Pray for Our Leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-2—First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.

We have just turned the page on the 2014 elections, but the negative press does not seem to be waning.  It always saddens me to see people who appear so incredibly consumed with winning or being right, regardless of their political ideologies.  The Bible instructs us to pray for our leaders, yet the worldly response is to criticize and blame.  Our challenge as Christians is to follow God’s instructions and pray for all of our leaders, especially those we might not have chosen ourselves.  Our leaders have very difficult jobs, and their choices are never easy.  On top of that, they are faced with all sorts of temptations—temptations that you and I, hopefully, will never have to face.  They are vulnerable.  Yes, for the most part they have each chosen to be involved in the political game.  But that doesn’t mean we stop praying for them.  Now, more than ever, our country needs to feel the unifying power of the Holy Spirit binding it together. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, write out a list of all our political leaders, including those at the federal, state, and local level.  If you don’t know their names, please look them up so you can be specific in your prayers.  Thank God for our democratic process and for providing us with leaders for our country.  Pray for each of these leaders by name that they would be filled with wisdom, humility, dignity, and restraint so that they may each make the best decisions possible for this country, our state, and our city.  Rejoice in God our Father who is the One that is always in control.

God's Will

Ephesians 1:9-10—he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

On its grandest scale, the mystery of God’s Will might not seem so incomprehensible—that He desires a personal relationship with us so much that He sent His Son to live amongst us so that we might experience God in a human form, and so that God might experience the human plight first-hand.  But on a micro scale, God’s Will can seem quite elusive.  We know that He has a plan, and each of us is a part of that plan.  We each play a role and He places us exactly where we need to be at any given moment in time for the unfolding of the entire plan.  Sometimes, though, it is hard to trust that we are in fact where He has meant for us to be.  Sometimes we feel like we are spinning our wheels in the dirt.  Other times we might feel like God could not possibly have His Hand in a situation because it all seems to be going awry.  The Bible tells us that His Plan is set forth in Christ.  So, if we study Christ’s life and love others the way He did, we are well on our way to discovering the peace it is to follow God’s Will.  Following God is the continual act of putting aside our personal wants and desires so that we take on God’s wants and desires for our lives.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for the gift of His Son. Pray that He would fill you with a desire to relinquish your personal wants and desires.  Listen for His Call and ask God to reveal your purpose in His Grand Plan. Recommit yourself to following His Will even as you set aside your personal desires so that you may be filled with His.

Let God Lift You Out of Your Fear

Isaiah 41:10—So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Fear is a powerful force.  Even when we do not recognize that we are fearful, fear can manifest in our bodies and affect our decisions, moods, and overall health.  To be sure, not all fear is bad—fear is part of an internal alert system that God has gifted us so that we can navigate dangers in this world.  But often, fear can become debilitating.  In Isaiah, God tells us not to fear anything, but frankly, this is easier said than done.  The first step to overcoming debilitating fear is recognizing it.  Learning the patterns of fear in our lives requires us to listen to our bodies.  So often muscular pain, headaches, digestive troubles, and even diseases are manifestations of fear stuck in our bodies. The second step is repeating this verse out loud over and over again.  Words are powerful—the more you recite this verse, the sooner your soul will truly believe it.  Third, breathe deeply and try to find peace and quiet so you can hear God speaking to you.  Finally, don’t be angry or frustrated with yourself for feeling fear because these negative emotions only feed fear.  Rather, love yourself and exercise grace.  Be kind to yourself and allow yourself to acknowledge the fear and release it.  Pray for God to convert your fear into positive energy that will lift you up.

Today as you pray and meditate on his Word, praise God for giving us an internal alert system of fear.  Identify your fears and isolate the ways your body is telling you that you are experiencing fear.  Pray for His guidance in developing a healthy relationship with your fears.  Ask God to soothe your soul and lift any fears that are trapped within you and harming your spirit.  Thank Him for His abiding presence, strength, and support.

