Dear Lord My Father In Heaven,

Hallowed be thy name; your name is Holy, honorable, majestic, and sovereign. We bow before you in humble adoration.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We desire, Lord, your sovereign rule over our lives. To submit to your authority all aspects of our lives, freeing us from the burden of stress and worry as we place our world and cares of our world at your feet.

Give us this day our daily bread. Thank you, Lord, for supplying our needs. Thank you for looking over the horizon on our behalf and preparing a safe path and place for our heads. Thank you, Lord, for being our father and always caring for us!

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Thank you, Lord, for forgiving us of our shortcomings, errors, slips, and falls. We humbly ask for the same ability to show grace to those who have wronged us as you have shown to us.

Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. Thank you, Lord, for your word in 1 Corinthians, which tells us you are faithful and will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability, providing an escape.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever! Amen

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this prayer, known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” When the disciples asked how they should pray, this was your answer.

Thank you for giving us words to pray. Thank you for always hearing our prayers. Thank you for being with us as we begin our day and a new week.

In your glorious name, Lord Jesus, we commit this prayer. Amen

Dear Lord Our Father in Heaven,

We come before you today, asking for your presence in our lives. Lord, give us your peace, wisdom, and direction.

A traditional week sets our feet at the beginning of the weekend! Our weather is to be beautiful, Lord. Help us notice your radiance displayed across the bright blue skies. Help us feel your love’s warmth through the sun that shines its golden rays upon us.

Let us not focus on the distractions and noise around us and within; instead, guide our senses to the sights and sounds of your creation, nature at its finest. The whimsical orchestra is all around us if we take the time to tune in.

This weekend, Lord, help us to enjoy simplicity! We take simple pleasures for granted: laughing, talking, seeing, breathing, and praising. We praise you, Lord, for the grandeur you put before us daily.

Thankfulness, Lord, help us always to be thankful for each day you bring us to and through. Thank you for your guidance as we walk.

Thank you for your words as we talk so that we may lift and encourage those around us. May we praise you with our lips, all the love we feel inside.

Appreciation, Lord, help us to appreciate what you have blessed us with and to find contentment within. Help us to keep our eyes in our yards and not gaze at another because we all know the truth to the statement, ‘The grass only looks greener on the other side.’ There are weeds in every yard, so help us to attend to our own gardens.

Peacefulness, Lord, I humbly ask for your peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding! Holy Spirit, blend your spirit with ours so we will walk in your gentleness.

As the blue skies and the sun shines upon us today, Lord Jesus, may your love shine with it! I commit this prayer in your name.

Amen. ☀️❤️

Satan lies! Do Not believe his lies about how much God cares about you and your world.

How do I know this? God reminded me of it this morning. I have much going on this summer and feel stretched beyond my comfort zone. Tomorrow has gotten very big and looming, and even though what lies ahead is positive, I feel overwhelmed.

I woke this morning full of anxiety and the lists and needs of today, tomorrow, and the next day, and days after that! Whoa! I hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet, and the assault had begun!

I start talking to God, reassuring myself, and placing my anxiety and needs at his feet. The next thing I know, I start hearing in my spirit, “These things you are stressing about aren’t needs. They are desires of your heart.” “God isn’t going to help you with those because you brought all this on yourself.” “There are people with no homes or food; why is he going to worry over your piddly personal needs and wants.” all Lies, Lies, Lies!

I immediately counteract the lies by searching scriptures that tell us how much God cares about us, our needs, and our desires!

1 Peter 5:7 ESV: “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Matthew 11:28 ESV: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Nahum 1:7 ESV: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

Numbers 6:24: “The Lord bless and keep you.”

Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Isaiah 41:10 ESV: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”

Psalm 37:4 NLT: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

Acts 17:27 ESV: “That they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”

I love that last line, “yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”

That’s because he is always with us!

