Money

S ~ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Malachi 3:10

O ~ "Put me to the test."  What an amazing invitation. So many preachers have spoken of this verse - as the only place in Scripture we are invited to test the Lord. 

A ~ I wonder why of all the things we could test the Lord in, He allows us to do this. Finances.  Of all the things God says we can't serve as well as God, finances. The root of all evil, or all kinds of evil - the love of money. Such power. I must not underestimate the power of finances. 

P ~ Lord, thank You for your provision - and your abundant blessing. Please keep my heart free from the grip of money.

Holiness Everywhere

S ~ On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: Holy to the lord. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. Zechariah 24:20

O ~ The high priest had a gold plate on his turban which read Holiness to the Lord. Now the horse has this. The sanctified utensils are now bought at Walmart. What an amazing change. Everything is now holy. 

A ~ What a glorious day that will be, when we live without the presence of sin. Sin isolated what is holy. Grace expanded what is holy. 

P ~ Lord, please extend Your holiness now - and may everything in my life be dedicated to You. 

Grace Outpoured

S ~ Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. Zechariah 12:10

O ~ In the context of the crucifixion, God will be pouring out a spirit of grace and prayer (supplication) on the family of David. Grace and prayer at the foot of the cross. Oh what a loving God He is.

A ~ Even in the midst of the consequences of sin, there is grace and connection with God. As God was pouring out judgement upon Jesus for my sin, He was pouring out grace and a spirit of prayer upon me. Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the children of God.

P ~ Father God, I stand amazed at Your powerful love - Your love that is so overwhelming that it undoes me. May I live in the outpouring of Your grace, and live in a spirit of prayer.

Don't Stir the Pot

S ~ As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels. Proverbs 30:33

O ~ Make no mistake: when you stir up anger, you will get a quarrel, not peace.

A ~ There are times when I am angry, and want to 'deal with' a situation. When I approach it with anger and don't care that the other person will be angry, no good thing happens. When I 'tune them in', rare is the time that things go well. Stirring up anger in others, or in myself, leads to quarrels (an angry argument or disagreement).

P ~ Lord, I don't want to be one who stirs up anger, but rather stirs up love, and provokes others to good works. Help me to be a man who brings change, and resolution, and action, and righteousness, but help me do it without stirring up anger.

Live Like A King

S ~ Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey — riding on a donkey’s colt. Zechariah 9:9

O ~ The King is righteous, victorious, and humble. Learn this.

A ~ As a child of the King, I want to walk in right standing with God (righteous), walk in victory (over sin and temptation) and walk in humility (what the Lord requires of me).

P ~ Lord, please help me to be like You.

Let Kids be Kids

S ~  “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. 5 And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play. Zechariah 8:4-5

O ~ What a great picture of the Lord restoring Jerusalem. His picture is one of peace and joy - that is what He wants for us. The streets will be filled with children at play - what a great picture. Kids being kids - outside in the streets playing. Neighbourhood safety and fun. Clearly, He is a good, good Father.

A ~ I need to remember what things will look like, and even do my best to re-create God's preferred picture now. Safety for the aged - safety for the children. No pressure on either. Let the elderly sit and share, and the kids run and play - all in safety.

P ~ Lord, let it be. Help me to lift pressure off of kids and seniors - to value them both, and release them to the season of life that they are in.

Depression Deepens

S ~ Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens.

Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Psalm 143:7-8

O ~ Depression deepens. Left unchecked, depression deepens. There is a low grade depression that can exist just under the surface - always there, always present. Yet at some point, when things go wrong or troubles arrive, depression creeps deeper. It is not all at once, but a constant inching forward. Deeper. Darker.  And so the psalmist cries out to God - that He would not turn away from him. And in the midst of that desperate cry, there is a plan - awake each morning. Make the decision to awake each morning - and look for the Lord's love, a strength for each day. Make the decision to trust the Lord. Make the decision to follow the Lord each day, that you might know where to walk. And make the decision each day to not take life into your own hands, but but your life in His hands - each morning - give yourself to Him.

A ~ SOAP every morning - including the prayer time. Not just a written prayer regarding the current day's reading, but a prayer that includes looking to the Lord for His love and guidance, and renewing my commitment to follow Him no matter how I feel, or how things turn out.

P ~ Lord, thank You for Your unfailing love, and that You do come quickly. Thank You that depression can try to deepen, but not only are You the lifter of my head, You are the lifter of my depression. It may seem like I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by You!

