Hosea 2:14 - "But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there."
One of the most endearing qualities of God is His love for His people. He certainly has many more (too many to count), but I don't have all day here. God's love for us is just so mind blowing sometimes.
The story of Hosea is such a great image of God's love for His people. This second chapter starts out with God talking about how done He is with His unfaithful bride, but then does a complete 180. It's like God is saying to us, "I can't quit you because I love you too much." God could easily punish us for our unfaithfulness. He could violate our free will if He wanted to and make us serve and worship Him. But He doesn't work that way.
Verse 13 in this chapter starts out saying that He will punish His bride for all those instances of unfaithfulness, but in verse 14, He flips the switch and says He will win us back and speak tenderly to us to convince us of His love for us. He wants to punish, and would be justified to do so, but He can't do that because He loves us too much. He just wants to love us. He wants to woo us and court us. Anyone who claims that God is a vengeful and mean-spirited God, don't know the God of the Bible. He is none of those things.
God is love, and there is no getting around that. In 1 Corinthians 13, verses 4-7 give a much better listing of God's qualities (much better than I could ever list). One of my favorites in this list, is verse 5 when Paul says that love (God) does not demand its own way. I am so thankful that God let me come to Him in my time and in my way. That's the loving and faithful Father that I have come to know.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for loving me with a love that knows no end. Thank You for showing me how much You really do love me, and want nothing but the best for me. I pray that I learn to show that love to others so that they will see just how much You really love us all. I pray for those that don't know Your love. They listen to misguided notions about the nature of Your character, and trust in the wrong things. My prayer is that Your Spirit will reach their heart and show them just how much You want them to be home with You for eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Truthful Guidance
Mark 12:24 - Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God."
When the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with their questions, He saw through it and put it back on them. He pointed out that they didn't really know what they were teaching and the power behind it.
How often do we see political leaders talk about their faith, but not have any meaning or conviction behind it? We see a candidate maybe even quote a Scripture or two so that they can sound religious and win a few extra votes. But it doesn't work that way. The power of God's Word isn't supposed to be some tool to try and influence people like that. It is a truthful guide for our lives.
The candidates we elect to office on a local, state, or national level should have their hearts governed by God. When we fail to do that, we do a disservice to ourselves and our God. We should seek His guidance in every way for our lives, and our expectations for the leadership we elect should be grounded in God's Word, not the words they say that sound good and right. How can we expect them to lead like Christ if they don't comprehend or apply His Scripture.
King David said it well in Psalm 18:30 when he said, "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection." God's instructions to Joshua to study and meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8) are instructions for all of us. We should demand nothing less from the ones we elect into office.
Am I studying Scripture every day for the right reasons? Am I seeking to know the words, or to know the One who is the Word, and to have His truthful guidance in my every day life?
Dear Father, I pray that my heart is in the right place and seeking Your truthful guidance for my life. I know I will fall short and stray from Your path from time to time. When that happens, I pray that I will confess, repent, and ask for Your forgiveness so that I may stay close to You, my Shield of protection. I pray for those that don't know You. They may be reading Your Word regularly, but not for the right reasons. My prayer is that they will feel the emptiness inside that only a right relationship with You can fill. I pray for the leadership of this country. I pray that they will turn their hearts to You to let Your loving influence guide their decisions for us. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with their questions, He saw through it and put it back on them. He pointed out that they didn't really know what they were teaching and the power behind it.
How often do we see political leaders talk about their faith, but not have any meaning or conviction behind it? We see a candidate maybe even quote a Scripture or two so that they can sound religious and win a few extra votes. But it doesn't work that way. The power of God's Word isn't supposed to be some tool to try and influence people like that. It is a truthful guide for our lives.
The candidates we elect to office on a local, state, or national level should have their hearts governed by God. When we fail to do that, we do a disservice to ourselves and our God. We should seek His guidance in every way for our lives, and our expectations for the leadership we elect should be grounded in God's Word, not the words they say that sound good and right. How can we expect them to lead like Christ if they don't comprehend or apply His Scripture.
King David said it well in Psalm 18:30 when he said, "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection." God's instructions to Joshua to study and meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8) are instructions for all of us. We should demand nothing less from the ones we elect into office.
Am I studying Scripture every day for the right reasons? Am I seeking to know the words, or to know the One who is the Word, and to have His truthful guidance in my every day life?
