Put Your Hope In God

Trust and Hope are at the heart of faith, but how do you measure them?  How do you know you are growing in trust and hope?  In a human relationship it seems more concrete, but when we deal with God It seems harder to gauge.   What ways can we develop the hope and trust we have in God?

We hear the expression "put your hope in God" a lot but it rings hollow because we know our inability to walk the talk too well.

Hope is a level of courage, even encouragement, that we draw from our belief in a person or object, often because of trust based on past experiences.  

I believe that my car will help me get to work because it has done so dozens of times before.
I trust that you will keep my secret and you have always displayed confidentiality.
I have faith that if I continue to exercise, my body will change for the better.
I have hope that we will be married "til death do us part".

All well and good...even tedious.

I am not talking about tame, lukewarm hope and trust, I mean ALL IN.  What does FULL trust in God lead us?  Where do all our hopes take us from where we are presently?  Can we even imagine?

I would wager we cannot imagine, and if we could, it would cause us a great deal of soul-searching to count the cost of this kind of commitment.

What if we give up faith in our own power (our jobs, our relationships, our desires and ambitions) that is all our striving to be what WE want to be, to achieve and to have- Forgetting all worldly security, and walking faithfully as he guides and provides.

"It is harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God"

Does Jesus expect all his followers to be homeless, destitute vagabonds?  

No, but he does expect you to release the trust and hope you have in the things of this world.  To let go of the pride and independence you have because of what you feel you have accomplished alone (you did not) and what you have.  If you really feel that you have been blessed and it is all a gift from God then you should not care if God requires you to get rid of it to be used by him again, should you?

"Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.   And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him,[a]and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”   So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.   But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

What is half of what you own in cash value?  Think of giving that to the poor.  I imagine paying people back we had wronged fourfold might bankrupt most of us.  So what is the message?  

We don't want to hear it, because it will cause us to turn our world upside down.  I will cost us more than we are willing to pay.  It is Abram and Issac on the mountain, Moses leaving to return to Egypt to free the Israelites,  it is a sacrificial response to God's request.  Could you lay your son on an altar and draw the knife?  Could you leave your wife and head back to a likely death sentence?

So here it is: "No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and he will love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and mammon."

(Mammon is often rendered as money, but that is inadequate- it means "wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion" )

And we knew this, but we do not want to do it. That is the problem. We already know we cannot serve both as masters, both cannot share the throne, so rather deny ourselves we refuse to choose. In that, we have made a choice- mammon. It is a intellectual dishonesty, a spiritual compromise designed to sauve our self-centeredness.

Something has happened in my mind and heart recently that has me looking at the things in my life as pretty empty and meaningless. Where I use to think in terms of getting more, I began to think, "What is the point?" as I found myself less and less enamored of having my next big obsession. I find myself today (Christmas day) not having a single present to open and feeling content. I have not obtained a full trust and hope, but I stepped closer.  I heard it said once that we must love people and use things.  That seems to be a starting point mentally for me.  I know I use to love things and use people pretty regularly.  That happens less frequently now, and with the idea of two masters rolling around in my frontal lobe I find it being the bouncer at the door of my thoughts.

Next time you have a moment of recognition that things do not lead to satisfaction and they stand in your way, don't push that idea aside...

Being in Debt To One Another

“Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back” (Lk 6:30).

I made a personal decision that I would not lend to anyone ever. 

It has set me free to be more generous in my heart. 

When someone asks to borrow from me I readily give it not expecting it back, be it a book, money, a coat or a CD. I consider it gifted. There is no disappointment if I never see it again, or feeling that someone is in my debt (that is awkward for both parties and ruins a relationship). I don't think of possessions as mine but as a gift from God I TRY to hold things loosely and value people over things.

Being in debt is a form of slavery.  I don't want to be responsible for your bondage.

I personally owe a friend money, and I am grateful that they helped me out when I was in a bind but it creates a shame in me and a perceivable resentment in him.  I don't want to do that to others. 

It is hard to admit that sometimes we need help from others, that we are not independent.  You need help with a jump for your car, you need a ride home, you need to borrow a cup of sugar, you need a couch to crash on tonight.

