Bless our Children

Promise of the Day:
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
(Psalm 27:3)

Prayer:
Good Morning Lord! As You well know, today is the anniversary of the birth of my son. He was a 6 lb. bundle of joy and blessing from You. O how I wished I could have protected his innocence from time. I wished I could have saved him from the sadness of this world, been able to even change the world for him, but I could not. I do thank You, though, for giving him to me for a short time. I had him just long enough to help him grow, and then with Your grace, I had to learn to let him go. And now, I ask that Your guardian angels will watch over him as they have in the past. I pray that Your sweet Holy Spirit will protect him from making wrong choices, and protect him from harm. Keep him in Your word. Touch him today with a special peace from You. Thank You for being his God.
Amen

Isaiah 62

Promise of the Day:
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
(Isaiah 62:3)

Prayer:
Some awesome thoughts came to mind as I read Your Word, Lord. In my Old Testament reading for the day, in Isaiah 62 , verse 3, it says I will be a crown of beauty, and a royal diadem (which is headgear). And in verse 4, You say "my delight is in her" (I put my own name in as the 'her'), so You delight in 'Carol'. Now, Lord, I know these verses are speaking of Israel, but I believe it is not taking too much license to use them for myself, as I am a spiritual descendant of Abraham, and I am a child of the King. So here is what I have found in Isaiah 62 beginning with verse 2:
1. I will be given a new name, given to me by You (vs. 2)
2. I will be a 'crown of beauty' to You (vs. 3)
3. I will be as a royal diadem (headgear of royalty) (vs. 3)
4. You find delight in me (vs. 4)
5. And You will rejoice over me (vs. 5)
Wow! Lord. Thank You for loving me 'for Your sake.' (Isa. 43:25) Amen

Crowns

Promise of the Day:
There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (II Tim. 4:8)

Prayer:
My Daily Lights reading for today, Lord, has several verses put together telling me about my treasures in Heaven, as well as a crown. As I look back on my life, I don't feel I even deserve a crown, but our verse says it is already laid up for me. Throughout Your Word, I have found several crowns listed:
1. The Crown of Righteousness (from our verse in II Tim. 4:8)
2. The Crown of Life (Rev. 2:10 and James 1:12)
3. The Crown of Glory (I Peter 5:4)
4. The Crown of Rejoicing (I Thess. 2:19)
These crowns are to be incorruptible, they will last forever! And these crowns are to be mine, only because of what You did for me on Calvary! I have done nothing to deserve them. You are so Good! You are the Life in me! You are my All and my Salvation! Holy Lord, You are my treasure and it is at Your feet where I will leave my heart and my crown. Amen

Following My Guide

Promise of the Day:
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalm 32:8)


Prayer:
Lord, You are my guide through this world. My journey is to that city not made with hands, and this world is not my home. In Your Word You tell me HOW You will guide me. The verse for today states "with Your eye", so I must keep my gaze on You. In Isaiah 52:12 it tells me you will 'lead me in the way' and You are my 'rear guard'. Yet another verse admonishes not to turn to my right or left. So, I will follow You to that better country, knowing You will not only guide but also protect me. You are my Shepherd-king, and with Your rod and staff You will lead me all the way. Amen

Hebrews 12

Promise of the Day:
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Prayer:
Lord, I am overcome with emotion as I am reading Hebrews 12. The Israelites were so awed, so frightened by Your presence in vs. 19 and 20 that they begged You not to speak to them. In vs. 21, Moses was said to be terrified. But then, through Your 'grace', we see a new picture in vs. 22-24, with the multitude of angels, the 'Church', and all the redeemed from ages past--gathered around Jesus the mediator. You, Jesus, who shed Your blood which speaks of 'mercy' (vs. 24), rather than vengence as Abel's blood did in Gen. 4:10. What an amazing Grace! How can we reject such a great salvation? Vs. 28 states in the Amplified version: "offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe." I give You my worship--my 'sacrifice of praise', and my all! Amen

Resting on the Faithful One

Promise of the Day:
According to your faith be it unto you. (Matthew 9:29)

