Day 11 | Anchored In Hope | Jeremiah 17:7 & Romans 12:12 (NLT)

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence."  Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)                         

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 

Romans 12:12 (NLT) 

For Reflection:

Confident Hope Amid Unexpected, Hard Things: Finding Sacred Spaces

In today's passages, Jeremiah and Paul share a consistent message of confident hope in the Lord. Of trusting. Of being patient and persistent in prayer in times that are hard, in the waiting, and in every day. Both were speaking from direct knowledge and depth of faith amid difficulty – with and without glimpses of God’s kingdom breaking through among His people. 

Their urging sounds so straight-forward – even desirable; yet, it can sometimes be so hard to live out in real-time. We encounter experiences—a diagnosis, a challenge with school or work or family. Circumstances that can suddenly shift our days and focus considerably; and sometimes even challenge our sense of security, wellness, or peace.  This can be unsettling.  When things like this happen, I tend to react, striving for control and peace. What is your instinctive response?

Pause and ask yourself: Where am I now? Do I find myself anchored, steady, my hope in Jesus and at peace as I focus forward or am I feeling shaken, unsettled and tossed about? 

I’m reminded of Jesus’s own words to His disciples just before He would sacrifice His life out of love for them and for us. He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

When things are hard or I’m unexpectedly thrown off track, I am grateful for the encouragement of Paul and Jeremiah, and of Jesus Himself, who remind me where my strength, courage, and peace come from. Yet allowing this to influence my thoughts, words, perspective and actions in real-time remains for me hard to do.  Perspective offered by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychologist speaks to a space that exists between stimulus and response. When something happens (stimulus), we react (response). However, there is a space in between – however small – where we have a choice. In this space is an opportunity, with God's help, to choose our response rather than instinctively react. In this space - this choice - through prayer, trust, and making the Lord our hope and confidence, He can guide our choices and help transform our unhelpful reactions into intentional, life-giving words and actions. Sacred spaces. 

Let us pray:

Gracious God, I am frustrated when life throws hurdles in my way. Some days are just hard. I thank you for being with me. Always. Lord, would you help me to remember your promises; the encouragement provided in your word. Lord, would you help me to plant myself firmly in you, to keep my heart tethered to yours so I can find sacred spaces amid the chaos, trusting that you love me and will strengthen me. Lord, would you help me see my patterns of reacting amid challenges that work against me and others, even against you. Would you help me to find the tiny space – the pause – when unexpected challenges come my way…to seek  YOU in these spaces and trust you will help me choose your way of peace.  Would you strengthen my faith, my hope in you, my confidence in your power to bring wholeness and peace to my heart, relationships, family, and the world around me.  I love you and trust you. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

I wonder... Is loving Jesus the same as confidently hoping in Him?

How might I bring Jesus into my choices and responses as I go about my day?

Day 12 | Anchored In Hope | 1 Peter 3:15 (MSG)

Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. 1 Peter 3:15 (MSG)

For Reflection:

In the local strawberry patch, amid the most mediocre berries I’ve seen in years, I find myself processing disappointment. All year long, I dream of big, scrumptious, perfectly flavored berries. But as my expectations and reality collide, I’m reminded that this space is often the birthplace of disappointment. How we experience it…and how we walk through it…matters, whether it’s tiny berries or big dreams.

I feel the sun picking up in intensity and I pop a berry into my mouth.  I’m savoring the flavor as the wind picks up and I become aware of God’s presence with me.  I bring my thoughts to a place of gratitude and begin to hunt for berries with renewed delight as I let go of past expectations and focus on what’s right in front of me.  The sweet taste of the berry lingers and brings a smile to my face. I’m chatting away with friends as I continue to search to fill my flat with berries. 

A few minutes later, I found myself in a conversation with the lady in the next row. She had overheard me talking about church. As we connected over the disappointing berries, she shared a few things about herself: she used to go to church, she believes God is watching from a distance and is really only needed for big prayer requests. I could sense her distance from Him.

I wondered with her… what if God is actively working through people here on earth right now to reconnect what is broken within the relationships between us and God, each other, ourselves, and even the earth that produced these tiny berries? As we chatted, I prayed. I prayed for God to help me say anything that might draw her back to Him. I released my agenda and spoke as honestly as I could about God’s presence in my life, hoping to stir curiosity and possibly spark some rethinking. I leaned into the things that tether me to my faith.  I say, I appreciate the rhythm of church each week that keeps revealing a bit more about how much God’s love for us brings peace to my soul.  

Sometimes in conversations, I say that I’m studying the person of Jesus when I sense that the word Christian might feel too complicated. Then, if there’s a follow-up question, the focus is actually on Jesus—his life, how he healed, how he challenged people, and how he ultimately displayed the most generous, sacrificial love of all.

