DAY 305--VIRTUE CHECKLIST
2009-01-09

Today, I have a very heavy burden on my heart. A couple at our church lost a baby last night. She was about 9 weeks along and miscarried. This is the second time this has happened to them. They had just told the church last week about it, too. I know they are heartbroken, and my heart breaks for them, as well. There's just no way to understand these things. Please join me in praying for Melinda and Russell.

I'm listening to the "worship" channel I made on Pandora while I have my devotion today. I want to start having more of a daily worship time than just Bible reading or devotional book reading. I'm trying to make my time here more intimate and meaningful.

Here's the daily prayer for President-Elect Obama and his appointees from the Presidential Prayer Team

For the spiritual climate in Washington, D.C. to be characterized by a hunger and thirst for God and His ways
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
�Matthew 5:6

Righteous God, only You are deserving of our fear and our awe. All our yearnings are fulfilled in You, for You are faithful and true. There is no God like You, for You can do all things, even that which seems impossible to the human eye.

Knowing Your capabilities are limitless, Lord, we ask boldly and with confidence for You to nurture a spiritual climate in our nation�s capital, inside the beltway and out, in which our leaders desire You and Your ways. God, create in them a longing to know You, and a realization that without You they are incapable of making the decisions that are best for our nation. Make Yourself real to them, Lord, in uniquely personal and undeniable ways, we ask, by the power of Your Son Jesus, amen.


Holy, holy, are you Lord...the whole earth is filled with your glory!

Psalm for today: Psalm 141

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! Verses 3-4

Yes, Lord!! Set a guard over my mouth!


Lord, you are altogether wonderful to me!

Day 305 in The Message//Remix:Solo

Colossians 4:2-6

This is a challenging passage for me today. Two parts, in particular. The first two sentences say this: "Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude." Then the last two sentences say this: "Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out."

Anybody else's toes hurting right now???

This is one of my biggest downfalls. I am so often NOT gracious in my speech. But as I read this encouragement from Paul, I'm eager to try to fix it. At some level, I feel overwhelmed, but also excited at the possibility of being one who "brings out the best in others" in a conversation.

I also need more work on my prayer. I don't "pray diligently," either. My prayer is, at best, sporadic. I'm usually faithul to pray for a brother or sister when a need comes to mind, but I have to confess that right now in my life, I don't have any type of extended prayer time. Just whatever happens here.

I also plan to think more about keeping my "eyes wide open in gratitude."


Jesus, I pray about the things that Paul has mentioned that spoke to me this afternoon. Give me more of a desire to "pray diligently." Help me keep my eyes open in gratitude. Most of all, though, I pray for that graciousness in my speech. I am so critical at times, my Lord! Help me to "bring out the best in others!" I pray that people will see a difference in me, so that I can point to you and say, "HE DID IT!"

I'm so amazed, Jesus, that you love me. Your love is amazing. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me. I exalt you, Jesus! Glorious in heaven above! I praise your name!


Ponder this final thought from Saint Bernard of Clairvaux:
If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water. In the Church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs.

I'm too much a canal. I pray to be a reservoir. What are you?

Grace and peace, friends!



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