HOLD US TOGETHER

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Colossians 1:17  New International Version

We met at a prayer meeting, prayed on our dates, and dreamt of serving God together. We put God first; and He has held us together through some pretty tough times. He can do the same with our nation.


Hear My Heart God,
Lonnie

DANIEL'S GOD . . . AND MINE

"For He is the living God,

And He will endure forever.

His kingdom will never be overthrown ;

His reign will know no end.

He saves and rescues those who fear Him,

Performing signs and wonders in heaven and earth."



Daniel 6:26-27  The Voice Translation

The above proclaimed by the king who, unwillingly, had Daniel thrown into the lions' den.

Encouraged In God's Word,
Lonnie

PRAYER

Father, 
This morning I find my heart tender toward Melania. May she be overwhelmed by the love that comes from Christians. And may Donald be as a Boaz to her--honoring and protective, from a place of gentleness rather than power. 

In Jesus Name and For His Glory,
Amen

ONE WORD PRAYER

"A poster from a few years ago read,

'A prayer to be said

When the world has gotten you down

And you feel rotten,

And you're too doggone tired to pray, 

And you're in a big hurry,

And besides, you're mad at everybody . . . "Help!"

Dr. David Jeremiah
What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do    p. 26
David C. Cook   2016

Why do we make prayer so complicated?

God, It's Me Again,
Lonnie

PRAYER

God,
President Trump will be appointing Supreme Court justices this week. Please give him wisdom and courage. You know our needs and the character of each man and woman.  Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

God, protect the Trump marriages and their families. Let the insults and harsh words not stay stuck in their hearts. Help them forgive others and help them forgive themselves by receiving Your forgiveness. All have sinned and fall short . . .

God, help each of them to spend time in Your Word. Give them a greater and greater love for You.  Likewise for us, God.

When Trump and our leadership experience successes, help them to thank You. Help them to see Your Hand and to know in their hearts that apart from Jesus the can do nothing. Help them to recognize that every good and perfect gift comes from You.

To You be all glory, honor, and power.
Amen

RESPECT THAT MATTERS

"David withdrew from taking the life of Saul out of respect for God, not Saul."

Beth Moore
Portraits Of Devotion p. 45
B&H Publishing Group  2014

It's hard for me to read this and not think of our political climate.

God, show us how to follow David's example.

Longing To Be A Woman After Your Own Heart,

Lonnie

Prayer

"Isn't Babylon a great city? I have built this royal residence from the ground up with my own might and ingenuity to honor his own majesty."

Nebachadnezzar
Daniel 4:30   The Voice Translation.

God, 
Help our leaders to know that they are but men. And let our expectations show that we, too, understand that they are but men, too.

God, I also ask that President Trump would put people around him that would reign him in, as necessary. And, then help him to allow them to do so.

In Jesus Name

INEXHAUSTIBLE, CONSTANT, UNFAILING LOVE

"I do not love you more on days when you perform well, nor do I love you less when you fail badly."

Sarah Young
Jesus Always  p. 27
Thomas Nelson  2016

"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you."
Isaiah 54:10a  NAS

Believe It!

Till We See Him Face to Face,
Lonnie

WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN? MAYBE NOT.

Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don'the matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Marjorie Williams
The Velveteen Rabbit

I think the author was writing from a senior citizen perspective--suddenly feeling old and very loved.

Feeling Hugged,
Lonnie

PRAYER

God,
Help us repent. Help us see clearly the sin in our own lives. We are a nation, it's true--but made up of individuals. We can and should stand for righteousness; but who will listen if they don't see us dealing with our own sin first? 

God, help us to ask Your forgiveness for what seems the smallest of sins to the greatest. You can and will forgive ALL, when we are sincerely sorry. 

Help us to silence the noises and distractions, so that we can hear Your voice. Help us not to fear Your correction. You love Us! 

The choice is ours. But our choices bear eternal consequences . . . For our nation; for ourselves.


"Bring an end to your wicked deeds and show mercy to those you have beaten down. If you do, perhaps your future will be different and your prosperity will continue."   Daniel 4:27b  The Voice Translation.   (emphasis mine)

God, we need Your help. We can't see our sin, nor the harm in it, without You. We don't have strength, or even the will, in ourselves to confess our sin or to leave it. We are utterly dependent on You--Who loves us SO much.

Amen

PRAYER

"Praise the name of God forever and ever,

For all wisdom and power belong to Him.

He sets in motion the times and ages; 

He deposes kings and installs others."

Daniel 2:20-21a  The Voice Translation

God, 
We don't understand Your ways. Help us to focus on Your infinite love and wisdom. Help us to trust. 

In Jesus Name,

PRAYER

God, 
I pray that you would give Donald Trump a genuine love for the United States  and wisdom for the best ways to express that.

I continue to pray that he wouldn't lean on his own extensive knowledge, but that he would acknowledge You in all his ways--that he would ask and expect You to direct his paths. 

Thank You that You are working. Help us to trust "You," even when we cannot see. 

Amen

ENTERTAINMENT?

The Paris Architect offered an engaging storyline. I wondered if/how Lucien would survive as, in the form of complete genius, he created hiding places for  the persecuted Jews.  

I fast-forwarded through immorality. Torture was already hard--but escalated to a point I could stand no longer. Images became too real--as did my tears. Tears from reading of torture. Tears from recognizing we call this entertainment.

Lonnie

PRAYER

"God, 
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.


Mom taught me this in early years, but it took getting to my 60's TO GET IT.

There's room for everything in this prayer. 

So, help us God.

AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER KNOWS--BET YOU DO TOO

"There is nothing wrong with questions and responses, but it does not take an experienced teacher long to determine whether questions are being asked because answers are sought or because the questioner thinks he has all the answers already."