Peter reminds us to always be prepared to give an answer for the faith that we have and offer it with gentleness and respect.  I wonder if I would have missed this conversation altogether if I had let my disappointment about berries cloud my mind.  When I’m paying attention I can see opportunities to encourage others and speak the hope of Jesus. Have you noticed these opportunities too?  Ask Jesus how to engage…even if you don't get peace each time you ask, you are building your awareness of people and your connection to God’s Holy Spirit that promises to be with us….. always!

Let us pray:

God, thank you for tiny things that draw our attention back to you. Would you continue to let us see with your eyes the people around us…would you equip us with words when it’s lifegiving  and silence when that is needed instead. May we keep studying our Lord and Savior Jesus, listening well to others, and offering thoughtful words that explain our faith. Amen.

I wonder how I might prepare to articulate my faith today. 

Day 13 | Anchored In Hope | Mark 10:46-52 (NLT)

Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. 

Mark 10:46-52 (NLT)

For Reflection:

What faith and hope Bartimaeus displays in this passage!  He just knew that Jesus could make him see.  In his hope, he shouted for Jesus as soon as he heard he was nearby, he ignored the crowd who tried to quiet him, his singular focus was to get to Jesus.  Whether life is going well or my circumstances feel unbearable, I want a faith like Bartimaeus that pleads “Son of David, have mercy on me!” at the top of my lungs, pushing through all that tries to quiet me.  Have you ever experienced a time when you have cried out to God?  What was that like or what do you imagine it would be like?  When he gained the attention of Jesus and was called to him, he “Jumped up and came to Jesus”.  I can feel the desire in his words, the eagerness in his actions, he was desperate for Jesus.  I think about the paralyzed man we read about in Day 6 (John 5:1-9) who was sitting by the healing pool.  When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, he had all the reasons why he couldn’t be, and then Jesus healed him.  But here Bartimaeus is insistent and pushy, anxious to be healed and knowing just what he wanted from Jesus.  I wonder what the difference was between them.   Can you relate to one or the other of them in the way you approach Jesus when in need?  Do you even ask Jesus to heal you in the first place?  Do you list all the reasons why healing is impossible and won’t happen for you?  Or do you cry out to him, push forward towards him, insist on his healing?  I’m comforted by the fact that Jesus saw them both, gave them each what they needed, and healed them.  For Bartimaeus, Jesus was ready to respond to his faith, ready to have mercy on him and give him what he desired.  “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks, and Bartimaeus knows without a doubt what he wants Jesus to do for him and is not afraid to ask.  “I want to see!”  His statement, spurred by faith, filled with hopeful anticipation for the moment that he is able to see.  Faith in Jesus anchoring his hope.  

Let us pray:

Dear God, thank you for the stories you give us in your word of so many different ways that you inspire hope in people.  Thank you for the character of Jesus that turns towards people, asks their needs and heals.  I pray for an insistent faith that is desperate for you regardless of my circumstances and needs.  God, I want to see!  See your healing come, see your love in this world.  Give me faith to seek you, encounters with you, and hope in your healing ways. Amen.

I wonder what my response would be if Jesus asked me “What do you want me to do for you?”

Day 14 | Anchored In Hope | Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV 2008)

I am with you.  

I am mighty to save you.  

I take great delight in you.  

I will quiet you with my love.  

I will rejoice over you with singing. 

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

For Reflection:

Reading this verse recently, I had a mental picture of a young child, frightened by something, or hurt, crying and being comforted by a kind, loving parent.  This Mom or Dad can see the bigger picture that the child just can’t see, knowing that things will be better soon, and they patiently hold the child as it cries.

We are often like that young child, hurt or frightened by trials in life.  And Jesus is drawn to us in those moments.  He loves to comfort us. Memorizing and meditating on this passage can be a way for us to become more aware of God’s comfort. 

Try reading through this passage SLOWLY.  Personalize it.  At the end of each line, picture Jesus gazing at you saying those words to you.

"I am with you.  I am mighty to save you.  I take great delight in you.  I will quiet you with my love.  I will rejoice over you with singing."  

Let us pray:

Dear God, help me to remember that you are always with me, always holding me, never leaving me.  Give me ears to hear the song You are singing over me.  Help me to rest in You as I hear you speak through these verses. Amen.

I wonder, when was the last time I thought about how God is drawn to us when we are hurting or scared. 

Does this verse remind me of His deep love for me? Does it inspire hope?

Day 15 | Anchored In Hope | Hebrews 10:23-24 (NLT)

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.  Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. Hebrews 10:23-24 (NLT)

For Reflection:

As you read this scripture, pay attention to what stands out to you.  How do you react to this scripture?  Does it excite you with encouragement?  Does it tighten your chest with judgement or fear?  Does it spark a particular thought or call for action?  Does it bring memories of positive or negative experiences of meeting with God’s people?  Name it all in the presence of your creator.