Content Inside

S ~ There are three things that make the earth tremble—no, four it cannot endure: a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,
a servant girl who supplants her mistress. Proverbs 30:21-23

O ~ In each one of these examples, their station in life is changed. From slave to king, from foolish to prospering, from single to married, and from servant to saboteur. Their station in life has changed, but they have not. There will still remain slavery on the inside, foolishness, bitterness and malice.

A ~ The grass may be greener, but you take who you are with you. Paul writes that somehow he had learned to be content, no matter what. His station in life did not determine his joy or contentment.

P ~ Lord, help me be content on the inside, so no matter what changes in life, I am complete in you - not living a life of striving to attain something, or be someone else.

Rejected Accusations

S ~ Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua.  And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” Zechariah 3:1-2

O ~ I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. He may be 'the accuser of the brethren', but that does not mean that his accusations have any power! It's all because Jesus has declared us righteous - in right standing with God - because of His blood which He brought into the Most Holy Place.

A ~ If the Lord  rejects Satan's accusations against me, who am I to accept them? I too need to walk in the truth of what Jesus has accomplished. No matter what the accuser brings, the judge has already ruled that those charges are not legitimate. I have been declared not guilty because the penalty has been paid. 

"Double Jeopardy is a procedural defence that prevents an accused person from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges following a valid acquittal or conviction."

P ~ God of all creation - thank You for making a way for us to be saved - to be declared innocent - and to spend eternity with you. Truly, I'm forever grateful.

The War Effort

S ~ And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. Revelation 12:17

O ~ There is a war that has been declared against the children of God - all those who keep His commands and follow Jesus. There is a war. Not just a battle, or an isolated attack - but a war.

A ~ Chuck Girad sang that "we are in the frontlines of an unknown war ~ unknown to those who are dying."  How different I would live if Canada was at war. Every effort would be made to help with the war effort. Priorities would be different. Things would be rationed so we could support the war effort. Use it up. Make it do. Make it last. Go Without  - in order to help with the war effort.

P ~ Lord, help me to be mindful of the war effort. Help Audrey and I to live on rations, so we can support the cause - seeing people come to Christ.   'They overcame him by the blood of the lamb, the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.'

S ~ Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!  But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’ Haggai 2:3-5

O ~ Even though it looked like nothing, compared to what was, they were to be strong and get to work, because even though so much rubble remained, the Lord's Spirit remained among them.

A ~ The Garden was quite the church. Such a powerful centre of worship under GRW, and such a lighthouse under ATM. It was also such a hard time for G&MW - and now here I am. I look at what was, and I look at what is - and I think it reflects on me and the lack of what I have accomplished. I love the people - they are wonderful. It's not their fault. 

P ~ Lord Jesus, please use me to help usher in a new season of Your glory filling our church. May I be strong, and get to work - for Your Spirit remains with me.

Seeking Guidance and Blessing

S ~ And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings.” Zephaniah 1:6

O ~ People can drift. They once worshipped, they once asked for guidance, and they once sought the blessings of the Lord - but they no longer do. A threefold degradation. First, we seek the Lord's blessing, then we ask for His guidance, then we worship Him.  We stop in the opposite order. We stop worshipping, we stop asking for guidance, and finally we even stop asking for His blessing. 

A ~ There is such sorrow in this verse, not only for those who will be destroyed - but for what could have been. The Lord is filled with sorrow at the loss. He wants us close in worship, He wants to lead us in paths of righteousness, and He wants His blessing to rest upon us. He wants to give us all these things - if only we would come near.

P ~ Father God, I declare today that I worship You, with everything that is within me. I need Your guidance, so please order my steps. I need Your blessing on my life, for without Your blessing, everything is futile and temporary. Teach me to walk closely with you, and as I worship You, lead me and bless me. I seek You, and your guidance and blessing. Amen.

A Difficult Verse

S ~ O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!  Psalm 137:8-9

O ~ The people of Jerusalem were sitting in captivity, refusing to sing happy 'spiritual' songs, much like the black spirituals of slavery. There was anger - and even hatred towards their captors. 

