Dear Lord Our Father in Heaven,

Our Heavenly Father, who is Mighty and Majestic;

We bow before you this morning in humble prose, asking for your light and presence to enter our world as we begin another week.

We ask you, Holy Spirit, to fill us with you, your knowledge and discernment. We ask that you bring darkness to light, whether it’s darkness within or around. Lord, show us that darkness and dispel it.

Please help us to walk in your peace, joy, and enlightenment. Lord, open doors previously closed, prepare the path you would have us walk upon, and open our eyes to you and your beauty among the ashes.

Please, Lord, illuminate your word and presence. We need to be aware of the world and be prepared; now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand.

Please help us to recognize the times and the signs but not go off on radical tangents. The Middle East is in severe unrest and action, causing the world to spin in wonder!

Psalm 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you.”

Jerusalem, where Jesus preached, was crucified, died, and rose again!

Psalm 132:13-14 NCV: “The Lord has chosen Jerusalem; he wants it for his home. He says, ‘This is my resting place forever. Here is where I want to stay.”

We pray for peace over Jerusalem! Peace over Jerusalem means your return, Lord Jesus; we pray your will be done. We pray over any lives lost in the conflicts of nations, territories, and beliefs.

Your word tells us in the last days, there will be much confusion, and I believe we are witnessing that today. We have Wars on a large scale, nations against nations, famine, great earthquakes, disease, and crime. We are ruining Mother Earth day by day. We walk around with deteriorating attitudes, the devastating results of the sad evolution that began with the breakdown in the family unit—the diminishing love of you, God, and religious hypocrisy.

Significantly, though, in the final days, we will find a more profound understanding of Bible prophecy, global preaching, and widespread apathy.

Are we here? I wonder if all these prophesied events mentioned above and taking place before our eyes can be ignored. I think not; help us, Lord, to be informed, bold, ready, and willing.

In your name, Lord Jesus, I pray for strength, wisdom, provision, and protection daily, as it’s getting wild down here! Thank you, 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.”

Oh my goodness, there is so much going on in this verse, but once you can truly grasp its content, it’s a game changer!

First, consider trials and problems an opportunity for great joy! What!!! Does this mean we are to shout hallelujah praises at the devastating phone call or doctor’s report? Does this mean we throw a party when the ground underneath our feet gives way? No!

Opportunity for great joy is putting our devastation in God’s hands and leaving them there! It’s allowing him the opportunity to make changes in our lives. It’s the chance to evolve within trusting him to take care of you!

When our faith is tested, our trials can and will throw us into a tailspin and 911 prayers! The Lord is always faithful, but often, when his timing and answers aren’t what we might have pictured, imagined, or expected, then what?

What reads next? Our FAITH has an opportunity to grow. Each time we turn to the Lord, and he delivers us, that produces more faith, and so on until the pinnacle day, we reach the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”

Philippians 4:7 ESV: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“And when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Trust is when we can draw from our spiritual reserves, knowing God has always come through. Knowing God has always been beside you. Knowing God has always supplied your needs. Knowing God will never leave or forsake you, and knowing God has a plan for you. Trials and bumps in the road get so much easier when we realize we never face them alone.

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

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

My God will supply your every need! Imagine needing nothing; now that’s an opportunity for Joy! Thank you, Lord 😌❤️

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven,

I feel the need to pray this morning, but the world feels so big and out of whack that my measly prayer feels redundant!

However, if everyone of us who prays felt this way and stopped where would we be? Holy Spirit, I ask that you be with me as I pray this prayer.

Lord, there is so much going on in the world today that it’s getting hard to keep up with the calamities, killings, war zones, terror, illnesses, depravity, destruction, and death tolls within the headlines of our daily news.

Darkness has penetrated our vast societies in a manner we’ve never witnessed before, and prophecy tells us it will only worsen.

As man becomes more prominent within himself, he makes you smaller, to where you barely exist within humanity. Yet, they cry, “How could God allow such a thing?” You are only allowing what they are asking for!

Bit by bit, Lord, you are being removed, and chaos is left in the halls we walk! The infrastructure is cracking, and big breaks are starting to show. The world appears blind as they stumble around, groping within all this darkness.

Lord, give us your children a boldness we’ve never had! Please give us your wisdom and direction. I ask that there be strength in our voices, that they be heard above the roar, and that our examples be seen!

Lord, let the light of you within us shine ever so brightly against this backdrop of grey. Help us, Lord, to spread your words of peace and love like a warm blanket to those shivering in the cold war of aloneness or brokenness left in the wake of addiction or action.

The people of this world are hurting, and the need is so great! Lord, help us to open our eyes to the needs around us and to provide what we can when we can.

Lord, I know we can’t fix everyone and everything because not everyone wants to be fixed. Please help us to concentrate on what you place in front of us at any given moment and to take one day at a time.

Thank you for reminding us to take one day at a time because today has enough woes, and tomorrow will work itself out, well, tomorrow.

