more and better

 Wednesday, April 22, 2026 (6:05 a.m.)

Holy, Loving Lord God,

Thank You for the life You would have us live. Real and eternal. More and better than I could ever dream (John 10:10b The Message).

(6:23 a.m.)

Thank You for the way my brain shuffles through the playlists of music that is stored there. A chance word or phrase here and there and my soul explodes with singing Your Truth!

♪You give life, You are love

You bring light into darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every thing that is broken

And Great Are You, Lord♪

Thank You Father. Thank You for the life Jesus came to give. Abundant. Full. True. Good. More and better. Rich and satisfying. Overflowing. Plenteous [now there’s a word I never knew!].

♪It’s like the brightest sunrise

Waiting on the other side of the darkest night

Don’t ever lose hope, hold on and believe

Maybe you just Haven’t Seen It Yet… 

You’re closer than you think you are

Only moments from the break of dawn

All His promises are just up ahead

Maybe you just haven’t seen it yet…

He is moving with a love so deep

Hallelujah for the victory

Good things are coming even when we can’t see…♪

Yes! God, I want to live this day You have allowed and provided me exactly as You have planned it. Seeking You, Your Kingdom and righteousness over all else (Matthew 6:33). Rejoicing and being glad (Psalm 118:24b). Loving You, others and myself with all my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30-31).

Father God, do all You must that I will truly come to live the life You designed for me (Psalm 139). I love, need, trust and want You Dear Lord. Use me exactly as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(307  words ~ 6:55 a.m.)

passing time

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (5:13 a.m.)

Holy God,

The days, weeks, months just keep passing.

(6:16 a.m.)

And right here? More than another hour!

An hour spent searching Your Word. Praying Psalms written by David. Reading of Joshua. And Moses. Scriptures telling me that I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings.

All of this leading to a song popping into my head. At first thinking a word in it was throne. Turns out it’s MOVE.

♪… God Is On the Move, on the move

Hallelujah

God is on the move

In many mighty ways…

… On the move today…♪

Thank You that You are dear Father.

I confess to feelings of overwhelm by the seemingly quick passing of time. Tears well in my eyes as I consider the “here today, gone tomorrow” (James 4:14; Matthew 6:30) brevity of it all.

Thank You for the Truth we find in Your Word. The promise that while “The wind blows, and we are gone… the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:15-17).

Use me Lord. As You know is best. I love, need, trust and want You as the deciding factor in all I think, say, do and am.

You are good. Great. Glorious. Gracious (Psalm 145:5-8). And I want to represent You well. Glorifying (1 Corinthians 10:31) and enjoying (Psalm 73:24-26) You forever!

Thank You for David’s trust in knowing “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever” (Psalm 16:11).

Do all You must that I spend the time You have allotted me wisely and well. To Your glory God. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(295 words ~ 6:54 a.m.)

 

especially the challenges

 Monday, April 20, 2026 (5:55 a.m.)

Good morning Lord.

Thank You for so very many things. My thoughts. And desires. The birds singing outside. Hope. Smiles. Even the disappointments. And challenges. Especially the challenges.

Thank You Father for the ways You have been changing me through the years. Baby steps in many areas. And by leaps and bounds in others.

Thank You for allowing me the opportunities to explore my own thinking. And comparing it to Your Word. Thank You for helping me see my own tendency of complicating even the simplest things.

Take this morning for instance. I didn’t want to be awake yet. I didn’t want to be singing ♪Holy Spirit♪ again. But there I was. Going through the motions. All the way until I got to the word ‘glory.’

You never cease to amaze me by the power You have in the seemingly smallest things. Like causing me to want to look into what it means to long for Your glory. Oh! And here it is again. The joy I find in being curious. About You.

Thank You for the opportunity of having my song change the moment I got out of bed. Thinking I would continue exploring the welcoming here of the Holy Spirit, You reminded me again that 

♪… I wasn’t made to be tending no grave

I was called by name

Born and raised back to life again

I was Made For More♪

Father, thank You for the more for which You have made me.

What if I were to combine the two songs right here and consider You having made me for more of Your glory my heart already longs for? To truly be overcome by Your presence?

Yes Lord. Teach me to approach today with surrender in mind. Remind me in every win. And especially the challenges. My response to You is to be, ♪Yes, Lord, Yes♪

How perfect that the Bible verse I was just led to is Isaiah 26:8. “LORD, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify Your name.” Yes, Lord. Make it so!

I love, need, trust and want You as absolute Lord of my life. Do all You must in making me obedient. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(383 words ~ 7:09 a.m.)

living in peace

 Sunday, April 19, 2026 (5:35 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You for the privilege of coming before You. 

(6:00 a.m.)

Mm, yes. Sitting with You. Thinking of You. Acknowledging You as absolute Lord of my life.

Father, thank You. Considering all I am and have, think and do are because of You I keep coming back to being grateful.

Thank You for the opportunity of reading what others have written regarding their experiences with You. One repeatedly using a phrase I’ve valued for years now. “God’s got this.” Thank You that You do dear Lord.

This particular writer [Pastor Kelly M. Williams] encourages asking ourself a question in the midst of crisis. “Do I want to understand and control my life, or do I want the peace of God?” He declares that we can’t do both.

