Wednesday, September 17, 2025

A Morning Prayer

                                            

                                             


A Prayer for This Morning....


Almighty and all-loving Father, my God, the only One worthy of worship --

I do worship and adore You. What I want to say is "Thank You", my Abba Father, for all You've given me.

Your hand is always reaching out to give me more and my life is overflowing with Your goodness.

Thank You for filling the emptiness of my life with Your presence, which brings me pleasure and joy each moment; for Your mighty hand that protects me; for the forgiveness You eagerly offer me each day.

You took my sin and shame and guilt and hurled them into Your sea of forgetfulness.

You took away my darkness and gave me Your light.

I sing Your praises today and join that multitude that will sing praise to You forever....singing that song that will never end.


Amen and Amen forever and ever!

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Good Morning Everybody


 


But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
Psalm 58:16


A Morning Prayer

O Lord and Maker of all things, from whose creative power the first light came forth, who looked upon the world's first morning and saw that it was good, I praise You for this light that now streams through my windows to rouse me to the life of another day.

I praise You for the life that stirs within me;
I praise You for the bright and beautiful world into which I go;
I praise You for earth and sea and sky, for scudding cloud and singing bird;
I praise You for the work You have given me to do;
I praise You for all that You have given me to fill my leisure hours;
I praise You for my friends;
I praise You for music and books and good company and all pure pleasures.
Amen
From Valley of Vision (Puritan Prayers)


Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing, fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God's re-creation of the new day!

--Eleanor Farjeon


My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
Psalm 5:3


A really good way to start a new day:

Lead on, O King eternal
We follow, not with fear,
For gladness breaks like morning
Wher-e'er Thy face appears!

Monday, September 15, 2025

Generosity - Thoughts From Charles Morris


                                          Generosity - Thoughts from Charles


"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors God" (Proverbs 14:31)

I love these thoughts from Charles Morris:

When we share our resources with others, it helps the other person.

But the Bible teaches there is something more going on, something vertical as well as horizontal.

How we treat others actually communicates glory to God.

God created all human beings, and therefore, when  we mistreat others we insult God.

We say to Him, 'Your creatures are not worth my effort.'

But when we show generosity we are telling Him through those acts that we value the things He has made.

They are worth our respect and investment.

Our generosity flows from a heart captivated by the generosity of our loving Savior.

He is generous to us, the needy, by providing a Savior to rebellious people, like we are, who can offer nothing in return but a heart filled with gratitude to Him.

                      As He has been to us, may we be to others...

.

Sunday, September 14, 2025

Nothing can stop it!

The bright Morning Star
Heralds the advent of dawn
Nothing can stop it

The early morning sky these days is crystal clear. I find myself staring at the Morning Star and finding new meaning in its position.

Right now the horizon is just beginning to lighten, with shades of mauve and golden moving upward into the sky. (As Emily Dickinson says about the sunrise: 'a ribbon at a time.')

The Morning Star is still visible though and will be until dawn makes it glorious appearance.

A favorite childhood hymn comes to mind:

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me
There a Bright and Morning Star
Shed its beams around me.

To the church at Thyatira, John records God's message --to him who overcomes I will give the morning star. And at the end of The Revelation we see Christ Himself saying ...I am the bright Morning Star.

He is coming and He will herald the New Day of Creation.

And nothing will stop it!

An old hymn:

I was a seeker for light in a dark world
I looked for truth, but settled for lies
I had been blinded, I couldn't see
Till the Star of Bethlehem's sky opened my eyes.


I have seen the Light shining in the darkness
Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn
I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus
His kingdom is forever. He reigns on Heaven's throne!


It's the Morning Star that announces the coming of dawn.


It's Jesus Himself who will bring in the new day.

And nothing will stop it!

Even so, come quickly! Lord Jesus.

Isaiah 60:22: I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly."

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Before We Say Amen!

 

                                                   Before We Say Amen!


Notice how many heartfelt prayers in the Bible end with great exclamations of praise?

Maybe that's how we should end all our prayers....

A good example is Psalm 28

Here are verses 1 and 2:

     To You, LORD, I call; You are my Rock,

     Do not turn a deaf ear to me.

     For if You remain silent, I will be like  those who go down to the pit.

     Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help,

     as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place.


Then look at verses 6 and 7:

     Praise be to the LORD for He has heard my cry for mercy.

     The LORD is my strength and my shield

     My heart trusts in Him, and He helps me.

     My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise Him.


Maybe that's the spirit in which we should end all our prayers!