Dear Father, I pray that my heart is in the right place and seeking Your truthful guidance for my life. I know I will fall short and stray from Your path from time to time. When that happens, I pray that I will confess, repent, and ask for Your forgiveness so that I may stay close to You, my Shield of protection. I pray for those that don't know You. They may be reading Your Word regularly, but not for the right reasons. My prayer is that they will feel the emptiness inside that only a right relationship with You can fill. I pray for the leadership of this country. I pray that they will turn their hearts to You to let Your loving influence guide their decisions for us. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, June 6, 2014
One Day at a Time
Exodus 16:19 - Then Moses told them, "Do not keep any of it until morning."
When God provided the manna for the Israelites, He gave Moses specific instructions regarding it. But the people weren't interested in hearing instructions and rules. God wasn't, and still doesn't, give us rules and instructions just to be some hard schoolmaster. He does it for a good reason.
He does it, as is shown by the story of the bread from Heaven, to teach us to rely on Him daily. To trust in His provisions and guidance one day at a time.
A misconception among new believers, is that now that they have received Christ into their hearts, and are pursuing a relationship with God, everything should come easier for them. They should suddenly have all the answers and God should provide for all their needs right away. But it doesn't work that way.
Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. We are made to know God, and have a relationship with Him, but our minds are not capable of understanding everything. In this same verse, Solomon says that God has made everything beautiful for its own time. That doesn't mean all at the same time. The Apostle Paul also talked about this in Philippians when he said that God will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Phil. 1:6).
It's very easy for us, especially in the fast-paced technology-driven culture we live in today, to want it all now. I still struggle with this quite a bit, particularly with my schoolwork. I still have 2 years to go before I finish my Bachelor's degree, but I am already starting to think about what I'm going to do after. Well I can't do anything after until I finish this first. There's nothing wrong with being prepared for the future, but not at the expense of the moment. The more we focus on things we can't control, the more the things in front of us will suffer. God doesn't want that for us.
He has great and mighty things for us (Jeremiah 33:3). His plans for us are to prosper us and give us a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11). If our prayer in the morning is, "Dear Lord, give me all I need now," maybe we should start over. I have to take time out throughout my day to pray and ask God to give me wisdom to get me through the moment (it's a good stress reliever), forget about the rest of the day, week, month, or years. During my busy season at work, stress levels are usually very high. It's very easy to want to pray and ask God to fast forward to the end of June when it will be all over. But that won't grow my faith. Only praying for God's guidance, wisdom, and strength every day (and regularly throughout that day) will accomplish that. Doing things one day at a time like this can be very difficult to accept, but well worth it.
Dear Father, thank You for providing for me every day. Thank You for planting eternity in my heart so that I will come to know You more every day. I know I get impatient that things don't happen fast enough for me, and for that I am sorry. Help me to remember that You are in control, and You are working everything out for my benefit and Your glory because You love me. I pray for those who are also struggling with impatience. My prayer is that they will take a moment to breathe deep and focus on You, and feel Your Holy Spirit guiding them every step of the way, and faithfully providing for them day by day. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When God provided the manna for the Israelites, He gave Moses specific instructions regarding it. But the people weren't interested in hearing instructions and rules. God wasn't, and still doesn't, give us rules and instructions just to be some hard schoolmaster. He does it for a good reason.
He does it, as is shown by the story of the bread from Heaven, to teach us to rely on Him daily. To trust in His provisions and guidance one day at a time.
A misconception among new believers, is that now that they have received Christ into their hearts, and are pursuing a relationship with God, everything should come easier for them. They should suddenly have all the answers and God should provide for all their needs right away. But it doesn't work that way.
Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. We are made to know God, and have a relationship with Him, but our minds are not capable of understanding everything. In this same verse, Solomon says that God has made everything beautiful for its own time. That doesn't mean all at the same time. The Apostle Paul also talked about this in Philippians when he said that God will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Phil. 1:6).
It's very easy for us, especially in the fast-paced technology-driven culture we live in today, to want it all now. I still struggle with this quite a bit, particularly with my schoolwork. I still have 2 years to go before I finish my Bachelor's degree, but I am already starting to think about what I'm going to do after. Well I can't do anything after until I finish this first. There's nothing wrong with being prepared for the future, but not at the expense of the moment. The more we focus on things we can't control, the more the things in front of us will suffer. God doesn't want that for us.
He has great and mighty things for us (Jeremiah 33:3). His plans for us are to prosper us and give us a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11). If our prayer in the morning is, "Dear Lord, give me all I need now," maybe we should start over. I have to take time out throughout my day to pray and ask God to give me wisdom to get me through the moment (it's a good stress reliever), forget about the rest of the day, week, month, or years. During my busy season at work, stress levels are usually very high. It's very easy to want to pray and ask God to fast forward to the end of June when it will be all over. But that won't grow my faith. Only praying for God's guidance, wisdom, and strength every day (and regularly throughout that day) will accomplish that. Doing things one day at a time like this can be very difficult to accept, but well worth it.
