Help me come out of hiding. I want to live my life for you—and with you.

It is only when we hide that we are living in rebellion. Perhaps not the kind of rebellion that kicks up its heels at authority, but rebellion against the glorious gift of the outrageous love of God.

~~Sheila Walsh 

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

Hiding from God takes many forms. We can hide in busyness and in over commitment. We can hide by doing good things, convincing ourselves that we are in God’s will. We set ourselves on doing things, but these may not be God’s things.

Hiding means rebelling. When we hide from God, in whatever manner we do it, we’re saying that we don’t want to hear from him. Why? Well, he might make us adjust our plans or change our direction or even make us sit and listen to him

The truth is, we can’t hide from God. And it is also true that in that rebellion—in all that crazy busyness—we’re actually missing out on the outrageous love of God. For his love knows just what we need, just how to fill our hearts, just how to give us joy.

There is no reason to hide. Come into the light.

Prayer for Meditation

Help me come out of hiding. I want to live my life for you—and with you.

Scripture for Meditation

I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;

I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.

I have told everyone in the great assembly

of your unfailing love and faithfulness. (Psalm 40:10)

Music for Meditation 

How Great Thou Art

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Lord, when I’m most tempted to turn away from you, help me trust that you still care.

May this be our prayer, “I do not want to turn my eyes from you, O God. There I want them to stay and not move no matter what happens to me, within or without.” 

~~Saint Catherine of Genoa  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

Some hurts in life cause us to run and hide. We feel too wounded to make eye contact with anyone, preferring to withdraw instead. Even gazing toward God can seem as painful as gazing at the sun. We can’t do it for long, especially if we fear that he does not care.

What we need instead is the unblinking stare of a trusting child looking up at her loving Father. The desire to keep our eyes on God is usually born out of a desperate need. This need is at its fullest when we realize our weakness, our frailty. It is then that we go to him, for we realize he is the only safe place to go.

A fixed gaze takes discipline and a determination to stay focused on God despite the distractions. Most of all, it takes faith and the knowledge that God’s gaze is fixed on you too.

Prayer for Meditation

Lord, when I’m most tempted to turn away from you, help me trust that you still care.

Scripture for Meditation

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 

Music for Meditation

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Lord, help me to trust your plans for me, even when they don’t make sense.

When you and I desire God’s best for us, but become annoyed when He steps in to change the course of our lives, we rebel against the very thing we prayed for.  

~~Priscilla Shirer

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

“No, not that way! Let me show you how I want it done.”

Can you imagine saying these words to God? It seems silly when we read them, but how often are we guilty of thinking that way, of trying to direct God’s actions? We pray with an agenda—“Lord, please help me find a job, heal my friend, pay my bills”—all valid, deep concerns. God promises that he is working his best for us, so we naturally assume that his understanding of “best” matches our perception of what would be best for us.

When we make assumptions about how God should work, when we get annoyed that he’s not following “the plan,” we actually end up rebelling against what we asked for.

If we really want God’s will and God’s best, then we need to trust him enough to let him do it his way.

Prayer for Meditation

Lord, help me to trust your plans for me, even when they don’t make sense.

Scripture for Meditation

O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? Psalm 77:13  

Music for Meditation 

I’ll Never Let Go of Your Hand

 

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Will you carry this burden, Lord Jesus? It’s too heavy for me to bear.

Every day something else failed to make sense, something else grew too heavy.

“Will you carry this too, Lord Jesus?” 

~~Corrie Ten Boom  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

Some days the weight on our shoulders feels like too much to bear already, and then—something else happens, something else doesn’t make sense, and yet another weight is placed on our stooping back. This time it is too heavy. We can’t possibly carry this one.

Corrie ten Boom watched her world spin out of control from behind the fence of a Nazi prison camp. Nothing made any sense. Every day a new burden was added to her overloaded psyche and it was too much to bear. Where was Jesus?

He was right there with her. She took the encumbering confusion and handed it to Jesus. He willingly carried the load for her.

Are you struggling under a burden? Jesus never intends to give you too much. He offers to shift the weight of your burdens onto himself.

“Will You carry this too, Lord Jesus?” you ask. He smiles. Yes, He will.

Prayer for Meditation

Will you carry this burden, Lord Jesus? It’s too heavy for me to bear.

Scripture for Meditation

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.  Matthew 11:28-30 

Music for Meditation 

I Surrender

 

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Father, life can be hard, but you are my anchor, my support, my comfort.

Time, genuine religion . . . is the anchor of our hope.

The ornament of youth, the comfort of age;

our support in affliction and adversity,

and the solace of that solemn hour, which we must all experience. 

