Tag Archives: prayer

Forgiven

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The poem in the picture above is a Haiku. The simplicity of this Japanese poetic form has been an unexpected gift in my meditation and prayer time. It helps me clear my scattered thoughts and focus on a specific word of God’s Word and applying it to my life.

For me this is a deliberate act of submission. It helps me take a broad and powerful truth from God’s Word and make it into a focused, crystal clear declaration.

When I rise from my quiet time to go on with the pleasures and pressures of the day my focus remains on what God has said to me in this sweet moment of clarity.

If you would like to use this in your own quiet time here is an outline:

A Haiku is a powerful little poem that helps clear your mind. It follows a strict 3-line structure: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables. We use this structure as a spiritual filter to capture God’s truth, not our own thoughts.

5 Steps To Creating Your Own Haiku

1. 📖 Find the Core Truth

Begin by reading and meditating on Scripture.

  • Goal: Pinpoint the single most impactful truth, command, or revelation the Holy Spirit is highlighting to you right now. This is your foundation.
  • It’s not about your feelings; it’s about His Word.

2. 🔍 Distill to One Image

Take that spiritual truth and find one concrete image that represents it.

  • Goal: Give the abstract concept a visual form (e.g., ‘Grace’ becomes ‘shelter,’ ‘Forgiveness’ becomes ‘clean flowing water’).
  • Focus on the image that best clarifies God’s action or character.

3. 📝 Submit to the Structure

Using the 5-7-5 syllable constraint, draft your three lines.

  • Goal: Let the structure force you to select only the most precise, potent words.
  • This is an act of submission—letting the form strip away your own unnecessary words.

4. 🔗 Bring Clarity to the Message

Ensure the lines connect but also create a moment of insight in the third line.

  • Goal: The last line should offer the spiritual conclusion, application, or humble response to the truth presented in the first two lines.
  • The final line should point the meaning back to His glory.

5. ✨ Pray and Act

Read the final haiku aloud slowly. Do not over-edit it.

  • Goal: Use the finished poem as a concise prayer.
  • Commit to letting this truth guide your action as you move from meditation into the world.

NINEVAH OR BUST

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Jonah  1:1-3  Where or what is your Ninevah?  Where or to what has God called you?  Are you deliberately saying no to God?  Is your allegiance or agenda focused on something or someone else?

Jonah was a true believer.  Until the point of being told to go to Ninevah he had followed God in his life, career, and actions.  But this was just too much.  Jonah was loyally attached to his country and was more than willing to do and say whatever God wanted as long as it related to his own thoughts.   God was saying, look, Jonah, Amos and Hosea are already doing a really good job of getting the job done in Jerusalem, I need you to go to Ninevah and get the job done there.  Of course the rest of the story is really well-known.  But…

What is our story?  What is God calling/telling us to do that we are saying, look God, am I the only one who can do this particular thing right now, find someone else?  Not to sound defeatist, but He does get what He wants.  Will we be one of those who misses the blessings of obedience because the call is more than we can handle?

Look at Proverbs 3:5-6.  When we take the time to honor God and His Word, He directs us in the way we should go.  He does not give us directions to do things He can’t handle, but He wants us to know Him and follow through on what He wants of us. 

Proverbs 35-6

Father in Heaven, Creator of all that was is and is to come, give me an all-consuming desire to know Your Word so well that in any life situation I know the path to take.  I lift this prayer in the precious name of Jesus – make it so.

Sunday Psalm 17

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Psalm 17

Hear my honest prayer LORD. See what is right.

You have tested my heart and found nothing evil.

My words are honorable. My way is Your way. I will have nothing to do with violence.

I know You hear and answer because of Your great love. Give me refuge from those who hate me. Guard me, hide me from my enemies.

Keep me in Your shadow, away from hateful, arrogant, wicked, lying people who want to harm and kill me. They are like a stalking, hungry lion.

Fight for me!

They are already receiving their worldly rewards.

I know I will see You in heaven. You are my great reward!

Sunday Psalms are the Psalms in my own words.  You can click on the Psalm number at the top to read it from the English Standard Version.

Who Do You Need To Be Walking Alongside?

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Yesterday, I went to give my sweet friend a Sunday hug. I do it every Sunday morning we are both there. It was different this time! Her son had passed away and she needed me, more than I needed the assurance of her loving touch. She shared something I will never forget. During the final hours of her child’s life, she sat with him, alone. Certainly not willing to give back the gift she had been given 51 years before, but definitely willing to love and support him as she had done throughout the years of his life. She knew she did not want to be alone and she also knew she wasn’t because God, whom she had known and served all of her life, was with her. During the waiting hours, God sent another of her sons and his wife to walk alongside. God knew her need and provided exactly what He knew was necessary to give her the strength she needed for that moment in time and in the days ahead.

