Teach Them to Love Jesus

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5

We’ve taught our sons and daughters many things over the years, often by talking to them and repeating words and phrases and the truths of Scripture, but more often, by being an example to them.  When we taught them how to tie their shoes, we didn’t just say it, we showed them- over and over, until they could do it themselves, and then we praised their efforts.  We taught them how to be self-sufficient, mature, and how to live with integrity.

When it comes to teaching our sons and daughters the truths of faith, our words carry weight, but our example speaks more loudly.  Friends, we need to live it out in front of them.  Our words don’t have nearly as much impact as our actions, our attitudes, and the demonstration of our love and commitment to Jesus being lived out in our daily life.  It cannot be “do as I say, not as I do”.  They’re adults.  They will do what they choose.  But if we live out our faith, consistently, circumspectly, putting Jesus at the forefront, always, our lives will reflect His character and our actions will demonstrate our priority of faith.  Because, if we’re honest, it’s not that we want our kids to do what we say…we want them to do what Jesus says.  

Think back to your days in elementary school.  Do you remember the lessons?  Do you recall how you learned fractions or reading?  It’s possible vague details will return, but if asked about your teacher, you would immediately begin to give  a description of how your teacher interacted with you and made you feel important, seen, and valued.   The teacher had a lot to say, but what impacted us was their character and actions toward us.  

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” Philippians 3:12b-15

As we live out our Christian walk, are we investing more time and energy into words, or actions?  Are we trying to convince others (especially our sons and daughters) that what we believe is right and true, or are we modeling it to them?  We must be cautious because we can weary others by always trying to prove our point.  Paul says “and if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”  Paul was assuring the Philippians that by pursuing the Lord, God would make clear what is right and true.  It wasn’t up to Paul and the church to correct people’s thinking.  Should we speak truth? Absolutely! Can we demand or pressure others to follow it.? Not so much. It’s a heart-decision that only the Holy Spirit can motivate.

Though our sons and daughters are grown, we still feel that burden to know that they are walking with the Lord.  That burden may inspire us to speak a bit too much, press a little too hard, to try and sway their thinking.  But friends, we are still teaching them when we interact with them by living out our faith.  We demonstrate how to be a disciple when we consistently follow the Lord, pursue personal time with Him, memorize His word and obey His commands.  We model what it means to love when we are patient, kind, unselfish, and forgiving (1 Corinthians 13).  We show them the strength and humility that accompanies asking forgiveness when we apologize for saying what we shouldn’t or doing something hurtful. We are not above that, at any age.  

Our interaction with them says more than our words ever could.  It communicates that God is what is most important to us and we will always submit to Him, making Him the head, the Lord, and the Shepherd of our hearts. He is the One to whom we surrender all of ourselves, and that will be reflected in our life, so more than in our words. Take a moment to check yourself, is that what your life demonstrates? Could others testify to it… would they?

Model Jesus to your sons and daughters at every opportunity.  Let your actions speak loudly and let the Holy Spirit do His work. 

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:3-5

Pray that they would love Jesus authentically and that He would be the foundation upon which they build their life.

Pray without ceasing.

Praying for a Godly Spouse

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:10-12

As our sons and daughters grow into adulthood, our ability to impact their choices begins to diminish.  We hope and pray that the things we taught them about God, about Scripture, about living a life that pleases the Lord, are deeply rooted.  But we no longer have the ability to steer them away from influences that may be negative or unproductive and we have little say in the friends they choose, especially if they’re living at a distance.  Parenting adult children is challenging.

When it comes to finding a spouse, there are challenges there, too.  Though we hope our son or daughter would choose to make their decision based on our discernment and approval, by the time the relationship reaches that point, our beloved child may have already made up their mind… our input is just a formality.  That’s hard to take, isn’t it?

But we’re not powerless! Not at all. We can make a huge impact on their life choices by talking to the Father and asking for His guidance, His intervention, and His protection. We can ask the He would give our son or daughter His best- better than we could choose or imagine!

So, how do we pray?  Many of us likely began praying when our children were just little ones, praying that God would be preparing a godly husband or wife for them.  Here’s the thing, don’t stop.  Don’t stop praying like that.  God will bring the right person at the right time, or make it clear He has a plan that asks our son or daughter to remain single.  We need to be okay with that.  We need to pray that our children would be okay with whatever God asks of them, too. Because isn’t that the best?

Here are some prayer points we can pray for both future husbands and future wives, and for our sons and daughters, all tied to Scripture.

• Pray that they would be like Christ and that He would mold them and shape their heart and mind to be like Him. (Philippians 2:5;  Ephesians 4:14-15)

• Ask the Lord to make their words (and heart) authentic, not just filled with knowledge, but seasoned with grace (I Corinthians 13:1; Colossians 4:6)

• Pray they would exhibit patience and kindness (1 Corinthians 13:4)

•  they would not be jealous or envious, but truly want the best for others and would celebrate when they have success or honor (1 Corinthians 13:4; Romans 12:15)

• Ask God to help them value others before themselves (Philippians 2:3)

• Pray that they would have a precise and correct knowledge of Scripture that would enable them to love others well (not to be puffed up with knowledge) and that they would be discerning in the teaching they listen to and the leaders they follow. (Philippians 1:9)

• Pray that they would hide God’s word in their heart to keep them from sin (Psalm 119:11)

• And pray that God’s word would be a lamp to their feet and a light to their path (Psalm 119:105)

• Pray God’s protection over them, so they would keep their way pure by living according to God’s word (Psalm 119:9)

• Ask the Lord to keep them legalism and that He would help them truly understand God’s grace and the freedom He gives to trust Jesus alone for salvation (Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:9).

• Pray that they would not lean into the world’s standards or be pressured to compromise to be accepted, but that they would stand for God’s truth, unwaveringly. (Hebrews 10:23)

• Ultimately, pray that God would cultivate two people who, together, would have a godly marriage that would reflect Christ and the Church, surrender and obedience, love and protection, selflessness and sacrifice no matter the circumstances, because their hope is in Jesus and not in the other person to whom they are married.

There are so many things we can pray to this end; this is just the start.  Add to the list as you pray and let the Holy Spirit guide your words and your petitions.  The words of Scripture are always powerful and effective, it is the most you can do. Let’s God’s word do the speaking for you.

And pray for both the ‘unknown’ future spouse and for your son or daughter, that God would prepare their hearts and cultivate in them the qualities that are important for a God-centered relationship to be developed in His time and His way.

If your son or daughter is already married, pray that God would grow them in these areas. Pray that He would build a strong, God-honoring marriage that would be a testimony of His grace and redemption.

Why not write out a prayer, and then, when the time is right, share it with the one for whom you’ve been praying.  What a precious gift that could be for the ‘other’, knowing that they’ve been prayed for and seeing the Scripture that’s been spoken over them, even before they were known to you.

Pray without ceasing!

How Should We Pray?

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”  Colossians 2:2-4

The way we pray matters. What we pray matters. The apostle Paul understood that and wrote encouragement to the Colossians so they would stay focused on what would protect and grow their faith.

When we pray for our sons and daughters, we pray for their health and well-being.  We pray for safety and provision.  But how often do we pray for their growth and discernment?  Do we pray for the protection of their mind and for a deepening of their knowledge and understanding?  Those are things we cannot see, but which have significant impact on the spiritual health of the believer.

Scripture tells us that the mind is the deceiver's biggest battleground.  If Satan can capture our thoughts, the rest will follow.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

Satan hates that we have redemption and eternal life in Jesus Christ.  He hates our Savior.  He hates light.  He hates truth.  He wants to lure believers to dwell in darkness and in ignorance of Who Christ is, what He has done and in misunderstanding of truth.  Do you see how he twists things?  What is good is deemed evil and what is evil is celebrated (isaiah 5:20).

So how can we pray more effectively for our sons and daughters?  How can we begin to fight for their spiritual protection and growth? We can start by gaining a better understanding of Scripture and then praying those very words on their behalf.  Scripture is powerful and effective and it can accomplish more than our minds can comprehend. 

Let’s look at what Paul is praying for the Colossians.

• He prays they would be encouraged in heart:

  Paul knew the value of being in fellowship with other believers.  The Greek word for ‘encouraged’ is parakaleo and it means to come alongside another, to comfort, exhort, pray for another (1).  The Holy Spirit is called the ‘paraklete’ and is our supporter and comforter (John 14:26).  And so believers have that role for one another- to build each other up and provide encouragement.   Pray for fellowship with other believers.

• He instructs them that true encouragement must be united, or knit together in love- agape. 

  The term ‘knit together’ is the Greek word symbibazo and it means to “to join together, unite or knit together in affection”(2).  When we truly care for one another we want the best for each other.  It’s hard to find deep connections with someone for whom you don’t get along or with whom you have nothing in common.  But believers have faith in Christ in common- God has made us brothers and sisters in Christ!  We are family and we are driven together by the love of God.  That connection sustains and encourages us as we continue our walk of faith.  Pray for authentic love among believers.

• He longs for them to have full riches of complete understanding:

  It’s important that we pray that our sons and daughters have assurance that their faith in Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and confidence that there is no other belief system, path, or alternate ‘wisdom’ that can bring redemption and eternal life.

  The Greek word plerophoria is the word used for understanding and it means “full assurance and the most certain confidence (3). Let’s pray that our sons and daughters have confidence in their understanding of Scripture and in their faith and conviction that Jesus is Lord.

• Paul stresses that the Colossians would know Christ- the Source of all wisdom and knowledge. 

  We don’t want our sons and daughters to just know about Christ, we want them to KNOW Him.  We want them to experience Him in their life.  We want them to pursue a personal relationship with Him so that they will comprehend the riches of wisdom and knowledge that are found in Him.  We don’t want them to just have knowledge.  Even Satan has knowledge, but he is doomed.  Even demons believe and shudder at the Truth of Jesus.  No, we want our sons and daughters to have true knowledge.  There is a difference in the original language.  Knowledge is the word gnosis and it means intelligence and understanding(4).  But true knowledge is the word epignosis and it means precise and correct knowledge(5).  It means one is believing and understanding what is proven to be true, correct, and in line with evidence.  It is knowledge that changes how someone lives.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

• Finally, pray for protection against deception.