Dear Father, thank You for providing for me every day. Thank You for planting eternity in my heart so that I will come to know You more every day. I know I get impatient that things don't happen fast enough for me, and for that I am sorry. Help me to remember that You are in control, and You are working everything out for my benefit and Your glory because You love me. I pray for those who are also struggling with impatience. My prayer is that they will take a moment to breathe deep and focus on You, and feel Your Holy Spirit guiding them every step of the way, and faithfully providing for them day by day. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
More Than Enough
Proverbs 30:8 - First, help me to never tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
How easy is it to get caught up in the rat race? How often do we always look for the bigger, better deal? We get a raise or a bonus at work and we complain that it wasn't enough. Maybe we work in a bad situation because of the way our bosses treat us, but will only seek and accept a new job if it's paying more money.
Why do we always need more? God is always more than just enough. He will always provide far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). The wealth or possessions we accumulate here on earth, aren't coming with us when we die. Is it nice to have certain creature comforts? Of course it is. Did you have it 10 years ago? 5 years ago? How did we ever get along without them before?!
God will always take care of those that are faithful to Him. In Malachi 3, when they were robbing God of what was His by not giving their tithes and offerings, God didn't strike them down and punish them as He surely could have. He told them to test Him. Our tithes are a way of worshiping God by giving back to Him what was His to begin with. When we faithfully tithe, it is our way of telling God that we trust Him to continue to provide for us and bless us. God told them that if they would remain faithful in their tithing, He would bless them more than what they would ever know what to do with (Malachi 3:10).
What kind of God does that? What kind of God lets His people test Him and His faithfulness to them? The One who loves like no one could ever love. The One who provides far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. All you need is God's love. He is always more than enough.
Dear Father, thank You for showing me Your faithfulness every day. You have certainly provided far more abundantly beyond anything that I could ever ask for, and not just materially. You have given me the peace of mind and heart to make it through every trying situation that tries to tempt me away from You. I have been blessed beyond measure by Your love and faithfulness. I pray for those that haven't had that feeling. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts to You in faith and trust You to provide for them, as You have always promised to do. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How easy is it to get caught up in the rat race? How often do we always look for the bigger, better deal? We get a raise or a bonus at work and we complain that it wasn't enough. Maybe we work in a bad situation because of the way our bosses treat us, but will only seek and accept a new job if it's paying more money.
Why do we always need more? God is always more than just enough. He will always provide far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). The wealth or possessions we accumulate here on earth, aren't coming with us when we die. Is it nice to have certain creature comforts? Of course it is. Did you have it 10 years ago? 5 years ago? How did we ever get along without them before?!
God will always take care of those that are faithful to Him. In Malachi 3, when they were robbing God of what was His by not giving their tithes and offerings, God didn't strike them down and punish them as He surely could have. He told them to test Him. Our tithes are a way of worshiping God by giving back to Him what was His to begin with. When we faithfully tithe, it is our way of telling God that we trust Him to continue to provide for us and bless us. God told them that if they would remain faithful in their tithing, He would bless them more than what they would ever know what to do with (Malachi 3:10).
What kind of God does that? What kind of God lets His people test Him and His faithfulness to them? The One who loves like no one could ever love. The One who provides far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. All you need is God's love. He is always more than enough.
Dear Father, thank You for showing me Your faithfulness every day. You have certainly provided far more abundantly beyond anything that I could ever ask for, and not just materially. You have given me the peace of mind and heart to make it through every trying situation that tries to tempt me away from You. I have been blessed beyond measure by Your love and faithfulness. I pray for those that haven't had that feeling. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts to You in faith and trust You to provide for them, as You have always promised to do. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Hiding Places
Obadiah 1:3 - You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. 'Who can ever reach us way up here?' you ask boastfully.
God was angry at Edom because of their treatment of His people. They had been celebrating the misfortunes of Israel and Judah. They believed they were safe from everything, including God's anger and judgment, because they were nestled in the rock cliffs of a canyon. But no one can hide from God.
How common is it for us to have our own sort of hiding place? We have our man caves or getaway vacation spots that no one knows about, and we think we're safe when we're there. We believe that we can do whatever we want because no one will find out about it. As the slogan for Las Vegas commercials says, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Do we really believe that God isn't in Sin City?
God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He expects to be honest with Him. He knows when we sin, and all He really expects is for us to confess our sin, repent, and try not to continually do it. We can't hide our sin in some rock cliff buried in a canyon. But we can turn our sin over to our Rock who promises refuge and safety (Psalm 91:1-2) from those who would celebrate our shortcomings, and those who seek to exploit them as an example of the hypocrisy of Christians.
