Devotionals

Intro: The burdens many people face in life can really be heavy and too much for them to carry alone. I minister to people all the time who are standing in the merging intersection of those weighty challenges and they are trying to decide which way to turn or what to do to bring healthy change. Although I seek to help in spiritual and tangible ways, my greatest responsibility is to help people connect with the God to whom nothing is impossible. God is able and we must, by faith, stand in that place of belief and know the Lord will provide a way of salvation. He has given us his promise that nothing can separate us from his love; therefore, victory is ours through Christ (Rom 8:35-37).

In our passage today, David stands in the midst of challenges and proclaims the sufficiency of God. David wants God’s people to remember, the Lord is great and righteous, he acts on behalf of his children doing wonderful works, his glory reaches the heavens, he is filled with patience and compassion, and he is all we need each day to flourish as we seek his kingdom (Mat 6:33). Developing a thriving relationship with the Lord is the wisest action a human being can take, because the Helper (Spirit) moves through that relationship.

In the Old Testament prayers and praises, David tells us the Lord is the Lifter of our hearts, as well as the Helper we need for every burden. In the New Testament Jesus tells us something very similar, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Mat 11:28-30). Jesus offers his followers spiritual rest and an opportunity to come to him (yield) for learning and refreshment, because we must stop trying to carry the load of life alone.

Psalm 145:8-14 NLT
8
The Lord is merciful and compassionate,    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 
The Lord is good to everyone.    He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 
All of your works will thank you, Lord,    and your faithful followers will praise you.
11 
They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;    they will give examples of your power.
12 
They will tell about your mighty deeds    and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.    You rule throughout all generations.
The Lord always keeps his promises;    he is gracious in all he does.
14 
The Lord helps the fallen    and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for pouring your goodness into our lives and providing the strength we need while you bring salvation. Thank you for the spiritual rest and the glorious help of the Spirit who leads our lives forward into good things. Like David, may we be a witness to others of your faithfulness to walk through life with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For my 65th birthday, my daughters (in love) and a dear friend took me to a pottery wheel class. I learned quite a bit about the work of a potter with clay while I was there; first thing to remember is the whole process is MESSY! When clay is mixed with water as a lubricant, it causes the particles to slide past one another. Wedging gets the bubbles out and smooths out the clay making it workable. Then it’s time to dampen the wheel with water so the clay sticks when you throw it in the middle of the wheel. With wet hands you cone the clay by bringing your hands together; the clay moves upward through your hands. Then, the challenge of shaping takes place. As long as one keeps the clay and hands wet while on the wheel, reshaping is possible if the end product is undesirable.

In our passage for today, Jeremiah gets a visual object lesson from God when he is taken to the potter’s shop. This process and lesson allowed Jeremiah to understand what God was planning to do to Judah unless they repented. Like a divine Potter, God planned to shape and form Judah like a clay jar according to his standards. If God was not happy with the finished wet clay jar, he would simply smash it down and start all over again until he was satisfied with the final product. In other words, Judah would experience painful times until they turned their hearts toward the Lord.

God’s plan for his children is to shape us (as clay mixed with the water of the Spirit) into the image of Christ. This means our hearts must be pure (quick to repent) and our lives humble and obedient to the work of God’s Holy Spirit. Now, we can fight the process or we can welcome it. However, if we claim Christ the process has been established and Jesus is the standard. So, may the Spirit make us workable clay by providing the wedging we need, centering us in Christ, moving us upward in his character, and shaping us according to his standard, so we can be witnesses to the glorious transformation process. The unredeemed world needs to pay attention, because one day God will allow human clay to dry (remove the water of the Spirit and grace)…shattered lives will be the result. He has spoken. May we listen.

Jeremiah 18:1-11 NLT The Potter and the Clay
1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7 If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8 but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9 And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.

