Friday’s Devotion: Healing Prayers

 

Jeremiah 17:14-16a  Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved,    for you are the one I praise. They keep saying to me, “Where is the word of the Lord?    Let it now be fulfilled!” I have not run away from being your shepherd.

I remember sitting in a rocking chair on the deck of my favorite (now defunct) mountain inn one morning.  I had been going through a short period of emotional distress and was hoping a weekend in the mountains with Joe would cheer me up.  As I paged through my Bible searching for a word from God I came across Jeremiah 17:14.  I turned it into a breath prayer, “Heal me, O Lord and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one that I praise.”  I have used that prayer many times over the succeeding years.  A few weeks ago I found it in my Bible again and noticed the following verses.  How appropriate for me as a pastor, I thought.  I have marked it in the Bible I usually read from on Sunday mornings.  Now before I preach I turn to that page and read it.  God’s Word can heal and comfort and empower us.  Sitting home with a bad cough and fever this morning, I have once again evoked this healing prayer.  You might want to pray it for yourself and for me, too!

Holy God, heal me from my infirmities today.  Help me to feel better so that I can go about my day as your servant.  In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

Have a great weekend!

Paige

Thursday’s Devotion: Living in Freedom

Galatians 5:1 (GW)  Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm in this freedom, and don’t become slaves again.

There’s nothing like having a burden lifted by Christ. Scripture says that we are more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37).  Yet sometimes we don’t live the life of freedom Christ has given us.   We may shed a bad habit but keep all the lesser habits that used to accompany it.  Instead of living with Christ’s attitude of love we continue to be legalistic, judging others and ourselves too harshly.  Leah Nobel sings a song titled “Ride the Butterfly.”  That imagery is one of rebirth and freedom and souring in successful living to me.  This is what our Creator wants for us.

Holy God, you have freed us from living under the old Law and instead wish us to live under the new law of love.  You free us from temptation to sin and give us new life.  Help us to live into our freedom and to be held back no longer by our old life and habits.
In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Blessings,

Paige

Wednesday’s Devotion – The First Cut

Philippians 4:13 (GW) I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.

I watched the medical drama Emily Owens, MD last night.  In it, Emily performed her first surgery. It was scary for her to make that first cut. I tried to put myself in her place and knew that it would be scary for me, too.  We may not be medical students, but there may be other things in our life that we are reluctant to do because it seems scary to us.  What could it be for you? Is there someone you’d like to ask out?  Is there an injustice you want to speak out against?  Are you considering changing jobs?  Is there something new you’d like to try?  Is God calling you to deepen your relationship with Him? In all these situations we can be unsure of making that first step. Yet in all things, Christ is with you and if things don’t work out, Christ will still be with you.  You may not understand it now, but trust me, that’s the coolest thing ever.

We’re so unsure sometimes, Lord.  We don’t know what we should do. Help us to trust your voice and our conscience.  Help us to understand our own hearts and to be brave enough to step out in faith towards new things.  In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Have a good day,
Paige

Tuesday’s Devotion: God and Discipline

Hebrews 12:8-11 MSG My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

I like the way the Message translates this scripture. I know that once we grow up we tend to resist discipline.  We want to be in charge. We have bosses at work and for some our parents still exert a degree of influence. We have to live in compromise with our spouse. Where we can we want to be in control. But God often has other ideas.  If you’ve never felt God’s discipline, you might want to work harder to be in relationship with God.  It might not be fun to have God trip you up in front of others but it is a good feeling that God loves you enough to help you walk the best path by correcting you.

Holy God, thank you so much for your discipline. We know you want the best for us.  Help us to lower our resistance and to follow your lead.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have a great day,

Paige

Monday’s Devotion: Religion, Running and Relationships

1 Timothy 6:11-12 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I prayed this morning for myself, the church, our staff and a number of other people, of course including my husband Joe and son Robert.  I’m so proud of Robert for his involvement at St. Mark UMC, for his taking up running and dedication to good health and fitness at this point in his life and for his ability to surround himself with great friends.  I realized that I was praying for his religion, running and relationships.  And I realized that for all of us to be successful in those areas it takes discipline and perseverance.  For me it takes prayer, too.  I like this scripture that says to pursue the good things and fight the good fight.  I’m not for violence but this is a different fight.  Both recognize that the best things of a faith driven life don’t come easily. We have to take the initiative to make things happen. 

Holy God, we need you every hour to strengthen us and to help us plan ways to life the good and faithful life.  We ask in Jesus’ name that you would be with us this week. Amen.

Have a blessed week,

Paige

 

Friday’s Devotion: Caesar and God

Matthew 22:15-22 (NLT)  Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.  They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites.  Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”  But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me?  Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”  “Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”  His reply amazed them, and they went away.

This scripture really isn’t about whether the people should pay taxes or not.  It’s about Jesus’ conflict with Jewish leaders. However I have always seen some wisdom in Jesus’ remark. We all have dual citizenship.  We are citizens of the country in which we live or maybe of some other country but we are also citizens of the Kingdom of God. While we do our duties as Americans we should never lose sight of our other citizenship and the duties to which that citizenship calls us.  This citizenship calls us to be people of love.  It calls us to be kind to one another, to care for the poor and lonely, to pray and worship God.  Our Kingdom citizenship must, MUST take priority over our geographic citizenship.  If we let the other dominate we are easily led to participate in the divisiveness that seems to naturally come when we have a multi-party political system. I plan on being in church Sunday (I have to be there, I’m the preacher) and I hope you will be there too. If need be, let’s reorient ourselves as Christians towards the things of God.

Holy God, We no longer live in the Garden. We occupy a world that does not always reflect your image. Help us to reorient ourselves toward the cross upon which the blood of our Savior was poured that we might become new people; citizens of your Kingdom now and eternally.  In His name we pray, Amen.

Have a blessed day,
Paige

Thursday’s Devotion: Miracles – Ordinary and Otherwise

1 Corinthians 12:28  Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

In a recent email Terry Teykl related that some years ago he went to a hospital to pray for a man in the last stages of cancer at the request of one of his church members. It was obvious death was near but Terry prayed a perfunctory prayer and left. The next day when he called the hospital to see if the man had died he was told that the man had gone home.  Teykl contacted him and the young man said that after he prayed a man in a white robe appeared and healed him.  We may not have such things happen to us but we encounter ordinary miracles every day.  There are actually two popular songs about ordinary miracles.  In Ordinary Miracle Sara McLaughlin sings, “The sky knows when it’s time to snow. Don't need to teach a seed to grow.  It's just another ordinary miracle today.  Life is like a gift they say wrapped up for you every day;  Open up and find a way to give some of your own.”   In Ordinary Miracles Barbara Streisand sings these beautiful lyrics, “Ordinary miracles happen all around.  Just by giving and receiving comes belonging and believing.  Every sun that rises never rose before.  Each new day leads the way through a different door, and we can all be quiet heroes living quiet days, walking through the world changing it in quiet ways. Ordinary miracles like candles in the dark, each and every one of us lights a spark.” I’m thankful for the miracles of nature and the people who quietly perform ordinary miracles each day. One of those might be you.

Holy God, the ways of the world are vast and constantly changing. We know that you remain steadfast leading us through each day like a beacon.  Help us to perform ordinary miracles along the way.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have a blessed day,

Paige