Whether your need is great and earth-shattering or frivolous in the world scope, remember, if it’s important to you, then it’s important to God! He Cares! ❤️☺️☀️

Matthew 6:33 NLT: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Seek the kingdom of God above all else!

How does one go about seeking God? To seek; is to search for something; an attempt to acquire or gain something. Vocabulary.com

To search for him is as simple as saying his name! “Lord Jesus, I need you.” “Lord Jesus, walk and talk with me; I long to know you more.” “Lord Jesus, I’m not sure what to do!!” “Lord Jesus, I’m scared.” “Lord Jesus, Thank you!”

He is but a breath away! A solid prayer life is indeed a solid life!

Another way to search and seek is to grab your Bible, a cup of coffee, and a quiet corner. The Bible can often be confusing but it is alive in the Holy Spirit and he will guide you to verses; start in Psalms, then read Proverbs. Grab a book of promising scriptures, read those, and then follow the verses addressed to the Bible and read further.

Many books and authors will gently teach and guide you to the Lord and his love: Max Lucado, Joyce Meyer, Greg Laurie, Sarah Taylor, TD Jakes, Women of Faith, Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg, and Sheila Walsh.

Audiobooks, podcasts, blogs, YouTube, and online church services. Many of the authors mentioned above are ministers of churches and or leaders in teaching ministries. Athey Creek.com, Harvest Crusades.com, Calvary Chino Hills, Calvary Riverside, Calvary Galveston, Calvary church with Ed Taylor, Franklin Graham, Joycemeyers.com, Oak Hills Church San Antonio- Max Lucado.

Making time for the Lord is as much a commitment as making a date with your spouse, parent, or friend! We all have friends and people in our lives. The more time we spend with them, the better we know, and often, they begin to rub off on us and vice versa.

Remember being a kid and having certain friends who always seemed to get you in trouble? That stigma follows us through life, but it also works in a positive direction—those friends and people who were and are inspiring and refreshing to hang around.

Jesus is like that; He is our best friend! He’s the friend we want to know more about; he’s the friend we want to rub off on us.

1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.”

I am a walking, talking example of the growth and change that can come from spending time with the Lord. Set your alarm 1/2 an hour earlier, grab a devotion, book of prayers, and Bible, and spend your first cup of warmth with the Lord.

You’ll be glad you did! ☺️❤️ Have a blessed day! ☀️

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven,

I sit before you this morning and humbly ask for your Holy presence to fill us and guide us, Lord, in the steps we will take not only today, this week, but every day.

Open doors that have previously been closed show us new ways to spend our time, breathing in an air of freshness to our lives.

Lord, it’s so easy to get into a rut; help us to find new and exciting ways to bring brightness into our ordinary.

You are the God of love and surprises! I ask that you open our eyes, ears, and hearts to all that is around us as we take delight in the glory that is all you.

Please, help us to see beyond the mundane. We are anxious to start a new day in your colorful realm of possibilities, looking outside the confines of our boxes to enjoy the scope of your grandeur.

Rise us above the noise and pollution of life so that we may be your examples. We don’t have to have it all figured out; we take one moment at a time just the same as the world does, but we aren’t of this world; we are different; we live with hope. You, Lord, are our hope; a hope for a better report, hope for a change, hope for good, hope for better.

I appreciate your strength and might as we face the world’s dragons. Thank you for your wisdom and the willpower to choose right from wrong, good from bad, and to oppress evil as it spreads across our land.

Thank you for the growth every day within you! I find peace when I seek your face and spend time with you. Thank you, Lord, for always being there!

In your glorious name, Lord Jesus, I commit this prayer with humble thanksgiving. Amen 😌

James 1:2-4 NLT: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

WOW! A whole lot is going on here! Let’s break it down because these verses used to cause me much confusion: consider joy in my trials! Sure, OK!

The NLT version sums it up nicely: consider our trials an opportunity to see God’s hand upon our lives and each situation we place at his feet.

