Pray. Research. Pray. Vote.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:27 NIV)

Omnipotent God,

Search our hearts and minds and intercede for your people in this nation. Teach us your will and your ways and give us a heart for the Lost in these United States. Let your Spirit intercede for us and this nation so that we your people can do your will.

Amen.

Pray. Research. Pray. Vote.

God,

Your Word tells us that you have searched us and known us, that you perceive our thoughts from afar.  You know every word on our tongues before it is said.  God, forgive our words, thoughts, and deeds that seek to divide and to harm.  Help us similarly forgive each other so we can be one nation under God - indivisible.

Amen.

Lord God,

Sometimes when we come to you in prayer we don't know where to start - life seems to be such a tangled mess that only YOU have the ability to untangle it.

So it is today in these United States.  For all the wonderful, freedom-loving, life-giving attributes of this country, she is burdened by decades of corruption, greed, and poor care-taking by our "leaders."

So, God, first I pray that you would pour out YOUR wisdom upon us as a nation.  We desperately need your guidance if we are to have any hope of untangling this mess.

In the name of Christ I pray.
Amen

Pray.  Research.  Pray.  Vote.

Two years ago I sensed that the season to write for this blog was over.  I have let it exist in cyberspace hoping that if someone read it they would receive comfort, encouragement, or whatever God chooses to give them.

Today I am even more concerned for our nation, our freedoms, our economy, our families, our future.  I am sickened by the political climate in our nation in advance of these hugely important national elections.  I have received several forwarded emails calling Christians to 40 days of prayer for our nation prior to the elections November 6 and I have decided to do that focused prayer.  I write because it helps me pray.

Please join me in praying for our nation and our future.

Silence

I have not written a blog entry for over a month. That doesn't mean I haven't been praying, but I am more and more praying "in sighs too deep for words." God is calling me to a deeper place, something I can only work out with him. So, for now I will not plan to write for the blog. I will only wait for the Lord and see where this part of my journey goes...

Salvation

O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago.

In that day they will say,
"Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." (Isa. 25 NIV)

This past weekend I traveled out of state to visit my parents, sisters, and their families. In the process of the weekend visit I was thinking about an upcoming worship series at our church that, in part, talks about the end times. And I was grieving for the selfishness and pain and sorrow in our world.

While I know that all these things are the norm in a "bent" world (CS Lewis's term), I also know that they will be eliminated only after Christ's return and the start of the New Heaven and New Earth. In the meantime, there are millions of people languishing in sin, sorrow, selfishness, and without the trust in Christ for their future. Would you join me in praying for their salvation?

God,

O LORD, you are our God; We will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

You said you want to draw all people to you - that you want all to be saved from eternity without you. We claim that promise for these loved ones and friends that we name now ....

....for my cousin and her family - that they would know Jesus as the Messiah they have awaited

...for my uncle, aunt, and cousin - that they would come back to the Truth, Way, and Life you offer

...for my relative whose "fruit" is destructive in the family - replace that heart of stone with a heart for your love alone and let it then flow out to bless the family

... We pray that your salvation would spring up within them, that they would be drawn by your Spirit into your arms of love. We pray they would accept this gift of grace you offer to them and trust you for their salvation, their purpose, their healing, and their abundant life lived in you. We pray they would then rejoice in their salvation and live lives pleasing and honoring to your Kingdom. Lord Jesus, it's in your name we pray....Amen.

Family hurts

Tonight I talked with someone whose spouse is very unsupportive, even verbally abusive. There are two preschool children in this marriage who watch and absorb this environment. My heart hurts for this situation.

God, you who created all things and said they were good, we pray for each of these parents to be drawn deeply into conviction and relationship with you. We pray for protection for these children - especially emotional and spiritual protection - that they would see themselves as precious children deeply loved by you and that their self image and emotional tanks would be filled by that Truth. We pray for healing in the hearts, minds, spirits, and marriage that I refer to. Oh, Lord God, you who said it is by your Spirit that the mountains would be moved: move in this family. Turn their hard hearts back to you and give them new hearts for you and for each other. This is a family close to my heart, but your heart sees each and every family and knows all families who are hurting. God, we pray for mercy, grace, healing for them. We pray for salvation for all involved. We pray you would draw men and women, boys and girls, into your arms of love. In the name of the healing Jesus, Amen.