Good Morning, Holy Father.
We pause today, to say thank you for allowing us to be the sheep of your pasture. Thank you for protection, for provision, and most of all for your incredible presence. Thank you for love without limits, grace without measure, and mercy that flows over us in unimaginable capacities.
Father, You created a great plan for us to live in peace, joy, and contentment; and You planned for us to share Your incredible goodness with those around us. Teach us to live the way You chose for us; living in constant companionship with You.
Forgive us when we become impatient and angry. Our anger doesn’t better the world; it doesn‘t help us or our friends. Our impatience doesn’t reflect Your light to the frustrated people around us. But Your compassion and understanding passed on will benefit everyone.
During this holiday season, help us light candles of compassion for the people around us. Help us light candles of Your love, especially for those who are hurting and lonely. Help us to not think of blackness and commercialism, but of the privilege of giving, of being Your hand extended. Help us to give as freely and willingly as You have given to us.
Today, Father, we ask You to love through us, give through us, touch through us, and flow through us as we are Your hand extended to those around us.
Be blessed by our praise and honored by our worship. We ask these things in the name of Your son Jesus, the King we choose go honor and celebrate.
Amen
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Job 36.26
Good Morning, Father.
Your years are unsearchable. We might be able to discover when the first wave hit the Oregon Coast. We may discover when the first start twinkled in the sky. But we will never discover when You didn’t exist, because You have always been and always will be. You aren’t bound by gravity and time like we are. As the writer said, You are greater than we can begin to understand. That’s OK. It’s an amazing gift to be part of a world where we can have a great big, wonderful, miraculous and marvelous God.
But, Father, you wanted even more for us, so you sent Jesus to earth to change everything. For the first time Heaven heard the words Your time is up. As a baby, Jesus had to leave Bethlehem because his time to be safe there was over. As a child, he had to leave the temple and go with his parents because his time was up. As a man, Jesus had to leave His home and family because that season of his life had ended. And to be our Savior, He had to die because His time on this planet was up. For thirty-three Years, Heaven’s greatest gift, was stuck in the confinement of time.
And soon, Father, the trumpet will sound and our time on this planet will be up. The pain and suffering of this life will be over and we will see Jesus at last. Only then will be able to begin to comprehend Your greatness and Your unsearchable mysteries.
Send Jesus quickly, Father. With hope shining in our hearts and with great joy we anticipate His return.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship. And let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in us today.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray.
Amen
Your years are unsearchable. We might be able to discover when the first wave hit the Oregon Coast. We may discover when the first start twinkled in the sky. But we will never discover when You didn’t exist, because You have always been and always will be. You aren’t bound by gravity and time like we are. As the writer said, You are greater than we can begin to understand. That’s OK. It’s an amazing gift to be part of a world where we can have a great big, wonderful, miraculous and marvelous God.
But, Father, you wanted even more for us, so you sent Jesus to earth to change everything. For the first time Heaven heard the words Your time is up. As a baby, Jesus had to leave Bethlehem because his time to be safe there was over. As a child, he had to leave the temple and go with his parents because his time was up. As a man, Jesus had to leave His home and family because that season of his life had ended. And to be our Savior, He had to die because His time on this planet was up. For thirty-three Years, Heaven’s greatest gift, was stuck in the confinement of time.
And soon, Father, the trumpet will sound and our time on this planet will be up. The pain and suffering of this life will be over and we will see Jesus at last. Only then will be able to begin to comprehend Your greatness and Your unsearchable mysteries.
Send Jesus quickly, Father. With hope shining in our hearts and with great joy we anticipate His return.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship. And let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in us today.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray.
Amen
Isaiah 40:31
Good Morning Father.
Somehow your incredible love reaches into the depths of our spirits and sparks a glimmer of hope. Your hope is so powerful; perhaps even more than we can comprehend. But it is nothing compared to the real source of hope…. You, our abba Father.
When our desires, our dreams, our wishes become Yours and You channel them into Your desire for us, then nothing is impossible. You don’t live in a world of impossibilities. You see us with promise, with possibility, and You see our potential. You plant a seed of hope inside us…..an incorruptible seed that doesn’t give up. You gave us a reminder of that hope when you sent Your child to be born in a stable, providing only a manger for his bed.
You remind us today to let our hope soar with renewed strength, with renewed desire to serve You, and with renewed ability to face the challenges of today.
Thank you Father, for hope that comes from You; for strength that comes from You and for the ability to bring You honor and glory.
Forgive our sins, be blessed as we praise; be honored as we worship and receive our thanks for the hope that You put in our hearts today
In the name of Your son Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Somehow your incredible love reaches into the depths of our spirits and sparks a glimmer of hope. Your hope is so powerful; perhaps even more than we can comprehend. But it is nothing compared to the real source of hope…. You, our abba Father.