It is hard to ask for these things...

and hard to receive- even when it is offered unsolicited.

Do you feel the same tension of obligation and gratitude?

The verse tells us we are not to withhold anything:  

“Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back” (Lk 6:30).

This discipline of generosity has room to be developed in every heart.

Joy Does Not Mean Happiness

Had a bit of a revelation this evening and it involves a word that we have misunderstood.  Here’s the definition Rick Warren came up with from studying Scripture:

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.

The deep, abiding joy comes as we persevere through trials, with God’s help, and our faith matures and is strengthened. So happiness tends to be fleeting and depends upon temporal factors like circumstances or other people.

Joy, on the other hand, is true contentment that comes from internal factors like our faith in the Lord. True joy is everlasting and not dependent upon circumstances. 

Hebrews 12:2 “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus experienced joy but it was also a focus for Him while He suffered excruciatingly on the cross. In fact, the root word for excruciating is the crucifixion.  Joy can help you endure suffering too, but none of us will ever have to experience what Jesus did.

James 1:2-3 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Joy can help us endure trials and suffering.

Can We Admit the Greed in Ourselves?

I think greed gets the best of everybody.  Greed is destructive (please don't justify it by calling it Capitalism).  Greed, like the love of comfort, is based in fear.

He who is greedy is always in want.  It is an insatiable hunger.  Unquenchable.

It is one of the ugliest sides of humanity, a gate to hell, like lust and anger.

We deny it is in us, there is always someone we perceive as worse than us to point to as justification for our behavior.

I don't want to pontificate in an area where I myself am so weak.  This is truly one of those areas Buddha spoke of when he saids, "When the student is ready a teacher appears".  May the wisdom of a wide array of Greater Minds take seed in the fertile soul of a receptive mind.

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” 
― Socrates

“So the unwanting soul
sees what's hidden,
and the ever-wanting soul
sees only what it wants.” 
― Lao Tzu

“What win I, if I gain the thing I seek?
A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy.
Who buys a minute's mirth to wail a week?
Or sells eternity to get a toy?
For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy?
Or what fond beggar, but to touch the crown,
Would with the sceptre straight be strucken down?” 
― William Shakespeare, The Rape of Lucrece

Greed is not a financial issue. It's a heart issue.  ~Andy Stanley

…But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 
-1 Timothy 6:9-10

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal… You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:19 and 24).

I am going to close this out with a survey from Christianity today which gives me insight into my own behavior.  Take some time with your answers in prayer, ask our Father to breathe into us what he wants to see develop in your heart...

To help you focus your own self-examination, answer the following questions. The questionnaire is a rough measure of your generosity. The questions provide only a generous and a greedy option. The import of the answer given may vary with the circumstances of the one giving the answer. It would be wrong to quantify your responses. The point is not to rate yourself, but to position yourself better to fight the spiritual battle.

1. If I fantasize about winning a magazine sweepstakes, what most comes to mind is: (a) what I could do for others with all that money; (b) what I could buy, the vacations I could take, and the freedom to do what I want.
2. When I hear of someone with about the same talents and energy and education as I have who earns $20,000 a year more than I do, I think: (a) how nice that he or she can earn that much money; (b) it's not fair.
3. When someone outside my family gives me a significant gift "out of the blue": (a) I feel good about being the recipient of that person's generosity, and am comfortable with remaining in his or her "debt"; (b) I refuse it, or if I accept it I feel uncomfortable until I have given the giver something of equal or greater value.
4. If I express my admiration for some possession of an acquaintance (a book, a painting, a piece of pottery), and the acquaintance offers to give it to me, I tend to think: (a) "This person is very generous"; (b) "What do you suppose he or she wants from me?"
5. When I give someone a gift: (a) I am content if the person acknowledges the gift with pleasure; (b) I feel cheated if the person doesn't pretty soon do me a favor or give me a gift of equal or greater value.
6. When I give money to the church or other charitable organization, I typically: (a) think with pleasure about the good that may be done with my money; (b) think of the things I could have done with the money if I hadn't given it away.
7. If I lend $15 to someone I meet at a retreat: (a) I don't mind much if I never see the money again; (b) I get pretty upset if the person doesn't repay me.
8. When I give money to the church, I do so because: (a) I like to see the church doing well; (b) I feel it wouldn't be right to not give.
9. When I get a significant raise or come into some money: (a) it does not affect my standard of living; (b) my standard of living increases.
10. When I get a raise or switch to a higher income job: (a) my feelings about myself don't change much; (b) I tend to feel very good about myself for a while, but soon I begin to feel "poor" again.
11. When something of value is being distributed in a group—fish at the end of a fishing trip or leftover food at a picnic—if I can manage to get a bit more for myself than others without seeming greedy: (a) I will not do it; (b) I will do it.

