pure praise

 Sunday, September 24, 2023 (5:51 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. I love you.

There are so may things I don’t know. Or understand. Thank You that we have Your Word to lead and guide us.

Remembering the Truth found in Psalm 145:5-8, I turned there. Described in Illustrated Bible Handbook as “Pure praise, offered to God for His many wonderful attributes and qualities.”

Mm, yes. Pure praise. Teach me that please.

And now I’m singing. Thank You Father!

♪Praise God! Give thanks to the Father for all That you say and do. Well, amen, amen, Sing glory hallelujah! Christ the Lord is risen for you… Christ the Lord is coming for you♪

Praise. Extol. Exalt. Lift high. Tell. Proclaim. Speak highly. Honor (Psalm 145:1). Oh yes Blessed God. Teach me.

Quoting New International Version, verses 4-7. “One generation will commend Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They tell of the power of Your awesome works, and I will proclaim Your great deeds. They celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.”

Yes! Let’s do that!

Continuing through verses 8 and 9, Father I ask (Matthew 7:7) You to do all You must in bending my won’ts to Your will! “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all;

And right here another song interrupts. ♪God Is So Good …He’s so good to me♪ Thank You that You are Dear Lord!

“…He has compassion on all He has made” (v. 9b).

Father God, I thank You. I love, need, trust and want You. Use me as You know is best this day [which You have made (Psalm 118:24a)]. Rejoicing and being glad (v. 24b).

Thanking and praising You as I go. Yes. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(327 words ~ 7:20 a.m.)

absolute awe

Saturday, September 23, 2023 (7:10 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You for a new season. Fall. Autumn. Nature. Science. Wonder. Awe. Mm, yes Father. I am filled with absolute awe over who and all You are.

Looking in Your Word I turn to The Message. The Wind Ran Out of Breath (Mark 4:35-41). Drawn here by the disciples’ response to Jesus’ Ultimate Authority (Illustrated Bible Handbook).

Mm. “They were in absolute awe, staggered. ‘Who is this, anyway?’ They asked. ‘Wind and sea at His beck and call!’” (v.41). Filled with great awe and very much afraid in their wonder of Him.

Thank You Lord that in this change of seasons You are ever in control. Jesus’ rebuked the wind. “Silence!” Spoke to the waves. “Be still!” And questioned His disciples. “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (vs. 39-40).

Such great questions. Let me ask them of myself when I am confronted with circumstances I fear. Yes! Here's a smile. Reminding my face of the grace You want it to represent.

Use me this day. The one You have made (Psalm 118:24a). Rejoicing and being glad (24b). As You know is best. Filled with the strength of Your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

Being alert. Praying as the Holy Spirit leads (Ephesians 6:18). Putting on Your “complete armour (vs. 11-17). Then I’ll be able to stand firm against the devil’s trickery” (New Testament for Everyone).

Thank You Father. For all You have done. Continue doing. And will do in the future. You are so good. Glorious. Great. And gracious (Psalm 145:5-8). Do all You must in changing us into Your likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).

We love, need, trust and want You. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(299 words ~ 9:05 a.m.)

 

undeserved privilege

 Friday, September 22, 2023 (8:02 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

You change my thinking. My attitude. My hopes. My dreams. Yes Lord. You change me! Thank You.

(8:47 a.m.)

Searching my heart [and the internet] I came across Romans 5:2. Repeatedly. Reading about standing in Your grace.

Father, I cannot thank You enough. You make the changes that we can’t. Or won’t. Thank You that You do.

The apostle Paul. Writing to the church at Rome. Explaining how Faith Brings Joy (New Living Translation).

“Therefore since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory“ (Romans 5:1-2).

You brought me a ton of grace yesterday. In the form of a ten year old. Asking forgiveness for circumstances beyond his control. YOU did this Father. Your mercy. Your grace. Your loving kindness that never fails (Lamentations 3:22).

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned!

I started out yesterday with a halfhearted approach to prayer. A better plan would have been to ♪enter Your gates with thanksgiving in my heart… enter Your courts with praise … say[ing] “This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice for He has made me glad”♪ (Psalm 100:4; 118:24).

How much better would that time have been served. Thank You Father that Your mercies DO “begin a fresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23).

Father, I am asking that You work in, with, by, through and for me this day. The one YOU have made! That I will use the time You provide us wisely and well. Teaching me ever more about this undeserved privilege [also known as GRACE] You provide us.

Reading about how You change us I saw a quote by author Joseph Cooke. “Grace is nothing more nor less than the face that love wears when it meets imperfection, weakness, failure, sin.” My face did NOT wear grace, nor love yesterday Dearest God.

Again I seek Your forgiveness for being more filled with myself than You. Thank You for Your constant reminders of where You would have our hearts, Our souls. Our minds. Even our strength. Ever on loving You. And others, as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).

Thank You for the truckloads of work You bring about in changing us. All with You undeserved privilege [aka GRACE]. Use me as You know is best. Completely in the strength of Your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). Thank You. Praise You. Amen!

(462 words ~ 9:28 a.m.)

right time

Thursday, September 21, 2023 (5:38 a.m.)

