Monthly Archives: April 2014
A Prayer For God’s Love
Dear Heavenly Father,
When I stop and consider who you are, I’m humbled that you would desire to use me. Everywhere I look in creation, I see your fingerprints. I see your handiwork in the stars at night and your compassion in the love of a child. I can’t help but try to imagine how big you must be since everything exists in you. I also can’t help but wonder how you care so deeply for me when you have so many other things you’ve created that you can be proud of. I’m in awe that you bless me daily with your presence.
I confess that I’m imperfect and am unworthy of your love. I do things that grieve you and make you disappointed in me. I fall short of who you want me to be so often. I don’t understand how you can still love me or desire to use me. My life is full of broken pieces that somehow you use to create a beautiful mosaic. Your desire is that when I sin and when I’m broken that I come to you and offer the pieces for you to use. My sin may be great, but your grace is even greater. I’m thankful for the forgiveness you offer when I don’t deserve it.
Thank you for the work you did on the cross. The blood that flowed from your body still offers forgiveness and healing today. The stripes you took on your back from the whip still offer healing. The crown of thorns that they placed on your head still pierces my heart and convicts me. Thank you for not calling 10,000 angels to come and rescue you. Thank you that you chose the Father’s will instead of your own. I’m forever grateful that your love for me was stronger than the pain you endured. It was stronger than the desire to come down from the cross, destroy the world and to start over. I don’t ever want to think of the love you have for me as ordinary.
I pray that you would help me to not only receive your love daily, but also help me to show it to others. Teach me to extend grace to those who need it most. I don’t want to be like the man in the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor. I recognize that you have forgiven me for a lot. Help me to forgive those who have wronged me. Help me to express your kind of love to them. I want to overflow with your love until that’s all that comes out of me. Let me be the expression of your love here on Earth. Let your love flow through me so I can point others to you. It doesn’t matter what I do in my life, if I don’t show your love, it’s all in vain.
Walk with me today. Open my eyes to see those in need of your love. Open my ears to hear what others are really saying that they need. Open my mouth to speak the words you want me to speak. Open my hands to give what you want me to give. Open my path to lead me where you want me to go. Give me the strength to go where you’ve called me and give me the courage to do what you ask me to do. Let my life make a difference in someone else’s today. Let others see you in me today so they can see how you can take an imperfect, broken vessel and use them anyway. I love you, Lord.
I ask these things in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Climbing The Mountain
As I hiked up a small mountain with a group of people recently, I began to see a lot of parallels spiritually. It wasn’t long before others in the group had moved quickly enough up the mountain side and left a few of us behind. We called out to them to wait until we caught up. We wanted to go up the mountain as a group. Every so often they would get pretty far ahead and then wait for us to catch up. It’s the same in this Christian life. For some, it’s easier than others to live. Some people struggle their whole lives trying to live according to God’s ways. It’s important to stop and help others along the way.
There were times along the path where the rocks were loose and slippery. One wrong move and you would slide backwards, fall down or something worse could happen. As we went through these parts, we talked to each other, encouraged each other and showed them which rocks they needed to avoid. At times the person in front, who had a more sure footed place, would turn around and pull the other person up. In this spiritual journey, there are places where our feet slip and we fall backwards. It’s up to us who are behind them to catch them. It’s also important for those who have been through there to offer advice and a helping hand.
As we got closer to the mountain top, it got harder to climb. We needed breaks more frequently. One person in our group said, “Just go on without me. I’ll stay here for a while.” Too many times in life we give up just before our break through. We quit when things get the hardest. Yet in those times, we don’t realize how close we are to experiencing pure joy. We pushed through the desire to quit. We decided that we weren’t going to stop when we were so close to victory. We pushed through the desire to quit and it was worth it. We have to do the same thing in life. Don’t let others quit when they’re so close to victory.
As we hiked the final bit, there was a church being built up there. Members had hiked up too and were praying over the land, the city and the community around there. They were hungry and thirsty for God to move. They made the journey up in order to pray and sing praises. It was beautiful to stand there and listen to them. I have no idea what they were praying or singing, but I recognized the presence right away. God is calling us to pray over our family, friends, neighborhood, community, city, county, state, nation and world. God desires that none would perish. We need to be praying for others who are looking at the mountain of Christianity and choosing whether to climb it or to stay in bed asleep.
While we made it to the top of that mountain, we have not yet arrived spiritually. There are still twists and turns ahead. There are still difficult paths each of us will have to walk down. There will be times of rest and times of pushing forward. We cannot forget why we are climbing this mountain so that we never become content with how far we’ve come. We must keep climbing, keep helping others who are behind us and keep listening to those ahead. Our journey continues. Victory is close. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. The mountain top will be worth the climb.
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Devotions by Chris Hendrix 