Daily Prayer: December 2011

A Source that Will Never Dry Up

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

Do you know what Lamentations 3:22-23 means? It means that God never runs out of compassion.

Have you ever gone to Niagara Falls and watched the water rampaging with torrential force? I've thought, "Surely the water is one day going to dry up." But it hasn't. Friend, greater than Niagara is the compassion of the Lord. His compassions fail not.

In 1923, Thomas O. Chisholm wrote one of the greatest hymns of all time and this stanza is the refrain of this truth, "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be."

God is faithful. What are you facing today? Dear friend, lean upon Him and His faithfulness. He will never, no never, leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) ~LWFM

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Post Christmas Prayer

Father, as the Christmas celebrations wind down and we clean up and put away, help us to continue to celebrate the coming of the King in our daily lives. Help us to look ahead in anticipation to His return when all things will be made right.
Amen

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Christmas Prayer

Dear Lord, I cannot comprehend that You, the Creator of the universe, took on flesh and were born of a peasant girl. You, the One who spoke galaxies into existence, became a speechless newborn baby. You, the One who gave the stars their light, veiled Your own glory and slipped unnoticed into the human race. You, the One who clothed all of nature in its boundless beauty and order, came to us wrapped in rags and lying in a feeding trough. The miracle of Your incarnation is all too unexpected, too mysterious, too holy for me to understand. I can only follow the shepherds to the manger and bow in astonishment and thanksgiving, glorifying and praising You for all that I have heard and seen. I love you. Amen.

Prayer from the Maranatha Worship Bible (Luke 2)
Nativity Scene from googleimages.com (the Movie)

Amen

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Do You Feel "Fogged In"?

"Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful." Psalm 116:5

Imagine you are in a plane, ready for take-off on the runway. The pilot has come on the intercom and announced there's a delay because of fog. You glance out your window. It looks so gloomy and dark. You wonder if the sun is shining.

The fog lifts enough for the control tower to give the pilot the green light, and the plane takes off. It's still cloudy, but the plane starts climbing, climbing, climbing. Suddenly, the plane bursts through the clouds, and it is so gloriously bright that you have to blink your eyes. Now, you realize the sun has been there all the time.

That's the way it is with Jehovah God, the Son of righteousness with healing in His wings (see Malachi 4:2-3). He is always loving, always giving. He is waiting for you to see Him now.

Invite the Holy Spirit to show you today the true condition of the sky--above the clouds. Open your heart to His presence and let Him speak to you about what is really there beyond the fog. Things are not always what they seem. And God has His hand upon you. ~LWFM

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Peace

Dear Lord God,
This Christmas I pray for peace and forgiveness. May it be both given and received.
Amen

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what's next?

“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

The king is coming, may the peace of the Lord be with you. May this be a season of movement for you… movement of spirit, movement of heart. Our prayer for you today is that you find a way this Christmas to take one step closer to the king of Israel.

If you are lost, that you will seek.
If you seek, that your eyes will be opened.
If you see, that you will believe.
If you believe, that you will trust.
If you trust, that you will love.
If you love, that you will love without expectation.
If you love God with all your heart, and soul, and mind, that you live forever.

Peace to you,

Amen

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And they shall call His name Immanuel

"And they shall call His name Immanuel,"

which is translated, "God with us."

