Today, I’m sharing with you a prayer by Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of the late Billy Graham. As I read the prayer, I thought of the Psalms that are filled with praise to the God of the universe—like Psalms 8, 19, and 139—but I also thought of Paul’s words to the Colossian believers to think about the things of Heaven and not the things of earth.1This is so important for all believers to remember because the truth is – it is very easy to “give more weight to the pressures and stresses around us than to God’s sovereign plan and awesome power… and lose our focus on God.”
When we lose our focus on God, it is very easy to live according to our old sinful nature rather than the new nature that showcases God in us to the world around us. After all, as Paul wrote, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.”2 This lifestyle requires a God-shaped focus.
A Prayer to Stay Focused
True, Living Lord,
I acknowledge that You are Lord. Lord of the universe, Lord of this planet, Lord of this nation, Lord of this city, Lord of this community, Lord of my life . . . ​ You are Lord of lords. I thank You and praise You, O Lord, for Your blessings and Your grace.
I humbly confess that I too often give more weight to the pressures and stresses around me than to Your sovereign plan and awesome power. I seek out worldly wisdom rather than turning to Your perfect wisdom. I boast in my own strength rather than leaning on Yours. I tend to lose my focus on You.
Lord, help me never forget that, in a world of confusion, You are the Way. In a world of political correctness, You are the Truth. In a world of death, You are eternal Life.
As I refocus on You and Your Word, give me wisdom to make decisions that are right. Give me courage to stand against that which is wrong. Give me patience to navigate my relationships with grace and truth, reflecting the light of Your love in a way that brings life to all I encounter.
Give me everything I need so others may see Jesus in me.
O God, I pray for these things not because I deserve them but because You have invited me to boldly ask for Your blessing in the name of Your Son, our Savior—Jesus.
“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.
Luke 12:29-30 NLT
I find the fact that God already knows our needs and every detail of our situations in life quite comforting and encouraging. However, I confess that I still often find myself struggling with worry. The latest/current example is a situation with my mom, who – (for reasons like physical health, dementia, loneliness, and because the house had outgrown her) – needed to move into an assisted living community.
Prayer for wisdom and direction as well as grace and peace in the wait was a daily habit.
Money and availability at the “right place” were an immediate factor but God gave me a glimmer of hope that it was financially doable so we paid the deposit to put her name on a waiting list. Weeks turned into months and months into nearly a year. In the early stages I would call occasionally to gage the ‘hope’ factor of a space opening up – which was kind of silly since the waiting list was long and we weren’t at the top and the unknown factors of how and when a room would open were near to impossible for the director to even know. Yet, maybe if I kept calling she would realize the urgency and somehow put mom ahead of the others. Yes, I know how that sounds but it’s where I was in the moment and I’d like to say it stopped there but it didn’t. No, my mind went so far as jealousy over those who were getting in ahead of her! I’m not proud of these thoughts but I share them because today’s Scripture reminded me just how much I looked like the man in the parable. Concern for my mom had turned into worry and excessive planning and even envious thoughts for something that was completely out of my control.
Early on in the process, probably before the deposit was made, I began to pray every day as I drove by the road to the assisted living facility that God would create an opening and that we would get the call. However, as I realized what the desperate desire and worry were doing to my mind I gave it over to the Father and began praying:
“Father, when the time is right for mother and if it is Your will for her to move – will You please open a door to the room You want her to have.”
This was more than a prayer it was a daily exercise of faith in the God who knew not just my mother’s needs but mine and it was the daily reminder (multiple times a day, as the facility is on my way to and from work and nearly anywhere else I would be going) that He was in complete and perfect control. There was so much comfort and worship that came from the prayer. There was growth and there was peace and grace; and without a shadow of a doubt I can say that He used every day, week, and month of those prayers to make what had become a tense relationship between mom and I one that was covered with grace and peace and even more and more moments of sweet memories and laughter. Perhaps, even more importantly (and the underlying reason of sharing this story) there was renewed strength and prayer and focus on the Kingdom work of praying for the lost and getting His message out daily.