11 “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our object lesson from Jeremiah. Have your way in our human hearts and lives; otherwise, we will be filled with worldly filth and impurities. Help us to listen to the Spirit and cooperate with the shaping that comes through ongoing conviction, repentance, and transformation. Open us up to the truth about our lives and the plans you have for us in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Today, many citizens in the United States will celebrate the 4th of July—Independence Day. Approximately two hundred and forty-seven years ago the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed by the Second Continental Congress. Today, all over the country, there will be celebratory parades, cookouts, family gatherings, and awe-inspiring fireworks. For the patriot, today is a day of celebrating freedom and to remember the preamble to our Declaration: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

While in Boston, during a recent vacation with dear friends, we walked the Freedom Trail. I was inspired once again by the history of our country, as well as the patriotism and courage demonstrated by many of our founding fathers and leaders. For example, we visited the Granary Burying Ground where we honored the gravesites of three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. Our founding fathers sought to secure freedom from English rule and create a government that would honor the God-given freedom of those they governed.

In our passage today from the Psalter, we continue to recognize our unalienable rights that must be protected by our allegiance to our Creator. The Lord rules over his creation and every nation who acknowledges his right to influence governance and order will experience his life, love, wisdom, and power. I praise God for the measure of freedom we have in this country; a freedom many in other parts of the world lack. I praise God for our military, law enforcement, and border security who maintain our freedom and safety. However, I encourage us to pray more fervently for our nation’s leaders, because they have failed to acknowledge to “We the People” that every right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is from the Creator and Giver and not the government. Please take time, today, to praise and pray…

Psalm 33:8-18 NLT
8
Let the whole world fear the Lord,    and let everyone stand in awe of him.
9 
For when he spoke, the world began!    It appeared at his command.
10 
The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations    and thwarts all their schemes.
11 
But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;    his intentions can never be shaken.
12
What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,    whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.
13 
The Lord looks down from heaven    and sees the whole human race.
14 
From his throne he observes    all who live on the earth.
15 
He made their hearts,    so he understands everything they do.
16 
The best-equipped army cannot save a king,    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17 
Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—    for all its strength, it cannot save you.
18 
But the Lord watches over those who fear him,    those who rely on his unfailing love.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for life, liberty, and the ability to pursue the happiness that is found only in you. We praise you for our freedom to worship and serve you and one another. We pray for our country to bow to your authority and to point the people toward you as the true Giver of our rights. May our leaders turn from an unholy arrogance to honor you and appreciate those who protect the freedom we have been given. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Every time I read about Abraham’s faith being tested in Genesis 22, when God instructs Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering, I am in awe of each obedient step that Abraham took to follow God’s instruction. It was days of what had to seem like pure torment. We know that as a result of Abraham’s faithfulness and pure reverence, or fear of the Lord, God does not allow Abraham to go through with this request; and we will see in today’s passage the many blessings that God bestows upon Abraham for his unwavering faith. But, before we look at those blessings, I want us to try to put ourselves in Abraham’s shoes for a moment. I honestly do not think most of us would make it past request #1:

1. God calls out to you tonight…“(Insert Your Name), tomorrow I will send further instruction, but go to this place and I would like for you to sacrifice your child or the person you love the most in this world.”
2. The next morning you wake up early, get your transportation ready, ask two people to accompany you, you bring your most loved one with you, and set out to sacrifice this person for God.
3. You get near the place, you chop wood, it has been 3 days, and you ask the two people who you brought with you to remain with your transportation.
4. You and your most loved one travel a little farther and that person begins to question what is going to happen.
5. You arrive at the place where God has instructed, you build an altar, you arrange wood on the top of the alter, you tie up your loved one, you lay that person upon the wood on the altar, then you take a knife and prepare to kill your loved one.
6. Before you can hurt your loved one, an angel of the Lord calls out to you from heaven and stops you.

We know that all of this transpired within the Old Testament, under the old sacrificial law, and as followers of Christ, He is our One and only sacrifice that replaced the old law. But truly, Abraham’s immense faith should be a never-ending example for you and me.

Today’s passage picks up after God stops Abraham from killing Isaac and after the ram is sacrificed as the offering to God. The angel of the Lord calls out again to Abraham, only this time God offers Abraham many blessings and promises of reward due to his faithfulness.

God wants our faith to be obedient and steadfast as Abraham. Obviously, each of us is different and so how He calls us is going to be different, but we need to be ready to answer God’s call. We see here, and throughout God’s Word, that blessings come as a result of our faithfulness. May Abraham’s example be an encouragement to your faith today, I know it has done a number on mine.

