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.

Creator God,
    Who out of nothing created everything by speaking the words.  The power of Your Word astounds me.  The power of YOU astounds me.  Speak and it is.  Light.  Space.  Time.  Non-existent.  Now the very basis of our existence.  You said, "Let there be" and into being came moon and stars, land and sea, atmosphere, gravity, orbital rotation.  You said, "Everything after its own kind." And across the world, we have grass, fruit trees, hard wood trees, fir trees.  We have birds of the air in their flamboyant colors. Land animals, wild animals, and cattle.  We have lions, tigers, and bears.  Yes, oh my, but You don't stop there.  We have zebras and hippopotamuses and camels. Did You start with one hump or two?  We have dinos and dragons, lizards and grasshoppers, and everything according to its own kind.  From galaxies to geckos, Lord of amazing variety, we have a good world to live in.  And You said, "We will make man in our image," and You began with dirt and ended with Adam by breathing life into him through Your very own Spirit.
    How our souls cry out to You, our Lord and Maker.  Everything in us yearns for You, to be close to You, to know You, to walk with You as one walks with a friend down the garden path. Thank You for the opportunity to see bits of Your character in the world around us.  Thank You for showing Your creativity and reason, Your profound ability to put things together in working order.  Thank You for our eyes and our ears, the skin which protects us and yet enables us to touch the world around us.  Thank You for an amazing brain that is both logical and creative.  Thank You for our emotions, our relationships, our wills — the very things that come out of being made in Your image.
    Creator God, I cannot begin to grasp Your vastness, the immensity of the I AM who was and is and ever will be.  I cannot grasp the love that moved You to create, to seek fellowship with created creatures.  There is so much involved when I seek You as Creator.  More than just this world.  More than myself.  More, Builder of the Church and Master of governments, than what this world offers. You are the God who conceived a plan and fulfilled it.  Thank You for allowing me to have a part.  Thank You for giving me life.  Thank You for giving me purpose in this faith walk.  Thank You for pouring out Your Spirit.  Thank You for choosing to put Your characteristics into this world.
    Help us even now to see You in what You have created and to acknowledge You as the Creator.  I praise You, Father, Son, Spirit, for the six day work of creation and for the continuing work of revealing Yourself to individuals today. You are worthy of all our praise.
    In Jesus' name, Amen.

You are the God who told Abraham, "I am who I am."  You are the God who told the Jews, "Before Abraham was born, I am!"  So today, I pray to the Great I AM, the God who was before all things and is self-existent and self-sufficient.  No one can add to You or detract from You.  No one can give to You anything that isn't rightly Yours.  Nor can anyone take from You anything that You haven't chosen to release.  You are before time and space.  You are outside of time and space.  You created time and space.
    I AM, I bow in Your presence.  I worship You because You are worthy to be praised.  Even if You never did another thing for Your creatures, You remain worthy to be praised.  But You don't stop on Your past works.  You don't stand on Your laurels of creation and sustaining this world and now tell us we are on our own.  You don't even stop with the redeeming work of the shed blood of Jesus Christ which takes away the sin of the world.  No, Lord who is the I AM, You seek us every day, You pursue us.  You come for us and pick us out the pits of our own making.  You speak truth over us and wrap us in Your love.  How could I not praise You when I stop to consider?
    You, the To Be of all things, are God, the unchanging, the invisible, the eternal, the unstoppable.  Yet You are compassionate and generous, slow to anger and abounding in love.  You are patient and forgiving.  You have extended mercy to a thousand generations of those who love You.  You hold back Your wrath upon this generation.  And I thank You for it.  I thank You for not calling us to account today, but giving us one more chance by faith to seek You in return.  Thank You for the chance to be still and know that You are God.  The I AM God who was and IS and is to come, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
    In the beginning of this new year, I yield to Your greatness.  I praise You and worship You because You are God, the I AM.
    In Jesus' name, Amen

Holy God, who defeated death by Jesus' work on the cross, we come to You today as the Victor of the war against sin and Satan.  We come to You as the Greatest Warrior of all time, who set Your face for the work before You, humbled Yourself, and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.  You are exalted to the highest place and are given the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So we confess today that Jesus is Lord.  We praise You and glorify Your Name.  We kneel to You who saved us when we were hopeless and helpless.  We thank You for every day that You do not abandon us and continue to meet our needs in this fallen world.  We thank You for how You continue to fight with us the spiritual battles still before us.  Commander of Angel Armies, we pledge our service to You.

