1 Kings 3-4, Wise Prayer

 “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬, ‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Solomon’s wisdom was that he asked God for something that positively impacted all the people around him rather than just asking for a blessing himself.  I have been thinking about this lately, so much of my prayer time tends to focus on what would be helpful or be a blessing to me…Lord, fill my mind with other people while I am talking with You!

Numbers 7, Knowing God

 “When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him  from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim.  He spoke to him that way.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭7‬:‭89‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Although these offerings are extravagant, I think the most impressive is that God shows up to talk to Moses.

Lord, help me to be in awe that I can know You…that I can read Your Word and that You want to hear my prayers!  Help me to know You more intimately!!!

Exodus 7-9, Answered Prayer

 “When Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, the frogs  came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same thing by their occult practices and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭8‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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It’s shocking how the magicians were able to perform some of the same signs, or something similar to the plagues God sent.  The result was that the people and Pharaoh didn’t believe God.  I think we do the same things today: God does something miraculous and we come up with a plausible reason for it.  We may blame coincidence or good luck, or imagine some incredible scenarios that makes it less supernatural.  I think most often we miss Gods miraculous answers, because we have such a bad memory, we forget what we had prayed for because we are on to the next thing.

Lord, help me to see every act You do and give You alone praise for it!

Genesis 27-29, Self-Centered

“Then Jacob made a vow:  “If God will be with me and watch over me during this journey I’m making, if he provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safely to my father’s family,  then the Lord will be my God.  This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to you a tenth of all that you give me.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Jacob is a hard character to read about.  He is such a scoundrel and absolutely has the wrong perspective of God.  He basically meets God, then tells Him, if You bless me, then You can be my God!  As if it is some sort of privilege…

It struck me how self centered this thinking is.  How much of my own prayer life is self focused?  

Lord, allow my mind to be filled with the needs of others during prayer.  Help me to see what You are doing around me and let thanksgiving be constantly pouring out.  You have blessed me in a million ways, allow me to be a blessing to others!

John 6:30-36, Open My Eyes

“What sign, then, are you going to do so that we may see and believe you?” they asked. “What are you going to perform? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 

Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 

“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again. But as I told you, you’ve seen me, and yet you do not believe.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭30‬-‭36‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What is so shocking about this passage is that literally the day before Jesus fed them (4,000+) with a little boys lunch…talk about bread from heaven!  Now they’re telling Jesus that if he would just do a miracle, then they would believe in Him.  How can this be? Did they just forget their lunch yesterday?

I think sometimes we respond the same way…God is doing the miraculous over and over in our lives, right under our noses, and we are expecting something else.

God, help me to see You at work around me and know You by Your Word.  Help me to see You and believe!

Proverbs 27- Godly Counsel

“Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel. 

Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭9‬, ‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, thank you for placing me in a community that loves me and encourages me.  Thank you for surrounding me with people who love you and continually remind me of Your goodness and grace.

When I try to figure out my own problems, I inevitably make them worse...but when I bring in trusted, believing friends, they always help me to see things clearly and point me back to your truth!  Without those people, I would be lost, hopeless and making a mess of even the simplest problems!

Proverbs 24- Cost of Wisdom

“A wise warrior is better than a strong one, and a man of knowledge than one of strength; for you should wage war with sound guidance — victory comes with many counselors. 

Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate; realize that wisdom is the same for you. If you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will never fade.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭5‬-‭6‬, ‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The benefits of wisdom really are unending.  And what is amazing is that wisdom is not something that is dependent on how smart you are or how much education you have, it comes from following Jesus.  Wisdom comes from reading scripture, talking to people who have wisdom, praying to God.  In James we see that God gives wisdom to anyone who asks…

So wisdom is not hard to get, all of those things are free and accessible.  But wisdom does require humility in nearly every way:

- we must admit that we need it.

- we must recognize people wiser than us.

- we need to be willing to consider that our way is not best.

- we have to be suspicious of our natural thinking.

- we need to ask for help.

- we must respond to wisdom given by acting on it…even when it is uncomfortable or hard.

- we should attempt to build it into how we think about all aspects of life.

So although it is not hard to get, it is extremely difficult to pursue.  However, it is worth it in every way!  Sweet to your soul and leading to victory at every turn…it is worth the challenge, worth the humility, it is worth whatever it costs!!!

Proverbs 22- Confidence in God

“Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge. For it is pleasing if you keep them within you and if they are constantly on your lips. I have instructed you today — even you — so that your confidence may be in the Lord.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, thank You for giving me wisdom from Your Word!  I pray that it would not just be knowledge stored up, but that You would guide me into opportunities to share it and example it!  Bolster my confidence in Your work, in Your character, in Your love so that others would recognize You and run to Your presence.