  Pray that our sons and daughters would have deep understanding and knowledge of Scripture and their faithful walk with Christ and fellowship with believers would guard them against deception.  There is much out there that sounds good but is founded in lies.  There are people who have knowledge of Scripture (gnosis) without the epignosis of faith in Jesus and the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The messaging that our sons and daughters are encountering daily would try to sway them to compromise their faith, lower their standards, be accepting of sin and open-minded to other ‘pathways’ to God.  In the last days the deception will be so strong that, if possible, even the elect would be deceived (Matthew 24:24). Friends, we are there. The presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives and a correct knowledge of Jesus is the protection they need.

The enemy wants our sons and daughters.  There is no question about that.  We need to pray that they would be strong in their faith, solid in their understanding of Scripture, and rooted in fellowship with other believers. We are in a war- be on guard and use the armor of God to fight against the enemy.

“Father, I pray for (name) today.  Build them up in their faith and knowledge of Jesus.  Sanctify them by Your truth- Your Word is Truth (John 17:17).  Lead them into a vibrant fellowship with other believers that is grounded in correct truth and solid teaching.  Lord, they NEED You, though they may not always recognize that.  I pray that You would open their eyes and hearts to the full riches of complete understanding.  Keep them from sin.  Guard them from compromise.  Help them to stand steadfast in their faith.  Guide them into Your truth and don’t let them walk away from it.  Lord, we are in dark days and at some point soon, we may all have to stand boldly in the face of persecution- give us strength and conviction, Lord.  Build up the family of believers so that we would encourage one another in love and faithfulness, In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

1. G3870 - parakaleō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3870/niv/mgnt/0-1/

2. G4822 - symbibazō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4822/niv/mgnt/0-1/

3. G4136 - plērophoria - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4136/niv/mgnt/0-1/

4. G1108 - gnōsis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1108/kjv/tr/0-1/ 

5. G1922 - epignōsis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1922/niv/mgnt/0-1/ 

The Ache of a Momma’s Heart

Recently I came across a verse that hit deeply and made me pause.  The words were directed to Mary, the brand new mother of the infant Jesus, from Simeon, a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem, when he met and held the newborn Messiah.

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (emphasis added)  Luke 2:34-35

Simeon’s words were prophetic and held deep meaning as well as the promise of pain to a mother’s heart.  “And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”  Can you imagine hearing that as you hold your week-old baby?  

It was a harbinger of what Mary would face as the mother of the Messiah, destined to give His life on the cross, though she likely didn’t comprehend the devastating pain that would come.  Jesus would be falsely accused, plotted against, betrayed, beaten, mocked, and then crucified.  The many who swore their allegiance would turn away.  Those that professed their love for Him would cool and grow indifferent.  The sword that ultimately pierced His side would, in effect, pierce the very soul of the mother who loved Him beyond words, not just as her Son, but as her Savior and Lord.  Pause for a moment and think about it.  She would watch as her Son grew into manhood, into ministry, and into His role as Redeemer - the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8)

Mary didn’t know the resurrection would follow Jesus’ death, though He’d said as much.  She only knew that her firstborn, the child of her heart and faith, was experiencing indescribable suffering.  Imagine the torment of her heart.  Imagine the deep ache and angst she carried as she watched Him endure.  Imagine the crushed hopes and dreams.  Mary could teach us a bit about being a mother.  She endured in spite of the sword that pierced her very soul.

Here’s the thing.  Mary knew she was the woman God chose to bring Jesus into this fallen world and that He wasn’t born for her alone.  She was cognizant, from the start, that this child was chosen and holy.  God had a purpose and plan.  Mary might not have understood all that would unfold, but from the start, she believed and trusted God more than the voices and circumstances surrounding her.

It’s a good reminder.  God chose us to be the parents of our children, whether by birth, adoption, or children of the heart.  He ordained that relationship because it was His will and His plan.  Nothing is by chance.  Everything has a purpose.  We know that with deep love, comes also the need for willingness to sacrifice, endure pain, suffer hardship, but also to delight in joy, and to accept the unexpected- both good and bad.  God is Sovereign.  Ultimately, as parents, we must also remember and be prepared that, “A sword will pierce your own soul, too.”  Because loving another means enduring what may come and releasing our hopes and dreams for what God may design or allow. It can bring an ache that only the Lord can soothe.

The real question is, will we allow our deep ache to define us?  Will we allow it to eclipse the Presence and power of the Lord in our own life?  Mary didn’t.  No, she trusted God fully, even when she didn’t understand.  She stepped aside when it was time for Jesus’ ministry to begin.  She didn’t demand that He remain at home.  She didn’t try to engineer His next steps.  She didn’t choose His friendships or His career path.  She trusted God to guide His steps.  She knew that He knew best and she was willing to trust Him and let Him have His way.

The wedding in Cana saw a shift in the mother-Son relationship.  She stepped back and she encouraged others to do whatever Jesus told them to (John 2). We should take lessons from Mary.  We need to encourage our children to do whatever Jesus tells them to and go where He leads…whether it keeps them close by or takes them around the world, whether it keeps them surrounded and safe or leaves them vulnerable and at risk in the path of danger.  There is no better, or safer, place for our sons and daughters to be than in the will of the Lord, wherever that may be, whether in an office or in the line of duty.  If we’re praying for a prodigal, we need to surrender them wholly to God, over and over, assuring our own aching heart that God is capable of saving them from their own rebellion and foolishness and that God must have His way because our way is limited and insufficient.

Godly parenting demands that we lean into and on the Lord, relying on His strength and guidance, otherwise we will crumble under the weight of what it requires from us. Consider this:

• Mary trusted God more than she trusted her feelings.

• She allowed God’s promises to assure her more than the circumstances surrounding her.

• She believed God’s plan, though it may have been obscured, more than what she could see and experience around her.

• She chose to find solace and comfort in God, even through the deepest, searing pain she knew as a mother, because she knew God was faithful and she trusted Him.  

We don’t hear much about Mary after the crucifixion because, really, the story isn’t about her.  She was God’s servant.  She allowed herself to be used by God, placed in circumstances and surrounded by people who were all ordained to be part of Jesus’ story.  And really, that’s our role in our children’s lives as well.  We are here to guide, teach, support, and encourage them to follow Jesus.  We are part of His story too, but we may need to step back and allow the Lord to do what He wills rather than engineer our own safe, successful outcome for our sons and daughters.  It may not be safe.  It may not be sweet.  It may ask more of us that we are comfortable or willing to give.  But here is the question, are we willing to trust the Lord?   Are we willing to endure the sword to our soul in order to raise sons and daughters who give theirs to the Lord?

Let’s pray that the Lord uses that ache to pull us closer to Him, more fervent in prayer and more focused on eternal things.

“Oh, dear Father- the One who loves me more than I know, please soothe my aching heart today.  I know that my aching heart is a symptom of my love for (name).  But Lord, it can also be a result of a lack of trust.  Lord, help me to surrender (name) to You and Your will.  Give me confidence in Christ that wherever they go, whatever they do, they are not beyond Your protection and provision (Ps. 139). “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong and do not fear; your God will come,” Isa. 35:3-4a.  I know You understand the ache of a parent’s heart, dear Lord, because You see your children in their foolishness and rebellion.  You see them strut in pride and independence.  You long to have a deep, abiding relationship with each of us.  You know the ache, Lord.  I pray that You would daily remind me when I feel the throb of Momma’s heart, that it be a reminder to get on my knees and talk with You.  Lord, let it drive me to depend on You, lean into You, and trust You for (name)’s every moment, their protection and provision.  Lord, help me to trust You more than my feelings that will lie, deceive, and distract me.  Help me to cling to Your promises, not the hint of a changing tide or a glimmer of hope.  Help me to trust Your plan and not engineer my own.  Lord, help me to rest under the shadow of Your wings and find my safety in Your strong tower.  You are The Almighty.  You can do anything.  I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.  I lift (name) to You today and trust that You will work and accomplish Your will in their life for their good and for Your glory, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing

Forgive, and then, Forgive More

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Matthew 6:12

Debts: opheilema (Greek) that which is owed; an offense or sin. (1)

Consider this: withholding love and forgiveness from someone because of hurt they've caused us may seem justified...we want them to acknowledge just how much they hurt us. We want them to earn our forgiveness. Oh, we 'plan to offer forgiveness' once they've proven themselves sorry enough and we consider that being the 'bigger person'. We rationalize our stance based upon our rightness (and our level of hurt) and upon calling the other 'up' to what is right.

But that isn't what Christ calls us to do. He tells us to forgive, and forgive more. If He withheld His love from us until we were sorry enough and worthy enough, we'd never know His forgiveness. We are not deserving of His redemption. He saved us because He loves us. Do we love enough to forgive?

Pray about having a forgiving heart and then, forgive. Forgive again. And keep on forgiving, because it’s what God does for us. You see, forgiveness isn’t about being right. It’s not about holding others accountable. It’s about freeing our own heart to be right with God and to hear His voice because we’ve quieted our own by His truth.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13

“Oh, Heavenly Father, You love us so deeply and far too often, we don’t comprehend the depth of Your love, nor the cost of forgiveness that You extend to us so freely. The depth of the dirtiness and depravity of our own sin is often lost on us. We see ourselves as ‘not THAT bad’, yet all of our perceived righteousness is as filthy rags, impure, soiled, and good for nothing. It can’t purchase our forgiveness- we don’t deserve it. We are hell-bound yet righteous in our own eyes.”

“Lord Jesus, give us a true picture of our sin and lostness. Help us to see that we are so undeserving and, in seeing how lost we are, help us to see how Your redemption is perfect, eternal, unchanging, abundant and FREE. We don’t deserve it, yet You extend it. We can’t earn it, yet You give it to us freely. Help us to see just how much You’ve given and how greatly You forgive, and then prick our hearts with compassion. Convict us to want to forgive others quickly and completely. Remind us that forgiveness is not a ‘feeling’ but a choice, an action, and a willingness to allow You to be the judge and hold the ‘other’ accountable. Remind us that if we want to be like You, Jesus, we will forgive even those who don’t understand how they’ve hurt us.”

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” Luke 23:34

“Holy Spirit, fill us with more of You so that we willingly forgive others. Free us from the bondage of unforgiveness that poisons us and makes it difficult to hear Your voice and obey Your will. Give us strength and conviction to extend forgiveness to others, not with a “yes, but..” rather, with an “I already have, I love you.” Help us to forgive others, just as you forgave us, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing. Forgive without stopping. Love others generously. Be like Jesus.