~~Abigail Adams  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

Abigail Adams understood that the Christian life is not easy. Affliction and adversity come uninvited. Sadness and darkness may fill many of our days. God does not remove those experiences from us, however, when we trust in him, he offers great support and hope.

Like an anchor he holds us firm when the waves threaten. He ornaments our lives, giving beauty and meaning. He brings comfort as we age, for our future is bright and eternal. He supports us in times of affliction and adversity when our own strength fails. And he will be our solace in that final hour when we leave this life and go to him.

What love that he cares so much for us throughout our lives and then wraps his arms around us when our time on earth is finished. Such a wonderful God we have!

Prayer for Meditation

Father, life can be hard, but you are my anchor, my support, my comfort.

Scripture for Meditation

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:18-20 

Music for Meditation 

Hope is Dawning

 

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

God, give me the endurance to keep praying, for I know you will answer.

You may have no idea when or how God will answer your prayers, but don’t stop praying. 

~~Nancy Leigh DeMoss  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

When it feels like our prayers are being met with silence, we experience great discouragement. When we’ve talked to God for a long time and haven’t seen any impact from our prayers, it’s easy to become weary or to decide that God just isn’t going to get involve with this situation at all.

Waiting days, weeks, years for God to answer tempts us to give up. It’s quite different from “waiting” in our culture of instant gratification, where problems are solved within a sixty-minute TV show.

The truth is, we don’t know when or how any of our prayers will be answered. What we do know is that God promises to answer. So we keep praying, for in those deep conversations with God we are forging deep trust and developing strong faith.

No matter how silent God seems, dear sister, don’t stop praying.

Prayer for Meditation

God, give me the endurance to keep praying, for I know you will answer.

Scripture for Meditation—Psalm 13

O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?

How long will you look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,

with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand? 

Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!

Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”

Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.  

But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

I will sing to the LORD

Because he is good to me. 

Music for Meditation 

Help Is On The Way

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Father, I love you for who you are, not for what you give me.

We must learn to seek God’s face and not his hand. 

~~Joyce Meyer  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

Dad would come back from his business trips and the first thing we’d ask him is, “Did you bring us anything?”

Smiling, Dad would tell us to go and look in his suitcase and there we’d find them, gifts from his trip. It became such a habit that we anticipated Dad’s return, not so much to see him, but to see the gifts he brought.

Does that sound at all like your relationship with your heavenly Father?

While God delights in giving good things to us, he does not want to be simply a Giver of gifts; God wants to be the Giver of life. He wants you to seek not his hands full of gifts, but his face full of love and protection and guidance. God desires that you seek him for who he is.

Seek God’s face today. That will be enough.

Prayer for Meditation

Father, I love you for who you are, not for what you give me.

Scripture for Meditation

For the spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4 

Music for Meditation 

I Surrender All

 

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Jesus, thank you for traveling with me, and for helping with the luggage.

He knows the journey is difficult. He knows life is rarely fair . . .

Jesus invites us to cast our doubts, our fears and anxiety upon him,

to discover how much he really does care.  

~~Joanna Weaver  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

So when does “happily ever after” really start?

Life has moments of joy and laughter, times of beauty and pleasure. But those happy moments have a way of being cut short by the sadness of loss, or pain, or sin, or death.

It’s true: Life is rarely fair: The journey is difficult.

All this reminds us of what we really should know already—that this world isn’t our home. While we travel here, however, we have a traveling companion. When life’s hurts creep in, Jesus invites us to cast everything on him. When the burden is too heavy or the pain runs too deep, when sorrow overwhelms, we can ask him to help us carry the load. When we do, we find how much he really does care.

The “happily ever after” part? That’s coming. We have his word on it.

And that is enough.

Prayer for Meditation

Jesus, thank you for traveling with me, and for helping with the luggage.

Scripture for Meditation

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 

Music for Meditation 

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

 

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

I’m feeling a little worn out, Father. I need you to revive me.

The One who created you, who formed you—body, soul, and spirit—is not only your creator, He is also your sustainer.

~~Kay Arthur

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

God created you . . . take a moment to breathe in that very thought. You’re not an accident, not a chance of nature, not a result of evolutionary slime. No, you were expressly created. God chose every part of you, every physical and emotional detail, every gift and talent, and put the package together to be delivered into the world at a precise time in history, at a precise place, into a precise family.

But beyond that, he sustains you. He doesn’t leave you to fend for yourself. He wants to take those details, those gifts and talents—that whole package—and use it for his glory. He wants to keep you strong and vibrant. He wants to draw you ever closer to him, the source of life.

When you feel worn down, ask your Sustainer to refresh, revive, and renew you. It will be his pleasure.

Prayer for Meditation

I’m feeling a little worn out, Father. I need you to revive me.

