:
Holy God, we want our insides and our outsides to match; both individually and corporately as a church body.  Help us to see where we have put on masks and facades.  Help us to remove those false images of who we are, and allow us to more fully live in our created image - in the image of you.  God, where there are dead spots in our lives and in our faith, renew them with the eternal life that you have promised us and that you are always faithful to give.  Amen.

Discerning Truthful Teaching

I have been blessed in my faith journey to have some really amazing mentors and teachers.  They are fully devoted followers of Christ both in word and in deed.  I give thanks for their influence and all the ways they have invested in my life and ministry.  Over the years, we have had many conversations about discernment; especially when it came to discerning the doctrines of those who teach about Christ and the church.  One of the more challenging things in my minstry has been learning to prayerfully discern sound teaching in other leaders and understanding how to redirect or remove those leaders that are not in line with God's teachings.  I still don't have a perfect answer on how to do the later; but have learned along the way that if the teacher's gifts are discerned and developed before launching them into a teaching ministry, things tend to be a lot less messy.  I say all of this to say that when we don't practice prayerful discernment and hold our leaders to accountability, we may fall into a trap that an early church fell into when they let a false prophetess influence the children of God.

Revelation 2:18-29 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ¹⁹ I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. ²⁰ Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ²² So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. ²⁴ Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): ²⁵ Only hold on to what you have until I come. ²⁶ To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-- ²⁷ 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'--just as I have received authority from my Father. ²⁸ I will also give him the morning star. ²⁹ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Today's Prayer:
Gracious God, help us all to teach in accordance with your holy scriptures.  If there is any error in us, help us to more fully understand that we may more fully share your truth with others.  Help us to follow those whom you've gifted with teaching of your doctrines.  Help us to be able to discern and know those whom are not called by you to teach us.  Help us to be your hands and feet in those instances to correct where we need to correct, admonish when we need to admonish, and avoid when we need to avoid.  Let us be ever mindful of all of our teachers of your word, that we may uphold them in prayer daily.  Amen.

The Fullness of God's teachings

Sometimes it is a challenge to live fully into the teachings of God.  We want to lean into other teachings as superior over the word of God.  When we do this, we end up living two lives simultaneously.  We disrespect our parents because we think we have the right because they are bad at parenting.  We completely ignore our call to honor our mothers and fathers.  Or we read the words of God regarding gossip but still gather around the water cooler on Monday mornings to rehash the weekend's mishaps involving our friends with our coworkers.  We may be faithful in all other ways - serving the needs of the poor, visiting the sick and imprisoned, etc. - but we find that we struggle in an area or two relating to the other teachings of God. Revelation 2:12-17 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ¹³ I know where you live-- where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city-- where Satan lives. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Today's Prayer:
Holy God, meet us today in our imperfections.  Grant that we may experience the fullness of your joy in the areas of our lives that we have grounded in you.  Help us to see where we have not followed all of your teachings.  Grant us the grace to grow more fully in your image as we allow those other teachings to more fully permeate our lives.  Transform us from the inside out until we are fully devoted followers of yours; faithful in all the ways we follow your teachings.  Amen.

Enduring Suffering and Persecution

I understand that life in the 21st century and in the western part of the world is not always like life in the 1st century.  Many technological advances and changes have happened over the years.  While Christians are being martyred in other parts of the world, many who read these words will not know the level of persecution of other Christians around the globe.  But I also understand that there is a price to pay for our faith no matter where we live.  I have watched people walk away from life long friendships simply because their friend became a Christian and began to believe differently.  I have witnessed folks endure ridicule and verbal abuse because of their faith.  I have even seen people denied access to some places because of their Christian belief.  Unfortunately, I have also seen families abandon relatives once they began a life with Jesus.  While our persecutions may happen at different places along a spectrum, it seems to be true that if we decide to follow Christ, we will undoubtedly experience suffering or persecution of some sort. Revelation 2:8-11 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. ⁹ I know your afflictions and your poverty-- yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Today's Prayer:
Gracious God, help us to see that you are our rock and our refuge.  Help us to experience your strength, your grace and your peace, no matter what we must endure in terms of persecution and suffering.  For our brothers and sisters around the globe that experience much more persecution than we do, help us to be ever mindful and to lift them up regularly in prayer.  Open our eyes and our ears and our hearts that we may be in tune with you in all of our journeys with you.  Help us to discern when and how we might be your hands and feet with those enduring persecution of all kinds.  Amen.

Our First Love

Like a gift from Christmas past, sometimes our faith and our faithfulness can lose its luster.  We can get so wrapped up in the projects of the new year - the things we need to get done at work or want to get done around the house - that we can completely lose sight of God.  We have can have great histories and traditions of faithfulness, but sometimes other things can take the top priority in our lives over our relationship with God. Revelation 2:1-7 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. ⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. ⁵ Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Today's Prayer:
Holy God, help us to remember to do the things that we did early in our journey of faith.  Help us to persevere and to do the things you have called us to do.  Help us to continue to stay strong in our faith by abiding in you.  Guide us with your Holy Spirit to lean more fully into you that we may recognize you are our first love.  We long to be in your presence and by your grace we can be restored in the fullness of our relationship with you.  Amen. 

All Things New

As we recover from the holidays and begin to ready ourselves for our return to work and school, many are making New Year's resolutions. Personally, I am not a big fan of resolutions.  Each year there is a plethora of articles on how long we are actually capable of keeping our resolutions...the statistics are not in our favor.  We simply struggle to get things done in our own power; especially when those things revolve around our deepest struggles.  I am reminded in times like these, that there is a power that is greater than us, whose face is Jesus, that can not only restore us to sanity, but can also transform us from weakness to strength, sinfulness to righteousness, and feeling worthless to treasured in the Kingdom of God.

Colossians 3:9-17 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. ¹² Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Today's Prayer:
Holy God, help us to remember that we are not who we once were.  Help us to see that we are already and continuously being renewed in your image.  Help us in this new year to lean more fully into you, that we may know the fullness of our salvation and that our transformation and joy may be complete in you.  Amen.