Prayer for a controversial meeting

Dear Lord, as the time draws near for this meeting, first of all I pray for myself. I pray Lord that I have listened for Your voice, and that You will control what comes out of my mouth. Give me a spirit of wisdom; of patience; of love; and of boldness.

Help me to listen to what others have to say with a heart of kindness. Help me to hear what they are really “saying” which may not be the words they are actually using at the moment.

If… no, there will be pain. Help me to be a soothing ointment. There will be hurt feelings. Help me to be understanding and compassionate. There will be opposition. Help me to stand strong - in love.

Give me feet of stone to stand firm, but only Lord, if I am standing for You. I beg Lord, so permeate my soul that Your glory and honor are all that matter.

And now Father, I pray for the others who will be at the meeting. I pray that You will take control of their lives and their mouths. God, I’ve seen it happen time and time again in Your Word. I’ve seen Your children come up against a much more powerful enemy, and then You’d - send a rainstorm and bog down the chariots; You’d send a spirit of confusion to disperse the soldiers; You’d send an Angel of the Lord to defeat the enemy… You’d deliver Your children in the face of great odds.

I’m not praying for the “outcome” of the meeting Lord, I am praying for the participants. I see the “mouth” as the “enemy” not the heart of the individual, nor even the subject of the meeting.

God! You always protect Your interests and Your people. Do that for us, please. I pray Lord, that You will throw a blanket of Your love and grace over this meeting so that any words that are said will be filtered through that love. I pray that You will so control “mouths” that like Balaam, only “good and uplifting” words will come out - that no matter what is “trying” to be said, only love will reign.

And above all, as an outcome of the meeting, may Christ’s Kingdom come upon earth, and may Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ Name - Amen

Feeding the Feeder

Feeding the Feeder

Do you know who does the hunting - the male or the female lion? It is the female. But, do you know who eats first? It is also the female - before the male, and even before her babies… You see, she knows that if she isn’t strong, then no one else will be cared for.

Twice in this past week, two women, in two different settings, (I’m not sure if they even know one another) whom I greatly respect and who do an awful lot of “feeding” of others, said to me, “You know, I just need to be fed myself sometimes…

I once wrote a poem that has this line, “…a woman gives and gives and gives; then has to give some more, not only must I meet my needs, I need a reservoir!”

And so, it is with that thought that I pray…

Father, as I bow this morning, at the beginning of another incredibly busy day, I ask for strength, and wisdom, and (dare I say it) patience.

God, we jokingly say, “Don’t ask God for patience, for He’ll surely put you in a situation where you’ll ‘grow’ some!” But, if we don’t ask You for it, where do we think we’ll get it? We’re already in situations where we need it - desperately! And so yes, I even pray for patience.

Father, I lift up women all over the world who wonder how in the world they’re going to feed themselves, let alone anyone else. I pray for women whose need for food is indeed physical food - where there is not enough, either for lack of funds, or lack of goods, help me to direct my funds and goods to them.

Father, I pray for women whose need for food is for emotional food - the broken, the oppressed, and the physically and emotionally abused. But I also pray for those who, while seemingly “well off” feel all alone - who feel like there is no one to whom they can turn. Yes, they could, and should turn to You, but You’ve just recently shown me how important women are to other women. Father, lead them to someone that You would have “touch” them, but to whom You would have them “touch” as well…

And Lord, I pray for women whose need for food is spiritual - those who have friends upon friends; who have food upon food, who have all the “stuff” that life has to offer, but have not You. Open their eyes and thaw their hearts that they may come to understand just how “hungry” they really are.

But Father, I pray mostly that you will “feed the feeder.” I pray for those women who feed others all day long, I pray that they, too, will come to understand just how “hungry” they are as well. Allow them the “quick bites” of spiritual nourishment all through the day, but also, lead them (us) to a time of just sitting back and letting someone feed us!

Lord, even when we understand that we need to be fed, and we spend time with You and with Your word, we can’t “feed ourselves” all the time. The teacher needs to be taught, the mother needs to be mothered, and the leader, sometimes, needs to be led. Help us to recognize that, and help us to allow someone else to feed us.

Fill our cup Lord, so that we can give to others what You’ve led us to give.

In Jesus’ Name - Amen.

In the Midst of This and That (Daily Prayer)

Lord, as I bow this morning, I’m just silent, letting the Spirit “groan” in my place. I am so overwhelmed Lord - not just with burdens, but with blessings as well. I don’t know where to start.

You have blessed us “exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask or think” and we are so grateful - so humbled…

But, we also know - “to whom much is given, much is required” and we’ve been given sooo much, and yes Lord, sooo much is required of us as well.

We used to pray, “as soon as ‘this’ is over” - “as soon as ‘that’ is over”… But the longer we live Lord, the more we see that “this” and “that” is a part of life, and we must learn to seek Your face in the midst of this and that, or we’ll never see You.

We smile when we think of the phrase, and “hear” the nasally voice saying, “It’s always something…” but we must also admit the reality of that statement - for there is always “something” keeping us from time with You - there is always “something” to do.

And so Father, as I begin this day I pray, guide my hands, my feet, my mouth - and my “to do” list, that though it may never be written or spoken, that first on my list may be “seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near…” even in the midst of “this” and “that”…

In Jesus’ Name - amen.