Teach me your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart
that I may fear your name.
(Psalm 86:11, NIV)
Father,
I am so easily distracted.
Success, failure,
abundance, need,
pride and insecurity
can either draw me away from you or
bring me running,
kneeling to You and
longing for You.
Father, though my mind wanders,
give me an undivided heart and
a life wholly devoted to You.
Listen and sing:
Hymn: An Undivided Heart
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I love You, O Lord. (Psalm 18:1, NASB)
In all my thinking,
all my needing,
all my trying,
all my trusting,
all my dreaming,
all my doing,
all my hurting,
all my hoping,
Father, only You.
Listen and sing:
Hymn: Only You
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Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” (John 4:34, NASB)
Father, at times I have been so self-centered.
I have wanted all the wrong things.
Now, Lord, I want what You want.
I am short-sighted.
I am blind.
I can’t see the future, and
I don’t know which way to go.
I want what You want.
You are love, my Lord.
You are wisdom and knowledge.
You see the end from the beginning.
And You are always good.
Everything You do is good and beautiful.
My God,
I want what You want.
Listen and sing:
Hymn: Father, Father
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If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11, NASB)
Those same physical problems keep coming back around again.
They’re not all that serious,
but sometimes they get me down.
They make me feel helpless, and
they remind me that eventually,
my body will deteriorate, despite my best efforts.
But Lord, You whisper that I can trust my body to You,
in its weakness and decay.
And I do, Lord.
Heal it if it be Your will, Father,
in Your way and time, and
I will use it to glorify You.
But meanwhile, enliven my spirit toward those around me.
Enliven my spirit toward You, Father.
Your Spirit is already living in me, and
eternal life in You has already begun.
Praise to You, my Lord!
Praise to You!
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Hymn: The Father’s Gifts
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Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help.
(Psalm 28:2, NIV)
My God, I cry out to You from my smallness and darkness.
Help me, Lord.
Forgive my self-centeredness.
Take me to You.
Absorb my life into Yours.
I want You.
I feel the need in my heart and try to verbalize it
but don’t know how.
Come and take me, Creator Lord.
Come in and make me entirely love, eternal Savior.
Purify me in love,
not to please me,
but to please You wholly and entirely.
Swallow my smallness in Your greatness,
in Your length and depth and height.
Swallow my concerns in utter praise to You.
Swallow anxiety in thanksgiving.
Swallow wanting in giving.
Take me entirely into You, my Lord Jesus.
Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Hungry for God
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John 4:25-38
What strengthened Jesus,
nourished Him,
refreshed Him, and
brought Him joy?
Doing His Father’s will.
Jesus’ strength came from
obeying His Father,
serving Him, and
pleasing Him.
Faith and love in action were His daily bread.
The same strength is available to us.
Opportunities to obey God come every day.
Opportunities to serve Him and glorify Him
are everywhere—
just look around you!
The harvest you gather
and the wages you earn
will last forever.
He is calling you to a richer, more fruitful life.
Don’t wait!
“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.”
Dear Dad,
I’ve been thinking about you lately and praying for you. I know you’re bothered by physical problems these days, trying to recover from surgery. Mom told me about the doctor’s report, and I know that’s hard to face. I also know you’re struggling to cope with a memory that you sense isn’t as good as it once was.
In this morning’s devotions, I read Acts 20:17-38. It’s one of my favorite passages—one of the most moving in the New Testament. Paul is on his way back to Jerusalem at the end of his last missionary journey. While he doesn’t know what will happen, he senses that trouble and possibly the end of his life lie just ahead.
So at the last minute, he decides to sail to Ephesus, one of the cities in which he invested a good portion of his life. He calls the elders of the church to him and there tells them how much he loves them. They are tearful as he says they will never see his face again. He explains that the Holy Spirit has revealed that affliction awaits him in Jerusalem. Then in verse 24 he says:
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus” (para.).
Dad, maybe your situation is similar to Paul’s. You don’t know what lies ahead, but you know you have afflictions to deal with. I pray God will be close to you and help you make Paul’s testimony your own: that you release your life to Him, and all that matters is finishing your life’s work with joy.
I’m discovering for myself that the more constantly I look to the Lord throughout the day, the more strength, guidance, and deep peace He gives me moment by moment. No matter how bad things seem to get, there are no surprises to Him. He’s been there ahead of us, preparing the way, working it out for our good.
I’m reminded of the hymn:
He giveth more grace
when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength
when the labors increase.
To added affliction
He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials,
His multiplied peace.*
Our physical and mental limitations can take many things from us, but we have one privilege that can never, ever be taken away: the privilege of glorifying God. I pray that you can find joy in glorifying God no matter what comes.
I love you, Dad, and appreciate you more than I can say. My thoughts and prayers are with you always.
Your son.
*From “He Giveth More Grace,” words by Annie Johnson Flint, music by Hubert Mitchell. © 1941, renewed 1969 by Lillenas Publishing Co. Adm. by Music Services.
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.
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
(Psalm 131, NIV)
Lord God,
in the presence of Your wisdom
I quiet myself.
In the face of your greatness
I humble myself.
Touched by Your love,
I rest my mind and fearful heart.
Control completely, Almighty God.
In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ. (Colossians 2:3, 10, NIV)
Not in an abstract sense;
not just someday,
but right now, Lord.
All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in You, Jesus.
All the treasures.
I am complete in You.
Complete as a person.
Complete as the being You created me to be.
Complete in You.
Jesus, help me to remember this in the push and pull of life today.
Remind me of this when other things call for me to
want them and
seek them and
need them.
Today, Lord, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in You.
Today I am complete in You.
Today I will desire only You.
