Passing through the Valley
“Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7
The Valley of Baka in Psalms is also known as the valley of weeping. We can all likely look to a time when we experienced a difficult, dark time. Maybe we encountered hardship and it seemed as if we were in a dark valley of grief or sorrow that weighed us down and seemed to last longer than we had strength to endure.
It’s one thing to go through it personally, but ask any parent who has watched their son or daughter go through hard things and they’ll tell you, it’s not only difficult, it’s downright painful. We want to fix it. We want to bring it to a quick end. We want to make everything okay and get things “back to normal”, yet, we’re powerless to do it.
As parents, the valley experience of our children calls us to a deep and abiding faith in Jesus. It calls us to trust Him more than we can see in front of us. It calls us to rely on His strength and Sovereignty over our own power and ingenuity. It asks us to relinquish our parental ‘controls’ and trust in the One Who parents them best. The valley is a tough place to be, that’s certain. And, as parents, we can either be the voice of spiritual encouragement that points our son or daughter to Jesus, or a detractor that pulls their focus to their current situation and supports their despair.
But Psalm 84 gives us a beautiful, powerful picture of the valley as a place of victory, not defeat. Yes, the Psalmist writes about being in the valley of weeping, but he says, “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” Blessed. It’s the Hebrew word “eser” and it means “happiness, or how happy” (1). Our sons and daughters can experience deep happiness and joy, in spite of the valley experience if they’re focused on Jesus! They may be in the valley, but if they’re still pursuing Jesus, they are blessed!! Their location and their situation do not determine their joy. Jesus is joy!! That’s a lesson we should all be reminded of daily.
The second thing to remember is that the valley isn’t their destination, it’s just a part of the journey. And the valley shouldn’t be the focus of their heart, the passage to Jesus should be their focus! The joy is generated and determined by the Source of their strength. The One who walks every step of the way with them through the valley and the One in whose Presence they long to stand. The journey is one of reliance on Jesus and trust in His Presence and leading.
Not only will the valley bring blessings, but it can become a place of refreshing. Imagine that! A valley of weeping becomes a journey of refreshing?! “As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” The word “spring” in Hebrew is the word “mayan” and it means "fountain or source of satisfaction” (2). Psalm 87:7 gives us another perspective on Who and what that fountain represents, “All my fountains are in You.” In other words, all of my blessings and Source of joy, delight and pleasure are in You, Lord. The valley doesn’t supply the source of satisfaction, the believer traveling the valley does through his full reliance on Christ and his delight in His presence. So, if our sons and daughters are in the valley, they can make it a place bubbling with delight, joy and pleasure if they remain focused on and grounded in the Lord. Blessings bubbling over, generatd by the Source of Life.
Then, there are the autumn rains. To some that may seem odd, but in Israel, the hot dry summer gives way to autumn rain that softens the soil and makes it pliable, easily broken up for cultivation and planting. It creates fertile ground- and isn’t that what God seeks to create in our hearts? The autumn rains in the valley of weeping can soften hearts and make them ready to receive the Word and be fruitful. The springs and fountains of delight, pleasure, and joy along with the refreshing, nourishing rains that soften the hardened ground make the trek through the valley a journey from strength to strength. This word, strength, is “hayil” in Hebrew and it means “resources, ability, and might” (3). Do you see? God uses the valley to bring joy in Him- not generated by our circumstances. He brings delight, not in the location, but in His Presence. He brings growth because of the believer’s focus and reliance on Him, not on the situation or location. He draws the traveler to Himself and in doing so, the situation and location become secondary.
Finally, the destination of walking through the valley is the anticipation of standing before God, in His presence. Psalm 16:11 says, “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.” If our heart is set on pilgrimage to God’s presence and Jesus is our Guide and Companion, there is strength and joy in the journey because we know the valley isn’t the destination, nor does it hold what we’re seeking, and there is so much more that awaits us. We will ALL stand before the Lord, whether we intend that as our destination or not. It is determined beforehand for us.
How will we pray for our sons and daughters in their faith journey? Will we pray the valley is short and the weeping is minimal? That’s likely and why wouldn’t we? God understands our parent-heart well. But, maybe we should pray that the focus of our son or daughter is Jesus alone and that He would be their source of joy, delight and strength. And maybe, just maybe, we should pray for autumn rains that soften the ground of their hearts so they can receive the Word of God and bear fruit. Perhaps we should pray that their journey is not just a short one, but is one of moving from strength to strength until they appear before God in Zion and that ultimately, they would hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Let’s pray that the valley is a place of blessing and growth and that if He wills, the Lord would allow us a window on all of it while we lift our sons and daughters in prayer. There are features of the valley experience that can lead us and our sons and daughters to a stronger, more certain faith. And yes, even deep joy. That’s how we can pray effectively and fervently for their journey.
Pray without ceasing.
1. H835 - 'ešer - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h835/kjv/wlc/0-1/
2. H4599 - maʿyān - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4599/niv/wlc/0-1/
3. H2428 - ḥayil - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2428/niv/wlc/0-1/
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.
G5046 - teleios - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5046/niv/mgnt/0-1/
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.
H389 - 'aḵ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (ESV). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h389/esv/wlc/0-1/
God’s Powerful Anointing
“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5b
(life-giving strength, proactive prevention, setting apart)
Did you know that Shepherds anointed their sheep? No, it’s not to set them apart for roles of importance or noble purposes, though human anointing historically served that purpose. The anointing of the sheep is an effort to protect them from insects that would harm them, from sharing disease-causing parasites and from infection caused by parasites (1,2).
The flies that swarm around the flocks pester the sheep and cause them distress. But the flies are not as harmless as one might think. They will lay their eggs in the noses of the sheep. The larvae burrow deeply into the flesh causing pain, infection and, sometimes, blindness. The Shepherd rubs oil all over the sheep's head to keep them from falling victim to those pests they cannot see nor protect themselves against (1,2). Consider how our Shepherd protects us from those tiny, invisible threats that we can’t see, but might render us weakened or blinded to Truth.
Then, the Shepherd also uses the oil to prevent the spread of parasites. You see, as the sheep mingle with one another, they live closely together in the flock, they bump into one another and ‘rub shoulders’. Sometimes the parasites on one sheep will quickly spread to the entire flock, infecting them all. The oil not only prevents the spread, but it accelerates the healing (2). Jesus in His wisdom, anoints us to protect us from false teaching and wrong influences that might spread through His flock. If we’re all anointed, we’re less likely to pick up foreign pests that could derail our faith and we’re more likely to heal quickly when we encounter insult and injury or endure trials and tribulations. His oil of healing is sufficient to heal our wounds.
Finally, the Shepherd rubs the oil on the horns of the sheep to protect them from one another. Sheep are known to butt heads…and aren’t people known for that too? The oil makes the horns slip more easily, preventing serious injury (1,2). Oh how we want to avoid hurting others as we sometimes disagree over how we should live in harmony, how we should do ministry, how we should follow Christ. As sheep, we don’t understand the dangers that wait for us, nor those we might cause to others, but our Good Shepherd does, and He diligently covers us with His protection and His anointing.
You see, as the Shepherd anoints each sheep, He can note any wounds because He’s focusing on each sheep, individually. The anointing isn’t a group event. It’s one by one, as each sheep needs. He carefully checks us over, ensuring that any wound is cleaned and any infection is treated. He removes any ‘invaders’ that might cause sickness or blindness. Our Good Shepherd anoints us each to care for us as individuals. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Ps. 100:3).
The New Testament uses the picture of anointing as God’s call on the believer’s life. We are chosen and set apart; we are children of the King. We are healed. We are cleansed. We are sanctified.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
God’s anointing accomplishes so many things… and it fills our cup, it brings spiritual satisfaction and a completeness because we are His own. His anointing on us sets us apart for eternity and ensures that the enemy knows we belong to Jesus. The infectious assault of the enemy can’t destroy us. The oil of healing from our Good Shepherd ensures we are protected and preserved.
Let’s pray that our sons and daughters understand how and why God has chosen them and they grasp the depth of that anointing and experience the overflowing blessings of being God’s chosen child. Let’s pray Scripture over them once more.
“Loving Father, it amazes me to think that You chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in Your sight (Ephesians 1:4) . We are chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12). Today, help (name) to not only recognize this, but to understand it and be changed by it. I pray that (name)’s life would overflow with all of the blessings that come with being Your child, Your beloved, Your chosen one. I pray that (name) would personally experience Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.””
“Give (name) the confidence of 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” Help them believe that Your blessings are abundant and to see those blessings filling and surrounding them today.”
“I pray Philippians 1:9-11 over (name) today, “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 for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.””
“And give (name discernment to understand that Your blessings are not only physical in this world, but they are spiritual and eternal. In this world we will have trouble, that is certain, but You’ve promised us that there is so much more- help (name) not to lose heart. Give them confidence in their anointing and a steady faith that follows after You, no matter the circumstance. I pray that they would live out 2 Corinthians 4:15-17 “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.””
“Lord, let your Word work powerfully in (name) to accomplish Your anointing on their life today, in Jesus’ name, and for His glory, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
1. Ellis, N. (2022, September 11). Why Do Shepherds Put Oil On Sheep? Farm & Animals. https://farmandanimals.com/why-do-shepherds-put-oil-on.../
2. (n.d.). Why Do Shepherds Put Oil On Sheep? Animalovin. https://www.animalovin.com/why-do-shepherds-put-oil-on.../
Extravagant Provision, Abundant Protection
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Psalm 23:5
(rich provision, mighty protection, filling Presence)
A banquet on the battlefield. It’s a sit-down affair, not a grab-and-go meal. God isn’t in a hurry to move us away from our enemies. He’s powerful enough to protect us from their aggression. Instead, God chooses to honor and celebrate His child, in the midst of it all. He doesn’t wait until ‘things are better’, He pours out His rich blessings on us right where we are! That’s our God!