Once I notice my initial reaction, I start to think back over my own encouraging experiences meeting together with others who love Jesus.  I remember the communal worship at a conference that felt like a moment of heaven on Earth.  I remember the small group where I shared hard things and prayers covered me in peace.  I remember the conversation with a friend that allowed me to wrestle through what I really thought about that scripture and how that informed my picture of God.  I remember the text at just the right moment to ground my attention in God during a particularly stressful time.  I remember verbally processing “how exactly do I be loving in this situation where I want to be anything but” to an ear that would spur me on towards Christlikeness.  I remember hearing a sermon that felt like it was being spoken only to me as God would gently press his love into my tender spots, and I remember the person in my church community who, listening to that same sermon, could help me bring it forward into my actions and my life.  These moments are precious, but they can be easy to miss, easy to get too busy for, easy to push against in a cynical view of past hurts.  But these moments are where we get to dwell with God, “Where two or three are gathered, I am there with them.” (Matthew 18:20)  These moments fill me with thankfulness that God would care for us through this passage by reminding us of all of the love, encouragement, and hopefulness that can be gained in meeting together as his community to remember his promises, be in his presence, and live out his love .  I am thankful for the way he uses others to anchor us in hope.  I encourage you to think about what experiences have shaped your view of Christian community.  What is your current habit with Christian community?  How can we engage in community in such a way as to encourage each other towards love and good deeds?

Let us pray:

Dear God, 

I thank you for your promises, your love, your trustworthiness.  I thank you for my Christian community and the ways they have encouraged me to turn my attention to you.  I bring before you now any hurts that I hold from when your people have not acted in your love.  I pray for forgiveness for any way that I have acted towards your people that has not encouraged them in your love.   I pray your redemption over my bruised places.  I pray for a welcoming and loving community for everyone to enter who seeks to follow you.  I pray for new determination in keeping up habits of meeting with others, and that you would reveal how to be a part of this community.  I pray that you would bring to mind ways that I can encourage others in love and how we can together anchor our hope in you. Amen

I wonder how meeting with other Christians has impacted my hope and acts of love.

I wonder how I can motivate another to acts of love and good works.

Day 16 | Anchored In Hope | John 1:1-5 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:1-5 (NIV)

For Reflection:

Jesus as the Word. This strikes me as an interesting way in which to describe Jesus. And yet, if you pause and think deeply, Jesus being called the Word (Logos in Greek), is in essence acknowledging that He is the ultimate, living revelation and expression of God to humanity. Jesus, as the Word, reveals the very nature of God and makes him known to us. Wonder for a moment about the character of Jesus; what kind of a man was he? I know specific words certainly pop into my head… Kind. Generous. Empathetic. Compassionate. Gentle. If Jesus is the expression of God… the human expression of the Creator, then God must also be all of those things. What a beautiful picture that presents.

“In him was life, and life was the light of men.” At creation, the light being brought into the world was a physical light… the sun, moon and stars. When Jesus came as the light of the world, He brought truth, reason and power of understanding. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus, as the ultimate truth shone light into the world and no shadows or darkness were able to overcome it. Nor can they still. As Christ followers, we are connected with Christ by the light which shines within us, and that light continues to prove God’s omnipotence as it persistently shines in the darkest places. 

Scripture in James 1:17 also says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” The Father of lights. What a thought. God. Our Father. The Light of the World. He is the ultimate source of all light, steadfast and immutable, unlike the shifting lights and shadows of the world. God the Father and Jesus – God the Son: Father of lights, light of the world – alive in us. Will we anchor here, in Christ, who is steadfast and unwavering, and allow His light to shine through us without variation or wavering?

Let us pray:

Dear God, help me to hold steadfast and unwavering as you shine your light into the world through me. Allow me to be courageous and strong, sharing your light as you draw others towards you. As I enter today, keep me anchored in you, remembering how kind, caring, compassionate and loving you are. Amen.

I wonder what Jesus’ light reveals to me?

I wonder how to share His light and truth in ways that are consistent with his character?

Day 17 | Anchored In Hope | 2 Corinthians 1:2-4 (NIV)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:2-4 (NIV)

For Reflection:

Our God, strong and mighty, powerful and everlasting is our Father of compassion, God of all comfort. I allow this truth to settle into my heart and mind. How calming to read these words, to think of – receive and see Him in this light. To know that God looks at us in love, sees our struggles and pain, and moves toward us with compassion. His heart longs to bring wholeness and healing to our lives.

Reflect on a time when you experienced God’s comfort. What happened? Maybe you're needing His comfort right now. I recall a very difficult time in my life. “A breath at a time…” was my daily survival strategy.  I recall a few people who barely knew me, yet welcomed me and prayed for and with me. They encouraged me time and again with God’s truth and promises, which brought surprising peace to my heart and mind – and somehow helped me breathe easier, even amid the hardest moments. Real comfort, even though the challenging circumstances remained. I was experiencing the peace, presence, and comfort of God through people who shared His promises and their hope in a way that bolstered and redirected mine. A gift.

