1 Timothy 2:1-6

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.
1 Timothy 2:1-6

Dear God, I guess this would be a good time to pray for everyone. Pray for Putin, Zelensky, and everyone in Ukraine and Russia. Pray for world leaders in general. They need you. We need you. I hate not only the death, but the terrorization of people. The trauma. The devastation. There are 9 refugees (3 women and 6 children) living in our small town right now and we are looking at different ways to help them, but given everything that is wrong in their lives there is so little we can do. Their husbands/fathers are home in Ukraine fighting.

Father, this is one of those times when I need the Holy Spirit to pray with moanings to deep for understanding. Holy Spirit, move in the hearts of those who are making decisions. Give the Ukrainians success on the battlefield and end this war quickly. Let the world survive this conflict without it escalating further. Help us all to be drawn to you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Psalm 1:1-3

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with the mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Psalm 1:1-3

Dear God, I came across a translation of this well-know passage this morning in the Steven Purcell book Even Among These Rocks: A Spiritual Journey. But he didn’t have these words. He had a translation from somewhere between the 8th and 3rd centuries, B.C.

Certainly, verse 1 is the most different, but it does kind of fit. I guess the ultimate goal in being Christlike is that point where you are beyond greed (I’m not there yet), beyond hatred (I’m not there yet), an no longer nourish illusions (I’m not 100% sure what the translator means here, but I don’t think I’m there yet either). I also like the next part: “But they delight in the way of grace and keep their hearts open day and night.” Nope, not there yet either. I’m closer today than I was yesterday. I’m closer this year than I was last year. I’m closer now at 52 than I was at 42.

I was reading an article last night from Christianity Today about deconstructing faith. That’s become a hot button topic lately and I don’t want to do into it too deeply here, but there were a couple of quotes from the author, Kirsten Sanders, that stood out to me:

“Truth about God isn’t always easy, however. Faith that begins in earnest commitment sometimes must advance through a period of slow questioning, of confusion, of switchbacks and labored ascent.”

I wasn’t thrilled when I first learned that my knowledge of God would always be incomplete. I felt, for a time, unmoored. Like many seminary students, I had been praying for years to a God who I had pictured as being just like me, only larger, through difficult days of uncertainty and loneliness. I loved that God and know that he loves me. Rather than only feeling closer to the God I loved, I learned that there was a clear limit to what I could know. I would need to learn to love God in the dark.

I think there is an inherent discomfort for all humans in just how small and insignificant we are. There is a limit to our abilities–a limit that you do not have. You are omnipotent, and we are not. You are omniscient, and we are not. I think the key to being at peace and sinking into a life beyond greed, hatred, and illusions is getting to a point of complete surrender that we are simply not you and there is a part where we need to accept our ignorance and sink into your grace.

Father, help me get better today at getting beyond greed, replacing hatred with grace and mercy, and rejecting illusions. I confess that I will not get all of the way there today. I’m sorry for that. But help me to at least move along in my journey.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“I want! I want!”

Dear God, I was going through the Lenten book Even Among These Rocks: A Spiritual Journey by Steven Purcell this morning and I came across this picture. It so lines up with the spirit I am getting from the masses in our country right now. Conservative or liberal, rich or poor, young or old, these words seem to be ruling the day: “I want! I want!” And the ladder to the moon seems to emphasize the idea that we will not be denied. Of the image, Purcell wrote: “William Blake’s simple etching illustrates the point that sin is neve the solitary escapade of desire that we imagine it to be, but more fundamentally the rejection of our relational identity. The ladder depicts an apparently innocuous ascent. Where the ladder will lead is perhaps immaterial. What is at stake are the relationships which are affected by his act. What we see in Blakes etching is how movements away from our neighbor and toward our own desires in the spirit of ‘I want, I want,’ neglect the communal image of God impressed on our being.”

I was listening to a podcast this morning that was taking a thoughtful view of trans girls/women competing with girls and women in athletics. While I don’t want to get into the specifics here, there does seem to be a theme in the story of someone deciding they want something for themselves at any cost forgetting, neglecting, or intentionally ignoring “the communal image [you] impressed on our being.” Where is loving your neighbor as yourself?

Of course, this is just one example. There are those, both conservative and liberal, who want ultimate political power so they can control their enemies. There are some who want more and more materially regardless of what it costs others. There are others who want to experience all of the carnal gratifications the human existence has to offer.