The Entitlement Trap

Christmas has become the epitome of entitlement thinking:
"My family deserves _______."
"I feel I have earned ______."
"I can't afford this, but my ______ is worth it."
"That will be credit, please."
"But Honey, it was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up!"

The Black Friday shopping is creeping up to the week before Thanksgiving, with the ravenous quest for deals inserting itself in advance of Thanksgiving.  Many stores are open on Thanksgiving day offering pre-Black Friday deals.  Some feel they are entitled to a season of shopping.

I am reading a book by John Townsend called "The Entitlement Cure".  In it he says, 

“Entitlement is the belief that I am exempt from responsibility and I am owed special treatment.” 

“Entitlement is: The man who thinks he is above all the rules. The woman who feels mistreated and                  needs others to make it up to her.” 

Entitlement has us believe that the world owes us something because of who we are.  It is our sense of justice gone rogue in a very selfish way.  It is the avoidance of the Hard Way that leads us to where we are suppose to be.

Here are other's thoughts on the entitlement trap...


“You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.” 
― Abraham Lincoln

“When we replace a sense of service and gratitude with a sense of entitlement and expectation, we quickly see the demise of our relationships, society, and economy.” 
― Steve Maraboli

“Legalism breeds a sense of entitlement that turns us into complainers.” 
― Tullian Tchividjian

“Taking things for granted is a terrible disease. We should all be checking ourselves regularly for signs of it.” 
― Kate Tempest

“There's a whole generation growing up thinking...the government exists to care for them.” 
― Dave Ramsey

“They all want to be happy. They all think they should be happy. And they’re quick to trot out their most cherished document and point to where they were promised “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But you’ll find that though they all parrot that little phrase, they think none too hard about that word “pursuit”. To follow, to chase, to inquire, to hunt, to seek. To track in order to overtake and capture. This they don’t do. Instead, having been offered a promise of happiness, they progress to a feeling of entitlement for happiness, then make the leap that happiness should, therefore, be easily won, automatic. There’s too much wrong in there to even scratch at that!” 
― Geoffrey Wood

Entitlement is dependence, expectation that someone else is responsible for our happiness, provision and status quo.

I wonder what (or who)  in our lives is taken for granted as "our right to have"?

Generosity: Letting Go of What Holds You

In John Wesley’s famous sermon, “The Use of Money,” which is an extended examination of Luke 16:9 - I have been thinking what our world might look like if God gave us courage to live out these words from the sermon’s conclusion:

Gain all you can, without hurting either yourself or your neighbor, in soul or body, by applying hereto with unintermitted diligence, and with all the understanding which God has given you; save all you can, by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire; to gratify either the desire of flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life; waste nothing, living or dying, on sin or folly, whether for yourself or your children; and then, give all you can, or, in other words, give all you have to God. Do not stint yourself . . . to this or that proportion. “Render unto God,” not a tenth, not a third, not half, but all that is God's, be it more or less; by employing all on yourself, your household, the household of faith, and all mankind, in such a manner, that you may give a good account of your stewardship when ye can be no longer stewards.

That is radical generosity.  That is not the words of someone who has one foot in this world and the other in Heaven.

Giving is about willingness, not about a percentage, or a duty or giving to God.  Newsflash-  God doesn't need you in order to save the world.  Real giving is not a transaction, you will never balance the scales - God will always outgive you.  Giving is acknowledging who every good thing in your life belongs to and where it comes from.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry” (Lk 6:24)

“Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back” (Lk 6:30). “Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Mt 19:21)

James exhorted Christians to live out their faith, saying, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (Jam 2:15-16). The story of the rich young man is in the Gospel for a reason—we cannot ignore it. If Jesus says, “Sell what you possess and give to the poor,” why do Christians not do what He commands?