As the months stretched closer to a year and mom’s forgetfulness, daytime needs, and loneliness became more of a factor – it was apparent that she needed help sooner than later so I began looking into in-home care. After research and an interview with a trusted caregiver recommended by a friend – I was preparing to call and confirm the details of days and times when my phone rang. I recognized the number, it was the number I called so many times to ask if there was a room open yet. I answered to hear the words: “MaryEllen, your mom’s room is ready!” –
Elation, shock, and nervousness tumbled together allowing the enemy to create some pretty rocky emotions, questions and doubts. Again, I found myself looking like the man from today’s parable. Was there really enough money and what could I do to make sure there was and … “STOP, peace be still!” God was quick to send me the message – “Child, you prayed faithfully for me to open this door if it was my will and when your mom’s room was available. Are you really going to shut the door in my face or question my will and preparation for your mother? Be still and know that I am Your God!”
From that point on the door was flung open and I was walking through it – timid yet bold – calm yet nervous, concerned BUT turning every ounce of worry back to Him with the new daily prayer that He would prepare mother’s heart and mind for the move from her home of more than thirty years, the last place she was with my father and brothers. This wasn’t going to be easy and there are no guarantees of her money lasting as long as her days – but this one thing I knew – God was in complete control and He opened the door – my job was simply to walk through it in faith and keep my eyes on Him.
When my eyes were on my mom’s situation – her health, her inability to walk, her forgetfulness, her loneliness, her obstinance, her money, … worry was high and tensions were great between us. Yet, when my eyes were on God and His power, His timing, His will, and goodness through all of my life … when grace and peace became my prayer tensions were lessened, faith was strengthened, and Kingdom work was pursued – ALL GLORY AND PRAISE TO GOD!
LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)
Be wise and plan well – but plan with God. Lay down the worry and let God direct your steps, your thoughts, and prayers. Remind yourself daily that God is in complete and perfect control. The Word of God is your armor and prayer is a powerful weapon – use them. Above all these things – “Pursue the Kingdom,”1 remembering that “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“
If we are taking care of God’s business as a priority—seeking His salvation, living in obedience to Him, and sharing the good news of the kingdom with others—then He will take care of our business as He promised—and if that’s the arrangement, where is worrying?
gotquestions.org / seek first the kingdom
PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY
God, You are holy and good and I adore You. Your ways are good and right and Your presence is encouraging. You turn worry into worship and fear into peace and concerns into prayer – and You continually amaze me! Keep us always in pursuit of Your glorious Kingdom and will. Guard us from worry and from the enemy who seeks to steal and kill and destroy. Help us to stand strong in You through prayer and time in Your Word – a light for our path and a lamp to guide our feet and the priorities of this life. We are utterly dependent on You because we know that You are in control of today and all of our tomorrows. Father, we seek Your love, and will, and presence that enable us to walk obediently… We seek Your priorities Father… the boldness to share the good news of the Gospel… and the salvation of others are the treasures we seek – guard our earthly concerns from turning to worries, help our hearts to lay down the concerns and faithfully follow after You and all the treasures of Heaven.2 – In Jesus’ Name – Amen
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21 NLT
“Material possessions are temporary.” The Psalmist wrote it well in verse ten of chapter forty-nine: “Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others.” Jesus also said it well to His audience, when He pointed out to them that earthly treasures will only decay or be stolen or destroyed. We all know it, yet, somehow we all – for the most part, at one time or another – struggle against the reality of the temporary and get caught up with acquiring “earthly treasures.”
Without a doubt Psalm forty-nine, with all of its talk about death and the grave and the loss of everything they’ve worked for or enjoyed can be depressing. However, when we read carefully, we will discover a “BUT GOD” verse. I love the “BUT GOD” verses and moments of life – and there is a powerfully encouraging one found in verse fifteen. Clearly, nothing we have, do or say can keep us from ‘death,’ not even wealth, fame, or wisdom – BUT GOD will rescue His people from the power of death! For this one thing we know is true – Christ Arose!