Scripture for Meditation—Psalm 119:116-117

LORD, sustain me as you promised that I may live!

Do not let my hope be crushed.

Sustain me, and I will be rescued;

then I will meditate continually on your decrees. 

Music for Meditation 

God Will Make A Way

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Lord, help me to serve others from the solid foundation of your love.

Do not build towers without a foundation, for our Lord does not care so much for the importance of our works as for the love with which they are done. 

~~Teresa of Avila 

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

We want to do great and important things for God. Nothing wrong with that; it’s certainly a noble desire. Yet even if we are given the opportunity to do great things—to give large amounts of money, build churches, speak to thousands, bring salvation to many—the Lord is looking more closely at our attitude than at the works themselves. He is looking at the foundation on which our tower of works is built; he is looking for an attitude of love.

Those great things we do for God—are they done for attention, accolades, a name on a building, an award? Or are they done simply out of gratitude to God and love for our fellow human beings?

Your works—whether as small as reading to your child or checking in on your elderly neighbor—when done in love, are of great value to your Lord.

Prayer for Meditation

Lord, help me to serve others from the solid foundation of your love.

Scripture for Meditation

If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded. Mark 9:41

Music for Meditation 

A Heart like Yours

 

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Lord, I praise you for your greatness and power. Thank you for hearing me.

Worshiping needs to come before asking.

In our prayers, there needs to be more praise than petition.

~~Joyce Meyer  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

Some people only call when they want something. Their short greeting is quickly followed by a request. We know that minute we hear a certain voice on the line that we need to put up the boundaries and be ready with a reason for our yes or not. After awhile, we don’t like to hear from those people at all.

When we approach God, are we guilty of being like those difficult friends? “Hi God,” we say, followed by, “Here’s what I need from you.” Joyce Meyer explains that the privilege of even approaching God with our requests is granted to us at great cost to our Savior. The least we can do is open our prayers with worship and praise to our great God.

Adore him. Thank him. Praise him. Let your mind focus on his greatness. Then bring your requests humbly to him. He will be honored and gloried by you.

Prayer for Meditation

Lord, I praise you for your greatness and power. Thank you for hearing me.

Scripture for Meditation- Psalm 150

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

Praise him in his mighty heaven!

Praise him for his mighty works;

Praise his unequaled greatness!

Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;

Praise him with the lyre and harp!

Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;

Praise him with strings and flutes!

Praise him with a clash of cymbals;

Praise him with loud clanging cymbals

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!

Praise the LORD! 

Music for Meditation 

O Praise Him

 

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Yes, Lord, show me what you want me to do.

God calls them just the way they are, then. He empowers them to get their act together!  

~~Beth Moore  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

God often touches our hearts to do something for him, but we feel unsure of ourselves, inadequate, unqualified. Many women called by God may have felt that way as well, but they didn’t make excuses.

Mary didn’t say, “I’m too young.”

Rahad didn’t say, “I have a business to run.”

Esther didn’t say, “I could be killed!”

Deborah didn’t say, “A woman judge?”

Phoebe didn’t say, “I don’t travel alone.”

After the call, God equipped these women to do what he needed, but they first had to be willing.

He is calling you today for an important job, a job he knows you can do because—well—he’s going to work through you.

He just needs you to say, “Yes, Lord!”  

Prayer for Meditation

Yes, Lord, show me what you want me to do.

Scripture for Meditation-Isaiah 6:7-8

He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”  

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to the people? Who will go for us?” 

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Music for Meditation 

Come to Jesus

 

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com

Teach me to live intentionally. Assure me that you will take care of what I don’t accomplish.

God is a God of order.

We can tell that by looking at the universe.

None of it is random or accidental.

He doesn’t want our lives to be either.  

~~Stormie Omartian  

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest Christian Women Writers of All Time.

As we go through our days at a breakneck pace, meeting each demand as it arises we can easily become frazzled and frustrated. We put out one fire, only to find that three more have sparked into existence. Grabbing and aiming the fire extinguisher may keep life from erupting into an inferno, but God has a better way. He wants our lives to be orderly and intentional. Sometimes we might have to say no to an activity we’d love to do; other times we may have to disappoint people. But as we begin to follow the Lord’s model, we will be more productive and effective.

Living in an orderly way pleases God more than striving to get more done. Just as peace seems to emanate from the starry sky (a sky that was perfectly designed), trusting God to help plan our lives will replace sparks of chaos with a pleasant and warm glow.

Prayer for Meditation

Teach me to live intentionally. Assure me that you will take care of what I don’t accomplish.

Scripture for Meditation

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. Psalm 8:3-5 

Music for Meditation 

How He Loves

 

If you feel led to do so, please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com