(Matthew 1:23)

~~~~~~~~

Sweet Jesus, minister to hearts and lives today. May you bestow healing and comfort and peace. May you rest mighty on the weary and bring hope to the broken. May we see you for who you are and worship you with all that we have. Thank you for sweet mercy and grace every day of our lives. You are so good.

Amen

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The Longest Night

This Wednesday night I will be sharing a brief message with a few folks at a service in Kansas City called "The Longest Night". It is a time where folks that are hurting gather together acknowledging that this is a tough time of the year for them. I will be sharing three simple lessons that I learned this summer watching my wife Ann struggle for her life breathing with the help of a ventilator. As I prepare for the service I find myself thinking about this meditation (posted below), written in 2001 by Rev. Diane Hendricks. As you read it please pray for those who are hurting so much this season.

Longest Night Meditation

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Only it's not.

Not for everyone.

Not when there is an empty chair at the table.

Not when your body is ravaged with illness.

Not when the depression is too much to bear.

Not without her voice joining yours on the Christmas carols.

Not when you feel all alone even in a crowd.

Not when you are not sure you can even afford the rent or mortgage, let alone the presents.

Not when they are trying their best to the best of you.

Not when another Christmas party means he will come home drunk again.

It's the most wonderful time of the year?

No, it's not.

And trying to smile and say Merry Christmas is more than difficult. It's pretty near impossible.

C.S. Lewis once wrote:

"No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning..."

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Only it's not.

Not after he has died.

Not after the doctor gave you the news.

Not after they told you they would be downsizing.

Not after... you fill in the blank.

Not after September 11.

Not when there is so much violence and destruction in the world.

In truth, it has never been the most wonderful time of the year. Certainly not in the days surrounding that first Christmas so long ago. The story of the birth of Jesus is not to be told with a jolly voice and a merry ho-ho-ho.

It is the story of a teenage girl, pregnant with a child that is not her husband's.

It is the story of a child born in a dirty animal stall.
It is the story of a family of refugees who had to flee their homeland so that their child would not be killed.
It is the story of one sent into the world in peace who was condemned to death.
It is the story of a light sent to shine in the darkness, which the world snuffed out.
It is the story of God's never-ending, self-giving mercy which was rejected and condemned.
In the great work the Messiah, Handel quotes the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming that Jesus was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." One great theologian reminds us that we cannot come to the manger without acknowledging that it lays in the shadow of the cross.

It is not the most wonderful time of the year.

Only it is! It is:

If we forget about the tinsel and the trees.

If we forget about the holly jolly tidings.

If we forget about the presents and the ornaments and the trappings.

And remember. Remember the story.

Mary was alone and afraid.
But God was with her and exalted her among women.

Joseph was disgraced.
But God revealed in Joseph's cause for disgrace God's plan to save the world.

The world was in darkness.
But God sent the light of life to shine.

The lowly were imprisoned.
But Jesus set them free.

The blind wandered aimlessly.
But Christ gave them eyes to see.

The lame were rejected.
But through the Holy One they were made to leap and dance.

The deaf were confined to the silence.
But the song of life unstopped their ears.

The sorrowful grieved.
But God wipes away our tears.

We were alone.
But in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God is with us.

The people rejected God.
But God embraces us.

The world crucified Christ.
But God would not allow that to be the last word, and gave us the sure hope of the resurrection.

It is the most wonderful time of the year, not because you have to be cheery and happy and merry.

But because you don't.

You can have heavy spirits and shattered dreams. Broken hearts and deep wounds.

And still God comes to be with you.

To comfort you.

To redeem you.

To save you.

To restore you.

To empower you.

To strengthen you.

To grant you peace.

To be raised for you.

To hold you in the communion of saints with those whom you have loved and lost.

To store your tears in his bottle.

To offer you eternal life.

It is the most wonderful time of the year.
For Christ is born.
Love has come.
God is with us!
Thanks be to the Lord our God.

Amen

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Prayer for the Fourth Week of Advent

Father, in between the joy of the coming of the Messiah and the joy that will be ours at his return, help us to find our joy in you. In the midst of the busyness of the season give us that joy that goes far beyond our circumstances, the joy that comes from knowing that you love us and take joy in us.

Amen

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The subject of "Hell" is not very popular. But I want to have the passion Spurgon had when he said,

