Diligence

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Hebrews 6:10-12

Being a Christian is not easy; the road we are asked to walk is not easy. It's tiring many times, and it can sometimes be discouraging. Sometimes we are afraid to talk about these things because we believe we are supposed to be happy and joyful in all we do. Indeed, the Bible does ask us to be glad in all we do, but the authors of Hebrews understands that it can get hard. That's why they encourage us here: God is watching everything we do. He's not going to forget all the work you've done for Him and His people. Don't give up, don't get discouraged. We are all in this together. Let's pray.

Dear God,

You see my heart today; You've explored every part of it and know me inside and out. See the diligence I've had to serve You. See how heavy my heart gets sometimes. Lord, You've called me to this. You've called me to love Your sons and daughter. It gets hard sometimes. I pray for encouragement, from You and from my people. I pray that You help me encourage others when they get weary. Help me to remember that You are watching all the things I do and that You delight in me. Let me not lose sight; let me not lose hope. Let me fight the good fight until my last day.

Amen

Community

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:2-6

Community. I like to think of it as an extension of our family. There are going to be times you love your community, and there are going to be times you less than love them. But at the end of the day, we are all part of the body of Christ. Rain or shine, God called us all to be in community with one another because we are all a part of the Body of Christ with one Spirit. We are called to love one another, to be patient with one another, and to caring each other's burdens in Christ. That's what makes us unique, our relationship with one another. We all have our own paths we take in life, and we need to recognize that other's have paths they also must endure. Have patience with one another, just as you would like to have patience in your times of hardships. Love your neighbor with the love you'd like to receive. Be humble, because many times we don't know what is going on in the lives others. Be gentle, because the tongue can start fires. Pray for consciousness of those in your community, ask God to give you His eyes to see what aspects to improve on in this area.

My Father,

Thank you for those You placed in my life. Thank you that You know exactly what You were doing when you placed these people in my life. Open my eyes to the aspects I lack in the community. Give me peace, or the strength to create peace, where there is unrest in my community. Help me to be gentle to those around me, let my heart remain sensitive as to not hurt those with my words or actions. Help me love those and let me see them through Your lens of love. Give me the strength to keep the peace and to have the discernment to mend any areas of unpeace with my fellow members of the Body. Help me to remember that we are One in You, that we are One. We are not against one another, but here for one another. Thank You for this holy unity we have as Your believers, that we may have others to depend on.

Amen

Diligence

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continued to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Hebrews 6:10-12

Let me preface this by saying ministry is not easy, neither is following the Will of God. Sometimes it is seemingly unrewarding and unappreciated at times. We second guess ourselves, is what I am doing even worth it? Sometimes it feels like you give, and give, and give with seemingly no return on investment (a fancy phrase I learned from some friends of mine).

Is it worth it? We are called to follow a narrow, unpopular road. We are called to love the unlovable. We are called to carry each others' burdens. We are called to be Christ-like.

This passage tells us it is, because the One who told us to do so is watching, and He will not forget what we are doing. He has a beautiful plan for our lives, and sometimes because we (imperfect creation) are working with others (imperfect creation) it can be hard. The author urges us not to lose hope, to find our rest and hope in the One who called us into our roles. That, although we cannot earn it, we can one day rest in eternity where there will be no more difficulty or pain.

But there is still work to be done: there are nations to call, hearts to help mend, burdens to help carry. This is our story, this is our calling.

Keep the faith, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. And reach out when you need a hand. We are all in this together.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the earnest hearts I see every day. You see their hearts even better than I see them. You see their want to serve, but also their hurt from feeling unappreciated. I pray that You place that appreciation in their lives. I pray that they find their rest and their fulfillment in You and Your promise of eternal rest in Heaven.

Amen

Downcast Soul

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:5-11

I will admit, this post is more for myself. I've been really struggling these past few weeks with depression. As I've been looking for scripture for the Prayer Service, I found this gem. This really resonated with what I am going through, mind you not the enemies coming for my life, but the feeling overwhelmed. I am currently struggling with my depression. I can really resonate with my soul being downcasted. The Psalmist reminds himself of God's goodness in the past, and the overwhelming love He gives. Day and night, God never stops loving him through his pain and agony.

This is the message I needed to hear. It's okay if I'm not okay. I am going to hurt. In fact, I'm hurting a lot these days. Some days I feel like I have no one to talk to about what I am feeling. I think people will never want to speak to me again if they knew. But there's a God bigger than my pain, who's bigger than my cries. There's a God that will take my cries and my hurts onto Himself. Someone who will let me rest in His presence, who will carry me through my storm. There's a God that will never stop loving me, no matter what. That's the God I serve.

My Precious Father,

Thank you. Thank you that You never stop loving me. There is nothing I can do to ever earn Your love, but even better than that, I can never lose that love. Thank you that You still love me when I am angry, when I am bitter, and when I am blaming You for my endeavors. I'm sorry I didn't realize until now that I cannot lose Your love. You're not a malicious, disappointed God. You're a loving, caring, merciful Father. You celebrate my small steps, and carry me when I don't have the energy to walk. Thank you for being my best friend when I didn't have any friends. Thank you for loving me when I didn't love myself and didn't think anyone else loved me either.