A ~ It is so hard to read verses like this.... IN THE BIBLE. God does not hate children, nor does He rejoice when babies are smashed against the rocks. It's hard when Moses and Company were instructed to wipe everyone out - women and children and pregnant women. There are casualties in war - innocents. But happy to smash children?  I've looked at this verse in various translations - and they all say the same thing. I am stuck. I don't agree. Was this just the psalmists frustration? But how can you pick and choose how to interpret the psalms.  One rule is to interpret the Bible with the Bible - to interpret this verse in the light of all scripture. In doing so, this verse doesn't fit with God. The only way through this is to see that the Psalmist is talking to the city, not the people. O Sodom, O Gomorrah, O Jerusalem, O Babylon.  The city's children, not the people's children.

P ~ Lord, please help me to always rightly understand Your word - and find a way through difficult passages. 

Faithful Love

S ~ His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136

O ~ Twenty six times, in twenty six verses this Psalm records that His faithful love endures forever. It starts at creation, and talks about how He delivered His people from slavery in Egypt, and then brought them into the promised land, and continues to provide for them - and that we are to give thanks. From the beginning (Genesis) to the end (entering His promised land) - His faithful love endures. Not only is He faithful, but His love is faithful.

A ~ It's good to rehearse the faithfulness of God, and to give thanks - and to rehearse the faithful love of God, and to give thanks.  The Lord surely has been loving me all these years - even in the midst of my failures and sorrows. The disappointments I have faced, and the disappointments I have been, His love endures - and I am thankful.

P ~ Lord, thank You for Your faithful love that never ends - that endures to all generations. May my kids know  - really know - of Your faithful love, and may they each walk in the knowledge of that.

For You, For Me.

 S ~ “Yes,” says the Lord, “I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you
from slavery in Egypt.” Micah 7:15

O ~ There was a remnant of Israel that God would do the miraculous for - coming out of captivity from the Assyrians. It wasn't that He would just do mighty miracles, but that He would do mighty miracles FOR THEM.

A ~ I'm contending for these kind of miracles. Notable miracles. Healing. Lives Transformed. Not just that He can do miracles, but that He will do miracles FOR ME.

P ~ Lord, please. Please do these mighty miracles FOR ME. Healing for my Dree, my Robyn, my Emily Dawn, My Dougie. Mighty miracles. You are able and Your are willing. Let it be.

The Unknown Sailors

S ~ The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Jonah 1:16

O ~ After Jonah was gone, the sailors turned to the Lord. We know nothing more of these men, other than they began to follow God. It will be amazing to see how their story ended.

A ~ Even in our most rebellious moments of running away from God, God can use us to see people saved. He is truly sovereign.

P ~ Lord, it's clear to me that You don't need me to be following You perfectly, for You to save people. I give You my comings and my goings, my successes and failures - and through them all, may people come to know You.

In an Instant

S ~ And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. Revelation 4:2

O ~ Jesus had said to John "Come up here", and instantly he was in the Spirit. Instantly. Instantly he was before the throne.

A ~ I remembering training Dougie "Dougie, come here".  It wasn't instant - but it was immediate, and the joy in my heart when I called my son and he came to me was overwhelming. I can still feel it. There will be a day when we are instantly with the Lord. In the twinkling of an eye - in a moment - we shall be changed. And we will be with the Lord. "Barry, come here".

P ~ Lord, there are so many hard things in life - but so many things that will be changed in an instant. You will make all things new, and all things right. Until that day, my heart longs for You to invite me in the Spirit - to show me the things that will shortly take place, and to prepare well  - my family, my church, my self, and my neighbours.  

Famine

S ~ The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread or water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.  Amos 8:11

O ~ The time is here. There are so many preachers, and so many interpretations of Scripture, and so much goofy theology. And yet, there is a famine hearing the Word of the Lord.

A ~ I believe we heard the word of the Lord, on November 17, 2019.  But how do you receive the Word? That's what we are attempting to discover. We need the Lord to speak, even how to respond  to His Word.

P ~ Lord, I know I am hard of hearing - dull of heart. I am distracted and hindered. Teach me to be like Samuel - to know Your voice, and obey Your word.

Little League

S ~ You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David. Amos 6:5

O ~ They thought more highly of themselves than they should have. They thought they were in the big leagues, but were really little leaguers.

A ~ I need discernment from the Lord to know what league I'm in, and what part I am to play. Clearly, I'm not Jerry Dirrman, Rick Warren, Pastor Jack. I'm not Craig Millar, Scott Gaglardi, Barry Buzza, Barry McGaffin, Daniel Brown. Clearly, I'm a little fish in a little pond. May I not live outside of that awareness.