Genesis 22:15-18 (NLT)

15 Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for placing Abraham, and every other brother and sister of faith, within my path. I learn so much from their examples of living lives that are faithful to You. Holy Spirit, please move within me so that I can continue to grow in my faith. Help to open my spiritual ears to hear what I need to hear in order to grow closer and closer to the Lord. May my spiritual eyes fixate on that which is of eternity and steer clear of that which is of this world. Stir within my heart to connect to the heart of Jesus. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Last week, we looked at Ira David Sankey who was with Dwight Moody for thirty  years in the world of evangelism.  He was different because he was a worship leader for Moody and they worked together for a long time.  This week, we are looking at an individual named Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1876).  Finney was part of the Sunday School Revivals from 1820 through 1850.  What was interesting about his story is that he was a lawyer before he became an evangelist.  On August 10, 1821, he went away to pray and he was convinced to leave his law practice to preach the gospel across America.  He started off at a Presbyterian church in 1824 and then served at the Congregational Church twelve years later.  He once held a revival that lasted for five months at Third Presbyterian Church in New York.  While this was something amazing, some people were not very happy with what he was doing.  There were some disputes between Finney and the pastor, but he continued to do what he was called to do.  When he went to a Methodist church, he had what is commonly referred to as “the altar call.”  He thought of this when people were going up to participate in communion.  One of the things that he was very controversial was that he was really big in remodeling church sanctuaries.  Anytime he would go to a new church, he would inform the trustees that the pulpit area need to be remodeled.  One reason is because the sanctuary would become very crowded when he would appear and he wanted the people to have room and space for them to come in and receive the Holy Spirit.  Throughout his time up in Rochester, NY, the revival up there spread to 1500 towns and villages up through the New England area and more than 100,000 people gave their lives to the Lord.  

Challenge

I want to challenge you to think about what it means to step out in faith.  I remember watching an episode of the TV series “The Chosen” and there was a scene where Matthew and Philip are having a dialogue about what it means to be on the outside of the circle.  This stuck out to me because so often we want to be included and inside the circle, but sometimes it is good for us to be on the outside of the circle.  Here’s what I’m saying: you can step out in faith without stepping into the circle.  In other words, we cannot be conformed to the patterns of this world, but instead we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).  I want to challenge you to step out in faith but don’t step in the circle.  When we start doing this, we will begin to see what God is trying to reveal to us and what we need to do to stay in tuned or in lined with Him.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for Your continuous strength and wisdom as we continue to do the things that You have called us to.  As we grow Your Kingdom, let us not be ashamed of it.  Instead, let us embrace it and let Your word shine before others so that the darkness will flee and Your light will shine through.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.  

Intro: This past Wednesday evening during our Chosen Bible Study, we watched a video about meekness—defined as controlled strength under pressure. Meekness is the inner attitude of the heart—of our mind/will/emotions—which expresses itself outwardly as strong, active, courageous, restrained and never self-aggrandizing. Evil and sin will always arrive to disrupt our meekness, because Satan wants to move us away from a posture of humility, trust, forgiveness, and a fear of the Lord.

In our passage from Luke today, Jesus is teaching about perpetuating evil—those who encourage others to sin against God. Certainly, we all sin and fall short of Christ’s glorious standard; sin is the spiritual malady of the human heart that seeks to live without the fear of the Lord. We all need to take a meek position with each other. The temptation to sin against God, others, or ourselves will exist until Jesus returns; so, forgiveness is essential.

When someone is living with the spiritual illness of the heart, he or she tends to want others to join him or her in that sickness. Misery loves company and many times Jesus addresses the Pharisees about how they are leading God’s people to join them in their spiritual malady rather than living to please God. For this reason, Jesus casts a very vivid picture of what will happen to those who are given spiritual authority but mislead God’s family away from the truth. Sorrow awaits.

So, let’s just think for a moment about how our faith must lead us toward forgiveness, because we are commanded to forgive. In the Body of Christ, we will need to forgive one another over and over again. That means we must be quick to repent, apologize, and recognize our own sin before fixating on the sin of others. So, before we get upset with a fellow brother or sister in Christ and try to point out their sin, let’s make sure our action is based on meekness and our purpose is to restore another in relationship to God.