Dr. David Jeremiah
What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do   p. 65
David C. Cook   2016


EverGrowing,
Lonnie

PRAYER

When they took their oath of office as Vice President and President, Pence and Trump declared, "So help me God." May that be their prayer every day in office. May they be ever aware that they are but men, and that You are God.

 Prompt Your people to pray in similar manner.

May You Ever Be Glorified. 

Amen 

CITATIONS WITHOUT COST

"Some police departments in Canada are known for giving out "positive tickets"---citations for doing something good in public."

Samantha Weaver
Tidbits  Issue 783

Good for policemen--good for the workplace, don'the you think?

Just Me,
Lonnie

PRAYER

God, 
Help us to be

"Joyful in hope,
Patient in affliction,
Faithful in prayer."  Roman's 12:12

Help us to be hopeful in Your constant love. 
When we are afraid, help us to recall past times that You have moved in our lives and in this nation. Help us, then, to trust.
Help us, as a nation, to pray recognizing our utter dependence on You, for You alone are utterly dependable.

Thank You. 
Amen

How are you praying for our nation? I'd love to join you.

PRAYER

God, 

We are such a blessed people. 

Thank you!

Your Word to me, today, is to forgive 70 X 7. Help me to do so wherever needed. Help the Church to model forgiveness.

Because we are forgiven, just for the asking.
Amen

BEST FOR US

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."

C. S. Lewis, as quoted by Lysa TerKerst
Uninvited p. 21
Nelson Books  2016


I'm learning to trust the pain. I'm becoming more convinced of God's love.
Lonnie

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

"On the way home to Atlanta, the bus driver ordered Martin and his teacher to give up their (bus) seats. 

. . .

"They ended up standing in the aisle for the ninety-mile ride. But Martin told himself, 'One of these days, I'm going to put my body up there where my mind is.'"

Bonnie Bader
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?  P. 11
Grossest & Dunlap  2008

Honor Earned Martin Luther King, Jr

Prayer For The Nation

God, 

For those of us who think President Trump can do nothing right, let us be surprised--willing to see good (willing to see God) and willing to be encouraged.

For those of us who think that Trump can do no wrong, God, I am almost more fearful. Let us be awakened. 

Let us be quick to pray, slow to blame. Failure or success belongs to us all. 

Trusting You.
Amen

AND SO I ASK MYSELF . . .

"When we pray, we are depending on the Lord. When we do not pray, we are depending on ourselves."

Dr. Ronnie Floyd
God's Wisdom For Today  p. 24
Thomas Nelson 2013

And so I have to ask myself, "Who do you think is more capable?"

Utterly Dependent,
Lonnie

PRAYERS FOR TRUMP/NATION

This will not be 50 Words or less--introduced but not highlighted on Facebook. For those who find it and would like to agree with me in prayer, great! I don't know how regular this will become or if it will become a blog of it's own. But at least, it will be a record of my prayers prayed with expectation, because they are from God's Word thus in line with His will.


SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016

Proverbs 3:5-7
God, help President Trump to trust in You and not lean on his own understanding. Help him to acknowledge You in all his ways so that You may direct his paths. Help him not to be wise in his own eyes, but to fear You and shun evil.

Help President Trump to gather godly men and women around him. According to Psalm 1:1 (KJV) help him to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

According to Psalm 141:3 set a guard over his mouth; keep watch over the door of his lips.

I prayed much more this morning . . . But am out of time. I've so often known I needed to pray for our nation and leaders, but didn't have a clue how. My mind just doesn't grasp a lot of the inner workings of government.  I'm hoping God is placing me on the first steps of a journey. I'd love company and contributors. How is God leading you to pray?

Praying,
Lonnie

PERSONAL PRAYER

God, 

help me to take Your Word to heart--

Not just to nod my agreement--

But to work Your Word,

As a baker kneads dough.


God,

 I'm so quick to see Your wisdom--

So slow to apply it.


Thank You for never giving up on me; 

and always always loving.



Forever His,
Lonnie

NO WONDER!

"He will not change our circumstances until He first changes us."

Dr. Grant Ethridge
God'God's Wisdom For Today  p. 19
Thomas Nelson  2013

I don't agree completely. Sometimes I think God changes circumstances to encourage us.

But for those other times--NO WONDER it takes so long!

Changing me requires my cooperation and trust.

Don't circumstances either change us or harden us?

Trusting His Love,
Lonnie

KINDNESS AND TRUTH

"Do not let kindness and truth leave you;

Bind them around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

So you will find favor and good repute

In the sight of God and man."  (emphasis mine)

Proverbs 3:3-4
 New American Standard Bible

I pray this verse for myself and for the Body of Christ; not weekly, but frequently.

God, Hear My Prayer,
Lonnie

INVITE SHAME?

" . . . They . . . invited shame into their lives. How? By choosing a foolish lie over God's truth." (emphasis mine)

Roman's 1:24b-25a  The Voice Translation
Thomas Nelson  2012

The context of Romans and of my life are different; the principal fits. If I'm feeling shamed or less-than, it's likely that I'm believing man's words and opinions rather than what God says about me.

I Am Fearfully And Wonderfully Made,
(God says so: Psalm 139)
Lonnie

WORTH A SMILE

"A preacher tells a story of 2 older men talking on the front porch. The man said to his friend, "Bill, was it you or your brother who was killed in the war?"

Jeff Crook
God's Wisdom For Today  p.13
Thomas Nelson/Countryman  2013

Okay, it's one of those things that's funny; but not if you think about it too long.

Hoping To Have Raised A Smile,
Lonnie