Prayer for Wisdom

Dear Lord, Master of the universe,
Giver of life,
Praise you above all.
May your will be accomplished,
Now and through eternity.
Give us understanding;
Give us wisdom.
Forgive our foolishness,
As we forgive the foolishness of others.
Drive away the grip of ignorance.
Give us the gift you gave Solomon,
A tiny sliver of your wisdom,
So that we can be your useful servant.
Amen

Deborah and Barak

I turn to Judges
And the story of Deborah and Barak.
She was the fourth Judge;
He was the fifth.
Together they saved their people
From the Canaanites.
Is there a message for today?
I do not know.
Clearly, a woman then a man
Led the nation.
So, today a woman or a man
Could lead our country.
Which would be best?
That answer does not lie in Judges.
We must pray that we choose wisely,
But remember that God can use
Anyone.

Deborah

Choosing our Leaders

As a roaring lion,

And a ranging bear,

So is a wicked ruler

over a poor people.

The prince that lacketh understanding

is also a great oppressor...

Proverbs 28: 15-16

Words to remember as we choose
The person to lead this nation.
Who is wicked?
Overt acts make for easy judgment.
Few who reach for power
Have made such blatant mistakes.
Evil disguises itself.
Our duty is to look deeper,
To know the soul of the power seeker.
How do they treat those around them?
Who are their friends?
Listen to their words,
But hear their meaning.
People of faith
Must pray for guidance.
Remember Christ's words:
"And ye shall know the truth,
And the truth shall make you free."
Pray to know the truth.

Wait for God

This day I pray that your kingdom comes
And comes quickly.
Almost two thousand years have passed
Since you walked this earth.
You sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us,
But sometimes I feel so alone,
I must remember to
"Wait for the promise of the Father."
I will still my thoughts,
Focus on your love and sacrifice.
And pray that I will know your will.
I will wait.

Submission

My thoughts turn to the passage in Ephesians

That deals with relationships.

How do I understand submission?

My Southern Baptist brethren emphasize

A woman's duty to submit.

But Paul tells us that as Christians

We should submit to each other.

I believe that is the truth.

Jesus told us the last shall be first.

Can I humble myself before others?

Only with great difficulty.

Our society teaches achievement,

No matter the cost.

Christ tells us we must always

Count the cost to others

In our actions and our words.

Lord, give me the strength to obey you.

Love and Service

"And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love."

Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians,

But do we really hear his words.

Are we so eager to be better than others,

That we forget that we are commanded to love above all?

Do we desire judgment for others,

But not ourselves?

I fear the answers to these questions.

Christ told us we must be servants,

Not masters.

He washed his disciples feet

To remind them of the grandeur of servitude.

Perhaps we should realize that

The people we pay the least often do the most:

Care for our children; care for our elderly.

Let us love them.

Prayer: God's Will in the Presidential Race

Author of all creation, I praise you in all your aspects,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I acknowledge you as supreme and
Hope that all will know your loving kindness.
Help me as I face the decisions of daily life.
Help me to choose wisely and with your Spirit in my heart.
Our nation must choose candidates for President.
I have only one vote,
But I want to cast it in light of your will.
Guide me to see these people as you see them
And to choose wisely.
I know that others will not vote as I do,
But feel just as I do that they voted in accordance with your will.
Help me to understand how that can be.
Help me not to let my emotions drive
My reactions to those who choose differently,
The temptation is so great.
Let me remember that in your creation
You can use whoever wins the Presidential race
To guide and protect this nation.
You are master of all,
The past, present, and future.
Always let it be thy will, not mine.

Amen.

The Golden Rule

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Words you spoke.
Words to live by.
But can I?
If I turn the other cheek,
Will I only receive more abuse.?
If I allow someone to steal from me,
Will I be able to care for my family?
What is the answer?
I know.
We must show to others the mercy you have given us.
It is not so much that we forgive ill behavior toward us,
But that we remember how you forgive our bad behavior.
Let me show mercy, Lord.
Let me be merciful in my heart.
Forgive me.

Coveting

Ahab coveted another's land.
Jezebel ordered the death of an innocent man,
So that Ahab might have what he wanted.
God punished them both.
Do I covet what others have?
I say no to that question
But in my heart is doubt.
Doubt that I am as pure in heart and mind
As I should be.
Oh, I would never murder or condone murder,
But would I put my well-being before others?
I fear that answer.
Let me remember that in your kingdom,
The last shall be first
And we must be servants of all.