"If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our excertions, and let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."

~ ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Dear Lord, today I want to pray for all my friends and family that do not know you. Give me the love and passion that Spurgeon had...let me be sure they are warned and prayed for. Father, give me a heart for the lost!

Amen

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Just Give Me Jesus

"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 29:2

There was a man who had lived a long life with Jesus, and now he was dying. His loved ones came to him and asked him to sign his name to a legal document. They said, "Daddy, if you would sign this, it would help us with a lot of legal difficulties. We hate to mention it, but it needs to be done."

With the old man facing eternity, he lifted his quivering hand and signed the paper. Before long, he went to be with the Lord. When the family picked up the document, to their amazement he had signed, "Jesus." More than likely, it was the only name that meant anything to him in those moments.

What name means the most to you right now? There will come a time when the only name that will mean anything to you is--Jesus. ~LWFM

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A Final Goodbye

Dear Lord,
Today I pray for my friends who will bid their father a final goodbye this weekend. There will be difficult days ahead. I pray that You would encircle them in Your love and make them to know Your peace.
Amen

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thursday: ten

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

I do covet, O Lord. Often for things I neither want nor need. Simply things I see. Things that I do not have. That I do not control.

Not satisfied by the abundance of gifts you have provided, I hunger for more. Fleeting desires, without respect, that simply lead to regret. Regret for how I have disrespected neighbor. And turned my back on you.

For you have provided everything I need, and for that you deserve thanks and praise. All thanks and praise to you, our heavenly Father.

Let each of us lead the life that the Lord has assigned. In whatever state or condition we were called, let us there remain with God.

Amen

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Be still...

Precious Father, Help us to be still. Help us to rest in the knowledge of who you are. May we cling to your Word and hide the sweet promises we find within deep in our hearts. May you become so real to us that we never doubt what you have done in our lives. Reveal yourself to us that we may know without a shadow of a doubt, that you are who you say you are and that you can do what you say you can do. Let us know that You are God.

Amen

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Prayer for the Third Week of Advent

Father, as we wait in anticipation for the return of our King, help us to not sit passively by, but to rejoice in the great privilege you have given us to join you in your mission of reconciling the world to yourself. As we await the final culmination of your Kingdom, help us to bring that Kingdom to bear in every part of our day-to-day. Amen

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Light on the Corner

Don and I attend Light on the Corner Church in Montrose CA. Each Sunday the invitation to accept Jesus as Savior is given. The following is a prayer printed in our bulletin that is simple and to the point. I wanted to share it with you today.

"Dear Jesus, It's time for me to become completely yours. So I'm giving my life to you. I believe you love me. I believe I'm a sinner. I believe you died for my sins and rose again. I believe you're the Son of God. Come into my life and redeem my past, reclaim my present and remake my future. You be the boss from now on. In Jesus' name, Amen."

I prayed a prayer like this when I was ten years old, and it was the best decision of my life. What about you?

Sending love and prayers to all of you today.

Amen

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If You Keep Your Eyes on Jesus...

"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." John 16:22

When I was a boy and living on the Florida coastline, my brother and I were a little disappointed when a hurricane passed us by because of the exhilaration we experienced leaning into the wind and tasting the salty air! I can remember waves sometimes reaching fifty feet in the air. What a sight! But did you know there has never been a storm to move the ocean floor?

There will be storms that will course across the surface of our lives with raging torment, but the child of God can know a deep-down joy that nothing can take away. If you keep your eyes on Jesus, He will bring a joy that no man can take from you.

Oh, thank God for the steadfastness of His power, love, and mercy. Is your joy full in Christ today despite the winds of adversity? ~LWFM

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thursday: nine

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Sometimes it’s intentional, often It’s not – just me thinking I know the truth when I am so misinformed. Sometimes I just nod my head to someone else’s lie—tacitly agreeing to what I know is wrong. Yet someone gets hurt. Someone always gets hurt.