When our desires, our dreams, our wishes become Yours and You channel them into Your desire for us, then nothing is impossible. You don’t live in a world of impossibilities. You see us with promise, with possibility, and You see our potential. You plant a seed of hope inside us…..an incorruptible seed that doesn’t give up. You gave us a reminder of that hope when you sent Your child to be born in a stable, providing only a manger for his bed.
You remind us today to let our hope soar with renewed strength, with renewed desire to serve You, and with renewed ability to face the challenges of today.
Thank you Father, for hope that comes from You; for strength that comes from You and for the ability to bring You honor and glory.
Forgive our sins, be blessed as we praise; be honored as we worship and receive our thanks for the hope that You put in our hearts today
In the name of Your son Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Matthew 4:19-20
Good Morning Father
What was it that made 12 men leave their lives to follow a stranger. What did they see in Jesus. Isaiah tells us that He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. What was it that Matthew saw that made him walk away from his pile of money and never look back.
What was it that made a roman centurion look up at a naked, brutalized body on a cross and say truly this was the Son of God. What did he see?
Was Jesus displaying Your splendor? Was Jesus revealing Your Glory? Was He the visible witness of Your love?
Father, Do people see in us what they saw in Jesus? Do they see us displaying Your Splendor? Do we reveal Your Glory? Are we a visible witness of Your love.
Father it seems we’ve taken the easy way out. We’ve segregated ourselves from the very people You came to seek and save. We have created ways to avoid being faced with the challenge of having to seek You to for guidance, protection, and wisdom. We’ve created private schools, segregated churches, programs, and entertainment features to make us look good instead of being a light that points people to the cross. In reality, Father, we’ve lost our way. We haven’t been a visible witness of Your love. But that was yesterday. Today we make a conscious choice to love like Jesus loves, to be a witness of His love in our lives. We choose to display Your splendor and reveal Your glory. We choose to pick up our cross and follow Jesus.
We pause today to kneel at the cross and ask you to forgive our sins and our apathy. We ask You to help us keep our eyes, our minds, and our hearts focused on You. We ask You to help us keep our ears tuned to Your voice.
As we participate in Your final harvest, Father, may we like Jesus disciples, follow, without every looking back.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship. And may we live to make God visible.
In the name of Jesus we pray.
Amen
Isaah 61:1
Good Morning Father,
When Isaiah wrote these prophetic words years before Jesus came, Your spirit was on him, just as Your spirit is on us today. Isaiah was called and responded to Your call with a never look back attitude. He spoke from the perspective of one who had stood in hell and had seen Heaven. Whether what Isaiah saw was in the sky or in his mind pales in comparison to the Splendor and Glory of Who he saw. And after seeing You he could do nothing but cry Holy and plead for mercy.
Centuries later, those same words were read by Jesus to the Nazarenes. Their response was to try to run Him out of town. The were blind to Your glory. But there is coming a day when every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that the good tidings are truth at last.
In the meantime, Father, just as you called Isaiah and sent Jesus, You call us. You desire to put Your spirit on us so that we will proclaim Your good news; so that we will offer those around us a path to a healing Jesus; and proclaim to those around us that there is freedom in Jesus Christ our King.
Father, as we today ask for Your mercy and cleansing from sin, fill us with a passion that will respond to Your call and a longing to join the Angels in singing Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.
Help us Father, to not update our resume to add You to our list of references, but to cling to and plead for Your mercy in our lives and the lives of our families and acquaintances.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship, and let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in us, just as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray.
Amen
When Isaiah wrote these prophetic words years before Jesus came, Your spirit was on him, just as Your spirit is on us today. Isaiah was called and responded to Your call with a never look back attitude. He spoke from the perspective of one who had stood in hell and had seen Heaven. Whether what Isaiah saw was in the sky or in his mind pales in comparison to the Splendor and Glory of Who he saw. And after seeing You he could do nothing but cry Holy and plead for mercy.
Centuries later, those same words were read by Jesus to the Nazarenes. Their response was to try to run Him out of town. The were blind to Your glory. But there is coming a day when every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that the good tidings are truth at last.
In the meantime, Father, just as you called Isaiah and sent Jesus, You call us. You desire to put Your spirit on us so that we will proclaim Your good news; so that we will offer those around us a path to a healing Jesus; and proclaim to those around us that there is freedom in Jesus Christ our King.
Father, as we today ask for Your mercy and cleansing from sin, fill us with a passion that will respond to Your call and a longing to join the Angels in singing Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.
Help us Father, to not update our resume to add You to our list of references, but to cling to and plead for Your mercy in our lives and the lives of our families and acquaintances.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship, and let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in us, just as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray.
Amen
Exodus 33:11
So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
Monday, August 22, 2011
2 Chronicles 26:5
2 Chronicles 26:5 (regarding King Uzziah)
He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.
There is a healer in the house today. He’s here to bring healing to our bodies, minds, and souls.
There is a deliverer in the house today. He’s here to set us free from those things that can so easily overwhelm us.
There is mercy in the house today because Jesus, our Savior and Lord is here.
Good Morning Father.
