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O Lord, the Desert!

O Lord, the desert — lonely place
where man comes face to face with Satan,
where solitude hears selfish thoughts,
where suffering purges the soul of dross —

The desert was not my choice, O God!
Here was I driven — hunger to feel,
my need in spirit to know and conquer,
ambition for power and fame to surrender.

What dangers lurk in dark and light,
the desert where fate and harm befalls!
Amongst the beasts and stones and heights,
O Sovereign, teach me unfailing trust!

In this wild, untamed, unruly land,
where the strong survive, and perish the weak,
to you, O Master, I give control
and offer my heart to bend and mold.

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A Strong Tower

Proverbs 18.10, 12

Your name, O Lord, to us is a strong tower,
In you we find protection, peace, and power.
The righteous run to you to be secure.
When danger falls, of you we can be sure.

The present world is full of hateful harm,
Rise up, O God, to save us by your arm;
Our honor is to know our humble need,
The Christ as Lord and Savior is our creed.

The vicious hordes of sin would hunt us down,
The flood of willful evil would make us drown.
By our own strength we cannot win this war.
We cry, O Lord — open the Kingdom’s door!

Read the book, Choose! 13 Choices to Transform Your Heart and Soul.

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And His Strength Left Him

Like Superman, Samson had great strength, but he had his kryptonite–women!  Many like to blame Delilah (and she was certainly evil), but Samson, like us, was lured and enticed by his own evil desire.

I. Judges 16:1-30.  Though the text says “loved,” there’s no indication that Samson had anything but a very shallow relationship with Delilah, perhaps not much more than he had with his “heifer” who was burned (Judges 14) or the prostitute.  But like that first wife, Delilah worked with the Philistines to undo Samson by using her feminine wiles four times to discover the secret of his strength.  Now, Samson’s thickheadedness in not recognizing what she was doing each time he fought off men doesn’t excuse his giving in and telling this evil woman (she tormented him in his sleep!) and thus throwing away God’s gift.

II. James 1:1:13-15.  We too cannot blame others or circumstances … or the devil (Sorry, Flip Wilson) for giving in to temptation.  Like the foolish youth of Proverbs 7:6-23, we get lured and enticed by our own desire.  We must fight against it.  While in the flesh and made like us in every way, Jesus did in Gethsemane when he committed to following His Father’s will and not his own.  David didn’t do so well (2 Samuel 11), but Joseph resisted Potiphar’s wife’s advances (Genesis 39).  We must submit to God and resist the devil who is fanning the flame of our desire (James 4:7-10).

III. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11.  In Casting Crowns “Slow Fade,” the husband and father doesn’t realize how he is giving himself away.  Samson certainly didn’t get it.  But Judges 16:18-20 tells us that when he gave in, his strength left him … because the Lord left him.  The ending of Samson’s story shows that he went for vengeance rather than repentance.  Let that not be our end as God is willing to forgive and restore if we turn our hearts and minds back to Him through godly sorrow and right actions.

Each person’s Delilah is constantly there, working at us until we are vexed to death.  How we handle these temptations will determine if we hold onto our strength or die with the Philistines.

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Our isolated brothers and sisters in the Middle East

Father, today we remember to pray for our isolated brothers and sisters in the Middle East, who live under the stress of threats. They often must move for their safety or send family members to different location. They change their phones and take other precautions against persecution. Many of them meet in secret.

Bless these saints who are often in danger of their lives and well-being. Protect them in their faith. Let the gospel grow and be strong among them. Make them sure of their reward in Christ. Let them know that they have a brotherhood scattered among the world who also suffers in many ways.

And we also ask for all of us who seek to live godly lives, constantly under assault from the evil one, ever under duress from temptation, from the injustice and immorality of this world. Let us not be weighed down by the struggle. Rather, let us be joyful that we suffer for the name of Christ. Remind us that our present sufferings are but a light weight, for a little time, here on the earth.