He is mighty and able to hold off the fray and still be Present with us to sit down to a proper meal where it is safe to sit and eat and enjoy His abundance. Imagine the conversation at the table! Oh friends, God prepares good things for us despite the evil world we live in. He doesn’t make us wait until the battle is over- He wants us to open our mouths wide and savor His goodness now! We just have to be alongside Him, present with Him, listening to His instructions and trusting in His strong protection. It’s safe to sit and eat- He’s already won the battle!
Do we encourage our sons and daughters with the victory cry, or do we just sit and cry, worry, fret, and fuss because there are enemies present? Are we settling ourselves in the Lord’s Presence to fill ourselves with Him or are we too stressed (obsessed) and anxious to eat at the Lord’s banquet? Oh how sad that would be- because our God prepares a spread like no other! He wants us to take our fill of His rich blessings and provisions and that means we must fully trust and rest in what He’s doing…even if we can’t see it. He is ever-present, all-knowing, and isn’t constrained by time or location. He is the ultimate Protector and slayer of demons and darkness. He doesn’t need us to worry. He doesn’t need us to fuss or cry. And He certainly doesn’t need us to tell Him how to watch over our sons and daughters. He just wants us to sit at His table, enjoy His presence, savor His provision, and rest in Him. Let’s gather at His table and enjoy His company!
Let's pray that our sons and daughters (and that we) learn how to enjoy the Lord's Presence even in the midst of the battles of this life.
“Oh, Father, how easy it is for us to get distracted by the evil around us. We worry and fret. We fix our eyes on what we can see and that unnerves us and makes us afraid. We fear for our sons and daughters because we love them so. We worry about their safety and their security. We keep ourselves awake at night with all of the “what-ifs”, when all the while there is a beautiful banquet spread for us, just waiting for us to come, sit and partake of Your goodness. Help us to exhibit good habits for those we love. How can we encourage them to trust and obey if we can’t do that ourselves? Lord, move and work in my own heart, then do the same in (name)’s heart. You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Help us not live in fear but in faith and confidence. Remind us that You are the Victor! You already won the battle. The enemy holds no power over us. We can sit down at Your table and savor the rich blessings You provide for us. You’ve prepared a table for us - help us to accept the invitation to come and fellowship with You. Lord, fill our mouths, our hearts, our minds with Your praise- sweet as honey and satisfying to the soul. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Savor the goodness of our God.
Pray without ceasing.
Dark Valleys, Divine Protection
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley,” Psalm 23:4a
(location, progression)
Dark valleys. We don’t like them; we wouldn’t choose them, yet, most of us have encountered them at some point in our life. The King James version calls it “the valley of the shadow of death”. It could be the physical death of one we love or maybe it’s the death of a dream, a passion, a project or career, it may even refer to dying to ourselves so we can live for Christ. The valley of the shadow of death means there is a deep loss that is present and abiding.
But look at the wording in Psalm 23:4…the valley of the shadow of death. We only see shadows when there is light present. The fact that there is a shadow in the valley tells us there is Light in the valley with us. The Light of God shows us that death is just a shadow- it is powerless to harm us eternally. Jesus conquered the power of sin and death. “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18. There is nothing Satan can do to separate us from the love of God and from His protection. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
So, although death is inevitable for everyone, it’s not our final destination as believers and we need to cling to that truth. Death, for the believer, is a doorway to the eternal life that God intends us to live with Him in perfect shalom relationship.
Yet, the valley is there and it’s likely we’ll walk through it, perhaps many times while on this earth. But take note of that other phrase, “even though I walk through”. Did you see it? We’re not staying. We’re walking through. The darkest valley isn’t where we settle. It’s not where God intends for us to stay. We don’t put down roots there. We travel through with our Shepherd by our side. It’s a temporary location for us, but not where He intends us to dwell.
Oh how we need to be reminded of this! How our sons and daughters need this encouragement to help them to trust and obey, to follow without faltering, especially through the dark valleys. Jesus endured death so we wouldn’t have to- He conquered death so we could live a victorious life! He walks through the dark valley with us so that we will be reminded that His presence is our light and our assurance. Psalm 56:13 “For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”
“But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.” Psalm 49:15
Let’s pray today that our sons and daughters have perspective and assurance when they encounter dark valleys.
“Jesus, You are the light of the world. What a comfort and assurance that is in this dark world. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the evil that surrounds us and feel as if we’re going to be overcome by it. But You told us that, “whoever follows You will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). I pray that (name) would cling to that Truth. Help (name) to love light more than darkness and to follow after You with all of their heart, mind, and strength. Keep them walking faithfully alongside You in the right paths You choose- even if they lead into dark valleys. Lord, I know You walk with them, remind them of that. Let (name) see visible affirmations of Your Presence today and assure them that wherever You lead them, You will be Present beside them, walking with them through the hardest of times and places. Remind them, too, that the darkness is not where they live. The dark valley isn’t their home. You will lead us out of the valley, You will reach down and rescue us from the deep waters (Ps. 18:16). Lord Jesus, I pray that whatever (name)’s location is, physically or spiritually, that You would give them the strength to move forward, not turning back or to the side and sustain them to endure whatever You lead them to, assuring them that You will, indeed, lead them through it. “The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” Ps 27:1 I pray Your mighty protection over (name), in Jesus’ name, amen.”
”I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4b
(companion, confidence, protection, support)
I will fear NO evil. None. Not even just a little bit, not some, but NO EVIL. How can we be confident of that? How can we encourage our sons and daughters when we’re surrounded by evil in this world? We see it everywhere and it can be overwhelming.
The first thing to remember is that second part of the verse, “I will fear no evil, for You are with me”. God is ever-present and all powerful. He will never leave us or forsake us - those are the very words He used to encourage Moses and Joshua. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) Our God is faithful. It is in his nature and character to be so.
Remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear ...so if we are struggling with fear, where is that coming from? Ah, there it is! The enemy! Ephesians 6:12 says “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.”
As God shepherds us, He is strong to lead, protect, and save. He’s not just a general who sits in the war room- watching from afar while we fight the battle. He’s not just the captain on the battlefield, seeing only the fight in front of him. And He’s not simply the ‘special forces’ sent in to complete an extraction when things are dire. He is everything we need at all times surrounding us completely and holding us up through it all. He holds fast the spiritual boundaries that keep us safe. He is the strong arm that pulls us out of deep waters and dangerous pits, the sword and shield that hold off the enemy who would try to drag us away. “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5
We have unrivaled protection and support from our loving God. We will fear no evil! Let’s pray that our sons and daughters do not live in fear, but would have confidence that God is with them always, watching, caring, protecting and saving.
Let’s pray scripture over our sons and daughters today:
“The LORD is (name)’s light and their salvation— whom shall they fear? The LORD is the stronghold of (name)’s life— of whom shall they be afraid? When the wicked advance against them to devour them, it is their enemies and foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege (name), (name)’s heart will not fear; though war break out against (name), even then they will be confident.” Psalm 27:1-3
Abba, Father, Almighty Lord, I pray Your word over (name).
(Name) “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” Psalm 37:1-2
Lord, give (name) strong spiritual confidence in Your protection and watchful care.
“The way of the LORD is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.” Proverbs 10:29
Keep (name) walking and living blamelessly. Guide them on right paths for Your name’s sake. Keep them faithful to You and protect them from fear and from the enemy.
“Therefore, (name) put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen (name) and protect (name) from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3
I pray that (name) would “Fear no evil- sin and death are conquered” Revelation 1:8
Give name strength to stand against the evil one and to live in victory through Jesus, in His name I pray, amen.”
Pray without ceasing, friends.
God is Faithful to Restore Us and Lead Us
“He refreshes [restores] my soul.” Psalm 23:3
(spiritual renewal)
Restoration is hard work. It is the effort to bring something back to its original condition when time, decay, and circumstances affect its beauty, its purpose, and its value. Any shadow of what it once was or was intended to be has long since faded. The beauty is covered in dirt, mold, and decay, the edges are rough, once-strong supports are rotted, the luster is dulled. But an expert still sees the value and knows what it could be, if restored. Restoration requires someone who is skilled and has vision and an understanding of what something once was or was intended to be in order to restore it to its original state.
Jesus is our Restorer. He created us, so He knows us intimately and He knows exactly who and what He intended us to be. He is able to revive, refresh, and restore our spiritual selves to the “shalom” He intended us to enjoy in the garden, where everything was in a right relationship to Him. Isaiah 60:1 says about Jesus, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”
We can pray Psalm 51:2, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Jesus is able; He can do it!
“Jesus, You are the Restorer of all things. You promise that You will restore us and make us new. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 says, “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.” I pray that You would begin a work of restoration and reconciliation in (name) today.”
“Lord, strip away the rotten things that would cause decay in (name)’s life. Replace the battered and worn parts with new. Refresh their outlook and restore their heart to be aligned with Yours. Work in them to stir a desire to be made new with a heart like Jesus. Remind them that, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24. Show them clearly that You love them and You desire that they would be brought into fellowship with You, welcomed into Your house and home for eternity. Give (name) a heart for restoration so they would not only embrace the gospel and receive a new heart but that they would share the life-giving gospel with others so they, too, could be restored. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
(direction, purpose)
When God restores us, it’s not for our benefit alone, although we do reap great benefits from the renewal of our heart, mind, and spirit. But it is for His glory that He redeems us! He gives us direction and purpose.