You are here to remind us of Your goodness. You are here to remind us that, like Uzziah, as long as we seek You, we will prosper. To prosper means to succeed, to be fortunate, to thrive, and to flourish.
When we seek You, You give us the ability to succeed - to accomplish the plan that You have for our lives and Your church.
When we seek You, we are fortunate, because You give abundantly above anything we could ask or think.
When we seek You, we thrive, we grow. And When we seek You, we increase, we amplify and we blossom. It has nothing to do with us, Father, it’s all about You. But as we seek You, Father, help us to seek the giver not the gift. Give our hearts a desire to lift You high above all of our earthy kings, our 3 little pigs, and those things that so easily drag us down.
Father, today we renew our commitment to seek You and to actively pursue our relationship with You. Today we renew our commitment to continue to seek Your will for this church. We will not give up in defeat or allow ourselves to be distracted. We renew our commitment to follow Jesus as we are cleansed and renewed by His blood.
Father, be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship and may we live to make God famous. In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
Hosea 6:1-3
Good morning Father,
In the middle of our often mixed up days, we hear You inviting us to return to You. You invite us to spend time with You. To talk with You and to experience once again Your great mercy and love. You invite us to come into your presence.
But often our thoughts are far from You. All of a sudden, our day becomes cluttered. The train breaks down, making us late for work. The engine light comes on in our car. We have a flat tire. We trip and fall down. We lose something or someone and our whole world turns upside down. Just by distraction, our thoughts have turned far from You. And we wonder, Father, where are You. Then comes a moment in time when You remind us of Your invitation to return our thoughts to You; we have an encounter, perhaps we have entertained an angel; who reminds us that You’re still here….watching, waiting, and loving us with immeasurable passion.
Your goodness overwhelms us. Your compassion encompasses us. Your faithfulness astounds us. And we begin to praise You for who You are.
Today, Father, as You are blessed by our praise, will You restore to us the joy of our salvation. As You are honored by our worship, will You repair our broken hearts, our broken minds, our broken bodies, and our broken families. And Father as Your Kingdom comes and Your will is done in this place, will You rebuild our lives so that we can accomplish Your plan and Your purpose for us.
Father, we ask that You in your great mercy, Forgive our sins and heal our land. Today we make a conscious choice to once again return to You. We choose to purse You and knowledge of You. Today, we choose to live to make Jesus famous.
Thank you, Father, for the invitation to return, to be in Your presence once again.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray. Amen
In the middle of our often mixed up days, we hear You inviting us to return to You. You invite us to spend time with You. To talk with You and to experience once again Your great mercy and love. You invite us to come into your presence.
But often our thoughts are far from You. All of a sudden, our day becomes cluttered. The train breaks down, making us late for work. The engine light comes on in our car. We have a flat tire. We trip and fall down. We lose something or someone and our whole world turns upside down. Just by distraction, our thoughts have turned far from You. And we wonder, Father, where are You. Then comes a moment in time when You remind us of Your invitation to return our thoughts to You; we have an encounter, perhaps we have entertained an angel; who reminds us that You’re still here….watching, waiting, and loving us with immeasurable passion.
Your goodness overwhelms us. Your compassion encompasses us. Your faithfulness astounds us. And we begin to praise You for who You are.
Today, Father, as You are blessed by our praise, will You restore to us the joy of our salvation. As You are honored by our worship, will You repair our broken hearts, our broken minds, our broken bodies, and our broken families. And Father as Your Kingdom comes and Your will is done in this place, will You rebuild our lives so that we can accomplish Your plan and Your purpose for us.
Father, we ask that You in your great mercy, Forgive our sins and heal our land. Today we make a conscious choice to once again return to You. We choose to purse You and knowledge of You. Today, we choose to live to make Jesus famous.
Thank you, Father, for the invitation to return, to be in Your presence once again.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray. Amen
Monday, August 15, 2011
1 Timothy 6:6
Good morning Father.
The dictionary tells us that Godliness is conforming to the laws and wishes of God. It tells us that contentment is the state of being satisfied. And you tell us, Father, that the combination of Godliness and contentment is great gain. Not just a little gain, but great gain. What an incredible God you are to offer such a gift.
You offer times of peace, smiles of acceptance, relief, quietness and rest. You offer us satisfaction that eliminates all of our cravings. And yet somehow we overlook Your precious gift. We hang on to our busy schedules, our frustrations, and our worries.
We trade contentment for debt, we trade Godliness for ulcers and headaches; and yet your gift still remains, ready and waiting for us to accept what you offer.
Forgive us father for hanging on to our selfish lives. Help us accept You and the gifts you so freely offer us. Give us an understanding that makes us run to you at the first sign of worry; at the first sign of frustration; and at the first sign of fear.
Be blessed as we praise, Father; Be honored as we worship and may Your kingdom come and Your will be done here, just like it is in Heaven.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
The dictionary tells us that Godliness is conforming to the laws and wishes of God. It tells us that contentment is the state of being satisfied. And you tell us, Father, that the combination of Godliness and contentment is great gain. Not just a little gain, but great gain. What an incredible God you are to offer such a gift.