And, Lord of all life, we thank You for a day to remember our honorable dead, a day to remember that You still desire Your people to fight for the widow and the orphan, those who cannot fight for themselves, those who bring evil to Your children, those who do not bend their knee in service to You.  We thank You for those who sacrifice for the cause of Christ, for the love of country and family and Lord.  We thank You for those who lived Your peace on the battlefield before their companions and enemies.  We thank You for those who sacrificed their lives for the lives of their brothers and friends. You are the only God who gives courage and hope and life.

We thank You for the opportunity to be still and remember that honorable living is not easy, not for the lazy or complacent, not for the man who desires comfort and pleasure.  And we thank You for each one You have raised up to sacrifice in joy and humility and grace.  None of us can live a consistent life of honor without You, the God who pours out abundant grace in our moment of need.  Thank You for going to battle with Your soldiers.  Thank You for being a Commander who leads and follows and surrounds.  Thank You that being in the center of Your will is the safest place to be.  May we understand as Your son, Jim Elliot, professed, "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Praise to the Name of Jesus Christ who has won everything we need now and forevermore.  Amen.

Holy God, who guided Your Son to pray for unity within Your church, unify us anew.  Remove the parts of our doctrines that are based on the philosophies of men and the traditions of this world.  Purify our individual hearts that we would have the one mind of Christ, seeking to worship You and love others.  And, Lord, reform us as we confess our sins and forgive those who have sinned against us.

On this day of remembrance, we, as members of Your Body, plead for Your intervention in our world.  This is not a time for the forces of evil to celebrate.  This is a time for Your glory to be seen for miles and decades in these places of darkness.  Shine, Lord Jesus, among Your people and pour Your mercy upon the captives, freeing them to likewise shine for You.  You are able.  You hold all power and authority.  We trust Your decisions and timing.

Thank You for those members of Your church who loved You more they feared men.  Thank You for their faithfulness.  May we be faithful, too, seeking Your face, carrying our crosses, and embracing the sacrifice, knowing that in losing our lives we gain Christ.

In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Tell me, Lord, am I so afraid of doing the wrong thing that I won't even try to do the right thing any longer?  And if so, what I am really afriad of?  Disobeying You?  Unintentionally teaching a lie?  Causing someone to stumble?  Disappointing You?

Oh.  I see.  I have fogotten the magnitude of Your grace, forgotten the power of Your Holy Spirit.

So, is the bottom line that I am more concerned about failing in the world's eyes than Yours?  Is the problem not so much that I have forgotten Your grace, but that I don't want to trust Your ways of working grace into my life?  I want to be used for glorious things that show the world how close I am to Jesus.  You want me to die to self–to do mundane things, habilitual things, unexpected things that remind me to depend on You.

I want to do big things, but I keep messing them up.  Life doesn't go as I planned.  And now I'm afraid to try because I've failed so often.

All I can do is once again throw myself on Your mercy.  Please forgive me.  Remove the pride that holds me captive.  I yield to You, my Creator.  I am only a redeemed child because of Your blood and Your mercy.  I only know of Your grace because You have sought me and healed me.  Come again with new anointing because I believe Your Word and trust Your promises and know that You are greater than my cold, useless pride.  You win and I win in You.  I will step out in faith because I don't have to be successful or understood or glorified.  I am complete in You.  And You are completely worthy.

I praise the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Father God, raise up workers for the harvest fields.

Call people from the next generation to have hearts for speaking the Truth and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Send them into hill country, inner cities, remote islands, famine-wasted countries, and idol-infested lands.  Raise them up to know You and to obey Your Spirit even unto death.  Fill them with faith and love in You and with compassion and mercy for those to whom they minister.

Bless those in fields of study, preparing to serve You with all their hearts.  Teach them now the lessons of humility and servanthood and grace.  Bless them with knowledge of medicine, agriculture, architecture, administration, to fulfill the work You have prepared in advance.

Bless those on the field even now, Lord.  Strengthen their faith in the work of Jesus Christ.  Grant them resources to preach, baptize, and make disciples of all nations. Protect them and fill them with Your peace that passes the understanding of news media and complacent Christianity.

Lord God, bless Your church, local and abroad.  May they teach Your Word in fullness and Truth.  Hold them unified as one Body.  Grant them diversity through spiritual gifts, talents, and ministries.  Bless those called to short-term missions and to outreach ministries.  Add to their numbers daily as they labor in their communities through Christ's love.

And, Father, don't forget me.  Hold me faithful, motivate me to touch others.  Grant me the awesome privilege to harvest in Your field today.  I ask it in Jesus' Name.