Ephesians 1:11-12 tells us, “In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.”
He has a plan and purpose for each of us Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.” The phrase, “For His name’s sake” indicates that we are to live in such a way that we maintain his name and reputation (1). If we fail to do that we take His name in vain- calling ourselves Christians but living like we are not. “‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Deut. 5:11 (NKJV) Our actions, choices and attitudes have bearing on the name we carry.
“Holy Father, Your name is Sacred. You ARE the Great I AM. There is no other like You and Your supremacy is unequaled. I pray that You would give (name) a godly fear and respect of You. Lead (name) in paths of righteousness so that as they bear Your name, they would be righteous (not self-righteous), blameless (not deceiving others or themselves) and authentic in their faith and their convictions. Lord, give (name) perspective that every blessing is from You and for the purpose of serving You and bringing You glory. Strengthen them in their faith, their conviction, and their passion to follow You in the right paths You set before them, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
H4616 - maʿan - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4616/niv/wlc/0-1/
Green Pastures, Still Waters
“He makes me lie down in green pastures,” Psalm 23:2
(rest, satisfying our hunger)
“Rabas-'' to cause to lie down, stretch out; [term] used of quadrupeds, which lie on their breast with their feet tucked under them.” (1)
When our children were young, we often made them lie down for a nap because we knew they needed rest. It was good for them and refreshing. We’d peek in on them to see them stretched out or curled up, snug in their bed and secure in their safety because they knew we were present to protect them. They didn’t feel the need to sleep in a pose that would have them ready to defend themselves because they rested in our watchful protection. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 God is our watch-care Shepherd. He leads us to safe places where we can rest and be refreshed without concern of the enemy.
The green pastures are not just for rest, though. God uses them to satisfy our hunger with good nutrition. When we follow our Shepherd we are spiritually filled and satisfied beyond anything this world could supply. Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Parents, we need to live by example and show our sons and daughters that we, too, find our spiritual nutrition in the ‘green pastures’ to which the Lord leads us. We set an example for our sons and daughters to not fill up on the ‘junk food’ of this world but to fill ourselves with the lush spiritual truths from Scripture. And how satisfying that is!
“Great Creator, Lord of all, Jehovah Provider, I pray that (name) would feast on the abundance of Your table each day. Help them to satiate their hunger on the Truth of Your Word and savor the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let them develop a distinguished spiritual palate that is put off by ‘processed’ and ‘fake’ foods that wouldn’t nourish them. Give them discernment about what they would choose to spiritually ingest so that what they consume is life-giving and strength-sustaining, ensuring they are properly nourished so they can follow You well. Lord, give them rest in Your pastures, free from predators who would seek to deceive them and pull them from Your flock. Surround them with Your protection, Lord, and help them rest secure in the salvation You offer.”
“He leads me beside quiet waters,” Ps 23:3
(refreshment, quenching our thirst)
Sheep don’t swim well at all. In fact, they’re afraid of moving water because, even in their simplicity, they understand that their wool, soaked with water, would quickly drag them under and the current would carry them off. God has given them the instinct to know that fast-moving water is a threat. Deep water and strong currents are deadly.
God gives us the Holy Spirit to warn us away from those things that would drag us down and carry us off, as well. Our Shepherd leads us beside quiet waters where we can drink our fill and be quenched without fear. He knows what is best. But we have to trust His leadership and listen to His voice. You see, sometimes still water runs deep, and well-under the surface are strong currents that could put us in danger. We need to trust the Shepherd and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to ensure we’re protected and drinking deeply from waters that are best for us. When our sons and daughters look to find a church, and fellowship with other believers, we need to pray that the Holy Spirit leads them to refreshing waters that don’t have an undercurrent that distorts or defies Scripture. Pray that He leads them to a fellowship that isn’t all about a man-leader, but all about God and His Word. We need to pray that He leads our sons and daughters to quiet waters where they can learn and be refreshed. Isaiah 49:10 “They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the LORD in His mercy will lead them; He will lead them beside cool waters.”
“Father, God, You watch us closely and lead us carefully. You desire that we would find rest and refreshment in You, but to do that, we need to trust You and listen to Your voice. We need to depend on and be submitted to the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us to teaching and learning that is God-honoring and true to Your Word. I pray that (name) would find a church home and a fellowship of believers who follow their Shepherd without compromise and cling to His Word with all the strength You provide. Lord, keep them from dangerous currents that would carry them off to apostasy, to deception and to following their own heart- which is deceitful above all things. Help (name) to follow Your heart, to trust Your leading, and to drink their full of the refreshment of Scripture each day. Give them a deep spiritual thirst for Your Truth and the careful discernment to quench that only with what You provide- no substitutions. Sustain them, Lord, by Your provision and protection, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Let’s pray that our sons and daughters continue to pursue true refreshment and rest in Christ and that they would not look to the world to satisfy those longings within, but would turn to Jesus to be their Provider, Sustainer, and Source of Life. Pray that they would drink deeply of the Living Water that quenches our ever-present spiritual thirst. Only Jesus can satisfy. Pray that they trust and follow their Shepherd into green pastures and still waters.
Pray without ceasing
H7257 - rāḇaṣ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7257/kjv/wlc/0-1/
Praying Psalm 23:1 Our Lord and Shepherd
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.” Psalm 23:1
Throughout the next few weeks we’re going to pray though this familiar Psalm, but with a renewed understanding of the deeper meanings presented there. We often hear people quoting the 23rd Psalm when they are in crisis. It seems to be a universally accepted way to face mortality. Yet, when the crisis is past, the words are tucked away and forgotten or ignored. But there is so much more to them then just a general ‘prayer of comfort’.
There is deeper meaning within these words that, when paired with a relationship with Jesus Christ, brings life, hope, and purpose. We can pray these words for our sons and daughters and in doing so, cover every aspect of life that, as parents, we (try not to) worry and pray over.
Psalm 23:1a “The Lord is my shepherd,”
(belonging, identity)
LORD = Jehovah = The Existing One.
Who is it that our sons and daughters bow to as Lord? To whom do they give their allegiance and for whom do they live their life? To whom do they belong? For someone to say “The Lord is my Shepherd” they are declaring their submission to God and their obedience to follow Him. They are identifying themselves as His. What follows in the Psalm are the blessings of being His sheep. Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters authentically make this declaration that the Yahweh, is truly their Lord and Shepherd
“Father, God, I pray that (name) would truly surrender their heart and life to You. Give them a sincere faith, bolstered by Your promises and Your faithfulness. Be the LORD of their life and be the One for whom they live and to whom they direct their thoughts and obedience. Lord, I pray that (name) would be surrendered to You and allow You to guide their actions. May they seek to reflect You in all they do so that others see You ARE their LORD.”
Shepherd = One who guides and tends sheep.
A Shepherd of sheep leads them, because sheep are followers. Conversely, goats are herded, moved from behind because they don’t follow well. They have an independent streak (isn’t that so representative of our sinful heart?). Goats want to do what they choose, they blaze their own trail with little thought to the dangers of predators, getting lost, or eating what they shouldn’t, because they think they’re in charge. Their shepherd, or rather goatherd, follows them to ensure they stay together, but the goats are leading the way. Goats don’t submit to a leader or a Lord.
Sheep are keen to hear their Shepherd’s voice- they can distinguish it from that of other shepherds and they are eager to follow. Though they can wander and get lost, the Shepherd ensures they stay together and on the path. He continually talks to them as he leads them so they can hear and follow. The Shepherd protects the sheep from their own foolishness and from dangers that would harm them or lure them away. He even carries them if they’re weak or wounded- isn’t that such a picture of our Savior? Isaiah 40:10-11 “See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and He rules with a mighty arm. See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those who have young.”
Let’s pray that our sons and daughters would be willing sheep of the Shepherd and not goats of this world. Sheep find their identity and belonging in the Presence and the Purposes of the Shepherd. It’s not an oppressive Shepherd-sheep relationship, it’s a protective and supportive belonging, a purpose that nurtures and sustains us. God’s Shepherd-ship enables us to do what we’re created to do.
“Father, I pray that my son/daughter follows You steadily, wholeheartedly, and without pause. Let (name) understand their identity is found in You. Give them understanding of their Purpose according to Your plan. Help them to hear Your voice and distinguish it from all the other ‘noise’ of this world. I pray that they would not foolishly run ahead of You or try and blaze their own path, but they would submit to Your leadership, trusting that You will protect and provide for them. Lord, please be (name)’s Shepherd.”
Psalm 23:1b “I lack nothing.” [“I will not be in need” -NASB]
(provision)
Lack- haser- to decrease, fail or diminish, to suffer want (1)
If Jehovah God is our LORD and Shepherd, there is nothing we might need that He cannot provide. We can rest securely in His Lordship and His ability to Shepherd us. The sheep don’t worry about the direction they’re headed or about the provision along the way because they trust their Shepherd.
“Oh precious Savior, Shepherd, Guide and Friend, You are our Sustainer. We can be confident that You will provide all we need in every way. Spiritually we will be fully satisfied because You are all we need.”
“Abba Father, we live in a fallen world in which there is so much need and nothing, apart from You, can supply what is lacking. I pray that (name) would fully trust and rest in You, confident that You are able to and will provide what they need at the perfect time, especially when times are difficult and lean. Philippians 4:19 tells us, “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Your riches far exceed anything we could ever amass here on earth and Your provision is plentiful. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” I ask that You would bless (name) abundantly, in all things at all times. Lord, you can do more than we could ask or think. Show Yourself as Shepherd and Provider today. Open (name)’s eyes to see that You are the Source of every gift, every provision, every blessing they enjoy. Let them look to no other. Strengthen them to acknowledge Your sovereignty over every part of their life, their need, and the provision You offer, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Let’s continue to pray throughout the week that our sons and daughters find their identity and belonging in Christ alone and that they trust His protection and provision for all of their needs.