You offer times of peace, smiles of acceptance, relief, quietness and rest. You offer us satisfaction that eliminates all of our cravings. And yet somehow we overlook Your precious gift. We hang on to our busy schedules, our frustrations, and our worries.
We trade contentment for debt, we trade Godliness for ulcers and headaches; and yet your gift still remains, ready and waiting for us to accept what you offer.
Forgive us father for hanging on to our selfish lives. Help us accept You and the gifts you so freely offer us. Give us an understanding that makes us run to you at the first sign of worry; at the first sign of frustration; and at the first sign of fear.
Be blessed as we praise, Father; Be honored as we worship and may Your kingdom come and Your will be done here, just like it is in Heaven.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Isaiah 40:28-31
Good Morning Holy Father,
You are everlasting, the alpha and omega, the first and the last. How do we understand such a concept. Everything we have or do starts and stops, but You ARE. You never grow weary, and there is no limit to your power and strength.
Father, we so often turn to you for strength when we are tired. And You give us strength for the day, but we often miss that you also include Your power. Walking in the power of Your might causes our strength to multiply and abound. You offer more than we have capacity to understand. Paul would tell us that would rather boast in his infirmities so that the power of Christ could rest upon Him. The Hebrew writer would tell us to let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Today, Father, we surrender the 3 little pigs that we grasp so tightly; our pride, our prosperity, and our priorities to You. We make a conscious choice to walk Your way, following Your path, knowing that in our surrender You will provide Your power and Your strength for this incredible journey.
Father be with those who are hurting today. You tell us that You were wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was on You and by Your stripes we are healed. Father, bring Your healing power to those whose hearts are hurting today. Jesus accepted the chastisement for our peace so that You could bring us into a state of favor and peace with you Abba Father. Help us to be Your hand extended to those in need, and who are hurting. Let us be distributors of Your peace. Thank you that all of our needs were met at the cross, through the precious blood of Your one and only Son, Jesus.
Father, Be blessed as we praise, Be honored as we worship; and may Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray. Amen
You are everlasting, the alpha and omega, the first and the last. How do we understand such a concept. Everything we have or do starts and stops, but You ARE. You never grow weary, and there is no limit to your power and strength.
Father, we so often turn to you for strength when we are tired. And You give us strength for the day, but we often miss that you also include Your power. Walking in the power of Your might causes our strength to multiply and abound. You offer more than we have capacity to understand. Paul would tell us that would rather boast in his infirmities so that the power of Christ could rest upon Him. The Hebrew writer would tell us to let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Today, Father, we surrender the 3 little pigs that we grasp so tightly; our pride, our prosperity, and our priorities to You. We make a conscious choice to walk Your way, following Your path, knowing that in our surrender You will provide Your power and Your strength for this incredible journey.
Father be with those who are hurting today. You tell us that You were wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was on You and by Your stripes we are healed. Father, bring Your healing power to those whose hearts are hurting today. Jesus accepted the chastisement for our peace so that You could bring us into a state of favor and peace with you Abba Father. Help us to be Your hand extended to those in need, and who are hurting. Let us be distributors of Your peace. Thank you that all of our needs were met at the cross, through the precious blood of Your one and only Son, Jesus.
Father, Be blessed as we praise, Be honored as we worship; and may Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, we pray. Amen
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Good Morning Father.
Today we pause to rejoice in the Lord, to experience joy in our God, the God of our Salvation.
Sometimes the rebuilding process of our lives may seem slow, confusing, and even frustrating, but You never change. No matter what the circumstances of our lives, You are our sure foundation. You are our solid rock. You are Almighty, all powerful, all knowing, and always available.
Today, Father, we choose to give You thanks, praise, and adoration. Mighty God, we choose to enter Your courts with Thanksgiving in our hearts and praises on our lips. We make a conscious choice to look beyond what we see, and give You praise and honor. We love You Father; we love You, Jesus, and we love Your presence; the precious Holy Spirit that you have sent to bring us comfort in our times of distress.
Jesus, use us, to share your love with those around us……and those in need. Bring us, and our family members into a new and fresh relationship with You. Touch our hearts, Father, Change us to be like Jesus.
Be blessed by our praise, be honored by our worship, and may we live to make Jesus famous.
In the name of Your son Jesus we pray. Amen
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Matthew 21:21
Good morning, Father
Some of Your promises are so amazing we are almost afraid to believe them. We’re afraid maybe because we fall so short that your promises just won’t come true. But you didn’t just give us the promises, you backed them up with examples. You gave us the book on making the impossible possible.