Don’t you love this about God? He knows every single thing we need and He provides it when we need it. David talks about this in the 23rd Psalm.

He gives us everything we need because all of it is His. More than He gives but He wants to give. He sees the need before we know there is one.

Oh yes, God will and does provide however, He wants us to be listening for His voice in ways we can walk alongside others. Sometimes, when I’m thinking of something else He puts a name in my mind. The first time I send up a prayer. If it happens again I give them a call or text and let them know I prayed and ask if they need anything. He gives many opportunities. We need only listen to His still, small (sometimes shouting) voice.

Abba, Father, how thankful I am that You are always walking alongside us. Help me to know when I need to be doing the same for one of my sisters or brothers. Open my heart and cause me to hear Your voice. Give me the strength and courage to follow through. Let Jesus be seen in me!

Go To Church!

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What is your primary focus during worship? Are you thinking about God, or yourself, or all the other things that tumble around our minds?

Some of my most precious Sunday memories are meaty discussions in Sunday School, singing in the choir, playing the piano during worship, and having lunch with friends afterward.

The early Christians devoted themselves to the concepts and practices of these verses. That means they planned, scheduled, and looked forward to going to church and fellowshipping with other Believers afterward.  Friends not only had lunch with one another, but they also broke bread. The word used here for breaking bread can be translated as “Eucharist”. That word tells us they followed Jesus’ command in Luke 22:19. They took communion. They didn’t have restaurants and fast food like we do, they went to one another’s homes. I imagine this was like a carry-in dinner every day. How do I know it was every day. Because the scripture says, And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. 

They were joyful. Joyfulness is a deep-rooted, inspired happiness.  It comes from deep inner contentment and satisfaction. Only God and knowing God can produce real joy. When we receive the Holy Spirit all the fruit of God is produced in us. Ephesians 5:22-23 gives us the list. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  

They also had humble attitudes. It’s really important that we understand what humility and being humble really means. The Oxford English Dictionary says it is having a low estimate of one’s importance, worthiness, or merits. OK. Then Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary adds – not assertive, ranking low in a hierarchy, and insignificant. That is not at all what Luke was talking about. That’s definitely a worldly view of the humble person but, the Biblical view is quite different. In the Word, humbleness is about putting others first. Not just people but God, too. They absolutely loved to worship God.

Since many think worship only occurs one day a week and for many that means Sunday I want to ask how often you worship and if worship is a joyful time for you?

Ray and I used to travel to the Smokey Mountains every year during Spring Break. For many years we were often traveling on Easter Week. Since we choose not to drive the whole distance in one day we usually stop in Richmond, Kentucky on Saturday night and attend church on Sunday morning. Yes, worship is that important to us. We want to be with other Christians on Sunday. So for us, and for many of you, worship is as necessary as getting fresh milk and bread each week.

God’s plan also was to use the Sabbath to turn our hearts and minds toward Him. In other words, He wants us to set aside one day of the week as a special time of rest,worship, and reflection on His Word. After all, if we ignore God on that day when else are we likely to turn to Him? We get busy and preoccupied with daily living — and end up leaving God out of the picture. God’s plan is clear: “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Deuteronomy 5:12).

We are not to neglect fellowshipping with the Body of Christ. That’s the church, my friends. Does that mean you won’t go to heaven if you don’t go to church? No, but it does mean that we’ll miss the blessings of obedience to His Word and serving alongside other Believers.

Why are fewer people committed to going to church? I know you all know this, but we live in an ‘all-about-me’ society.  Personal preferences are outweighing obedience to God’s Word. Theology has become Me-ology. Many worship services are more like a Broadway Show than a sincere focus on God.  Comments like I don’t like the music… To many old hymns… Guitars and drums don’t make it… I don’t like the pastor’s preaching… It’s too long…  I’m not comfortable… It makes me wonder if a sanctuary of recliners would bring more people in?  No matter the issue – when things like this come between whether or not we’re going to church on Sunday we’ve definitely become “all about me” worshippers.

So what can we do about it? First of all, don’t just say it’s all about God – make it all about God.

Make worship a priority. Write it in your planner. No excuses. Commit to it!

Pray. Before attending, whether that is the night before or the morning of, pray that you will put God first. Ask Him to speak to you. Pray for others who will be attending. Just pray.  Upon entering the church, perhaps while walking through the church parking lot, pray for those who are worshipping with you, pray for the unbelievers who will be attending. Pray that all distractions are removed so it can be totally about God. Pray that God will give your pastor the words you need to hear and that your heart and mind will be open to hearing them.

Go to church Sunday! If you have never attended a church, find one. If you’re saying I can’t go to church or I’m not a Believer or I don’t even know if they’d want me. Oh, yes, we want you! Join us!