Return to You

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 5:10-11

I am gathering my wounds, my weaknesses, and my worries and bringing them to You, Lord. I thought I should warn You because it is quite a load. The experiences I have had with suffering created baggage...things that seem to cause me to stumble even now. I thought dragging around evidence of my past mistakes was a sign of strength. They are a heavy burden, and now I realize that I will never be strong until I release them to Your grace.

Receive this junk, this stuff of my life. Restore me with Your strength and mercy. Now that I will not be spending my time moving emotional baggage from here to there and back again, I will be able to serve You better, Lord. It is good to return to You.

Getting Ready

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13

In the days of my childhood, time had little meaning unless it was relevant to a need. When can I eat? When can I sleep? But now I see that time does not exist to fill my needs. It runs beneath our spirits with undetectable speed as we go about our day. It carries us closer to eternity with such a quiet force that when we do finally notice where we are in the continuum of time, we are amazed and shocked. How could it be year later...a new season...a different stage of life??

God, help me be truly awake these days so that I take in all that Your grace provides. You did not sacrifice for me so that would waste my days. Prepare me to be self-disciplined, to have hope, and to be ready to receive every ounce of grace from You.

Saving Grace

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave." Psalm 107:19-20

Lord, I was proud, and You humbled me. I was selfish, and You showed me compassion. I was cold, and You taught me to feel. I was empty, and You filled me. I was dark, and You brought me into the light.

The power of Your Word came into my being, and I have been saved. Once I looked at my life as meaningless and without purpose beyond physical and material pursuits. Now I understand that my life is one to be lived spiritually and within Your grace. I was unloved, and now I am loved.

Formula for Forgiveness

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

Just getting dressed or choosing what to have for dinner can seem difficult these days. So why don't I allow some things to be simple? God, You established an easy formula for us to follow. We are called to give others the forgiveness You give to us. You say we can rest easy and stop being the judge, jury and condemner.

It would save me time, energy, effort, and patience if I followed this recipe for peace. I don't know if I will have spaghetti or salad tonight, but I know for certain that I will forgive my neighbor, my friend, the driver in the other lane, and anyone You bring into my life that needs it. It's that simple.

Inspire Me

" We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3

I pray for inspiration and encouragement to come my way. By staying distant from people and commitment, I have chosen to avoid the connections that could inspire me in my faith. This journey is one that required the help of other people. Why do I resist that so?

God, please make me aware of those people who act out of love, concern, and sincere hope in You. Let their actions be examples that allow me a visible path toward a deeper relationship with You. May I, in turn, take notice of the times when I, too, can be a source of inspiration to another.

Revival

"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:30-31

I have tried to keep my mood in check lately. The highs are high and the lows are low. While I strive to maintain a happy medium, to love under the radar, to freeze my emotions. You call me to be who I am in You. You want me to understand my value in You.

Lord, when I want to disappear, help me remember that You will always see me. You care rather I succeed or fail. When I want to become "normal" remind me that my unique situation is a blessing because it draws me closer to You and revives my desire to live fully.

Accept My Praise

"Accept, O Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws." Psalm 119:108

Do You look at the way I live out my faith and consider my praise worthy of Your attention, Lord? Are my prayers of praise acceptable offerings? I do no always know what to say to honor all the You are. I sometimes become overwhelmed knowing that I am trying to praise the Creator of all heaven and earth. Search my heart to discover the depth of my love and gratitude. May what you find be pleasing.

Though it can take me a while to get through my prayers to my praises, Lord, they are willing offerings and reflect the spirit I aspire to have every waking moment.