You rejoice when we dream of bringing the lost to You. You rejoice when we dream of seeing the sick healed, the lame walking, and the blind receiving sight. You created us to dream and to put our trust and our hope in You. And You used such creativity to give us examples to follow. In our time, eighty year old shepherds don’t stand up to Pharaohs, but God don’t tell that to Moses. He just wouldn’t understand. Neither do teenage shepherds face down giants, but Father, don’t tell that to David. He already proved beyond any doubt that we, just like him, can stand strong in your power and might and defeat the enemy. And don’t tell Peter that our prayers can’t be answered. He caught too many fish and experienced far too much forgiveness to doubt anything You say. We can overcome and the gates of hell, the jaws of death, cannot prevail against us. We can pray, believing, and see our lost brought to You. We can trust You to accomplish those things that we ask.
Today Father, we ask for the lost, our family members, our friends, our co-workers, and those we have yet to meet. We ask You to send workers into the harvest, to help You stop the expansion of hell. We ask for the people on this planet who have yet to hear that You love them. Help us participate in sharing Your love.
Forgive our sins Father and heal our land. Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship, and let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in us, just like it is in Heaven.
In the name of Jesus, we pray.
amen
Some of Your promises are so amazing we are almost afraid to believe them. We’re afraid maybe because we fall so short that your promises just won’t come true. But you didn’t just give us the promises, you backed them up with examples. You gave us the book on making the impossible possible.
You rejoice when we dream of bringing the lost to You. You rejoice when we dream of seeing the sick healed, the lame walking, and the blind receiving sight. You created us to dream and to put our trust and our hope in You. And You used such creativity to give us examples to follow. In our time, eighty year old shepherds don’t stand up to Pharaohs, but God don’t tell that to Moses. He just wouldn’t understand. Neither do teenage shepherds face down giants, but Father, don’t tell that to David. He already proved beyond any doubt that we, just like him, can stand strong in your power and might and defeat the enemy. And don’t tell Peter that our prayers can’t be answered. He caught too many fish and experienced far too much forgiveness to doubt anything You say. We can overcome and the gates of hell, the jaws of death, cannot prevail against us. We can pray, believing, and see our lost brought to You. We can trust You to accomplish those things that we ask.
Today Father, we ask for the lost, our family members, our friends, our co-workers, and those we have yet to meet. We ask You to send workers into the harvest, to help You stop the expansion of hell. We ask for the people on this planet who have yet to hear that You love them. Help us participate in sharing Your love.
Forgive our sins Father and heal our land. Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship, and let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in us, just like it is in Heaven.
In the name of Jesus, we pray.
amen
Acts 1:7-8
Good Morning Father
Thank you for the warmth of your love today. Thank you for the wealth of your caring, and thank You for hope You have placed inside us.
Father, we look around at our circumstances. We see layoffs, we see downsizing, we see unemployment, we see pay cuts, we see 30% of children in Multnomah County in need of food and we can be filled with fear at the sights and activities around us. Remind us of your followers at the crucifixion. As Max Lucado says, they ran, scared as cats in a dog pound. But when we fast forward just 40 short days, Peter is preaching in the same area where Jesus was arrested. Your frightened followers defy your enemies through the power of your Holy Spirit.
Through the resurrected Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, your followers were empowered with courage that was forged in the fire of the empty tomb.
You are offering us that same power, that same courage today. You have plan for us to accomplish. Today we surrender to your will, we seek and accept the Holy Spirit and His power and the same courage that you gave to Peter. You may have one for us to reach or 100, but whatever it is, we will go forth in the power of Your Holy Spirit. And for that we give you thanks and praise.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship and let Your Kingdom Come and Your will be done in this place, just as it is in Heaven. In the name of Jesus we pray.
Amen.
Thank you for the warmth of your love today. Thank you for the wealth of your caring, and thank You for hope You have placed inside us.
Father, we look around at our circumstances. We see layoffs, we see downsizing, we see unemployment, we see pay cuts, we see 30% of children in Multnomah County in need of food and we can be filled with fear at the sights and activities around us. Remind us of your followers at the crucifixion. As Max Lucado says, they ran, scared as cats in a dog pound. But when we fast forward just 40 short days, Peter is preaching in the same area where Jesus was arrested. Your frightened followers defy your enemies through the power of your Holy Spirit.
Through the resurrected Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, your followers were empowered with courage that was forged in the fire of the empty tomb.
You are offering us that same power, that same courage today. You have plan for us to accomplish. Today we surrender to your will, we seek and accept the Holy Spirit and His power and the same courage that you gave to Peter. You may have one for us to reach or 100, but whatever it is, we will go forth in the power of Your Holy Spirit. And for that we give you thanks and praise.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship and let Your Kingdom Come and Your will be done in this place, just as it is in Heaven. In the name of Jesus we pray.
Amen.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Psalms 34:4-6
Good morning, Father;
Your promises are ageless. You never change. And just like in the days of King David, when we run to You, You come to our rescue. You save us in our time of troubles. The message says You get us out of tight spots. The funny thing about it is that we get ourselves into trouble, but Your incredible love wants to come and rescue us anyway. Anyone else would say, you got yourself into this, now get yourself out. But you not only deliver us, you make us radiant, bright with joy and hope.