We await the coming of our Lord. We want to rejoice at his appearance. We look for salvation. May he come soon!

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Strong to deal with the devil

Father, forgive us our sins. We stand in constant need of your cleansing. We confess our inability to deal with our guilt. You alone can purify us.

Father, help us to be holy, as you are holy. Sanctify us in the truth. Jesus is our sacrifice. We plead for forgiveness based on his death.

Father, keep temptation away. Make us strong to deal with the devil. Help us to seek help from our family of faith. Make us strong helpers of the weak.

Father, thank you for accepting our prayer. We praise you for your goodness and for your sacrificial love. Your presence gives us life. Your word offers us hope. May you be blessed forevermore.

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The blessing of obedience

Heavenly Father of all the saved,

Let us respond to your goodness in gratitude and service.

Shore up your church as we depend upon one another and ultimately upon your power.

Help us to see the white field ready for harvest that Jesus seeks to show us.

Thank you for the gifts from the Holy Spirit for your church. May we use them for your glory.

We seek the blessing from obedience to your commands. Keep us from ignoring any of them.

Protect us from the evil one and deliver us from temptation. Let us not accept excuses for ourselves.

May tongues confess the Lord, and hands work with joy for your kingdom.

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Acceptance

God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Give me deep acceptance of where I am at this stage in my life and of my struggles, trials, and challenges.

Thank you for them all.

Help me to see beyond self, to give up the importance placed on my own thoughts and plans, and to deny self for the experience of the cross.

Thank you for calling me out of self.

Save me from the temptations of Satan, from the pull of the world, from the desires of the flesh.

Thank you for power and will to resist.

Use me to put forward the Good News of our Savior, to make a clear case for faith, to urge others to action according to your revelation.

Thank you the calling of service.

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We Need Relief

When pressure comes, we need relief —
O God, provide!
In loss and pain, we feel great grief —
Come, Lord, abide!

The heavy heart bears crushing weight —
Give Jesus’ load!
Let our steps pass the narrow gate
To your abode!

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The prayer you taught us

Oh, Lord, the prayer you taught us to pray covers the bases. We direct our hearts and thoughts to you as he who dwells in heaven and is the source of all that is good. Your relationship to us as Father determines how we regard every other relationship. The deep reverence for your name awakens in us a corresponding respect for all you have done, for the life you place in others, and for the purpose you have given us here on earth.

That purpose is wrapped up in the kingdom, in your powerful and gracious rule over mankind. May more and more people acknowledge you. Help us to work so that others may confess you.

When they do, they, like we, will fulfill your will. What we want is not important. We have so little basis for judging what is good and right and beneficial. Our emotions get in the way. Our desires drive us far from the ultimate good. We confess our limitations. We want what you want, O Lord. Make your will predominate, just as angels and spiritual beings do your will without question or doubt in the heavenly realms.

It’s a hard world down here, while all seems to go smoothly up there. We work hard, money is tight, budgets get out of control. We worry about paying bills, at the same time that we spend on unnecessary items. How we waste our resources! In all that material confusion and weakness, Father, help us to depend upon you to provide for our needs. You always have. We’ve never gone hungry. We’ve always had clothes to wear. Give us control of our income. Provide us with work of dignity and sufficiency. Continue reading “The prayer you taught us”

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Darth Vader and me

Our Father in heaven, let us not be controlled by the fear of loss and be led away from our faithful commitment to Christ.

Let us not destroy years of good and a life of faith by a moment of weakness, doubt or foolishness.

Keep us from believing that a desirable end justifies a wrong decision.

Help us to look for the way of escape when temptation comes and to succeed over the devil’s wiles.

Help us to be sober and vigilant, watching always in vigilance, steadfast in prayer, in the Word, and in fellowship with the saints.

Help us to do good, today, tomorrow, and always, never veering from the right path.

Give us strength to live according to the truth that every choice matters.

This prayer was inspired by Stephen Bradd’s article, “The Making of Darth Vader.”