Luke 17:1-4 NLT Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith
1 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson on meekness. Help your children to be bathed in quiet strength and to have the right attitude about our personal sin, as well as the sin of others. Sin is wrong and we must help one another rise above it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The other day I witnessed the most beautiful sunset and what rose up in my heart was the amazing power of God to create, maintain order, and sustain all of nature. Oh, and beyond that piece of truth, I felt the assurance this same wonderful God occupies my heart, your heart, and all of genuine life is found in him. So, it was with great joy that I praised him for the love that fills my life with amazing experiences and wonderful family and friends! Watching this sunset became an inspiring place of worship.

In our passage today, we learn the same power that reveals the light of God’s glorious presence in nature—all of creation—and keeps it in order is the same God who protects the lives of his children and makes us strong. Some days we may feel weak and unable to bear the darkness that presses in, but we must look beyond our limits to see the God of perfect love who knows no darkness or limits. His grace is sufficient and his strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:8-10).

In our weakness, God is strong; this is the beauty of God’s favor and salvation in Christ. We can know the power of the Creator who is our personal Hero; Christ prevails in strength and power to lead us forward into abundant life in his glorious and shining character. If we never find ourselves “unable,” we will never know the One by faith who says, “I AM!”

Psalm 89:15-18 NLT
15
How happy are those who have learned how to praise You;
    those who journey through life by the light of Your face.
16 
Every hour of the day, they rejoice at the sound of Your name.
    They are lifted up and encouraged by Your righteousness.
17 
For You are the beauty of their strength.
    On account of Your favor, our strength, our horn [power], is increased.
18 
For our shield of protection comes from the Eternal,
    and the Holy One of Israel has given us our king.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for placing your beautiful glory before us each day. In spite of the darkness, we see your shinning perfection and experience your strong protection. Continue to be our shield, Lord. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Intro: According to Merriam-Webster, favor involves gracious kindness. However, the biblical definition of favor is a bit different: a “demonstrated delight” which reveals the faithful outpouring of love and blessing from the Lord. God’s favor is connected to grace and we are encouraged to seek the Lord’s favor, because it ushers us into his glorious presence. In God’s presence we can enjoy security, wisdom, righteousness, and the fullness of joy (Ps 16:11). For this reason, God commands us to love him wholeheartedly; he wants to shower us with favor. What do you think your day-to-day experience would be like if you positioned everything in your life around loving God wholeheartedly?

Today, we continue our passage from Psalm 86. David finally shares about how he is affected by negative, hateful, and arrogant people. We can probably all testify to the influence of negativity; it’s all around if we look closely. However, believers are not to focus on negativity because God does not inhabit it. Instead, we are to seek the Kingdom of God and his way of being favored and righteous, then everything else we need to enjoy more of life in God’s presence will be given to us.

It sounds to me like wisdom is leading us to a new way of handling negativity. We are to focus on the glorious character of God: his compassion, mercy, patience, love, and loyalty. These are the ways God demonstrates his delight for us. Believers are to be looking for God’s character in action as a sign of his presence with us. That means we should actually be looking for God’s character on display through the support of our families, friends, and fellow worshipers, because we are focused on growing in righteousness. Ponder this thought, today: What if God allows us to experience negativity in others, so instead of participating in that darkness we choose to release righteousness as a sign of God’s favor operating in our lives?

Psalm 86:14-17 NLT
14 
O God, insolent people rise up against me;
    a violent gang is trying to kill me.
    You mean nothing to them.
15 
But you, O Lord,
    are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
16 
Look down and have mercy on me.
    Give your strength to your servant;
    save me, the son of your servant.
17 
Send me a sign of your favor.
    Then those who hate me will be put to shame,
    for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending us signs every day of your beautiful favor and character. If we look carefully, we will see your demonstration of delight for us as your children. Not every person we meet will understand the joy we experience; but maybe our joy will positively influence the negativity others are tempted to unleash. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: According to Scripture, purity of heart is necessary when connecting to God. I am reminded in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus spends time talking about inner purity, because the Pharisees talk a lot about God, but Jesus tells them they actually violate the direct commands from God for honoring their parents. Jesus tells these religious leaders without purity of heart they are cancelling the Word of God for the sake of their own selfish ways. Jesus uses a quote from Isaiah to challenge the Pharisees, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mat 15:8). Ouch! This is certainly an example of how the Word comes to bring correction (2 Tim 3:16).