We may not mean for our hearts to be so caught up with treasures – but as a collector of a variety of things, I am well acquainted with the realities and dangers of treasures and the focus of the heart. I am constantly learning and seeking to practice the wisdom of setting my heart and mind on God, for I know Scripture teaches that doing so brings peace, joy, strength, wisdom, guidance and so much more to our lives on earth. I am also reminded by today’s passage that there is a heavenly treasure trove of rewards we receive when we live well for God, which should be our ultimate priority. While we know that there will be rewards in Heaven, we are not told exactly what these rewards will be. However, we can and should assume that any gift we receive from God will be far greater than any earthly treasure we might attain in this life.
Christ’s point is not that Christians cannot have wealth, or they should not own anything. Rather, He means that we can only have one ultimate priority (Matthew 6:24), which should be God.
Bibleref.com / Matthew 6:21
LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)
I believe the key to applying this truth is the focus of our heart and mind. When our focus and goal in life is anything other than God’s will and glory we’ve got it wrong and it will not end well, for as Jesus said: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Bibleref.com commentary on verse twenty of chapter six, asks and answers this question: How did Jesus mean for His followers to store up rewards for themselves in heaven?
“Christ has spoken a few times in the Sermon on the Mount of acts God will reward. These have included being persecuted for Jesus’ sake (Matthew 5:11–12); giving to the needy in secret (Matthew 6:4), praying in secret (Matthew 6:6) and fasting without calling attention to oneself (Matthew 6:18). In short, God rewards His people when they lead lives of sincere devotion and worship to Him.” Bibleref.com
To help us even further, Paul’s words to the Colossians, specifically in chapter three, seems to be the perfect application as to where our hearts and minds should be focused as well as what it looks like to lead lives of sincere devotion and worship to God. I encourage you to read through it several times and then mark it in your Bible and even print it to keep with you or put where you will see/read it often. Remember, we must be intentional in living the Christian life – it doesn’t just happen.
Living the New Life
3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY
Father, help us to seek first the things that matter to You – the treasures of Heaven and not of earth. Fill our minds and hearts with the things of Christ like love, joy, and peace and the message of His Gospel that brings salvation to all who believe. Help us to live well as representatives of our Lord, Jesus Christ – giving thanks to You always. We cannot do this well if we are living for self or earthly treasures so align our desires with Yours Father, help our ultimate priority to be to know You and make You known – and to please You in all we do and say. In this we will give You thanks – in Jesus’ name – amen.
THE MORE WE KNOW
<a href="http://”>How Can We Store Up Treasures in Heaven?
The God Who Restores, wk3d1; A Love God Greatly Study
Today’s Reading: Psalm 126
Today’s SOAP: Psalm 126:4-6
Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:4-6
I have gotten behind on a few things and will be posting a little differently this week, or at least for a few days this week (as time will tell). I trust you will understand and bear with me – I am borrowing devotional writings from the LGG Team provided in the journals and will be posting my SOAP/thoughts on the passage in the comment sections, as I hope you will do too. 😊
INTO THE TEXT – A LOVE GOD GREATLY DEVOTION
w3d1 of The God Who Restores, p90
The people of Israel had seen God’s restoration. They had seen Him restore Zion in such miraculous ways that they believed they were dreaming. They shouted for joy, praising God for the incredible things He accomplished for them. God had brought the people back from exile in Babylon and restored and rebuilt the temple and the city walls in Jerusalem.
This psalm was written after that restoration, when the people of Israel were again waiting for God’s deliverance. They were once again in desperate need of His healing and His intervention and this psalm reminded them of His faithfulness and gave them joy as they looked to what He would do in the future. Though they were still awaiting God’s restoration, they remembered His kindness, compassion, and faithfulness.