Father, you desire that we run to You. You desire to be the most important person in our lives. You are the greatest love that we could ever know. Father, give us the ability to love you so much that there is no room for sin, for distraction, for anything that would keep You from having first place in our hearts.
Today we choose to open our hearts and let You in. We choose to give you first place in our lives. We choose to believe in your promise to help us; to rescue us; and to deliver us from evil.
Father, be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship. And let Your will be done on earth, just like it is in heaven.
In the name of Your son Jesus, we pray
Amen
Your promises are ageless. You never change. And just like in the days of King David, when we run to You, You come to our rescue. You save us in our time of troubles. The message says You get us out of tight spots. The funny thing about it is that we get ourselves into trouble, but Your incredible love wants to come and rescue us anyway. Anyone else would say, you got yourself into this, now get yourself out. But you not only deliver us, you make us radiant, bright with joy and hope.
Father, you desire that we run to You. You desire to be the most important person in our lives. You are the greatest love that we could ever know. Father, give us the ability to love you so much that there is no room for sin, for distraction, for anything that would keep You from having first place in our hearts.
Today we choose to open our hearts and let You in. We choose to give you first place in our lives. We choose to believe in your promise to help us; to rescue us; and to deliver us from evil.
Father, be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship. And let Your will be done on earth, just like it is in heaven.
In the name of Your son Jesus, we pray
Amen
| |
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Hebrews 2.1
Good Morning Father.
A man named Leonard Nemoy wrote a book of poetry called “We are all children searching for love” We search and search for Acres of Diamonds only to learn that we left them in our own back yard. We search for security, for happiness, for peace, and for stability in the storms; only to find like that those who searched before us we have looked in all the wrong places.
Our answer comes not from seeking something new, but in understanding the time honored truths of Your Word. The most reliable source of truth was written thousands of years ago. The truth of Your Word, Father, has remained. Your promises have held their ground against every storm, against every wind of change, and against every attack of the enemy.
Father, it’s time to stop searching and start trusting. It’s time to rely on, to cling to, and stand in faith on Your promises.
Your promises give us ….not a worthless futile existence, but a life with purpose, filled with Your abundance.
Your promises declare that our failures will not destroy us because You never leave us nor forsake us.
You promise that our death is not final because You chose to prepare a place for us to come and live with You forever.
You are, Father, our reason to live, our reason to hope, and our future. Help us to hang on to your promises with everything we have, so that we do not let them drift past us. Help us memorize and meditate on Your Words of truth; so that they will become our very existence.
Father, be blessed as we praise and honored as we worship. And may Your Kingdom come and Your will be done…..just as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus we pray.
Amen
A man named Leonard Nemoy wrote a book of poetry called “We are all children searching for love” We search and search for Acres of Diamonds only to learn that we left them in our own back yard. We search for security, for happiness, for peace, and for stability in the storms; only to find like that those who searched before us we have looked in all the wrong places.
Our answer comes not from seeking something new, but in understanding the time honored truths of Your Word. The most reliable source of truth was written thousands of years ago. The truth of Your Word, Father, has remained. Your promises have held their ground against every storm, against every wind of change, and against every attack of the enemy.
Father, it’s time to stop searching and start trusting. It’s time to rely on, to cling to, and stand in faith on Your promises.
Your promises give us ….not a worthless futile existence, but a life with purpose, filled with Your abundance.
Your promises declare that our failures will not destroy us because You never leave us nor forsake us.
You promise that our death is not final because You chose to prepare a place for us to come and live with You forever.
You are, Father, our reason to live, our reason to hope, and our future. Help us to hang on to your promises with everything we have, so that we do not let them drift past us. Help us memorize and meditate on Your Words of truth; so that they will become our very existence.
Father, be blessed as we praise and honored as we worship. And may Your Kingdom come and Your will be done…..just as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus we pray.
Amen
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Psalms 4.2-3
Good Morning Father
We have to admit, Father, we know You are good, we know You are filled with love for us. And yet sometimes we wonder about Your ways. We don’t understand them. Do you look in dismay at our ways?
As we approach Easter, the celebration of Jesus resurrection, are you reminded of how we honored Jesus?
Jesus came to defeat our greatest foes and in return, we gave him a procession of honor. Romans, Jews, priests, men, and women walked along, while Jesus tried in vain to carry a heavy cross. We offered taunts, slurs, and mocking. Did our way of expressing honor astound You?
We offered Jesus wine of honor. Instead of the best wine like Jesus gave at the wedding in Cana; instead of using David’s golden cup, we offered vinegar and gall stuffed into his mouth with a sponge. Were you appalled at our actions?
Did we offer Jesus King David’s golden throne, a throne of honor? No, we honored Jesus with a rough piece of wood on a bone exposed back. We offer Jesus the same throne today Father, only we are much more civilized. We simply say, my comfort first, and Jesus get’s the leftovers. Do our ways hurt You, Father? I know our ways, hurt us.