What’s worse—O Lord—I’ll sometimes imply something without actually saying it. So I can claim innocence. This sinful ploy being known only by you and me. I am sorry. So sorry.

Thank you for the example you provide, dear Jesus. You speak the truth directly to the one in question, never behind their back. You show us how to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Help us keep the kingdom of God in our vision always, so we can silence our tongues. Let us be bold to seek out our neighbor. Put the truth on our hearts—no matter the cost.

Amen

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It's Not Friday

Dear Lord Jesus,
It's not Friday, but I can't wait until then. A family needs your help and they need it today. A fire was set and three family members are dead. A son is charged with arson and murder, a mother is critically injured, a sister is wounded. Other family members are left reeling and grief stricken. Please, help, Lord God. Please give grace in the days ahead. And Lord, if it be Your will, I ask provision for my mother in law to be here to help her nieces and nephews in their time of sorrow. Our hearts are broken.
Amen

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Hear me, O LORD

"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness;

thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;

have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer"

(Psalm 4:1)

Lord, thank you for hearing us when we cry out. Thank you for being the calm in our storm and the Savior of the world. It is amazing to know that your tender mercy surrounds us always and that your ear is always turned to listen for your children when they lift their voice to you. Help us to remember to not just cry out when we are in trouble but to cry out in praise, thanksgiving and honor of your Name at all times. May we give you the glory that only belongs to you!

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep;

for thou, LORD only makest me dwell in safety"

(Psalm 4:8)

Amen

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Prayer for the Second Week of Advent

Lord Jesus, we live in a world that has lost hope, that runs after things, relationships, and so much more in a vain attempt to fill the emptiness. Help us to stay out of that rat race, and remind us that our hope is in you. In the midst of the stuff of life, remind us that you are making all things new and that you will one day finish the job. Thank you for what you have already done in us. Thank you for calling us to join in your mission of restoring your creation. Thank you for the privilege of bearing the hope of your Kingdom to those around us.

Amen

... today's prayer comes from Fred @ On the Journey

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Celtic Prayer

Christ with us sleeping,
Christ with us waking,
Christ with us watching,
each day and each night.

Save us, Lord, while we are awake,
guard us while we are asleep;
that, awake, we may watch with Christ,
and, asleep, may rest in His peace.

Amen

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"I have overcome the world ~"

Father, why am I surprised by trials and persecutions? Did I really expect to follow the "man of sorrows" without having sorrows of my own? When trouble comes to me, Father, let me hear my Savior's words: "In this world you will have trouble." And then as I take up my cross to follow Him, may I hear His words of comfort, "I have overcome the world." I love you Father, and choose to follow you whatever circumstances I find myself. I will remember your words. Amen

Amen

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Who Is Keeping You In God's Hand?

"Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations." Deuteronomy 7:9

When I talk about eternal security, inevitably I will hear, "Well, maybe your sins can't take you out of the hand of God, but Satan can."

In all due respect, I respond, "Pardon me. But that is foolishness. If Satan could take you out of the hand of God, why hasn't he done it yet? Hasn't he been nice to you? That would be a strange doctrine. You're going to heaven by the grace of the devil!"

God saves us. God keeps us. What has been settled in eternity can never be undone by the ways of men or the schemes of the devil. ~LWFM

Read Romans 8:38-39 today. These would be important verses for you to memorize.

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Shine, Jesus, Shine

Dear Lord God,
Please be with me today. Make my words reflect Your mercy and grace, my actions show Your love, and my thoughts and motives be pure. Shine in me today, Lord.
Amen

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thursday: eight

You shall not steal

Everyone does it… I deserve it… no one will notice… what’s fair is fair. O Lord, the many ways we fool ourselves! When will we be content? When will we respect? When will we love?

When the clerk forgets to charge me, when there’s wiggle room in the “allowable” deductions, when I waste someone’s time, when I take more credit than I deserve, when I present another’s ideas as my own, I am as guilty as Madoff. Like a thief in the night. Yes, guilty I am.

Thank you Jesus for being all that I need. Through your grace, there is nothing I shall want.

Show me the way, O Lord. Teach me your path. Guide me in the truth. Change me from the inside to one who is content… one who respects… one who loves.

Amen

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