1. G3783 - opheilēma - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nasb95). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3783/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/

Pray for the Body of Believers to live in genuine love.

John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Love: agape= affection, benevolence.

By THIS. By living in and showing love everyone will know we are a Christ follower.

Not by our knowledge. Not by our music. Not by our preaching or spiritual words. Not by our approval. Not by our service. But they will know because they see the evidence of our love toward one another and toward those around us. It’s a love that’s given freely, it’s not earned. It’s not to be used as leverage, it’s poured out generously. It doesn’t ask to be reciprocal and doesn’t wait for an equal exchange. They will know that we, the Church, the Body of Christ, are His followers because our love is unlike that of this world; it is God-generated and God-sustained.

Our sons and daughters need to understand the 'basics' of what Christ calls us to...and we as parents, role models, older believers, need to live it out so that they can clearly see what Christ means by this.

“Lord, please work in the Body of Christ today so that everything we say and do is motivated by and eclipsed by Godly love. I pray that we would not show love based on how others treat us, accept us, or affirm us, but that we would love unconditionally. Help us to love the unlovely. Help us to love when it’s not the natural response we might have. Help us to love as Jesus loved so that when others see us, they really see Him. Work in Your Church today. Help us to love like You love so that others will know we are Christ followers, not by our words, but by our actions. Build up Your Church, Lord. Protect us and deepen our walk with You so that as days grow darker, we can be salt and light to show others You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

May the Lord Guard Your Coming In and Your Going Out

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber;

Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life;

The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

The LORD will watch over your coming in and going out both now and forevermore. 

As we prepare to wrap up 2023 and head into a new year, we likely will look back at what has been and forward to what might come.  We cheer the accomplishments and mourn the losses.  We keep count of what matters and resolve to do better in the new year to come.  We ponder those things that made us laugh and cry and those people whose presence made our year more memorable and meaningful, whether for good or for difficult.  We grieve what was lost, or what could have been, but was not.  The turn of the calendar is nostalgic and full of hope.

Yet, the change of date, turn of the page and setting of a new calendar year doesn’t change anything.  God is constant.  He doesn’t need a refresh.  He isn’t moved by new starts or resolutions.  He always was and always is and always will be. 

The photo above shows scripture from Psalm 121. It was found embedded in a mosaic on the floor of an ancient 7th century church in Jerusalem.  “May the LORD guard your coming in and your going out.”  As the believers traversed the floor, it was a ready reminder of God’s protection and goodness.

What a sweet and powerful blessing to pray over those we love!  As we come into 2024 and go out of 2023!

The Lord IS mighty and able to guard us in anything we might face. That’s such a comfort as we step into a new year, isn’t it? The word ‘guard’ in Hebrew is ‘samar’ and it means, “to keep watch, preserve, to hedge about, as with thorns, guard, protect, and attend to”.  It’s more than just watchfulness, it’s an all-encompassing protection.  When shepherds would care for their flocks, they would construct a hedge or barrier of thorns to keep the sheep safe from predators, especially those who lurked in the darkness.  When the Lord guards out going out, He encompasses us on all sides with His powerful protection and His attentive watchfulness, ready to keep us from harm and from the enemy that would seek to destroy us. This world is dark, but our Lord is mighty to guard and protect.

He guards out going out (yasa).  In Hebrew it means “to go, bring or lead out, both literally and figuratively.  It can also mean to go abroad, send with a commandment, spread, go to and fro.” (2) You see, whether we step out with intention, of maybe we wander a bit, perhaps we receive orders or a call to go somewhere specifically or take a step into something new, God is guarding and guiding.  He is good to go and be wherever we are.  What a sweet assurance and comforting blessing!  No matter where our sons or daughters go…or are sent, our God is with them.  We can rest knowing He’s there, even when we cannot be.

God guards our coming in, our ‘bo’ in Hebrew.  Bo means “to come, call, carry, enter, fetch, follow, pull in, grant, lead, or send.”  God may bring us in willingly, or maybe we are kicking and screaming…either way, our Father is present and active.  He grants us entrance into so many things: a new season, a new year, and new opportunities to learn and grow.  We may be called, led, carried or pulled, but God is right there.  Our going out and our coming in are all in His hands, and we are assured He will guard every step.

The amazing thing is that God’s guarding is not dependent on clock or calendar, nor on our willingness or submission.  God is not limited by those things that limit us.  He guards both now, right at this present moment and forevermore for all eternity, time without end.  Always.  Ever.  Without fail.

“May the LORD guard your coming in and your going out.” 

As we get ready to step into 2024, we don’t know what the year may hold, but it’s certain that some will have great joys and others, deep sorrow.  Some may be waiting, and the new year will be a time of expectant hope.  Some will recognize blessings overflowing while others may have abundant blessings, yet not recognize them for what they are.  There may be peace and joy or pain and longing.  But there is one constant of which we can be assured.  The Great I AM.  Jehovah- the Existing One.  Our God is steady and unchanging.  Though the calendar may change, and the weeks and months fly by, God remains ever present and watchful, always providing and protecting.  Nothing surprises Him or catches Him off guard.  There is nothing out of His reach or too strong for His mighty hand and outstretched arm to overcome.  Long before December 31, 2023, arrived, He knew what the day would hold and the year leading up to it.  And when we wake to see His new creation of January 1, 2024, we can know we are watching God fulfill His plan, set in motion before the world began, for that good day. 

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” 

The calendar shouldn’t determine how we approach the next day or the next year, God is our portion forever.   Forever!  Though a new year will bring something new, our God is the Ancient of Days.  The LORD will watch over our coming in and our going out both now and forevermore.  Forevermore!!  Change is inevitable, but our Lord is unchanging and always present.  He is good and we can trust Him to work and do what is for our good and His glory.  Let’s not look to the ‘ball’ that drops as the sign that a new year will bring hope and good change.  Let’s look to the Lord who stands, ever present and strong. 

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand- The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.  The LORD will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; The LORD will watch over your coming in and going out both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121

Today, let’s pray for our loved ones as we welcome the new year.  Pray that what is behind doesn’t define or derail them.  Pray that what is ahead is powerfully held in the mighty hands of the Father and that they trust His strong grip on their life.  Pray that they look to the Lord for their strength and hope.  Pray that the Lord would watch over their going out of 2023 and their coming into 2024 and would keep them ever pursuing Him, following His steps carefully and listening to His voice attentively, a sheep of His pasture, eager to be His child, surrounded by His watchful care.

“May the LORD guard your coming in and your going out.”

What a generous blessing to pray over our loved ones!! 

Pray without ceasing.

1.       H8104 - šāmar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8104/kjv/wlc/0-1/

2.       H3318 - yāṣā' - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3318/kjv/wlc/0-1/

3.       H935 - bô' - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h935/kjv/wlc/0-1/

Prayers Against Spiritual Forces and Realms of Darkness

When conflicts arise across the globe, it draws our attention.  We might feel concerned, yet the conflict is often ‘there’ and not here, we’re not often touched by what’s going on.  But if things escalate and our troops are deployed, our concern grows and we begin to have a vested interest in what’s happening.  

Once we have someone ‘in the fight’, though, we start praying differently, don’t we?  We pray in earnest for their safety and for a quick resolution to the conflict.  We pray against evil and for good to prevail.  We think about it every waking moment and we plead with the Lord for their safety and deliverance.  We want to see things resolve quickly and peacefully.  But then, as things calm and normalcy returns we likely breathe a sigh of relief and return to our lives, glad that it’s over and we move on as if the danger is done.

Yet every day, EVERY DAY, our sons and daughters are walking around in a world that is rife with conflict of a spiritual nature and they are the target of the enemy.  Satan is at work and he doesn’t rest.  He has demons deployed throughout every inch of this earth…it is his kingdom, after all.  He’s seeking to deceive and destroy.  Believers are strangers and aliens living in the midst of his territory and he wants nothing more than to turn us to his side or destroy us and remove us from life here.  Just look at the news… it’s horrifying to see what people are doing to one another in the name of ‘freedom’ and ‘rights’... but it’s clearly motivated by pure evil and the enemy’s desire to destroy image-bearers.  

Exodus 15:9 “The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’”   

Isn’t this what our enemy intends?  Satan wants to overtake us and destroy us.  He laughs at evil and delights in destruction.  If he can make one of God’s children fall, he celebrates.  If he can pull one away from the cross, he counts it a victory.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  

Parents, we need to step up our game.  We need to take this seriously and not just assume that our sons and daughters will ‘fight the good fight’.  Are we praying as if our sons and daughters are at war?  If not, we should, because they are.  They face an enemy that is far more devious and dangerous than those we can see.

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

And how does Paul describe our enemy?  Pay attention, he uses words and descriptions that should sober us and take us to our knees. Each word is shown in Greek with the corresponding definition.

• Rulers- arche- “The beginning or origin, the first place, principality, rule, magistracy, the term is transferred by the apostle Paul to angels and demons holding dominions entrusted to them in the order of things.” (1)

• Powers- exousia- “force, capacity, competency, delegated influence:—authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.  The leading and more powerful among created beings superior to man, spiritual potentates; used in the plural of a certain class of angels.” (2)

• World forces- kosmokratōr- “lord of the world, prince of this age: the devil and demons, the world-rulers of this darkness.” (3)

• Spiritual forces- pneumatikos- “non-carnal, i.e. (humanly) ethereal, or (demonically) a spirit, belonging to a spirit, or a being higher than man but inferior to God, a wicked spirit.” (4)

• Wickedness- ponēria- “depravity, iniquity, wickedness, malice, evil purposes and desires.” (5)

• Heavenly places- epouranios- “the heavenly regions.” (6)

We, our sons and daughters, and all other believers are going up against the ruler of this world, all of the powers that work alongside him, throughout all time and across every inch of this earth, that are more superior to and more powerful than man; fallen angels, demons and potentates of regions and kingdoms that we cannot see but that we fall under as created men.  Think about that.  It is a darkness that is invasive and a wickedness that Jesus himself rebuked with scripture.  It’s an enemy that masters legions, personifies depravity and seeks to accomplish evil purposes.  How can we begin to think we should not be aware and on guard?!