The word heart in Hebrew is lev or levav [sounds like: labe] and, in Scripture, most often refers to the inner life [mind/will/emotions] of a person rather than the physical organ. The lev is the core of one’s being from which a person gains direction for his or her life. This word is used more than 800 times in the Old Testament alone. Solomon teaches, “Guard your heart [lev] above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Pro 4:23). The lev is the first part of us that lives and is the seat of our spiritual lives. Human beings must guard the heart; otherwise, it can easily become the possession of Satan. If our lev is not reborn from above through Christ, we will live for selfish endeavors—committed only to ourselves which of course leads to destruction. Only a pure lev produces righteous fruit; because Jesus comes to be enthroned in human hearts. “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (Mat 5:8).

In our passage today, David sings a prayer and asks God to give him a pure heart [lev]. David is facing some very distressful situations, but instead of asking God to change the tangible things, he prays and asks God to first change his heart. Once he finishes that portion of the prayer, David moves on to confess his brokenness in this temporal life (we will look at the continuation of David’s song tomorrow). No wonder David is referred to in Scripture as a man after God’s heart. That prayer demonstrates a godly desire for the purity of heart only God can provide.

The issues we are facing in our culture and world are certainly distressful, but these issues are manifestations of unredeemed hearts. Satan is the deceiver and influencer and he will run to take dominion of unguarded hearts. God’s commands are to be upon our lev and only Jesus can fulfill them (Due 6:6). Today, I pray for more human hearts to reach for the only One who can bring inner purity—because people who desire purity of heart will continue to leave God’s mark on this rebellious or sinful world.

Psalm 86:11-17
11
Teach me your ways, O Lord,
    that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
    so that I may honor you.
12 
With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
    I will give glory to your name forever,
13 
for your love for me is very great.
    You have rescued me from the depths of death.

Prayer: Lord, please help us guard our hearts. May we refuse to let down our guard for even a moment, because we desire to see you operate in our lives. Grant us purity of heart in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We know that the Book of Revelation is a heavenly vision, that God gave to John, of events that are still to come. In today’s passage, John is instructed to write the first of seven letters to seven churches. This letter is “The Message to the Church in Ephesus”.

John addresses the angel who functions as the representative of the church, to remind the church of their heavenly existence. Friends, you and I are the church; and we are so blessed that our Pastor, Mary Haley, reminds us often that we are first and foremost spirit beings, who are temporarily here on earth in these bodies, but God calls us to lovingly operate with the growing understanding that we are living for His heavenly promise of eternity with Him now. That means that you and I need to speak and act as those we are in heaven, with Jesus, at all times. Jesus is the “One” who walks among the church or the gold lampstands, and He knows each of our hearts because He created each one. As our Creator, He not only wants to fellowship with us, but He wants us to remember that He is our first love.

Jesus is reminding the Ephesians, as well as you and me, of who we are as His followers and how our relationship with Him is the most crucial piece of our existence up until our very last earthly breath. We are not to grow weary. Rather, we need to be in His Word daily, gathering with His Family (fellow believers) all of the time, going to worship Him, attending Bible Study to learn more about Him, going out and being His hands, feet, and heart to others, praying, praying, and never stop praying because we are communing with Him. Let’s face it, you and I will find ways to get out of all of these things, and that’s because the enemy wants nothing more than to distance us from Jesus and His Family (which is our Family). Don’t let the devil speak lies to you, get up and be with Jesus and His (your) Family today and every subsequent day of the rest of your earthly life.

Revelation 2:1-7 NLT
The Message to the Church in Ephesus

1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.

4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.

7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for this letter because it is for me and all fellow believers. You are my first love, and please forgive me when I have stepped aside or away from You and allowed other things, circumstances and/or people to take priority over You. I want to keep growing in my relationship with You. I want to continue to help to grow Your heavenly kingdom. Holy Spirit, please fill me with Your strength, the strength I need for today. Guide me with heavenly wisdom to do what it is You need for me to do today. Help me to rest tonight in Your peace and to wake tomorrow with renewed hope, faith, and joy, covered in Your grace, to do what You’ll need for me to do. For now, I am Your vessel to do with what You need for the kingdom of God today. I ask all of this in Your Holy and Precious Name, Jesus. Amen.