His comfort in our lives becomes contagious. When neighbors experienced a sudden and tragic loss, I instinctively went to them, offering comfort through simple quiet presence, prayers, encouragement through His word, and serving in ways to help lighten their load as others had for me. They would later share how those small gestures humbly offered helped them experience God’s love in a new way. A gift of life in community. As we anchor our hope in Jesus, we are available to become conduits for His love and comfort, bringing hope, grace, comfort and peace to the people around us. Have you noticed these opportunities?  Will we allow the comfort we have received to give us courage and confidence to comfort others? And to look to God for comfort in our times of need, trusting in our hearts that He looks upon us with compassion and comforts us in His presence. 

Let us pray:

Gracious God, our comforter, strength, and hope. Thank you for your compassion, mercy and love. I remember specific ways you have comforted me, and I am so grateful. I think of people you have brought into my life who lovingly shared peace, strength and hope in you, which comforted me and helped me experience your love and presence. Thank you! Lord, would you help me remain open and attentive to opportunities you provide to share your peace and love with others you place in my path who need your comfort? If there is someone specific who is in need of comfort right now, would you bring that person to mind; and would you guide my words and actions. Help me to listen without judging or trying to fix; to share peace and offer to pray, without fear. Help me to remember that your love and comfort freely given are gifts that multiply when shared with others. Thank you for loving me, for wanting wholeness and peace in my heart and life. I praise you and love you. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen. 

I wonder whether I am truly open to receiving God's comfort? 

I wonder if I have enough margin in my days and interactions to notice and respond when someone is in need of God's comfort? 

I wonder what keeps me from entering into people's experiences to offer comfort?

Day 18 | Anchored In Hope | Isaiah 40:28 (NLT)

A wondering through Isaiah 40:28 NLT 

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? (v.28)

I wonder about the gift of insight God gives us as we sit with the Scriptures.
With unhurried repetition…reading slowly, listening deeply…
we may be given the grace to enter a thin space:
those sacred moments where the boundary between the earthly and the divine mesh seamlessly.

In those moments, we’re invited into awe, wonder,
and a deeper, more intimate connection with God.

The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of all the earth. (v.28)

Everlasting.
God doesn’t come and go                                                                                                        He exists outside of time,                                                                                                               always present,                                                                                                                                    never fading.

We long to grasp this truth,
but our finite mind can only reach so far.
Still, we try.

Creator.

Consider the beauty of sunrises and sunsets                                                                          those moments that steal our breath,                                                                                       beckon our undivided attention. 

There is a longing for time to slow its pace,                                                                                  to linger just a little longer,                                                                                                            as we cultivate a posture of gratitude.

He never grows weak or weary no one can measure the depths of his understanding. (v.28)

In moments of feeling weak and weary, let’s remember…
We are not God.
And if we’re not God,
Then we don’t need to carry what was never ours to hold.

Not other people.
Not their thoughts, their choices, or even their relationship with God.

Let’s not pretend to have all the answers                                                                            because, surely, we don’t.

We are simply invited to participate
in the wonder, with curiosity,
and to be honest about the truths we’ve encountered and experienced.

Let us pray:

God, will you increase our desire to sit with you and your word, to find space to be with you. A plethora of things - from the mundane chores to people's actual needs - attempt to insert their importance over this time and space. Help us recognize your whisper and trust that the other things on our to-do list will wait for our attention. Gracious God, please meet with us in our tender and vulnerable spaces.  Let us be honest in those moments and open to experiencing you - the maker of all the heavens and this earth.  We take a deep breath in and pray thank you creator God, exhaling we pray for this day.  Amen.

I wonder how my gratitude for God can continue to grow today.

Day 19 | Anchored In Hope | Isaiah 40:29-31 (NLT)

A wondering through Isaiah 40:29-31 NLT 

He gives his power to the weak and strength to the powerless. (v.29)

What does it really mean to be weak?
Is it helplessness? Is it knowing our limitations?
Or is it the deep awareness that you’re at the end of your rope?

The Spirit of God consistently moves away from worldly power.
Because when we humans gain power, we often just crave more.
It begins to crowd out space at the very center of our souls
the place meant for deep, divine connection with God.

Even the youth will become weak and tired, and young men will fall into exhaustion. (v.30)

What if weakness was a gift?
Could it be a clue…an invitation…leading us back to the quiet presence of the Lord?
A moment to recalibrate.
To re-examine our thinking and align it with a deeper understanding or renewed purpose.

Is there a value we’ve lost sight of?
A moment with God He wants to bring back to mind?
Perhaps a habit that’s formed that needs reflection or even redirection?

