Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. Isaiah 40:28
Dear God,
What glorious reassurance this verse brings us! You, the Everlasting God, who created the ends of the earth do not become weary or tired. How often, Lord, do I become weary and tired - yet, You do not. Thank You, Lord, that You do not. I am so often weary, contemplating the sinfulness of this world, sorrowing over the people who have neglected You and Your Word. I know that You have a plan and that in Your faithfulness You will work it out. And so, I come before You, acknowledging that indeed, Your understanding is inscrutable. You are God, and I am not.
Humbly,
Amen.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
40 Days of Prayer: Day 19
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster and does not retract His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers and against the help of the workers of iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit;
so the Lord will stretch out His hand, and he who helps will stumble and he who is helped will fall, and all of them will come to an end together. Isaiah 31:1-3
Dear God,
Your Word is clear. There are consequences for trusting and relying on men rather than on You. You will arise against the house of evildoers and the workers of iniquity - for men are men, and are not God. Lord, I know that my only hope is You. Help me not be deceived by the perceived strength of a modern-day version of horsemen and chariots -- let me rely on You to fight my battles because You are the True Victor. Let me seek You first when I require help, and let me not "go down to Egypt" when I should turn to You. Thank You that I can turn to You and rely on You - thank You that You are God and my Savior!
In Your Name,
Amen.
so the Lord will stretch out His hand, and he who helps will stumble and he who is helped will fall, and all of them will come to an end together. Isaiah 31:1-3
Dear God,
Your Word is clear. There are consequences for trusting and relying on men rather than on You. You will arise against the house of evildoers and the workers of iniquity - for men are men, and are not God. Lord, I know that my only hope is You. Help me not be deceived by the perceived strength of a modern-day version of horsemen and chariots -- let me rely on You to fight my battles because You are the True Victor. Let me seek You first when I require help, and let me not "go down to Egypt" when I should turn to You. Thank You that I can turn to You and rely on You - thank You that You are God and my Savior!
In Your Name,
Amen.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
40 Days of Prayer: Day 18
O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. Isaiah 25:1
Dear Lord,
How thankful I am for the wonders You have worked. When I read in the Scripture the stories from thousands of years ago, I can see Your plans formed long ago and how You executed them with perfect faithfulness. You are a Covenant God, and I praise You! I thank You that from the beginning of creation, You had a plan to redeem us, and I am grateful that You carried out Your plan in faithfulness even when Your people were anything but faithful. I exalt You today for Your faithfulness in history, and in current generations, especially in my own life. May others see and hear me tell of Your faithfulness that they might come to know You and experience it for themselves.
In Your Name,
Amen.
Dear Lord,
How thankful I am for the wonders You have worked. When I read in the Scripture the stories from thousands of years ago, I can see Your plans formed long ago and how You executed them with perfect faithfulness. You are a Covenant God, and I praise You! I thank You that from the beginning of creation, You had a plan to redeem us, and I am grateful that You carried out Your plan in faithfulness even when Your people were anything but faithful. I exalt You today for Your faithfulness in history, and in current generations, especially in my own life. May others see and hear me tell of Your faithfulness that they might come to know You and experience it for themselves.
In Your Name,
Amen.
Monday, March 4, 2013
40 Days of Prayer: Day 17
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Dear Jesus,
Thank You that You came to Earth to dwell among Your creation. It is hard to wrap my feeble brain around the fact that You, the God of the Universe, the Word, became flesh. But You did. And You did it to save sinners. Lord, thank You for the record in the Scripture about those who saw You and beheld Your glory. Thank You for who You are and what You are: full of grace and truth. Jesus, today I marvel at You and Your love for me; love that traded a heavenly throne for an earthly life - You coming to be light, and the darkness not understanding. May I be light today, after You, because of You.
Amen.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You that You came to Earth to dwell among Your creation. It is hard to wrap my feeble brain around the fact that You, the God of the Universe, the Word, became flesh. But You did. And You did it to save sinners. Lord, thank You for the record in the Scripture about those who saw You and beheld Your glory. Thank You for who You are and what You are: full of grace and truth. Jesus, today I marvel at You and Your love for me; love that traded a heavenly throne for an earthly life - You coming to be light, and the darkness not understanding. May I be light today, after You, because of You.
