Rivers of Living Water

Saturday, October 31, 2015 (7:27 a.m.)

Holiest, Awesome God,

Thank You for the singing that started this morning even before I opened my eyes. ♫Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down But a good word makes it glad♫ (Proverbs 12:25). Thank You for musicians (1992 Integrity's Hosanna!Music /ASCAP) willing to put Your Word to music.

Thank You that it really is easier for me to remember Your Scriptures when they are sung. Especially when the tune is catchy. Thank You for providing the opportunity for us to enjoy and learn from the teachings of others through the years.

Blessed God, how very grateful I am for Your Truth. Thank You for the privilege of coming to It and You every single day. Thank You that we are able to breathe in deeply and drink of Your rivers of living water (John 7:37-39).

Thank You Father for Your Invitation to the Lord's Salvation, Isaiah 55. Thank You for offering us to “Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it's all free!” (v. 1)

Praise You Father. Thank You. Thank You that every time I come to Your Word there is a deeper understanding, or a new question. I find verses I don't remember having seen before. Or I look at them more keenly than in the past.

Thank You for the easy access we have in our searches. Thank You for the availability that we far too often take for granted. Thank You for the privilege of looking up Proverbs 15:13 just now and learning again that, ♫A joyful heart makes a cheerful face But when the heart is sad the spirit is broken♫

Oh most dear and blessed God, whether sung musically or quite simply read, Your Truth encourages.

(10:06 a.m.)

Following one verse to another, I even get to share with the dear husband the “secret” to the success of our marriage. Proverbs 12:4. The Living Bible paraphrase, “A worthy wife is her husband's joy and crown; the other kind corrodes his strength and tears down everything he does.”

It is YOU Blessed God working in, with, by, for and through us all these years. Reminding us repeatedly of the importance of coming to You and freely drinking of Your Rivers of Living Water.

Thank You Father. Praise You. Use us this day. To Your good and to Your glory. We love You. We thank You. We praise You. Amen.

(410 words ~ 10:33 a.m.)

'planetary dance'

Friday, October 30, 2015 (7:01 a.m.)

Amazingly awesome God,

Thank You! Thank You for the opportunity of hearing ♫Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee♫ ringing out of our dear neighbor's wind chimes this morning. Just as I was going out for a better view of the 'planetary dance' You have going on between Jupiter, Venus and Mars the wind caught the chimes just right and they pealed out praise to You. Thank You Father.

Thank You for the chance reminder to bring all aspects of our attention back to You. In the recognition of the first few notes I remembered to “Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others” (Philippians 4:8 The Living Bible).

(8:57 a.m.)

Oh most Dear and Blessed God, this early morning encounter with You was brought on primarily because of the 'planetary dance' mentioned above. Thank You for the willingness to answer Your invitation to meet You outside in the predawn darkness. Thank You for blessing me with a musical score with which to begin singing praises to Your most holy name.

Holy Father, I am here asking (Matthew 7:7) You to guide and direct me in a social encounter later this afternoon. Please go before me and lay the groundwork You would have me follow. I long to “Speak Your Truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 13:1).

Rather than shrink in fear, I want to “Stand Firm” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) on Your Word. Enable and empower me to:

F-ully

E-steem

A-nd

R-evere

You (Revelation 14:7).

I love You Blessed Father. I deeply desire that You be glorified and absolutely represented well in the words and tones I use this day. Thank You for the exquisite 'planetary dance' with which we began the morning. Be here with me. As You also go before, beside, beneath and above me – fully encompassing me in Your loving, perfect presence.

Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(327 words ~ 10:02 a.m.)

unexpected opportunities

Thursday, October 29, 2015 (6:11 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. Much time was spent together between a brother and sister yesterday and Your Word was shared freely, openly and often. Thank You.

Thank You for the unexpected opportunities of sharing Your Truth with each other. Thank You for the freedom with which The Life Recovery Bible went back and forth between us.