When we approach the throne, hands full of worries, heads scrambled, hearts fearful, and as we bow humbly, releasing our cares out of our hands and into His, we feel the joy of knowing He is always there and with us.

Proving time and again that each time our faith is put to the test and God shows himself to be faithful, it gives us the strength and endurance to face each new trial.

Flex your faith muscle, and use it because the more you do, the stronger and more fully developed it becomes. It is empowering you to become perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Ha, this doesn’t mean we will become instantly perfect! I believe that as we develop within the Lord, we become satisfied in different things and ways. Contentment rather than worry and strife. Joy in the simplicity of life. Unexplained peace within chaos. It’s knowing that somehow, someway, God will carry you through your Red Sea moment and safely deliver you to the other side.

That’s Completion. That’s needing nothing because you know your God will supply all your needs. As Paul writes:

Philippians 4:11-13 NIV: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Please, I don’t mean to imply that I throw a party when my world is in turmoil and strife, but I do immediately turn to God and turn my needs and worries over to God and allow the peace of knowing somehow, someway, He’s going to take care of me!

That’s Perfection! ❤️☺️

Philippians 4:13 NLT: “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.”

God is a god of “I Can.” He is the great “I Am.”

I read, watch, and listen to Joyce Meyer A-Lot! She preaches and teaches about the importance and ability of controlling our mindset. Barbara Johnson was also a great teacher with many excellent, fun books about taking a negative and finding a positive.

I generally have a positive, upbeat personality , but like everything in life, there is always the other side: positive and negative, up then down, good and bad, high then low, you get it!

Sooooo, for every negative thought, for every worry, for every slump, slag, drag, bump, or stymie, we have a choice.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I love this verse! “A Spirit NOT of fear!” But, of POWER, LOVE & SELF-CONTROL!!!

This healthy spirit requires prayer and, in many cases, repeated multiple prayers. Holy Spirit, Help Me Be a Better Me!

If you spend much time here, you know I have a pink room where I spend much time talking to God! Often, the prayers start with a frustrated me and moment, gradually settle down to a conversation, and end with Thank you, Lord, for always being there.

You see, I enter my room with my feathers ruffled and leave peacefully and back in control of my emotions. It’s the stopping, dropping, and praying! It’s the changing of a mindset, thus changing my moment and day!

Matthew 19:26 ESV: “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Bingo!

We can desire to change. We can work our tails off trying to change and even make some progress. But I have found when I invite the Holy Spirit to join me in said changes that’s when the miracles start to happen.

Philippians 4:19 ESV: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in Christ Jesus.”

Mark 9:23 NLT: “What do you mean, ‘If I Can?’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Ephesians 6:10 ESV: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

If we defeat ourselves right off, this is how I am, and I can do nothing about it. I’ve always been this way, and I’ll die this way. Then, we might find that nothing will change. But I believe changes within can be made; we only have to believe, work toward, and invite the help of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m a walking, talking example of this exact work in progress. See you in the pink room! ☺️

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven,

I bow before you in prayer. My spirit is heavy, and my thoughts are concerning. There is so much going on in the world today!

Lord, there are drugs now that are so powerful that one pill, and it’s goodbye. There have always been drugs and overdoses, sadly, but not to the extent of the chemical concoctions being created and sold in pill form today.

I have early teen grandchildren, Lord, and younger ones following in their footsteps. Lord, I thank you for your loving hand upon them, keeping them safe but also guiding them to truths.

It’s hard enough traversing through teen years and the natural changes their bodies are going through—the challenges of Junior high and High school, let alone wading through all the craziness.

Many of our youth have been allowed to run rampant in their thoughts, ideas, and behaviors. Respect seems to be a long-lost word, and demand has taken its place.

There are so many pressures and conflicts today. The world is spinning at top volume, as are everyone’s voices. Lord, everyone is screaming at someone or about something. Our world is in great unrest.

Lord, you have been taken out of our schools, and look what a wreck many of them are in. What are the core values being taught to our children and grandchildren? Many collide with the parental values being taught in the homes.

