In my studies this morning I came across a tool from which all of us could benefit. Not long ago, I was on a stroll in the neighborhood with one of my daughters and her baby. For some reason, I went on a tirade of complaining and negativity throughout the walk. Towards the end, she … Continue reading A Mercies Diary (aka a Thankful List)
Devotional Thoughts
For Those Experiencing Great Grief and Loss
How do followers of Jesus respond when we or those whom we love experience great grief and loss? We grieve and lament. It is important that we allow ourselves to grieve. Jesus wept before the tomb of his friend Lazarus. Isaiah called him the suffering servant of the Lord who was well-acquainted with grief. Our … Continue reading For Those Experiencing Great Grief and Loss
How Jesus Followers Face Injustice
The crescendo of voices crying out for justice in our land reminds me of Jesus' parable of the persistent widow against whom a great injustice had been committed and the unjust judge. Widows back in Jesus' day were very vulnerable and often taken advantage of. The Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge Jesus says, in … Continue reading How Jesus Followers Face Injustice
Prayers of Intercession – Psalm 95
Intercession is asking the Lord to meet the needs of others - your family, friends, co-workers, church, etc. May the worship of you, the living God, become the most important task of their daily lives and the activity around which they center their weekly lives. Grant them a renewed commitment to corporate worship and may … Continue reading Prayers of Intercession – Psalm 95
Prayers of Consecration – Psalm 95
When we pray prayers of consecration, we are asking the Lord in specific ways to set us apart so that He might enable us to obey His revealed will. Therefore, we ask: What should I commit to do based on this passage? How would I live differently if the truths of this passage were more … Continue reading Prayers of Consecration – Psalm 95
A Prayer of Adoration – Psalm 95
If the fire of your heart's devotion to the Lord needs some fuel. Here are things for which to praise Him from Psalm 95. 1. We praise you for rescuing us from all of our spiritual enemies. For You are the Rock of our salvation (1). 2. We praise you for giving us access into … Continue reading A Prayer of Adoration – Psalm 95
Praying Scripture | Psalm 32
Here is a simple way to pray through a portion of God's Word - Psalm 32 1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, … Continue reading Praying Scripture | Psalm 32
Psalm 51 and Becoming a Chief Repenter
Last evening I led a seminar on "The Gospel-Centered Parent." We talked about what it looks like to become the chief repenter in our families. The classic text on repentance is the penitential Psalm... Psalm 51, where David confesses and repents of his sins of adultery and murder. Here is a simple thought and a … Continue reading Psalm 51 and Becoming a Chief Repenter
True and Lasting Happiness
The Word of God cuts through the fog of Satan's lies and shows me where true and lasting happiness is to be found. And so the Word helps me stop trusting in the potential of sin to make me happy, and instead leads me to trust in God's promise of infinite, lasting joy. Psalm 16:11 … Continue reading True and Lasting Happiness
Hope for the Hopeless
From Isaiah 61:1-3... To those who think that their lives are so broken that they have no more heart to try… To those who are bound up in various addictions and besetting sins so that real liberty seems like a cruel mirage… To those who think they will never experience again the favor of the … Continue reading Hope for the Hopeless
2Cherish2Commend 