P ~ Lord, I still want to offer you all that I am, and all that I have. I'll never be a great anything, or fancy myself to be, but it is enough to be Your son, serving You with gladness.

Plans Revealed

S ~ Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

O ~ There is a tremendous need for the role of the prophet - to help the people of God prepare for what is ahead.  The prophet is not a servant of the church - but a servant of God.

A ~ The need is two fold. First, to recognize the word of the Lord - what His plans are. Secondly, to present that in a way that it is best received. Timing. Tone. Truth. We need them all.

P  ~ Lord, You still have a voice. I believe You spoke to our church, that You are about to do a deep work in this place, and a deep work in this people. Please help me know what to do now.

As For My House...

S ~

How joyful are those who fear the Lord,

all who follow his ways!
You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
How joyful and prosperous you will be!
Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,

flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
as they sit around your table.
That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him.  

Psalm 128:1-4

O ~ In following the Lord, these things will follow me: I will be joyful and prosperous, Audrey will be fruitful and flourishing, Doug-Abby-Robyn-Emily Dawn will not only be strong and growing and anointed, they will sit around our table.

A ~ This blessing is not automatic, but it is available. The condition is in following the Lord. And so, as I continue to choose to follow the Lord - I receive every one of these promises. 

P ~ According to the promises of God I declare:

There will be an abundance of joy in my life - a fullness of joy - 'how joy full' am I;

I will enjoy the results of my work - because the work of my hands will give me great reason to be joyful;

Audrey will be fruitful in all she does - coming from the new wine of the Spirit in her life - and wherever things have been futile, they will now be fruitful;

Audrey will flourish within our home - there will be no sickness, and no weariness - no exhaustion and no sorrows - but a freshness, a strength, a grace, and a growth of peace in her and through her - she shall not be robbed;

Dougie, Abby, Robyn & Emily Dawn shall walk in the strength of the Lord - and they will never be a wild olive tree, but rather then planting of the Lord, and there will come an anointing from their lives, because as an olive branch, there is an anointing resident within them that they will bring forth in vitality, and there will never be any distance or contention in our family - but they will always sit closely around our table.

I receive this blessing as I choose to walk and live in the fear of the Lord and follow His ways.

Anon.

S ~ I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand.
But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him. Hosea 11:3

O ~ God still takes care of us, even when we don't know it. It's an amazing thing to see how gracious and loving God is. And it's amazing that He doesn't do it with fanfare - He just does it because He is Father.

A ~ This is the basis of the truth I have shared many times, without knowing it was a Scripture verse. I have said many times that people do not get through such terrible sorrow and heartache without the Lord - they just don't know or acknowledge that it is Him Who helps them. He is the source of ALL comfort and strength. 

P ~ Lord, may I help show people that it is You Who care - it is You Who help, it is You Who love. May we know it is You, 

Press On

S ~ Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.

Hosea 6:3

O ~ God expresses His desire for us to know Him, and to love Him. And here is the prophet's response - an encouragement to press on - to not give up - to press on and press in to know Him. The assurance is that as we do, He will surely respond to us. Even as there are things in nature that we can be confident to expect - no one doesn't expect the sun to come up, or the weather to change in the Spring - for it always has,  so it is as we press on to know the Lord - He will surely respond.

A ~ The exhortation is clear: pressing on requires intentionality. It requires effort. It requires pressing on, pressing in, pressing through. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violence take it by force. There is not passivity in this instruction - pressing on is not a result, but it does bring results - the Lord responds!

P ~ Lord, I do want to know You. I want to know You more, know You better, know You deeper. I want to posture my life to press through the outer courts, into the Holy Place, past the brazen altar, Lord I want to see Your face. Pass me by the crowds of people, and priests who sing Your praise - Lord I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness, but's it's only found in one place. Take me in to the holy of holies, take me in by the blood of the Lamb. Take me in to the holy of holies - take the coal, cleanse my lips - here I am.

I'm Surronded

S ~ Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. Psalm 125:2

O ~ The Lord is on every side - to protect His people. As He was then, He is now, and ever will be.

A ~ We've introduced a song within the last year - a song that I doubt will have any real longevity - but the words are great. "It may look like I'm surrounded, but I'm surrounded by You".  Indeed - this is how I fight my battles, by trusting in the truth that God surrounds His people - and God surrounds me. No matter what I face, God is on every side. It gives an additional perspective to "God is on my side"  - He is for me, AND He is on every side of me. I'm surrounded.