We offered Jesus a title of honor. Pilate sarcastically called him King of the Jews. The Jews righteously called Him King of Thieves by honoring Barabbas first.
Father, we stand without excuse. We are undeserving recipients of mercy, grace, and passionate love. We humbly ask, create in us a clean hearts and renew Your steadfast spirit in us. Restore our souls with the joy Your incredible salvation and uphold us with Your generous Spirit. Forgive our sins, heal our land. Be blessed by our praise; be honored by our worship. And may King Jesus be lifted high today.
We ask in the name of Your Son, our King Jesus.
Amen
We have to admit, Father, we know You are good, we know You are filled with love for us. And yet sometimes we wonder about Your ways. We don’t understand them. Do you look in dismay at our ways?
As we approach Easter, the celebration of Jesus resurrection, are you reminded of how we honored Jesus?
Jesus came to defeat our greatest foes and in return, we gave him a procession of honor. Romans, Jews, priests, men, and women walked along, while Jesus tried in vain to carry a heavy cross. We offered taunts, slurs, and mocking. Did our way of expressing honor astound You?
We offered Jesus wine of honor. Instead of the best wine like Jesus gave at the wedding in Cana; instead of using David’s golden cup, we offered vinegar and gall stuffed into his mouth with a sponge. Were you appalled at our actions?
Did we offer Jesus King David’s golden throne, a throne of honor? No, we honored Jesus with a rough piece of wood on a bone exposed back. We offer Jesus the same throne today Father, only we are much more civilized. We simply say, my comfort first, and Jesus get’s the leftovers. Do our ways hurt You, Father? I know our ways, hurt us.
We offered Jesus a title of honor. Pilate sarcastically called him King of the Jews. The Jews righteously called Him King of Thieves by honoring Barabbas first.
Father, we stand without excuse. We are undeserving recipients of mercy, grace, and passionate love. We humbly ask, create in us a clean hearts and renew Your steadfast spirit in us. Restore our souls with the joy Your incredible salvation and uphold us with Your generous Spirit. Forgive our sins, heal our land. Be blessed by our praise; be honored by our worship. And may King Jesus be lifted high today.
We ask in the name of Your Son, our King Jesus.
Amen
Psalms 73:26
Good Morning, Father.
In our moments of time we have nothing, but You. You are the strength that keeps us going from day to day. You are the hope that we hang on to. You are the reason to live and the reason we die. Because of You we can rest in perfect peace. Because of You we can laugh in the middle of our storms. Because of You we can be strong, and whole; even in the midst of our pain and suffering.
If we were running a race today, we would see you cheering us on from the sidelines. When we approach the finish line, we see You applauding our steps. You hear Jesus calling out our name; asking You to help us. You always respond.
When we are tired. You tell us to come to Jesus and we will find rest for our souls. When we are discouraged, You pick us up and carry us. In Your great mercy, You provide for our every need. You are always here. Your presence goes before us; and we never find ourselves in a situation that You haven’t prepared. We know that following in Your path, we are safe and loved.
Today, we offer our gratitude for Your care, Your love, Your mercy, Your gentleness, Your loving kindness, and Your gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Be blessed as we praise and honored as we worship today. And may Jesus have first place in our hearts and lives.
In the name of Your son Jesus we ask.
Amen
In our moments of time we have nothing, but You. You are the strength that keeps us going from day to day. You are the hope that we hang on to. You are the reason to live and the reason we die. Because of You we can rest in perfect peace. Because of You we can laugh in the middle of our storms. Because of You we can be strong, and whole; even in the midst of our pain and suffering.
If we were running a race today, we would see you cheering us on from the sidelines. When we approach the finish line, we see You applauding our steps. You hear Jesus calling out our name; asking You to help us. You always respond.
When we are tired. You tell us to come to Jesus and we will find rest for our souls. When we are discouraged, You pick us up and carry us. In Your great mercy, You provide for our every need. You are always here. Your presence goes before us; and we never find ourselves in a situation that You haven’t prepared. We know that following in Your path, we are safe and loved.
Today, we offer our gratitude for Your care, Your love, Your mercy, Your gentleness, Your loving kindness, and Your gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Be blessed as we praise and honored as we worship today. And may Jesus have first place in our hearts and lives.
In the name of Your son Jesus we ask.
Amen
Thursday, May 12, 2011
1 Corinthians 2:9
Good Morning Father,
Your word tells us that we can’t imagine the things that You have prepared for us. Our imagination, even our wildest dreams are inadequate. We can‘t even come close. All the songs written, all the pictures painted, all the sermons preached, or words written, can’t express what you have prepared for us. How can we respond, Father, to such a scripture. How do we anticipate what we can’t imagine?
