Community and relationship...

 

My prayer:

Today was an interesting mix of experiences God. Thank you for your favor. Thank you for the time to reconnect with some people. There were definitely challenges today as well, not all of which I faced well. But, thank you for your grace and mercy that fill in where I am lacking. I love you Lord.

What God Said Tonight:

Each barley head is made up of many seeds. Each seed has many parts. I have created you to live in community, in relationship. 

You see it all throughout nature and you have yet more to discover about the depth of the relationship of things. You can drill down to the smallest bits of manner or scale up to the solar systems and universe and you will see the same patterns. Smaller things coming together to make larger things. Then those larger things coming together to make even larger things. 

I am your God and I am the Trinity. I am built upon community and relationship so you, made in our image, are definitely built on relationship. Know that your part, no matter how small, is a part of the bigger plan. And that plan is part of a bigger still plan. And so on and so on. 

I love you my child. 

Joy eternal...

 

My prayer:

Amazing Father. I am working very hard to find the joy in the midst of everything else and I am getting better at it but it is not always easy. 

I pray for your help to direct my thoughts toward you and toward hope and joy. You have provided me with so many blessings and so much joy. I refuse to let the enemy steal that from me with his ridiculous lies. 

Guide and direct me Lord. I pray, as always that your will is done.

What God Said Tonight:

I love you. Your joy is my joy. Heaven rejoices at the blessings of a believer. 

Your struggles are temporary. Your joy is eternal. 

I love you now and forever and you will not walk this journey alone. A good Father sees his children prosper. I am your good Father.

WIth God...

 

My prayer:

A beautiful day God. Thank you for every minute. Now, I get to spend time with you, it does not get better than this.

What God Said Tonight:

A moment, a day, an hour in my presence will give you the strength for everything else. 

I am with you always. You are not always with me. Turn your thoughts toward me, lean into me, speak to me, and I am there. I love you and the power of my love will fuel your life, when you take the time and the effort to turn to me. 

In the midst of every other demand on your time and attention, do not forget to turn to me. I will give you all that you need.

Keep breathing...

 

My prayer:

Learning to be ok with things not being ok is really hard. It seems pretty obvious that it is going to be a long time before life is "normal" again, if I even know what normal means anymore. You know my natural tendency is to "fix" things. I can't fix any of this. 

I pray for your help God. I pray for your help in the situations. But I also pray for your help in being ok with things not being ok, for now. I pray for your peace and your joy in the middle of the rest of it. I pray for your guidance and your will in everything.

What God Said Tonight:

Deep breath in, and deep breath out. 

The truth is that life will not be "ok" again until I come back. Until I return to earth, there will be strife and division and violence and trouble. You will have trials and tribulations. It is as true today as it was when Paul first wrote it. But, you also have me. And with me in your life, you can have life more abundantly. You can have life that is rooted in the clear understanding that I have your best in mind and I will see you through anything. 

That is where you find your peace, your joy, in the contant assurance that I am with you and I won't let you down. Keep breathing and leave the rest up to me.

Being perfected...

 

My prayer:

Amazing Father. Thank you for today. Thank you for helping me to understand a few more things today. I am going to bed with more understanding and more peace than I woke up with. That is a successful day. 

I love you and I am anxious to hear your words and your thoughts tonight.

What God Said Tonight:

Everpy pebble in a river gets worn down by the water. It is a long process and can be a hard process but in the end, the stones that are in the river the longest and the ones that are in the rapids the longest, are the most beautiful. 

You are being perfected. You are being made complete. The process will knock you around a bit and some days you will feel as though you have lost more than you gained but, in the end, you will be so beautiful. You will be all I hoped for you to be. You will shine. 

I love you now and forever my child. 

God's fire...

 

My prayer:

Grateful, so thankful. There are times when I fully realize that I cannot thank you enough. I cannot have words that express how amazing you are. I cannot do you justice. Let my heart tell you what my words cannot.

What God Said Tonight:

My light will never go out in you. It may be blazing at some times and a hot coal at others but my fire will never go out. 

I have placed in you the fire of my Spirit and that is forever. Wherever you go. Whatever you do, you take my fire with you. 

Let that fire be your hope. Let it be the start of every good thing you do. Let it keep you warm in the cold of adversity and let it keep you safe in the darkness of evil. 

I love you my child and I live in you.

God in charge...

 

My prayer:

Thank you for your guidance and your mercy God. Today was different but you took care of it all. You are SO GOOD. Thank you for being so amazing and for giving me the privilege of knowing you.

What God Said Tonight:

Live in the complete assurance that I am in charge of our life. It does not mean that you will not face hard times and challenges but it does mean that when you do, I will be with you in them and I will turn them for your good. That is the true benefit in this life of being my child. 

I love you. I am with you now and I am with you forever. We will face and defeat every challenge my child.