And all of this takes place in the heavenly realms.  Take note, friends.  We live in more than just a tangible world.  There is more to what we experience than the three dimensions we can recognize with our senses.  We have a spiritual nature that supersedes this world and that, friends, is why we can enter the Throne room of God and plead with Him on behalf of our loved ones.  We can intercede for them as His child, His beloved.  We have access to the Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Great I Am who was, is and is to come.  We can stand against these spiritual forces, but only when we put on the full armor of God and acknowledge the dangers and powers of the enemy.  And we must.  

We cannot go up against such opposition with a casual approach.  Our sons and daughters must be aware and on guard.  The family of God is under attack and the easiest target is the one who is unaware and unconcerned.  Let’s not be easy prey.

We must daily lift up our families asking the Holy Spirit to guide, protect, and intervene on their behalf.  Are we praying that our sons and daughters learn how to use the armor of God with skill and regularity?  Friends, the war is unfolding all around us.  We are foolish to think it won’t touch us….or that it hasn’t already.  

This week, let’s pray Psalm 27 over our sons and daughters to specifically ask the Lord for protection and victory and for growth and fruit in their faith.  Insert their names in the appropriate places.  Pray often and with hope.

Psalm 27

1. The Lord is (name)’s light and (name)’s salvation—
       whom shall they fear?
   The Lord is the stronghold of (name)’slife—
       of whom shall they be afraid?

2. When the wicked advance against (name)
       to devour (them),
   it is their enemies and their foes
       who will stumble and fall.

3. Though an army besiege (name),
       their heart will not fear;
   though war break out against (name),
       even then they will be confident.

4. One thing I ask from the Lord,
       this only do I seek:
   that (name) may dwell in the house of the Lord
       all the days of their life,
   to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
       and to seek him in his temple.

5. For in the day of trouble
       He will keep (name) safe in His dwelling;
   He will hide (name) in the shelter of His sacred tent
       and set (name) high upon a rock.

6. Then (name)’s head will be exalted
       above the enemies who surround them;
   at His sacred tent (name) will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
       (name) will sing and make music to the Lord.

7. Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
       be merciful to me and answer me.

8. My heart says of You, “Seek His face!”
       Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9. Do not hide Your face from me,
       do not turn Your servant away in anger;
       You have been my helper.
   Do not reject me or forsake me,
       God my Savior.

10. Though my father and mother forsake me,
        the Lord will receive me.

11. Teach (name) Your way, Lord;
        lead (name) in a straight path
        because of their oppressors.

12. Do not turn (name) over to the desire of their foes,
        for false witnesses rise up against (name),
        spouting malicious accusations.

13.  [May] (name) remain confident of this:
        (name) will see the goodness of the Lord
        in the land of the living.

14. Wait for the Lord;
        be strong and take heart
        and wait for the Lord.

Pray without ceasing.

1. G746 - archē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g746/niv/mgnt/0-1/

2. G1849 - exousia - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1849/niv/mgnt/0-1/ 

3. G2888 - kosmokratōr - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nasb95). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2888/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/

4. G4655 - skotos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nasb95). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4655/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/ 

5. G4189 - ponēria - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nasb95). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4189/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/

6. G2032 - epouranios - Strong's Greek Lexicon (nasb95). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2032/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/

Giving Right Gifts

Any parent knows, our kids are not shy about telling us what they’d like to receive when it comes to birthdays, Christmas, or special occasions.  When they were little, their ‘wants’ were often communicated by the toy catalog left conveniently on the table with items circled in sharpie on nearly every page.  As they grew, their lists transformed to notes on the fridge and texts to our phones.  Now they have apps that help them share their lists, and there’s the ever-convenient Amazon wish list is always handy.  They’re always keen to let us know exactly what they really want. 

And gift giving is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?  It’s fun to receive them, but as a parent, we know how much joy we have in giving them!  It’s so much fun to shop for someone we love and wrap up that special gift so that it’s beautifully presented. Then we wait in anticipation while the recipient eagerly opens the gift.  But sometimes….sometimes we shop with OUR wants in mind, we choose things that we think they will like…or that we want them to like.  Then, as the open their gift, we watch their eyes go from sparkling with anticipation to thinly veiled disappointment when they realize we didn’t follow the request.  We didn’t give them the gift they really wanted, the thing they specifically asked for.  We didn’t follow directions and the gift falls flat.

Don’t we do that with God, friends?  We tend to offer him what we think He would like, giving Him the things we want to give rather than what He’s really asked us to offer.  We make sacrifices according to our preferences, but we neglect to pay attention to what God asks of us.  Then, we wonder why His response toward us is not what we hoped.  We gave.  We sacrificed.  But we didn’t obey. Our gift wasn’t welcomed because it wasn’t what He asked us to give.

It’s important that our sons and daughters learn how to make right offerings and sacrifices to the Lord.  Because it’s not about what we think the Lord will like, it’s very specifically about what He asks of us.  

Genesis 4:2b-7  “Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.  In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.  And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,  but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Abel brought the right sacrifices.  He did what the Lord commanded.  He offered the best of his flock and shed blood to atone for his sin.  Cain brought what he considered a good sacrifice, his best produce- the fruit of the land.  Yet, it wasn’t what God commanded.  It wasn’t acceptable.  It was a poor substitution and unworthy. We know that Cain went on to kill his brother out of jealousy and then lie to God about the whole thing. 

But we need to ask ourselves, how often do we bring to God what we consider our ‘best’ yet it isn’t what He asks for at all?  We give what we want to give Him rather than what He requires.

Do you see?  It wasn’t the quality of the fruit and produce Cain brought, it was his disobedience toward the Lord in not bringing what the Lord commanded.  What God warned him of was exactly what happened, “if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”  The sin of jealousy and murder took over. 

Later in Scripture, the same was repeated with King Saul when He didn’t obey God’s instructions to completely destroy the Amalekites.  

“The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”  “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.  The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:17b-21

Saul did what HE thought best.  And his actions impacted the nation of Israel and threatened their very survival.  You see, years later, in the book of Esther, Haman, an official in the court of King Xerxes, tried to kill all of the Jews.  He plotted to destroy them and wipe them from the earth.  And who was Haman?  He was a descendant of Agag (Esther 3:1), the very king Saul was told to kill and did not.  Had it not been for God’s intervention through Esther and Mordecai, Israel would have been destroyed.  Saul’s disobedience had serious repercussions.  And his sacrifices meant nothing when they came from a heart that followed its own desires and not the Lord’s.

Our actions have consequences.  We teach our sons and daughters that very lesson when they are children, that obedience is important.  But as they grow into adulthood and gain their independence, the ease and desire to do what they want comes easily. Obedience to God can become secondary. We need to pray fervently that our sons and daughters will remember and practice the importance of obedience to God.  We need to pray that they will understand what right sacrifices and offerings are that God requires and not lean on their own understanding for what is acceptable (Proverbs 3:5-6).  We need to pray that they don’t ‘outgrow’ obedience.

The prophet Samuel called Saul to account for his selfish disobedience:

1 Samuel 15:22-23a ““Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.”

Ultimately, his disobedience led to Saul losing his role as King, and his life as well. God doesn’t want our attempts to win His forgiveness and approval after we do what we want.  He wants us to obey him first and always.  He desires our obedience.  Let’s not try and ‘guess’ what God might want from us, instead, let’s dig into His word and learn what He calls us to do.  

God promises blessings when we obey, and not just on us, but on our children and grandchildren:

Psalm 103:17-18 “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”

Isn’t that a gift worth giving?  Let’s commit to pursue obedience so that we can gift the Lord’s love and righteousness to our children’s children and leave a legacy of obedience and joy in following Jesus. Then, let’s pray that our sons and daughters do the same.

“Father, You call us to a life of obedience.  How silly of us to think that our limited, flawed, selfish hearts would know better than You what You desire from us.  Lord, when we veer off to our own ‘wish list’ of things we think You want from us, we selfishly pursue what our own hearts want rather than what You ask of us.  We know the heart is deceitful above all things.  Help us to do what is right because sin is crouching at the door, waiting for the opportunity to lure us away.  Give us an Abel heart- one that desires to sacrifice what You ask and to obey your commands.  Help us to pursue You with an undivided heart because double mindedness will certainly be our downfall.  May our obedience to You be the evidence to others of our faith and our hope.  “But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:” 1 John 2:5  Lord, help us to set a right example for our sons and daughters and let them do the same for their children.  I pray that our family would have a Godly heritage that points others to Christ and brings honor and glory to Him.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

What IS Perfect Love?

Ah, we all long for that ‘perfect love’ don’t we?  As parents, we hope and pray our sons and daughters will find ‘the one’.  When the main character looks at his love interest and says, “You complete me”, we melt and hope that someone, someday, would say the same to us.  We all love a sweet love story and a beautiful wedding. We gush over the newlyweds as the “perfect couple” with a perfect love.  Everything is rosy.

And then life happens.  What was once beautiful can become ugly.  What was once perfect compatibility becomes irreconcilable differences.  Love as we know it can fade and cool.  Its endurance and length of days are terminal.  Love is used as a tool for manipulation, a weapon to gain control, a bargaining chip to leverage and win battles.  It is meted out to those ‘deserving’ of it and withheld from those who do not.  There are separations and divorces, and attempts to try again, after the healing.   Love between two people will never be perfect because we’re all flawed and sinful and in reality, perfect love seems elusive.  We are prone to hurt one another because, at the heart, we are selfish people, aren’t we?  We all want and need something in return.  And when we look to another flawed person to fill that void, we expect them to provide something that, in their limited capacity, they cannot perfectly supply.  

And those are the parameters by which we, as fallen sinners, learn to define love.  We are finite and our experiences and understanding are as well.  We have an incorrect, even corrupt, understanding of love. We must ask, are we setting our sons and daughters up for a Biblical understanding of love, especially if we’ve experienced flawed relationships, hurt, pain, and disappointment ourselves.  What have our sons and daughters witnessed to shape their understanding of love? 

God tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18.  What is perfect love?  The word perfect in Greek is the word “telios” which means to be complete, lacking  nothing to be brought to full completion (1).  And love, agape, means affection, goodwill or benevolence, to be charitable (see a need and move to fill it) (2).