“The mark of such a sacrificial life is eager willingness to give up comfort and privilege when that will help the weak,”  ~ Roger Olsen

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.   ~ Romans 12:1-4

Gratitude

When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.

When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.

When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.

When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.

When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.

When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.

When times are tough, dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you, dare to love again.

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.

When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.

When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.

When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.

Dare to be the best you can –

At all times, Dare to be!”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

“The more I understand the mind and the human experience, the more I begin to suspect there is no such thing as unhappiness; there is only ungratefulness.” 
― Steve Maraboli

“Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation.” 
― John Ortberg

“He who does not reflect his life back to God in gratitude does not know himself.” 
― Albert Schweitzer

“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” 
― Brené Brown

“I used to think how lucky she was to have me, but now I realize that’s backwards. A spirit of gratitude yields patience, love, and forgiveness.” 
― Jarod Kintz

“Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.” 
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.” 
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” 
― Maya Angelou

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” 
― Epicurus

“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.” 
― Thích Nhất Hạnh

Suffering Other's Sin

I awoke this morning with a profound urge to pray. I found a very personal answer to a question in this....

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit." ~1 Peter 3:18 NIV

It is easy to see the sinfulness in others. not so easy to suffer for others in spite of that sin. That is righteousness.

We do not have the righteousness in us, it is only because of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit that we can suffer other's sin. We talk about judging others, but what is really at hand is suffering through another's sin while battling our own sinful response.

The human condition after the Fall is that sin begets sin.  A vicious cycle

Would Timothy Have Avoided Us?

What is the antidote?

Do you not recognise our society- NO, let's make this personal...do we recognise OURSELVES in this passage?  Make a list and be honest.  Painfully honest, we can see much of ourselves and our conforming to the world in our actions.

Before that becomes a burden of guilt, let's confess this quickly (these are the last days) and give our heart away to one who has covered all our sin.  Ask the Holy Spirit to mold us into the person that honors God.

Arrogance

I had two instances today where scripture pointed to this word: Arrogance.  In the first case, it was in 1 Corinthians 12 and Paul was schooling the church there about how they had viewed themselves are greater than one another because of the spiritual gifts imparted.  Tonight in our family bible study Jacob finished up Malachi and the beginning of that chapter talks about the arrogant being trampled.

Our blind spots allow us to overlook areas where we are arrogant, think more highly of ourselves than we should and miss social cues that might allow us to see ourselves better.

A quick fix for this would be to have someone follow you around for a day and video record you.  You would probably wince at watching such a brutally honest outside view- "Is THAT what I sound like?" "Wow, that was not what I looked like was it?" and "I didn't intend to come off that way!"

What makes me arrogant?  Where is the pride and the superiority in my life?  Who do I see as inferior and why?  Arrogance is both the act of boasting and smallness, it is insecurity and blind spots.  Nobody sets out to be arrogant, it seems to happen when others don't recognise and affirm that we have value- so we claim it for ourselves.

Brevity

This word came to me a month ago.  I am a teacher at heart and I enjoy public speaking.  Admittedly I am a student, not a master of Listening.  As I was listening to a friend speak at length about a topic he was passionate about, I saw something of myself in him and this word appeared before my eyes and I could not hear what he was saying after it appeared.  I am still chewing on the word "brevity".  It feels significant and heavy to me.  Like a burden I am suppose to carry.  "Speak simply and use as few words as possible" is what I feel the Spirit speak to me.   We recently had a retreat with our bible study, three of us were teaching.  I reduced my teaching down to a few points that fit on two bookmarks and allowed a time for listening to God in nature.  I was by far the shortest teaching session of the weekend.  Something about that was deeply gratifying, like God smiled on my effort to obey him.  My bible study group may have wondered "Is that all?"