Am I trying in vain to hide my sins from God, or am I resting in the shadow of the Almighty, my Rock and Redeemer? Sometimes, I have to remind myself that nothing I do is too great for Him to forgive. I just have to remember to take it to Him.
Dear Father, thank You for removing the hiding places in my life, one by one. I know that I am a work in progress, but I know You are faithful to forgive and forget when I seek You in confession and repentance. I pray for those that are trying to hide from You. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will stir their hearts to see that hiding their sins from You is futile, and the only way to truly heal and feel better is through confession and repentance. May they turn to the true Rock and Refuge of Safety - You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God was angry at Edom because of their treatment of His people. They had been celebrating the misfortunes of Israel and Judah. They believed they were safe from everything, including God's anger and judgment, because they were nestled in the rock cliffs of a canyon. But no one can hide from God.
How common is it for us to have our own sort of hiding place? We have our man caves or getaway vacation spots that no one knows about, and we think we're safe when we're there. We believe that we can do whatever we want because no one will find out about it. As the slogan for Las Vegas commercials says, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Do we really believe that God isn't in Sin City?
God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He expects to be honest with Him. He knows when we sin, and all He really expects is for us to confess our sin, repent, and try not to continually do it. We can't hide our sin in some rock cliff buried in a canyon. But we can turn our sin over to our Rock who promises refuge and safety (Psalm 91:1-2) from those who would celebrate our shortcomings, and those who seek to exploit them as an example of the hypocrisy of Christians.
Am I trying in vain to hide my sins from God, or am I resting in the shadow of the Almighty, my Rock and Redeemer? Sometimes, I have to remind myself that nothing I do is too great for Him to forgive. I just have to remember to take it to Him.
Dear Father, thank You for removing the hiding places in my life, one by one. I know that I am a work in progress, but I know You are faithful to forgive and forget when I seek You in confession and repentance. I pray for those that are trying to hide from You. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will stir their hearts to see that hiding their sins from You is futile, and the only way to truly heal and feel better is through confession and repentance. May they turn to the true Rock and Refuge of Safety - You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Altruistic
Luke 6:35 - "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from Heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked."
What exactly is altruism? According to the dictionary, it is the practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (I looked it up to be accurate). Jesus' words here in Luke's Gospel give a pretty accurate example of altruism.
I'd say that God is very altruistic. After all, He gave His only Son as a free and willing sacrifice to redeem us, even though we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) and might not even love Him back and accept His free gift.
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins considers altruism to be nothing more than genetic selfishness. In other words, we do for others in order to keep our species alive. There is also reciprocal altruism where someone behaves altruistically with expectations of reciprocation. These, by definition, are not altruism, regardless of how they are labeled. Unfortunately, they are the prevailing thought among a large portion of society. We are, and have been for some time, a 'what have you done for me lately' culture.
We have to share, give, and love, without expecting anything in return if we want to be doing it right. This is something I have struggled with a lot throughout my life. When I start acting this way, I have felt the Holy Spirit convict me in my heart that I am not acting the way Christ would act. I am thankful and blessed by the conviction, because I want to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Although I know I won't have it while I am on earth, it is the prize I am striving for (Philippians 3:14).
I know I can be better. God has called me to love, give, and share, without expectations of reward or reciprocity. I trust that the more I keep my heart focused on His will, I will be better. He will give me what I need to carry out His will, and share His love.
Dear Abba Father, search my motives and remove anything that doesn't reflect Your will. I want to give and love without any expectation of reward, as You do and demonstrated for us by sacrificing Your Son for all of us. I know I can be more like Jesus with Your help, and I trust that You will give me the strength and courage to think and act differently than the world says I should. I pray for those that share this struggle with me. My prayer is that they will seek You in prayer and ask that You search their heart for misguided motives, and replace them with Your will for them - to love. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
What exactly is altruism? According to the dictionary, it is the practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (I looked it up to be accurate). Jesus' words here in Luke's Gospel give a pretty accurate example of altruism.
I'd say that God is very altruistic. After all, He gave His only Son as a free and willing sacrifice to redeem us, even though we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) and might not even love Him back and accept His free gift.
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins considers altruism to be nothing more than genetic selfishness. In other words, we do for others in order to keep our species alive. There is also reciprocal altruism where someone behaves altruistically with expectations of reciprocation. These, by definition, are not altruism, regardless of how they are labeled. Unfortunately, they are the prevailing thought among a large portion of society. We are, and have been for some time, a 'what have you done for me lately' culture.