You must have thought of our limited imaginations because You surprise us with moments in time when you give us little glimpses of what You have in store for us. You bring us unexpected surprises, like a gift of healing, a gift of laughter, a gift of watching a person turn to You; a gift of all of a sudden knowing that You are right with us. We suddenly become aware of You, Your strength for the day; Your rest in our storm; Your hope in our sorrow. You answer a prayer and we are so surprised…..because we truly can’t comprehend what You have in store for us.
You have prepared pain free days, peace filled nights, rest, no tears, no sorrow, no worries or cares, and no more suffering. But when it comes to describing what you have prepared for us, we are complete failures. Anything we can think of, just doesn’t cut it.
How do we say thank you for such a promise. How do we express how much we appreciate You with our limited vocabulary and finite minds. Once again we are faced with our failure to adequately express how good You are to us. So today, Father, we pause…..We say thank you. We say we love You. Andre Crouch wrote, the voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. That’s the way we feel, Father. So grateful, so loved, and so unable to adequately express our feelings.
We can only ask that you be blessed Father as we praise You. Be honored as we worship You. Forgive our sins….Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in us today.
In the name of Your Son, Jesus, we pray.
Amen
Your word tells us that we can’t imagine the things that You have prepared for us. Our imagination, even our wildest dreams are inadequate. We can‘t even come close. All the songs written, all the pictures painted, all the sermons preached, or words written, can’t express what you have prepared for us. How can we respond, Father, to such a scripture. How do we anticipate what we can’t imagine?
You must have thought of our limited imaginations because You surprise us with moments in time when you give us little glimpses of what You have in store for us. You bring us unexpected surprises, like a gift of healing, a gift of laughter, a gift of watching a person turn to You; a gift of all of a sudden knowing that You are right with us. We suddenly become aware of You, Your strength for the day; Your rest in our storm; Your hope in our sorrow. You answer a prayer and we are so surprised…..because we truly can’t comprehend what You have in store for us.
You have prepared pain free days, peace filled nights, rest, no tears, no sorrow, no worries or cares, and no more suffering. But when it comes to describing what you have prepared for us, we are complete failures. Anything we can think of, just doesn’t cut it.
How do we say thank you for such a promise. How do we express how much we appreciate You with our limited vocabulary and finite minds. Once again we are faced with our failure to adequately express how good You are to us. So today, Father, we pause…..We say thank you. We say we love You. Andre Crouch wrote, the voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. That’s the way we feel, Father. So grateful, so loved, and so unable to adequately express our feelings.
We can only ask that you be blessed Father as we praise You. Be honored as we worship You. Forgive our sins….Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in us today.
In the name of Your Son, Jesus, we pray.
Amen
2 Timothy 4.5
Good morning, Father.
This week you’ve brought us more gifts; blessings in the form of friends who come to help us in our need; encouragement in a letter from a far away friend; family members who pop in just to say I love you.
Father give us hearts of gratitude for Your many blessings.
For all of the heroes You have placed in the spotlight of our lives, You remind us that there are many more in the shadows. They don’t get in the news, they don’t draw crowds of people to hear what they have to say; and they don’t write books. They are just busy loving You and serving You. They are the pebble that starts a rock slide. They are the word that fans into flame our desire to draw closer to You. They are the people whose actions inspire us to do something more for You. They aren’t looking for anything for themselves; they are just busy being Jesus to someone else. Help us be Jesus to someone today.
Remind us that the person who is driving us crazy today could be Your next Charles Spurgeon. Remind us that the person to usher in the next revival could be the one we see in the mirror.
Father, we ask You to give us strength to fulfill our ministry. Help us to not only be watchful in all things, but to focus our lives on accomplishing Your purpose in us.. Help us encourage each other to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Let us be people who bless others and people who excitedly carry Your light and Your healing to those around us. Help us willingly give to others as You have so freely given to us.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship. And may Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth just as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus we pray.
Amen
This week you’ve brought us more gifts; blessings in the form of friends who come to help us in our need; encouragement in a letter from a far away friend; family members who pop in just to say I love you.
Father give us hearts of gratitude for Your many blessings.
For all of the heroes You have placed in the spotlight of our lives, You remind us that there are many more in the shadows. They don’t get in the news, they don’t draw crowds of people to hear what they have to say; and they don’t write books. They are just busy loving You and serving You. They are the pebble that starts a rock slide. They are the word that fans into flame our desire to draw closer to You. They are the people whose actions inspire us to do something more for You. They aren’t looking for anything for themselves; they are just busy being Jesus to someone else. Help us be Jesus to someone today.
Remind us that the person who is driving us crazy today could be Your next Charles Spurgeon. Remind us that the person to usher in the next revival could be the one we see in the mirror.
Father, we ask You to give us strength to fulfill our ministry. Help us to not only be watchful in all things, but to focus our lives on accomplishing Your purpose in us.. Help us encourage each other to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Let us be people who bless others and people who excitedly carry Your light and Your healing to those around us. Help us willingly give to others as You have so freely given to us.
Be blessed as we praise, be honored as we worship. And may Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth just as it is in Heaven.
In the name of Your Son Jesus we pray.
Amen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)