Carry me through this time. I will worship You through my storms, God. You've loved me through me turning my back on you, through my Eygpt, and every future step I take. Thank you. I love you.

Amen

Do Not Fret

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Psalm 37:3-9

This passage gives me a feeling of restfulness whenever I read it. There's a sense of intimacy and peace, in letting God take control in those moments when life is too much. He desires so much for us to rest in His presence and to trust Him that He wants only the very best for us. I've mentioned this previously, but He has such a beautiful plan for each of us. It's a plan that is specially made for us; it's not a life that we will hate or regret. Not to say there aren't hard days (or months), but His plans are beautiful. He wants to give us our heart's desires when we are aligned with Him. In the passage, I think God sees that many times we look at others with envy or anger. Envy because we cannot live their lives, or anger because of the way they choose to live their lives. Here God is telling to not fret. Your life isn't theirs, your reward will come when it is the correct time for it. The way others live their lives takes nothing away from the love, plan, and rest that God has for you. Everyone has their own story. Those that seem to be getting everything you want in maybe not the most honest way are not you. You never know their side of the story, or the lessons God will teach them. Keep your anger and envy in check, and God will reward you.

Let's pray.L

Dear God,

Thank you for your restfulness. Thank you for the beautiful plan you have for my life. Let me be able to fully rest in Your peace and not get angry or jealous because they are not living into Your will. Let me have love and compassion instead in its place. Let me love those individuals and rest in the knowledge that my reward will come in due time.

Amen

You Are Worth More

“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:26-31

This is probably one of the most beautiful visuals of God's love and care for us. In this passage, Jesus talks about how God's love for us. There are many images of His love for us, but here there is a beautiful image of God holding us in His hands, holding us in His hands like a loving Father. He knows us since before we were born, He knows every intimate detail of our lives. He knows our highs and our lows. He loves us when we are unlovable. He reassures us that we don't need to be afraid because this loving Father is holding us in His hands, and will protect us. If He calls us to it, He will get us through it. He need not fear this world, He's got our back.

Let's pray.

Dear God,

Thank you for creating me, and thank you for constantly keeping me in Your loving hands. See the fears and worries I have, O Lord. Reassure me of Your constant presence and Your constant love for me. Show me Your constant guidance in all I do. Thank you for being my loving Father.

Amen

Stay Where You Are

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Mark 5:18-20

I struggled to find a passage for this week, but as soon as I saw these verses, it hit me. This man was saved from literally a Legion of demons by Jesus. Jesus performed an amazing act and scared those in the region. They begged Him to leave because they were afraid of His power. The miracle He enacted was awe-inspiring, but that is not the part of the story I want to focus on today. I want to focus on what the man did next. He wanted to go with Christ; he had been saved in a supernatural way, and he thought that going with the Lord was the way he was going to serve. But that wasn't the case: Jesus's plan for his life was a different one. Jesus's plan was for him to stay, and to tell others about his miracle. I can't imagine how the man felt, freed for the first time and wanting to serve God in an amazing way. He saw the disciples with Him and wanted to join along. And then Jesus said no, you need to stay. I've had that feeling before; the feeling of being a new Christian and wanting to be one of the wise Christians serving around the world, and God saying, I need you to stay here. The next part of the story is the one I needed to here: "So the man went away and began...." He did what God instructed to do, hopefully with a happy heart. He served his mission in life. I think that's where a lot of us struggle, knowing we want to go one way, and God is asking us to stay and server where we are.

Let's pray for patience.

Dear God,

I need Your help with my calling in my life. I need to know if You are asking me to leave or to stay. God, I want so desperately to do Your Will, and I have my vision of how I want that to look. I pray that You help me to let that go if that isn't the path. Let me embrace Your calling in my life, and that my calling is my own. My neighbor's calling is not mine, my calling is not his. Help me to embrace it wholeheartedly, because Your ways are so much higher than my ways. I need You to guide me, O God.

It's in Your Soverign name we pray,

Amen

He Took Our Pain

"He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Isaiah 53:2-5

I found this passage reading through Matthew and about all the prophecies that Jesus was confirming with His life. It hit me really hard for the first time ever: Jesus didn't just heal our wounds, he took them on himself. He wasn't this charming, lovable character we see so many times presented in movies or other depictions. In fact, there was nothing attractive about him; that is straight from the Bible. He was familiar with pain. He wasn't just the Son of God incarnate here to awe us with His perfection; he hurt like we hurt. He hurt for all of us. Think about it: all the heartbreak you have felt, all the aking loneliness, the mourning of loss, the broken bones, all of it. He didn't just heal that to make us feel better, he took those pains onto his heart and his body. He suffered right alongside us. This passage in Isaiah has portrayed Christ in a way I have never thought of before, perhaps it never hit me quite this hard. Every tear that I've shed in His presence, every heavy-hearted confession, every illness I have prayed for He took on in my place. Every sin I have ever committed was placed on Him, and He brought me peace with His wounds. That is the God I serve.

