Covered in gold...

My prayer:

All knowing God. You taught me so much today! THANK YOU! Thank you for the new knowledge and thank you for the reminders of things that I already knew but had forgotten. Thank you for reminding me of who I am and what I should be spending my time and effort on. I lvoe you God and I will do my best to remember and follow all that you have taught me today.

What God Said Tonight:

I am decorating you with gold my daughter. I want you to see what I am doing. I am painting you with beautiful gold designs. I have a purpose for this. It is a symbol of your station as a priest. But, it is also a natural expression of my love for you and the beauty that lives in you. 

You are precious to me. My children are all so precious to me. I will protect you and teach you. I will guide you all the days of your life. But, I will also decorate you. I will recognize you as my child in front of the world. I will make sure that they understand the privilege that comes with that recognition. 

You are beautiful and you are being covered in my gold. You will shine for the world.

Light a new fire...

My prayer:

Mighty God. I almost don't want to pray tonight because I am afraid I will just end up whining about things that don't even matter. I think tonight is one of those nights where I should keep my mouth shut and listen to you. What is on your mind God? What do you want to talk about?

What God Said Tonight:

Do not get tired in well doing. Remember me telling you that? I mean it. Keep the fire the zeal for me burning in you. I know that sometimes it seems like too much but it isn't and I will always help you. 

I am going to light a new fire within you. I am going to stir up the coals that have been burning down. I am going to raise you up to feel the air whip up the flames. You use to be white hot for me. I need that back in you. 

Do not forget your first love. I am right here and I am ready when you are.

Cranky...

My prayer:

Amazing God. Life with you is so good. I don't feel like I have the right to complain. And, I don't. But there are days like today where I am down right cranky, irritable, annoying, (fill in your own description) and I hate it. I hate being around me when I get like this. 

It is getting better. I made a choice that I was not going to stay in that dark place and it is getting better but I could sure use some help. I could sure use a reminder of what matters. I love you God. Thank you for always being there for me. 

What God Said Tonight:

You know I gave you a way to encourage yourself when you get that way. You remember King David? He was good at encouraging himself. He always turned back to my word and reminded himself of what was his. 

His life was less than perfect. he had incredible struggles and tragedies (most were a lot worse than the bad traffic you let get you tied up today). But, he always turned back to what I had told him and he remembered what was important 

You can do the same thing. It is even easier for you. It is written in so many formats. Don't forget my word. Don't forget to study my word every day. There are nuggets of joy, nuggets of wisdom, nuggets of solutions, nuggets of peace all throughout it and if you are not in it everyday, you will forget. Do not forget. 

If you lose my word in your life you will be like a boat without an anchor and will drift away. Keep anchored to my word and my promises and you will be safe.

Leaning on God...

My prayer:

I am tired but at peace tonight God. I am here if you have anything you want to talk about. I am ready to listen. 

I love you so very much and cannot, will not, imagine my life without you. Or, imagine my death without you.

What God Said Tonight:

I am looking for someone who is willing to spend some private, quiet time with me tonight. I don't need a lot of fanfare or a big production. I just need someone willing to get quiet with me. I want someone who wants to dwell with me tonight. I want someone who doesn't need to make a show of it but truly just wants to be with me. 

If that is you, if you are willing, come now and let us be quiet together...lay your head against me and rest. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I will always love you. I will always be there for you. I am constant and I can be trusted with everything that you are concerned about. 

You don't have to be a part of the mess anymore. Let go. Let go and follow me. You will see that it is a much easier path than what you think it will be. Lean on me...please. I want you to. You are not a burden to me. You are the love of my heart and the apple of my eye. Please, lean on me and let me take it from here.

Keep learning...

My prayer:

All knowing God. Thank you for new wisdom and insight tonight. J in group tonight talking about how most of our disappointments in life are a result of us having unfair expectations of the people around us was a great revelation. Who am I to expect anyone to do things the way I want them to? 

I love when  you teach me things. Once you teach me, it seems so obvious. Thank you for putting people around me who know stuff I don't yet. Thank you for surrounding me with people who love me enough to teach me what they know. Thank you God for wisdom and for answers.

What God Said Tonight:

I have so much I can teach you. The amount of wisdom and knowledge available is as vast as the sand is in the desert. The landscape for learning goes farther than you can see. 

I will always be available to teach you as long as you are available to learn. When you find yourself feeling stagnant and not growing, it is likely because you have stopped being willing to learn. You  are yet being formed into my image. You are yet learning to be like me. 

I will teach you but I will never force you. Come to each day as if it were a class and be ready to learn. Your life is your class, your text is my Word, your test is eternal. I love you daughter. Keep learning.

Forever love...

My prayer:

I can't believe you got me through this day God! No sleep at all last night and somehow, you got me through a long day at work and here I am still conscious. What would I do without you? How does anyone get up in the morning without you in their lives? I love you God and can't wait to hear what you have to say tonight.

What God Said Tonight:

How can you be without me since I live in you? Anyone and I mean ANYONE who wants me in their life only has to ask and I am there. 

I will never leave you. I will never not be with you. I have chosen you, you have invited me and that is forever. I don't make half way promises. When I commit to something, when I commit to someone, I am in, all in forever. There is no divorce from me. You are my precious bride and we will be together forever. 

I love your face in the morning. I love the fragrance of your spirit. I love the way you look at me when no one else is looking. I love you my child and I am with you forever. 

Stained glass...again...

My prayer:

Amazing God. Life is really good right now but I am having a hard time getting excited like I should. You are blessing the ministry, people around me, and me and I am SO grateful; but the drive, the energy, the excitement for the next new thing that usually comes so naturally for me, doesn't seem to be there. 

I don't know why. I am not depressed, I am just kind of calm, but maybe too calm? I don't know if I am just at peace or if I am missing out on fully experiencing this wonderful season that you have created for us? I don't know. 

I am always picking myself apart and now I am picking myself apart about being too much at peace...that seems stupid. Thanks for listening God, even when I don't make sense.

What God Said Tonight:

I have compared you to stained glass in the past and I will do it again because it is the best way to describe this time. 

Right now, I don't need you to be the charging force to move things forward. I need you to be the calm, still glass that reflects beauty on everything around it. I need you to be the calm sure place that people come back to as they step into things they never imagined possible. I need you to reflect my light to them in a way that is so beautiful, it takes their breath away and encourages them to go back out and do even more. I need you to be my stained glass.