Three things will last forever faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; NLT),
Thank you for the faith you give me:
This is such a precious gift.
Thank you for the hope you give me:
May your coming, Lord, be swift.
Thank you for the love you give me:
Greater, still, than all the rest.
Thank you for the help you give me:
Side by side, we’ll face each test.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
Lord, May my exile here
Be filled with prayer,
And all my days on earth
Be shaped by love.
Lord,
May my pathway here
Be lit by joy,
Guiding me step by step
To heaven above.
Lord,
May my thinking here
Be formed by peace,
And all my words and deeds
Framed by your law.
Lord,
May my journey here
Be made with thanks,
Then I’ll be one with you
For evermore.
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
Lord,
May I rejoice
And praise,
Here, in your presence,
All my days,
And, may I pray
Constantly
To you, the God
Who ransoms me.
May my thanks, Lord,
Never end
For all the good
And bad you send,
So, may I worship,
Serve, and sing,
Hid in the shadow
Of your wing.
In the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy (Psalm 63:7; ESV).
Hide me in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 17:8; NLT).
References
I can never escape fromyour Spirit! I can never getawayfrom your presence!
All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy (Psalm 22:26; NLT).
Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD – rejoice inhispresence! (Psalm 68:4; NLT).
He ransoms me and keeps me safe (Psalm 55:18; NLT).
I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).
Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind (1 Chronicles 28:9; NLT).
Worship the LORD your God and serve only him (Luke 4:8; NLT).
It’s been a very difficult couple of days for me and my husband, with thieves determinedly targeting our bank account through a lengthy, elaborate scam. Thankfully, we are being helped by our bank and our wonderful Isle of Man police. Many thanks to you, officers S. and A. You made a huge and decisive difference, and we will never forget you.
Although our account is now completely frozen, we hope to regain access at some point next week with new passwords. Many thanks to C. who is guiding us through this nightmare.
This fraud has caused us a huge amount of stress, lost sleep, exhaustion and pain (a migraine for me). It’s involved us in three visits to the bank, and three to the police station. I feel very sorry for those who have tricked us without caring about the consequences of their behaviour at all. It must be terrible to be them. So I’m praying that God will call out to them, draw them close, help them to repent, to turn to him, and to begin to follow Jesus. May he bless them with inner spiritual growth, and profoundly changed behaviour.
Yesterday morning, in the midst of all this, I saw in prayer that everything, however bad, happens within God’s hands. This is why, and how, as Saint Paul says, God is able to bring good out of everything:
“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28; NLT).
So now I’m looking for the good, and becoming part of it happening. First of all, I’m going to take a copy of this blog to the police station, with a card for the lovely officers who are helping us. I will do the same for the bank. Now I’m wondering what else God will do, or will prompt me to do? That’s an exciting thought.
My warmest thanks to all those who are praying for us, and have offered their help. I particularly want to thank J, whom I have never met in person. She offered me some money to keep us going, and, most valuable of all, shared with me the prayer she repeats constantly in every kind of trouble or distress: “Jesus, I trust in you”.
This little prayer has brought me a remarkable degree of inner calm during our whole ordeal. Astonishingly (and I’ve never done this before), I haven’t even asked her if I can share it with you all, because I’m so confident that she will say yes. This is a major step in trust for me, as I’m never confident about my acceptability to anyone – so I’m just trusting Jesus!
Thank you, J, from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget you, and what you have given to me – your prayer is riches indeed, and the best thing to come out of the fraud. I was already praying for you and your family, but I’ll be praying even more now!
Anyway, given everything that has been happening, today I’ve chosen a prayer from my precious store of saved resources to share with you all. May God bless everyone who reads this: we are all in his hands, whether we know it or not.
Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
Lord,
I never have sufficient time
To praise your everlasting love.
Instead, may I rejoice in you
Throughout each day and night.
I never have sufficient time
To plead for others, as I should.
Instead, Lord, may I pray for them
Throughout each day and night.
I never have sufficient time
To bless you for both bad and good.
Instead, may I give thanks to you
Throughout each day and night, with love.
The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD.
(Job 1:21; CSB).
Today’s prayer came to me yesterday morning. It reflects my thinking and state of mind at the time.
I am yours.
(Psalm 119:94; NLT).
1. There’s not much of “me” left, Lord,
But all I am is yours,
For you are my Creator:
The One my heart adores.
2. There’s not much of “me” left, Lord,
But I’ll serve as best I can,
For you have been my end-point
Since before my life began.
3. There’s not much of “me” left, Lord,
But every day I live
I’ll offer thanks for all you send,
And what you take, I’ll give.
Take whatever He gives and give whatever He takes with a big smile.
(St. Mother Theresa).
References
Verse 1
We are the earth, and you are our maker; and we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8; BBE).
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things (1 Chronicles 29:11; NLT).
Verse 2
I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT).
The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
Verse 3
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).
I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).
The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:20-22; CSB).
Yesterday, when I woke and started to pray very sleepily, this prayer quickly arose. I wanted to ignore it, but had to begin writing it immediately, or it would have faded away in moments.
Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).
1. Lord Jesus, When I wake each day,
May I give thanks,
Rejoice, and pray
To you, my Guide:
God’s perfect way.
2. Lord Jesus,
Yahweh’s living proof,
May I confess,
Without excuse,
My sins to you:
God’s perfect truth.
3. Lord Jesus,
When I rest at night,
May your dear Spirit
Shine so bright
That I see you:
God’s perfect light.
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12; NLT).
He is a light to reveal God to the nations (Luke 2:32; NLT).
References
Verse 1: *Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
*It was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader (Hebrews 2:10; NLT).
*God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31; NLT).
Verse 2: *Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name” (John 10:25; NLT).
*He [God] has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:31; NIV).
*Jesus told him, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6; NLT).
*The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).
*God’struth stands firm like a foundation stone (2Timothy 2:19; NLT).
Verse 3: *God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us (1 John 4:13; NLT).
*God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24; NKJV).
*God is light (1 John 1:5; NLT).
Yesterday, at the end of a time of quiet prayer, today’s verses began to flow, gradually taking shape during the rest of the day.
The most important commandment is this: “Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mark 12:29-30; NLT).
No matter what happens
I’ll love you.
To all you ordain
I’ll say: “Yes.”
Whatever you take
I’ll rejoice, Lord.
Whatever you send
I will bless.
No matter what happens
I’ll worship,
And all you impose
I’ll embrace.
In troubles and tests
I’ll give thanks, Lord,
For here, in your hands,
I am safe.
I am in the hands of the Lord, the Most High is my safe resting-place (Psalm 91:9; BBE).
References Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 13:3; NLT).
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).
A reading: Job receives disastrous, life-changing news
Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything (Job 1:20-22; CSB).