Garden Grove, CA

Blessed God,

Thank You. You’ve given us time. To play. To enJOY. To struggle. To rejoice. And be glad (Psalm 118:24b).

Ecclesiastes 3:1 The Voice. “Teacher: For everything that happens in life - there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven:”. 

FONMU

 Wednesday, September 20, 2023 (5:44 a.m.)

Thank You God.

Thank You, thank You, thank You God.

I went back to sleep. I didn’t think I would. And I did. Waking up with a brand new attitude. Thank You, God.

You did this for me. I couldn’t do it for myself. You even provided me another acronym to describe what I’ve been experiencing. FONMU!

I spend much of many days in the state of FONMU. Fear of not measuring up. Thank You God, that this is not where You would have me.

(6:09 a.m.)

Thank You Father that as I was waking, I chose to sing ♪This is the day that the Lord has made. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it♪ Thank You for the added emphasis put on the word will.

It helped me start thanking You. Even [especially] for all the things I find myself fearing. Over many of which I have absolutely no control.

Thank You that You have not given us a spirit of fear. The apostle Paul wrote to a faithful, yet discouraged Timothy. Reminding him “to help God’s gift grow, just as a small spark grows into a fire. God put His gift in you when I placed my hands on you” (2 Timothy 1:6).

It’s the following verse (7) I often search. “God gave us His Spirit. And the Spirit doesn’t make us weak and fearful. Instead, the Spirit gives us power and love. He helps us control ourselves.”

Yes! Please. This is the spirit I want to fully utilize. Standing firmly and staying my mind on Your Truth. Believing. Trusting. Acting upon Your love for each of us.

Mm, yes. Your love. The strength of Your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

I want to believe I am enough. Made in Your image (Genesis 1:27). Wonderfully complex (Psalm 139:14). Your handiwork. Your masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). Covered and filled with Christ’s grace and power (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

I am in good company with ALL who have sinned and fallen short of Your glory (Romans 3:23). In and of myself? Absolutely not ever enough.

I want to live today in Your love and power. Not my own fear of not measuring up. Do all You must Dearest God. I love You. I need, trust and want You. Use me as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

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

fun

 Tuesday, September 19, 2023 (6:43 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for time to sit. And wonder. And wander.

(7:10 a.m.)

Time to think. And have fun.

I’ve been using that word a lot lately. Fun.

(8:22 a.m.)

Looking into Your Word, I want to honor You. Accept all You have to offer. Learn. Practice. Error. And laugh. Yes Lord. I read. I want. And I ask (Matthew 7:7) You to lead and guide me in our time together.

John 10:10. Jesus speaking. The Passion Translation. “A thief has only one thing in mind - he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect - life in its fullness until you overflow!”

Yes please Lord. I want to learn to accept and live in the abundance You provide. You are so incredibly good. Kind. Gracious. Loving. Glorious. And great. Keep me learning. Laughing. And having fun. With You!

Use me this day [that You have made (Psalm 118:24a)] that I truly “will rejoice and be glad in it” (v. 24b). Looking up synonymous phrases I find, “have fun and be delighted.” Yes Lord! I want to have fun and be delighted in and with You.

Do all You know is best. I love, need, trust and want You. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(233 words ~ 8:39 a.m.)

motivated

 Monday, September 18, 2023 (5:56 a.m.)

A smile God! An honest, genuine, real, heartfelt smile. Thank You. It’s straight from You.

I went to sleep last night considering the word unmotivated. Remembering it just now I went right to Your Word. Thank You God.

And just like that [snap!] I’m singing. ♪My Life Is In You, Lord My strength is in You, Lord My hope is in You, Lord In You, it’s in You♪

How perfect You are Blessed God. Thank You that You are!

♪I will praise You with all of my heart I will praise You with all of my hope With all of my life, and all of my strength All of my hope is in You♪

How truly blessed we are to be loved by You, Lord. Thank You that we are.

Turning in Your Word, my face is still smiling as my heart experiences Your peace. That peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). Thank You Father.

My emotions get easily twisted. Fretting…

How cool is this Lord?! Ready to describe degrees of distress, I remember this to be a musical term. Used to tell of the sounds made by the vibrations of stringed certain instruments. Many of which were used in Biblical times.

And here my mind goes off in search of lessons I’ve recently been practicing on the piano. Dearest God, how I thank You for the motivation You provide for me to continue learning new-to-me things.

Thank You for providing me with the desire to want more of Your presence in my life. Thank You for ready access to Your Word. Your Truth and promises that lead and guide us each day.

As we prepare to go out into this day, I ask (Matthew 7:7) You to go before, behind, beside, beneath, above and within us. Completely encompassing us as we go.

The apostle Paul said in his letter to the church at Rome, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

In his letter to several churches in southern Galatia Paul offered these words for Living by the Spirit’s Power. Galatians 5:16. “My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness” (The Message).

Yes please, God. Motivate me in using any frets I may have in making music for You. I love, need, trust, and want You. Use me as You know is best. Motivated by Your Holy Spirit.

Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(450 words ~ 7:04 a.m.)