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 tells us that when we are weak, God’s strength becomes our own.
In weakness, we don’t just encounter our limitations…we encounter Him.

When we align the reality of who God is with the truth of our own humanity,
We begin to see more clearly His redemptive character,
His fierce, unrelenting love for humanity… and for each and every one of us.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength and they will soar high on wings like eagles. (v.31)

Trusting God gives us new strength.

Believing that God is still in control…no matter how chaotic the world may seem
gifts us fresh strength.

But strength for what?

To do more?
Be more?
Strive more?

Or… could this strength be something quieter, deeper                                                     something that grounds our minds, hearts, and souls?

A strength that calms and realigns our whole being
to the One who created it in the first place.
A strength that settles us just enough
to become aware of God’s presence again
to catch a glimpse of His leading,
to hear His guiding whisper.

Maybe in that still place, our burdens gain perspective.
Maybe peace grows… not because the situation stops being a mess,
but because we’re no longer carrying it alone.

Does this mean pretending that garbage circumstances aren’t stinky bundles of UGH?
Absolutely not!
Honesty is always required.

AND if we immerse our minds in His deep, never-stopping, never-giving-up, always-and-forever love,
we just might resurface with fresh strength
Perhaps strength to soar with God.

They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (v.31)

So maybe these weary feelings are actually a reminder
An open invitation to reconnect with our Maker.

To remember whose we are.
To remember how deeply we are loved.
To pause long enough to imagine God… looking at us, really seeing us and loving us right where we are.

What if these weary moments could draw us back to hope
back to the steady, anchoring presence of God?

And from this place of connection with Jesus,
perhaps our lives will begin to reflect His everlasting love
not through striving, but through abiding.

Let us pray:

Lord, thank you for your great love!  May we keep in step with you and be people who have INDEED heard your word and believe that your power is at work among us. Remind us that our weakness is actually a good thing, for it invites us back to you.  God, we long for thin spaces to experience you.  Please help us identify and remove anything that is keeping us from you. WE LOVE YOU!  In Jesus name, AMEN!

I wonder what my limitations can show me about the depths of God’s love.

Day 20 | Anchored In Hope | Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT)

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT)

For Reflection:

This passage is beautiful.  Each phrase full of hope - unlimited resources, strength, power, love, trust, understanding, fullness, infinite, glory, The trinity - God, Spirit, Christ - dwelling in and among us.  What phrase stands out to you?

It seems we have almost no other need to search for hope if we could just sit right here.  But then, real life is just so complicated, we need something more than nice sounding words.  Take a quiet moment to let these verses soak into your being.

Let’s now take our moment of scripture meditation with us into our day.  Unlimited resources guiding us through our workdays.  Christ, who came and was human alongside us, here with us as we cry and as we laugh.  Roots, grounded in God’s love, entangling every part of us, nourishing us as the chaos of life swirls around us.  An understanding of a love too big to grasp intersecting every interaction we have with every other person we see.

As we dwell on this vast love throughout our days, the space of holy reflection collides with the very physical, material world that is in front of us right now. As we build this habit in our lives, can we expect to  rise above all circumstances in a spiritual realm of bliss, or maybe have everything in our life just start to work itself out, or to breezily glide through life’s problems without a care?  Sounds nice, but in reality we are still here suffering, and enjoying, and crying and laughing and living this complicated life - just like Jesus did.

Yet in the slow, unanxious work of God, rooting our hope in unlimited resources and inner strength from the Spirit may lead to more generosity and less power grabbing.  Rooting our hope in a promise of completeness may lend itself to more humility and less defensive worry.  Rooting our hope in immeasurable love may bring more kindness and less fearful selfishness.  With these roots can we embrace the unlimited resources of strength, life, power, and love that is prayed for here? With these roots maybe each everyday action that is transformed by God’s love will accomplish infinitely more than we can even ask or think.  Anchored and rooted in hope of the completeness of his love both here and now and in what is to come.

Let us pray:

Dear God,

I don’t want to live in a faith of placations and simplified phrases.  I don’t want a spirituality that has to escape from real life.  You in your immense love and power met us here in Jesus; you know what it is like.  And you give us your unlimited resources, your ever-present love, your glory to root our hope in right here in our present circumstance.  I thank you for your love and pray that we will meditate on your promises of love until we are drenched in it, rooted so deep that it changes us and changes the world into your completeness in ways we can’t even yet imagine. Thank you for your presence here in and through us and your faithful, never-ending, immense love.  Amen.

I wonder what incredible phrase in this passage catches my attention the most.

I wonder what habits I have or could create to root into God’s love.

I wonder what it would feel like to anchor in the hope of God’s “glorious, unlimited resources” and immeasurable love.

Day 21 | Anchored In Hope | Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT)

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT)

For Reflection:

Do I see people around me living without hope? Struggling through challenges, anchoring in one thing after another… striving in their own power for fullness of life, for contentment, for peace? 