We have to share, give, and love, without expecting anything in return if we want to be doing it right. This is something I have struggled with a lot throughout my life. When I start acting this way, I have felt the Holy Spirit convict me in my heart that I am not acting the way Christ would act. I am thankful and blessed by the conviction, because I want to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Although I know I won't have it while I am on earth, it is the prize I am striving for (Philippians 3:14).
I know I can be better. God has called me to love, give, and share, without expectations of reward or reciprocity. I trust that the more I keep my heart focused on His will, I will be better. He will give me what I need to carry out His will, and share His love.
Dear Abba Father, search my motives and remove anything that doesn't reflect Your will. I want to give and love without any expectation of reward, as You do and demonstrated for us by sacrificing Your Son for all of us. I know I can be more like Jesus with Your help, and I trust that You will give me the strength and courage to think and act differently than the world says I should. I pray for those that share this struggle with me. My prayer is that they will seek You in prayer and ask that You search their heart for misguided motives, and replace them with Your will for them - to love. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, June 2, 2014
Priorities
Romans 12:2 - Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
How often do we allow ourselves to get caught up in the (un) importance of status? With social media being such a dominating factor in almost everyone's life, it's very easy to find ourselves checking in to see what everyone is doing and saying, and more importantly, if they are paying attention to what we are doing and saying.
I don't normally pay much attention to how many Twitter and Instagram followers or Facebook friends I have, but I caught myself yesterday (actually a couple of times yesterday), looking to see. 90% of what I post is Scripture (the other 10% is sports), so I'm not really worried about saying something wrong or offensive (if Scripture offends you, there are other problems to worry about).
Yesterday, someone favorited one of my Tweets, and I found myself getting excited about it. As if their approval of what I said made it all the more better. Later, I caught myself checking to see how many Twitter followers I had. As if the number of followers made the things I say more important. I don't have that many followers on Twitter, and I don't really care. I use it to share God's word with whoever may be listening, and He is the only one that I should be concerned about. I'm not seeking to make a Twitter follower out of God, but I do want to be careful that I am not saying anything that fails to bring Him glory.
It can be frustrating for me when I catch myself focusing on the behavior and customs of this world, and not on God's glory. I know God doesn't expect me to be perfect, but it doesn't mean I can just blow things off that I do when I know they are wrong. I have to make sure that I am seeking status (entry) in heaven, and focusing on following His behavior and customs, so that He will be glorified in what I do. That is the only status that should ever matter.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for humbling me, and pointing out my shortcomings. I ask for Your forgiveness for my transgressions, and pray that You will strengthen my resolve to keep my heart focused on You and Your Kingdom so that I may bring You glory. I pray for those that don't have their priorities in order, and are focused on pleasing and getting approval from people of the world, instead of the One who created the world. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts around toward You and live for You and Your glory, instead of more followers here. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How often do we allow ourselves to get caught up in the (un) importance of status? With social media being such a dominating factor in almost everyone's life, it's very easy to find ourselves checking in to see what everyone is doing and saying, and more importantly, if they are paying attention to what we are doing and saying.
I don't normally pay much attention to how many Twitter and Instagram followers or Facebook friends I have, but I caught myself yesterday (actually a couple of times yesterday), looking to see. 90% of what I post is Scripture (the other 10% is sports), so I'm not really worried about saying something wrong or offensive (if Scripture offends you, there are other problems to worry about).
Yesterday, someone favorited one of my Tweets, and I found myself getting excited about it. As if their approval of what I said made it all the more better. Later, I caught myself checking to see how many Twitter followers I had. As if the number of followers made the things I say more important. I don't have that many followers on Twitter, and I don't really care. I use it to share God's word with whoever may be listening, and He is the only one that I should be concerned about. I'm not seeking to make a Twitter follower out of God, but I do want to be careful that I am not saying anything that fails to bring Him glory.
It can be frustrating for me when I catch myself focusing on the behavior and customs of this world, and not on God's glory. I know God doesn't expect me to be perfect, but it doesn't mean I can just blow things off that I do when I know they are wrong. I have to make sure that I am seeking status (entry) in heaven, and focusing on following His behavior and customs, so that He will be glorified in what I do. That is the only status that should ever matter.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for humbling me, and pointing out my shortcomings. I ask for Your forgiveness for my transgressions, and pray that You will strengthen my resolve to keep my heart focused on You and Your Kingdom so that I may bring You glory. I pray for those that don't have their priorities in order, and are focused on pleasing and getting approval from people of the world, instead of the One who created the world. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts around toward You and live for You and Your glory, instead of more followers here. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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