Killer Law, Living Spirit

2 Corinthians 3:4-6—Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Only through Christ Jesus are we empowered to overcome this world.  We ought to be careful not to boast or become prideful in thinking that we are in control of anything that is happening. Rather, our spirits should seek peace and contentment in the knowledge that the Almighty uses all things for good.  Through the death of His Son, He has called us to a new covenant with His Spirit.  Not only is the black letter of the law no longer sufficient, but this Scripture declares it a killer.  How is this so?  The law seems neutral and objective, so adherence to the law is tempting.  Those who follow the law feel like they are “getting it right.”  This type of objectivity through adherence to the law, however, is deceptive.  So often, following the letter of the law leads to an absurd result.  Even when it seems like the law is being applied neutrally, it tends to have a disparate impact.  It can interfere with relationships and hurt others.  It can prevent others from knowing Christ Jesus.  Mindless compliance and obedience to rules can lead to a spirit of judgment against others.  There is no room for forgiveness, mercy, or grace in the letter of the law.  But the Spirit of God gives life.  It is loving, kind, and accepting.  It lifts others up.  It has no need to judge because God is the only true Judge.  Love gives life.  In this passage, God is telling us not to let the letter of the law get in the way of His Spirit.  We have a higher calling, a new covenant—to love others as Christ has loved us and to be vessels for the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, open your heart to His Holy Spirit.  Ask God to fill you with His Spirit so that you might overcome the letter of the law in all things and allow His Loving Spirit to live through you.  Praise God for the loving you, forgiving you, and showing you grace and mercy.  Pray that you would be a worthy minister for Him in every aspect of your life.

To Be Rich

Ephesians 1:17-19—I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

The way the Bible refers to the riches in this passage (as well as others) can be misleading to some.  In the secular world, the word “riches” usually refers to money or goods of high monetary value.  If we say someone is rich, we usually mean the person is extremely wealthy.  The Bible uses this word in a different context though.  We know that God does not value worldly wealth in the same way that we do.  He doesn’t need money or jewels or gold.  So as Christians, we cannot expect to get rich in the worldly sense when the Bible tells us we will inherit glorious riches.  What God is trying to tell us is that the riches He provides are far greater than any idea of riches we currently have.  True wealth is developed in relationship with Him.  When we grow in our understanding of His ways, when we begin to hear His voice, when we are able to be in constant prayer and communication with Him throughout our daily lives, that’s when we start to be in the midst of His riches.  That is when we can see and feel His power and love at ever increasing levels.  That is when we will know that none of the earthly riches matter all.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for blessing you with the gift of enlightenment.  Ask Him to continue opening your heart and mind to His Presence so that you can grow in your understanding of His Ways.  Pray that your eyes would be directed toward the true riches and rejoice in His great power.

Breathe Deeply

Genesis 2:7—And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

The very ability to breathe is a gift from God—in fact, it is the first gift He gave to man and in so giving He created life.  We ought to cherish each breath we take, but we so often take our breaths for granted.  They are reflexive after all—we don’t even have to think about breathing because we just do it.  If we take a moment to pause and focus on our breath, though, we begin to see life from a new perspective and we can even spark change in our lives by simply focusing on our breath.  For example, if we are feeling angry and we take a few deep breaths we can infuse our bodies with peace and calm.  If we are feeling sad and crying, regulating our breath can help to calm us down.  Deep breaths can also refresh us and make us feel more alert.  When we stop to honor our breath we are simultaneously honoring God by showing reverence to the first gift He gave to us. In developing a more intimate relationship with God, we ought to cultivate a practice of deep, measured, and rhythmic breathing to tune our spirits with His.

Today as you meditate on His Word, listen to your breath and practice breathing in deeply and slowly until your whole body fills up.  Then release that breath completely.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your breath and make His presence known with every breath you take.  Envision God breathing life into you with each breath, just like He did at the very start of creation.  Praise God for blessing you with the gift of breath and pledge to honor His gift every moment of each day.

Why Did He Choose Me?

Ephesians 2:8-9—For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Do you ever stop in the middle of your day and thank God for just being God?  Do you ever wonder why the Creator of the Universe would choose you, would choose of any of us?  Why does He desire relationship with us?  When you stop to ponder the magnificence of His ways, do you see the beautiful mosaic He has created of your life?  Glorious is His masterful weaving together of light and dark, hard and soft.  His perfect prismatic vision sees goodness and light even in the darkest corners of our souls.  His beautiful design is to cherish and turn that inside out.  He is perfect and brilliant.  What man could have possibly dreamt of such a happily serendipitous way for His Creation to worship and bring Him honor and glory.  We don’t have to earn His love and forgiveness—He has already given it.  We couldn’t earn it, even if we tried.  But God turned His favor forever toward His Creation through His Precious Son to give us the gift of eternal salvation.

Today, as you pray and meditate on His Word, thank God for the gift of His favor.  Praise His Holy Name.  Rejoice in His Gift of a Savior, His Holy Son, who came to this Earth to experience life as a human being and to suffer for all of our sins.  Worship Him today as you pause from whatever it is you are doing to acknowledge His Greatness and the wonder of His love for you.