I read our passage and am inclined to defer to others who seem more naturally bold and gifted in evangelism to take on the task of sharing Jesus and helping others follow Him. But that’s not what Jesus says here. As the 11 disciples gathered on the mountain, they saw our resurrected Jesus. They celebrated in worship – and yet some doubted. Then what? Jesus came to them, all of them--those whose faith and confidence were strong and those who were uncertain. He gave His authority, and commissioned them all to go far and wide, making disciples of all nations, baptizing, and teaching. Not only teaching the commands, but walking alongside to live them out amid the challenges of their days and relationships. The “what” and the “how.” 

The book of Acts shows us this happens side by side, through relationships, in community. Over 2,000 years later we too are learning to walk with Jesus day by day, entering into relationship with Him and others. Empowered with His promise: His authority and presence with them then and us now. Jesus with us. Sending us to help people come to know and grow in relationship with Him, walking alongside. 

I think about people who have influenced my faith, who invited me to come along, who helped point me to Jesus, to see and come to know Him. I recall specific individuals at different points in my childhood, as a young adult, through various challenges of life. Who is that for you? 

We each have unique circles of influence, encounters with individuals as we journey our days, in the spaces where God has placed us in this time and generation. Think of those around you. Who comes to mind? Do you notice opportunities as God presents them? As you ponder this, consider also these questions Paul asks in Romans 10 about how each person can call upon Jesus:

"...how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?"

The Great Commission is Jesus's invitation with a promise, a command, encouragement, grace, and even assurance to engage us in helping all people come to know and grow in relationship with Him. “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus, our sure and steadfast anchor for our soul. 

Let us pray:

Oh Jesus, thank you for your love, power, and presence in our lives. Thank you for your word that guides us, that challenges and assures us. Lord, thank you that you keep your promises. Help me to believe that you are with me always, even when I feel less than confident. Lord, would you help me to see the people around me who you are calling me to share with, to offer your love, encouragement and peace. Would you help me be attentive to your leading, to see the opportunities you provide and to walk in them. Gently and without fear. Help me look to you and trust you for the words and ways of encouraging others in you and helping them come to see, know, and grow in relationship with you. Thank you that you find joy in being with us, that you are with us always, even to the end of the age. I love you. In Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.

I wonder whose lives around me Jesus is stirring in and inviting to come near.

I wonder if I would notice Jesus nudging me to build a relationship with someone...? I wonder how I might be salt and light to those around me wherever I go?

21 Days of Prayer: January 5-25, 20025

Day 1: Reframe | Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)

For reflection:

As we move into a new year, Jesus invites us to take notice of where our hearts and minds are focused, to be intentional and to reframe into His way. In our passage, Paul points us toward God, to His truth, promises, and eternal perspective. But how do we set our minds and hearts on Him, to begin to see our reality and experiences His way?

I reflect on what has been occupying my thoughts and attention. Are issues with work or school, people, finances, news, politics…weighing on me? Am I feeling settled (or shaken)? Concerned or at peace; content, discontent? Hopeful or discouraged by the reality I see? Are there judgments I am repeating to myself or others? Do they align with what God says about me or about what is good? I re-read and notice the beginning of this passage: Since then we have been raised with Christ. We have been raised to new life from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. With You, Lord.

Let us pray:

Thank you, Lord, for your grace and truth, your word; the gift of your presence and the opportunity to see ourselves and our lives from your perspective. Thank you for raising me to new life in You. Would you help me notice when I am being consumed by circumstances and wants. Help me to see a reality that is bigger than my challenges and concerns. Would you grow my awareness of where I am focusing my thoughts, my heart and mind. And would you reframe my perspective and retune my lenses and filters so that I see, hear and speak from your heart. Would you help right-size my insecurities, outrage, disappointments, and fear, and strengthen my hope, faith, and trust in You, embracing your view, your words, your love. In Jesus's name, we pray. Amen.

God, I wonder what you see when you look at me?

I wonder what fully abiding looks like?

I wonder what you will help me see as I live into the closeness and truth that I have risen anew with you?

Day 2: Reimagine | 1 John 4:10-12 (NIV)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:10-12 (NIV)

For Reflection:

Imagine. God loves us.  He tells us that this is love. Not self-centered, human-contrived, contingent on reciprocity love; but true,  selfless, outward-facing, other-centered, action-focused love.  I sit with that thought for a moment and let myself reimagine what life refocusing on God's love would look like.  Would I begin my day in gratitude for all He's done for me? I imagine all the ways I try day in and day out to earn other's love; God's love. I pause, breathe deeply and refocus on God's promise: His love is made complete in us. Slowly, I reimagine myself, turning to God, accepting His love and asking God to make His love complete in me.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me. For showing me what love is.  I think of all the ways I've exhausted myself over the past weeks trying to meet expectations,  gain approval and earn love.  Thank you for allowing me to imagine anew what outward-facing, action-focused love really looks like. We  love you. 