Thank You Father for the chance of having an unbiased, third party express to a genuinely hurting man the blessing it is to have people in his life who care so much about him that they want to help. Thank You for the many joys we experienced in the various people we met throughout the day together.

Blessed, Holy Father God, You are absolutely amazing! The work You have been doing in each of us these many years is beginning to take root. The unexpected opportunities of experiencing You and Your love for each of us still never ceases to amaze me. Thank You. Thank You so incredibly much.

Take just now for instance. I was looking in Your Word for one thing [unexpected opportunities] and was met instead with Paul's Prayer for Spiritual Empowering (Ephesians 3:14-21). Exactly what I didn't know I really wanted/needed. Thank You.

Thank You for the blessed reminder that where we as Believers are to place our faith is in “the only solid foundation for healthy living – God” (The Life Recovery Bible introduction to Ephesians). Mm. Amen!

Blessed, Holy God, You have a multitude of unexpected opportunities for each of us. Everyday. Make me keenly aware of them. Using each one to Your ultimate good and glory.

Father, we adore You. Appreciate and admire You. Enable and empower us in accepting and adapting to life Your way. I love You. I thank You. And right here I ask (Matthew 7:7) You, “Make it so Blessed God, make it so!”

Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(321 words ~ 7:13 a.m.)

great care

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 (5:36 a.m. )

Most Holy God,

I love You. I haven't been taking great care of myself recently. Thank You for reminding me of that just now.

Thank You that You have given us so very much. And with all You have provided it is still up to each of us how we will use it all.

Thank You for the desire to do things differently. Make better decisions. Plan. Work. And first of all, pray.

Blessed Father God, thank You that You invite us to know and to love You. This is an invitation I far too often take for granted.

Thank You that I get to sit here, looking out at the beauty of Your early morning sky and be awed by it. By You. Thank You for the decision to move my place of prayer back to one of our east facing windows. Such beauty. True delight.

As I contemplate the anticipated events of today, I am here asking You (Matthew 7:7) to go before us. Into the traffic, the various medical appointments, the familial interactions. Set the pattern You would have me follow.

Recognizing and agreeing with the need of taking greater care of my health, I look to You. Precious Lord, I ask You to provide the follow-through that is required for me to not just think of this as important. But to actually make the necessary changes.

Blessed God, I love You. I long to follow after You. And I want to make the great decisions You would have me make.

Thank You for loving me Dearest God. Use me this day, to Your good and to Your glory.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 speaks to me this morning. Tell me more of all You would have me learn. Thank You Blessed God. I love You. Amen.

(302 words ~ 7:07 a.m.)

rare occurrences

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 (6:18 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

Thank You! You kept me company through much of the night. There were hours I was awake and praying was definitely the thing to do. Thank You Father.

Thank You that You are ever present. Always available. Thank You for Your goodness. And Your grace. Thank You for Your mercy. Your kindness. How I ask (Matthew 7:7) these things for loved ones. There are trials. Problems. Pain. You are needed. Thank You that You know all You are doing.

Thank You for the privilege of waking up with the words and tune for which I looked yesterday. Being able to wake from a spectacular dream about angels, many visible angels, while singing ♫I feel love, I feel safe, I feel Jesus in this place♫ was beyond comforting.

Every aspect of the sadness which seemed to envelop me yesterday had long since passed as I lay there humming the added chorus of ♫Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord♫ before going back to ♫Glory to the King♫

The tears in my eyes this morning are those of long-suffering [patient] hope. There are huge examples in the early morning sky of our reasons to hope in You. Our God Who never changes.

And see? There's another song. ♫Your Love Never Fails... There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning♫

Thank You Father. Thank You for music. Thank You for hope. Thank You for such a rare occurrence as the full moon lighting up the cluster of Venus, Jupiter and Mars.

(8:07 a.m.)

Mm, Father. Yes. Thank You for rare occurrences.

Thank You that I get to come before You. Often. In awe. And gratitude. Thank You that Your Word even speaks of rarities. Such as “Your thoughts – how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them!” (Psalm 139:17).