In referring to the apostle Paul’s teachings in Philippians 4:6-9, Pastor Kelly acknowledges the ease with which we tend to “give up, give in and just worry ourselves to death.”

Thank You Father that Your way is better! Thank You for the invitation to live in Your peace.

Quoting again from this reading [Living in the Peace of God] I am reminded of the importance of surrendering to You any desire to control or understand circumstances. In turn, “His [Your!] peace consumes my fear.” What a profound way of condensing Philippians 4:7.

Lord God, I want to live in Your peace. Sharing with others the hope we have in You. Do all You must that I will come to love, need, trust and want You exactly as You now is best. Use me as You wish. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(282 words ~ 6:57 a.m.)

overflowing comfort

 Saturday, April 18, 2026 (5:23 a.m.)

Good morning Blessed God,

Thank You for the blessings You provide. Creature comforts.

(5:40 a.m.)

Thank You for the very unexpected turn my thoughts just took. You, “the source of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3b).

Father, I love when Your Word springs to life for me!

Illustrated Bible Handbook subtitles verses 3-11 as Communicating God’s Comfort. This section describes the apostle Paul’s willingness to openly share his times of suffering “so that others can sense the overflowing comfort of God which sustained him when he felt despair.”

Wow!

Here I was, ready to thank You for warmth and rest. Instead I’m taken to reading “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort” (v.3).

(6:36 a.m.)

Again I am profoundly wowed by You Dear Lord. Shortsighted as I may tend to be, You take me deeper. Into Your Word. Your wonder. Your glory. Your mercy. Your overflowing comfort.

Father, I ask (Matthew 7:7) that You continue teaching me the very fine art of sharing Your overflowing comfort with others.

You ARE “the One who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does He do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 The Living Bible).

Do all You must Dear Lord. In, with, by, through and for me. I want to live as You would have me live. By way of Your comfort and strength. Use me as You alone know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(295 words ~ 6:57 a.m.)

behind the scenes

 ♪Holy Spirit You are welcome here

Come flood this place

And fill the atmosphere

Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by Your presence, Lord♪

Friday, April 17, 2026 (6:00 a.m.)

Most dear and holy Father God,

Thank You for everything You do behind the scenes. 

Psalm 42:1-2

Isaiah 64:4

John 13:7

Ephesians 3:20

(6:28 a.m.)

You never cease to amaze me Lord! How truly I thank You that You don’t.

Starting this whole search of Scripture because my first word about You this morning was “holy.” Yes, blessed God. Thank You that You are holy!

Thank You that You provide each of us the presence of Your Holy Spirit. The One who is absolutely welcome here.

Thank You for the direction Your Truth takes us.

I heard something said yesterday about giving You all the pieces of ourselves. Allowing You to assemble us as You alone know is part of Your master design.

(6:52 a.m.)

Blessed Father, thank You that all the thoughts swirling around in my head come back to thanking and praising You. Like the chirping of the bird much earlier this morning. I immediately thought of it as praise.

Reading deeper into Your Word I come to Hebrews 10:13. Jesus waiting, while seated in the place of honor at Your right hand (v. 12).

A different song immediately came to mind as I heard myself think, “If Jesus waits, so can I.” Thank You for the easy find, Lord.

♪… If the stars were made to worship So Will I …

… If creation sings Your praises so will I…

… If it [all nature and science] all reveals Your nature so will I…

… If creation still obeys You so will I…

… If the mountains bow in reverence so will I 

If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I

For if everything exists to lift You high so will I

If the wind goes where You send it so will I 

If the rocks cry out in silence so will I…

… If You left the grave behind You so will I…

… If You gladly chose surrender so will I…

If You gave Your life to love them [every precious one] so will I♪

Oh most dear and holy God! Starting with just that one word [HOLY] my heart is open wide to Your leading.

Do all You must in fitting all my pieces perfectly into Your plans (Jeremiah 29:11). Those plans that are for good and not for evil. The plans to give us a future filled with hope.

Oh yes please! If Jesus sits and waits, so will I. 

Use me exactly as You know is best in the waiting. I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(468 words ~ 7:34 a.m.)

 

praying honestly

 Thursday, April 16, 2026 (5:48 a.m.)

Holy God,

I love You. I’m glad to be Yours. And I’m feeling out of sorts this morning.

How’s that for being honest?

(6:44 a.m.)

And just like that [snap!] You took me exactly where I needed to be. Straight into Your Word. Teaching me again that I am not alone.

You are good. You are faithful. You are just. You are righteous. You have so much for us.

Holy God, how I ask (Matthew 7:7) You to continue Your work in me. I want to learn to pray honestly with You. Telling You my hurts. And fears. Not only the joys and hope.

David knew to do this. “O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8).

Thank You for the reminder of this invitation Dear Lord. I tend to filter, then censor, my silent prayers to You.

Instead of praying honestly with You, I pray politely. As though I would ever be able to hide my heart of hearts from You. The Creator of all!

Father, You created each of us specifically to Your own design (Psalm 139:14, Ephesians 2:10). Use me exactly as You know is best.

Do all You must in, with, by, through and for me that I will come to freely voice my fears as well as my joys to You. I love, need, trust and want You Lord.

Thank You for all You’ve done. Praise You for all You are. I’m glad to be Yours. Amen.

(270 words ~ 7:10 a.m.)