Prayers for August 30 2014

God I find myself at the end of this day.

It seems like time flew by faster than normal.

I got deeply involved in completing the project You started me on a long while ago.

The additions and changes I made today took much longer than I expected.

It was all useful and bigger than I had planned.

The text part is about done and the video part will follow.

Help me to relax and not get stressed about how long these creative projects take.

Prayers for August 29 2014

God THANKS for bringing me this far.

I have wanted to quit many times over the years and lately.

You continue to work in me so that I continue to move forward.

Today I completed a project that took much longer than expected.

Tomorrow I might complete another project that has taken a long time.

I admit that I did not naturally have the tenacity to preserver.

But You have been working in me at depth to gain that quality.

It will surely serve me well in the future.

I wish life was easier and smoother.

But it is not.

So perseverance is a great need as is patience.

THANKS again for working those into me for Your glory.

Prayers for August 28 2014

God I have had troubles praying or considering what prayers to request today.

It is just a dull day that requires for me to plod along.

I thank You for the guidance and provisions to make this day possible.

I thank You that I do not need to be in crisis or pain to turn to You.

I thank You that You love me unconditionally on just plain days like today.

Prayers for August 26 2014

My 3 ongoing prayer requests are:
1. Think clearly
2. Choose wisely
3. Be grateful.

Prayers for August 25 2014

God I admit that following Jesus one day at a time is not easy or pleasant.

One of the difficulties is knowing how to measure success.

In the business world they can easily measure success by the amount of net profits. In the athletic world there are scores for games, stop watches for track events, weighs for strength training and more. In the academic world there are grades, certificates, degree and more.

But God in my life dedicated to launching this ministry I have had untold numbers of delays, distractions, setbacks, interruptions and more over these many years. I have estimated how long it would take to complete projects and it always took longer.

It has been a battle to stay focused and motivated.

By Your grace I have grown stronger spiritually and my faith has improved.

But God if I was You then I would have fired me long time ago for taking too long.

God if I could turn off the calling of God on my life and live a normal life I would.

The best advice I have heard over the years is to just focus on staying faithful to You. Then leave the results put to You. That sounds good in theory but doing on a day like today it is challenging.

I am not sure how to pray today except to say THANKS for being there to hear me.

Prayers for August 23 2014

Some Basic ???

May I seek first the kingdom of God with all my heart and soul.

May I trust and obey the Lord Jesus Christ one day at a time.

May I discipline myself to use my time and talents for God’s glory.

May I continue to dive into the Word of God and be a doer of His Word.

May my will be totally surrendered to know and do the will of God, period.

Prayers for August 22 2014

This morning for the first time in many years I was excited to get back into the Bible.

Yesterday I requested prayers to get into a habit of Bible study.

I admitted that I have started and stopped that dozens of times over the years.

Every Bible reading plan rarely lasted more than 2 weeks.

Then last night God gave me an inspiration.

The Holy Spirit built on a Bible study I have stopped and started many times.

This time it has a depth and width that it did not have before.

Like I stated on the prayer request yesterday, maybe I need to study in order to teach.

God has given me many insights and much understanding during the last 4 decades.

There is much I wish others had told me along my spiritual pilgrimage.

I invested much time this morning dealing with how I might pass along what God taught me.

My typical workbench is to use an online mind map.

I set up the five main headings that will organize future lessons.

I am not in a rush to go public with this.

Instead what I hope to do is invest some time each day as part of my spiritual disciplines.

Then in due season this will bear fruit in terms of lessons in the format of audio, video and text.

I have seen interviews of movie directors on the bonus materials of DVDs.

Many of them said I made a movie that I would want to go see.

So I am crafting Bible lessons I wish I had received long ago.

Pray for me to make this kind of study, thinking and lessons preparation a healthy habit.

Believe with me that in due time the fruits of these studies will benefit many others.

Prayers for August 21 2014

This is the season to improve my daily Bible study.

May God guide my plans and actions so that I develop a habit I will stick with consistently. Over the decades I have started and stopped Bible studies more times than I could ever count.

What I have done fairly well is to meditate on key passages during the day and night. I use 3 by 5 index cards to prompt me to focus on those verses that are speaking to my heart.

Maybe I can combine Bible study with meditation.

I enjoy writing and publishing on my blogs daily. So maybe I could combine teaching with my daily Bible study.

I know God wants guide me in this arena. May I be very receptive and responsive. 

Prayers for August 20 2014

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God Your Word informs me that I have three invisible enemies.

They are the world, the flesh and the devil.

Somewhere and somehow they have been assaulting me.

At this moment I do not know where when and how that has been happening.

But I feel sure that it has happened during the past weeks, months and years.

I ask You for discernment about these matters.

Open my spiritual eyes to see and open my spiritual ears to hear.

I do not want to know all the details.

I do not want spooky visions or nightmares.

I just want to know enough to make important changes.

Make me aware one day at a time of these matters.

May I promptly make adjustments as needed.

May I be willing to forgive those who have hurt me.

May I be willing to humbly confess my sins to You.

May I repent of unhealthy habit patterns.