Amen.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
When O'er My Sins I Sorrow {verse 2}
How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! Psalm 32:1
When over my sins I sorrow, I think about the incredible gift of substitution. It is, indeed, a marvelous offering. Jesus, our Master, spares me and instead bears my suffering and grief upon Himself. God took His sinless Son and delivered Him for us all. Jesus should have been spared, not me! But God did not spare Him.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32
Instead, Jesus went to the cross in MY place.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4
God left His throne in heaven to come to earth as a man. Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to save the guilty. He took Himself to the cross and died, for me, who had already been counted guilty. He tasted death for everyone, so that I don't have to.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9
Jesus died the death that was mine to die. My response is thanksgiving - I will praise the One who took my place! And I will endeavor to be conformed to His death so that I may know Him and His sufferings, and the power of His resurrection.
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11
When O’er My Sins I Sorrow
Words by Justus Gesenius
When o’er my sins I sorrow,
Lord, I will look to Thee
And hence my comfort borrow
That Thou wast slain for me;
Yea, Lord, Thy precious blood was spilt
For me, O most unworthy,
To take away my guilt.
Oh, what a marvelous offering!
Behold, the Master spares
His servants, and their suffering
And grief for them He bears.
God stoopeth from His throne on high;
For me, His guilty creature,
He deigns as man to die.
My manifold transgression
Henceforth can harm me none
Since Jesus’ bloody passion
For me God’s grace hath won.
His precious blood my debts hath paid;
Of hell and all its torments
I am no more afraid.
Therefore I will forever
Give glory unto Thee,
O Jesus, loving Savior,
For what Thou didst for me.
I’ll spend my breath in songs of thanks
For Thy sad cry, Thy sufferings,
Thy wrongs, Thy guiltless death.
When over my sins I sorrow, I think about the incredible gift of substitution. It is, indeed, a marvelous offering. Jesus, our Master, spares me and instead bears my suffering and grief upon Himself. God took His sinless Son and delivered Him for us all. Jesus should have been spared, not me! But God did not spare Him.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32
Instead, Jesus went to the cross in MY place.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4
God left His throne in heaven to come to earth as a man. Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to save the guilty. He took Himself to the cross and died, for me, who had already been counted guilty. He tasted death for everyone, so that I don't have to.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9
Jesus died the death that was mine to die. My response is thanksgiving - I will praise the One who took my place! And I will endeavor to be conformed to His death so that I may know Him and His sufferings, and the power of His resurrection.
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11
When O’er My Sins I Sorrow
Words by Justus Gesenius
When o’er my sins I sorrow,
Lord, I will look to Thee
And hence my comfort borrow
That Thou wast slain for me;
Yea, Lord, Thy precious blood was spilt
For me, O most unworthy,
To take away my guilt.
Oh, what a marvelous offering!
Behold, the Master spares
His servants, and their suffering
And grief for them He bears.
God stoopeth from His throne on high;
For me, His guilty creature,
He deigns as man to die.
My manifold transgression
Henceforth can harm me none
Since Jesus’ bloody passion
For me God’s grace hath won.
His precious blood my debts hath paid;
Of hell and all its torments
I am no more afraid.
Therefore I will forever
Give glory unto Thee,
O Jesus, loving Savior,
For what Thou didst for me.
I’ll spend my breath in songs of thanks
For Thy sad cry, Thy sufferings,
Thy wrongs, Thy guiltless death.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
40 Days of Prayer: Day 16
Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10
Dear Lord,
This is my prayer today - You are my God, so teach me to do Thy will. Show me when I am wandering away from it, and put my back on the level ground. Thank You, Lord, that you are a gentle leader - leading me beside still waters and into green pastures. Teach me Your will so that I walk in it continually and may I acknowledge Your direction and guidance.
In Your Name,
Amen.
Dear Lord,
This is my prayer today - You are my God, so teach me to do Thy will. Show me when I am wandering away from it, and put my back on the level ground. Thank You, Lord, that you are a gentle leader - leading me beside still waters and into green pastures. Teach me Your will so that I walk in it continually and may I acknowledge Your direction and guidance.
In Your Name,
Amen.
Friday, March 1, 2013
40 Days of Prayer: Day 15
Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26
Dear Lord,
These verses are such reassuring truth to hold on to and to cling to. My flesh and my heart may fail, but YOU are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Lord, I do not want to desire anything on earth except You. Keep me from loving the things of this earth, and protect me from their sway. Keep my in Your word and in communion with You so that everything else fades into the background. Thank You that You are the strength of my heart, even when I don't have the strength in myself. You are enough for me, God, and I praise You.
Amen.
Dear Lord,
These verses are such reassuring truth to hold on to and to cling to. My flesh and my heart may fail, but YOU are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Lord, I do not want to desire anything on earth except You. Keep me from loving the things of this earth, and protect me from their sway. Keep my in Your word and in communion with You so that everything else fades into the background. Thank You that You are the strength of my heart, even when I don't have the strength in myself. You are enough for me, God, and I praise You.
Amen.
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