Tag Archive for commitment

Father, Whatever Glorifies You

2014-04-29 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Not my will, but yours be done.
(Luke 22:42, NIV)

Pray this prayer when you are caught in a swirl of events beyond your control.
Pray it during frustrating times;
during uncertain times,
when things aren’t working out right.

Jesus considered His most difficult days as
His best chance to glorify His Father.
He knew that as He hung on the Cross,
the Father’s love would shine the brightest.

So it is with us.
Often our most difficult times are when
others see God’s love and power most clearly in our lives.

Are you willing to let Him use your suffering to glorify himself?

Father,
whatever glorifies You.

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Glorify Your Name
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Denying Myself

2014-02-04 Devotional No comments

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34, NIV)

“Jesus, I lay aside my self-concern.
Lead, and I will follow.”

It’s easy to pray this in the calm, quiet moments.

But pray this way when
God places a challenge of service before you and
calls you to step out in faith.

Pray this when a situation demands that
you give yourself beyond your comfort level.

Pray this when you face a difficult relationship and
emotions cry out for
escape or
revenge.

Pray this when you have to give up your rights
in order to serve someone else.

“Jesus, I lay aside my self-concern.
Lead, and I will follow.”

Lead Me Out, Lord

2013-04-04 Devotional No comments

“Come to Me,
all who are weary and heavy-laden, and
I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and
learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden light.
(Matthew 11:28-30, NASB)

Lord, thank You for calling me to a
deeper, more peaceful place in You.

I don’t want my life
to be encompassed by
my fears,
my ignorance, and
my own comforts.

Lead me out, Lord.
Lead me out into Yourself,
into a life encompassed by
love,
trust,
and singleminded devotion to You.

Revise my life.
Rewrite it freely.
Renew it in Your image.
Lead, my Lord, and I will follow.

Frustrated and Unfulfilled

2013-04-02 Devotional No comments

Woe to him who quarrels with His Maker,
to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
“What are you making?” 

O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
(Isaiah 45:9; 64:8, NIV)

Lord, I’ve spent much of my life frustrated that I wasn’t serving as I wanted. I’ve always felt there was something more for me, but I was never given the chance.

But, Lord, there’s never been a single day that You didn’t give me the chance to serve and glorify You.

You’ve been teaching me that You only deny Your children what is good in order to give them what is better. You only shut doors of service in order to open greater doors–greater because they better serve Your purposes. And Your purposes are always perfect wisdom and pure love.

Looking back, God, I thank You for that wisdom. Thank You for doing what was right and not what I wanted.

Thank You for doing that now. I praise You for the future blessings it will bring.

I am learning not only to accept but to savor the mystery of Your ways, to receive would-be disappointments as surprises of love.

My Lord, choose my area of service today and every day. You lead. I will rejoice and follow.

A Servant’s Prayer

2013-03-12 Devotional One comment

Lord, even as Your son, Your servant,
I catch myself grasping for
what I cannot attain.
I find myself coveting
the ideal job,
a chosen area of service,
financial security,
personal recognition and esteem,
or sometimes,
just escape from here to anywhere.
Looking up to You,
I long for these as if they were
Your best blessings,
Your finest gifts,
my rightful inheritance as Your child.

“Why doesn’t He answer?” I wonder.
“Maybe He just doesn’t respond to me . . .
or maybe I’m not worthy.”

But as these feelings arise,
I am reminded that even in that moment,
I am with You, my God.
In the awesomeness of Your presence
I step back.
I bow to Your wisdom.
I quiet myself in Your love.

Lord, this is my one prayer:
In Your mercy,
align me with Your purposes.
Give me a place to serve You
in utter humility and
selfless gratitude.

My heart is not proud, O Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me . . .
not grasping for You for what I can get,
but simply resting in Your presence,
enjoying the warmth of Your love.

My God, You are my hope,
now and forever.
(Psalm 131, NIV and para.)