H2637 - ḥāsēr - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2637/kjv/wlc/0-1/
Pray without ceasing
Prayers of Protection to Pursue Wisdom and Soul Refreshment
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
Psalm 19:7-9
“Father, I pray that (name) would recognize Your law as perfect- far exceeding the rightness and justice of any man made laws and fully complete in its ability to define what is right and good. I pray that (name) would love Your law and they would continually look to it and find a satisfying refreshment for their heart and soul- one that cannot be replicated by anything this world offers. Restore their soul, Lord, as they follow You and trust in Your Word. Just as you promised in Psalm 23:3 “he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” I pray that You would guide (name) in Your pathways.”
“Give (name)wisdom beyond what this world would grant them and provide discretion as they live by Your words. 1 Corinthians 13:9 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”” Fill them with joy, Lord, that only You can give when we walk faithfully and consistently with You. There is joy in following Jesus and a contentment that this world will never be able to offer. Help them to value the wisdom from Your Word. Proverbs 16:16 “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!” Proverbs 23:19 “Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:”
“Help (name) to trust your statutes (laws) understanding that Your words are right and true and You’ve decreed them for our good and for Your glory. Trust is hard sometimes when we see so much brokenness. Remind them that what they see in this fallen broken world is not representative of the way You intended things to be. Sin has worked it’s poison into every aspect of life. Remind them that You are preparing a place for us that is far beyond what we could imagine, and it will bring joy, peace, satisfaction and fulfillment, but remind them too, that following Your laws here will give a glimpse of that life to come. Psalm 16:11 “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.” Lord, help (name) to embrace Your paths, Your laws and precepts, with uncompromising conviction.”
“Father, I pray that You would remove the veil and allow (name) to see the truth of Your Word and the righteousness of Your ways. Help (name) to turn to You, Lord. “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:16 Your Word promises that “Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart” Psalm 97:11. Let it be that (name) enjoys those blessings of the Lord as they pursue Your truth.”
“Above all, Lord, I pray that (name) would fear You because “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.” Psalm 111:10. I pray Your mighty protection over (name) today and all the days of their life. May they fear You, be wise and unwavering in their commitment to Your laws. Lord, let them reap the rewards of following after You. Protect them from disillusionment, deception, and the influence of those who do not follow You. May (name) be salt and light to their generation and to those who would follow. Lord, help them to be fishers of men, pointing others to the Cross. Your name be praised. Amen.”
Fleeing Sin: the value of living with integrity
Joseph fled from sin. He turned an he ran. Oh that our sons and daughters would do the same!
Today’s scripture is a longer portion because we need to understand the context of Joseph’s situation in order to grasp the integrity, the love and fear of God that Joseph held, and to see the sovereignty of God in his life.
Genesis 39: 6-23 “So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. “
Joseph was a slave in Egypt, sold by his brothers, but ultimately he was there because God intended for him to save, not only his family, but the nation of Israel. God placed him in Egypt and guided him into opportunities that would eventually position him to have power, authority and ability to rescue the nation of Israel.
Joseph had three specific areas in which he gave God the Supremacy in his life.
1. Place/Location: Joseph was a slave IN Egypt, but not a slave TO Egypt. He obeyed the authority God put over him, but he still submitted himself, ultimately, to God. He didn’t use his location as an excuse for sin. He still operated with deep integrity. His actions and responses were based on what God expected and allowed, not what the culture expected and allowed. He didn’t allow his location to be an excuse for sin. We need to pray that our sons and daughters don’t allow their location to impact their integrity and walk with the Lord.
1 Peter 2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
When our sons and daughters are in hard places, let’s not just rush to pray for ‘rescue’ asking God to move them, but let’s be steady to uphold them in prayer for strength to stay the course and remain where God places them in order to accomplish what He has for them to do. Pray that they have perspective and can see God’s hand in their place and His purpose in their being there.
2. Possessions: Joseph didn’t value things over the right thing. He wasn’t willing to compromise or wait around to ‘save’ something of temporal value and risk his character, integrity, and testimony. When Potiphar’s wife grabbed his cloak, he didn’t think twice. He turned and ran. He ran!! He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t back away. He didn’t wrestle to keep his cloak. He turned and ran. The cloak was a symbol of identity and protection in Biblical times. Joseph was willing to let go of his ‘identity’ for the sake of his godly testimony and he gave up his physical ‘protection’ in exchange for Godly protection of his character and testimony.
We need to pray that when our sons and daughters are confronted with temptation that they turn and run with all their might, their will, their mind and intention. That split-second moment they make the rock-solid decision that NOTHING (no thing) is more valuable than obedience to God.
3. Position of heart vs. Position of title: Others in Egypt recognized Joseph’s integrity. Both Potiphar and the jailer gave Joseph much responsibility. They trusted him because he was trustworthy. And because he lived with integrity, it opened the doors to opportunity, position, and power. But Joseph wasn’t willing to compromise to maintain those positions. He trusted that God had a better plan and God rewarded that obedience and trust.
I Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
When Joseph chose to do the right thing, he lost his position in Potiphar’s house. He could have grieved that, but instead, he trusted that God protected him from something dangerous and believed that God had purpose in his ‘demotion’. Indeed, He did! God needed Joseph in prison so that Pharaoh could see his ability and integrity. Think about that!
Joseph valued his heart being right with God vs. a title and position achieved through earthly values and choices. Had Joseph compromised and given into lust and sin, he may have kept his position in Potiphar’s house, but he would have forfeited the greater role of being second in command of all of Egypt and part of God’s greater plan for Israel. Greater still, he would have damaged the testimony of the Living God to those around him. His story may have ended as a cautionary tale rather than a record of God’s triumph.
Sometimes God removes the titles and achievements to make way for more impactful opportunities. Sometimes He takes us to harder places but it’s never without intention, never by mistake, and always part of His greater plan. As we pray for our sons and daughters, let’s be careful not to quickly grieve when things take a turn toward what we might see as a loss or demotion, a setting back or giving up of something valuable. Instead, let’s pray for Godly insight and protection from short-sightedness. Let’s pray that God shows our sons and daughters that He’s working, protecting, and leading them to accomplish what He intends.
Temptation is real. It is frequent, and it is everywhere. We can easily succumb to the lures and we can quickly make excuses, because it surrounds us and can easily consume us. We are immersed in a culture of sin, compromise, and self-satisfaction. Achievement is celebrated. But God calls us to live lives in this world that reflect we are citizens of another place with a standard of living that reflects our submission and commitment to an eternal King in whose Kingdom we are not only citizens, but daughters and sons of the Most High. We love Him. And if we do, our lives, our choices, and what we hold dear will determine how we respond and will give a testimony to the world around us. “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all!” 2 Corinthians 4:17
Joseph didn’t compromise. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t bemoan his ‘misfortune’. He trusted God. He knew God had a better plan and, though it may not have been obvious at the time. Joseph responded to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 - the same brothers that sold him into slavery and essentially brought Joseph to a life of bondage…but servitude to God, in Egypt. He said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Joseph rested in the knowledge that God loved him and would guide his steps. He needed only obey and act with integrity. Sin wouldn’t prosper him, but following God with his whole heart, mind and strength, well, that would provide protection all his days.
“Heavenly Father, Protector, Provider and Guide, I pray for (name) today. Keep them from sin. Lord, when they encounter temptation, give them strength of conviction and presence of mind to flee, to leave behind anything this culture may deem ‘valuable’ in exchange for what is of eternal value. Father, I pray (name) would hear your voice, not the voices of those around them calling them to compromise. I pray that (name) would have confidence and conviction that their position in Christ is of greater value than any title or position this world can offer. Lord, help them to hold things here loosely so that they hold onto the cross and to Jesus with all their strength. Lord, I pray that (name) would “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes, …for the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly. Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever….The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. ” Psalm 37:7, 17-18, 23-24 Lord, use this scripture in (name)’s life this week and throughout their life. Keep them from sin. Strengthen them to follow You without turning. Convict them to live with integrity and to never swap their eternal inheritance for temporary things of this world. Help them to flee from sin. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
The Value of Discipline
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11
Ask any parent whose son or daughter has shipped off to boot camp and they’ll tell you… they don’t like to think about what their kids will face when they’re there. The yelling, the humiliation, the long days…and longer nights- it all makes a Momma’s heart ache with concern. We want to protect them from harm and to those looking on, the practices certainly look harmful. We’ve all heard the stories of excruciating exertion and the drills that tax body, mind and spirit - it’s something we’d rather not see our sons or daughters experience. But it’s all part of the training. We might look at it and think that it’s too much, it’s too harsh, it’s overkill. If we were there we might be tempted to step in and put a stop to it, give them all a break, give the drill sergeant the ‘stink eye’ for being too hard and unkind. We’d want to protect them…. But by helping them avoid the testing, we’d actually be doing them harm. All of those hard things are training them for hardship and building discipline that will carry them through. It’s preparing them for war. That’s even harder to think about.
If our soldiers are called upon to defend our country or to assist an ally, they will be stretched beyond their limits and will endure more than they imagined. They will be sleep deprived. They will be exhausted beyond their limits, but still pushed to give more. They will need to think fast, make life-altering decisions and pursue them with conviction. They will face the enemy and they’ll need to know how to respond. Then, we would be glad for the extreme training they endured because it would make us more confident in their ability to withstand the dangers of war and the advances of the enemy. Boot camp is hard and downright painful. But it’s necessary and it’s all designed with the intention of preparing the soldier to survive and to win the battle because the enemy doesn’t fight with compassion…the enemy fights to destroy.