Thank you, Lord, for your presence with us always. I place my hand in yours. Lead On! In your name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen 😌

Ephesians 2:10 ESV: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Genesis 1:27 ESV: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Psalm 139:13 ESV: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”

Job 33:4 ESV: “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

You are a one-of-a-kind designer piece! You are an exclusive! When God created us in our mother’s womb, he created distinct individuals with distinct purposes.

No one can do anything exactly the same; there will always be a variance. The definition of ‘variance’ is ‘the fact or quality of being different, divergent or inconsistent.” New Oxford American Dictionary

The fact or quality of being different! Why, then, don’t we embrace our uniqueness and walk boldly within ourselves? Why, then, don’t we remember we are wonderfully made?

Life, that’s why! It started in school; the fastest always won. The cutest always got invited. The smartest always got the teacher. The class clown always got in trouble. The bully always hurt. The invisible roles were cast!

We learn at an early age what sets people apart, both good and bad! We develop our character by nature, style, location, times, and tastes.

Somewhere along the line, we were probably cast into a pigeonhole, and that is that, but is it?

When we can grasp, genuinely grasp that God made each of us as he wanted us to be: blonde, blue eyes, short and petite; tall, olive complexion, brown eyes, long dark hair or cute, freckled-faced, chubby cheeks and red hair.

Outgoing and friendly; shy and reserved! Intelligent and witty, Classic and tailored, Strong and athletic, Bohemian with a gypsy flair! How often do we wish we could look like that, be like that, float like that, stand firm like that, dress like that, live like that?

I have been working on finding peace within my world and myself. Understanding that the Lord I choose to follow has me and my life in his hands. He made me just the way he wanted me and now it’s my goal to follow his lead.

I am on a daily mission to become the best I can be; “God made me this way” is never an excuse not to grow; with desire and his help, we can evolve daily!

If you struggle with comparing yourself to others, (and most of us do) you will always fall short because you don’t see their complete picture, and you might find it funny to find they are comparing themselves to you! Think about that for a while.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for creating us just the way you wanted us to be, and thank you for helping us to be proud of who we are and what we are striving to become. I give you free reign, Lord, to change that which you would and to glorify that which is pleasing to you. Lord, help me to accept me! I’m your name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen 😌

My first-born grandson turns fourteen today! He is my heartbeat! He is my handsome. He is my Charles Bronsin. Happy Birthday, My Angel Face, I love you! 🥰❤️

Since my heart and mind are wrapped around the special event in my life today, I thought it might be fun to see what God says about these special people who fill our lives with so much joy, happiness, and lots and lots of love.

Proverbs 17:6 ESV: “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.”

Psalm 128:6 ESV: May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Isreal.”

Psalm 103:17 ESV: “But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting of those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children.”

Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”

I was a Proverb 22 mom! I raised my children in a God-fearing home! Does that mean I was the perfect Proverb’s 31-woman? No! Does that mean my children didn’t see me fall or make mistakes? No!

But they did see a mom who tried her best to do what was right and to teach and train her children to respect and fear God! My dedication to God and giving my children over to him didn’t mean they didn’t rebel and make their own mistakes, but it did mean one day they would return to their upbringing. The Lord is always faithful to his children!

I bring the same values, teaching, and love to my grandchildren as I did to their parents. I would love to be like Lois and Eunice, known for my sincere Faith. Faith that was taught and shared with the generations that follow me!

All we can do is do our best and leave the rest in God’s hands. His hands are mighty; his hands are faithful!

Thank you, Lord, for your love and faithfulness to our children and our children’s children. Thank you for grandbabies! ☺️

I just returned from Kansas, where my husband and his youngest brother laid their mom to rest!

Age of the body and mind had been knocking on her door loudly for the past couple of years, and watching this threw me into a tailspin. I am in my sixties, and all of a sudden, I was watching the end-of-life process beginning. I became almost paralyzed with fear!

I went into a full-blown panic attack that haunted me for many months and many prayers.

I must first state that my mother-in-law was a lover of our Lord Jesus Christ and spent her life proclaiming her love and showed that love and devotion by the example of how she lived her life.

Ok, but yet I watched what appeared to be hardship! She had to leave her little nest of many years and needed an assisted living home! She hated it! By this time, she had lost much independence, and that was so hard for her!

I’m very independent, and watching her succumb was challenging and, again, scary!

Time robbed more and more independence and more and more of the woman we knew and loved! From the flesh and earthly side of this view, it hurt and was unsettling.

Until one day…

I was saying prayers for my MIL and I had the most awesome sensation and revelation wash over me! Jesus showed me the other side of what I had become focused on!

His love for her! Her son’s love for her! Her family’s love for her!

Sure, her 90-year-old body was tired, but through the love and dedication of her children, a beautiful assisted living home was found for her just four miles from her youngest son and DIL.

She received top notch medical and hospice care! When her finances ran thin, the Lord opened avenues of assistance for her wonderful care and surroundings. He met every one of my mother-in-law’s needs. Every one of them!