Holy God, I ask You to use us this day in rare and beautiful ways. We love You and we long to share Your love with others. Teach us. Empower and embolden us. Use us Father. We love You. Thank You. Amen.

(352 words ~ 8:13 a.m.)

rebuilding

Monday, October 26, 2015 (6:10 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

I am confessing to You that I feel a huge sense of sadness right now and I'm judging myself unmercifully for it. I'm looking to You to right my thinking.

Thank You Father. Thank You that we even get to bring our sadness to You. It is honestly what I have right now. Thank You that I'd rather be open with You about what I'm feeling than try to run from it like I've done in the past.

I love You God. I like to try and show You my better side. Thank You that You accept all of me. Thank You that I get to smile at thinking that You love and accept all of me. You are SO much bigger, better and far more wonderful than I can even begin to imagine.

(7:24 a.m.)

More than an hour of searching. Avoiding. Coming back. Trying again.

I started by looking for a song we sang in church yesterday. Thank You for allowing me the satisfaction of not giving up until I found it. Thank You for the numerous versions of ♫Glory to the King♫ I came across before finally discovering the one by Chris Lizotte. Thank You God, thank You VERY much!

Thank You that in the process of awakening this morning I've been able to see bright stars straight up in the darkened sky. The brilliance of a near full moon to the west. Unusually staggered planets high to the east. Followed by beautiful pinks and oranges on the horizon.

Still I confess the remnants of the sadness remains. But I know You to be our good and awesome God, so I am willing to accept it. For now. Until it lifts. I won't fight it. Try to understand, explain or change it. Just let it be what it is. A feeling.

And in so doing I read of the sadness Nehemiah experienced over his concern for Jerusalem. It was this same sadness King Artaxerxes noticed (2:2) that allowed Nehemiah to oversee “the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem and the continued spiritual rebuilding of the people” (THE BOTTOM LINE The Life Recovery Bible).

Blessed Father, I look to You with awe and wonder. I give to You these feelings and ask (Matthew 7:7) only that You would use me as You wish this day. Let my heart, soul, mind and strength love (Mark 12:30) as You would have me love. I am Yours and I long to reflect the love You have for each of us.

It is in Your love and in Your Son's most holy name that I ask that You would work in and through, by, with and for us this day. I love You, Father. Rebuild us as only You are able. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(474 words ~ 8:46 a.m.)

revitalization

Sunday, October 25, 2015 (6:39 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

Thank You. The sky is colorfully gorgeous. With two easily seen, very bright planets. The air is crisp. Refreshing. Revitalizing.

Mm. Revitalize – to give new life or vigor to. New life. Hmm...

Blessed God, thank You for the privilege of sitting here. Breathing in deeply. Considering life. New life. In You.

Thank You that with such easy access to Your Word, I get to be here with You, reading Dr. Luke's book (Acts) to Theophilus [whose name means “lover of God”]. How awesome to sit here, reading, learning, wanting to know more.

Blessed Father God, I love You so very much. Use me to help others get to know and love You as well. Reading Luke's words in Acts, chapters 10 and 11, I find myself sitting here nodding my head and asking (Matthew 7:7) You to enable and empower me as well.

Send Your Holy Spirit as You did on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) that we [Jews and Gentiles alike] may truly live and love as You would have us. Blessed, blessed God, how I thank You for the opportunity of being revitalized by Your Word. Your morning. Your beauty. Your wonder.

Acts 11:18 was my starting point in this history lesson of hope this morning. “When they [the circumcised believers] heard these words [of the Holy Spirit's work], they said nothing more. They thanked God, saying, 'Then God has given life also to the people who are not Jews. They have this new life by being sorry for their sins and turning from them.'”

Most Blessed God thank You for giving us Your Truth. Thank You for new life that indeed revitalizes us. Let me us this revitalization to Your good and to Your glory this day. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(308 words ~ 8:29 a.m.)