The question is, do we want our sons and daughters to be comfortable or to be victorious? Our sons and daughters are not possibly headed to war, they’re already there. Do they have the spiritual discipline to be victorious?
Do we want our sons and daughters to be comfortable or to be victorious?
God tells us we have an enemy that seeks to destroy us, spiritually.
1 Peter 5:8-10 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
He assures us that we will all face trials, hardships, and opposition, but these will come to test, strengthen, and build our faith so that we can resist the enemy and come out victorious. Without that testing, we wouldn’t be able to stand firm and without discipline, we wouldn’t produce fruit that gives evidence that we belong to Christ.
James 1:2-4 “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
That word “produce” in Hebrews 12:11 is the word “apodidommi” in Greek and it means “to deliver again, give again, restore, reward and yield.” (1) If we accept God’s plan of discipline and training, it will pay off each and every time we go to battle! The training will make us strong and help us endure and come out victorious.
Are we spiritually prepared and strengthened to go up against the enemy?
Ephesians 6:12 “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.”
Friends, it’s not a scheduled conflict. We don’t ‘show up’ for a fight, this is guerilla warfare. The enemy stalks us while we’re unaware, he attacks us when we’re weak and unprepared. He seeks to lean into our weaknesses and bait us with those desires that are not of God. He has armies who advance against us, so we had better be prepared. No discipline is pleasant at the time, but when we’re in the midst of battle, we’ll be thankful for it, because it will produce a harvest of peace and righteousness. It will protect us from defeat. It will be the strength and preparation we need to be steadfast against the enemy and to be victorious in Jesus Christ.
We can’t balk if our sons and daughters are called into a spiritual boot camp, because that tells us God is preparing them to be stronger, more secure in their faith, and for a greater work for His kingdom. So, rather than worry about how WE can protect them, let’s get on our knees FOR them. Pray for their endurance. Pray for their strength. Pray that they can see, with spiritual eyes, what God is calling them to and preparing them for. Pray that they remain steadfast and see beyond the realm of the tangible to the spiritual realm where they will do battle with the enemy. And pray for victory.
“Almighty Father, You are Sovereign over all my son or daughter may face today. I pray that You would strengthen (name) to walk unwaveringly with You. Keep their steps firm and make their path straight. Give (name) confidence to trust You, even when life gets difficult. Don’t let (name) weaken or lose their grip, but help them cling tightly to You. Carry them through the hardships they may face today and in the coming days. Increase their faith. Call to mind Scripture that will encourage them and keep them focused on You. I pray, Father, that You would guard them in Jesus’ name. Protect them from the enemy. When they are pressed on every side, surround them with Your Presence. When they are burdened with difficulty, lift them up and train their eyes to look to You. When they are in deep waters, hold back the waves with Your mighty hand so they can see the Rock of Salvation to which they must cling. Lord, build in them the discipline they need to remain faithful to You. I pray this all in the name and through the blood of Jesus, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
G591 - apodidōmi - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g591/niv/mgnt/0-1/
Pray That They Won’t Drift Away
“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1
The possibility that our kids would drift away from the Lord is real. The enemy wants nothing more than to see our sons and daughters pull away from the Lord. Drifting is subtle. It’s not a willful rebellion or running from God. It’s not a sudden change of heart that takes them away or that has them running in a different direction, it’s a passive indifference. It’s inaction toward or a downplaying of the dangers and deceptions. It’s literally ‘going with the flow’.
What does Hebrews mean when it cautions us against drifting away? The words “drift away” come from the Greek words “para” to be near (1) and “rheo” to flow (2). Strong’s Concordance words it this way “lest we be carried past” (3). Picture it… a boat near the shore or close to the dock, yet unanchored. Those nearby can see the boat and because it’s floating (as a boat should) and lingering near the dock, no one takes notice that it’s not tethered. The current is mild and nothing seems amiss. But soon enough, it becomes evident that the boat is drifting and eventually it moves noticeably out of reach, away from the safety of the dock. It’s at the mercy of the current. No one is navigating; it’s simply drifting, but soon would be lost. It’s a great illustration and it shows us that although someone may be ‘near’ the gospel or “kind of” following Jesus, if they’re not anchored, they will easily drift. It’s not radical, it’s not sudden; it’s a slow drifting that, once realized by those around, often has that person out of reach and moving away, further and further.
Drifting is enabled by many seemingly harmless things and legitimate excuses: busyness, weariness, distractedness…but they’re all dangerous because they lull us into passively ‘being’ instead of actively clinging.
How can we pray that our sons and daughters don’t drift? Hebrews is FULL of all kinds of encouragement on this!
Pay the most careful attention. (Hebrews 2:) The Greek word used here is prosecho which means to “turn the mind towards, be attentive to” but it also means to “bring a ship toward land or to put in” (4). Do you see what the author of Hebrews is doing here? It’s a beautiful dual use of a word!
I Peter 1:13 (NIV) tells us, “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” The NASB says it this way, “Prepare your minds for action”. There is nothing passive in this, it is active, intentional, and forward looking. If you’re alert, fully sober and preparing for action, you won’t fall victim to drift.
Fix our thoughts on Jesus. (Hebrews 3:1) The word “fix” is katanoeo in Greek and it means to perceive, understand and consider attentively (5). It’s an active verb.
Hold onto our courage and the faith we profess. (Hebrews 3:6, 4:14) Hold on, or “katecho” in Greek means to detain, hold back, retain to keep from going away” (6) Again, it’s an active verb.
Do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 3:8; 3:15; 4:7)
Don’t have an unbelieving heart that turns away from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12)
Encourage one another so that no one is hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)
Hold firmly to the end with the confidence we had at first (Hebrews 3:14)
Don’t follow the example of disobedience and fall (Hebrews 4:11)
Take hold of the hope offered, this hope is an anchor (Hebrews 6:18-19)
Hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. (Hebrews 10:23)
Drifting away is a real danger for all believers and it’s rarely drastic. No, it happens subtly. It often doesn’t garner attention until one day we might recognize that our loved one has drifted from their faith and they’re further away than we thought. Let’s pray over our sons and daughters that they would not be passive in their faith but always actively pursuing Jesus, aware of the dangers and the things that would pull them away. As parents, we can’t let our guard down just because everything “seems good” and they’re walking with Jesus. Praise God if things are good and their faith is strong! But it’s only good, until it’s not. And that can happen any time, friends. Our sons and daughters are a target of the enemy. Let’s pray for protection over their faith and their walk with Jesus. No drifting.
“Almighty Father, I pray for (name) today. Protect them from drifting away from You and from their faith. Lord, please help them to pay the most careful attention to Your Word and to fix their eyes and thoughts on Jesus. They are surrounded by those who do not believe and by temptations and influences that would pull them away from You. The enemy would love nothing more than to see them become indifferent and to be passive toward their faith. Help (name) to be alert. Give (name) strength to hold on to the hope that they profess. Protect (name) from an unbelieving and/or hardened heart. Keep them tender towards You, growing and deepening their faith as they read and study Your word, pray, and fellowship with other believers. Keep them in fellowship, Lord, that’s such an easy drift to fall into- pulling away from church and from the commitment to worship corporately. They need encouragement from other believers, so I pray that You would surround them with others who love and serve You. Lord, bring strong believers into (name)’s life, even today, who would challenge and encourage them. Pursue (name) and don’t allow them to drift. Remind (name) of the hope they have in Jesus- this hope is an anchor. Keep them from cutting the ties that bind them to You- strengthen those ties and help (name) to hold unswervingly. Lord, you are mighty to save. I pray that You would protect your child today, keep them from disobedience and from indifference. Fan the flame of faith and lead them in righteousness for Your name’s sake. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
G3844 - para - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3844/kjv/tr/0-1/
G4482 - rheō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4482/kjv/tr/0-1/
G3901 - pararreō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3901/kjv/tr/0-1/
G4337 - prosechō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4337/kjv/tr/0-1/
G2657 - katanoeō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2657/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G2722 - katechō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2722/niv/mgnt/0-1/
Of Giants, Valleys, and Godly Parents
We’re all familiar with the story of David and Goliath. We know a bit about David’s family, too. Three of his brothers were in the service of Saul’s army, though he had 7 brothers, altogether. David was the youngest of them and he tended the sheep. Their father’s name was Jesse, the son of Obed, who was the son of Ruth and Boaz. David had a godly heritage.
But have you ever wondered about David’s mother? She’s not mentioned in the Bible, but her influence is there, if you stop and look.
But first, let’s agree on a major factor of parenthood. We strive to protect our children, right? We watch over them, teach them to be cautious and careful. We caution them against danger and we encourage them to avoid those people, locations, and situations that could lead to harm.
Now, imagine you’re standing in the sandals of David’s mother. An unnamed woman only referred to in Scripture one time (bear with me, we’ll get there). But her influence is evident if we look closely. And the impact she had on her son gave him wisdom and guidance for years to come, and impacted the heritage of the Messiah.
When David encountered Goliath, scholars estimate he was likely in his teens. His brothers were old enough to serve in the army, but David was not. Saul even called him a ‘youth’ (1 Samuel 17:33) Yet, in spite of his age, he demonstrated character, faith, and bravery beyond his years.
David went toward the conflict.