Prayer:
Lord, I've learned to believe that the term "praying through" means to keep praying until I have Your peace in my heart about something, and then just rest in You, Your will to be done. If I were to only receive answers according to my faith, I would have few, but I live by the "faith of the Son of God." It is Your Faithfulness, Your love, and Your peace that holds me together. I have just to quit striving after 'faith' and rest on You, the Faithful One, and Your faithfulness. You are my strength and my Rock. Amen

Knowledge of the Faithful One

Promise of the Day:
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (II Peter 3:18)

Prayer:
To know You is to love You, O Lord. The more I learn to know You, the more I marvel at how You work; the more I learn of Your attributes, then the more Faith I will have. Hudson Taylor learned that Faith was just a complete leaning on You mentally, physically, spiritually, and I can only do this by knowing You. I seek, not to know the future, but to gain an intimate knowledge of You, and this knowledge is the very foundation of my faith. Amen

The Faithfulness of God

Promise of the Day:
O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? (Psalm 89:8 KJV)

Prayer:
"Great is thy Faithfulness, Oh God my Father!" Faithfulness is one of Your attributes, O Lord. You are all Faithfulness, just as You are all Love, all Wisdom, all Goodness to name a few of your attributes. It is by this Faithfulness that I live...'by the faith of the Son of God'. (Gal. 2:20 KJV) In the book of Revelation, in the Apocalypse, You are seen astride a white horse, and the names You bear are "Faithful and True". It is Your faithfulness that sees me through the trials of this world, that gives me strength when I am at my weakest. It is by Your Faithfulness that You promise to never leave me, and You hold me by the power of Your right hand. Your Faithfulness will never fail.
Amen

Life by Death

Promise of the Day:
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (Romans 6:10)

Prayer:
Jesus my Lord, It was Your death that gave me life! Your death was like the aloe plant--it blossoms with many flowers, and each little bloom as it dies and falls to the ground, becomes a new living plant; and so your death becomes life for untold souls. But Lord, You did not just lay down Your life for us--You took it up again, Your body was raised incorruptible, glorified, first fruits of the dead! You are now not our dying Savior, but you are our living Savior, seated with the Father, ever praying for us--for me! You have given me power through Your Holy Spirit living in me--I am Yours, and You are the Fathers, and the Spirit is with me, so in essence, I am one with the Trinity! This is what you did for me by dying and then taking up Your life again. This life that I now live I can live by Your faithfulness! This is Grace! This is wonderful, marvelous, amazing Grace! Amen
He is Risen!
He is Risen, indeed!

Agony and Triumph

Promise of the Day:
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples,...tarry ye here, and watch with Me. (Matt. 26:36, 38)

Prayer:
O Lord, we can never know the agony of Gethsemane. Oswald Chambers says "it is the agony of God and Man in one, face to face with sin". Gethsemane was Satan's final onslaught against You as the Son of Man. It was here and at the Cross, God and sin clashed. The Cross of Christ is a triumph as You triumphed over sin, death and Satan. It is at the Cross I say with Paul "I am crucified with Christ." It is at the Cross I can say "I live, yet not I but You live within me." It is at the Cross I am humbled, knowing it is Your agony of Gethsemane and the Cross that is also Your triumph for saving the human race. Because of Your agony, I can now enter in to the very presence of the Father. Thank You for being triumphant for me! Amen

Forsaken

Promise of the Day:
Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:45, 46)

Prayer:
The question is often asked 'do you think the Father actually forsook Jesus?' God's Word says He did. He did not lose control of the situation, all went according to His divine plan, but He did have to turn away leaving Jesus to die alone, so that I would not have to die alone. Jesus bore on Himself, in His body, the compresssion of all sin. Oh the agony of that moment! And He did this to give us, to give me, what it states in Romans 8:1: "there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."

