seeing beauty in creation

Father,

Thank You for all the beauty we see around us. 

Help us to look beyond it to see the Artist. 

Help us not to pass by indifferently, but to notice what You have painted on the canvas of the world. Even in places like coral reefs, which until recently few humans have seen. 

Let us not focus on the corruption that has since crept in, but look beyond it to see the beauty of Your person.

In Jesus' Name, Amen

-a prayer by Mike Erich

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knowing you

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All I once held dear, built my life upon

All this world reveres, and wars to own

All I once thought gain I have counted loss

Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus

Knowing you, there is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know you more

To be found in you and known as yours

To possess by faith what I could not earn

All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Knowing you, Jesus

Knowing you, there is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Oh, to know the power of your risen life

And to know You in Your sufferings

To become like you in your death, my Lord

So with you to live and never die

Knowing you, Jesus

Knowing you, there is no greater thing

You're my all, you're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love you, Lord

Amen

- song lyrics by Graham Kendrick

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Prayer of contentment

Lord help us to be mindful of Your Provision. Help us to see it in its perfection. May we learn to be content in all our circumstances as we completely rely on You for all our needs. 

You are everything that we need.

Amen

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enlarge my vision

Lord,

You are a great, mighty, and powerful God. 

So why do I often simply see Your world as just involving me? My family? Or my country?

Lord, You are the God over all creation, over all the world, over every inch of land ,and every drop of water. You created each person amazingly unique. Each culture that has a distinct language, each person with a beautiful skin color, each one with a unique way of dressing, and each culture with it's different way of seeing life beautifully expresses Your creativity, and despite the Fall, is an echo of who You are in many ways.

My world is not just me, my family, or my country.  

My world is Your world.

Teach me to see beyond what I currently see, beyond what I want to see, and reveal to me how You are working all over the great big huge creation, in the lives of people so markedly different from me that it scares me a little. Okay, maybe a lot. Maybe that's why I keep away, or don't think about it and keep my world small.

But my world must be Your world because you made me in it. And Your world is much bigger than my country. Much bigger than my family. Much bigger than me.

Amen

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TOUGH LOVE

Proverbs 3:11-12 

"My son, do not desise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

Dear Father, how You cherish your children!  Your love for us is relentless and undeserved.  Even Your discipline is motivated by compassion.  Teach me to accept Your correction with humble gratitude.  I do not ask You to withold Your discipline; I only ask that You grant me the wisdom and humility to learn the lesson quickly!  I love You.  Amen

googleimage.com

Maranata Worship Bible

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Beautiful Perfection

Now you are the body of Christ 

and individually members of it.

 I Corinthians 12:27 (ESV) 

Thank you Father for creating us with individuality giving us personal value, for creating us with interdependence giving us relationship value and for creating us with interactive value giving us mutual love and care for each other. This is the beautiful perfection of the body of Christ in health and harmony.

1 Corinthians 12:24-25 (NLT) 

"....God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other."

Thank you Father for the Body of Christ and each member who is a  vital part in its function and has the privilege ".... to serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13 (NLT) 

In the Name of Him who is the Savior and Head  of the Church, His Body. Amen!

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A prayer to follow Jesus

Dear Lord,

Please help me to lead my life as Jesus did:

   Led by the Spirit.

   Walking in mercy and grace.

   Seeking to do Your will.

   Patiently serving as I wait in hope.

To you be all glory and honor.

Amen

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for mental health professionals

Loving God, way maker, we offer a prayer of thanksgiving for Mental Health professionals, for psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health therapist providers. 

We praise you for all the ways you have equipped them with the skills needed to perform their work.

That those they encounter through work, coaching and relationship may experience your reflection, your grace, compassion, mercy, comfort and hope as they struggle through this trying season.

Protect their minds, their very souls.  We pray you fill them with your Holy Spirit to strengthen, help and empower them for their mental ealth vocation. 

Remind them of your presence God, that in times of isolation and alienation they are not alone, you are near. 

Cause them blessed assurance that they are yours, you will bring them through, and that they are deeply loved and seen by you. 

