A Wise Habit~

Greetings,

Back in 2005, a dear friend of mine gave me a book, which I recently fished out of the closet to re-read. On the inside cover, she wrote a beautiful dedication based on Psalm 36.  It is so powerful and totally in keeping with our wise habit of praying the Psalms over our lives. Let's bless ourselves today!

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, How precious is Your constant, faithful, gracious love for me.  It reaches to the heavens; it extends to the skies.  I take refuge and shelter in the shadow of Your wings.  You feed me with blessings from Your own table, and I am satisfied.  I drink from Your rivers of delight, and I am refreshed. You are the fountain of life, the light by which I see.  Pour out Your unfailing kindness and mercy on me.  Never stop giving Your blessings to me because I long for Your goodness in my life. AMEN~   

A Better Way to Start the Day

Psalm 143:8 "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life."

Greetings,

I typically wake up when Jorge kisses me on the cheek before he leaves for work at 6:30 AM.  I'll say, "Have a great day and come back to me, Babe." Then I will readjust the covers so Hershey Pie and I are all nice and cozy. and we will both fall back asleep until 7:30. That's when my day really begins.

It's always a flurry of activity as I take my vitamins, let Hershey out then in then out then in, look at my To-Do list and add more to it, turn on the news, put away the dishes, start fielding phone calls, check emails, fold the laundry, make my coffee with just a splash of cream no sugar, and on and on it goes...

But a couple of days ago I came across Psalm 143:8 and thought, "There's a better way to start the day!"

What if before I did any of the stuff above, before my head even left the pillow, I whispered to my Lord, "Let me hear of Your unfailing love and lovingkindness this morning, cause me to experience Your faithful and gracious mercy right now before I get out of bed. Show me where to walk, teach me the way I should go, because I give myself to You, I lift up my soul to You, and I long for You."

I believe with all my heart that God will always answer this prayer, and I can't wait until tomorrow morning.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We look forward to starting each morning with You.  There are so many things competing for our attention, but the only One Who can encourage us and show us how to live is You.  We trust You with our life and the lives of our families. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Life-Blessing Words~

Thursday greetings,

For the past couple of months I have been praying through the Psalms.  It has been such a joyful time, and I look forward to my prayer every day.  Not because I am going to say anything brilliant, but because I am offering back to God His very own life-affirming, life-changing, life-blessing words.  It's as though I am speaking His language!

While impossible to pick a favorite, Psalm 63 comes close.  I invite you to pray it with me today:

O God, You are my God. I earnestly search for You.  My soul thirsts for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water [and where there is no relief from bad news]. I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon Your power and glory. Send Your power and glory into my life today and into the lives of those I love. Your unfailing love is better than life itself. How I praise You! I will praise You as long as I live, lifting up my hands to You in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise You with songs of joy.  I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night.  You are my Helper, and I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely...in Jesus' name, AMEN~