And my eyes they look unto You always.

And I am captured by Your Majesty ♥

“Dear friend,

I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you.”

-3 John 1:2

Nothing soothes your soul quite like spending time in a garden. The rhythms of sowing and reaping, watering and weeding, planting and plucking renew your heart as they occupy your hands. With each task, your mind becomes clearer as you let go of your burdens and cares. Hurried, harried moments make way for quiet reflection as you delight in flourishing plants, and you realize that your garden is a gentle metaphor fro your own growth in the simple life. Renewal, reflection, and inspirational.

Change is inevitable, Lord. Teach us to accept: If we view each transition as an opportunity to experience Your faithfulness, then we make new places in our lives for spiritual growth.

—-

Dearest Heavenly Father,

I deeply thank You for the gift of communication that brings each and everyone of us closer to our friends and family. As I go to sleep, look upon me and hear my thoughts. I pray that You will continually guide and bless my family and friends as they journey in life. May they be comforted with Your loving presence.

Above all, to You we raise our hymn of grateful praise.

Thank You Lord God.

Amen. :)

God bless you always! Good Night! :) 

Praying together brings us together. When we gather in Christian community, God is with us, and suddenly we are not separate individuals but one in Jesus’ name.

For me, the most powerful part of our worship service is the prayer time when we begin by sharing joys (causes for thanksgiving to God) and concerns (specific requests for God’s presence and power). The congregation so firmly believes in the power of intercessory prayer that even visitors sometimes raise their hands to share what is heavy on their hearts so that the gathered community can offer prayers.

On any given week, there will be persons lifted up who are ill, who must face the death of a loved one, or who are dealing with depression. No request is unimportant. All requests for prayers are lifted up as the community prays together.

In sharing our lives, we not only know more about each other, but we are bonded by the belief that God hears our prayers and responds. Even when the outcome is not what we want, we trust in God.

There is sometimes a palpable presence of Jesus among us. Other times, it is more like a warm feeling of being surrounded in love and understanding. But there is never any doubt that the risen Lord stands among us.

A good example is the image of hot coals that when gathered together continue to provide warmth. Separate the coals and they cool. Even the most independent of us benefits from community. God didn’t mean for us to go it alone.

—

As you journey in life, let God walk with You. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe that He will never leave your side. He will continue to love you and deal bountifully with you.

As I go to sleep, I’ll think of my family, friends, and departed loved ones.
My prayers are with you and your family. God bless you always. :)

Good Night! :)

“And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him.”

-1 John 5:14-15 

People can often sense  when someone is in need of prayer - even if that someone is miles away. If the thought of a friend should come into your mind, why not stop to say a little prayer on their behalf?

A prayer by Marianne Farningham:

I cannot tell why there should come to me
A thought of someone miles and miles away,
In swift insistence on the memory,
Unless a need there be that I should pray.
Too hurried oft are we to spare the thought
For days together, of some friend away;
Perhaps God does it for us, and we ought
To read this signal as a call to pray.
Perhaps, just then, my friend has fierce fight
And more appaling weakness,
and decay
of courage, darkness, some lost
sense of right
And so in case he or she needs my
prayer, I pray.
Friend, do the same for me.
If I intrude
Unasked upon you, on some
crowded day,
Give me a moment’s prayer as
interlude;
Be very sure I need; therefore
pray.

May the Peace of the Lord our God be with You always. :) 

Ever Loving God,
I humbly pray You to do “great things” for those people
who cannot forgive or asks forgiveness,
who are afraid to share or hesitant to give,
who cannot give up their vices or mend their wicked ways,
who are unwilling to change for the better.

Ever Loving God,
I humbly pray You to do “great things” for me that I may
get rid with those whom I have ill feelings,
get rid of my negative attitudes,
overcome temptations and flee occasions of sin,
be kept from accident and harm.

Ever Loving God,
I humbly pray You to do “greater things”
for me and for people around me.

Amen.

Heavenly Father, please continually bless my family and friends. Enlighten them with Your knowledge and wisdom, and comfort them during their time of distress. Thank you for the gift of communication that we are able to keep in touch with one another. May we use this opportunity for a better purpose. Thank You Lord for everything. :) 

Let us tell the world of His love 
The greatest love the world has known 
Search the world for those who have walked 
Astray and lead them home 
Fill the world’s darkest corners 
With His light from up above 
Walk every step, Every mile, Every road 
And tell the world, Tell the world of His love

Thank You Lord for Your greatest Love for us. :) 

Lord, hear my prayer for all who are in trouble this day.

Comfort those who are facing the loss of a loved one. After wrenching grief, let their lonely hours be filled with fond memories of days gone by. Also comfort those who are passing their days without work. During this time of financial stress, give them energy to make their employment the job of finding new work.

Encourage those who are finding it difficult to believe in the future. Let Your hope fill their hearts as they recall Your past faithfulness. Though doubting the truth of Your existence or the validity of Your promises, bring wise friends into their lives who have long known the reality of Your love. While they struggle to make ends meet, please let them be assured that You can take care of every need, no matter how large or small.

Heal those who are suffering pain and illness. Let them find rest and calm as they seek to make the idle moments pass more quickly. While they are racked in mind and stressed out emotionally, cradle their minds in your love and soothe every irrational thought that seeks to run out of control.

Uphold those who are being tempted in any way today, especially those who may want to end their lives. Show them that while there is life, there is hope, that change for the better is so likely. Looking at all the negative aspects of life and finding it depressing, may they find joy in just one moment at a time. And may that be enough for now.

In all these ways, I ask Your blessing upon those who are in trouble.

And please include me in that blessing as well.