Your Mind and His Peace

SCRIPTURE
Philippians 4:6-9

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.


PRAYER

O Lord, peace of heart is one of your great inventions, one of your most wonderful gifts. Were it not for your peace, we would be left to the agitation of mind and fear of heart that comes from not knowing the future. What an ache of anxiety _______ feels at times, Lord. He sees through the fog of his mind futures that will never be, and feels in his heart today the pain of tomorrow that will never come. And deep down he knows the waste of emotion. Lord, I ask that you would take ______’s thoughts captive, and fix his mind on those things that will lift him out of the dungeon of fear and into the light of hope. Train his mind Lord, to dwell on the beauty of this life you have given. Saturate him with your focus. And somewhere in this renewed perspective I ask that you would bring a peace that is so calming that he wonders at it. Deep within I pray that he would feel the calm of a mountain lake on a still morning. And when he looks fixedly on this calm, may he see the towering mountains of your love reflected there. May ______ know today, in a fresh way, the power of a renewed mind to bring your peace. And when he looks at tomorrow, may he see the beauty of the good gifts you are yet to give.


ENCOURAGEMENT

Think hard on everything that God is. Allow those dark elements of this world to be a blurred backdrop, only adding to the beauty of God’s gifts. Fix your thoughts on that beauty, and not only will you have the peace of God, but the presence of the God of peace as well.

Pray Big

SCRIPTURE

James 5:16b-18 (NASB)

 

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

 

 

PRAYER

[Pray this for yourself]

 

Lord, help me to pray big. I confess that my small faith would have me make excuses for unanswered prayer before I even pray. The inertia of my heart believes that because I am not extraordinary, I must pray small. Lord, remind me of the importance of faith. Remind me of the Elijahs… ordinary people who accomplished the extraordinary through earnest prayer. Refresh my awareness of the critical importance of personal righteousness to the equation of effective prayer. And Lord, move me to pray great feats of prayer. Release me to ask for the absurd. Free my heart to reach for the sky, and believe that you are big enough and gracious enough to answer me. Make me aware of what I might miss because of cowardly prayers. Make me an ordinary person like Elijah Lord, who dares to ask for the extraordinary, and believes that you will answer. And change the course of my life because of it. Amen.

 

 

ENCOURAGEMENT

Cleanse your hands, roll up the sleeves of your faith, and ask big. He longs to respond to your bold faith. He already knows the deep desires of your heart ______. And he is waiting to respond to your pleas. Be extraordinarily normal… like Elijah.

 

Be Blessed

SCRIPTURE

Genesis 37:23-24, 28; 39:2-5 (NASB)

 

So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him; and they took him and threw him into the pit…

 

Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt…

 

The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.

 

 

PRAYER

 

Lord, I ask that your presence and its accompanying blessing would be with ______ in the same way it was with Joseph. Joseph found himself far from home, adjusting to a new place, new people, and a new life. And it all came about because of the impact of the sin of others. But you honored Joseph's loyalty and obedience to you, and added something special to everything he did. I ask you Lord, to bless ______ in all he does, all he touches. Lift his heart so that he sees the good in all that comes his way, so that he sees your hand of blessing in it all. As the events of life seem to slide across the table and drop into his lap, I pray that you would give him the grace to see each event as it comes, to field it, and to respond to it with honor and dignity. And may those events actually be transformed into magnificent blessings, just as they were in Joseph's life. Lord, when life gets harder, and when he feels as though he is forgotten and abandoned in a jail in Egypt, I ask that even there your hand of blessing would rest upon him and cause his heart and all he touches to flourish. Cause him to find favor in the sight of those around him. Bless ______Lord, bless him indeed. Amen

 

 

ENCOURAGEMENT

Alone is never truly alone. He is with you, and his blessing is all round you. Watch it come, and receive it as from him. He loves you ______, he loves you indeed.

 

A Generous Wisdom

SCRIPTURE

James 1:2-5

 

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not resent your asking.

