Lord, Spring into Action From Your Holy Dwelling

Zechariah 2:10-13

The Lord says, "Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven's Armies has sent me to you. The land of Judah will be the Lord's special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling."

Lord, I rejoice that you came to live among us! I praise you for making me one of your people even though I am not Jewish. I know that the Lord of Heaven's Armies sent you to me. Jesus, please return again and choose Jerusalem to be your own city. Lord, let all humanity be silent before you and spring into action from your holy dwelling.

Lord, would you please release those who are captive to their sinful natures? You know all the people I am praying for. Please spring into action for them. Take their filthy rags off them and put new clean clothes on them! Let each of them follow your ways and carefully serve you. In Jesus' name, amen. <3

MEMORY VERSE

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

YEAR VERSE

Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5

Let Me Share My All I Have

Deuteronomy 24:19-22

"When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don't go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don't go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don't glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans and widows. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command."

Lord, I don't have crops to harvest and leave the leftovers for the poor around me to glean. How can I walk this out in a practical way in the culture I live in?

Certainly I want to tithe and I'm sure some of that goes to help the poor and needy. But this goes beyond that. I suppose this requires an attitude of not trying to hold on to all that I get. This is an attitude of being willing to share all that belongs to me, because in reality it all truly belongs to YOU! This requires outward unselfish thinking instead of inward self absorption. This requires trusting you to provide every one of my family's needs.

Lord, you showed me another aspect to this. You reminded me that I was once a slave too. I was once a slave to my sinful nature and all its whims. Because of that, I should not be judgmental of people who are still in bondage to their sinful nature. I should not look down on those who are homeless, or in need because of the choices they have made.

I am so glad that you are a God who cares for orphans, widows, and the needy. Help me to walk this out in my life! Please show me practical ways to share the things you have blessed me with! Such as, giving my stuff to the Salvation Army instead of having a garage sale and then keeping the proceeds to get more stuff.

MEMORY VERSE

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

YEAR VERSE

Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5

Let There Be NO Shameful Thing in Me

Deuteronomy 23:14

"The camp must be holy, for the Lord your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies. He must not see any shameful thing among you, or he will turn away from you."

Lord, this still applies to our homes and our lives. You are still the same God who gave this command. You have not changed in the time since then.

You move around in my home and go with me to protect me and to defeat my enemies. If there is any shameful thing in my home or in my life, please show it to me so that I can get rid of it. I do not want you to turn away from me.

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Help me to keep short accounts with you so that I can be used by you! Lord, I'm excited to have you bring to me people who are ready to hear the gospel! Would you please send me at least one today?? I'd love to talk to more than one! I want to be a part of rescuing people from running straight to hell and helping them to get on the path to heaven instead. I can't wait to see what you are going to do! Help yourself to me! In Jesus' name, amen. <3

MEMORY VERSE

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

YEAR VERSE

Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5

Teach Me to Listen to Your Commands

Deuteronomy 22:9-11

"When you build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof. You must not plant any other crop between the rows of your vineyard. If you do, you are forbidden to use either the grapes from the vineyard or the other crop. You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together. You must not wear clothing made of wool and linen woven together."

Lord, when I read your word, many of the laws you gave to Israel seem so arbitrary. Many of them make no sense to my modern mind. But if I dig just a little deeper I will see that none of your laws are ever arbitrary or without good reason. Usually they are very practical and always they are intended for our protection.

When I read something in you word that makes no sense, help me to dig deeper to understand the reason you gave it in the first place.

Lord, you are perfect in all your ways! You are the Lord my God, who teaches me what is good for me and leads me along the paths I should follow. Teach me to listen to your commands! Then I will have peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over me like waves in the sea. (Isaiah 48:17-18) In Jesus' name, amen. <3

MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 90:17

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."

Psalm 90:17

YEAR VERSE

Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5

Lord, Give Me Super, Seeker Radar!

Luke 19:10

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. That is obvious from the text. I think what is less obvious is that he really wanted to KNOW Jesus.

Jesus had super, seeker radar and Zacchaeus was right in the center of it! Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was ready to hear the good news. He was ready to meet Jesus and have a relationship with him.