But nothing we see around us seems to fit that description, does it?  And love, the lack of love, the need for love and the attempt to find love can generate such fear and heart-crushing disappointment.  Oh, friends, this is a prayer point that should drive us ALL to our knees- that we, our sons, and our daughters would have a correct, Biblical understanding of love.

Let’s look at perfect love through Scripture:

First, the focus of perfect love never resides with another person, but with God Himself.  When we look to another human being, even those who are in the family of God, to provide perfect love, we are expecting them to deliver something that exceeds their capacity and capability.  No man (or woman) is perfect.  Yes, they can mirror and reflect Christ, but they will never be perfect.  Perfect Love is from and in Christ.  His love is limitless, boundless, and eternal.  

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  

Jesus demonstrated that perfect love for us when He gave His life on the cross to pay for our sins and make a way for us to be justified, redeemed and restored to the Father.  

Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  

Perfect love is only and always generated from and sustained by God Himself.

Second, God’s love will never fade or become incompatible with us.  His love will not cool.  He will never become disinterested or disillusioned.  His is the ministry of reconciliation, always working and moving to bring us into intimate fellowship with Himself. He’s always reaching out and drawing in.

Colossians 1:19-20 “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him (Christ), and through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Romans 5:17-19 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

Third, God will always, always, always remain faithful.  There is nothing we can do to make Him not love us.  He won’t find comfort in the arms of another.  He IS perfect love and so He doesn’t need to look elsewhere for it nor does He need us to fulfill His needs.  No, He chooses to love us unconditionally so that we will find our complete fulfillment in Him!  He completes us!

2 Timothy 2:13 “if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for he cannot disown Himself.”  

Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Fourth, our limited minds will always struggle to comprehend the unlimited magnitude of God’s love.  Though we try, we always default to what we know and have experienced, and thereby we evaluate God’s love by our own experiences.  But that is faulty and, honestly, that’s sinful.  We must teach our sons and daughters to have spiritual discretion, Scriptural wisdom and a heart and mind trained to hear the Holy Spirit and submit to and follow His teaching.  We cannot judge God by human standards, nor can we gauge His love by what we know in this fallen world.  The Apostle Paul gave us a powerful explanation in Ephesians 1.

“Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.” Ephesians 1:6

The rulers of this age love to tell us what we should believe and how we should think based on their own ‘wisdom’.  They continually trot out their standard of “perfect love” that, given time, shows itself as short-lived, broken, and incapable of truly meeting the needs of the ‘other’.  It’s faulty. 

“Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”  But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” Ephesians 1:9-10

God’s love far exceeds what we could EVER imagine!!  Isn’t that mind-blowing?  Nothing we’ve ever seen or experienced comes close.  It IS perfect, complete, and lacking nothing.  And it can be ours.  What joy!!  What mind-blowing generosity!!  Pure, perfect love meeting all our needs and providing eternal security, provision and protection!

Oh that we and our sons and daughters would understand the true and perfect love of God.  Let’s be careful not to create our expectation or judgment of perfect love based on what we see around us.  Let’s always be cautious and only look to Jesus as our example and as the true lover of our souls.  And then, let’s rely on the Holy Spirit to help us live like Jesus toward others, showing selfless, faithful love that isn’t based on what someone does for us, but offered freely because God loves them and created them in His likeness.

Today, let’s pray Ephesians 3:14-19 for our sons and daughters, asking God to help them get a glimpse of His perfect love that will eclipse anything and everything they know and have experienced yet in this life.  Go on, pray boldly!  Pray with hope!  Our God wants to lavish His love on us freely and continually!

“Father, Abba, the One who loves me dearly, I pray in Your Son’s name that You would work in (name)’s heart today.  “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen (name)  with power through his Spirit in (their) inner being, so that Christ may dwell in (name)’s heart through faith. And I pray that (name), being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that (name) may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  May it be so, Lord Jesus.  Amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

1. G5046 - teleios - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5046/niv/mgnt/0-1/

2. G26 - agapē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g26/niv/mgnt/0-1/

Benefits of Believing: Lifetime Guarantees

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

 (blessings, assurances, guarantees)

We have a lot of things that follow us, don’t we?  Our reputations, mistakes, our regrets, even our shame all seem to attach themselves to us and we find them hard to shake off.  They follow us and seem to make themselves apparent at inopportune times, whether to others or just to ourselves as a grim and nagging reminder of all that we’re not.  

As parents, we would gladly unburden our sons and daughters from those things that would define them negatively and remind them of their failures and missteps.   It’s a form of bondage that the enemy uses to keep us from being effective, and it’s debilitating.

But God says differently.  He casts our sin aside because He paid the price for our sin with His blood and redeemed us at the cross.  Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  

Our sin doesn’t define  us any more.  We are made new, the old is gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; The old has gone, the new is here!”

When we become children of God, sons and daughters of the Most High, different things follow us.  God ensures that all the days of our life we are hemmed in behind and before with His goodness and merciful love. Psalm 139:5 “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.”  He reminds us that we are His protected child, Psalm 91:14-16 ““Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

God guarantees us this protection for ALL the days of our life, not some, not most, but all!!  

As parents, don’t we long for a lifetime assurance that our sons and daughters will be okay?  Believe me, God wants that too- He’s a Father after all.  

He’s assured us that if we are His sheep He will care for us, protect us, guide us, accompany us, and provide for us abundantly.  But He also promises that surely, SURELY, goodness and love WILL follow us all the days of our life.

The word surely in Hebrew is ‘ak’.  It’s an affirmation that means “certainly” or “nevertheless”.  “It’s a positive affirmation with emphasis on the expression of a truth: surely there is no doubt.” (1)

Throughout Psalm 23, God shows us all of the ways He cares, protects and provides for us.  Then, at the end, He affirms that He will, without question, bless us again (and again and again) with His goodness and loving kindness- always, forever, continually and without fail.  God will never ‘fall out of love’ with us.  Read that again.  God will NEVER not love us.  He cannot- it’s not in His nature to not love, because God is love, 1 John 4:11 “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”

Oh how we want our sons and daughters to believe this and experience it for themselves!!  May they know the Love of God intimately, personally, perpetually so that their life is dominated and directed by it.  May it be all-consuming, ever-comforting, and perpetually present and tangible to them.  Today, let’s pray for just that.  That our dear ones would come to understand and experience the goodness of God and His relentless, unexpiring, comprehensive love for them.  

“Oh, gracious, loving Father, Abba.  You are the One who loved us before we ever knew You.  Father, I pray in your goodness and mercy, You would surround (name) today.  Show them Your mighty protection from the things of this world that would pull their gaze from You and would seek to deceive them with promises of fulfillment that will never satisfy.  I pray that as in Exodus 33:19, all of Your goodness would overflow abundantly to (name).  “And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”  I pray that not only Your goodness, but Your mercy would be present in (name)’s life.  Show them, Lord, how You protect and keep them.  Open their eyes to the spiritual shield around them.  Give them knowledge and understanding that Your Sovereignty ordains their steps and determines their days.  Help (name) crave Your goodness and Your mercy.  Lord, may they live out the scripture of Psalm 23, following You as Lord and Shepherd, knowing their needs are fulfilled, their whole being is safe and protected and that their inheritance in the saints is secure.  Lord, God, Almighty, I pray that You would draw their heart to Your own so that they desire and seek You all of their days.  May they abide in You so that when You call them home, they will abide WITH You, eternally.  I pray these things in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

1. H389 - 'aḵ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (ESV). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h389/esv/wlc/0-1/

The Battle of the Mind- Loving God with All of It

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

Loving God with all our mind seems like a ‘no-brainer’, right?  We know we should do that.  We talk about it.  We encourage others to do it.  It’s likely we taught our sons and daughters this very scripture.  But when it comes down to it, how do we really do that… and are we intentional about it?  Do we really understand what it means to love God with all our mind?

The word ‘mind’ in Matthew 22:37 is the Greek word, dianoia.  It means “deep thought, the ability of the mind or its disposition, by implication, its exercise: imagination, mind, understanding.” (1)  That encompasses quite a bit, doesn’t it?  If our thoughts are captive on God (2 Corinthians 10:5), we are spiritually setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3) and protecting ourselves from spiritual attack and oppression. We are intentionally exercising our minds in ways that will spiritually strengthen and protect us.

But there’s more. Let’s break the word “dianoia” down a bit more.  It’s important to dig in so we really understand.  The prefix of the word dianoia is ‘dia’, which means “through, over, across, the channel of an action”(2).  The second part of dianoia is the Greek word “nous” which means, “mind or understanding” (3) and comes from the root word “ginosko” meaning to “allow, be aware of, feel, have knowledge, perceive, be resolved, be sure, understand.” (4)  

Think about it.  The Greek word for mind is vastly more detailed than what we might recognize by only reading the English.  Dianoia involves the channel or direction of one's thoughts, the depth of their understanding and what one chooses to allow to be present and active in their mind; what they are pondering and meditating on. It’s the direction, the action and the permission of our thought life.

Dianoia isn’t a word we use on the daily. It’s likely we may be more familiar with the word ‘paranoia’.  The prefix of the word, “para” means “beside, next to, near, against or contrary to”(5).  When we focus on what is near or around us (para), it can stir fear.  If we allow what is contrary to God to consume our thoughts, we are dwelling on things that do not support Godly thinking.  What we choose to marinate in begins to saturate us.  It colors our thinking.  It flavors our choices.  It overtakes us so that we think of Godly things less and less and we become more and more filled with the world around us. We need the ‘dia’ not the ‘para’.

The little things matter, friends.  What we choose to watch and listen to.  What we read and discuss.  Who we fellowship with and how and where all impact our thinking.  And our thinking impacts everything. Are we taking intentional time to think on God’s word and meditate on His precepts?  Are we marinating in the honey of the Word or the acid of the world? We need to pray for our sons and daughters and, really, for all believers that as this world grows darker, we strive intentionally to love God with all our mind.

Are we marinating in the honey of the Word or the acid of the world?

“Love the Lord your God with all your mind.”  It’s a straightforward command that we need to embrace with all that we are.  We need to be intentional. God will not falter or cool in His love for us, be we can certainly grow cold in our love for Him.

