Prayer for Permanent Peace and............. Monday Morning Cover to Cover

Memorial Day
We honor those who have given their lives for our freedom. The President has asked us to unite together as a country in prayer at eleven o'clock this morning to "pray for permanent peace."

Monday Morning

What lingers in your heart as you read the word of God this past week? Chronologically or any verse. Leave a comment and link us to your blog. Three things linger in my mind and heart:

Ask...
IF GOD SHOWED UP TODAY IN YOUR LIFE AND SAID: "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." II Chron 1:7 - What would your answer be? That was a question a friend asked me last year. My answer to Tripp that day was that I wanted to enter a rest with HIM that I knew not. My answer today is different.

Would I ask this day for a better marriage, awesome children, an impact for His Kingdom, or friends in my lonely life? I hope that I would ask only for Him … and then all the rest of those things would be taken care of by the One who holds all things together. That’s what I long for—to want the love of my Christ more than anything this world offers. What do I want more than His Love? It shows by the way we live and long. For one day, our God will come and He will not be silent and we will stand before the Judge Himself. Psalm 50:3. So what God spoke to me was from Song of Solomon 1:6 - "my own vineyard I have neglected." I don't want to miss what my beautiful God is saying to me about my life on this day. Don't want to miss the grace of God. Jonah 2:8.
Hear...

Your King is enthralled with your beauty. Psalm 45:11.

“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for my KING. My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”Psalm 45:1. I long that my tongue would

right wrongs

rightfully repent

write on hearts.

This is no “works salvation” that we live —-not about trying to be better, but living a broken life before God for how I have tried to make life work for me.
Build...

1 Kings 5:13-18 - King Solomon conscripted laborers from all over Israel to build the Lord’s temple---- 30,000 laborers in 2 forced labor shifts (one month on; two months off); 70,000 carriers; 80,000 stonecutters; 3,600 foremen. What an undertaking for Solomon to oversee for seven years! And along comes the psalmist with the next thought, Psalm 127: 1-2 "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Am I building things in life in vain rising up early and staying up late; am I standing watch in vain?

I Kings 8:58-61 Solomon prays a prayer to dedicate the building:

May God turn our hearts to HIM, to walk in all his ways and to keep His commands...and may our words be near to God that he may uphold our cause according to exactly what we need for this day. What is that you need today? Let your heart be fully committed to your beautiful LORD. There is no Other. I wonder if how I live shows that I am committed at times to my own advancement, my own validation, my own protection, my own healing of pain…may I repent quickly when my eyes are opened and may I let my God speak to my heart. I can’t clean myself up, only He can and will. The kindness of my God leads to repentance. Romans 2:4. As I taught school this week, I was committed to getting my students to cooperate with me more than I was to being a blessing to them and loving them in the face of rudeness and vulgarity. Not right on their part nor on my part. So grateful to God for grace covering our sin!

Just as God heard Solomon in II Chron. 7:11-16, He hears us today. "I have heard you! "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my Face (not my Hand) and turn from their old ways, then will I hear and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers you offer. My eyes and heart will always be there for you. He's listening!

Would you like to read the Book of Proverbs with us in 12 days starting today? Look on the sidebar for the readings for next 12 days---it's 2 or 3 chapters a day and in 12 days you have covered the book of Proverbs. Join us the next two Mondays to post a thought from your heart about what you read. Just one thing. We'd love for you to join us!