May You work in me so I walk in fellowship with You more intimately.

May I serve as a bright and shining examples for others to follow.

Prayers for August 19 2014

God it seems that there is far too much to do.
But You can direct my steps.

Lord Jesus Christ guide my plans and actions daily.

May I learn to continually improve at using my time and energy wisely.

May I find balance and harmony along the path You set before me.

May I complete important projects on time with minimum stress.

Help me to gracefully weave meditation and prayer into my routines.

Prayers for August 18 2014

God the path You have put before me is full of uncertainties.

The coming weeks and months will be unlike anything in my past.

I do not know anyone that has gone down this particular kind of path.

I do not yet have mentors or guides to lead the way.

Where I am headed is into new and different kinds of challenges.

I admit that I have been feeling afraid and unsure. 

When I pray and get still I feel sure that You are guiding me.

When I journal I see  and feel the path unfolding in front of me.

I sense that You have been preparing me for this next chapter of my life.

I have an abundance of research, plans and preparations.

But Lord I admit I have felt scared.

I have not been bold and courageous.

I appreciate that there has been some steady progress for weeks.

The best motivational videos say to feel the fear and yet take action steps.

I have been doing that much of the time.

Help me to just keep moving forward.

I tend to quit on the inside several times a day but then restart again.

God I do not know what to pray for just now.

I thank You that You are with me along this journey.

I trust You will continue to provide the needed grace and mercy one moment at a time.

Prayers for August 15 2014

God Make Me More Grateful

God it is easy to want to have more and better things.

I admit that I think about newer computer, new shoes and better meals.

But God I ask you to work deeply in me.

May I genuinely become more content and more grateful for what You have provided.

You have brought me a long ways.

I feel more grateful and express my thanks giving more often.

I just ask You to take that to the next level.

May I gradually and gracefully improve.

May I gain more of an attitude of gratitude.

May I gain more of a genuine heart of thanksgiving.

I am in no rush.

I know You to Your best work slowly.

I will be patient as You reprogram and tune up my innermost outlook on life.

Prayers for August 14 2014

God I have been feeling weary.

The day to day grind has not been yielding the results that I expected. So I feel disappointed with myself. That has led to less enthusiasm about plowing ahead.

If I had the time and money I would ask You to make a way for me to have a vacation. And I hope that will come later.  

What You can do for me soon is to grant me to take a refreshing pauses at one or more oasis. You can guide me to times, places and ways to recharge my spiritual batteries.

Also I ask You to help me plan and use each day wisely. Also may I have balance within each day and week so I do not burn out.

You know how to communicate with me. So I expect you to guide me to greener pastures.

THANKS

Prayers for August 13 2014

God Help Me Make a Big Difference

God I get weary of seeing the images on TV of death and destruction.

I no longer pay attention to the news stories and so I do not feel as depressed.

Guide my life so that I will be Your instrument to bring hope, help and healing.

Clear my pathway and bring me together with likeminded people.

Let us work in coordinated teams.

I cannot stop the bad in the world.

But I want to contribute generously to the good before my last day.

Prayers for August 12 2014

Thank You God for Literacy

Today God I thank You that I can read.

I have spent much time today both reading and writing.

The reading inspired and instructed me.

There would be no use to the writing if others could not read.

I am very fortunate to live in a country with such a high literacy rate.

I have been laboring today toward launching and leading an educational nonprofit.

One of our services will be to help children in developing countries to learn to read.

Reading is such a critical part of our modern life.

I feel honored to enroll many to work with me so the next generation will become readers.

Thanks again for putting that passion in me and fanning those flames lately.

Prayers for August 11 2014

Thank You Lord for Sight

THANK You Lord, for granting me my ability to see.

I am a visual kind of person.

I appreciate the sights and especially the colors every day.

I am grateful for those who have invested in landscaping.

I am grateful for women who dress in beautiful ways.

I am grateful for nature videos that let me see Your creation.

Prayers for August 9 2014

God there are times I feel slightly overwhelmed by how many people there are. I notice huge apartment complexes, sprawling suburban neighborhoods and high rise luxury condominiums. That is just what I see as I travel around this large city. I know there are thousands of other cities with far more people than I can imagine. Yet You know me personally and intimately. Yet You care about me. Yet You have heard and answered my prayers. WOW You are awesome God!

I used to live near a busy airport. I often saw passenger airplanes taking off and landing. Each one had hundreds of people in them. There were that many people coming from that city to this one or going from this city to that one. And later in the day hundreds of more will make the same journey. I see the hotels near the convention centers that must have lots of occupants every night. You are fully aware of all the details of each business trip, vacation and visit to family. Your mind is so vast that it staggers my understanding. And all this is based on my passing observations. Yet You are fully aware of each of my thoughts, feelings, intentions and more. WOW You are an awesome God!