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,” Matthew 24:12

Today, let’s pray for our sons and daughters, for our friends and loved ones, that they would understand and pursue loving God with all their mind.  Pray for purity in thought.  Pray that they would choose ‘dia’ over ‘para’.  If we look around, we’ll be overcome by the darkness and decay of the world, but if we choose to look toward God, we’ll be blessed and protected.  We’ll know hope- elpis - the eager expectation of good and the confident joyful expectation of eternal salvation (6).

“Father, you call us to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5).  You know that Satan attacks our minds and it is there that the spiritual battle and downfall begin.  Lord, help (name) to love You with all of their mind.  Don’t allow them to give away little corners and pieces of their mind.  Protect them from ‘marinating’ in ideas and activities that would have them dwell on ungodly things.  Lord, let the helmet of salvation protect their mind from any attacks because we know our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).  Help (name) to set their mind on things above (dia), not on earthly things (para) and strengthen them to walk faithfully with You.  Lord, time is short.  Our world is dark.  Satan will do anything he can to destroy believers and keep unbelievers from turning to Jesus.  I pray Your mighty protection over each of my family and friends and over Your Church today and in the days to come.  Lord, work mightily and may all the glory be Yours now and forever, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. G1271 - dianoia - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1271/niv/mgnt/0-1/

2. G1223 - dia - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1223/niv/mgnt/0-1/

3. G1223 - dia - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1223/niv/mgnt/0-1/

4. G1097 - ginōskō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1097/niv/mgnt/0-1/

5. Para-word meaning. Wiktionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/para-#:~:text=From%20Ancient%20Greek%20%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%AC%20(par%C3%A1,against%2C%20contrary%20to%E2%80%9D). 

6. G1680 - elpis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1680/niv/mgnt/0-1/

Pray without ceasing.

*Join the PAC Prayer will be taking a short break for the month of March. See you in April! Until then, pray faithfully. Pray often. Pray without ceasing.

How Do You Measure the Love of God?

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all of the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Remember when our kids were little and we’d tuck them into bed at night?  The routine usually included a story and maybe a song, and prayers.  Then, before we left them to fall asleep, we’d tuck them in and give them a good night kiss and remind them of how much we love them.  Little sayings like “I love you to the moon and back!” or “I love you to the end of counting” would be the affirmations we would give.  As our children grew, they would add their own affirmations back again.  We just wanted them to know how much we loved them…and still do.  What a sweet time of encouraging the hearts of our little ones.! It set the foundation for our relationship with them and gave them a small glimpse of how our Heavenly Father loves us. 

When God tells us He loves us, He gives us affirmations, too.  But in our limited human capacity, it can be hard to grasp and understand, mostly because we base our understanding of love on our own experience and the love we’ve received ourselves.  So, our concept of love can be skewed, limited, and broken.  God knew we would struggle with this, so He provided some strong word pictures to help our limited minds understand His limitless love.

First, God’s love flows from His glorious riches.  His treasury of love is abundant- there is enough for every person from the dawn of time through eternity.  That’s a lot of love!!  It won’t ever run out- it’s abundant and free-flowing from the Father.

Next, to understand and fully enjoy the love of God, we have to be in a relationship with Him.  God loves everyone, it’s true.  But not everyone loves God.  Unless you have a relationship with Him, you cannot begin to grasp the magnitude of His love for us and what it accomplishes on our behalf.  When we enter into a relationship with God, we gain a foundation on which God builds us up in Him.  We are ‘rooted’ and ‘established’.  We become fixed, firm and founded in God.  We have a ‘place’ and a ‘purpose’ and God’s love dwells in us.

Romans 5:5 “…God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

But here’s the best part…the dimensions of God’s love.  When we try to figure out if something will fit into a space, we ask for the dimensions.  How wide?  How high?  How deep?  When we understand the dimensions of the item, we can gain an understanding of the ‘fit’.  Friends, God’s love exceeds every dimension!!  We can’t make it fit, we can’t limit it, yet it can fill us, follow us and consume us all the days of our earthly lives and follow us into eternity.  The Psalmist tried to put it into words we can understand:

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.  … But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children–with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.”  Psalm 103:11-12, 17-18

“As high as the heavens are above the earth”  Have you ever seen pictures of the expanses of space? Telescopes give us a glimpse of the vastness of the heavens…they go on and on… and galaxies beyond our own are so expansive, we just cannot comprehend how far they stretch.  And the love of God stretches even farther.

“As far as the east is from the west”  East and west will never meet- they expand away from one another.  These cardinal directions will never meet, but will continually stretch endlessly.  It’s another mind-blowing example of God’s love and His abundant forgiveness of our sin.

“From everlasting to everlasting”  Forever.  Always.  Without beginning or end.  God’s love has no origin and no finality.  It always was, is and will be.  It is an attribute of His character and nature and cannot fail.  Read that again, friends…. God’s love can and will never fail!

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;” Lamentations 3:22

”Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

As we begin this new year, let’s pray that our sons and daughters spiritual eyes are opened to see the magnitude of God’s love around, in and through them.  Pray that they have confidence in the perfect love of God and that they don’t judge His love based on the flawed human examples or their own less-than-perfect experiences.  God’s love toward us doesn’t cool, it doesn’t grow weary, it doesn’t dry up.  It is steadfast and enduring, plentiful and perfect.

We need this next generation to know, firmly and without question, that God’s love is sufficient and abundant and it is readily available to them, designed for them, and freely given.  We need them to be compelled to share His love, with conviction, to others who need to know the Lord.  Time is short.  Jesus’ return is near.  This world needs to know there is a God who loves them desperately and dearly and who gave His Son for them so they could live rooted firmly in the love of God.  Let’s pray with and for one another today and for our sons and daughters.

Why not share with someone today how they can experience God’s love too!

Pray without ceasing!

How to Pray When Our Sons and Daughters Reach a Crossroads, part 1

“This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look (see); ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.   But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.”” Jeremiah 6:16

Crossroads.  They’re fraught with uncertainty, difficulty and, sometimes, painful choices.  Crossroads challenge us and stretch us.  They demand that we evaluate our values, our goals and dreams and decide what is important and what is non-negotiable.  Sometimes we don’t realize just how much hangs in the balance…and sometimes we do.  

When we imagine someone at a crossroads, whether literally or figuratively, we think of someone who has reached a point of decision (or indecision), direction (or indirection) and they’re living in a ‘pause’ of sorts. We might see them as unsure, confused or even overwhelmed.  A decision must be made, a direction chosen, but the individual might appear ‘stuck’, paralyzed, or even rudderless.  

As parents, when we see our sons and daughters reaching a crossroads, we might get nervous or heavy-hearted, hoping and praying they make the right decision.  But what God says in Jeremiah should make us reevaluate a crossroads.   ‘Stand at the crossroads’ doesn’t imply uncertainty or confusion- a stopping and standing because we’re befuddled.  

The crossroads is a decision point, a choice of direction and intention, yes.  But when God says “stand” at the crossroads, He’s not calling us to simply stop and wait.  No, that word “stand” is the Hebrew word “amad” which means “take a stand, present oneself, hold your ground, arise, endure and stand firm.” (1)  There is nothing uncertain about it.  It is being sure of your convictions and what you will not compromise Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”.  Standing is the opposite of wavering.  

Here’s the thing, when our sons and daughters reach a crossroads, is not the time to begin praying they stand strong in their convictions.  That’s something for which we need to have already been praying.  We should daily be asking the Lord to help them be unwavering in their pursuit of Christ so when they do reach a crossroads, there is no question about Who they will follow or what road they will choose.

But just in case we needed more encouragement, the Lord says, “Stand and LOOK”.  The word look (also ‘see’) is the word ‘raa’ in  Hebrew.  It means to perceive, to have vision, to perceive and take heed (2).  Let’s get a little “grammarly” here… the word “look” is a verb that, according to Strong’s Concordance, is transitive, intransitive and causative.  But what does that even mean and why is it important?

Transitive means the word takes action on something.  So when we’re told to “look”, it means to “look and see the way”.  God wants us to direct our attention to the ancient ways, what God instructed the generations before to do and follow and to know and understand we should do the same.

Intransitive means there is no object, it’s directly happening.  In this case, the believer is looking.  You look.  You see.

“Causative verbs are used when one person or thing is a stimulus that enables or causes someone or something else to carry out the main action in a sentence.” (3)  The causative nature of the word “look” means that we’re being directed by God to do something.  He’s calling us and enabling us to look and see- it suggests more than just vision with the eyes, but with the mind and heart.  

Isn’t that profound?!  One word, three uses! The action itself, the object toward which the action is directed and the cause of the action- who or what has prompted it. Isn’t it amazing that God can use one word to tell us so many things?!

So, friends, when we pray for our sons and daughters as they reach a crossroads, we first must pray that they are confident in their convictions and unwavering in their faith so that they will STAND.  Then, we need to pray that they will LOOK- taking action to open their eyes, to see what is before them, that they will look for the ancient paths- the way God wants them to go that they would direct their gaze to the way that leads to life and godliness.  Then, that they will look and understand and deeply perceive where God is leading and what steps He wants them to take, not just next steps, but life choices and direction of the heart and mind. Pray for the correct action, the correct object of focus and the correct understanding and discretion.

We’ll follow up on the next aspects of Jeremiah 6:16 later this week, but for now, let’s pray for our sons and daughters that they will Stand and Look in the ways that God desires.

“Father, so often we’re presented with crossroads in our lives, those moments when we’re faced with decisions and directions and it’s difficult and confusing to know what to do and which way to go.  I want to pray for (name) right now.  Lord, I pray that (name) would stand when they reach a crossroads.  Let them be decisive in what they believe and why.  Help them to be unwavering in their faith and their convictions.  Help them to consider every choice in light of their relationship with You so that they would hold their ground and be firm in their commitment to Scripture and to You.  Lord, I pray that (name) would do their best to present themself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).  And while (name) stands at the crossroads, I pray that they would look.  Open their eyes to see what it is You would have them do.  Help them to look for the way they should go and help them to actively seek your face, Lord.  I pray that they would see not only with physical eyes, but with spiritual insight and discretion.  Lord, do not allow a crossroads to be a point at which they will diverge from Your will for their life, but they would evaluate the best way, the godly way, the right way and would walk in it.  I pray that You would be blessed by their actions and their insight and that their choices would bring You glory.  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing, friends.