Provers 20- Scripture & Spirit

 “Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel. 

Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water; but a person of understanding draws it out. 

Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭3‬, ‭5‬, ‭18‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord, you have called me to counsel and help with disputes.  I need Your wisdom to be effective, Your Word to impact peoples hearts.  For the sake of those whom I minister, remind me that my words are flawed and only Your Word and Spirit can bring transformation!

Psalm 144- Dust Speck

 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for warfare. He is my faithful love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him; he subdues my people under me. Lord, what is a human that you care for him, a son of man that you think of him? A human is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭144‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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When I look around creation, from mighty unending rivers, to majestic snow covered mountains, pounding ocean waves and infinite starry skies…everything reminds me that I am small, insignificant, less than a flicker.  I guess my place in creation is easy enough to think about, but then realizing that God pays attention to me.  He knows me, listens to my thoughts, fears and joys.  He desires that I seek Him in every small detail of life. That is unexpected, it doesn’t make sense from my limited human perspective…but it is true!

We are so blessed to have a God who wants to know us.  A God who cares about the details of life, our inner thoughts, anxieties and hopes.  Lord, help me to remember that is who You are…and not too big to care about all those things.  Help me to bring every thought to You to purify it, sort it out and clarify it.  Help me to know You and be known by You!

Psalm142- Supernatural Boasts

 “I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my shelter, my portion in the land of the living.” Listen to my cry, for I am very weak. Rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Free me from prison so that I can praise your name. The righteous will gather around me because you deal generously with me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭142‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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At first I didn’t like how this psalm ended…I felt like David was saying that he would only praise God if God was to take him out of the prison of his circumstance.  Like David would only be happy if God did what he wanted God to do.  

Call me old fashion, but the rest of scripture tells us to praise God in any and all circumstances.  After all, God is not our magic genie that gives us everything we ever asked for.  Rather, He gives us all the things we need to become more Christlike…many times great blessings, but occasionally it is a trial.

I was repeatedly praying about this and reading it over and over trying to understand David’s point…then it hit me, David wanted another miraculous event that can be used to brag on God.  He wants another specific example of a supernatural event where God reached in and does the impossible so only God receives the glory.  I have to admit, I love those type of stories in my life too.

So Lord, thank You for repeatedly doing the impossible in my life.  Let me pray like You are going to answer so that I can point to Your amazing protection, care and provision rather than to my own abilities.

Psalm 141- Confident Prayer

 “Lord, I call on you; hurry to help me. Listen to my voice when I call on you. May my prayer be set before you as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering. But my eyes look to you, Lord, my Lord. I seek refuge in you; do not let me die.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭141‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What a privilege that we as believers have to go to the Lord with every worry, every concern and every fear.  He is there for us and will protect us by His very presence.

I love the confidence the psalmist has going to the Lord in this prayer.  He approaches God as if He is there waiting to answer, looking for ways to comfort and protect.  My prayers are often weaker and more timid.  Hoping that maybe, somehow, someway, God may respond and show a little mercy…how foolish of me!  

Jesus compares God to a good father who happily blesses his children with Good things,,,then says, if that is how you act, and you are sinful, how much better will God respond?!  And God is not limited by time, space, money or any of the other pesky hindrances we have as humans.

Lord, help me to pray to You with a confidence in Your character!

Psalm 134- Night Routine

 “Now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who stand in the Lord’s house at night! Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord! May the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭134‬:‭1‬-‭3 ‭CSB‬‬

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This is an interesting Psalm in that it is very simple and not very deep.  But finally after reading it a dozen or so times, here is what stands out to me:

What do I do at night? Watch TV, on the couch, then go to bed.  These people were spending the last moments of their day thanking God for all of the things He is doing.  They are telling Him truths about who He is and highlighting Gods goodness.  This is something I should add into my daily routine: a time of blessing God and thankfulness for what He is doing!  The results? Blessing!

Psalm 116- Humility Requires Help

 “I love the Lord because he has heard my appeal for mercy. Because he has turned his ear to me, I will call out to him as long as I live. The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is compassionate. The Lord guards the inexperienced; I was helpless, and he saved me. For you, Lord, rescued me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, even when I said, “I am severely oppressed.” How can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me? I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭5‬-‭6‬, ‭8‬-‭10‬, ‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What an amazing God!  He protects us from trouble, from sin, from our own desires…and our portion is to call out.  Just to ask.  That asking for help requires that we realize we cannot do it on our own, so asking is an acto of humility, a realization of my own weakness and a demonstration of faith.  Our call/prayer to Him is declaring that I am powerless but He is powerful!