God You know that I can get very depressed if I pay too much attention to the news. I can feel distressed to notice grown up acting so foolishly. There seems to be no end of how humans can harm one another with street crimes and wars. You gave us free will. You led us to create laws. You help law enforcement. But still there is violence, injuries and death. Lord I do not get it. I know You are a good God and You are powerful and You are love. But we sure make a mess of things. You have given us Your holy Word. Clever people have attempted to use Your Word to explain our mess. None of them have fully explained all the craziness. But in Your Word You did promise that after this life there will be a place of eternal rest. We will not have this spiritual darkness. We will be in a haven saturated by Your love and truth.  WOW You are an awesome God!

Prayers for August 8 2014

THANKS God for Practical Blessings

God today and right now I pause.

I genuinely THANK You for some very practical blessings in my life.

THANK You Lord for

Air conditioning

It has been very hot outside today. That is normal for this time of year in Dallas. But even after a short walk I broke out into a sweat. I was glad to get back inside and cool down. I was able to focus on my writing instead of the weather.

Flush toilets

God today I have been writing about those many millions in developing countries. Those in remote villages have never seen a flush toilet or even a latrine. Wow I am blessed to have such a device in my life all these decades.

Plenty of Water

What got me into seeking and finding ways to help those in developing countries was deep concern that they have enough water. Thank you Lord that I have access to plenty of good water.

Prayers for August 7 2014

God Help Me Manage Time Better

Lord help me to become a more effective steward of my time.

Guide me in setting wise priorities and smart goals.

May I minimize distractions daily.

May I focus on the most important projects.

May I give myself fully to complete the tasks.

Lead me to develop ways to better balance my life.

Help me to make my times of prayer and Bible study a top priority.

Prayers for August 6 2014

Lord God I THANK You for Your grace and mercy.

These recent weeks have been stressful.

You have made a way for my basic needs to be met.

You have sustained my health and strength.

I have enough restful sleep.

My digestion and elimination have been good despite the unusual kinds of foods.

You have improved my faith in Jesus Christ.

You have improved my prayer life.

THANKS

Prayers for August 5 2014

Thankful for Health Care Fields

This morning I overheard a man say he was going in for surgery today.

I did not know the man or the kind of surgery.

That reminded me of the whole field of surgery.

I considered that surgery is not possible without anesthesiology.

It is a little amazing that a patient can have minor or major surgery and not feel it.

There are those in the field of anesthesiology that are critical but do not get much recognition.

That led me to think of other areas of health care that I feel grateful for today.

I have had many dental challenges all my life.

I have had lots of fillings, braces, crowns and now dentures.

I am glad that my dentures fit and work so well.

I can eat foods I could not before these dentures.

The field of dentistry is amazing.

I wear reading glasses that are 3.0 magnification.

I had my eyes examined and got costly prescription glasses.

But they broke and I could not afford to replace them.

Instead I got some readers from the discount store for only 6 dollars.

They have been working great for a very long time.

I cannot read without these.

The whole field of eye care is amazing

Then I was thinking about the field of prosthetics.

Those who were injured can get an artificial replacement.

This includes feet, legs, arms, hands and more.

There are videos of wounded soldiers using them.

Also those that were in auto accidents or sports injuries use them.

This whole field is amazing.

Finally I thought about how while many have access to these others do not.

My heart hurts sometimes when I see videos of those in developing countries.

They do not have access to the most basic health care.

There are children dying daily of preventable diseases.

There are parents that cannot afford medicines for their children and for themselves.

I am grateful for those organizations that have been reaching out to help them for decades.

There are more than 7 billion people on our shared planet.

I was fortunately to have been born into the top 1 billion.

Those in the bottom 2 billion barely survive on less than 2 dollars a day.

I have been working hard on launching an educational nonprofit.

It will be used to help bridge that gap with awareness, links and educational modules. 

Prayers tor August 4 2014

Simplicity of the Gospel

God I thank You for the grace and simplicity of the gospel message.

You have revealed Your saving power to all kinds of people all over the globe.

They have become born again into the forever family of God.

I thank You for the hope of heaven our eternal resting place.

Thanks for the promise of the resurrection body.

Prayers for August 2 2014

Thanks for the Blessings

I take this time God to THANK You again.

Thanks for the many blessings You have been providing.

I could make a long list of spiritual blessings and I might do that later.

But today I thank You for these temporal blessings.

My health

A place to sleep that is clean and safe

A place to work during the day that has:

air conditioning

WIFI

a place to plug in my laptop

My laptop that keeps working great

The various online services I use each week

The Internet including all the many people and computers that make that happen

My cell phone

The safety and cleanness of the downtown district – it was not this way decades ago

The religious freedoms that the USA has

The Bible translated into my mother tongue

Easy access to flush toilets – that many millions around the world do not have

Many choices of food at the grocery store and when I eat out

Especially treats like: chocolate, premium ice cream, ripe fresh fruit, candy

Prayers for August 1 2014

God what follows are some Bible verses that I am not sure what they mean or how they apply. So I ask You for Your wisdom and insights about these matters.

God Your Word says that if a person loses their life for the gospel and Your sake they will find it. (Matt 10:39)

Your Word says we are in the world but we are not to be of the world. (John 15:19)

You said to seek first the kingdom of God and promised all these things will be added to us including food and clothes. Matt 6:33