This week, we focus on the incredible joy we have in the Lord. After remembering the promise of His return and our great need for Him, we turn our focus to the joy that we already have in him and the fullness of joy we will have when He has restored us.
When we focus on the joy we have in the Lord, no matter our circumstance, we find hope. We do not ignore our suffering, but we focus on God’s faithfulness and what He promises to do. He promises to restore the world. He promises to return, defeat the enemy, and establish His kingdom on earth. God promises to dwell with us forever and to give us eternal life when we place our faith in Him.
[Since we know] God can keep these incredible promises to us, and [because we know] he can restore the world, surely He can restore our current circumstances. Not only is He powerful enough to intervene, but He cares deeply about the pain and sorrow we face today. He promises to restore all things. Though God’s ways and timing may look different than what we hope for, we can have joy as we anticipate His fulfilled promises and His coming restoration. May we shout for joy, even as we wait for Him.
Written by an LGG Team Member
Today’s Reflection:
How have you seen God restore your life or circumstances in the past?
What are you asking of Him or waiting for Him to do for you today?
How does His past faithfulness give you joy in your present season of waiting?
For I (Paul) consider that [the sufferings] of this present time are not worth comparing with [the glory] that is going to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18
from groans to glory
While in most Bibles verse 18 starts a new “section” of Romans chapter 8, Paul is actually continuing a train of thought that he had just mentioned in verses 16-17, where he wrote: The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. It’s important to understand this if you want to understand the “suffering” he refers to throughout the rest of the chapter.
Clearly the suffering is related, at least in part, to our belief in and relationship with Christ. Whatever the suffering is – every day pain on this sin-cursed earth or persecution as His follower, or both – clearly we will face suffering. However, Paul’s point of hope seems to be that our suffering will be far outweighed by the glories of God revealed to those who belong to God – enabling us to transition from groaning over our situations to rejoicing in the glory to come, our inheritance in Christ and the fulfillment of God’s promises of eternity.
A Change Of Focus
When we suffer, whether it is from petty hurts, great sorrows or persecution, an anguishing illnesses or catastrophic event – as God’s children we can suffer with hope. However, our hope is different than the hope that the world has. The hope of the world says things like, “keep your chin up things will get better” but our’s is the hope of the glory to come. Please don’t misunderstand me, this doesn’t change the realness of the “present suffering” but it definitely can and should change our focus. To borrow from another of Paul’s letters, we must “press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us, Phil 3:14.
Prayer Prompt
Father, how exciting it is to know that one day our present suffering will be over! One day we will stand before You taking in Your glory and majesty. Every pain and sorrow will be gone! Thank you for this hope and may it be our focus over today’s suffering. In Jesus’ name I pray –
Paul didn’t just tell believers not to be anxious about anything – he taught them ‘how to’ not be anxious about anything. He knew, most likely from experience, that anxiousness would be a part of their life. Remember in that day, to do what they were called to do as disciples of Christ often led them to imprisonment or worse. However, it wasn’t just the big stuff that he focused on – he told them, “Do not be anxious about anything“. What I love about Paul is that often when he told the people ‘what not to do’ he followed it up with ‘what to do’. Instead of stopping with “don’t be anxious” he continued, “but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Paul gave them a remedy for their anxiousness. His remedy was to pray. However, he broke it down using three essential elements and one specific focus. The essential elements were prayers, petitions, and the giving of thanks. The focal point was to be God.