David, following his father’s direction, went to the camp of the Israelite army to deliver food and supplies to his brothers (1 Samuel 17:17-18). Any good mother likely would have added, “You go and you come right back- be safe!” Yet, David’s mother didn’t argue, resist or try and keep him from going toward the conflict. She didn’t shield him from it. That’s brave, friends.
Do we pray that our sons and daughters avoid the conflict, or do we pray they are kept safe in the midst of it?
David was prepared, even before he knew he would fight a giant.
David’s mother wasn’t there to tell him how to fight, but it’s likely she reminded him to always step out prepared. As a shepherd, he needed to defend his sheep and where there was one enemy or predator, there would likely be more lurking, awaiting the opportunity to attack. David’s mother knew that - she surely heard the story of the lion…and the bear (1 Samuel 17:34-36). So she certainly reminded him of the danger and encouraged him to be ready.
David also knew conflict typically wasn’t resolved with one stone or by one fight. He fully depended on God for the victory, but knew it might require more than one throw, so he collected five stones. (There is history to suggest that Goliath had 4 brothers 2 Samuel 21:15-22). David was prepared for whatever God led him into that day.
Do we speak into our sons and daughters so they walk out prepared? Are we reminding them of the spiritual dangers they may face? Training doesn't start after the battle begins. No, the training and preparation begin in order to be ready when the conflict occurs, and it will occur. Are we reminding our sons and daughters of the importance of time in the Word and fellowship with other believers to sharpen them? Are they cognizant of the dangers they may face and intentional to be ready when they come? We need to pray that they are.
David didn’t allow the taunts and words of others to deter him, deflate his courage, or damage his faith.
When David offered to face Goliath, David’s own brothers hurled angry words and insults at him, mocking his bravery and casting him aside. They had no faith in his ability and their warrior-egos were offended at the thought.
But Goliath’s words were what struck a chord with David. Goliath didn’t just mock Israel, he mocked God (I Samuel 17:36-37)
You see, David wasn’t defending himself. He was standing up for the fear and reputation of Jehovah, the Almighty God.
Parents, have we taught our sons and daughters to fear God? Do we encourage them to defend the name of Jesus Christ, no matter the cost? Believers in so many nations around the world know the cost of claiming Jesus as Lord, but Western cultures don’t often face that, in fact, we often are indifferent to the cost because we haven’t suffered. Someday soon we may come face to face with that. We must all be ready.
Oh how we need to pray that:
1. Our sons and daughters would listen for and hear the Word of the Lord over the words of the world
2. That they would defend the name of Jesus, no matter the cost
David stepped into the valley to face the giant.
David didn’t run away from the conflict, he walked toward it. The Israelite camp was on a hill on one side of the Elah Valley and the Philistine camp was on the other. There was no misdirection or error in David’s steps. He went down into the valley. Now, read Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
There is no evidence to say his Goliath encounter was David’s inspiration for Psalm 23:4, but it surely gives us something to ponder! It helps us look at it in a new light.
Do we encourage our sons and daughters to have strong faith in the Lord that will strengthen them as they face hardships? Or do we pray they avoid the hard things? Do we pray they are protected from suffering? Because if we do, we’re actually praying them to a weakened faith. Think about that. Our effort to shield and protect them can actually leave them weak and vulnerable!
Romans 5:3-5 ““we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.””
Now, back to David’s mother
Though David’s mother isn’t mentioned by name in Scripture, her influence is noted by David in Psalm 86:16 “Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength on behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.” (NIV)
“I serve you just as my mother did.” That’s a testimony that will preach, friends.
It brings two questions:
How are we serving God as parents?
How are we praying for our sons and daughters?
Our children will face Goliaths. They will walk in the valley. They will be mocked and taunted. But will they be prepared and will they fear God more than they fear man?
Today, let’s pray in the power of the Holy Spirit that God will transform our sons and daughters into bold spiritual warriors who will boldly face the enemy, not for their own glory, but for the name and fame of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Almighty Father, I come to You in the name of Your risen Son, Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells me because of Calvary. Put Your hand on (name) today. First, draw them in to spend precious time in Your word before they start their day. Let their time be sacred and inspired, may it fill them with spiritual strength and boldness. Prepare them, Lord, for what they may face. Give them words to respond and courage to speak up for the name of Jesus. If You lead them into the valley, surround them with Your protection. Help (name) to fully realize that their victory is not dependent on their strength or wisdom, their cunning or skill, but fully on Your power and Presence in the battle. Lord, I know they will face conflict. I know they will walk through dark valleys in the presence of enemies, but I know You are greater, stronger and You are victorious. Lord, be their armor and their light. Open their eyes to see the necessity of being spiritually prepared. And Lord, I pray that my life would be a testimony of being surrendered to you, wholly and completely.. I pray that my sons and daughters would one day pray “Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength on behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother (or father)did.” In Jesus’ mighty, victorious name I pray, Amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
How Can A Young Man Keep His Way Pure?
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9
Remember when our kids would build a fort out of pillows and cushions? They would surround themselves with them to protect themselves from any ‘enemy’ whether it be a sibling or pet who was the perceived ‘intruder’. It was creative and fun. But there is a great spiritual significance to that fort building.
Psalm 119:9 says “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living (or keeping) according to Your word.”
The word “pure” is the Hebrew word “zaka” which means translucent or morally innocent (1). Oh how we pray that for our sons and daughters! But in this world, corruption is easily attained, even if it’s not pursued. So how can they guard against it? And how can we pray?
We pray that they are living according to God's word. That word “living” is the word “samar” in Hebrew. Samar means to hedge about as with thorns, the guard, attend to, be circumspect and keep watch.
In Medieval times, the castle was always built with a keep- that portion of the castle that was the strongest and safest place. It was a fortified town and a place of refuge. Psalm 61:3 says, “For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”
Our sons and daughters will only keep their way pure, not just by going about their day with God in mind, but by surrounding themselves with His word, being circumspect- looking all around them and guarding against attack by the enemy.
Just knowing God’s word isn’t enough. Being familiar with it won’t provide the protection and defense we need. No, we need to surround ourselves so that we do not fall into sin.
Today, let’s pray that they revert back to their childhood days of building a wall of protection against the enemy, not with cushions and pillows, but with the mighty Word of God.
“Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” Ps 119:165
“Heavenly Father, You are the Mighty Protector and the Great Defender. I pray that You would surround (name) today with a hedge of spiritual protection against the Enemy. Lord, let (name) be ever-mindful of You and Your Word. May it not just be something that is ‘familiar’ to them, but let Your word be light and life to them. May they look to You for their guidance and protection. May their first thought in the morning be You and their last in the evening as well. Lord, help (name) to keep their way pure- not hiding sin but translucent, allowing Your light to shine through them. Help them to be morally pure, not following after deception or evil but wholeheartedly following after You. Be their Keeper, Lord and may their life be full of peace because they love You completely. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25, KJV)
Pray without ceasing, friends.
1. H2135 - zāḵâ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2135/niv/wlc/0-1//
2. H8104 - šāmar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8104/niv/wlc/0-1/
The Trouble with Darkness
Recently there was a blackout in the middle of the night. It was planned and we were all warned it was going to take place, but we didn’t prepare for it.
I awoke about 1:30 am and everything was black. It wasn’t just dark; it was pitch black. It took me a moment to realize what was going on. My eyes were wide open, but I was not seeing anything. It didn’t matter how much I blinked, the dark was impenetrable.
Since I was awake, I decided to get up. I thought I could navigate the room from memory… three steps forward, watch your left foot on the foot of the bed… one more step past the dog bed and turn right, five steps and left into the bathroom, but ‘wham!’ Instead, I ended up bumping clumsily into my husband's dresser… I went a step too far and I missed the doorway. The darkness had totally disoriented my sense of direction and shaken my confidence that I could navigate the room without any light.
Every day I walk around that same room. The furniture has been in the same places for years. Yet, when I couldn’t see anything, it was suddenly not as automatic. On the way back, I measured my steps but met a wall where there wasn’t one before. The darkness was so deep that my human eyes couldn’t discern anything. The darkness brought a kind of chaos to a room that was once well-ordered in the light. It seemed easier to just keep my eyes closed than to try to strain and see.
Finally, I realized that rather than try and look around me (that was fruitless), I relied on what I knew and remembered. It helped guide my steps. I didn’t get distracted by the darkness, but rather, recalled to mind what I knew was true.
As I lay in the dark, I realized how much spiritual symbolism was in those ill-fated moments during the blackout…
1. First, we were warned it was coming, but we didn’t heed the warning.
How many people hear the gospel, yet disregard its importance? They hear the warning about eternity without Christ, yet they don’t give it a second thought? If we look around, we see the signs of the times, nation rising against nation, wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines- it’s all there. Jesus' return is very near. It WILL matter whether you chose to follow Him or not.
John 3:13 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
We all have friends and loved ones who know “about” Jesus, but do not walk in relationship with Him. Do our sons and daughters have dull hearing and veiled eyes? When we talk about the dangers of spiritual darkness, do our sons and daughters just ‘bob their heads’ (yeah, yeah, yeah… I’ve heard it all before)? Maybe they pass off our warnings as overreactions. Perhaps they think they have time, or maybe they are indifferent to spiritual things altogether. This darkness is powerful.
John 12:46 “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
We need to pray that the Light of Christ breaks through the darkness and shines a spotlight on their sin, their desperate need for a Savior and on the Truth that will give them life! Let’s pray for deep grief over sin and a hunger and thirst for righteousness.