May they be encouraged every step of the way. 

Give them a praise in their heart for the burden of heaviness. 

And last give them rest in you for renewal, so that they may continue the great fight with Faith. 

May they be met with a cheerful heart and kind word  from everyone they encounter. 

In your holy and matchless name we pray. Amen

- prayer by Rev. Babette Chatman

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Powerful prayer

Amen

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for humilty

Sovereign Lord,

Today I am struggling with idols, God. The idol of self: self-reliance, self-righteousness, self-containment, self-preservation, self-dependence.

Instead of relying on You, I seek help in others, or try to do it on my own. Instead of trusting You, I trust myself. Instead of believing what You say about me, I believe what others say about me. Instead of going to Your word for the truth, I look to confirm the beliefs I already have through other sources. Instead of going out into the world and engaging with the things that are different or hard, and the people who think differently and believe differently, I stay inside my self-created "safe" space.

Lord, cut down my pride.

I need to grow.

Remind me daily that I am called to surrender myself to You

Remind me daily to set down my desires and pick up Yours. 

When I love myself more than others, give me Your heart.

When I condemn others, teach me grace.

When my anger causes me to sin, reign me in.

When my heart tries to deceive, expose the truth to the light.

When I find myself jealous, make me content.

When I am greedy, give me a generous heart.

When my pride takes over, humble me.

Amen

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JOY AGAINST SORROW

Joni Eareckson Tada understands suffering.  Job understood suffering.  Many time God's people are called to suffer.  I love the testimony of Joni as she relates to suffering.

"God is a master Artist.  And there are aspects of your life and character -- good quality things -- He wants others to notice.  So without using blantant tricks or obvious gimmicks, God brings the cool, dark contrast of suffering into your life.  Those contrasts laid up against the golden character of Christ within you, will draw attention.....to HIM.  Light against darkness.  Beauty against affliction, joy against sorrow.  A sweet patient spirit against pain and disappointment --major contrasts that have a way of attracting notice.  You are the canvas on which He paints glorious truths, sharing beauty and inspiring others, so that people might see HIM!       ~Joni Eareckson Tada 

Gracious Heavenly Father, give your children that are suffering, the heart to see that their suffering is a canvas you can paint your love and show your glory for others to see.  For those who are suffering today, grant comfort and peace and healing.  Thank You Father.  Amen

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The Prayer That Can Change the World

"O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner."

Luke 18:13-14 (NLT) 

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God....”

Heavenly Father this prayer of the humble publican, quoted by Jesus, as the  prayer a sinner must pray in first approaching You. It reveals Your holiness, justice, compassion, love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

Father it also reveals the publican's brokenness over his sin, his inability to save himself, his desperate need for reconciliation, his confession of his complete hopelessness and his acknowledgment that forgiveness comes from You alone.

Then Father the wonderful and glorious answer to his prayer, as Jesus said: "I tell you, this sinner...... returned home justified before God....” 

Thank You Father for the assurance that "....since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  Romans 5:1 (ESV) 

It is the prayer that can change the world. Thank You Father for all You graciously give us in Your Son. Amen.

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teach me to seek you

O Lord my God, 

teach my heart this day 

where and how to see you, 

where and how to find you. 

You have made me and remade me, 

and you have bestowed on me
all the good things I possess, 

and still I do not know you. 

I have not yet done that for which I was made.

Teach me to seek you, 

for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, 

or find you unless you show yourself to me. 

Let me seek you in my desire, 

let me desire you in my seeking. 

Let me find you by loving you, 

let me love you when I find you. 

Amen

... a prayer of Anselm

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prayer for health care providers

Dear Lord,

We pray for all the physicians, nurses, and health providers involved in the care of sick and hurting people. We ask that you would give them wisdom of heart and understanding of the mind. Help them to reach past their fleshly abilities and provide care commensurate with your love for those who are hurting. We ask that you would give strength and encouragement as these endeavor to give strength and encouragement to those in their care. Lastly, we ask that you would bless not only these care givers but also their families who often sacrifice in quiet. Amen

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