 

PRAYER

Lord, it is when troubles persist that ______ is in special need of wisdom. Knowing your truth is easier than the wisdom of applying your truth to the complexities of life. I pray that you would create in ______ a sense of need and longing for your wisdom. There will be times when new horizons present to him, when big decisions loom over him, when perception and insight beyond his ability are required. As those times come, Lord, I pray that you would swell in his heart an instinct to ask you to unleash your generous supply of wisdom. I pray that your wisdom would make his decisions insightful, his timing perfect, and his intuition divine. But most of all Lord, I pray that his faith in your present wisdom would put his heart at peace. No matter how alone he may be Lord, make ______ know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are present to guide him with the warmth of your wisdom. And may that warmth melt his fear away, and give birth to joy. Do that for him this week Lord. Amen.

 

 

ENCOURAGEMENT

It is when you feel most alone, and most overwhelmed that God's generous supply of wisdom will be most appreciated. He will pull through for you this week as you ask. He is never far, and always listening for your plea.       

Love Your Neighbor

SCRIPTURE

Luke 10:30-37

 

Jesus replied with a story: "A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked.

The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy."

Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."

 

 

PRAYER

 

Lord, there are times when ______ is in need of a true neighbor. There are seasons when his spirit feels beaten, stripped, and abandoned. He finds himself wounded, confused, and unable to help himself. He is simply in need. Thank you so much Lord, for those Samaritans who have looked closely enough to see the desperateness. Lord, thank you that there are some who have listened long enough to understand the wounds and feel a depth of compassion for  ______. And thank you that their compassion was active enough to sooth and bandage the wounds, even at the sacrifice of time and energy. Lord, thank you that ______ was not required to meet a certain religious qualification for help, but that help just flowed from the love of a neighbor. We are grateful to you Lord for these honorable saints who are fulfilling the great commandment to love their neighbor. May they feel your pleasure for the wounds they have bandaged. And may ______ pass that same active compassion to others who hurt… even to those who may have passed him by in his need. Even those Lord. Amen.

 

 

ENCOURAGEMENT

 

It only takes one Samaritan to effect a great healing in your soul. Receive that gift, and go and do the same. Learn from those who passed you by, and love them like they should have loved you.

Thy Word

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.


PRAYER

Lord, when the complications of life begin to swirl around ______, and the fog of his own heart drifts in, and bitter wind of other people’s opinions whips up, he feels confused. He begins to doubt. He gropes through the darkness, and wonders where the path is, and what obstacles might be in his future. He knows you know, Lord. But he needs to know, from you. It is in those moments that I pray he turns to you and your word, Lord. I ask that he would linger long in your word, and not just the surface truth. I pray that he would ponder, dig, meditate, and explore your word for himself. Never allow him to settle for the status quo just because it is the standard line. Press him Lord, to study your word and make it his own. Sift his decisions, perspectives and actions through the truth of your word, and light his path Lord. I pray that illumination would be the order of the day, and that you would light the path before him , today next week, and in the months and years to come. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

His word has everything you need ______. Feast on in and follow the path it lights. And remember, it’s God’s word, so you need not be concerned about what everyone else thinks, just what he thinks. Walk the path he lights before you, in obedience and faith.

Forgiveness and Obedience

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 130:3-4

3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,

who, O Lord, could ever survive?

4 But you offer forgiveness,

that we might learn to fear you.

Matthew 5:4 (NASB)

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

PRAYER

Lord, there is something in knowing what we deserve, and the forgiveness that you have lavished that draws us to respect you more. I pray that ______ would feel your forgiveness wash over him Lord. I ask that the full understanding of his failures would not pull him down, but would rather enrich his understanding of your forgiveness. Overwhelm him with the relief of that forgiveness. And Lord, as he comes to know the richness of your grace, grow his passion for obedience. I pray that he would have a deep respect for you, and the obedience that you require. I ask that this wash of forgiveness would lead him to learn reverent obedience. Change his perspective, shape his passions, and soften his will because of a deeper awareness of your grace and your love. I pray that the grace you give will lead him to repentance where needed. And Lord, replace the mourning for his sin with the comfort of your forgiveness. Amen.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Your forgiveness comes at great cost to our Lord Jesus. His love for you moved him to be your substitute. Feel the depth of his love for you, and give that love back in your obedience. He wants all of you ______.