Isaiah 42:10 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 right hand.”

Joshua 1:9 ESV: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!

My MIL and I shared the same faith, and many times throughout the past 24 years, I have marveled at her example of that faith! She held tight to the Lord through the good and the bad, and He held on tight to her!

Thank you, Mom and Jesus, for the examples I will carry into my next season. ❤️😌☀️

I heavily dislike the stages in life when I don’t feel like participating! Those days upon weeks that just doing the basics are challenging and met with resignation.

The to-do list holds no desire to be accomplished, and the days ahead are filled with silent dread! Do you ever feel like a prisoner in your own life?

So, now what? Do we allow ourselves the satisfaction of sitting on our throne of disgruntled emotions, or do we seek the kingdom of heaven?

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

Philippians 4:13 ESV: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

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

Colossians 1:11 ESV: “Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.”

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

Isaiah 26:4 ESV: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

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

Our feelings and emotions resemble the ocean, constantly moving and changing. Some days are smooth as glass, the brightness of the sun reflecting off the water like diamonds sparkling against the blue sky. Then, the next moment the blue skies darken, clouds arrive on the horizon, the winds kick up, and the waves start to toss and turn, causing us to hang on for dear life!

Jesus is our life preserver on the choppy seas of life!

We may not be able to change our situations or the stages of life we are going through, but we can change how we go through any situation by turning to the Lord and finding strength, peace, direction, and joy in Him!

Jesus,

I thank you for always being with me. Thank you for never leaving me in my puddle of doom and gloom but for hearing my prayers, gently taking my hand, and leading me into peace. Thank you for always being with me and teaching me to rise above my moods and moments! Thank you for an abundant, joyful day! Lord Jesus, in your name, I pray. Amen ❤️😌

I’m tired! My body is tired, my mind is tired and my spirit is lagging!

Do you ever feel more is needed of you than you have to go around? Is your load feeling heavy? Does your next week, month, and upcoming summer look like an obstacle course?

Your to-do list seems to be growing faster than your available hours! Might you wish you could look at the merry-go-round operator and kindly ask him to stop this ride, opting to sit this one out?

Might we be dehydrated? Maybe we need to draw from the well of life and take a big drink of living water!

John 4:14 ESV: “But whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 7:38. ESV: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Isaiah 12:3 ESV: “With joy, you will draw from wells of salvation.”

Isaiah 58:11 ESV: “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

Jeremiah 31:25 ESV: “For I will satisfy the weary soul and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are the true living water of life, Revelation 22:1 speaks of the bright crystal clear river of life that flows from the throne of God and of the lamb. You are that lamb!

Thank you, Lord, for your word and Holy Spirit that fills us with your strength, ability, and grace to accomplish all we have before us!

Please help us to slow down, sit down, and drink of you, bringing revitalization and freshness to our bodies, minds, and spirits!

In you, I turn to and in your name, I commit this prayer, Amen 😌

Dear Lord My Father In Heaven,

We begin this day with many firsts that I am asking you to be a part of:

Today is typically known as the first day of the work week; Lord be with us as we head out into the flow of life. Be with us as we drive. Be with us as we speak. Be with us, guiding us to shine as your sweet examples.

As we begin our week, we find it’s the first week of the month! Lord, help us to prioritize our days ahead. Please help us to look at one task at a time, accomplishing as we go! Lord, running on your time frame and not at our frantic pace.

It’s a new day, of a new week, in a new month! The list is long, the tasks are piled, and the responsibilities loom like a thick fog that’s just rolled in! The pressures are wanting to invade our spirits, causing a bit of chaotic panic; so much to do, all the time!

This is when we need to stop, drop, and pray! Pray to you, our Prince of Peace. Our Lord, our God, The author of life! Settle within us the quiet strength that comes from you alone, enabling us to slow down, look around, and breathe!

Thank you, Lord, for being in each breath we take and each decision we make. Thank you for being with us today, this week, and this month! Thank you for April, which brings your gentle spring showers and the promise of May flowers.

In your glorious name Lord Jesus, I pray! Amen ☺️

Luke 24:6-7 ESV: “He is not here, but risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

Tomorrow, we celebrate Easter Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven! His promise to all who believe in him to take us with him! Resurrection Sunday! Mission Accomplished!

If it weren’t for Easter Sunday, Christmas would be just another birthday! I read that somewhere the other day, and it deeply resonated with me! Why would we celebrate his birth without the significance of his death and rebirth? Today we celebrate the freedom found in our Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross for our sins!

1 Peter 1:3 ESV: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from The dead.”

1 Thessalonians 4:14 ESV: “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

1 Corinthians 6:14 ESV: “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”

John 6:40 ESV: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 11:25-26 ESV: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Father God,

I believe this! I thank you for the joy and hope I have in you through the sacrifice of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I celebrate the gift of resurrection this Easter weekend. To spend eternity with you in peace, joy, light, and love! I am humble before you in sincere appreciation for my hope for eternal life with you! I celebrate You! Amen 😌