Hearing and Speaking and Anger Control

James tells us to

"Be swift to hear,

Slow to speak,

Slow to wrath..."

Words to live by.

How often do we truly listen?

Listen, not only with our ears,

But with our hearts?

Do we hear the anguish in our brother's words?

Do we understand what underlies words of cheer?

We must think before we speak,

Understand before we answer,

Feel before we offer a solution,

Share our love if nothing else.

Remember that anger for our own benefit

Is wrong.

Remember we are to be in control.

Remember that wrath because another has been harmed

Is justified.

Remember we may be the only glimpse of our faith

That another sees.

Let me heed the words of James.

God of the Living

"For he is not a God of the dead,
but of the living;
for all live unto him."
Luke 20:38

Jesus spoke these words.
For me, they are enough.
I do not worry about the rapture.
I do not worry about a thousand years.
I do not worry about Christ's reign on earth.
I know that I will live in Christ forever.
I know that time is not a shroud for God.
Time only fetters us, not God.
We are with God now.
We will be with God through the infinity of time.

Laodicea

Today, I contemplate the lesson of Laodicea,
One of the seven cities of Revelation.
You found the people of that metropolis lacking,
Not because they were evil,
But because they were not good.
Lukewarm, you called them.
Is that the problem with me?
Am I neither hot nor cold?
Lord, show me how to be on fire for you
And yet not alienate those
I would seek to show your love.
Let me not be tepid.

A Jesus Prayer

Jesus, who came to us,

To save us from ourselves,

Praise for your sacrifice;

Praise for your love.

May you return soon,

To rescue this world at last.

May your love fill us.

May we love our brothers as ourselves,

And know your everlasting love.

We owe you are very existence;

Let us not squander that gift,

But use it wisely.

For you are the Word made flesh,

God in action.

Amen.

The Vineyard Workers

My thoughts turn to the parable of the vineyard workers.
Some were hired in the morning,
Some just before quitting time,
But all were paid the same.
I know that means that no matter when we find God,
Early in life or in our fading seconds,
Our reward is the same:
Eternal life, eternal love.
But still I wonder about fairness.
Should not those that work longer and harder be paid more?
Perhaps in God's kingdom the work is the reward itself.
Help me to know I labor in God's vineyard,
And be satisfied with whatever reward God gives.

Worry

Be therefore,not anxious about tomorrow;
for tomorrow will be anxious for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:34

When my life is full of worry,
I turn to this verse in Matthew.
We need only face one day at a time.
Dr. Gerald Mann said, "Wait to worry."
I must take that advice to heart.
Worry drains my initiative.
Worry makes me afraid.
God tells us to "Fear not."
Let me walk unafraid today.

Right Hand of God

James and John sought to sit
At the right or left of Jesus
Without knowing what that meant.
In time, they drank of his cup
And understood.
Who sits at the right hand of God?
Some mighty prophet?
Some lowly peasant
Who welcomed all into her home,
Fed the hungry,
Gave clothing to the poor,
Visited the sick
And thought of others first?
Only God knows who sits beside Him,
But within me is a small flicker of hope
That it is a woman.

This is the Day

This is the day the Lord hath made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

My mother's favorite verse.
She had it posted on her bathroom mirror.

Photo by Pierce Place

God is the Creator;

He speaks and existence begins.

Every day he renews that speech.

We must remember that apart from God

There is nothing.

Our time on earth is brief;

Let us savor the moment.

Joy comes from everywhere;

We need only pay attention.

Gladness, like a firefly,

Wings in and flashes for the moment.

If we try to trap gladness,

It will die.

Gladness must be free

To find another.

Rejoice,

For that is God's command.

Mary and Martha

Martha tended to the physical needs of those around her

While Mary chose the spiritual and sat at Christ's feet.

Jesus tells us Mary's choice was better.

Am I a Mary or a Martha?

Do I exclude Jesus by staying too busy?

Has work become more important than God?

I need to sit at Jesus' feet.

I need to be still and listen.

I need to pray.

Strength

"I can do all things through Christ,

Who strengtheneth me."

I try to think of this verse from Phillippians

When life is difficult.

