Have you ever been anxious – silly question, right? We have all faced anxiety at some point or another. If you are living, you have opportunity for anxiety and stress. It is the reality no matter what.
I am so thankful that God provided a way to end my anxiety. As I pray with both thanksgiving and request, God will send His peace that provides protection. He never fails.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending peace when I come to You in praise and pleading. I ask for help now as I face the day to day challenges that You allow in my life.
Many of us are “coming out of quarantine” – slowly moving forward after feeling like we have been on hold for a while. We feel like we are regaining our freedom. I am happy to be moving forward, but I hope no matter how this situation plays out that we learn/remember a few things.
1. The world has never revolved around “me”. Too often in our society, we see “it’s all about me” thinking. We need to remember to think about others.
2. No matter how hard we try, we can’t please/take care of everyone. Too often as we try to rectify selfish thinking, we move too far in the opposite direction and become people pleasers. That doesn’t work any better than error number 1.
3. The longer I live, the more I see the need for balance. As we work through 1 and 2 above, we need to find what works the best knowing we will never have the perfect solution. I am often an idealist/optimist, but the truth is that we have tough stuff to face no matter what.
For some this new virus showed very publicly what they have faced before. Someone who has severe health issues has to be cautious during cold and flu season. Germs that don’t bother most of us can have a harder affect on someone who has cancer for example. Their needs are different. We still need balance. We can’t perfectly protect the vulnerable. We simply need to be ready to serve with our freedom.
What is the best way to serve? Make sure to start with pray. When a friend sent me a message in January that her husband (who has cancer) came down with pneumonia, I was pleading in prayer. While praying doesn’t always feel like much, I still believe it is an action. I would love to cure cancer, but that is not in my skill set. My prayer helps me to be prepared for what God does want me to do. As I submit to Him, I will be better prepared to serve. I will have freedom from my own selfish wishes and much more able to help others.
So, as we regain “freedom” let us find ways to put others first.
Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to learn how to reach out to others. Please remove my selfish wishes and replace them with the desire to serve. Please show me what I should do.
Hello, friends. How has your week been? I think some places feel a little more normal, some are still facing various limitations. Based on the advice of a friend, I am trying to get back to normal as much as I can. Restrictions are being lifted and let’s face it – I still need groceries (and now home improvement stores are becoming a need).
We are still facing heightened emotions based on all the things we hear and read as well as what we are living through. Friends who claim to know and serve Christ – we have a job to do no matter what. We need to make wise use of our time and be gracious in our speech. Right now, it is hard. We are being hit in areas of our lives that we are not used to. This scares us. Fear can push us towards ungracious words and behavior. We need to keep praying for wisdom and grace to navigate our circumstances in a way that honors the One Who has given us eternal life.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help me to navigate my current circumstances with wisdom and grace. I want others to see Who You truly are. We need the truth to prevail. Please help me to encourage truth and not get in the way with foolish, ungracious speech.
I don’t know about you, but this has been another tough week living through the effects of this new virus. Working from home hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. I’m an introvert – this should be my dream. There are some fun pieces of working from home, but spending the entire week at home is more than I like.
As I have fought to navigate the barrage of information, media sensationalizing (and negativity), stay at home orders, etc. I have found it difficult to know what to pray. I have my opinions on the situation – my viewpoints based on a lot of things. And, no, I will not post them here. I will, however, seek to challenge everyone’s thinking.
Before you decide that your research has given you the correct data and interpretation of that data, please know – a small detail can change your understanding. Before you think you have looked at it from all angles – know that there could still be a perspective you haven’t thought of – or another detail you don’t have. That is why situations like this are so difficult. No one has the perfect answer. I have appreciated commentary that admits we didn’t know much about this virus to start with and we needed to learn. One doctor said that is why they “practice” medicine – they are still learning. So how do we navigate these sticky situations?
Keep silent? Sometimes we should. Listening is a great way to learn and show respect.
Speak up? Sometimes we should. When we fumble through the huge amounts of information (including misinformation) we will make mistakes. We occasionally need to hear a different view. Maybe we can give that view to someone else.
How do we know what to do? The book of Proverbs gives great wisdom. Today’s verse reminds me to give myself and all I do to God and He will direct me. That includes how I navigate tricky situations like this one.
Dear Heavenly Father, I have many times prayed that I would be an effective tool to serve You. I need Your help to navigate the difficulties. I want to be used for the best purpose possible – to further Your work. I commit my life to You. I am Yours anyway. Please help me to navigate this situation in a way that honors You and shows others Who You truly are.
Last Saturday afternoon, I was privileged to be a part of a “drive by encouragement” activity. Some members of my church family made signs and decorated their cars. We then drove around town to “visit” several member’s homes. The caravan of vehicles honked their horns and shouted hellos as we drove by. While we did this to encourage folks who get out less than most of us these days, I found myself very encouraged. It was fun to see people – even from a distance. We received word from several who enjoyed the interaction. Some were able to tell their neighbors.
While we were driving around, I counted 4 cars who had the right of way but stopped to allow us to stay together. Many people along the way waved at us and gave their own greetings. I had a “God is good” sign on my car – one person shared her agreement.
We are living through hard times right now – hard for different reasons for different people. This activity was a breath of fresh air as we all navigate stay at home orders.