I measure my words more carefully than before.  I do not regret or question whether "less is more"

Those who presume to be wise, or be teachers, or leaders assume a high position.  I don't know that as mortal men we are wise to go there.  We are too fallible, too susceptible to pride, too limited in vision, too deceived by what appears to be wisdom.  It is better to be ascribed as a teacher than to claim to be one.  It is better that we accept a lower role and let our fruits draw us higher.  Humility and service over pride and power.  It is best to speak the word of God and what the Spirit says and not add too much of our wisdom to what we teach, to not "seize authority".

Let someone else speak of your authority because of the fruit that is born from your service and humble spirit.

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.  Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words."   
 ~ Ecclesiastes 5: 1-3

I'm Not Who I Was

Often I think about choices I have made at intersections in my life.  Some have been bad choices that have led me down detours and dead-ends or worse.  I don't know how many of my choices have been right nor even due to me (rather God dropped good things in my lap) but I have an idea about a few things I have done right.  A friend reminded me this week that we often compare our blooper reel to others highlight reel and get frustrated and depressed.

If I take back some of my choices, then a cascade of other things change- some of them very good.  No, I cannot give into regret and thoughts of changing the past.  Growth comes through going through, not by avoiding or going around the reality (and consequences) of our choices.

I do know I am not who I was.  God changed me, he changed my heart and I really did become a new creation, renewing my mind and my heart- my personality was radically altered but not perfect. My life since then has been a period of learning, examination and growth.

It's all a part of growing up...

"And the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was..."

(From I'm Not Who I Was by Brandon Heath)

Spiritual Challenge of the Week: Prayer Journalling

Anyone can do this:  Prayer journalling.

Don't make excuses, start this today.

Get yourself a small notebook and carry it with you.  Listen to God.  Listen to people.  Write it down.  Pray for people until you get an answer.  Highlight the request once it has been answered.  God may give you insight into your prayer life, things he wants you to do, or ways to pray- jot those down too.  Keep praying for anything you have written down until there is an answer no matter how long it takes.  Follow up with people if possible to get updates (it may cause you to change what you are praying for).  Prayer changes things, often the thing that changes is you.  Miracles are happening all around us and we are too busy to notice or recognize them for what they are- God's hand at work- not luck, not coincidence not fate.  Look to see how God answers prayer- sometimes not as you would have asked or imagined.  A couple of weeks of this and you will find yourself looking for opportunities to pray for others, you will feel more in tune with God and looking forward to prayer times.  Be consistent- that is the key.

God is speaking.  Are we listening?

Blessings!!

Jeff

Aliens

Do you fit in too well?

“If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you." (John 15:18-19)

As a friend use to say, "This world's got nothing for me."

If you think I am strange, good! I should seem like an alien:

"Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives." (1 Peter 2:11-12 The Message)

Ablutions

In our house we have a hygiene routine that we refer to as ablutions, a term we picked up from the esteemed Dr. Sheldon Cooper.  You might think it is merely doing your business in the bathroom each morning and night, but for us it has a spiritual component and a ritual that is both centering and consecrating.

Ablutions (a ceremonial act of washing parts of the body or sacred containers)

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

As we work through our cleaning routine we meditate on these things:

Hands:  Consecrate my hands to serve, give and be clean and pure in motive

Shower:  Cleanse me from all unrighteousness, create in me a clean heart

Shave/ Facial care:  Remove any fleshly growth or blemish- sculpt me

Ears: Guard my hearing from deception, lies of Satan, or gossip

Hair: Fill me with your Holy Spirit, let it cover my mind

Junk:  Purify my sexual being

Face/ eyes:  Protect me from temptation, greed, envy, and lust for things of this world

Teeth/mouth: Filter my words with love, fill me with praise, acceptance and encouragement

Feet:  Guide my steps, keep me from wandering, show me the way to walk a different path

Nose: Let my life be a fragrant offering (deodorant, mouthwash and cologne)

Morning prayer:  Thank you for this day, Lord.  I welcome you in to my every activity today, have your way, guide me, teach me and prompt me.

At night:  Thank you Lord, for this day.  Show me where you were at work today and help me learn and consider where I failed or missed opportunities as a learning experience.  Forgive me for my sins and show me where I need to be forgiving people before my head hits the pillow.