 Oh, my Lord, the One whom my soul loves, You bore the curse for me so that I might be justified, just as if I had never sinned! 'For God loved me so much that He sent His only begotten son for me!' What Grace! What Amazing Grace! Amen

In His Presence

Promise of the Day:
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
(Proverbs 8:34)


Prayer:
Even while I am in my mortal body on this earth, Lord, I can sit in Your presence; meet You at Your gates. When two who truly love each other are together, speech is not needed, just being in each others presence is enough. Couples who have long been married, will often show similarities, and sometimes even begin to look alike because they have been long in each others presence. My prayer is that I will take on Your ways, the fruit of the Spirit, namely: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control, as listed in Galations 5:22. I pray I will begin to have my Father's eyes, and my face will take on Your reflection. All of this because I have been long and often in Your presence, with You surrounding me as the air I breath. I Love You, Lord. It is my joy to be with You. Just give me Jesus. Amen

What Things?

Promise of the Day:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

Prayer:
Lord, I have read this verse many times, in fact it is a verse I memorized as a child; yet for the first time, as I was reading it again I thought "what things?". What more can You give me? When one has the Kingdom of God within, what more can I want? You are my ALL Lord. You are my hearts desire! Throughout Your Word You are listed as so many things to me. To name a few: You are my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my strength, my shield. Psalm 18 adds buckler, my stay, and of course, 'My God'. I Peter says You are my Shepherd, and my bishop; and in Hebrews You are called My High Priest. What more can I ask for, Lord? You are everything to me, and I 'lift my hands' in praise to You. Amen

True Happiness

Promise of the Day:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Prayer:
This world is not my home, Lord, and Paul tells us we will have trials and tribulations in this world. But it is in this life I learn to cast all my care upon You. Your strength is my strength, and Your peace my peace. In this life I will learn to be content in whatever circumstance I find myself, because You are with me. It is in this life I learn that You have plans for me, plans to do good and share Your love with others. It is in this life I learn to present myself to You in complete surrender, and then I will find 'true happiness'. Amen

My Creator

Promise of the Day:
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast. (Psalm 33:6, 9)

Prayer:
"Where were you when the worlds were formed?" You asked Job in Job 38. "Who closed the sea doors and gave it boundaries?" It is You, O Lord, who made the seas, and even the dew drop. And how did You do this, make the worlds? It was by the 'breath of Your mouth!" You are Majesty, O Lord! You spoke and it happened!
When I consider all of this, Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, I say as David did in Psalm 8:4, 'What is man that You are mindful of him?' Then, Lord, I join with Job again and say as he did in Job 42, 'I did not understand. You are too wonderful!' Teach me, Lord. Open my ears and my eyes, that I might see you. You alone are my God and King and all the heavens declare Your Glory! Amen

Let Nature Sing!

Promise of the Day:
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. (Song of Solomon 2:12)

Prayer:
Dear Lord, Creator of All, if my ears could just be attuned I would hear all of creation praising You. It states in Job 38 that the stars make music. And in Psalm 96 it states: the heavens are glad, the earth rejoices; the sea roars, the field exults and the trees sing for joy. When the flowers come forth with new life, I know they are lifting their pretty heads to sing new songs to You. Our verse reminds me of the birds singing and making melody. Thank You for giving us such a beautifully colored, musical earth and sky. It is all just a little bit of heaven given to us now to share and enjoy. I will join all nature in singing and giving praises to You, my God! Amen

Nothing is Too Small

Promise for Today:
And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed...they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand. (Mark 8:7-9)

Prayer:
Lord, I sometimes feel I have so little to offer, but with You, no act given in Your name is too small. Even a cup of water given in the name of Jesus, is important. You are aware of each little sparrow, You have counted the number of hairs on my head, You keep my tears in a bottle. Nothing is too small to You, Lord. This is what makes You such an awsome God! When I think of the vastness of the universe, the greatness and beauty of the earth, then I think "who am I, Lord, that You are mindful of me?" What a God! What a Savior! Amen

Spirit-Senses

Promise:
God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

Prayer:
Lord, You have givcn us physical senses in order to communicate with 'earth-things', namely: touch, smell, taste, seeing and hearing. But to communicate with You it is from within, not outside of me. Your Word says God is a Spirit, and we must worship Him in Spirit. To communicate with You I need: Love, Joy, Peace. With Love I will love You and Love others with Your love. Your Peace comes to me from a trusting heart. The peace received from You is beyond my understanding. I receive Joy from You, and You promise in John 15:11 that Your Joy will remsin in me that my joy will be full. May these Spirit-Senses be my way of communication between You and world around me. Your Love, Your Joy, Your Peace is eternal. Thank You Lord. Amen

