Today We Pray

Dear Lord, what a privilege it is to say "yes" to You each day. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me. Guide me in all my choices today and help me to serve You faithfully.

I come to You in the morning, full of hope that the day to come might be filled with joy and energy. Grant that I may do my work with a light and happy heart; and if there are tasks that I do not look forward to, or even dread, let me undertake them with courage and resolve. For this day could be perfect, if I can only live it in You and with You and for You.

Enlighten the darkness of my mind, Lord. Give me a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity, so that I may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. In Christ's name, I pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Joshua 24:15

Bring your family to the Lord. Be a role model to them and shine the light to them so that they will be encouraged too to know the Lord. Dedicate your household in His Name. And, God will richly bless your entire house. How good it is that your entire family is serving the Lord.

The Daily Grace - Reframing the Picture

For three months, I had a ringside seat - or should I say a bird's-eye view - of God's amazing handiwork. Ninety feet above the floor of Norfolk Botanical Garden, workers installed a webcam focused on the nest of a family of bald eagles, and online viewers were allowed to watch. When the eggs hatched, Mama and Papa Eagle were attentive to their offspring, taking turns hunting for food and guarding the nest. 

But one day when the eaglets still looked like fuzzballs with beaks, both parents disappeared. I worried that harm had come to them. My concern was unfounded. The webcam operator enlarged the camera angle, and there was Mama Eagle perched on a nearby branch.

As I pondered this "reframed" picture, I thought of times when I have feared that God had abandoned me. The view in the forest heights of Virginia reminded me that my vision is limited. I see only a small part of the entire scene. Moses used eagle imagery to describe God. As eagles carry their young, God carries His people (Deut. 32:11-12). Despite how it may seem, the Lord "is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27. This is true even when we feel abandoned. Because the Lord is watching over us, we don't have to fear the dangers around us.

Today We Pray

Dear Jesus, come to me, pray for me. Pray all of the things in my heart that have escaped my mortal memory. Pray for all that I cannot find words to pray.

Sometimes there is something in my heart and I cannot find the words, or sometimes, there are prayers I have wanted to pray and have forgotten. Come to me in your Holy Spirit, Lord God. I humbly ask of You, and find the prayers of my heart.

Thank you, Lord God for the gift of Your Spirit. And I pray for Your help in obeying Your will. In the name of Christ I pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Deuteronomy 32:11

The Lord is like an eagle. When it protects its nest that flutters over its young,

He will spread out His wings and take them. He will carry them on His pinions or feathers. He will protect us from the evil plans of the enemy.

Find His comfort today. When you are afraid, ask for guidance. Surely, He will protect you like an eagle that will cover its wings to shield us. Be comforted in His love.

The Daily Grace - Plausible Deniability

Answering media charges of scandal and impropriety, the guilty politician responded with the plea, "I have no recollection of those events". It was yet another attempt of a public figure to apply a strategy called "plausible deniability". This is when individuals try to create a personal safety net for themselves by seeking to convince others that they had no knowledge of the events in question. Someone else gets blamed and becomes the scapegoat for the guilty person's wrongs.

Sometimes Christians have their own kind of plausible deniability. We claim ignorance of our wrong behavior, rationalize, or blame others - but God knows the truth. The Bible tells us: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). This is true whether the heart is pure or if it's a corrupt heart robed in false claims of innocence. We may fool others who see us only on the outside, but God sees the reality of our hearts - whether good or bad.

It is wise, therefore, to humbly confess our faults to the Lord. He desire that we admit the truth (Ps. 51:6). The only way to escape the sin and restore our fellowship with God is to acknowledge and confess it to Him (Ps. 51:3-4). We may successfully fool others, but God knows our hearts.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. Be merciful to me, my sin has grieved Your heart. And strengthen my resolve from evil to depart.

Do not leave me without a portion of the blessed eternity. Grant also that I may follow Thy Holy example, that I may submit to the authorities placed over me. Grant me the clean soul, the simplicity of heart that makes us worthy of Thy love.

Hold me in the palm of Your hand. I pray that You will mold me into what You want me to be. May I joyfully fill the role You have given to me and feel Your peace deep in my soul, today and always.

Amen