Jesus didn't pay attention to what the people thought. Verse 7 of Luke 19 says, "But the people were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.

Lord, I want that kind of radar!! I want the Holy Spirit to point out to me, "This one! This person is ready to hear the gospel. Tell them about Jesus." I want to be so focused on following the Holy Spirit's leading that I don't worry about what anyone else thinks.

I want to be like the first servant in Jesus' parable who used what his master gave him to earn ten times the amount. I want to invest not only my money, but also my life in bringing people to Jesus! I want to introduce many, many Zacchaeus to Jesus! Lord, please help me to do this to honor you! Because I love you! In Jesus' name, amen. <3

MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 90:17

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."

Psalm 90:17

YEAR VERSE

Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5

Help Me to Be Wholehearted in Battle!

Deuteronomy 20:5-8

"Then the officers of the army must address the troops and say, 'Has anyone here just built a new house but not yet dedicated it? If so, you may go home! You might get killed in the battle, and someone else would dedicate your house. Has anyone here just planted a new vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit. Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.' Then the officers will also say, 'Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.' "

Here it is again, Lord! You want us to be wholehearted in our commitment to you! We can't afford to let anything distract us from the battle at hand; not a new house, food, family, or even our own fears and worries. Help me to get past all that so I can do battle in prayer, Lord!!

Help me to remember that my fellow humans are not the enemy! This is a spiritual battle! 

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Teach me how to effectively use your weapons to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. Teach me how to destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. Show me how to capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. Lord, show me what this looks like. This is what I need in the face of the persecution I am getting from my Facebook post.

I know that it starts with knowing your word which is my sword. Staying in communication with you is also essential.

You just gave me a picture in my mind of soldiers in a war zone. They always stay in communication with their commanding officers. They get their marching orders from them so they MUST keep those channels open. 

It is the same between me and you, Lord. You are my chief C.O. I get my marching orders directly from you. Help me to always be listening for your voice to guide and direct me! I love you!! In Jesus' name, amen. <3

MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 90:17

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."

Psalm 90:17

YEAR VERSE

Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5

RIP David Bowie!

Deuteronomy 19:21

"You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."

Lord, this admonition was not intended as a call to revenge. It was intended to keep us from exacting more recompense than is due. It was intended to extend mercy and along with justice.

Lord, you are a God of justice, but you are also a God of mercy. Only you know how to perfectly blend these two mutually exclusive traits, or so they seem to our finite human minds.

I've been thinking a lot about your justice and mercy since yesterday when I heard that David Bowie died.

I posted on my Facebook page that I hoped he knew you. Otherwise, he is spending an eternity in torment. That got me thinking and wondering. How can a God of mercy send anyone to that fate?? But you reminded me that you have done everything you could to prevent us from having to go to hell. You even sent your only Son to die for our sins. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

We are the ones who continually reject your mercy and therefore incur your judgement instead.

It's like someone standing before a judge. This person has been proven guilty. They know they are guilty and don't deny it, and the whole world knows they are guilty as well. The judge can't let that person go free no matter how merciful he is.  

The judge can't let that person go free no matter how merciful he is.

So the judge pronounces the sentence on the guilty person; death. But then someone comes in and says, "I love this person!! I want to take their sentence in their place. Please let me die in their place." The guilty person would be crazy not to accept this offer of mercy. And yet this is exactly what people do every day.

Lord, that post on Facebook has ignited a firestorm of negative comments. My SIL is a Jehovah's Witness and was posting stuff about hell not being real and that people are no longer conscious after they die. I admit, I did not handle it in the most loving way. I deleted her comments and told her not to post that stuff on my page. Not the most loving reaction. I did not want others to be led astray by those lies.

Lord, please forgive me for the way I reacted. Please help me to know how to respond in the future. I don't ever want to compromise the truth, but I don't want to be unloving about it either.

Please open my SIL's eyes to see the truth! Please bind and remove satan's work in her life. Lord, she has years and years of lies that she as believed. But you are bigger than all that! I know that nothing is impossible for you!

Please, give comfort to David Bowie's wife, Iman. Help her to run to you when the grief overwhelms her. In Jesus' name, amen. <3

MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 90:17

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."

Psalm 90:17

YEAR VERSE

Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5