Protector of my heart and my spirit, I praise You for both Your love and Your power, working together for my best in every situation. Like a missile, You are both offense and defense when it comes to protecting Your children. You are Shield and Sword. You are the Rock we stand on and the Rock that crushes, the Cornerstone the Church is built upon, the Capstone the builders rejected.

But, Prince of Peace, when I think of You as my Protector, I remember the chivalry and pageantry of the Middle Ages. You are my Fortress and Strong Tower. You are my Buckler and my Armor. My Shield. The Banner that covers me when I ride into battle. You go before me and behind me, and yet surround me. I am safe in Christ.

You are the Safe Place and the One who dwells within me. You amazing Holy Spirit. My Refuge. Holy God, nothing can touch me without Your permission. Thank You. Thank You for safety, blessing, and hope. Thank You for correction, discipline, and trials that draw me back into Your arms. Thank You for being my white Knight, my Prince, and my King.

I worship You with my words. May I worship You this day with my life. Safe in You, what should I fear? Help me to live with abandon for Jesus, my Protector.

To the God who heals:

Lord, I can't help but think about my dad who died from cancer.  Friends gone from this world before they gained gray hairs.  Alzheimer's disease and dementia. We are all destined to die once and then the judgment.  But You are the God who said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you."
    And I know that You heal from so much more than diseases.  I have been the recipient of Your healing when You gave me a new heart in Christ, when You healed me from agreements I made with Satan's lies, when You restored relationships that I had ripped apart.  You are the Healer of our sicknesses and our sin.  You heal bodies, minds, marriages, and mistakes.  You are never too late, because the ultimate healing is standing in Your presence and knowing Truth.
    Thank You, Healer God, for wanting more for us than what this life offers. Thank You for providing the sacrifice and shedding the blood that heals us from our foulest enemy, death.  And, thank You, too, for the small mercies, the shrunken tumors, the healed bones, the bodies that You created for us that are programmed to heal on the cellular level.  You are amazing, God.  We worship You, the YHWH Rophe.

To the Lord who provides,

    I stop this day to consider the things Your hands have provided.  Stability in earth — gravity, atmosphere, seasons, ecosystems. Purpose in life — to love, to help, to serve, to give.  The assurance of things not seen by me — Life spoken into existence, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the purity of Your written Word, a prepared place in Your Kingdom. The joys of this moment — sunshine on my cheek, a lazy dog at my feet, an operating  computer, clear water in my glass. The beauty You've sprinkled on top — waterfalls and rocky mountains, girlfriends and deep conversations, a red tulip among bobbing daffodils, and ways to know You.

    Lord who provides, when I consider that You are the One who lives outside of time and space, it is no wonder that You are the God who "sees beforehand" and the Lord who "will see to it."  You, Jehovah Jireh, Yahweh Yireh, are the One who sees and then does.  You are not a God of only words because when You speak, things happen.  Stars come into existence. Waters separate from sky. Plants pop into being.  You are still the Creator God.  In Your current provision, You hold all things in existence.  You never drop the ball; You never get too busy and forget a promise. You provide to the smallest detail.

    And You provide me with hope. I have not experienced all of You and all that You have to offer.  There is more to come.  More beauty, more joy, more purpose, more stability.  There is more of You to know, and yes, even in that, I see You as the Provider, the One who brings it about.  Your Spirit will lead me into all truth.  Your Spirit will provide the clarity even as Your Son provided the Way.  You are still in the saving business, and I praise You for Your provision.  Thank You, Provider, for filling me.

    In Jesus' name.  Amen.

[As we have been studying the Names of God, one of my friends wrote her thoughts to the Lord, and I wanted to share with you.]