What is God asking you to reimagine today?

Day 3: Recenter | Psalm 121 (NIV)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

For Reflection:

How often am I looking out to the things to be done, to the people that need me, to the things that might validate me? How often am I looking in, trying to muster the energy to do the things or gain control over what I do and say through habits and willpower? How often am I looking to God? How often do I lift my eyes to The One who has promised me help? The One who will watch over me day and night, help me, protect me, keep me in my rest and in my coming and going. As I sit in this passage I refocus my gaze on Him and I let his love envelop me. My being can be recentered into the presence of my Creator, where it was always meant to be, where He is always inviting me to settle.

Let us pray:

Lord, Thank you that Your love is always present, here for me to abide in. Help me to see it, to over and over and over again recenter my gaze on You. Help me to trust your promises of help and protection and settle into Your presence that is always with me, always watching over me, always inviting me to look to You.

I wonder how I can refocus on God's invitation to abide in Him today?

I wonder what it feels like when I recenter my gaze on God's love?

Day 4: Return | Zephaniah 3:17 (MSG)

Your God is present among you,
    a strong Warrior there to save you.
Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love
    and delight you with his songs.

For Reflection:

When a day turns into days and days into weeks and the “tyranny of urgent” is driving my time, it seems almost impossible to find space to sit with Jesus. In this weary space, my soul longs for more. I am reminded to return to Jesus to a place where I can get some distance between chaos and my soul. As Zephaniah says “happy to have you back (happy that you RETURNED), he will calm you with his love”. Return is defined as to come or go back to a person or a place. Do you remember that moment when the closeness of God felt heightened, perhaps more available than before? Return. Was there a story about Jesus that captivated you, invoking curiosity, wonder or awe? Return. Was there a moment in the midst of uncertainty where the truths of God grounded you and you became aware of God’s peace in a tangible way? Return. Let us return to these moments… recall those thoughts and feelings and let them be in the driver's seat today. Return to Jesus and be filled with love and light. Return to the open arms of Jesus, who sees us…all of us... and loves us all the more. Return to those moments when the distance between heaven and earth thinned and you recognized the presence of God among you, delighting in YOU. Shine bright beloved, you are so deeply loved.

Let us pray:

Lord, please increase my awareness of you and your unconditional love for me. We are a forgetful people Lord, help me remember the moments of connection with you and return to you! Help me manage the time you gift to me and return to you. Thank you for singing over me. Amen.

When can I return to God today?

If I keep returning to God throughout the day; what thoughts are forming, what feelings am I aware of, what actions do I take?

Day 5: Release | John 14:27 NIV

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

For Reflection:

Worry, fear, uncertainty? I’ve got this. I’m strong, capable, unbreakable. I have people in my corner. A good job. Food on the table. A roof over my head. Friends and family who love me. And yet, hard as I try to create my own peace and rewrite the reality of my life, the worry, fear and uncertainty that I work so hard to convince myself don’t exist, manage to insert themselves into all facets of this contrived reality.

Can you relate?

Am I perhaps less capable than I imagine? Less confident? Less indomitable? I reflect on Jesus’ words, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” How can I possibly find such peace as this? Jesus’ words again speak clearly, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” Perhaps such peace can’t be found on our own. Perhaps what’s freely offered can only be accepted. But how? I feel like I should be doing something to create or at least earn such peace. As I pause and sit in this battle between my way and God’s way the word, release, comes to mind. “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Release your worries, your fears, your uncertainties. Release your grip, your need to be in control. Turn to me, refocus your gaze and receive my peace. I’m reminded of the hymn, “The Heavenly Vision", written by Helen Lemmel. The words wash over me, “O Soul are you weary and troubled?” followed by the promise: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Let us pray:

Lord thank you for giving me your promise of peace as I go about my day. Help me to recognize my need for you instead of always looking to myself for answers. As I refocus on you and release my fears and worries into your hands, help me to feel completely covered in your peace.

What things are keeping me from refocusing my gaze on you today?

What might it look like to release one (or more) of these things to you?

Day 6: Relinquish | Isaiah 55:1, 8-9, 12 (ESV)

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

12 “For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

For Reflection:

I admit that an economy of free sounds impossible. My pride can tell me that it is my own hard work that earns me what I have in life - food, material possessions, acceptance, self-worth. What is it that I am trying to earn on my own in this season of life? My fear can tell me that what I do earn I must hold onto tightly. What is it that I am afraid to lose right now? I hold these things loosely as I consider God’s thoughts that are higher than mine. He invites me to imagine a different way, even one that seems impossible to me. A world of abundance where everyone is fed, “it’s all free!”. A world where I don’t have to earn my place because I already have it as chosen and precious by God (1 Peter 2:4). A reality of joy and peace, of all of creation worshiping it’s Maker. What would it look like to relinquish those things that I hold onto? What would it be like to give up my thoughts for His? What would that do to my thoughts, my attitudes, my vision of this world, my actions as I interact with his chosen and precious children and His singing creation? I let myself abide in His thoughts for this moment.

