Judges 6-8, Psalms 75 (through the Bible)

Lord, thank Your for the blessings you’ve poured on us.  The place we’re living now is great, and now you’ve allowed me to get a new car. Lord, i pray that You will supernaturally bless that car so that it runs forever with minimal upkeep.  You know how bad I am with maintenance so I pray that You would help me to be better at it.  Lord, thank You for my family and just how wonderful they are.  Thank You for Meagan who tries so hard to be a good mom and wife and it shows.  Thank You that she worships and serves You.  Lord, i just pray now for our big decision about pursuing this job at Elevation.  I pray that You’ll give us a peace that passes understanding as You said You would.  I pray that You’ll shower us in wisdom from Your word, from our friends that we trust, and from our family.  I pray that You will give us contentment and excitement for whatever decision we make. Lord, You are in control, and I KNOW that whatever we decide that You have our best interests in mind.  That You love us too much to allow us to make a decision that would injure our family.  I pray for Meagan’s sadness, that You would swoop in and embrace her, and give her the courage to move forward with this decision. I pray that You would use her and others to tell me if we’re not supposed to go. But Lord most of all, thank You so incredibly much for this opportunity and for allowing my dreams to become a reality.  You weren’t kidding when you said that You would give us the desires of our heart.  Lord, I’ve prayed it many times, and You know how I feel about it, but a deep desire of my heart is to know You intimately through doing Your work on earth in great and mighty ways.  I don’t know what that looks like, and I think right now I’m too afraid to flesh it out, but Lord, I don’t want a “safe” life.  I know You are the one that keeps us safe, so I want to live my life in a way that pushes the limits of our faith, and has to depend on You. Lord, I love You so much and i pray that You will speak to me about this.

Tags: decisions, Elevation, family

Our Daily Bread

Lord, thank You for a great church service and message yesterday.  Lord, i LOVE when I feel emotionally connected to You.  It’s the most amazing feeling in the world, and makes me drop all of my other desires.  Lord, why is it so hard to emotionally connect with You?  I know that we’ll have eternity for that, but Lord, while i’m here on earth, i’m such a fickle being.  I’m always content to going back and playing with mud-pies after being shown the sea. I think just like every good vacation, they are not sustainable.  at least for me.  Lord, i want to have more moments of feeling You.  I somehow feel that that’s being immature, but it’s just true.  Lord, i pray that You will give me more of You.  When i feel You, I’m such a better person.  Lord, i pray that You will let me do something that makes me feel You more often. Thank You for CR, and what it meant to me, and how i connected with You.  Thank You for using it in my life to be close to You for so long.  Lord, i just want to say thank You so much for my job.  It is an amazingly fun and challenging job, and i love it.  But Lord, i miss You!  Lord, i also pray for my attitude and my relationships.  I’m struggling with being an ornery begrudging person, and I can’t seem to figure out this husband/dad/employee/idea-starter/social thing.  Lord, i know my balance is out of whack.  PLEASE help me to balance it.  Lord, help me to be a great husband and dad, and to model your love in my family’s life.  Lord, i pray that You’ll allow me to connect with You.  When that happens I’m such a better servant.  I love You.
Lamentations 3:25-26
New International Version (NIV)
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Tags: church, CR, family, Holy Spirit, job

Our Daily Bread, Proverbs 12

Dear God, thank You!  Thank You for the flattering and encouraging phone call from John at Elevation.  Thank You for this opportunity even if it doesn’t work out.  Lord, i pray that You will give us wisdom in this decision.  I want do what’s best for our family, whether i see it or not.  Lord, You know i want to do something for You that’s significant, and You also know how i’m burnt out on how us humans do ministry.  Lord, You know my heart, and You know that I don’t want to move my family away from the great situation we’re in, just to pursue something selfish for myself.  Lord, You know my heart.  Please help me to write the right questions in my email, and to be completely honest.  Please help them to be honest as well.  Please give Meagan peace with whatever decision You have for us!  Lord, You are completely in control, and i trust You!  Lord, i love You!  I pray that You’ll bless my lunch with Keith today, and help us to encourage eachother!

