Been there done that...

My prayer:

Today was pretty great God. No pressure, no worries, no fear, just hanging out with you and enjoying life. Especially after this week, I really needed that. I needed that time with you and without all of the yuck! Thanks for spending the day with me. 

I love you so much God. You are my rock and the place I go to when I need peace. You are the one I lean on and you are always beg enough and tough enough to handle it. I am very grateful that you are not a wimpy God. I need a tough God to handle the stuff I get into! Thank you for being more than tough enough! :)

What God Said Tonight:

There is nothing that you will encounter that I have not already encountered and defeated. There is no pain, no attack, no worry, no challenge, that I have not already been victorious over. That is why you can always know that I will take care of things. 

I am not surprised. When you run into trouble, I am not surprised by it. I know the trouble and I am ready for it. I will not let you be defeated. I will always win for you. I already have. 

There is something that I am  not sure that you fully understand. When I died on the cross, I did it all, right then. I defeated every enemy, I restored our relationship, I healed, I saved, I took on ALL sin and left a sacrifice to cover it. Over the years, people remember that I took on their sin but many have forgotten the full story. I did all then. I faced enemies that are attacking you today, way back on the cross...and I defeated them. 

That is why you can never lose. That is why you will always win. I am on your side and I have already won every battle that is to be fought. 

 I love you daughter. Trust that you have already won.

Joy...

My prayer:

This week has been SO crazy and SO serious God. I am so glad that we made it through! I plan to spend tomorrow hanging out with you and just enjoying you and life. Thank you for sticking with me all week, reminding me to love my way through, and never giving up on me. 

What God Said Tonight:

I am going to flood you with my joy my sweet child. I am going to pour it out over you and let it bubble up around you. My joy will surround and heal you. My love will sustain you but my joy will restore you. 

I am grateful for you. I am grateful for your faithfulness even in the hard times. Anyone can be faithful when things are going their way. I need people who will be faithful when everything seems to be gong against them. I need people who will hang on to me with their fingernails if they have to. 

I love you sweet daughter. Rest in my love, celebrate in my joy, and be restored.

Kill it with love...

My Prayer:

Mighty God. I spent a lot of today irritated. But, thanks to you, wisdom, and a nice long run tonight, I didn't act out on it. 

This has been such a WEIRD week! My emotions have been all over and I am frankly sick of being around me this week. I can't imagine how annoying I am to the people around me this week. 

That is one of the really great things about a relationship with you God. You are always patient, always kind, and you never get sick of me, even when you probably should. Thank you for being my Father, my teacher, my God and my love.

What God Said Tonight:

you know, beating up on yourself will not make it better Think on good things. Every time you start feeling the grey cloud tomorrow, I want you to do one conscious, unwarranted kind thing for someone. Kill this thing with kindness. Kill it with love.

I will tell you again, love is the key to everything in this world and beyond.

When you don't feel the love, use mine. When you don't have the patience, use mine. When you don't have the strength, lean on me. I will be there for you every time. Stick in there and love you way through.

Things of this world...

My prayer:

My God. I was just reading about David when he was praising you for being his rock and his fortress and that rings so true for me right now. I am hanging onto you, my rock, the God who does not change, the great I AM, and I will NOT LET GO! 

I love you God so very much. You are everything to me and nothing else is worth anything if I don't have you.

What God Said Tonight:

So much of this recent battle is a result of wanting things that are not of me. You have to let go of the desires for things of this world. There are so many things in this world that look good but will destroy you. 

You really have to say once and for all, if it is not of me, you don't want it. Then, you have to mean it. 

I know it is not easy. I never said life would be easy. I will help you if you let me. Turn your back on the sins that present themselves to you and I will lead you down a better path. I promise.

God is waiting...

My prayer:

I am not sure what to talk about tonight God. There have been so many really wonderful things and so many horrible things all happening at the same time over the last week. I am left feeling kind of ambivalent tonight. 

Funny, I just heard my old Pastor's voice in my head saying "You can't live by our feelings!" And, as usual, he is right. 

Thank you God for being my rock, the solid place I can turn to when the world and my emotions are all over the place. You are amazing and I am crazy about you. What is on your mind?

What God Said Tonight:

I am at the door waiting for you. I am waiting for you to be ready to come out and follow me. We have places to go and things to do but not until you are ready to come  out. 

I understand why you have been hiding. This next phase is no joke. You should not come out before you are ready but when you are, when you are truly ready, come on out and I will be here to take you to the next phase. 

I am waiting but you know that I am patient. I would rather wait longer and know you are ready than for you to rush this thing. 

My sweet child. I look at your face and I see an innocence that does not reflect all that you have seen. I see an innocence that can only be gained through my blood. You are so beautiful and precious to me. I will wait for you.

Things are NOT OK...

My prayer:

My God the Rock. People are eating each others' faces. Mothers are eating their children's brains. Young girls carving horrible messages into their skin and others are making fun of it. Things are not okay. 

You warned us God that things would get bad in the last days. I did not realize you meant it would get this bad. And, apparently, it will get worse. It is overwhelming sometimes God. 

I was yelling that song about "When I get afraid I go to the Rock" all the way home, hoping I would believe it and find comfort in you. I don't know why it is all hitting me all of a sudden but it is. I don't know how to handle a world getting worse than this. 

I think most of the time I just get through the day, trying not to think about the suffering. I do my little piece here and there but I know it is not enough. I know that there are people starving all over the world. I know that there are people being beaten to death. I know that there are crazy things like people eating off other peoples' faces. And, I know there is nothing I can do about any of it. So, I try to forget. That only works for awhile though. 

God, I really need your help tonight. I really need to hear you. I need you to make some sense out of a senseless world. I need to understand how to love in the midst of this insanity.

What God Said Tonight:

Not everything that starts ugly, stays ugly. The caterpillar turns into a butterfly but in the process it is covered in mucus and an ugly pod. Sometimes the greatest beauty comes out of ugliness. 

Remember when I said that I did not come for the healthy but I came for the sick? I came to the world because it was sick, not because things were all going great. I came because of the pain, the suffering, the craziness. I am here today because of the need. 

Some of my most beautiful children, with the sweetest hearts and the most generosity of spirit ahve come out of the darkest and ugliest places. Look beyond the fear. Look beyond the ugliness and see what they can be in me. Love and see what they turn out to be. 

Love, my love can change even the ugliest situation into something beautiful. Don't look at the situation or the people for what they are right now. Expand your vision and love them into what they can be. 

I will always protect you, no matter how crazy it gets. Do not be afraid. The craziness will not harm you. Keep loving your way through, even when it is hard.

Daddy love...

My prayer:

Amazing Father. It was so good to just be back in your presence today. Not doing anything special, just hanging out together. Going for a run together. Listening and singing worship together. 

I hope it was a good Father's Day for you God. I hope you know that when I mess up, when I get off track, it is not because I don't love you. It is only my lack. My love for you will never end. forgive me for any moment when I forget to show you. 

What God Said Tonight:

I know your heart my sweet daughter. I know your love. I know your struggles and I know your pain. I knew you before you were born. I know every cell of your body and have counted the hairs on your head. 

I know your love and I cherish it. Your love is so beautiful and is coveted by many, including me. Your love is a reflection of me in you. That is why people are so drawn to you. They are drawn to the reflection of me in you, the love in you. 

Don't ever hide the love. Don 't ever let circumstances and struggles mask the love. If you do nothing else for the rest of your life, love. Let your love show, it is the most beautiful part of you.