John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
2. Darkness disorients us to what is right and true. Spiritual darkness does the same.
Darkness takes what we know and distorts it. It twists and confuses things. It calls into question what we think we know and makes us unsure. We become a target for the Enemy. Disoriented victims are easy to hold captive.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
Darkness also lulls us into a false belief that we can navigate this world on our own, without the light of Christ. We clumsily bumble and stumble but pridefully think we’re doing just fine. We’re painfully ignorant or outright stubbornly resistant to admitting our need for Him. Darkness makes us believe a lie.
Proverbs 4:19 “But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.”
Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
We need to pray that the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of those who don’t yet know Christ and open the eyes of those who are walking in darkness so they see their need for Jesus and long for the Shepherd to lead them. They are living in spiritual chaos, but Christ can bring order and direction.
Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
3. Deep darkness almost forces one to keep their eyes closed- and isn’t that what the enemy wants?!
2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Now is the time to pray scripture over our loved ones. Verses that plead for clear spiritual vision and discernment needed for dealing with the darkness that surrounds all of us and for the protection from the Prince of Darkness that only Christ can give.
Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
Isaiah 42:16-17 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.”
4. Finally, we can only battle darkness and confusion with the Truth of God’s Word.
We must turn our eyes to the Truth of the Gospel, the infallibility of Scripture, the Sovereignty and Holiness of God.
2 Samuel 22:29 “You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.”
Psalm 143:8,10 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Darkness is present. We can’t deny that. Satan prowls like a lion, looking for anyone to devour. But our God reigns and His Word is powerful and effective. It has the ability to deter and defeat the enemy. It brings life and light and penetrate the darkness . Jesus is that Word. Let’s pray continually for our sons and daughters, for our loved ones, for those who don’t know Christ that He would defeat the darkness and lead them to walk in the Light of Life.
Take time today and throughout the week to pray these Scriptures over your sons and daughters, over your friends and loved ones. Put their names into each one, speak them out loud, call on the name and the blood of Jesus to bind the enemy and defeat the darkness.
Jude 1:24-25 “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Homebodies
“By faith Abel…by faith Enoch….by faith Noah… by faith Abraham….by faith Sarah…. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11
When our kids were little, being in other places was fun and exciting. Whether we were at the park or at a friend’s house, our announcement of “C’mon, it’s time to go home!” was likely met with protest and wails of “Nooooo! Just a little bit longer! I don’t want to go home yet!” Home was just, home. It wasn’t ‘special’. The kids were having fun where they were and they weren’t ready to go home.
But have you noticed, the older one gets, the more they just like to be home? It’s where they are most comfortable. It’s where they belong. They might not mind being out and about, but home is where they really long to be. There's a comfort about being there with those whom they love and are connected to deeply. Being out and away quickly loses its charm. Home is where the heart longs to be.
There’s a spiritual element here. As believers, we should feel the same about heaven and being with the Lord. The older we get, the more we see that this world isn’t as exciting and satisfying as we once thought it to be. We become weary of the shallowness and wary of the promise of wonderful things here that we know will not fulfill us. What this world promises, it just cannot deliver. The more we live here, the more we long to be in our real home with the Lord. We know we’re strangers and aliens here and we want to go and be where we belong. We want to be with the Lord.
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3
Here’s another perspective; if we’re getting ready to move, perhaps changing locations or building a new house, our heart begins to shift from where we currently live to that new place. We build up anticipation and longing because we know better things are coming. We begin to imagine living in that new place and we look forward to that new home and the life that comes with it. Our current location begins to fade in favor and appeal. We just want to be home. But home is becoming that other place where we don’t yet live.
Our sons and daughters often struggle with grasping a longing to be with Christ. Oh, they love Him, but they’re still enamored with this world and all it appears to hold for them. They haven’t yet ‘tasted’ the spiritual promise that assures them that life in Christ’s presence is far better than anything they’ll experience in this world. They’re still protesting, “Not yet! I’m not ready!”
Oh that they would shift their heart and mind to realize that this is not where they belong. This life, this world, is a shadow. It’s a poor representation of all that they are meant to enjoy in the presence of Christ.
The Apostle Peter understood well what our situation was as believers when he addressed the believers in 1 Peter 1:1-2.
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles (or strangers) scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters begin to recognize that, as believers, they are exiles. They are not meant for this world. They are strangers and aliens and should always sense that this is not where they belong-their true citizenship lies elsewhere. Let’s pray they have a longing for the home God is preparing for them and they are excited for the coming ‘move’. Jesus WILL return to gather His bride, the church. We don’t want to be looking behind us like Lot’s wife, longing for the corrupt place we’re leaving behind, but we want to be looking with anticipation to what lies ahead. We know that the home Jesus is preparing is far better than anything here.
1 Corinthians 5:1-2 “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,”
“Oh Father, we know that You intend to bring us to live with You. Your promise is evident throughout Your Word that this is not our home, but better things await. I pray that (name) would begin to anticipate that new home, the blessing of standing in Your Presence and enjoying life as you intended. Lord, help them not to be charmed by this world, but to have clear spiritual vision that assures them better things are to come. I pray that their prayer wouldn’t be “Not yet, Lord!” but instead would be “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” “
“Help me to encourage them by setting an example of hope, anticipation and joy at the thought of my heavenly home. Help me to point them to Scripture that shows us the joy and belonging that await us. Help me to long to be in Your Presence. But until that day, keep both (name) and I diligent and steady in doing the work You have for us here. Help us to finish well. Lord, open (name)’s eyes to see the deception that Satan weaves to lure us into complacency and into love for this world. It’s not what You desire for us and it’s a cheap imitation- a counterfeit that will never deliver the joy, fulfillment and belonging that You give us in Your Presence. Lord, work in our hearts and minds today. And come quickly, Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
When We’re Waiting for an Answer
Think about this. Each night we go to sleep and we give little thought to whether the next day will arrive. We just know that it will.
But tomorrow has never existed before. How can we be so sure it will come? In spite of that question, we don’t worry about whether it will be there when we wake up. We just know that it will. We don’t lie awake wondering what we’ll do if the day doesn’t dawn. We don’t make alternative plans in the event that there is a sudden change or an unexpected twist.
God always brings the new day. It’s always on time. It’s a new creation and a thing of beauty. The birds awaken and begin to sing. The sky melds from its dense blue-black to begin showing hints of pinks and purples, oranges and yellows The sun peeks over the horizon and then everything is seen in the light of the new day.
Psalm 65:8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
Yet, we often don’t even think about it, do we? We wake up just expecting the day and we get ready and go about our business.
What if?…..What if we approached our deepest prayers in this way? What if we brought them before God, laid them at His feet and then rested, knowing and expecting that He will answer right on time and in the perfect way?
Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
God is continually creating right before our eyes, and some of it has become so mundane to us that we miss it. We miss the extravagance of His blessing and the beauty of His creativity. Could it be that we miss His provision and His response to our prayers as well because we’re looking for other things?
Do we spend the night wrestling and worrying rather than resting in His faithfulness to always provide just what we need at the right time?
And we worry. We are consumed by our concerns. Yet the Lord of all creation is the Lord of our heart and He knows our burdens. He already has answers and He knows the perfect time and way in which He will deliver them. All we need to do is trust Him. And wait. We can rest secure knowing the God of creation knows our needs and He is the only one capable to meet them perfectly and the timing is HIs too. He’s never late. And His answers are never incomplete or lacking.
Psalm 5:3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 88:13 But I cry to you for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
It’s the waiting that we struggle with, isn’t it? Yet, when we go to sleep at night, we know the morning will come. We just have to wait the appropriate amount of time and then it will dawn.
Our hearts are often heavy for our sons and daughters, aren’t they? Whether it be the choices they’re making or the struggles they're facing, we wrestle in prayer on their behalf, pleading with the Lord for answers and deliverance. We love them so much, it consumes us. We hurt for them and we want to see things made better, made new. What if we allowed our prayer life- our conversations with God- to transform us, too?
Psalm 92:1-2 It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
Did you read that? Read it again! “Proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,”
What if we approached prayer and expectation just that way. When we wake up, we remind ourselves of His love- He delivered the new day and He longs to give us good gifts. And then, at night, we take time to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness- we can lie down and sleep because we know He will bring the new day- He always does.
If God can create and deliver a whole new day, every day without fail, giving us a day that never existed before, that we are powerless to control its arrival and departure, and then He guides us through it, He can surely answer our biggest prayers and carry our heaviest burdens, can’t He?
In ancient Israel, watchmen would stand on the walls of Jerusalem and would keep watch for enemies in order to call out and put the city on alert for attack. The city could sleep in peace because the watchmen did their work. Likewise, the watchmen would call out when morning dawned, waking everyone to the new day. In the dark of the pre-dawn hours, people might stir and become restless, wondering how soon it would be until they would hear the call, and then it would come! They waited, not wondering ‘if’, but ‘when’. They were confident in the answer.
Psalm 130:6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
We may have the most heartbreaking situation, the most dire need, but Friends, God sees it and He’s not indifferent to it. He’s creating the perfect response that fits His plan and will bring Him glory. And isn’t that the point? He will reveal it at the perfect time and in a way that sets our heart at rest.
Let’s be waiting in faith. Watching with trust. Let’s be confident that just as God brings the new day without fail, He will answer us and our deepest prayers in the same, faithful-God way.
Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Write out a prayer today that not only details your heart’s burdens, but affirms the goodness, faithfulness and perfect deliverance of God. As Psalm 92:1-2 tells us, let’s proclaim God’s love in the morning. Then, when you go to sleep tonight, proclaim His faithfulness; remind yourself of Who He is.
Finally, pray Psalm 5:3 and wait in expectation. The Lord is working. We don’t see the dawn in the darkest hour of the night, but we know it’s coming because God is faithful. Cling to His faithfulness and proclaim His love. Don’t give in to the enemy who wants us to fear the darkness will endure forever.