The Great Giver

SCRIPTURE

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

"You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Matthew 7:7-11

PRAYER

Lord, you are indeed the great giver of gifts. You are the one to whom we plead. And you answer us by giving good gifts. I pray today that you would build ______'s faith. I ask that you would move his heart to ask, seek and knock. Lord, I pray that he would be so intent on receiving the gifts you have, that he would not stop asking and seeking. I pray that the door that seems so tightly shut would open tomorrow because of his persistent knocking today. Revive his passion to plead Lord. Awaken his faith to believe that you are indeed a gracious heavenly Father, and that you love to give good gifts to your children. Do not allow him to settle for what he sees today. Give him an assurance of things hoped for Lord. I pray that you would reach far into ______'s heart and pull out the deepest longings, the longings so desperate that they hurt. I ask that you would light a fire of passion in his soul to ask until you answer, to seek until he finds, and to keep on knocking until you answer. And as he feels his weight on his knees, swell the hope in his heart. Amen.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Our Lord is sitting on the edge of heaven, waiting to lavish his blessed gifts. Ask, my friend, ask. And don't stop until he opens the door.

Friends

SCRIPTURE
Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
(NASB)


PRAYER
Lord, it is during times of adversity that a friend is proven to be a true friend. Thank you for blessing ______ with people who care for him, even in the hard times. Thank you for those who are sensitive, and reach out with active love. Especially thanks for those who know his failures, and reach out still; for those who look past his mistakes to see his true heart. And Lord, I ask that you would bless those who show themselves to be friends indeed. And as you pour forth your supporting love and comfort through them, I ask that a generous measure of that love and support would stick with them as well. Lord, bless them for blessing _______ I pray. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT
Appreciate your friends, and be a friend indeed. And remember that when the going gets tough, true friendship shines.



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His Provision

SCRIPTURE
Philippians 4:12-13

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.


PRAYER

Lord, at different times, life has brought _____ both abundance and want. He has known fullness and need… and not just with regard to material things. He has felt the richness of love and the heartache of loss. He has known the fullness of friendship and the vacuum of loneliness. He has enjoyed the sunshine of gracious saints, and the darkness of the Pharisees’ condemnation. He has felt the heights of joy and the depths of despair. Yes, his heart has known both a song and silence. And yet, through it all, you have been present; your strength has been available, and your glorious riches have met every need. And that Lord, I ask you to do again today. Pour over ______ a wash of contentment this moment. Give him the strength to face his present day with confidence, a confidence that comes from having you at him side. Whisper in his ear Lord, “We can do this together, we can do this, stay with me, don’t give up, keep walking with me.” And then Lord, I ask that you would do something special for him… lavish a gift today that reminds him that you are meeting his every need, body, mind and soul. Surprise him with your grace and melt the remnants of doubt away Lord. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

My dear ______, relax in his provision. Rest in his strength. Find the joy in your present day and be content therein. Your gratitude will attract his blessings.

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His Presence

SCRIPTURE
Psalm 139:7-12

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.


PRAYER
[Pray this for yourself]

I am never alone, Lord. I am never alone. Even if I to try to escape, I cannot. Even when I am by myself, I am not alone. This heavy feeling of aloneness is not reality, but is an illusion. I have your presence. Your Spirit resides with me. You are everywhere I could go, and walk with me through every part of my journey. And although at times I think I would rather have someone with skin, indeed I am beginning to see that people with skin come and go, but you are constant. People fail, but you are consistent. People will wander off, but you are a steady companion. People ignore, while you number the hairs of my head. People sometimes do not listen, or understand, or empathize, but you lavish your undivided attention, and your understanding of my deep heart. You enter my pain and sit with me there. You get me. And as I purposefully sit with you, alone, and engage your reality in the room, I begin to feel your wise guidance and strong support come to me. I begin to see that the spiritual truth of your presence is more real that a person with skin could ever be. And I begin to rest in that reality. I still miss the closeness of the touch of a kindred spirit, I still long for that soul connection, but the longing is different now. It is an added grace to supplement the main course of a deeply intimate soul-connection with you. The more I learn to savor your presence, the more deeply will I be able to one day relish the gift of a person with skin who is fully engaged in listening, learning, and loving me. Thank you Lord, for your presence, and the guidance and support you bring. I need you. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT
Seek and savor the reality of his presence. Feel the depth of his lovingkindness. Value his guidance. Rest yourself on his support. And maybe one day, you will have someone with skin too. Never give up.

