Category: finding peace

I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles.
Isaiah 42:6  NIV

God chose the Israelites to be his special nation. This wasn’t because they were better or brighter than other nations. No, God chose them because of his love for Abraham and so he could bless all nations of the earth through his chosen people. The covenant for the world comes through the blessing of God’s amazing love. Jesus is the light of the world and we are able to enjoy the grace of heaven because of this promise.

Father, I know you have blessed me with your salvation because of your great mercy, grace, and kindness. In turn, please empower me as I try to share your great blessings with others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

“Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
John 15:13

In honor of our fallen soldiers on this Memorial Day.
Our fallen soldiers and heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice. They’ve laid down their lives so that we may enjoy the freedom they fought to secure for us. Let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers, not just on Memorial Day, but everyday. We pray that they have found eternal rest and peace in the hands of God.

For those who have sacrificed their lives so that we may be free.
We remember you, we honor you, we love you and we humbly thank you for your service. A simple “thank you” is not enough for all that you’ve endured. We pray that you live on through the loving memories shared by your family and loved ones. We pray that the strife, battles and wounds of war be calmed for eternity in God’s loving grace. May you find rest at last and know that those left behind cherish your spirit, honor your commitment, send their love and will never forget your sacrifice.

For those who mourn the loss of a loved one.
We pray that you feel the peace of God’s love and comfort in your grief. You too have made the ultimate sacrifice. May you keep the memory of your loved one alive through sharing the story of their bravery with all who will listen. We pray that God may give you strength to cope with daily challenges in the absence of your loved ones.

For those who are waiting for a loved one to return home.
Let God’s nurturing love sustain you as you wait for the safe return of your loved one. We pray that God is their constant companion and shield of protection, providing strength during battle and refuge during troubled times. We hope and pray that God guides them home safely.

For those who have survived and come home to us.
We can’t imagine what you’ve been through. We will not forget the sacrifices you’ve made and we owe you our greatest gratitude and absolute respect for your courage and bravery. We pray that you feel tranquility and comfort in your return home. We pray that you may experience peace of mind, healing of body and faith in your protection and care.

For all who endeavor to nourish world peace.
We pray that all people learn to work together for peace, harmony and justice. May we all overcome hatred and learn to live in peace with good will toward all. We pray that all people hold dearly to belief in the sacredness of life and human rights.

Amen

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
– Acts 20:24 (NIV)

How important is grace? Paul said that God’s grace and telling others about that grace were more important than his own life! In fact, sharing God’s grace with others no matter the cost was Paul’s life!

Almighty God, Holy Father, thank you for your lavish grace demonstrated and fully expressed in sending Jesus to die for me. As your child, and in thanks to your sacrificial gift, I pledge to you my life, my love, and my all. Through Jesus. Amen.

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.
– Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)

While there are many things for which we can praise God, one of the most significant is his faithfulness to do what he has planned and promised. He is the master planner of every detail in creation. From the largest galaxies to the smallest of particles, everything is perfection. While many of us are big dreamers and planners, only God can accomplish the marvelous works that he alone can make!

Amazing and awesome God, thank you for planning a world so full of variety and beauty. Thank you for your amazing and wonderful works. Thank you for having a plan of salvation for us even before the creation of the world. Please help me be more diligent and disciplined in the plans I make to honor you and bring you glory. In Jesus’ name I praise you. Amen.

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
– 1 Corinthians 1:10

You have heard it said, “Can’t we just get along?” If people in our congregations are ever going to get along, the leaders of those churches must remind us of how important it is. Jesus’ dying prayer was that we would be one. Why? So the world would know that the Father had sent him. Unity is not important, it is essential; not just as a theory or theology, but as a daily practice among the people who claim Jesus as Lord.

Lord Jesus, you have presented all of my prayers to our Father and I thank you for this grace. I promise that I will do all I can to bring glory of our Father, to live at peace and to serve in unity with those who belong to you. Please bless our church family with more passion for the unity that you desire. In Jesus’ name and through the blessed Holy Spirit I pray. Amen.

Our deliverance from bondage was won at great cost. It is impossible to win for ourselves… it can only be gifted to us by God.  This freedom is a wonderful gift when it is handled with responsibility. Not being under law is such a sweet grace, but we want to pass that sweetness on to each other through service, kindness, and care.

God of Deliverance, thank you for rescuing Israel from Pharaoh’s grasp, David from the sword of Goliath, and Daniel from the lion’s den. But  thank you most of all for the triumph of Jesus over sin at Calvary and his victory over death at the empty tomb. I long to see you face to face and thank you for my freedom. Until that day, guide me as I use this gift of liberation to serve you children and live for you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away —all who have been called by the Lord our God.”  – Acts 2:36-39 NLT

A promised gift of the new movement of God prophesied in Scripture is the Holy Spirit. We often focus on the forgiveness of our sins, and clearly, this forgiveness is a great blessing of grace won by the sacrifice of Jesus. This blessing is for all who confess Jesus as Lord and Christ, trust his sacrifice to cleanse them from their sins, and are baptized into his name. But there is another gift that is just as precious: God’s holy presence placed within each of these cleansed, redeemed, and newly adopted children of God. This presence, this gift, is the promised Holy Spirit. We must never, ever, underestimate this gift that Jesus has poured out on us and placed within us (Titus 3:3-5).

Father God, I recognize the very many great gifts that you have poured into my life. Today, however, I am overwhelmed by your grace and mercy. You sent and sacrificed Jesus for my sin. You raised Jesus up and conquered the power of death. And now, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to cleanse me, indwell me, empower me, transform me, and ultimately bring me to you. Thank you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus was filled with the
joy of the Holy Spirit, …
Luke 10:21 NLT

All too frequently, we pursue the wrong things hoping that they will make us happy. Real joy, however, comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we look at the life of Jesus and at the lives of his early followers, we see that the presence of the Holy Spirit brought them joy. The Spirit’s presence can do the same for us. This joy from the Spirit comes from many things, including but not limited to these blessings:

• Insight and understanding into the scriptures and into life.
• The abiding presence of God within us.
• The connection that the Holy Spirit gives us with other believers.
• The assurance of our relationship with the Father as his children.

Joy comes to us because of the Spirit’s presence in our lives!

Father, thank you for providing me with your source of joy, the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, I thank you. Amen.

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”  Luke 4:18-19 NLT

Luke makes clear that Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb through the Holy Spirit, anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism, and empowered by the Holy Spirit into and through his wilderness temptations, and that he emerged from the temptations full of the Spirit. Today’s passage reminds us that the Spirit is powerfully upon him to focus his ministry. This quotation from Isaiah 61:1-2 is in the context of God’s servant, Jesus, bringing restoration and healing. If Jesus’ ministry was empowered by the Holy Spirit, how dare we try to minister without the Holy Spirit’s power? Release of the captives, freedom for the oppressed, and the time of God’s favor don’t come without the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the ministry of God’s servants!

Father, I know that you have given me gifts, talents, and abilities to use in ministry to bless others and to honor you. I recognize that even with these gifts, my ability to accomplish all that you have called me to do is impossible without the power and guidance of your Spirit. I ask for the Holy Spirit to help me recognize these gifts, to empower me so that I can use these gifts effectively, and to help me use these gifts in ways that honor you and reflect the character and compassion of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.