Pray without ceasing, friends. And then pray more.
Last Words
So many good books and movies are tied to the last words of a character. Perhaps the words set the stage for the unfolding story or maybe they wrap up the entire plot and provide a moving and meaningful end. Either way, last words seem to have the ability to elevate a situation or story and deepen its impact.
In Genesis 22, God asked Abraham to offer a sacrifice to show his love and obedience to his Lord. But it wasn’t ‘just’ a sacrifice, it was the thing dearest to Abraham’s heart. The sacrifice God requested from Abraham was his son, Isaac. The son of the Promise.
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Gen. 22:1-2)
Abraham didn’t question God, he obeyed. But I’m sure with every step toward that mountain, questions flew through his mind and his heart grew heavy in anticipation. As Abraham and Isaac, his only son, climbed Mt. Moriah, Isaac broke the silence and asked his father a question.
“Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Gen. 22:7)
At that moment, Abraham had to be aware that the words he spoke to his son might be the last words Isaac would hear from his father. That’s a sobering moment if ever there was one, isn’t it?
What if we were in his shoes, what would we say? If we had one final opportunity to build into our sons and daughters, would we embrace the moment with the clarity of eternity? Would we take that one final moment to point them to Christ?
Abraham’s response reflected the trust of one who was a friend of God, with the faith of one who believed in the sovereign provision of God, knowing God could do the impossible and bring the dead to life.
“Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.” (Gen. 22":8)
Abraham took the opportunity to point Isaac to the Lord. Of all the things he could have said, he used that moment to speak life, hope and spiritual confidence into Isaac and to affirm the goodness, the Sovereignty and the perfect provision of God. Isaac was the child of promise, the one God would use to multiply Abraham’s descendants like the stars of the heavens and the sand of the sea. Abraham didn’t know how God would redeem this sacrifice, he just knew that He would. He knew God did not go back on His promises. Abraham spoke into Isaac with strong faith and a confidence in God, his Lord and his Friend.
When we have opportunity to speak into our sons and daughters, let’s not wait for that golden ‘last words’ moment to speak those things of eternal value. Ponder, what is it we want them to know about Jesus? What do they need to hold in their hearts and minds? What will assure them of the hope that anchors the soul and the promise of eternity with Christ? We must have the conviction to speak words into our sons and daughters that affirm the importance of:
Knowing God personally
Trusting God completely
Following God unwaveringly
Waiting on God expectantly
Serving Jesus joyfully
Submitting to the Lord obediently.
1 Peter 1 is a treasure trove of truths for the Christian life and the passage touches on each of these actions. How can we speak into our kids? We need to read it, pray through it and then pray each word over our sons and daughters. Even more effective is taking the step to commit it to memory and live by it so that our words and actions continually point our sons and daughters to Jesus and how He calls them to live.
1 Peter 1:1-25
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Father, God, I pray that (name) would be your chosen and elect, called to salvation in Jesus, set apart for His work and for the inheritance You set in place for them. I ask that in Your foreknowledge, (name) would be chosen as one of Your own, a Christ-follower, sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit and called to be obedient to Jesus, sprinkled by His blood and blessed abundantly with Your grace and peace.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
I pray, Lord, that (name) would know You as God and Father. I pray that they would comprehend Your great mercy and clearly see how it is always enough to cover their sin and restore them to a right relationship with You. I pray that (name) would experience a living hope in Christ. One that would grow an eager expectation for the inheritance You’ve prepared for them, the eternal home that far outshines any blessing or beauty they might experience on this earth. I pray that You would shield (name) by Your power so that they would stand before You, worthy and righteous through Jesus Christ. I pray that (name)’s faith would be authentic, resilient and would withstand anything the enemy might throw at them. May (name)’s life and faith bring glory and honor to You. Strengthen them Lord, so that although they have not seen you, they continue to believe and follow after You and know the joy that You give to those who believe.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Father, I pray that (name) would set their hope on the grace that You promised to bring when Jesus is revealed. Do not let them defer to any lesser god offering false hope and counterfeit rewards. I pray that their obedience to You would be unwavering. Continue to increase their knowledge of the Word, their wisdom in spiritual things and their commitment to Jesus, no matter what.
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.”
Lord, help them to obey You.
Soften their hearts to love others.
Strengthen their commitment to live in holiness
Sharpen their vision to see the promise of eternity
Deepen their resolve to follow Christ without compromise
In Jesus’ name, amen.
May we speak life-giving, soul-affirming words that will point our sons and daughters to the cross, to Jesus as their Lord and Savior, to the value of eternity in the Presence of Yahweh, the Great I Am. Speak words of life. Speak words that will always be remembered and valued. May the words our sons and daughters recall from us, be the words that continually point them to Jesus.
Pray without ceasing.
Hosanna! Lord, save us!
“Hosanna!” It is the cry of Palm Sunday and the Triumphal Entry.
“Hosanna!” It’s an expression we likely associate with celebration and recognition of Jesus as King.
“Hosanna!” We often see it as an exclamation of joy! But there is a desperation and lostness associated with the plea. The exclamation, “Hosanna!” comes from two Hebrew words “yasa” meaning to deliver or make wide and spacious (1) and the word “na” which means “I pray, now”. (2) So, Hosanna is actually a prayer that means, “Save, I pray!” or “Lord, save us!” .(3)
The people of Jerusalem cried out to Jesus to be their King and Savior, but not in a spiritual way, they were crying out for political salvation from Rome. Jesus wept because in their desperation, crying out for salvation, the people still did not see Who Jesus was or what He came to do. They missed the Son of God. They were as lost and desperate as ever.
As parents, we too understand crying out in desperation. The desperation of a parent praying for their child is unmatched. We know what it is to cry out when we are so burdened and in distress over where our sons and daughters are headed, what they are choosing to do and who they choose to follow. We desperately want them to turn to the Lord, recognize Him as God and Savior, but we have no power to change their heart and capture their mind.
Yet, God the Father knows that desperation- He gave His son to save a world that didn’t recognize Him and, instead, crucified Him. He knows the deep loss of loving a Son so dearly, giving the most precious thing He had to give for the sake of others whom He loved, but were not choosing to love Him. Sometimes the desperation we feel is accompanied by a son or daughter who, in their rebellion, choose to not love us or respect our wisdom or do what is right. Hosanna! Lord save us!
We may describe our situation with our son or daughter as being ‘in dire straights’. But what does that mean? “To be in dire straits means to be in desperate trouble or impending danger. Dire means extremely serious. Straits are narrow passages of water which connect two larger bodies of water, navigating them may often become perilous. In the mid-sixteenth century, straits came to mean any difficult situation, one that carries a high degree of trouble.” (4) God understands dire straights, and friends, sometimes God allows it. But God is so good to remind us that He sees. He is ready to save.
Isaiah 43:1-3a “But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;”
God doesn’t tell us that He will keep us from the flood or fire- but He promises He will protect us through it. The Creator has full control over all of Creation. He builds our faith by walking with us through the dire straights and holding back the waters so that we’re not overcome. We may walk those narrow passages/times in life where there is barely room to breathe, when we feel pressed on every side, but He is there. Hosanna! Lord save us!
Psalm 32:6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
Today, we might find ourselves praying Psalm 119:43a “Trouble and distress have come upon me,” lamenting to God our situation and how dire and desperate it seems.
The Hebrew word for trouble is “sar” which means “narrow, tight, afflicted, anguished, distressed. (5) And that word ‘sar’ comes from the root word ‘sarar’ which means “to cramp, literally or figuratively,—adversary, (be in) afflict(-ion), beseige, bind (up), (be in, bring) distress, enemy, narrower, oppress, pangs, shut up, be in a strait (trouble), vex.” (6) Distress is the Hebrew word “masoq” and it means anguish, straightness, striaits, (dire straits). (7) This word comes from the root ‘suq’ which means “to constrain, bring into straits, press upon.” (8)
God knows. He understands. He uses words in the original language that intricately describe how we might feel when pressed on every side and overwhelmed with situations out of our control. These words very clearly give us a picture of just how difficult and desperate the situations are that believers may encounter. But, those situations are not beyond His control- for whatever reason He allows us to experience trouble and distress- anguish and dire straits. But He doesn’t leave us there and He doesn’t abandon us. Keep going! Read further! Psalm 119:143 resolves and gives hope. It ends with “but Your commands give me delight.” Take a breath. There is delight to be enjoyed! God sees and He rescues. Trust Him. Hosanna! Lord save us!
Might we, today, cry out “Hosanna!” “Lord save us! Lord save my child!”?
Step to the side of the pathway and watch your Savior. Know His Presence. Reach out for His hand and pray “Hosanna! Lord save us!” Pour your heart out to your King and your God for rescue and deliverance from whatever dire straight you find yourself or your son or daughter. He sees and knows. He hears you. He will rejoice over you with singing and provide a way of escape. Hosanna! Lord, save us!
Pray without ceasing.
H3467 - yāšaʿ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3467/niv/wlc/0-1/
H3467 - yāšaʿ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3467/niv/wlc/0-1/
G5614 - hōsanna - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5614/niv/mgnt/0-1/
https://grammarist.com/phrase/dire-straits/#:~:text=Dire%20means%20extremely%20serious.,a%20high%20degree%20of%20trouble
H6862 - ṣar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6862/niv/wlc/0-1/
H6887 - ṣārar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6887/niv/wlc/0-1/
H4689 - māṣôq - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4689/niv/wlc/0-1/
H6693 - ṣûq - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nkjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6693/nkjv/wlc/0-1/