In his temptations in the desert, Jesus resisted all of the temptations to impress Satan and break relationship with you. He loved you with all of his heart, mind, and strength. As he left the desert, he loved his neighbor as himself. And he taught us to do the same. Help me to do the same today. Help me to love you. Help me to love others. Be glorified through me for your glory’s sake.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“It’s Time” by Wayne Watson

It happened many years ago
The memories still haunt you though
And who’s to blame, you really don’t know
You’re just locked all alone in these chains

Some times it’s hard to live at all
The pictures of your history call
Your mind’s a decorated wall
But the Lord has the cure for your pain

It’s time, come back to the land of the living
Come home to the land of the forgiving
Jesus will be faithful to the end

It’s time, break the tangled webs that bind you
Let the grace of God unwind you
Give the Lord your broken heart to mend
It’s time, it’s time

You’ve had your little victories
But perfection’s pretty hard to please
And guilt is an annoying breeze
That blows all that’s peaceful away

And life is too short to go on living like this
Or to brood over who’s done you wrong
If the years pass you by, look at all that you’ll miss
You’ve been walking in shadows too long

It’s time, come back to the land of the living
Come home to the land of the forgiving
Jesus will be faithful to the end

Written by Wayne Watson

Dear God, there are a lot of people who need the message of this song. I still remember getting this CD when is came out in 1992. It was a new song on his greatest hits album, “How Time Flies.” I also remember playing it for a friend with a difficult past. Yesterday morning, after not having heard or thought of it for literally a couple of decades, for some reason it came to mind. I played it while I was getting ready for work and it always amazes me how lyrics come back to me instantly. You have done something unbelievable in our minds when it comes to music.

So this morning, I sing this song for myself. I sing it for those I love. I sing it for the people in the meeting yesterday who showed up angry. A lot of the pain that controls us does so because we keep it a secret. So I pray that you would destroy the power of their/our secrets by safely exposing them to someone trustworthy in each of our lives. Expose and remove our shame. Along with the exposure, replace the shame, guilt, anger, depression, fear, sadness, etc. with the fruits of your Holy Spirit. Father, it’s time. Help us, please.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

James 1:5-8

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James 1:5-8

Dear God, this feels like me: asking you for wisdom and yet still keeping part of my faith in the world. Logic. Reason. Justice. My rights. I put stock in all of these.

Father, I’m really feeling it today. You’re all I have and I really need your wisdom. Speak to me. Raise up voices I can hear. Reveal your perception of my life and the events surrounding it to me. Whatever the outcomes, my they ultimately be for your glory.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Ephesians 6:10-12

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10-12

Dear God, I so often forget this reality. I read this before my wife and I did our daily prayer together this morning so I incorporated it into our prayer. Whether it’s family conflicts, community conflicts, work conflicts, or world conflicts, what we see with our eyes and perceive with our minds is only part of the story. There is so much more happening, and I need you in the midst of so much unknown.

Father, help me to be your vessel today. Love through me. Bring peace through me. Heal my heart and heal other hearts around me, using me in whatever way you want. I am yours. I am all yours.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Jeremiah 17:5-6

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.
Jeremiah 17:5-6

Dear God, I do this. I do it all of the time. I put my trust in the economy. I put my trust my own ability. But if you are the vine and I am the branch then I will surely shrivel up and die apart from you.

I’m about to go into a finance committee in the next two hours. Things are good with our nonprofits finances. Will I pat myself on the back or worship you? Will I take credit before my board members or will I point them to you? The truth is, when I go back to the foundation of where each donation or other piece of revenue came from, I can point back to you and see how your hand influences every good thing.

Father, I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you. Thank you. Guide me. Encourage me. Enter the world through my life. And please heal the situations that are causing me pain and concern.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Matthew 4:1-11 — Pursuing the Desert

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

³ During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶ and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,

‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”

⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

⁸ Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the Lord your God
    and serve only him.’”

¹¹ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Matthew 4:1-11

Dear God, I heard a great sermon on this passage last week, and now, sitting down to spend time with you this morning, I picked up a book by Steven Purcell called Even Among These Rocks: A Spiritual Journey I opened to a page on this passage. What Purcell wrote about it is worth putting here:

Throughout biblical and church history the people of God are frequently found living in the desert. The desert is the geographic setting of the Exodus, Christ’s temptation and home to the desert fathers of the fourth century. But the desert has also been used to symbolize the geography of the human heart. With desert metaphors we are able to express the barrenness, aridity and vulnerability often felt within our souls. Many people have purposefully entered the desert in order to submit themselves to physical as well as spiritual conditions that expose the soul. On the other hand, many of us find ourselves in spiritual deserts against our wills. Nevertheless, the effects are the same: The desert exposes and lays bare. In it we are tempted and suffer as Christ was tempted and suffered. The significance of the desert experience, chosen or not, is that by if God is able to reveal the true condition of the human heart. The wild, trackless and vulnerable experience of the spiritual desert exposes our personal vulnerability to all sorts of evil and our absolute dependence on God’s grace. As the first steps of Christ’s ministry began in the desert, so too our Lenten journey home begins there. Having accepted Christ’s invitation to follow him, our journey has begun.

As I am going through Lent, as I go through deserts both chosen and unchosen, I cannot help but wonder what you would like to “expose and lay bare” for me.

