Friday, February 26, 2016

Meditation on Psalms

Psalm 95

Lord, give me a voice to sing your goodness, greatness, and grace.

Allow my heart to feel joy in a filled with grief.

Allow me to come before you thankful for what you being you and for what you have provided for me in your grace.

Lord, you are the great heroic saving KING.  Creator of every atom in the universe.

  Let me worship you in spirit and in truth, with an attitude of true submission to your will.  Help me not harden my heart over unanswered prayers.  Grant that I do not go astray from the path of life.  By your mercy, allow me to enter into your rest in my soul.

Psalm 40

Lord, give me patience in waiting for you to act in ways that I desperately need you to act.  Draw those I love out of the pit of destruction.  Set their feet on a secure foundation of true faith and love.  Put a new song in my mouth that will be able to praise you for their salvation.

Help me trust you in the dark.  Grant me to remember all the wondrous deeds and wisdom you have given to me in my life journey so far.  Help me see that none can compare with your greatness.

Lord, help me give witness of your great love on the cross in paying the penalty for my rebellion and immorality.  Allow me to speak to my inner heart the truth of your gospel that it may fully believe in your Thank you, Lord, for your steadfast love for me despite everything I have said and done which harmed others.

Preserve me this day due to your mercy, faithfulness, and steadfast love towards me.  Grant me a heart of deep repentance and change my mind to think your thoughts after you.

May it please you to save those who I love.  May the dark lord and enemy of life be defeated and bring your glory and truth to those in danger.

Give me a seeking heart for you.  A hunger and thirst for you.  A love for your great deeds of deliverance.  YOU LORD, are my help and strength.  Without you, I am poor, needy, and hopeless.

Psalm 54

Lord, hear my voice.  Save my loved ones for the glory of your name.  Destroy those things that make war against true faith.  Deliver them from trouble and triumph over the world, flesh, and devil.  Now come and help us.  Without you, we can do nothing.

May the God who saves be praised.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Musings on Genesis 37:1-11

Genesis 37:1-11

LORD, how hard it is for us to accept your plans. They don't seem fair. We seem to have to accept things that are unacceptable. Your ways are not our ways. 

The family of Joseph could not accept what YOU had planned. Working through the heart of Jacob/Israel to favor him to encourage envious hate in his brothers. 

Even so when YOU came to us, LORD JESUS in the flesh and the FATHER clearly favored you above all others to be the MESSIAH, but we would not accept it. 

Why did we need a Savior? Why did we need a LORD? Why were YOU, LORD JESUS, needed? Were we not enough? Why do we need some KING to tell us what to do? Are we not all KINGS of our own souls? 

We cried out "We will not have the Messiah rule over us!" (Psalm 2:1-2)

Your prophecies made clear the Messiah had to come to save us from our sin by a suffering of hell fire for his people (Isaiah 53). Yet, we do not want to submit to these prophecies. The prophecies proclaim that every knee will bow. Yet, we do not bow. 

It is not fair. Why should we need YOU?

Lord, remove from me my self-sufficient and rebellious heart. Put in my heart repentance, acceptance, submission, and faith. Weaken and kill my self-righteousness and pride. Take from me the heart of Joseph's brothers, and help me see that I desperately need you. Amen

Friday, February 19, 2016

Meditation n Daniel 9:3-10

Meditation on Daniel 9:3-10

Lord, help us to turn our faces, souls, hearts, spirits, and true inner selfs totally in your direction and turn away from the lies, illusions, temptation, false hopes, and self-constructed idols of our minds. Help us turn from vain self-reliance being aware of our own weakness, limitations, foolishness, self-centeredness, and pride. 

We come pleading for your mercy. Have mercy and reveal yourself to us even though we are not seeking for you with our whole hearts and there is so much spiritual apathy in us. Spirit convict us fo sin, righteousness and judgment. Strip us of our self-righteousness and self-justification. Our blaming of others and excusing ourselves. Our living in a secular mental and emotional framework. Take us from "living under the sun" to living in the reality of eternity. 

Open our eyes to the reality that you are great, awesome, magnificent, faithful, committed, sacrificial, and loyal. Help us see that YOU, LORD, are not the one failing us but that are failing you. In that spiritual failure we now, have also failed all those who we have a duty to love and serve. Convict our conscience, in a deep and profound way that we cannot silence that we have horribly fallen short of our potential and brought negative impact upon those we most love. 

This is due to our failure to seek a deeper, real, transforming, relationship with YOU, LORD, even though you have passionately sought us. We have been indifferent and hard-hearted towards you as the Good Shepherd of our souls. Like sheep, we have gone astray. 

We have trusted in our own wisdom more than in the revelation you gave through your servants the prophets and apostles. More sure of our own minds than trusting in YOUR divine wisdom. Darkness has come to our souls and we are now without light. 

Now in your light let us see light. We have reason to feel moral shame. We have betrayed your love, your faithfulness, your goodness, your grace, your sacrifice, and your wisdom. In our pride, we have denied your goodness and proclaimed our own. 

Bring us now to your light. Break into our darkness. Don't allow us to continue down this path of insanity. Keep us from playing religious games. 

Take from us the feeling of living in a secular world and invade us with your divine presence on every side. Awaken our conscience that we may feel true guilt and hunger to find a real forgiving relationship with you. 

Come to LORD now in power even though we do not deserve any such manifestation of your love and compassion. To those most in darkness provide the brightest lights. To those most cynical give the most hope. To the doubting provide the greatest proofs. 

For your glory and kingdom's sake now move. For your name's sake now save us. We do not deserve your salvation but only your condemnation. 

But in the sacrifice of the LORD Messiah Jesus, LORD JESUS, now save us by your grace alone. We desperately need you more than we even think we need you. Help us see we need you. 

Save the unsavable. Take out the hearts of stone and replace them with sensitive hearts of flesh. Speak to the bones and make them live. Now LORD, out of nothing create faith, hope, and love once more. YOU are our only hope. Nothing and no one can now save but you. 

Come quickly now in reviving and living presence and power to us. Come now! 

Lord, have mercy, Messiah have mercy, Lord have mercy. 

Please hear our cry. 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Musings on Phil 4:1-9

Lord, help me to stand firm in the Lord and to see the connection I have with my brothers and sisters in YOU. 

Help us to have unity and agreement in the fellowship. Save us from all the schemes of the devil to divide us. 

I have joy knowing who YOU are LORD. YOU are good, great, and full of grace. Ever present with me in this broken and difficult world. Working everything out for ultimate kingdom good. 

Help me recognize reality as YOU have made it and think as you think in a reasonable and logical manner. Let me live in the reality that YOU are present here with me. 

Help me give to you my fears and anxiety. Let me cast my cares upon you. Give to me an ability to pray to you and depend on you in every circumstance. Grant me to be thankful that you are here with me and active in moving everything forward to establish your eternal righteous kingdom. I release to you my deepest and darkest fears, those that suck from me my hope. Now in their place put your peace, contentment, and assurance. Protect my intellect and emotions from being overwhelmed. 

Bring to my mind the reality that there is great evidence of your greatness, goodness, and grace on every side. Enable me to make a full and complete inventory of every particular person and event that demonstrates your love and care for me. LORD of well-being, now, be with me. 

Fill me now with the attitude of gratitude in the middle of my sorrow. Lord have mercy. Amen

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Prayer based on Genesis 3:9,10

Genesis 3:9-10

9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 

How often Lord, do you come searching for me?  You call out my name and ask me to reflect on where I am in my life.  You press in on me and desire to awaken me to your presence but when I hear the sound of your voice I am afraid.  

Afraid of you being disappointed and angry.  Afraid of losing what I think to be my "freedom" to do my own will.  Afraid that you will see me as I am.  Afraid that I will see myself.  

So instead of seeking you I hide.  I create doubts to blind myself to YOUR reality.  I turn to Self-justifications to avoid guilt.  I seek other people, things, and experiences to escape from your presence.  I make these my "gods" which I serve and get my meaning from them.   I serve the creation instead of loving YOU!

Repentance is when I give this up.  

So LORD, have mercy and put in my heart repentance.  I need a change of mind.  I need a change of heart.  I need a change of attitude.  Turn me around and wake me up.  Take away my illusions.   

Let me see that I don't need to be afraid.  YOU have spoken to me.

10  'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' (Isaiah 41:10)

YOU have come to me on the cross and paid the full price of my unbelief and pride.  YOU have loved me at my most unlovable moments.  YOU have been seeking me when I was rebelling and running from you.  YOU have never forsaken me even when I have forsaken YOU.

So let me now come just as I am without any excuse and hold me close to your heart.  Help me not hide from you but show you all my weakness, faults, and confusion.  

Heal my soul now.  Heal my heart now.  Heal my mind now.  Make me whole. 

Good Shepherd, remember that I am just dust and so very frail, come now and lead me through this time of travail.  Help me to believe your promise, Good Shepherd. 

11  Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. (Isaiah 40:11)

Carry me today in your bosom.  Like a lost lamb carry me close to your heart.  

Thank you for seeking me.  Thank you for calling to me.  Thank you for helping me find YOU.  Thank you for helping find me to find me.  

LORD, YOU are great in abundant mercy and grace.  Thank you for seeking me. 

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Meditation on Hebrews 13:17-25

Meditation on Hebrews 13:17-25

Lord, grant me submissive heart to those you have sent to watch over my soul. Help me receive help to grow in grace in a humble attitude. 

Lord, watch over the leaders of your Church. May they lead with a clear conscience and desire to act honorably in every action they take both in their ministry and in their private lives. Lord, may this be true of me. 

Lord equip me with everything good I need to do your will on earth as in heaven. Allow my life's actions be pleasing in YOUR sight through Your suffering, LORD Jesus. May the greatness of your character and competence in redeeming sinners be seen in me that people may be in awe and deep respect for your compassionate love. 

Lord, you who are brought back from the dead and are my great shepherd who shed the blood of the eternal covenant, remember that we are just dust, and so very frail, come now and lead us through this time of travail. 

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy. Amen

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Meditation on John 7:14-36

Meditation on John 7:14-36

Lord, allow my will to be to do your will. Allow me to see your absolute and infinite authority. Lord help me to see how far short of keeping your law my life has fallen. Provide for me a true repentance. Grant that I may make right judgment on the issues I need to understand and act upon. Let me not judge by appearances but in truth. 

LORD, open my eyes to your work and wonders in my life, that my faith in YOU may grow. 

Help me seek you with all my heart and understand your purpose and plan for my life. Be glorified in me. 

Lord have mercy, Messiah have mercy, Lord have mercy. Amen

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Meditation on Psalm 72

Meditation on Psalm 72

LORD, allow those you ordain to rule be people who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Allow their judgments to be just. 

Grant that they will protect the rights of the poor and keep them from being oppressed. Grant a great prosperity of revival, renewal, reformation, and restoration come pouring out of heaven and filling the earth. 

May those who seek to oppress the weak, terrorize the innocent and exploit the needy have their plans crushed. Come to the defense of the most helpless and hopeless. Protect the lives of the unborn and give hope to their mothers. Lord, help us for you to intervene in ways we would never dream. 

LORD, come and manifest your glory and goodness before all nations in your gospel of grace. Fill the earth with a true faith and love. Come now and move the nations once more. 

LORD, disciple the nations. May the rulers of the earth be converted to the truth and may the false prophet Mohammed lose followers in every nation. Grant a turning to YOU, LORD JESUS as the true KING and Messiah! 

Grant us a love for the poor and needy. Help us to have pity on the weak and helpless. Provide us a passion for saving the lives of the unborn. Use us to be your voice, hands, and feet to bring your love and righteousness into our culture and times. 

LORD, fill the earth with a revelation of your great love and compassion. Let all the nations see your wisdom and sacrificial concern for them. Open the eyes of heart that we may see YOU as YOU are and be filled with wonder and worship in what we behold. 

Lord, revive, renew, restore, and reform us. Do wondrous things that we cannot imagine. Take out the hearts of stone that resist you and are unfeeling, and give us sensitive hearts of flesh that seek to please you in all we do. Lord give us such tender hearts. 

Lord have mercy, Messiah have mercy, LORD have mercy. Amen

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Meditation on Psalm 61 & 62

Meditation on Psalm 61 & 62

Lord, maker of heaven and earth, all-powerful and infinite, hear this prayer.  Please listen to me.  

In myself, I am worn out, tired, and without strength.  Lead me to find you as a place of refuge, energy, wisdom, and new perspective.   Lord be my strength and safety.  

Let me dwell in you as a refuge  Allow me to know that I am fully accepted by you because of your blood that was shed to set me free of condemnation.   Provide me a healthy and true love and fear of you.  

Help me to trust in your unending, sacrificial, and committed love for me.  Grant me peace in knowing that you keep all your promises to me.  

YOU, great redeemer and lover, are worthy of recognition, admiration, and infinite respect.  Let my heart praise you. 

LORD, only you can save me and provide for me stability.  Without you,  I have no hope.  I am before you in full dependence. 

Allow the enemy of my soul to be defeated and allow me to trust you during the worst of times.  All power belongs to you.  Nothing is impossible for you.  Act now to bring your salvation. 

LORD, YOU alone are my confidence and insurance.  Only YOU can save.  Have mercy and now save for your glory, my good, and that I might be of good to others. 

Lord have mercy, Messiah have mercy, LORD have mercy!  Amen