Tags: career, elevation church, family, job

Our Daily Bread

Dear Lord, thank You for the things in this world that make us think of You, including Steve Jobs’ passing.  Lord, I pray that You have shown Him mercy, and that His soul’s in heaven.  Thank You for the things You allowed him to create and bring into this world.  Lord, I am extremely thankful for my job, and the overtime i’m getting is just incredible, so thank You so much for Your generosity.  I pray You would give me wisdom about my next job, and that You would help me to be content where i am if this is where You want me.  Lord, that Elevation job seems so tempting and ideal, but what I have here is like perfect for my family.  Lord, i just want to say that I’m yielded to Your will, and want to whatever it is You want me to do.  While the Elevation job looks extremely tempting, i’m going to leave it alone, unless You orchestrate it differently.  Lord, i love You so much, and want to be Your servant.  Wow, sadly that was hard to type.  Where did my servanthood go?  Lord, i really do want to be Your servant whatever that means.  Please help me to be what You made me to be and that i would bring You glory.  I pray that You would give me strength to do and say the things the i’m often afraid to say, if it’s right saying it.  Lord, i Love You and thank You.  Lord, please make Mia well, as she just got a pretty nasty cough, and please protect our family from the sickness that she has.  I Love You!.

Just read “Our Daily Bread,” and it was pretty poignant, the verses being Matthew 5:14-16 and talking about being a light on a hill and letting our light shine before men.  Lord, that’s my prayer, that whatever i do that i would shine.  Lord, I admit that i am weak in this area, and want to be stronger.  i pray that You’ll make me stronger.

Tags: career, family, job, Steve Jobs

Our Daily Bread

Dear God thank You for all of the overtime You allowed me to get, and thank You so much that we were able to pay off our first bill!  Lord, i pray that You would just help me to stay focused and to keep working hard so my paychecks will keep being good.  I pray that You would help us to knock out our debt as quickly and efficiently as possible, and that You would also help us to be wise with our money after we do.  I pray that You would give Meagan and i wisdom when it comes to parenting.  I also pray that You would give us both patience for both the kids and for eachother.  Please forgive me for my impatience, and bad attitude that i’ve had, and please help me when i get in those moods… I don’t want to feel like having a family is prison… It’s just ridiculous sometimes.  I pray that You’d allow our family to have an extremely tight bond.  Lord, i pray that You would hold both of my children (your children) in the palm of Your hands, and that You would never let them go.  I pray that You’ll help us to model Your love so that they see You through us. I pray that Mia would accept You as her savior if she hasn’t.  Lord, i love You so much and thank You for the amazing family You’ve given me!

Tags: debt, family, work

Our Daily Bread, Proverbs 29

God, thank You for my conversation with Dave, and specifically for the reminder that waiting a bit before discussing something with Meagan that is frustrating is wisdom.  I pray that You’ll help me to be gracious with her, and not impatient and unkind.  Lord, i pray that You’ll make me a better husband in the small things.  I pray that You’d help me to remember to do these little things occasionally rather than just going about my own business.  Thank You that Meagan is so gracious to me.

Lord, i pray again for Keith. Like i said to Dave, mental illness is in my mind such a big barrier, but to You it’s nothing.  Lord, i pray that You would cast out any demons in Keith’s life, and that You would restore a right spirit within him.

Lord, i also want to pray for Kellie and for my relationship with her.  Lord, i know that You are making her into an incredible person.  i pray first of all for her, that You will bless her and keep her.  I also pray that You would gently teach her about humility, generosity, kindness, and all those soft intangibles that a young Godly woman should have.  I pray for Vic and Cindy that You would give them the wisdom to help guide her in the right direction.  I pray that You’ll be with her relationship with Jackson, and that if he’s the one that they would just fall deeply madly in love, but for all the right reasons.  Lord, i also want to pray for my end of the relationship.  I know that i can barely stand her, and i also know that a lot of it is because she reminds me of me. First of all, thank You for putting people in my life who could put up with me when i was that way. Lord, i just pray that You would give me a compassion for her, and not be so al judgmental and hateful.  I just want to love her unconditionally the way a family should, and not shun her.  Lord, i pray that You would also use the compassion that You give me to open up opportunities to talk to her about whatever You would like me to tell her.  Lord, this relationship really is a significant burden in my life and probably hers as well.  I pray that You would completely turn it around.  I trust  that You can do it and will do it.  I love You!

Tags: family, healing, husband, restoration