High Places

Promise:
The Lord God is my strength and He will make my feet like Hinds' Feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine High Places. (Habakkuk 3:19)

Prayer:
Lord, I love the allegory of "Hinds' Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard. This is a story of little 'Much Afraid' with her crippled feet and twisted body, who decides to follow the shepherd to the mountians, with his promise of giving her Hinds' Feet at the end of the journey. Once she has learned to embrace Sorrow and Suffering and accept them as her companions is she able to complete her journey. Of course the shepherd is always just a call away, and when the road was especially difficult he walked beside her and even carried her. By the time she reaches the top, she was made whole and is given hinds' feet to leap over the mountains, and also given a new name of Grace and Glory. The shepherd could have given her hinds' feet right away, but oh the special blessings she would have missed. So it is with my life Lord. Oh that You would make the difficulties go away with a snap of your fingers, but I have lessons to learn and lives to touch along the way. Through it all, You will sustain me, and I too will someday reach the 'high places' with hinds' feet, and a new name. Thank you, Shepherd. Amen

Out of the Depths

Promise:
Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord. (Psa. 130:1)

Prayer:
O Lord, sometimes the night seems so long, the shadows deep. How often in years gone by I have been in the 'pit', and for several years I wallowed there. But then came the morning--night turned into day! A verse from a poem my mother wrote years ago covers this so well:

Out of the depths of sorrow,
The midnight of despair,
I cried unto thee, my Savior
And found thee waiting there.
Oh, joy in the midst of darkness,
Oh, peace I can not understand,
For He reaches the depths of my sorrow
And holds me by my hand.

You were just waiting for me to call to you, to cast my all on You and You picked me up and held me to Your cheek (Hosea 4:11-NIV study notes). Thank You for reaching the depths of my greatest needs, and restoring Your Joy once more. Amen

Forgiven AND Forgotton!

Promise:
"...through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."
(Acts 10:43)

Prayer:
Lord, it is hard for me to comprehend that You forgive me, but even harder to fathom that what You forgive, You forget! Yet it says so in Your Word, not once, but many times. Isaiah 44:22 declares "I have blotted out..thy transgressions"; and Isa. 43:25 states "...I will not remember thy sins". In Jeremiah 31:34 it states "I will remember their sin no more", and Micah 7:10 states "thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." And here is a most precious verse to cover it all, from Rev. 1:5 "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood..." to You, O Lord "be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Holy, Holy, Holy! I give You my 'Sacrifice of Praise.' Amen

Without Fault!

Promise:
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,...(Jude 24)

Prayer:
Sometimes, Lord, when I read verses stating that I am without fault, I am holy, unblameable, I just fill up inside with awe and amazement and gratitutde. Col. 1:22 states "to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." I, who have fallen so low, can still be presented faultless! Oh Lord, I fall to my knees before You in Praise! You delight in mercy, You have compassion! You remember our sins no more! Truly, you are a merciful God! Amen

What a Savior!

Promise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory. (Psalm 115:1)

Prayer:
It's not about me, Lord, it is all about You! Not I, but Christ. I will Praise You in the morning, I will praise You at noon; I will praise Your name in the evening! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Oh that all creatures here below would praise You! Praise to God from all the heavenly hosts! Praise Him, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things and because of Your will they existed, and were created." (Rev. 4:11) Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen

Be Strong

Promise:
We were troubled on evey side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
(II Cor. 7:5)

Prayer:
The troubles of this world are nothing compared to the glory to come, Lord, but sometimes I feel surrounded by troubles, without and within. There are verses in Your Word, however, in which you remind me that You are my strength and power (II Sam 22:33). Another one (II Cor. 3:5) reminds me that my sufficiency is from You. And In Hebrews 11:34 I am told that out of my weakness I will be made strong. You are my shield and my might. You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind (II Tim. 1:7). And so Lord, though troubles are on every side, by your strength I will face them in the name of the Lord, and will 'fight the good fight of Faith." I will be an overcomer! Amen

He is Always There!

