Holy Father, The evil one seems to be coming out of the woodwork. All around me, I see his handiwork: rioting, theft, suicide, cancer, and failed marriages. All point to the work of the destroyer (John 10:10). We recognize his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). Diverting my thoughts with videos and social media isn’t the battle plan for Your people. You …
Did you catch little Cooper’s prayer? “God, God, God. Amen!” Parents Marshall and Kim Embry are using the basics to teach their 2-year-old to pray: a stilled heart and a focus upon God. Knowing this family personally, I warmed to see Cooper’s prayer. Jesus too appreciated such simplicity when He said, “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming …
Holy Father, This time of shaking has been good for me (Hebrews 12:26-27). While every structure of support crumbles away, this world shift has forced me to analyze better how I’ve built upon the Foundation. I have all sorts of building materials available: the wood of activity, the hay of busyness, and the stubble of good deeds. You’ve rocked all …
O Lord of Hosts, You alone are the pre-existing One (Nehemiah 9:6). You made the visible universe, with its prairies, mountains, streams, and oceans. Everything beneath my feet and above my vision came into being by Your spoken Word (John 1:1). When I consider the galaxies You affixed into place, I grapple to understand how each star may represent an …
O Love that will not let me go, I stand in awe, knowing that You will never abandon me (Hebrews 13:8). Even if my own father and mother desert me, You will not and cannot leave me (Psalm 27:10). You hover over me, like a protective mother bird, covering me with Your wings (Philippians 4:5; Psalm 91:4). Thank You for …
Holy Father, As I come before You today, I realize that within my flesh lies nothing good (Romans 7:18). In and of myself, my wisdom is inadequate concerning what to do about _______ (2 Corinthians 3:5). But this doesn’t deter my need to pray. In my weakness, You do not condemn (Romans 8:1). You merely say, “Call upon Me, and …
Holy Father, You have been my Deliverer in the past and continue to seek ways to liberate me (2 Corinthians 1:10). Not only do You untangle what has entangled, You are a God Who breaks the trap altogether (Psalm 25:15; 124:7). Hallelujah! Emancipation must be one of Your superpowers. Thank You for being the Rock I can run to whenever …
Holy Father, Thank You for being My Lamp in the darkness. As I look into my past, I notice Your guiding Hand has always been there, shining Light into every one of my dark situations (2 Samuel 22:29). Sometimes, my darkness is my own unwillingness to open my eyes to Your truth. But You are a God Who always seeks …
Death flew into our family that day on the wings of a storm-tossed, little bird. My thoughts struggled to find words of explanation. I knew the answer full-well but felt unprepared to explore the topic with my precious preschoolers. For days, our small Samsung TV tried valiantly to warn us of the pending deluge. Although our Chinese language was still …
The fly slipped inside as the cold air poured past him onto the covered patio. The grandsons were visiting and the back door was left ajar — again. They’d been reminded, gently at first and then more sternly as the afternoon passed, yet to no avail. The door separating the kitchen, and their badminton game suited them better when left …