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A Lift

SCRIPTURE
Psalm 145:14

The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.


PRAYER

Lord we all fail you at times, and need your help. Please help ______ today. It seems his mistakes follow him, the consequences of his past screaming out in the most important parts of his life, creating more pain than it seems he can bear. He knows that he is forgiven, but the residue of his shortcoming is always with him. The raw pain seems to be getting more intense, and he is beginning to bend beneath the load. Lift him, Lord. Make him know the strength of our hand bearing the load so that he is no longer bent beneath it. Lift his spirit, heart and soul. Give him relief from the pain that follows him. Encourage him to know that your help is near, and your support is certain. Ease the weight now, Lord. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

He is near. He will help with the weight of your burden. He sees your bent and burdened soul, and is here to lift you. Take his help… it is the only certain help there is.

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Renewal

SCRIPTURE
Psalm 94:17-19

17 Unless the Lord had helped me,
I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.
18 I cried out, “I am slipping!”
but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
19 When doubts filled my mind,
your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.


PRAYER
[Pray this prayer for yourself]

Lord, help me please. There are times when the hurt is so deep, and the confusion so profound that all I can do is cry, “Help!” I don’t know what I need and I don’t know what to ask you to do. All know is that I ache, and if feels as though my soul is settling down in to the silence of the grave. I am slipping, Lord. And even now, at this moment I feel your love; a strong and unfailing love; a supportive love. Stability replaces slipping, and I feel safer. The doubts about your hand in my life, your ability to work good from bad, and your attentive love begin to dissolve as you simply flow comfort into my heart. It’s a funny thing Lord, how the ache and the comfort can reside together there. But as the comfort comes, hope begins to grow again, and even a measure of joy. Thank you Lord. Thank you that somehow between the beginning of this prayer and the end you have given me a measure of renewal in my soul. I asked for help, and you gave it. Thank you Lord, thank you. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

Cry out to him. Cry out when you don’t know what to cry. He has unfailing love, comfort, hope and cheer. And he delights in renewing us. Just keep crying out. It will come.

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His Understanding and Power

SCRIPTURE
Psalm 147: 5-6a

How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension!
The Lord supports the humble…

Matthew 19:26
…Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

PRAYER

Lord, when life does not make sense, and what we long for seems impossible, it is good to remember your incomprehensible understanding and absolute power. Lord, you understand everything about ______’s life and heart. You know. You have it figured out. You understand why. You know when. You could explain the details of how. And you see the what, before it ever comes to be. If ______ could only see what you see, he would rest. But then, that is the whole idea of building his faith Lord, so that he is convinced of those things he does not see, and is assured of that for which he hopes. Give him faith, Lord. And as he feels that his dreams are simply impossible, I ask that you would show him your power. Remind him , by something special today, that you are indeed God, and your power is absolute. You can do anything. Anything. I pray that you would convince him that you can even do that one thing that he thinks is impossible. Convince his heart Lord. And as he humbles himself in dependence upon your understanding and power, I ask that he would feel your hand encourage his spirit with your support. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

God can do it. No barrier is too high for him; no situation too complicated; no dream beyond hope. Believe. Hope. And never give up.
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Rest

SCRIPTURE
Psalm 131:1-3

O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child {rests} against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forever.