Then the question comes, because He has saved me thousands of times…

Q: “How can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me?”

A: “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord”

Lord, help me to reach out to You every time I need help!  You will allow me to attempt to save myself, and it is a constant reminder that I cannot do it on my own.  You are an amazing God, I need You even for the small things.  Forgive my pride of thinking I can win on my own, I need You, every hour I need You!!!

Psalm 111- Stronger Faith

 “Hallelujah! I will praise the Lord with all my heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The Lord’s works are great, studied by all who delight in them. All that he does is splendid and majestic; his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and compassionate. The works of his hands are truth and justice; all his instructions are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, enacted in truth and in uprightness. He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awe-inspiring. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭111‬:‭1‬-‭4‬, ‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Lord help me to delight in your works!  You have done amazing things in my life yet sometimes I am frustrated because I don’t see the results.  I am too focused on what is happening today…So, Lord strengthen my faith to trust in the end result of what You are doing!  You have always been so good to me, and Your love never fails…

Psalm 108- Perfect Help

 “My heart is confident, God; I will sing; I will sing praises with the whole of my being. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your faithful love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. God, be exalted above the heavens, and let your glory be over the whole earth. Save with your right hand and answer me so that those you love may be rescued. Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we will perform valiantly; he will trample our foes.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭108‬:‭1‬, ‭3‬-‭6‬, ‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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We love getting help from family and friends.  It is a huge blessing, especially when we are in a bind.  Yet Gods help is so much better (because it is perfect!) that in comparison human help is worthless.

Psalm 102- Waiting Anxiously

 “Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry for help come before you. Do not hide your face from me in my day of trouble. Listen closely to me; answer me quickly when I call.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭102‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This psalm starts out with these desperate and fearful words.  You can tell the author is feeling like Go has not been listening and not paying attention.  I have felt like this before, and it is so frustrating.  The thought that there is no help on its way and that I will have to endure this all alone seems devastating.  Yet God is always there, He is watching, He is listening and He is actively helping me in those very moments…we don’t always get to see what He is working on.

It is after times like these that God is so present, as if I could reach out and touch Him.  He shows up every time, but it is always on His perfect timing!

Lord, help me to have faith to remember Your faithfulness and how You show up to help every time without fail.  You are a great God and I am blessed by You in every way!

Psalm 90- Gods Work

 “Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity. Let your work be seen by your servants, and your splendor by their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands — establish the work of our hands!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This phrase has been our prayer for the last few months…Lord help us to trust You, even when we don’t see what You are doing.  “Let your work be seen by your servants” is such a  perfect follow on prayer.  

And what a great reminder that God is the only one who can make our efforts matter.  I must leave it all in His hands!

Psalm 88- Depression

 “Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out before you day and night. May my prayer reach your presence; listen to my cry. You have put me in the lowest part of the Pit, in the darkest places, in the depths. Your wrath weighs heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.  Selah 

You have distanced my friends from me; you have made me repulsive to them. I am shut in and cannot go out. My eyes are worn out from crying. Lord, I cry out to you all day long; I spread out my hands to you.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭88‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What a sad and heavy psalm…I love how this is in scripture!  Feeling so far from God and feeling like He is the one who is causing our pain seems like something that would be hidden, but it is not!  It is right out in the open, because sometimes, this is how we feel, and God can handle it.

Thankfully, He doesn’t leave us there…He always restores us to relationship and shows Himself to be present, listening, caring and transforming.  He uses even these hard time to shape us into the people He wants us to be.  Most of these periods of depression help us to see ourselves more clearly and know Him more deeply.

Psalm 60- Battle for Us

 “Save with your right hand, and answer me, so that those you love may be rescued. Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we will perform valiantly; he will trample our foes.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭60‬:‭5‬, ‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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David was at war and felt that God was holding back.  David recognizes that it truly is God which is needed to help.  Anything less would just drag out the suffering…

Today I don’t have physical enemies but I do face this battle spiritually.  Daily I am faced with temptation that I am at war with…it may just be laziness or even fighting against performance to define my value.  Those seem silly because they are the opposite ends of the same spectrum, but the battle is real, and I must depend on God to bring me through with the healthy mindset.  We all face similar challenges that can only be overcome by God!

Lord help me to turn to you as soon as I recognize the fight is starting.  Allow me to recognize it early and not waste time fighting in my strength…it is just wasted energy because nothing can stand before You! We are so blessed to have your strength, power and support at every moment of every day!  Thank You for loving me!