all the time

Thursday, July 18, 2013 (6:19 a.m.)

Loving Father God,

Thank You that You are good. All the time. I said it throughout the night. And slept as a result. “God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good.”

It's so easy to remember and believe when things are going well. When all is as we would have it. But what about when the bottom drops out? When a late night phone call tells of the ultimate tragedy. A child of a loved one's friend has taken their own life. In our particular case right now, more than one loved one is experiencing this particular torment.

Father, how I come to You on their behalf. You ARE good. All the time! How do we as Believers come alongside and offer Your loving faithfulness when circumstances are as painful as this?

Here is where I absolutely lean into Your Word. I depend on its Truth. Romans 8:26 speaks of a time when we won't “even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words.” This is where I am Father. In desperate need of Your Holy Spirit making the concerns of my heart known to You.

You are so good. All the time. I too often take for granted the readiness with which we are welcomed into Your presence. At the times we need You most, Your loving kindness is always available. Thank You Father.

Thank You that we can be assured that “the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God's own will” (Romans 8:27). When circumstances are that which we can't even begin to comprehend, Father how I ask You to manifest Your promises to those not yet ready to embrace them.

Slights, hurts, devastations, losses too easily color our outlooks bitterly. Father God, intervene on our behalf. Take our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) that we would truly stand firmly in Your love.

The Message presents the power of Your Spirit as this, “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” (Romans 8:26-28).

It is the power of Your Spirit on which I lean right now. There is no possibility of making sense of this any other way. I choose to ♫trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I acknowledge You, believing that You will direct our path♫ (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Father God, thank You that You have called us to love and be loved by You. Thank You for the work You want to do in and through each of us. Empower me to share the Truth of Your goodness, all the time.

Bless and keep those not yet ready to accept Your invitation (Revelation 3:20). Do what You must to bring the joy of Your love fully into our lives.

I love You, Father. I thank You. Amen.

(599 words ~ 7:28 a.m.)