The Peace of Your Countenance

"Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved."

Psalm 80:7

When I first looked at You, Lord, Your face radiated Your mercy, and my life was illuminated with peace. I was coming from a time of working against myself, You and life. I seemed to view everything as a "me against them" situation. Your peace changed that. You restored my balance and my understanding of people.

Now when I turn to face other people, I offer them peace. I speak words of kindness. I extend forgiveness readily. I do not hold back my affection or joy in who they are. I accept them as You accept me. And I am saved.

Remembering to Ask

"Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see, " he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, the also praised God."

Luke 18:40-43

I believe I have carried around this hurt for a long time. I might find temporary solutions that ease the discomfort or ways to distract my mind from the pain, but I have not done the most basic thing. I have not told You, my God and Savior, what I need. I have not prayed for healing.

God, my own uncertainties have dept me from falling at Your feet and asking You for help. Give me the strength to hold onto this kind of faith at all times. I pray that my circumstances will become an opportunity for other people to see Your power and to praise Your might name.

Never Stop Singing

Have you ever observed the behavior of birds in the face of adversity? For days and days they make their nests, sometimes gathering material from far away. And when they have completed the nest and are ready to lay eggs, the weather or the work of humans, or some animal destroys it and it falls to the ground. All that they have done with so much effort is ruined. Do they stop? Bewildered and leave work? No way! They start over building the nest again and again until they have eggs in the nest. It hurts to go back to begin again...even so, the birds don't ever stop, they continue to sing and build and keep singing and building. Do you sometimes get the feeling that your life, your work, your family is not what you had dreamed. Do you sometimes want to say "enough...the effort is not worthwhile. It is too much for me!" Are you tired of it all? Do you feel that the daily struggle is a waste of time, your trust has been betrayed, your goals not reached just as you were about to reach them? Life strikes you down sometimes, but do you go on, say a prayer, put your faith in hope, not darkness? Do not worry if you get injured in battle, that is to be expected. Father yourself together and rebuild your life so it runs well again. No matter what happens - don't shrink back, but move forward. Life is a constant challenge, but it is worthwhile...never stop singing!

Leaning on Your Wisdom

"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore."

1 Kings 4:29

My hope for wisdom is grounded in my faith in Your promises. If I am left to my own devices and motivation, I will never understand the world around me. And it is not only these external mysteries I long to explore. I hope to discover more about my own heart and min and my Creator.

I depend upon Your wisdom, Lord. Free my mind of the half-truths, untruths, and misconceptions so my growth is not hindered by lies and foolishness. I pray that they way I use my fit of wisdom will reflect my thankful heart.

My Provider

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalm 51:12

All that I need, You will provide. I believe this, Lord. Sometimes I try to exert my will rather than pursue Your will for me. When my energy is running low, I get desperate and reach for anything to fill the void before I have to feet it. I eat, I watch television, I follow any distraction that pops up, and I doubt joy.

Lord, strip me of my prideful desire to do it on my own. Cause me to feel the emptiness and depletion so that I can feel the complete joy when Your sustenance starts pouring in. And when the void is overflowing with godly abundance, may I remember my Provider.

May It Be So

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Romans 12:12

We have faced this difficulty together. Even when I had to wait for answers, I never felt I was standing alone against the rage of hurt. God, You are my Lord and my partner in this lifetime. The chance to know You better and to see Your character demonstrated in miraculous ways has been a gift.

It is not from the end of a journey that I can say all this, but from somewhere in the middle. Thankfully I have learned that You are my great hope. I pray that how I travel the rest of this journey brings You glory and joy.

Replenish My Spirit

"You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor."

Psalm 68:9-10

May Your love rain down on me and refresh my spirit. I open my heart as an empty vessel waiting to be filled by Your abundant grace. For a time I hid from such expressions of Your love. I ran for shelter that did not protect me, but prevented me from encountering Your grace. Even then I knew how powerful it would be to share in Your bountiful mercy.

Lord, thank You for hearing my prayers over the years, and especially in recent days. I have felt a shift in my heart. I know I am closer to You. It is with deep gratitude that I look ahead and realize that Your spiritual abundance will shower down on me when I call upon Your mighty, merciful name.

Beyond Winter

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them."

Daniel 2:20-21

For many days I stared at the view of trees cloaked in ice. I waited for my heart to thaw. The ever-present chill of loss followed me wherever I went.

God, I though I might live in this season forever. Even when I called out to You, I had moments of doubt that nothing could be done on this side of heaven to restore my life. But, Lord, You reached for my heart and warmed it with Your grace. You carried me through the storm and brought me into the radiant possibility of a new season.

What I Have

"My integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you."

Psalm 25:21

My hurt is becoming apparent to others. Several have mentioned it, and I was surprised. My situation feels so personal that I believed it existed only in my thoughts, in my experience. But others know of my pain. I pray they do not begin to see me as what I lost, rather than as Your child.

God, give me a continued desire to serve You with integrity. Protect my intention to be a witness. Make my life an example of Your glory, Your goodness, and Your faithfulness. And when others mention my situation, may they always use the word "hope."

Entrusting It All

"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God."

Psalm 25:1-2

Lord, You see how I struggle with sharing parts of myself with other people. I hold onto bits and pieces of my life to preserve it. I am reluctant to learn that in order to create a bond of trust, I need to give to people. But in my spiritual life I desperately want to learn how to give myself over to You. My soul longs to be in Your possession.

Lord, please see beyond my stubborn ways of self-protection to the heart that does beat for You. Today I will give You more of myself than ever before. I will trust You with my decisions, my relationships, my concerns, and my future.

All in All

"There is only one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Ephesians 4: 4-6

Lord, I was brought to faith by hope. It was not a sound or a light, an earthquake, or a sign in the sky! I felt Your leading from within. What a blessing! I sent from being alone to being a part of the one who created all life. My journey of belief, submission, and faith renews me inside and out.

To have you take me by the hand and under Your authority has freed me to place my pain in Your hands. To finally be loved unconditionally has allowed me to embrace the one hope that leads to all that is good in my life.

Most Sacred

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well-spring of life."

Proverbs 4:23

Lord, You know me. You know how I tend to retreat when I face trials of this sort. I distance myself from others to protect my feelings and my energy. During my times of solitude and separation, You make my heart a place to rest, a sanctuary to gather my senses and to experience calm. Here I can draw from Your strength, hear Your voice, and feel safe.

Let me cherish this sacred place and preserve it so that it remains a pure connection to my Creator.

The Whole Me

"Do not reject me or forsake me, O God, my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors."

Psalm 27:9-11

There are times when people in my life do not understand me. Or maybe they see only a part of me, rather than thw whole. This has occurred so many times that I thought it was the only way to be viewed...in pieces. But Lord, You receive me as a whole being. You see the good, the bad, and the desire to do right.

I expect a lot out of people, those close to me and even those I just happen to meet. Help me to understand that even if they let me know or forsake that part of me that they know, this does not define my life. This does not keep me from the path You have laid out before me. I pray to become the whole person You created me to be so that You will receive me with joy>