Let us pray:

Lord, you are so gracious. There is so much abundance in Your ways and You give it freely. Thank you. Still, it can be hard to let go of control, of my own thoughts and ways, of the messages that bombard me from all over. I relinquish my own ways for Your ways that are so much higher than mine, even when I don’t fully understand them. Bring to mind specific areas where you are inviting me to do this. Help me enter into Your ways of abundance, joy and peace so that I may abide there always. I am humbled and honored to get to join with all of creation singing Your greatness. I praise you. Amen.

I wonder how I can refocus on God's invitation to abide in Him today?

I wonder what it feels like when I relinquish my ways for God's ways?

Day 7: Respond | Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

For Reflection:

This passage invites us to reflect on the patterns in our lives. Are patterns of thinking, speaking, and interacting evident as we go about our days? As I sip on my third cup of coffee working away at my computer, I realize the steps from the coffee maker to chair and back are shockingly few. How am I stewarding this body I offer to you? Someone speaks and I hurriedly respond; I realize I am frustrated by the innocent interruption by someone I love--annoyance reflected in my words and tone. Paul reminds us we do not have to conform to the world's patterns of interacting with one another - those we see all around us, on our feeds, the shows or movies we stream, even in our families. He says we can be transformed by the renewal of our minds. Can God really renew our minds? Neuroscience tells us new pathways are continuously being formed in our minds: Will we respond to His mercy and love by allowing Him to transform our thinking and responding to others in ways that reflect His love and grace more and more. He sanctifies us day by day as we draw near in response to His invitation to abide, as we refocus our attention on Him, His word and truth, and let Him transform us day by day.

Let us pray:

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for loving us more than we can possibly comprehend. Lord, in light of your mercy, would you help us see the patterns in our lives, those that work against us? And those that draw us near to you and others. Lord, help us to be present with you, to offer ourselves and participate with you as you renew our thought processes and patterns of responding. Would you give us self control to resist our old ways and lean into you as you form us into Your image. Would you help us recognize your mercy? May we grow to understand and live into your perfect will. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

As we abide together, I wonder what your mercy looks like today?

I wonder what new patterns of thinking and responding you are forming in me?

Day 8: Refresh | Ezekiel 37:1-10 (MSG)

God grabbed me. God’s Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun.

He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Master God, only you know that.”

He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!’”

God, the Master, told the dry bones, “Watch this: I’m bringing the breath of life to you and you’ll come to life. I’ll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You’ll come alive and you’ll realize that I am God!”

I prophesied just as I’d been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.

He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, ‘God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!’”

So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.

For Reflection:

This week, God invites us to recall what we have seen, heard, and experienced to remember His character. In Ezekiel's third vision, he finds himself among dry bones a true picture of desolation and then God’s breath reestablishes life infusing undeniable hope. Sometimes, I like to read the scriptures and let the scene play like a movie in mind, noticing things with my senses and getting curious about what I’m drawn to. In this scene, I’m watching Ezekiel’s face as he walks tentatively around an entire valley of dry bones. A shallow frown forms on his face as the vast sound of silence echoes the depths of hopelessness among these bones. In situations in my life where hope feels just out of reach, I look to see where God is. In this story, we find God standing at the ready to breathe life into these bones. I wonder about God’s face. Is He smiling? Do His eyes sparkle like ours do when we are about to witness something great? What are you curious about?

What do you notice about God? I see a God who creates life, a God who wants his people to know his name and the power that it embodies, a God who longs to refresh old dry bones with new energy, purpose and life to the full.

As a prophet, Ezekiel had the weighty task of delivering difficult messages to the people over and over again and I wonder if at this moment God is refreshing His soul with a vision of hope, renewal, and restoration.

I think about dry places in my life that need God’s refreshing. Come Holy Spirit, come bringing your fresh wind of hope. I think about some patterns lately that have me relying on my own strength and circumventing a possible connection with God. Come Holy Spirit, come renew my habits. I think about the “all out” pace of the world and my participation at that same speed that leaves me weary. Come Holy, Spirit come restore me.

Let us pray:

Lord, You know the areas in my life in desperate need of your strength and refreshment.  Would you open my eyes to the ways in which you are already working in my life and the lives of others around me?   Please awake my soul with your boundless love, mercy, grace, peace, and joy that I might find myself refreshed in YOU alone. Amen. 

I wonder what the Lord might reveal to me if you sit with Him and lay out the dry (hard, messy, uncertain, discombobulated, weary) places in your life. 

If God were to breathe fresh wind over my life, what might come alive?