The schools and states feel they know more about raising our children than we do! I can say in some cases, maybe, but where have the rights of the parent gone?

In that same breath, I hold up and pray for our teachers on the front lines. The teachers are teaching our youth, protecting them, and working in the same halls you’ve been excused from, Lord. There is fear in schools now, and that should never be. There have been children and faculty killed within the halls that hold the lunchrooms and libraries.

Lord, our youth is our future, and many outstanding individuals are out there. Thank you for your loving hand upon them, opening doors to their futures and paths for their feet to follow.

Thank you, Lord, for being with the kids who feel so much and don’t know what to do with all their emotions. I thank you for your peace and calm within them. Holy Spirit, hold them tight!

Lord, I hold up to you the invisible, neglected, and abused. I ask you to show yourself to them. Send an angel in disguise of a friend who can lead them to your house and family. Give the children who have no one someone: you, Lord Jesus.

I humbly plead for wisdom, discernment, boldness, and truth to fill my mind, body, and spirit. I am a positive and driving force in my children’s and grandchildren’s lives. It starts at home; it begins with me!

I Thank you, Lord, for always being with us every day, and thank you more for being with our babies.

In your beautiful name Lord Jesus, I commit this prayer of protection! Amen 😌

I often remind how simple it is to have God’s word, instructions, directions, peace, and joy at our fingertips. I am thankful for the internet; a few search words are typed, the send button is hit, and you are blessed with the needed scriptures. Let me suggest grabbing your Bible and reading the full content of said scripture within the beautiful pages of history.

I love the feel, smell, sense, and life within the pages of my Bibles. There is a reverence that whispers out when you open the pages of God.

So, on this wet Oregon morning, I thought we’d explore what God has to say about Rain. 🌂☔️

Hosea 6:3 ESV: “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Jeremiah 5:24 ESV: “They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.”

Isaiah 55:10 ESV “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater.”

Acts 14:17 ESV “Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your heart with food and gladness.”

Psalm 137:8 ESV “He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills.”

Genesis 7:12 ESV: “And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.”

Hosea 10:12 ESV: “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.”

Righteousness: acting according to divine or moral law; free from guilt or sin. Morally right or justifiable. Genuine, Excellent, Decent, Good, Honorable, True, Honest and Ethical. (Merriam~Webster.com)

I love that last verse: sow righteousness, reap love, break up your fallowed ground, your untouched, unsown ground chock-full of weeds; seek the Lord, and He will rain righteousness upon you!

I’d love to walk in a world of righteousness; how about you? Let it begin with us! 🥰

Be blessed, and may the Lord rain his love upon you today! 😌❤️

Good Morning Jesus,

Something must be going on in the heavenly realms as I woke up this morning with excitement in my spirit as tho today held something special.

I have nothing exciting written on my planner, but upon reflection, today does hold something special; it holds us! We are special in your sight and your heart. Each day is an opportunity to grow closer to you. Today is a new day to try out that new hope, dream, or challenge of change.

I thank you, Lord, for always being there, always understanding the true depths of our hearts, and for loving and guiding us into those desired places and changes within.

Thank you for the opportunities to realign our thought patterns to align with yours. Feel the peaceful growth from sharing our day and path with you.

Thank you for the opportunity to put desired growth to the test and to feel the joy of experiencing and noticing the growth and change within.

Lord, we are a hard taskmaster, rarely cutting ourselves much slack. Please help us to recognize any achieved results, especially the small ones, because each step forward is a step in the right direction. Lord, thank you for your direction.

It’s a new day. It’s a new week. It’s a new opportunity to put our plans into action. I humbly ask you, Holy Spirit, to lead and guide our steps, our thoughts, and our actions; Lord, may they be pleasing to you.

May we show ourselves to be kind and patient. May we show ourselves as examples of you!

We love you, Jesus. We praise Your Holy name, and it is in Your name we commit this prayer. Amen 😌