Occasionally I need a transfusion. Maybe not the “A negative” sort, but I need a transfusion in the way that I think. At times, I lose my focus, and what I see becomes distorted. It’s so easy to only see my irritations and struggles while forgetting the many areas in my life where I’m experiencing no problems or pain. I have no difficulty complaining, criticizing, and finding fault, yet tend to leave words of gratitude and appreciation left unsaid. Why is that? It is so much easier to fuss and fret than to speak hope, peace, and joy. The Word of God tells us to be “renewed” in our minds (Ephesians 4:23).
Prayer: Lord, we can not “fix” ourselves. We need Your help. Each day, prompt us to say words that heal, lift, and encourage. We can do all things, as long as our focus is on You (Philippians 4:13).
“Humpty Dumpty set on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again!” Have you ever felt a little like Humpty Dumpty? I have. I’ve fallen. Failed. Broken, not just things, but people – said words that shouldn’t have been spoken – done things that I never should have done. I’m left wondering if I can ever piece the fragments of my life back together again. I can’t. But He can! God mends broken hearts. He takes the pieces of failure, inadequacies, and rejection, and He patiently restores, heals, strengthens, refreshes, and renews.
Prayer: Dear Lord, when we are cast down, nothing is going right, and we don’t know which way to turn, You are our hope (Psalm 42:11). Thank You for the promise that we have in You.
More! The best! To possess it first! It seems as soon as we obtain one thing there is another that we must have too. Dresses and shoes sit in our closets, often with price tags still attached, while we shop for more. “The person with the most toys wins!” Whether those words would ever come out of our mouths or not, that is exactly how we live. We worry and fret that our best will never be good enough and that our friends and neighbors will upstage us. What a waste of time. There is one way to ensure that we always have all that we need. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:34).
Prayer: Dear God, help us to remember that as long as You’re all we want, we will have all that we need.
Occasionally it seems that we lose our way. It happens to the best of us. The darkness of night descends around us, and we can no longer see clearly. The bright sunlight is obscured and the road, we once easily maneuvered, now seems narrow, winding and hazardous. It is one thing to navigate hills and dangerous curves in broad daylight, but attempting them in the dead of night is another. Without familiar landmarks to guide our way, each bend seems treacherous. Life has a way of blindsiding us. We are frightened when dark, heavy clouds envelop our lives.
Prayer: Lord, Your Word tells us that when we fear (respect) You and are obedient, that we no longer walk in darkness. “Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon His God” (Isaiah 50:10). We trust You with our lives. In You there is light and life.
That empty feeling is there. You know the one. There has to be more to life! So we turn up the music and invite friends over. The problem is that the party eventually ends and we’re back where we started. The emptiness is still there. Do you know that God actually designed each of us with an “empty spot” that only He can fill? There is nothing and no one that can completely fulfill us except Him. Only God’s presence can bring lasting peace, joy, and contentment. There is a longing in the heart of every man, woman, boy, and girl for God. The Psalmist put it like this, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God” (Psalm 42:1).
Prayer: Lord, we long to be in Your presence for in Your presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). In You we’re complete!
Where can we go and be safe? I’ve wondered that at times. People fail us. Circumstances come avalanching through our lives, leaving us wounded, beaten and broken. It seems that there is no one that we can count on all the time and in every situation. There is a “Friend” that will never leave us. There is One that can be trusted with our darkest secrets and greatest needs. It is exhausting to constantly defend and protect ourselves and what we have. “Trust in the Lord,” the Psalmist said (Psalm 37:4). When we trust God, we no longer have to struggle and strain to get what we need.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we do trust You. Give us courage to trust You even more. Being vulnerable even before You is not easy. You know that. Thank You for loving us. Thank You for providing for our every need.
The American dream! Who doesn’t long for financial security, money in the bank and investments for later? The dogged efforts that are required to attain financial freedom keep many people from going after the “brass ring.” Instead, millions are spent on lottery tickets. Perhaps “luck” will replace diligence and hard work. Money is not the only thing we would really like a lot of. Good relationships with family, friends, and God are not things that we just stumble into. Daily deposits are needed to maintain a healthy “balance” in each of these accounts. Each day we are either making withdrawals or deposits.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we need Your help as we walk through life. We long for the “good life” but are unable to make it happen. You’ve promised in Your Word that when we acknowledge You, that You will show us the way (Proverbs 3:6). We’re doing that right now.