PRAYER

Lord, daunting tasks loom on the horizon of ______’s future, tasks that he doesn’t want, doesn’t feel comfortable with, and is not very good at, but tasks he must do, nonetheless. I ask for your peace. I ask that you would take away that low-grade ache that hangs in the back of his heart. Free him from the anxiety these future tasks would bring. Give him the singular focus of resting in you today, Lord. Take the complicated matters, those things too difficult for him , and cause them to fade to the background of his mind… so that he can simply rest in your arms. Just like a mother’s arms hold a calm and satisfied child, draw ______ to your soothing embrace, and rock his soul into a place of rest. And as he relaxes in your loving care, I pray that hope would spring forth and refresh him indeed. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

Stop the flurry of anxious thoughts. Compose your heart. Quiet your mind. Sit with him and rest calmly in his love. Put ALL of your hope in him. He will not let you down.

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Faith and Obedience

SCRIPTURE

Genesis 22:1-12 (selected)

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" …Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him…. Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

Hebrews 11:17-19

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead...

Matthew 16:25

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.


PRAYER
[Pray this for yourself]

Lord, I admit the agony of obeying you when it means giving up the gifts most precious to me. The pain of release is unspeakable. And yet, I do it. I release my hold. I choose obedience because of faith. But Lord, I hear the flesh of my heart tearing as roots of self are being extracted. I truly feel that I am loosing my life for the sake of obedience to you. And then I remember the faith of Abraham, who trusted you so much that he believed you could give him the promise even if you had to raise Isaac from the dead. Lord, please give me a faith like that. As I sacrifice, give me faith, help me to believe that you can and will keep your promise to give me the desires of my heart. Lord, I affirm the truth in my head, that I will only ever find my life by loosing it for your sake. Now please apply that faith to my heart as well. Help me Lord. Help me. Amen


ENCOURAGEMENT

Loose your life for his sake. Obey him. Trust him. And you WILL find your life.

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His Comfort

SCRIPTURE

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Matthew 5:4
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.


PRAYER

Lord, today I ask that you would send an angelic messenger to ______, carrying a double measure of your comfort to be poured directly into his heart. And after that another, and another, and then another, until he is filled up and overflowing. You know that he needs that comfort today, this morning, this moment. So please give it generously. Push out the sense of loss, and replace it with the memories that have been gifted to him over the years. I pray that he would be truly blessed as your comfort washes over his mourning. And Lord, as he lingers in that place of peaceful comfort, I ask that you would bring him a new gift, a gift of hope. I pray that he would know beyond a doubt that you see the true dream of his deep heart, and that you are promising to fulfill the desire of his heart as he delights in you. I ask that he would see the serendipitous events of yesterday as evidence of your sovereign tapestry, and so would be moved to trust you for tomorrow… giving him hope for today. And just as he begins to feel this new hope begin to rise on the horizon of his future, send another brigade of angels with triple loads of comfort. Overwhelm him with your love today. Amen.

ENCOURAGEMENT

He knows. He cares. He understands. And he is there for you, pouring out his comfort. You have felt it before, feel it again today. Receive his blessing.


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His Peace

SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!


PRAYER

Lord, today I ask that you would calm the storm… the storm within ______. I pray that you would lay your hand upon his heart, and command the waves of anxiety to cease from churning. Lay the stillness of peace within him, Lord. Please take away the storm clouds on the horizon of today that threaten tomorrow. Make the wind of your comfort simply blow them away. And shine around them the silver lining of your grace. I pray that you would move ______ to fix his thoughts on you, Lord. May he remember the real touch of your comforting angels, your strengthening hand, your sustaining grace, your provisions and your care. May he be so calmed with the memory of your goodness that he can not but trust you for tomorrow. May his mind be so filled up with you that a flood of peace overtakes his worries and drowns them all. And Lord, when you give him that peace, please make it a perfect peace. He deserves it, Lord, you know that he deserves it.


ENCOURAGEMENT

Take control of your mind, and fix it on the memory of the good things God has given you. Dwell on his goodness and grace. Saturate yourself with thoughts of our Lord. And trust that his peace will follow.

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Gratitude

SCRIPTURE
Psalm 75:1

We thank you, O God!We give thanks because you are near.People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.