“Do not be anxious about ANYTHING but in EVERY SITUATION by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6
To better understand and implement the remedy let’s look at the elements first. Prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. Some, including myself at one point, would say aren’t prayers and petitions, and even thanksgiving all the same thing? While, for many years I would have said yes I have come to understand the answer is truly no, they aren’t. I have learned that prayer can be very broad, such as ‘Father, help so and so’, or ‘I need such and such’, and of course the eventual and often obligatory ‘thank you for everything’ – or it can be personal (real) and relational (involving more than self) and heartfelt (attentive and faith driven). I believe the latter of the two choices is the remedy Paul spoke of. Why? Because it is when we pray relational prayers our postures change from a focus of ‘me’ to a focus of God. We’re no longer simply praying words but we are, as Paul instructs, presenting our requests to someone, and that someone is God. Once our prayers move to relational, in my experience, they also convert to heartfelt. When this happens our focus shifts from self to God, from concerns to God, from worries to God, from fears and jealousies and a myriad of other things to God. This in itself begins to calm my anxieties, but it’s the giving of thanks that really changes things. You see, when we are thanking God we are reminded of His faithfulness, not only in the present but often we will recall what He’s done in the past which tends to bring our focus full-throttle on God and results in a calming hope of what He can and will do in the future. Lest we question the validity of Paul’s teaching let’s consider and rest in what God said through the prophet Isaiah centuries before –
God will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all those whose thoughts are fixed on Him
Isaiah 26:3
So, does this mean if we pray we will never be anxious? The answer I have found is no. However, I can promise you when our anxious thoughts are truly given to God we will not stay in a state of anxiety. Instead, as Paul goes on to say, “you will experience a peace that passes all understanding and guards your hearts and minds as you live in Christ.” May we faithfully live in Him in 2022, may we become women who are devoted to prayer – with an attitude of thanksgiving being able to boast of His peace rather than wallow in our anxious thoughts.
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for Him He endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Father, You are good. I see Your goodness often in Your perfect timing, and this morning’s devotional passage seems to be perfectly timed. On this day, when the world calls us to fix our eyes on presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and the outcome of an election – Your Word reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Yes, we will vote today – many have already voted – but in Your goodness help Your children to not be fixated on these two men, or on the news cycle surrounding them, or the outcome. Instead, let us focus on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith – and on You – our Sovereign God who is in perfect control and who is working all things together for the good of those who love You and have been called according to Your purpose.
There are, as in every election, vastly different opinions on who should be the President. However, there is only one good and trustworthy, sovereign God who not only knows the outcome – but is in complete control of it.
Mary Ellen Black
Father, in Your goodness I plead Your protection on this day – May Your people honor You with their votes and their attitudes. May the words of our mouths and the actions of our lives bring you glory and honor and not shame. may they be an encouragement and example to those who watch and listen. May our eyes stay on Jesus so that we don’t grow weary and give our hearts and mouths over to fear and complaining or slander. Father, I plead Your protection not only over our behavior and words but from the actions and out-cry of the nation following the outcome. We live in a nation that has become more and more violent – a violence that no longer seems to respond even to the ‘laws of the land’. We need Your help to unify and to protect us from anarchy! Father, we cry out for the salvation of the lost – for wicked hearts to be made righteous – for even as I pray, Your Spirit reminds me the problem isn’t as simple as Democrat vs Republican, but rather the condition of the heart and the positioning of our eyes. May the eyes of Your children be on You, no matter what the outcome of this election is, for only then will we know Your perfect peace and shine as bright lights amid, as Paul wrote*, a crooked and perverse society.
By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him[a] for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ[b] to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on[c] the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible. Hebrews 11:23-27
Father, you are Good, Amid the distractions of the morning, the frustrations and hurts and concerns of this morning and the past week – in the middle of it all I am reminded that You are God and You are good. You are TRUSTWORTHY for You are FAITHFUL and TRUE! Help me, like Moses, to keep my eyes focused on You, looking forward to Your promise of life everlasting through the Messiah, Jesus Christ! Help my vision not be blurred by the pleasures and privileges of this life or blinded by the sufferings. Instead, help me to look to You above and before everything and everyone – and in this, may You find pleasure and be glorified!
Some trust in chariots some in horses but I will trust in the name of the name of the Lord, my God. Psalm 20:7
Me From the Inside Out 