As a church we are to show the love of God to one another. Some days we are better at that than others. I pray that this time of separation helps us to rethink how we are expressing the love of God. We have needed to be creative since normal avenues of reaching out have been closed. This hasn’t been all bad. I hope you are in the position to give and receive the love of God. You will find nothing better in life.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity you gave me to encourage and be encouraged. Please help me to be sensitive to the needs of others. Please guide me in showing Your love to others.
Right now, it can feel like everything in life is about COVID-19. It is a major part of what is happening in the world. However, I hope we don’t get sidetracked as we deal with the affects of this virus in our lives. No matter how this has changed your life, God is still the same as He has always been (Hebrews 13:8). He is waiting to help you have a greater purpose in life than what you can imagine. Hebrews 13:20-21 is a prayer that God will work in us. Some think this shows God as selfish. However, God will never be selfish. He gave His only Son to save us from the worst. What pleases God is good for us. Try God’s way – I think you’ll find this to be true. He wants more for us than we want for ourselves.
Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to live the purpose You have planned. I don’t want the challenges of life to deter me from serving You. Please help me to encourage others to seek You and follow Your way. I pray that through this time You would equip us to serve You. Thank you for all You have been doing and all You will do.
As we get ready for an unusual Easter of watching church from home, we need to remember the love of Christ. Jesus died a horrible death on the cross to save us from our sin. Our sin – not His wrong, not His mistake, not His issues – ours. When we place our trust in Jesus to save us from our sin, His love compels us to live for Him. When we understand the magnitude of Christ’s gift, that compulsion seems so small in comparison.
I pray you know the love of Christ. If you have not placed your trust in Jesus Christ to save you from sin, then you do not know His love. I encourage you to seek and find His love. You won’t regret it.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins. Thank You that Jesus’ death was enough to save anyone who asks. I pray that those who do not know You would learn about You this unusual Easter. Please help me to share the truth of Who You are at all times. You have done so much for me. I want to do more for You.
The past several weeks have brought out the best and worst in people. While there are a lot of tough things going on, the worst thing we could do is despair and forget God’s goodness. As we come to Easter (starting with Palm Sunday tomorrow), we need to dwell on the truth of Who God is. God is a loving father, Who gave His only Son to save people who chose wrong over right (John 3:16). Look at the book of Romans – you will see all of us have sinned.
Palm Sunday is a reminder of people who praised and worshipped Jesus. Shortly before He gave His life to save us (John 10:18), he received praise and worship from those around Him. People laid down palm branches for the donkey He rode to walk on. This action was a sign of respect in the culture of that area and time.
Where is our respect and worship these days? A potentially tough question any time – maybe even more so now. I pray you know Who Jesus is and why worshiping Him is so important. If not, please ask. I would be happy to share the truth of Who God is with you.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus gave His life so willingly to save my soul. Thank you for providing every need – especially when I’m not aware. Please forgive me when I don’t pay attention to Your provision and help me to be more attentive. Oh Father, I want to share the hope – the sure hope – of Who You are and what You have done. Please guide me each day.
As I tried to figure out what to write for today – another day in the life of COVID-19 changing our lives – I went back to verses I have put on pictures and found this one. We need to seek wisdom to navigate the changes this virus has brought. We should pray for wisdom for those making decisions. We should evaluate the wisdom (or lack thereof) in the “news” that we hear. None of us will figure everything out. Only God knows everything – everything that has happened, will happen, or even could have happened. We can’t even keep track of everything that has happened. Our finite minds and intellect have limitations.
The people that I have appreciated the most – the stories that I have followed are from those who look at the facts and seek to interpret them with a calm and gentle spirit. Pandemonium doesn’t help our situation. Gentle wisdom is provided by a God Who cares enough to allow trials to mold and shape us. Read the book of James.
As you go along whichever path God has you walking, don’t forget to seek “the gentleness that wisdom brings.” You’ll find blessing even on the roughest parts of the road.
Dear Heavenly Father, please give the wisdom You have promised. Please help our hearts to be open to the true wisdom that only comes from You. Thank You for all You have done and all You will continue to do in our lives.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
The Prayer of St. Francis
I love the concepts in this prayer. It sure sounds like something directly from the Bible – but it isn’t. The words, however, are loaded with Biblical principle. During times like these we need people who are willing to follow this prayer. Acts 20 tells what the Apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian elders to do and the reward that goes with it. Verse 35 talks about helping the weak. Right now, we are hearing about protecting those who are most vulnerable physically. While caring for the physically weak is a good principle, this verse is talking about protecting the spiritually weak. We have so much focus on physical health right now that we are at risk of forgetting about spiritual health.
There are countless needs right now. All kinds of needs. Will you pray with me to meet whatever needs you can? No one can meet every need – each of us has limited resources of our own. However, through a relationship with Jesus Christ we have unlimited resources available to us. God will bring us through, His way – and we will be blessed.
Dear Heavenly Father, there are so many hurts and needs right now. Thank you for the many people who have already sought to reach out. Please help us to set aside our own wishes and seek to help others as You want us to. I want to be an Instrument of Peace. Please guide me and give me strength.
Pleading in Prayer 