The calm before the storm...

My prayer:

I have no idea what to talk to you about tonight God. Everything was good today. Nothing super amazing but nothing super horrible. Everything got done that needed to get done. No complaints but nothing to write home about either. 

As I think about it, I should be and am grateful for a non-eventful day. With life so crazy normally, a quiet, decent day is definitely a gift. Thank you for a peaceful, vanilla kind of day!

What God Said Tonight:

One two three, get ready. The calm before the storm is a real thing. 

I give you times of rest to fill up your tanks for times of challenge.  

In a box...

My prayer:

Awesome God. I am feeling a bit directionless tonight. What are we doing? What is the purpose? What is next? What is the goal? 

I am all for living in the moment but I need a bit more of the big picture and overall purpose of this season. Or, maybe I don't "need" it but I would really appreciate it. 

I know that you always have a bigger plan and purpose for the situations in our lives. And I trust that. It would just really help me to be on board and help me to make decisions if I understood a bit more about where we are headed.

What God Said Tonight:

Sometimes I can only give you one step at a time. Sometimes it is because where we are going is a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it is to help you build your trust. Sometimes it is so you can more fully follow my will and not fall into the temptation to control the situation yourself. Sometimes it is all of those things. 

I know you feel like you are in a box right now but the great thing about a box is that any side of it can be opened. There are six ways out of any box. Remove any side, open up any side and you can walk right out, up, down. I have a plan and it is not to leave you in the box. 

Follow my lead, but wait for the next step.

RIght action...

My prayer:
THANK YOU!!!!THANK YOU!!!!THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU JESUS for a wonderful day. Everything went so much better than I could have even hoped. 

Thank you for fixing broken things. Thank you for making the transition back to work so easy. Thank you for amazing people in my life. 

You bless me in so many ways God and I am very grateful! I honestly can't imagine life without you and I don't want to. 

What God Said Tonight:

Where so many people get tripped up is they are focused on doing good, doing the right things instead of focused on what I am doing or want to do in any given situations. This maybe hard to understand but it is more important that you be in my will than for you to do what you think is right just for the sake of doing it. 

Why it gets so confusing is often, what you think is "right" or "good" in a situation is exactly my will. In those times acting on that impulse for the right thing is exactly what you should do. But sometimes, I have a purpose. Sometimes I need you delay doing the "right" thing. Sometimes the thing you think is right will actually damage the situation and the people involved. 

Think back to the story of Lazarus a minute. Coming exactly when they called me, to save my dear friend from death, seemed like the "right" thing to do. But what they did not see and could not see at the time, was I had a bigger purpose in mind. I would still save my friend. I would still restore and heal him, but I needed him to die first to show the glory of the Father. 

So, my caution to you is, don't be so quick to act all of the time. Seek my voice and guidance so that your actions can be right and on time and in my will and therefore be the most effective for our Kingdom. 

Ears and eyes open...

My prayer:

Thank you for an amazing day God. Thank you for letting me be a part of you providing tremendous healing in so many people today. I truly count it as a privilege that I get to pray with people and see you change their lives. 

Tomorrow it is back to regular life and work. I think I am ready. This has been such great break and a great rest. I feel recharged and ready to get back into the race...I think.

I pray and ask for your help God to hang onto the peace that you have provided in me even in the midst of great stress. I pray for your wisdom and guidance to make good choices. I pray for you help in everything.

 What God Said Tonight:

Sometimes, the best thing for you to do is to keep your ears open and your eyes shut. Your ears open to hear my voice and your eyes shut to block out the circumstances that seem overwhelming. Sometimes, that is the way to get through; but, you miss a lot when you do it that way. 

I am hoping that in this season, you will have the courage and faith to keep your ears open AND your eyes open so you can see fully what I can and will do for you. That is when you will see the greatest growth.

Maturing process...

My prayer:

Dear God. Show me the things I don't know about where I am at right now. Show me the things I am blind to in the situations and struggles that I am in. 

Thank you Jesus.

What God Said Tonight:

I have given you eyes to see but I have not yet given you license to speak about what you see. I have a process that has begun that needs time to mature in you before it comes from you. 

I am not in a hurry for this. We will take our time and make sure everything is accomplished in right order. 

I have great purpose in this. Wait on me and I will show you all of it,

Knowledge and wisdom...

My prayer:

There are so many things in this world that I don't understand. Then there are all of the things I think I understand, just to find out later that I was wrong. I have heard it said before and I guess it is true, the older I get, the less I know. 

When I was younger, I was so confident that I was right about everything. I wasn't, but I was confident that I was. Life sure was a lot easier when I thought I had it all figured out.

Dearest Father. I understand that my knowledge is not good enough to get through life. I pray and ask for your knowledge and wisdom to guide my life.

What God Said Tonight:

Wisdom and age do not always come together. 

Who is more wise? The person who thinks they know it all but they are wrong or the person who thinks they know nothing but they are wrong? 

I am your Father and your guide. I will help you with each step of your life. Look to me, seek me and I will help, every time. It is in your lack of knowledge that I am shown to be wise. 

Choices...

My prayer:

Lots of random thoughts running through my mind tonight God. Most of them are related to choices. We make so many choices everyday, some without even thinking about them. Some that make things better and some that make things worse. Some that don't seem to have an effect at all, but often later turn out to have been important. 

It is so easy to look at someone else's life and see the choices they "should" make. I wish I had such great clarity and insight when looking at my own life and choices. It is always more complicated from the inside.

I pray and ask for your wisdom in our lives God. Help me to make the best choices for myself and help me to have grace and understanding for the choices that others make, especially when I don't agree with them.

What God Said Tonight:

Not every choice is earth shatteringly important. I can work within most of your choices. There are the big ones that need to be in place like choosing me for your life. But, for so many others, seek me, I will guide you.  Then, take a breath knowing that I am big enough and powerful enough to work it all out any way. 

Stick with me and you will see me work it for your good.