     Father, God, If You indeed are the Potter and we the clay, then mold us, Lord, Elohim, the Great Creator God.  Make us into a majestic work of art — not that we may be magnified, but that You and You alone may be glorified, and honored, and revered as the Adonai – the Sovereign One – the Yahweh, the Great I Am.  And, what would we be in Your Hands,  Oh LORD?  Not a vase that was beautiful to look at but empty on the inside, not a hardened lump of clay that could be used only to bludgeon and bring injury, but rather one who is soft on the inside, pliable in Your Hands, Lord, to be molded by You into whatever You need us to be to accomplish Your will, and still hard enough on the outside to withstand the constant batterings inflicted upon us at the hands of the enemy and the careless misuse of well-intentioned loved ones.  Father, may we always be a useful vessel, a conduit through which You can pour out Your love to a hurting and needy generation, who would otherwise perish when the day of judgment comes.
Amen.

Lord Jesus,
    When it comes to understanding this Name that is above every name, this Name at which every knee will eventually bend in submission … what should I know?  How should I worship You?  Jesus, this Name that means YHWH saves, I come to You and only You for salvation, for the washing away of my sin in Your blood.  Foolishness to those who don't understand.  Our only hope for those whom You have granted understanding.
    You are the only Way.  In You is all life.  From You comes the opportunity for everlasting life in Light — which You are, too.  Everything ties up in Jesus.  Everything has purpose in Jesus.  Is it any wonder that God says all His promises are made "yes" in You?
    Lord Jesus, I lay my heart out before You today for remolding, recasting, replacing.  Whatever it needs.  I offer it to You as a living sacrifice, as a place holder for all of my time, thoughts, and ambitions.  I give myself to You this day, and find — as always — that I am the winner and You are holding a prize that needs Your touch to make it — me — have value.  But in Your care, Lord, in Your care, I am exactly what is needed for this moment in time.  I am in the right place to do the right thing because You are with me, guiding and shielding me, enabling me, strengthening, granting me the wisdom for the decision, the fortitude to resist the temptation to do something other than what You have called me to in this moment.  That is the YHWH who saves, the Christ, the Messiah, the Image of the invisible God, the Word made flesh.  That Jesus.  Holy Jesus.  Living Jesus.  Unstoppable Jesus.
    Thank You for the opportunity to live in You and use Your Name with all the authority that the Father has given to You.  Thank You, Jesus, my Savior and King.

Sovereign Master,
I come to You today as Your subject, Your servant, Your slave.  I come to You as one who depends on You for every part of my existence, from breath to death.  You are the One who controls by Your very self-existent character. When I think of control, Lord, I think of power.  Of being in control.  You simply are control.  Out of You comes order, light, goodness, life.
    My King who loves me as a Father, thank You for adopting me into royalty, for making me an heir with Christ, for granting me a position of favor.  Thank You for the times when I come into the throne room to receive my mission instructions, the battle plans for the day, or my work orders.  But thank You even more for the times when I can sit at Your feet and listen to Your stories.  When I feel Your love and know that I am Your beloved child. Thank You for teaching me as well as instructing me.
    Sovereign, I confess it is hard for me to grasp what it means to be a servant. I'm an American girl in the 21st century.  On top of that, I'm self-employed.  From whom do I take orders?  So I don't have a lot of practice thinking of You as the Ultimate Boss.  But I take comfort in knowing that You are in complete control of universe.  Unlike a capitalist employer or a greedy dictator, You are always bent toward what is right and good, what is best for the present and the future.  And You are able to bring about the best because You have the power, the wisdom, and the will to do so.  Please forgive me for ever doubting Your goodness and efficiency.  You never mess up, and I can trust You completely.
    Master, I come before You with my requests for the day. (Though on second thought, I am equally sure You provide with precision.)  Help me to think right.  Help me to love others.  Help me to forgive those who hurt me even as I expect You to forgive me when I hurt them.  Please, Master, give me the strength for the work today.  Thank You that I will have the joy of Your companionship as I go about fulfilling Your plans.  You are that kind of a Sovereign King — One who does the hardest jobs Yourself and helps us to succeed with the easier tasks.
    May Your Name be praised today and forever.  Amen.