Let's thank Him for this today.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you. Although this will never be enough to repay you for taking on my hurts right alongside me, I want to thank you. I know I don't thank you nearly enough, and that I forget the price of my sins that was placed on your heart and body, thank you. Thank you for the love you showed me on that cross that day. Thank you for taking on my suffering, my sins. I don't deserve it, but You don't give me what I deserve. You gave me and continue to give me mercy every single day. Your love surpasses anything I could ever imagine. You truly do deserve all the praise, all the love, and all the admiration. I am truly so blessed to have Someone who loves me enough to take my place on the cross. Forgive me for forgetting what it means to have been forgiven. I love you, Jesus. Thank you.

Amen

God's Plan

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-22

This passage has been calling me recently. God has a beautiful plan for all our lives. He knew us before we were even born; He set aside a perfect path for us. Sometimes that path calls us in unexpected ways, and in unexpected directions. The apostles were fishermen their whole lives. It's what they knew, it was what they were comfortable with doing. Maybe they even really enjoyed what they were doing. But Jesus knew there was something bigger, more beautiful that they needed to do. Jesus simply said, "Come, follow me." No further explanation, no 15-year-plan, no step-by-step procedures. He simply needed them to have faith and be obedient.

God didn't change His mind either. He needed them to know how to fish out in the boats, to form those abilities, talents, and connections to help them in their next big adventure: Fishing for men.

He's asking us to do the same. Jesus is standing at our doorways while we live our daily lives. He's asking us to come, follow Him into something bold, beautiful, and new.

Wonderful Father,

Thank You for loving me and for creating me. Thank you for the beautiful plan You set out for my life before I was even born.

I pray that You give me the courage to say yes and amen to Your calling. Give me the courage to know that even when You call me into the great unknown, You will be there with me, step by step, never letting me go.

I pray for faith to know that Your ways are higher than my own, and that You have and will continue to prepare me for the life You want me to live ahead.

Give me the support of those in Christ around me to love me and comfort me in times of distress and fear.

This is me saying yes and amen to Your calling into my life. I don't know what lies ahead, I don't know what it will look like, but You have never let me down yet. I give my life to You.

Amen

Praying for our Peer

Verses:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrew 10:24-25

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:8-11

This week, I wanted to give two different passages in the Bible to meditate over as we pray over our topic this week: our peers. The Bible teaches us to be loving and persistent with our neighbors. Persistence in this context means to continue to love people through the good times and the bad, and to encourage them through life; to carry each other's burdens. The second passage talks about using your gifts in Christ to be a blessing unto others; to do and say all things in Christ. With loving others and allowing your God-given gifts to shine in those moments, we are ultimately able to give the glory back to the one that deserves all praise -- God.

Let's pray this week for our peers.

Forever Friend,

I want to bring to Your Alter those around me. I pray for my classmates I see in class every day, for the people I sit next to every day. I pray for the people I stop to talk to on my way to class, and for the people I sit next to on the bus. I pray that I am able to love them boldly and bravely, as You call me to do. Help me utilize my gifts that You have so graciously given me to bless and love others. Help me to persist in my friendships and with my peers. Help me to aid in others' burdens, so that we may walk this life together and brothers and sisters.

I pray for my friends, O God. Help me to love them deeper and walk with them, even more, this semester. Let them see Your light in me and I in them. Help us to grow together in You. Help me to form new relationships as You see fit.

Help me to form more lasting and powerful friendships with those around me. Let this year be a year of depth and bond forming. Let me share Your good word boldly with those who need it. Help me to love others, just like You have first loved and continue to love me.

I pray all this in Your Glorious Name,

Amen.

Welcome Back!

Verses:

“You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

Isaiah 55:12-13

As we begin our new semester and get settled into our daily routines, let us take a moment to pray over these next few months. For many, they will be filled with assignments, exams, and stress. It will also hold laughter, joy, and bonding. Let us remember who is not only guiding our paths, but also walking with us in our highs and lows.

Glorious Guide:

Thank you for the start of this new semester. Thank you for the new challenges, new faces, and new experiences that I will have.

I pray for these next few months, Lord. Please be with me and show me your presence in my times of stress and anxiety. Give me discernment and understanding in my classes and assignments. Give me the courage to have patience with myself, my peers, and my professors. Let me see them in the way You see them, with unconditional love.

I pray for my professors and peers, as well. Let my professors wisdom to teach us in ways that we will understand. Give my peers the same understanding and discernment I am praying for myself.

Keep me grounded in you, O God. Help me to follow You in all my trials and successes. Let those around me see Your light in me, and help me to grow in my relationship with you.

Amen