”“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).“ Matthew 1:23 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.1.23.NIV
In my waking up early – God is with me!
When I read His Word – God is with me!
When I listen to Him speak – God is with me!
When I am grieving – God is with me!
When I am in pain – God is with me!
When we plan my day together – God is with me!
When I am frustrated – God is with me!
When I am irritated by other people – God is with me!
When I celebrate the good things in other people’s lives – God is with me!
When I do things that I don’t want to do, because they are good for me – God is with me!
When I eat and drink – God is with me!
When I reach out to friends – God is with me!
When I give, expecting nothing in return – God is with me!
When I surrender all control to Him – God is with me!
When I forget to surrender and try to run my own life – God is with me, albeit disappointed!
At night when I go to sleep – God is with me!
God is with me, no matter what I say or do, the difference is made when I decide to be with Him.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” Hebrews 11:1-12 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.11.1-12.NIV
Dear God,
I have faith, but it doesn’t seem strong enough to cope with life. I hurt so bad. Where are You? My faith tells me that You are near and that You care. This doesn’t lessen the pain I feel. But, faith does give me Someone to talk to, even when it feels like my prayers are only going as high as the ceiling. My faith reminds me that You endured more pain than I am experiencing right now. You have compassion for those who hurt. I am reminded of Your conversation with Job. Where was I when You hung the stars in the sky? I wasn’t Your assistant then, and I am not Your assistant now. You love me and You care what happens to me. I must use my faith and trust You to use this situation to help someone else, even, or maybe especially, if things don’t work out the way that I want. Help me to remain steadfast in my faith. Show me how to use this shield of faith to protect myself and those I love.
“Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ “ Exodus 6:5-8 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.6.5-8.NIV
Dear Lord,
Not only am I groaning, but I am sobbing, Lord. Help me. I am glad that I am feeling uncomfortable emotions. I am glad that I am not stuffing them anymore. But it’s so painful. I am grieving and I am hurting. Please save me from these feelings. There’s no one else who can fix this but You. Comfort me. Dry my tears. You were there for Job. Please be there for me. I turn to You, my Comforter. Please hold me. Please help me to remember to breathe. I know that You are sovereign over all. Help me to form the words, “Not my will, but Yours, O Lord.” Help me to trust You no matter what happens.
Just one word about daylight savings time – why? It takes a few weeks to get my sleep back on schedule. Then, just as I get used to it, there’s another time change. I am over it!
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. ‘He trusts in the Lord,’ they say, ‘let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.’ Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!“ Psalms 22:1-31 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.22.1-31.NIV
Healing God:
I ask for rebuilding of communities. Where hardships – financial and otherwise loom and seek to destroy, please rebuild the structures. The foundations has cracked and split. I ask that You do the work necessary to shore it up and make it better than ever. Let Your Light be the Light that inspires others to seek Your guidance, direction, and protection. Shine brightly in others that all may see You and marvel at Your glory.
Grant that others may see themselves as You see them. Where they see a bunch of broken pieces, please show them at least a small section of the beautiful mosaic that is their lives. Where there is hurt and pain, let Your words be the salve that heals the wounds. Rather than they look for an escape from the pain that is life in this imperfect world, help them to look to You to complete them. Let their pain be a conduit to discovering You and Your love.
Where there is destruction, loss of life, persecution, slavery, and starvation, provide hope for the people. You are the Source of all healing and hope for the future. Please grace the people who experience these things with expressions of Your love. Grant that they may have the strength to endure and the peace of knowing You. Show them that You care. Show that You are not removed from their daily lives, but are concerned. I pray that all will come into relationship with You and experience Your goodness. Amen.
Today I am doing something that is not like me, and yet it’s not that different from who I have always been. I am attending a concert. It’s not a jazz or symphony concert. Nope. I am at a heavy metal concert at a bar. That’s different from what I normally do, but not really.
The part that’s not that different is that I am at the concert supporting a friend whose band is playing. Friends are important. I learned that about myself during lockdown. Before the Covid-19 lockdown, I described myself as an extroverted introvert. Nope. Sheltering-in-place showed me just how important other people are to my mental well-being. I now claim the label of extrovert.
This extrovert came out to play tonight at the concert. I was the oldest person in the room, but I had as much fun as some of the other sober folks. The guy who drank too much beer looked like he was having more fun. He was certainly dancing more!
There’s more that I want to say, but I am up way past my bedtime. I will have to write a sequel when I am more well-rested. The moral of this story is, don’t be afraid to do something different. It may be a blessing in disguise.
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’” Revelation 4:1-11 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/rev.4.1-11.NIV
Holy, holy, holy are You, Everlasting God. There’s no beginning or end with You. Before the world was created, You were. You have always been and You always will be. You are the most wise. You know all things, because You made all things and You are in all things. Everywhere I look, I see evidence of Your glory and majesty. You are the most loving. You care for all of Your creations, even those that reject You. Your love is not conditional and it never ends. Your most fervent desire is for all people to turn towards You. My prayer is that all will be reconciled and reunited with You at the end of days. Thank You for the care and concern that You have for Your people. I am thankful to belong to You. I love You.
“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/1th.5.12-24.NIV
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Without this Advocate, there’s no way that I could ever be good enough. In my own strength, I could, maybe, pull it off for a couple of days. For me to be able to treat other people the way that You want me to, I need the Holy Spirit. I am simply not good or kind or patient or loving enough on my own to pull it off long term. But, with Your power inside of me, I can do ANYTHING! I can rejoice always and pray continually. Thank You, so so much! Help me to hold on to what is good and give me the wisdom to discern Your will in what I do. I am so grateful for You. I love You. Amen.
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/hos.6.1-3.NIV
Dear God, I want a do-over. Or, if a do-over isn’t possible, I would like to just have a new start. I have hurt others. I have been hurt by others. The pain in my life has driven me to say things that I probably shouldn’t.
Lord, the Bible tells us that You make all things new. Can You please do something new in me? Would You take my broken shattered pieces and create a beautiful mosaic out of them? You put into place the life cycle. You recycle things all of the time. Recycle me. Recycle my life. Take my old unproductive parts an make them work for You.
God, You have said that the old has gone away and that I am a new creation. Please show me how to live a new life. I am done with living life the old way. The old patterns of dealing with stuff aren’t working anymore. I want to live differently. Please guide me in this different. Thank You for listening to me and for loving me. Amen.
”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.“ Isaiah 41:10 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.41.10.NIV
Lord God, I don’t know what is happening. In the next minute or the next hour, day, month, or year, my future is unknown to me. It’s scary! I want to know that everything is going to be okay and the people that I love are going to be okay. But, there are no guarantees. I cannot trust anything but You. I know that You are with us, no matter what. You will guide and protect us. You have placed Your Spirit in us that we may be guided in the paths that You would have us walk. But, it’s up to each person to allow themselves to be surrendered to You. If they aren’t surrendered to You, chances are they will not be able to hear You direct them.
Father God, when I let myself get distracted by circumstances and my focus is not on You, I am overwhelmed. There’s so much that I can do, but is it what I should do? I don’t know! Only You know and I am not hearing from You. There’s no nudges one way or another. There’s only a feeling of <pause> and take a break. I can’t do that! There’s stuff to be done. Who has time to rest? Not I!
Lord, I promise to put my focus back on You. I will do whatever You want. I just need You to tell me what that is, first. Please help me not to worry and stress over what is not in my control – everything!
Journey with Monica 
You must be logged in to post a comment.