This verse is a reminder that

We need not struggle alone.

Too often I use my puny resources

And forget to rely on God.

I believe modern society

Teaches individualism to the Exclusion of God.

I need to remember that

God is with me

And so too, His strength.

To Die Is Gain

Someone dear to me died last week.
A committed Christian, he is with God.
His minister quoted Paul:
"For to me to live is Christ,
To die is gain."
My favorite verse:

Phillippians 1:21.

"To live is Christ" should be our motto.
Every day should bring us closer to God,
Every day, we should try to follow Christ's example,
Every day, we should pray,
Every day, we should wait in silence to know his will.
Every day, we should count our blessings.
"To die is gain" should echo in our hearts.
Death is nothing to fear.
Death is a portal to eternity.
Death is the doorway to God.
Death is a threshold we all must cross.
Death is God's first embrace.
Live every day for Jesus and
Fear not.

A Prayer to I Am

God, the great I Am,

Your name signifies being,

You are existence for all.

Give me the means to survive.

Forgive my sins,

Let me understand the failures of others

And forgive them.

Remove the desire for riches,

Let me be satisfied with what you give me.

For you are the universe, eternity,

And infinite.

Apart

I feel adrift.
I go to church, but I am a spectator,
Not a participant.
I want to feel part of the Body of Christ,
To know the warmth and security
I have experienced in the past.
Why do I feel separate?
I do not know.
I will follow your words:
"What doth the Lord thy God require of thee,
But to fear the Lord thy God,
To walk in all his ways,
And to love Him,
And to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart
and with all thy soul."
Whether I feel your presence or not,
Whether I feel part of the fellowship,
I have committed my soul to your care:
There is no other way.

God, Three in One

"In the beginning was the Word,

And the Word was with God,

And the Word was God."

"And the Word was made flesh,

And dwelt among us..."

So does John introduce Jesus.

"I AM" speaks creation into existence.

God in action is the Word.

Christ is God in action.

Between "I AM" and the Word

Is Love, the Holy Spirit.

God, Three in One.

I AM Love in Action.

Commandments

I turn to Jeremiah
As he scolds the religious leaders of his day.
Why is it so easy to believe that we have the answer,
That our way is the only way?
Rules are easy to write but hard to follow.
Perhaps that was why Christ gave us such a simple ones.
Love God and love each other.
Help me not to caught in the mesh of rules woven by man.
Help me to follow your two comands.

Justice and Care

Today, I contemplate the words of the prophets,
Amos and Jeremiah.
What was their admonition?
To do justice and care for the needy.
How do I do that, Lord?
I give my money to the church
And other charities.
But is that enough?
Show me how to personalize your words.
Show me how to love others and do justice.
In the words of Amos:
"Let justice run down as waters,
And righteousness as a mighty stream."

Fruits of the Spirit

Lord, let me harvest the fruit of the Spirit
Not the wealth of Humanity.
I know that
"The fruit of the Spirit is
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."
Let me pick just one this day to nourish my soul.
Help me to choose wisely and understand your Word.
Because of your sacrifice, eternity is open.
We need only to dwell with the Spirit
To partake of the Fruit.
I pray that I can walk with the Comforter
For now and always.

Repentance

The words of Job haunt me this day.
"I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes."
How often I find my ways are wicked
And my soul darkened by evil.
Forgive me.
I do repent and seek your will.
I will make reparations to those I have wronged.
I will not seek revenge for wrongs done me.
I will forgive.
Help me for I am too weak to succeed
Without your grace.

Warming the Soul

Winter's cold embraces us.
I long for summer's warmth.
I will turn my face toward you, Lord,
And feel your warmth in my soul.
I pray that others may know your tenderness,
Your lovingkindness.
When the north wind howls,
May I remember the words of the psalmist:
"He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
He hurls down his hail like pebbles,
Who can withstand his icy blast?
He sends his word and melts them;
He stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow."
Let your Word reach my soul
And melt my heart.

Renewing New Year's Resolutions

Dear Lord, we start a New Year today.
This is not a time for new resolutions,
But a time for renewal of old ones.
To love God and love others as ourselves.
Only you can give us the strength to love like that,
Thank you for your power and grace.
Give us the wisdom to know that every day is new,
That we can rejoice and be glad in it.