Promise:
Peace I leave with you...I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27 NIV)

Prayer:
"Lord of Heaven;
Lord of Earth;
Lord who gave me second birth;
You are there...You are my
God and King, You are forever
Holy, Lord."
These words from a song sung by Sandi Patty Have been going through my mind, Lord. And this brings to my thoughts Psalm 139 where David wrote that "if I go to the heavens, You are there; or to the depths, You are there...I cannot get away from thee." Praise Your name, You are always 'there'! You are always with me! Thank you for Your Love, so amazing and so divine! Thank you for your Peace that passes all understanding! Thank you that you meet all my needs. Amen

In Time of Trial

Promise:
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Cor. 4:17 KJV)

Prayer:
Lord, You told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him as wheat, but You had prayed for him. Thank You, Lord, for this comfort--that You pray for me. No matter what my trial, be it temptation to sin, or physical pain, or heartache, You have prayed for me. In Romans 8:31 it tells me that if You are for me, then who can be against me? And in Psalm 27:1 it states that with You as my light and salvation, who shall I fear? You are my Jehovah-Nissi, my banner over me (SofS 2:4), and that banner is 'love'. Thank You Lord, I cast all my care upon You. Amen

Praise to the Son

Promise:

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b)



Prayer:

Jesus, Lord, Raboni, Begotten of the Father, Our Bright and Morning Star, Immanuel--God with us! You are the Lamb that was slain! You are the King of Kings! I bow before You, Lord, I am not worthy to touch the hem of Your garment--yet You have made me clean, You have covered me with Your Righteousness. Without You I am nothing, without You I cannot do anything. Without You, how lost I would be! I worship You and I adore You Lord!

Jesus, just give me more of You! Amen

Praise to the Spirit

Promise:
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge... (Isaiah 11:2)

Prayer:
Spirit of the Living God, Sweet Heavenly Dove, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Glory, fall fresh on me today. Teach me, melt me, mold me. Give me the mind of Christ. Thank You for giving me a new life. Take over my whole being, fill me with Your love and comfort. Fill every nook and cranny of my heart, fill every cell of my body. Spirit of prayer, teach me to pray. Thank You for presenting my prayers before the Father according to His will. Thank you for giving me the Spirit of Adoption so that I may say "Abba, Father".

My Loving Father

Promise:
For the Father himself loveth you. (John 16:27)

Prayer:
You, O my God and Father, see me and love me! I come before Your presence through Jesus Christ. When I come to You I am actually entering the Throne Room of the Living God! What an aweseome thought! This alone is amazing! I can come 'boldly' before the Throne, entering into Your presence with singing, and into Your courts with Praise. Thank You for loving me and being my "Abba' Father. Amen

Sacrifice of Praise

Promise:
Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. (Hebrews 13:15)

Prayer:
Lord, the first time I noticed this expression I could not understand it. Praise should not be a sacrifice, or so I thought. I've been reading that You inhabit the praises of your people (Psa. 22:3). Some versions say You are "enthroned" upon our praises. Praise will even bring Your presence into a painful situation, honoring You.

Another Psalm, in 50:23, says "he who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so I may show him the salvation of God." When I am troubled, perplexed or sorrowing, I should praise You and thank You; then I will have joy in the midst of sorrow, joy in the midst of pain, singing in the darkness. Paul said he had troubles on every side, yet he was always rejoicing. So Lord, I give to you my "Sacrifice of Praise". Amen

The Morning Watch

Promise:
Be ready in the morning, and come up...present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee. (Exodus 34:2,3)

Prayer:
Lord, I love our morning watch together. For years now I have risen early and spent time with You, making this my first transaction of the day. I know I can not expect to be victorious unless I have had a few quiet moments with just You and me. I only wish I had done this all of my life. But even though I came to You late, You looked beyond my faults, accepted me as I am, and our time together is sweet and precious.

"Begin the day with God!
He is thy Sun and Day!
His is the radiance of thy dawn;
To Him address thy day."
(words by Horatius Bonar)

Good Morning, Lord! Amen