1. H5975 - ʿāmaḏ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5975/niv/wlc/0-1

2. H7200 - rā'â - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7200/niv/wlc/0-1/

3. Lohman, L. (n.d.). Causative Verbs | Causative Form in English: Overview & Examples. Retrieved from https://study.com/learn/lesson/causative-verbs-form-overview-examples.html

Psalm 145: 17-21

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

Lord, You are righteous, yet You love us, sinners condemned by our sin.  It’s an example for us, who follow You, that we too can love others even if they don’t know You or follow You.  They are image bearers and as such, we need to love them- how will they know?  How can they see the love of God if we’re not willing to live it out in front of them?.  Help us, Lord.  Help us to love those who are ‘different’ than we, who do and say things we don’t like or approve of.  Help us to know that by loving them, we’re not condoning what they do.  By loving us, Lord, You are not condoning our sin, but You love us in spite of our sin.  Your kindness leads us to repentance.  Father, I pray that (name) would learn how to be loving to others and by loving them, show the power of God and the change it can bring in a heart and life.  

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,  to all who call on him in truth.

Father, You affirm that You  are near to all who call on You, convinced without a doubt,  that You will hear and answer. They trust and know that You are not indifferent or disconnected.  You are faithfully present and supporting us even before we ask.   I pray that (name) would believe without waffling or wavering that You are faithful and True and when (name) calls on You, You will answer and be near.  I pray that (name) would understand Your trustworthiness and see Your faithful steadfast Presence in each day and night, in each joyful moment and dark season.  Lord, You ARE near to all who call on You in truth.  Thank You.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;  he hears their cry and saves them.

Just as we heard the cries of our children an ran to help them, You hear our cries.  You save us, Lord, even when it seems like there is no way out, You make a way.  “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them.  He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.” (Ps 107:6-7)  Lord, I pray that (name)’s heart desire would be refuge in the shadow of Your wings and a place in Your house that is their own, a belonging, a provision and a dwelling in Your Presence.  Lord, lead them to a city of refuge because they fear You.  Let (name) cry out to You today Lord.  Direct their eyes, their heart and their plea to Your throne room where You hear and answer abundantly.  Fulfill (name)’s desires in a way that brings glory and honor to Your name and that draws them nearer to You.  Hear their cry and save them, Abba Father.

20 The Lord watches over all who love him,  but all the wicked he will destroy.

Thank you, Lord, for Your watchful care.  As a parent, our eyes were always watching for danger and seeking to protect them.  But now that (name) is an adult, I can’t do that any more.  I have to trust…I have to trust You that You will watch over and protect (name) so much better than I ever could.  I pray that (name) would love You.  Stir  a deep desire in (name)’s heart and mind to run after You with all they have and are.  Help them to see this world is temporary and the titles and promotions, the gadgets and trappings will all rot.  But their heart…oh their heart is the most valuable thing they have and they need to ensure that it’s properly and rightfully invested.  Please, Lord, let them invest themselves in Your kingdom.  Let them surrender all they are and have to You.  Don’t let them be counted among the wicked.  Oh how we love them, but Lord, we know, unless they surrender to You and are counted as Your child, Your saint, Your beloved, unless that is their identity, they are among the wicked.  Lord, it hurts our hearts to think that.  Show us fruit, Lord!  Watch over (name) and guide their steps so they remain faithful to You.  If (name) doesn’t know You as their Lord and Savior, I pray that even today You would bring another believer into their life who would speak truth and share the life-giving hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Lord, I pray that (name) would confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9).  Lord, watch over (name) today and do a work in their life.  I believe.  I know You can and will.  Bring fruit, Lord.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Oh, how I love You Lord!  My mouth is filled with Your praise.  My heart is overwhelmed by Your goodness and I want to share that joyful praise with others.  I want to know that (name) is filled with joyful praise for You.  May it overflow and cause them to wonder and be amazed at how praising You brings contentment, fulfillment and joy.  Lord, to know that every creature will praise Your holy name is humbling.  Today give me moments to sit outside or gaze out the window at Your creation and ponder what the praise of creation for You  might look like  When the trees sway in the breeze, are they praising You?  When the birds sing, are they proclaiming Your greatness?  We can’t know, but Lord, Your Word tells us that if we don’t praise You, even the very rocks would cry out in praise of You.  (Luke 19:40).  Creation knows its Creator.  Help us to know You more and more and to live in a way that reflects that knowledge to others..  May the generations of my family praise You and carry on a commitment to follow after You for all their days, no matter what may come.  May our lives exhibit praise for Your holy name, always and through eternity.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pray without ceasing

Psalm 145:8-12

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

Oh, Lord.  We are grateful for Your grace- it is so much more than we deserve.  Your compassion is overwhelming to us, sinful as we are. You hear the cry of the afflicted, the cry of Your image-bearers and You answer with perfectly designed responses for each one.  No cry goes unheard.  No cry goes unanswered.   Thank You that You hear us and that You care.   When You  reach down and pull us out of the pit, Your grace and compassion are at work.  You set our feet on a rock, with our heads high above our enemies. Even when we were still in our sin, You loved us and ransomed us.  Thank You for your plentiful, steadfast love.   And thank You that Your anger is slow to kindle- I know we press in and test the boundaries far too often and we ought to receive Your wrath, but instead you show us your steadfast, plentiful love in the form of grace and compassion.   You can’t contradict Yourself.  Lord, help us to live worthy of You.   We are blessed by You in so many ways. Today, help (name) to see your grace and compassion and realize that it is present and plentiful for them. No sin is too great for You to forgive. No distance is too for for You to find them and help them return to You. Lord, show (name) Your rich love today.

9 The Lord is good to all;  He has compassion on all he has made.

Lord, when I look at this world and the ways people rail against You and defy You, I know we deserve nothing more than Your wrath.  But You are good to all, even to those who spit at Your name.  You are Good!  You nourish the earth with rain and sun.  You bring forth fruit and grain for us to enjoy.  You provide fellowship and protection.  And when it comes to Your children, You nurture and care for us so that we can serve You well.  Your compassion is akin to tender mercies- that of a parent cherishing, protecting and loving a growing child.  Even when we rebel, You love us.  Lord, I pray that You would help (name) to know Your love today.  May they reject the lies of this world and follow after You.  May they pursue You with their whole heart, overwhelmed by Your goodness and grace, convicted to live a life worthy of the love and mercy You so freely give.  Don’t let them go, Lord.  Chase after them with your goodness and mercy until they turn and follow you willingly and with joy.

10 All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.

Heavenly Father, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, yet even in that moment, not every heart will be surrendered to You.   I pray that  (name) would be fully surrendered, living a life of obedience to You.  I pray that (name) would praise You with their whole heart.  Lord, help them  sing with abandon, raising their hands to heaven in powerful praise of who You are and all that You do.  Let their hearts be full and overflowing with joy.  Lord, I pray that (name) would be counted among your saints, a child of the Most High God, counted worthy to escape everything coming in this world and worthy to  stand in glory with You, blessing Your name for all eternity.  Give them a head-start in that praise and blessing today and give (name) a glimpse of heaven so they are overwhelmed with the magnificence of what is to come- the promise of eternity with You.  Never let Your name leave (name)’s heart and mind.  May it always be on their lips, ready to share with those who need to know You.  

11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

The glory of Your kingdom is more than we can explain with words, but I ask that You would  give us words that would help bring understanding to those who need to know You; those who need to understand that Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and they can be a part of it!.  Compel us to speak of Your power and might.  We want to stand in awe of You, Lord, and in so doing, leave others in awe of You as well.  I pray, Lord, that (name) would represent You well.  Let the legacy of our family bring glory to Your name.  Let our place in Your kingdom be a blessing to You and a testimony to others.  Lord, wreck us with Your glory and goodness so that we have no choice but to praise and extol Your Name to all that we meet.  Help each of us to put ourselves aside for the sake of Your plan and purpose.  May our lives radiate the glory of the Lord because we are continually seeking to follow after You with abandon.  Lord, help (name) to understand the importance of being sold out for Christ.

12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Burden us, Lord, for those who don’t know You.  Help us to grieve for those who live in bondage and darkness. Change our plans, get our attention, and use us to bring the gospel to those who need to know Jesus.  Give us words to share the wonder of Your mighty acts with those who don’t know.  Remind us of your grace, compassion and Your rich love that offers forgiveness and redemption so we can share that hope with others. Give us insight to explain just how glorious Your kingdom is and that You desire that we all have a room in Your house, so that where You are, we can be there too.  I pray that (name) would be homesick for You, Lord, and would take every chance to share the way Home with others who need Your hope and salvation.  I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Pray without ceasing

Acid Tongue

Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Acid burns.  It corrodes.  It’s sour.  Those qualities can describe our words,  too.  They hit hard, they burn and fester. Words can eat away at our heart and mind leaving them raw, exposed and hurting. Words can set our spirit on edge and cause damage that is not easily repaired.

Sometimes we may find ourselves using our words to try and motivate certain responses or actions - what we think our sons and daughters should do or be.  But that can quickly turn into using words as a weapon to accomplish our own agenda.  Our words can become passive-aggressive and just plain nasty.  Maybe we don’t intend them to be so; sometimes we don’t realize the weight and sharpness of our words.  But we should.

James 3:5-10 says, “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

Our words can pull others close, or push them away.  They can speak truth in love and be a balm to a  hurting heart.  Or our words can be caustic, burning as they hit and leaving scars as they sink deeply.  Our mantra should not be “well, the truth hurts”.  It should be “how can I speak like Jesus?”  You see, Jesus didn’t look for opportunities to tear others down, to speak ‘truth that hurts’ or to use passive-aggressive means to win souls.  He didn’t use His words to puff himself up or show himself ‘better than’. He didn’t use words to shame or humiliate.   No, Jesus was compassionate.  He was thoughtful.  

Yes, Jesus spoke truth- He IS the Truth.  But he spoke it in such a way that the ‘other’ was respected.  He spoke with words that intrigued the listener and supported the Holy Spirit’s work in them.  Even those caught in sin were spoken to in love, not spite or arrogance (that was the Pharisees’ approach).  The woman in John 8, caught in sin, wasn’t given a whole sermon on her depravity.  She wasn’t paraded out as an example to others and shamed for her actions.  Her missteps were not listed out for her and all others to hear.  She wasn’t humiliated because of her error, she was shown compassion, because Jesus loved her and He wanted His words to reflect His love and compassion.