PRAYER

Lord, I pray that you would nurture ______’s soul with gratitude today. As his will identifies and expresses gratitude for your wonderful deeds, I ask that you would feed the emotion of gratefulness within. May his list be long Lord, and when he begins to come to the end I ask that you would stretch his heart to look even more deeply at who you are, and what that means in his life. Lord, again I pray that you would open his eyes to see just how near you are to him, how present you are in his everyday, how close you were today. Make him feel your nearness at his right hand. May he feel the warmth of your presence in the sunshine, and the comfort of your presence in his sleep. Surprise and amaze him today with your nearness, Lord. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

Count your blessings. Recall some of his wonderful deeds to you. Name them to him, everyday at least once. And watch your awareness of his nearness grow.

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Bearing Burdens

SCRIPTURE

Luke 10:33-37
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Matthew 7:1
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged.”

Galatians 6:2
“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”


PRAYER

Lord, I thank you today for ______, and the strength of his caring heart, for he is truly a man who understands love. He listens deeply to the true heart, and does not judge on past actions alone. In fact, he does not judge at all, but just reaches out with humility and forgiveness. He knows that even the heart that has wandered hurts. He does not ask where the wounds came from, and judge the worthiness of the wounded. He simply sees the wounds, refuses to pass by on the other side of the road, and reaches out to give what he can toward healing. He calls. He writes. He shows hospitality. He encourages. He prays. And he even talks straight when the time is right. He is a friend. He is a true neighbor. He gives his strength to help shoulder a load that is too heavy to carry alone. So Lord, I ask that at this very moment you would smile upon ______. Give him a taste today of the reward you have stored up for him … an extra dose of your blessing … something special just for him . May he know how deeply those he reaches out to are touched. May he know they will never be the same because of him. May he know that he is making a difference. And may he know how rare his breed is indeed. Amen.

ENCOURAGEMENT

You will never know how profound your humble, forgiving touch has been. Grace has flowed from the throne of our Lord, through you, and into the wounded. Thank you… thank you.


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Dave's Life Coaching
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Soul-Fitness

SCRIPTURE
James 1:2-5

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not resent your asking.

PRAYER
[Pray this for yourself.]

Lord, I admit to you that I really don’t like it when troubles come my way. It hurts, it’s confusing, and I seem to either feel guilt or injustice, depending on the cause of the trouble. I sometimes feel like I am pressing the barbell up, up, up, squeezing out that last repetition of the third set while my shoulders scream out with that clear burn of muscle fatigue. It hurts. But then I realize, Lord, that the pain is not destructive to my life, but is producing an increase in the strength and endurance in my character that will make me more spiritually fit for worship and ministry. And at that moment of realization, the pain actually feels different, Lord, it feels healthy. When I think back on the accumulation of strength and endurance that has accrued over the years, I begin to feel something under the pain, something deeper and more profound. I begin to feel joy; a sense of fulfillment as I taste the fruit of increased personal soul-fitness. Lord, keep my perspective clear. Keep my heart longing for growth. And make me willing to walk the road of fatigue to get this growth. Give me more moments of joy along the way, I ask. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

Keep walking the treadmill of God’s path before you. Even when you don’t feel you are making any progress, your soul-fitness is increasing bit by bit, and the muscles of your faith are tightening. And it will pay off. So keep walking, and allow yourself to feel the joy of growth.


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Dave's Life Coaching
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Rest in Him

SCRIPTURE
Matthew 11:28-30

[Jesus said] "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."


PRAYER

Rest for his soul Lord, I pray rest for his soul. I ask that ______ would come to you in his weariness, and the excessive load of the burden he carries. I pray that he would come and rest. Make his heart cease from its churning. Make his mind stop trying to calculate the sum of the parts of his life and circumstances. Stop him Lord, gently, and quiet him . May he lay down this night, sinking into your arms, and rest in you. And as he rises, may he simply continue obeying you, taking your yoke, doing what is right today, leaving tomorrow for you to care for. I pray that as he obeys, that your smile would shine upon his soul, and that the weariness would melt away. Rest Lord, rest is what I pray into ______ this day. Amen.


ENCOURAGEMENT

Take a deep breath, and let out a big sigh… and rest in him. You have come already. You have taken his yoke, and are doing what is right. Now rest my friend, rest. You are in his care.

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Dave's Life Coaching
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