P ~ Lord, thank You for surrounding me. Thank You for surrounding my kids. Thank You for surrounding my family. Thank You for surrounding my church ~ both now and forever.

The Gateway of Hope

S ~ ...and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. Hosea 2:15

O ~ From a Valley to A Gateway. From Trouble to Hope. In the midst of the valley, God opens a door. Going into the valley, you would have no idea that there is any hope to be found. And then God.

A ~ There are many times I enter the Valley of Trouble, and such is the case for many around me. And yet, David declares "I will fear no evil, for You are with me". God is with us in the Valley of Trouble - and because He is, can make a gateway appear where there wasn't any. Much like Aslan opening a door in Narnia - a door that just appeared - God can make The Gateway of Hope appear, even in the darkest Valley of Trouble. In fact, so often I find that the way to hope is through the valley.

P ~ Lord, instead of being overwhelmed or fearful, please help me live a life of trust and confidence in You, and please lead me through each valley of trouble to Your Gateway of Hope.

Living In and Loving Out

S ~ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 1John 4:17

O ~ There is a progression as we live in God - our love grows. Love for God - but especially love for people. Even though the world is spinning towards judgement, we are still left in the world to show God's love to people, just like Jesus did...and does.

A ~ It's a threefold application. Am I living in God? Is my love for others being perfected? Am I living like Jesus in the world? Devotions don't cut it as 'living in God'. Maintaining how I love others doesn't cut it. Slight similarities to Jesus doesn't cut it.  All of this because the world is facing judgement.

P ~ Lord, please help me to live in You - to live so closely to You that it's hard to tell where You stop and I begin. May my love for others grow supernaturally. May I be so transformed that Your supernatural love shines through me, and I follow Your example so closely. May I be transformed by Thy Word and Thy power and behold the day of Thy power.

Righteous Living

S ~ This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.  So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 1 John 3:11-13

O ~ So don't be surprised if the world hates you. The more righteous we become in our daily lives, the more the world will hate us, because evil deeds hate righteous deeds.

A ~ Righteous, not Self-Righteous. This is the key to making a positive impact in the world. Jesus is our righteousness, and so if there is an increase in our righteousness, there should be an increase in the way we reflect Jesus. The more we become like Jesus, the more the world will hate us (see: crucifixion). However, the more we become like Jesus, the more we will be able to reach the people of the world.

P ~ Lord, please help me to live a life of righteousness, a life that reflects You and Your love. Christ in me, the hope of glory.  Lord I need You, O I need You, every hour I need You. My one defence, my righteousness, O Lord how I need You.

Precious Moments

S ~ “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” Daniel 10:19

O ~ Of all the messages to Daniel, of all the visions and interpretations and meanings, this is the most profound. Daniel - you are very precious to God.

A ~ This feels very much like the dealbreaker, very similar to Audrey and pastoring. As long as I have her, I know I can do anything. We can get through anything. If everyone else leaves, as long as I have her, we are gonna make it. Daniel - you are very precious to God. Ok then - bring it on. It doesn't matter what else happens, you are precious to God. All the bad and horrible things that we face in life, all the injustices, all the sorrows, all the sickness - this truth remains - we are very precious to God.  There will come a day when He makes all things new, and all things right. But until that long awaited day, we are very precious to Him. We are gonna make it.

P ~ Lord, thank You for considering me as precious. It is overwhelming. And so I respond to You...

Lord You are more precious than silver, Lord You are more costly than gold. Lord You are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares to You.

Craving The World

S ~ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.  1 John 2:17

O ~ This world, and the things of it, are indeed passing away. 'Anyone'  means the invitation is open to 'everyone' - but the individual must respond. Any 'one'. And what pleases God is to believe in Jesus.

A ~ I don't think 'crave' has ever had a positive connotation. The people craved meat in the wilderness. People give in to their cravings. Addictions bring cravings. Even in pregnancy, cravings are a powerful force. There is a difference between craving and desire. Cravings are given in to, while desires can be pursued. 

P ~ Lord, may my desire be to follow You, to please You, and to grow in my relationship with You. Please help me to 'put to death through starvation' worldly cravings, and instead may I delight myself in You, and allow You to fulfill the desires of my heart.