Proverbs 12:18 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  

Let’s not allow our words to be dictated by which day of the week it is….- speaking sweetly on Sunday when we’re at church and then turning the switch to acid words when we get in the car and set our Bible aside.  Let’s stop and think, “will my response, my words, my questions and my encouragements make others love Jesus more…or will they begin to corrode the heart and spirit of the listener?”

The Lord calls us to love Him with all of our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength (Luke 10:27). If all of us is consumed with Him, then our words will be a by-product of that relationship. We’ll speak words of truth and life because that’s where our heart, soul, mind and strength are grounded . If our words don’t reflect that, it’s an indication that our focus might need some readjusting.

Friends, Jesus doesn’t need us to be another's ‘Holy Spirit’.  He’s got that covered.  He needs us to speak truth in love.  Yes, friends, it’s time to watch our words.  Let’s put aside the acid tongue and speak to one another, to our sons and daughters, to those who may be within earshot, with an agape vocabulary: one that shows affection, goodwill, benevolence and love.  “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”  Proverbs 16:24.

Today, let’s pray that we speak in ways that reflect Christ.  Pray that our sons and daughters would as well.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would put a guard on our tongues and prick our hearts when we begin to pour acid instead of honey.  Let’s impact our world with the Love of Christ, not the sting and stench of the old nature.

“Father, You are the Author of Truth and the giver of good.  If we are your children, we should reflect Your nature- help us to do that.  I pray that when I speak, it would be motivated by love and not my own agenda.  Lord, I so want my sons and daughters to follow after You.  But sometimes my words don’t encourage them and the example I set is not always one that reflect You.  Change me, Lord.  Make me more like Jesus.  Let the words I speak build others up- even if they’re just overhearing, let them be blessed because they hear Jesus in the way and words that I speak.  I pray for (name) today.  Let the words of their mouth and the meditation of their heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord (Ps. 19:14)  Lord, help us to respond, not react, when we choose to speak.  Let our words be like honey, not like acid.  Lord, I love You and I want to represent You well.  Please work in me, work in my family, let our words point others to the cross, not to a wake of wreckage that we leave behind due to our acid tongues. Let us be known for the sweetness of our words, not an acid tongue. “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth: keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Ps 141:3”  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Pray without ceasing, friends!

G26 - agapē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g26/kjv/tr/0-1/

A Prescription for Love

Mark 12:28-30 “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”  “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”

So much of life is performance based, isn’t it?  We’re always evaluated by what we can say, do and accomplish.  We get jobs based on our experience and skills.  We gain friends and followers with our words and actions.  We earn awards and recognition by our accomplishments.  So, when it comes to our spiritual lives, it’s no wonder we often misunderstand what God expects of us and how we should love Him.  So many ‘religions’ put emphasis on effort…man’s effort, in order to gain God’s love and approval.

What if…..what if we just followed Jesus’ words?  What if we simply believed and obeyed?  What if we removed all of the labels: “Baptist”…“Presbyterian”… “Methodist”, “teacher”, “preacher”, “member” and we were simply known as a “Christ-followers”?  What if we simply loved Christ and, in loving Him, were able to let others see Him in and through us?  It’s what Jesus calls us to do. 

But the teachers of the law were very concerned about rules.  They wanted to keep the law to a “T”.  They missed the truth of the gospel in the midst of their obsessions with following rules.  Too often, it seems, we do the same.  We check boxes or sign statements that affirm we believe the right things.  We do ‘all the things’ that demonstrate our commitment.  But it becomes works based and we pat ourselves on the back for being so dedicated, so knowledgeable, so … ‘Christian’.  Yet, we lack the very thing that God says is most important.

 In Mark 12:30, Jesus told the teachers of the law what the most important commandment was- “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”

He calls us to love Him.  The Greek word used here is ‘agapaio’ (1) which means to welcome and entertain, to be fond of and to love dearly.  It also means to be well-pleased and contented.  Are we contented with Christ or do we seek out other people and things to fill us?  Do we rely on our efforts and associations to prove our faith or are we so in love with Jesus that everything is an outpouring of that relationship?

Next, He says we should love with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Isn’t it curious that Jesus doesn’t talk about emotions?  Far too often we equate ‘love’ with how we ‘feel’, but emotions are a by-product, not the source of love.  Hence, if people are dependent on emotions, they fall in and out of love because their feelings change; they no longer ‘feel’ for that other the way they once did.  Jesus says, first we must love Him with our heart- the seat and center of our physical and spiritual life, the inner man (2).

Then He calls us to love Him with our soul-the very breath of life He breathed into us when He created us.  Our soul is that spiritual force that animates the body and is not dissolved by death.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has set eternity in the heart of man.  Our soul is ‘built’ for eternity.  It is the spiritual part of us that can truly connect with God (3).  It is the part of us that is drawn to that very relationship with Him.

Then, Jesus asks us to love Him with our mind- the faculty of understanding, feeling, and desiring (4).  When we love with our mind, we make a choice to intentionally choose to commit our lives to Jesus.  It’s a rational decision based on our understanding of Who God is and how He loves us.

Finally, Jesus calls us to love Him with all of our strength.  That is what the Greek defines as might, ability, force, to hold oneself to a thing, be joined to- to the extent of one’s ability (5).  He wants us to cling to Him with all that is in us. 

Do our sons and daughters love Jesus well?  Or, do we hear them saying “I just don’t ‘feel’ close to the Lord.”?  Today, let’s pray that they will love the Lord with all their heart- the center of their being, with all their soul- the very part of them that connects to eternity, with all of their mind- an intentional choice to pursue Christ, and with all of their strength- clinging to Jesus with every ounce of ability He provides.

“Father, You love us so well.  Thank You for being constant, faithful, unshakeable and merciful to us in our weakness.  I pray for (name) today.  Help them to pursue You with all that they are and have.  Remind them it’s not about ‘feelings’ but about faith, commitment, and a choice to follow Jesus with all they have and all they are.  It’s about obedience-no matter what.  Lord, I ask that You would work in (name)’s heart- the very center of who You created them to be.  Lord, You knew them before You formed them in the womb.  Stir in their heart a desire to live for You.  Draw them, Lord, and speak to their soul.  Cause (name) to thirst after You (Ps. 63:1).  Give them a longing for more than what this temporary world can offer.  Satisfy them with a love that is far deeper and more fulfilling than any they’ve ever known.  Lord, give them a clear understanding that committing to and loving Jesus is what they were created to do.  Help them to make the intentional, wise choice to follow in obedience and love You with all that they are.  Give them strength to follow through on their commitment, especially when life gets hard.  Lord, in those difficult times, we waver, we falter, we lose strength and we despair.  Sometimes our frail hearts and minds can’t understand and embrace the enormity of Your love and of Your promises to us.  We filter things through our own human experience and understanding- but You are so much more!!  Lord, I pray that today, (name) would see and understand how much You love them. I pray they would catch a glimpse of the beauty and soul-embracing love of God.  Help them be satisfied, as with the richest of foods and may their lips praise You (Ps 63:5).  I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Pray without ceasing.

What the Heart Wants

As we watch events unfold in the news, we see people in Ukraine running for their lives.  They’re not stopping to pack up their home decor or their favorite books.  They’re not worried about that picture or piece of art.  Their ‘good china’ holds little value.  Their job isn’t going to save them and that salary or promotion really doesn’t mean anything. No, it’s life that they cherish and they run with the few clothes and food items they can carry.  They don’t think twice.  They run for safety and refuge, praying and dodging the enemy fire.  They run because life is precious and nothing else matters.  And when asked what they want, most say “I just want to go home.”

Yet, many likely will never get back to their home.  They will resettle and start new lives, they will find new places to live and develop new routines, new friendships and new ways of living…yet they will always long for home.  Why?  Because that’s who they are.  That is at the root of their identity.  They can change locations, but they can’t change their heart’s longing.

What do our sons and daughters long for?  Is it Jesus?  Do they yearn to be where they ‘belong’, in His Presence?  Do their hearts ache to spend time with him?  Are their minds consumed with love for Him and His Word  Do they have confidence in the Lord because their heart and mind are set on things above (Col. 3:1-2)?  Or is it possible they’re charmed by the things they see, not by what is unseen.  

As we see all this happening, what is it that we want most for our sons and daughters?  If we strip everything else away, what do our Momma and Daddy hearts yearn for, what do we wish they would crave?  We want to know they are walking faithfully with the Lord.  Nothing else really matters, does it?  When we stand before the Lord, the condition of our heart, what we love and what we choose to think on will be what matters to the Lord and will determine where our affections lie.

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Oh, how we want to know our kids are carrying the conviction of Christ Alone in their hearts and minds.  How we want to hear them say  they find their soul’s contentment in Jesus.  

Is your heart heavy today?  Don’t despair.  God isn’t done working.  Let’s pray very specifically for the hearts and minds of our sons and daughters.  The scripture below gives potent promises that we can pray with boldness.  

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Philippians 4:6-7  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“Father, I bring (name) before You today and ask that You would work in their life, their heart and mind, today.  Lord, surround them with Your divine protection.  Let them guard their heart today so that nothing in this world would pollute it and cause them to wander from you.  Keep their eyes fixed on You, the Author and Perfecter of their faith.  Stir in them a thirst to know You more and a longing to be in Your Presence- let them truly know that this life is temporary and eternal life is with You.  I pray that, like David, these words would be the prayer of their life, “‘I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will also rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.  You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.’” (Ps. 16:8-11)  Lord, You are able to do more than we could ask or imagine.  Please work in (name)’s heart and mind today.  Capture them with your love, satisfy them with living water, show them the beauty, wonder and joy of eternal pleasures that far outweigh anything this world could offer.  I pray that (name) would confess “Only Jesus” today and always.  Give me Your peace today as I wait and pray.  Work mightily, Lord.  In Jesus’ mighty, saving name I pray, amen.” 

Keep praying that God would capture their affection and would draw their heart to Him.

Pray without ceasing.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

    And wild and sweet

    The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

    Had rolled along

    The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

    A voice, a chime,

    A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

    "For hate is strong,

    And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

    The Wrong shall fail,

    The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (public domain)