I was talking with a friend yesterday, and his comment to me was, “I can tell you are really hurting.” I accepted it as truth at the time and I sat with it all day. Yes, I am hurting. I’m not doing well right now. A friend asked me recently how I’m doing and I told him I’m about a “6” on a scale of 1-10. Most of my life is good, but the parts that aren’t are incredibly painful. That is the desert I didn’t choose. But now I’m going through Lent and a specific kind of desert that I did choose. A denial of myself out of respect for what you did and to also use it to reveal what you are “exposing and laying bare” for me to see.

Father, I suppose this is the thought I will sit with today. What are you exposing and laying bare. How are you making my desert count for your glory–not only for me, but for others as well? The first thing I have to do is re-enter this discipline of spending this kind of time with you every day. Ironically, I think listening to the daily Bible-in-a-year podcast has somehow taken me from this discipline of worshipping you. So while I would still like to keep that up, I think I have to do this first. I have to spend this time with you. I love you. My hope is in you. My faith is in you. My only certainty is in you. It is not in my wife, my children, my parents, my job, my country, or my world. You are my only hope. I will rest in you today.

Oh, and one more thing before I finish this prayer. I was with some pastors this week through our local ministerial association and the Seventh Day Adventist pastor talked about the Sabbath. The part of the conversation I internalized was that it’s more than talking about having a restful day. It’s about having a restful and restorative day with you. It’s allowing you to minister to me through my worship of you. He talked about taking his day off each week and using that as his Sabbath. As he was complaining to you about his week, his job, etc., he heard you say, “Leave all of that behind. Today, just be with me.” So as I figure out what to do with a weekly Sabbath and my desert, help me to find some time to leave it all behind and allow you to restore my soul through me just being with you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Thinking About Ukraine — Offramps

Dear God, one of the hardest things about any conflict, whether it was entered into wisely or foolishly, is figuring out the offramp. There are three options, I suppose: 1.) Side A surrenders or is destroyed. 2.) Side B surrenders or is destroyed. 3.) Compromise.

When I look at the Urkraine situation and watch videos like the one I saw this morning of everyday people suffering, it takes me back to a year ago in Winter Storm Uri. Not that we suffered like they are now. In fact, that’s the point. As difficult as that was, and as much fear we had at the time and bellyaching we did at the time, we still had resources and the basics of infrastructure. No one was randomly firing missiles into our cities. We weren’t having to evacuate the women and children only to turn around, take up a gun and defend our homes. Some of us were simply without power and/or water, our food supplies were interrupted, and we couldn’t drive on the streets. But we knew they would be back. We knew our society hadn’t crumbled or we weren’t in danger of our government being overthrown. Certainly, we didn’t fear a missile landing on our house at any given moment.

Even now, as much as I ache for the people of Ukraine and also the Russian soldiers being forced to attack them, my aching is only a smidge of what pain they are feeling. I cannot even comprehend it. But if, like when I write my congressman I imagine my letter being sorted into a stack based on issues and just counting almost like a vote, my prayer is added to the billions–literally probably billions–of prayers being raised up for Ukraine right now, let it be for an offramp. I do not want the Ukrainians to surrender or be destroyed. I do not believe pride will allow the Russians to surrender and no one wants to see them destroyed. So I pray for an apparent offramp. Give the world a quick way to resolve this issue. And please let this pain count. Let there be communication. Let there be a sense of gaining the perspective of the other, respecting that, and then moving on. Let this all be in your perfect timing. And for my brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please guide and comfort them. You know, I don’t really know how to pray for them. Frankly, I don’t know how to pray for any of this. So let your Holy Spirit intercede for all of us.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Romans 8:26-28

²⁶ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:26-28

Dear God, I just got an image from reading verse 27. On a manual transmission, there is the motor and there is the transmission. When they are completely engaged with each other, they are moving together and doing great work. However, when they are moving at a difference speed, whether it be the transmission is stopped and the engine is moving or the transmission needs a new gear, but that will require disengagement and reengagement between the two, they need an intercessor. They need a clutch.

I think there is an analogy here between you and me. When we are clicking then the Holy Spirit is rocking with me and things are good. But if I’m having to slow down for a turn, speed up for something new in life, or even come to a total stop so I can mourn and regroup, the Holy Spirit is that link between you and me that makes it all work.

Holy Spirit, I need you now. I have some hazards in the road, and I’m not sure what they need. A higher gear? A lower gear? I’m not even sure how to pray, as Paul says in verse 26. But I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. I don’t want to walk away from things you have for me because they seem too difficult. I don’t want to miss an opportunity to worship you and do your will. I don’t want to miss an opportunity to love everyone I can.

Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, please help me. Pray. Please pray. Pray for me. Pray for those I love. Be the intercessor I need to make the imperfection of my life match with the perfection of the Father.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen