Holding On

"In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." 1 Chronicles 29:12-13

Lord, help me see through the present struggles and into the future peace You have for me. Give me the calm of this peace now, as I try to regain perspective - Your perspective - to see this through. I pray that You will keep hold onto me as I try to hold onto my sense of thanksgiving and praise. Turn my thoughts from selfish regrets to generous ideas and hopes.

Your strength is my strength. When will I truly believe this and rest in Your power? The ground I stand on is shaky, but the hand I hold onto is not. For that I thank You, Lord.

Awe

"Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy."

Habakkuk 3:2

Before I knew You personally, I had friends who loved You. Even when I would challenge such belief, I was always watching for the signs of Your existence. Lord, through the lens of my friends' faith, I began to see how You cared for those who put their faith in Your way. I saw the gift of renewal and the impact of Your influence in all that they did and said, even when they were struggling to understand You.

Lord, now I am so thankful to know You. And while I strive to define my faith and live it out for other people to see, I pray for Your awesome touch to find me and my life. Let other people be in awe of the God I know.

Timidity

"May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees." Psalm 119: 170-171

I can be shy about approaching You. Sometimes I am a young child who is not certain what to say or how to find my way through a prayer to get to the heart of the matter. But when I release my inhibitions and come to You with a humble and open spirit, my mouth overflows with all that is in me. My gratitude, my concern, my questions...they all pour forth. I am surprised by how quickly I become like a pair of open hands, waiting to receive what You give to fill me.

May my timidity turn to humility so I do not stand on the sidelines, too nervous to approach You. I long to run to Yours side, bursting with courage, love, and gratitude as I tell You about my day, with no holding back.

After the Healing

"When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him."

Matthew 8:14-15

You hear my prayers for healing and wholeness, Lord. I call out to You during a night of pain and heartache. I believe in Your healing touch. When Your peace replaces my brokenness, I pray that I will be grateful. When my fatigue eases into energy and strength, I pray that I will in turn wait on You and obey Your commands with renewed commitment.

Lord, You touched me and healed me. I praise You, and may I never forget who is the Light when I come out of the darkness.

My Backbone

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

Psalm 25:21

In my faith, I have discovered the secret to standing tall in the world. When I threw away my desire to put myself first, I came upon Your will and Your purpose for my life. This fit has given me the security to be at peace with the way life unfolds. My hope is not in guaranteed profit, certain success, or the perfect relationship. My hope is in You, and when I face choices and changes, I measure my response according to the integrity Your love gives to me.

To be secure in a loving and knowing God, I knew I would have to let go of my unreal expectations so that I could make room for Your unbelievable promises. It was the best decision I ever made. Thank You for giving me what I needed to stand tall and to walk with hope.

I Cannot Fathom

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"

Romans 11:33-34

I'm a fool for trying to figure out everything about You. I want to know why things happen and how they happen. I spend hours rethinking, reconfiguring, and reassessing life. More than once You have had to bread this cycle for me because it is unnecessary and damaging to my faith.

When will I let go of the belief that I am to control everything in my life? When will I stop trying to figure out Your mind? The miracle of faith requires only that I know Your heart. And, Lord, I know it well.

Into the Hope

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

1 Peter 1:3

I'm stepping forward. Slowly and with deliberate steps, but still forward. It has been a long time since I have felt any sense of progress. Thank You, Lord, for this gift of life. I can breathe more easily this morning. My thoughts are clear and fresh. I look around me, and everything is vibrant, colorful, alive. It is as if You are pointing out all that I have missed in the past days and weeks.

Yes, today I am stepping into a living hope and a hope for living!

Have God, Will Travel

"The Lord replied, " My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Exodus 33:14

I built so many wall around myself that my home seemed a palace, refuge that should not be left behind. I made excuses for my behavior and told myself and others that being alone was the healthiest solution. Lord, You call me out of my solitary confinement. You promise to give me rest and refreshment even when I leave this refuge.

Today I will step forward with new assurance and confidence. Today I will stop hiding and begin living in Your care. Today I will acknowledge Your presence and celebrate the comfort You bring. There will be no more walls. I will step beyond them and begin living because You are my Savior.

Surely, I Will Sing

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

Isiah 12:2

The Lord is my strength and my song. How often I rely on Your strength, Lord, but I forget the song part. I neglect to praise You with the melodies of my heart and voice. I fail to point to You as the source of my trust, joy , and confidence.

I need to sing Your praises in all places so that others will take up Your name, live without fear, and experience the amazing gift of salvation.