Anchored in God

How shall we fix your eyes on things unseen?

There is no answer but faith,

faith in the character of God Himself.

That and no other is the anchor for our souls.

~Elizabeth Elliot

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

The anchor of a great ship seems small compared to the vessel itself. Yet when dropped to the ocean floor, it holds even the largest vessel in place.

Faith in our God is the anchor of our souls, holding us safe. When questions don’t have answers, faith means we know that God does. When circumstances don’t make sense, faith means we know that God has the big picture. When we need something to hold us safely in the harbor when the storms come, faith means we know that God will not fail us. Faith means trusting in the character of God himself.

Gaze not on what life appears to be; instead, anchor your soul in who God is. He is able to hold you steady. No matter what is happening in your life today, have faith God is still God—good, sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent, wise, faithful, and unchanging.

Prayer for Meditation

Anchor my soul today, God—in you.

Scripture for Meditation

That is why we live by believing and not be seeing. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Music for Meditation

I Won’t Let Go by Rascal Flatts

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.

With Your Head Held High

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Moments of Peace for the morning: Inspirational Thoughts and Prayers to begin Your Day.

This morning, you have been set free. You are no longer a captive. You have been released from wrongdoing, fear, and guilt.

Is that how you are living?

God has freed you in order to inspire the highest within you. Certainly, there are guidelines in that—but they do not oppress or hurt your spirit. Rather, they are the kind of disciplines that Olympic hopefuls have—those that stretch you to be your very best and help you reach your greatest aspirations.

You have been released to be the finest you possibly can be. Therefore, go with your head held high, knowing that God is with you and he has set your free.

Prayer for Meditation

Dear God, thank you for setting me free. I will live with my head held high—being the best me I can be for your glory. Amen

Scripture for Meditation

I have set you free; now walk with your heads held high. Leviticus 26:12

I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful. Leviticus 26:9

Music for Meditation

Not Guilty Anymore by Aaron Keyes

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.

He is Your Joy

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Moments of Peace for the morning: Inspirational Thoughts and Prayers to begin Your Day.

God does not dwell on your mistakes. He faithfully turns away from anger in order to comfort and heal you. You are his joy.

He saves you from traps and schemes. Always trustworthy, he chases away all of your fears. He is your protector, defender, redeemer, savior, and friend. You are his joy.

He satisfies the deepest hungers of your soul. He teaches your heart with wisdom and nourishes your soul with his presence. You are his joy.

So praise God today for his goodness and might. Thank him that all your great blessings have come from his hand. Express your loving thoughts toward him—because he is your joy.

Prayer for Meditation

Dear God, you are my joy. I praise you for loving and protecting me. I glorify your name for your goodness to all your people. Amen

Scripture for Meditation

Shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you. Isaiah 12:6     

Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; let this be known throughout the earth. Isaiah 12:5

Music for Meditation

Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling

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.

Walk in the Light

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young.

Bring me the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Take nothing for granted, not even the rising of the sun. Before Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, thankfulness was as natural as breathing. Satan’s temptation involved pointing Eve to the one thing that was forbidden her. The garden was filled with luscious, desirable fruits, but Eve focused on the one fruit she couldn’t have rather than being thankful for the many good things freely available. This negative focus darkened her mind, and she succumbed to temptation.

When you focus on what you don’t have or on situations that displease you, your mind also becomes darkened. You take for granted salvation, sunshine, flowers, and countless other gifts from Me. You look for what is wrong and refuse to enjoy life until that is “fixed.”

When you approach Me with thanksgiving, the Light of My Presence pours into you, transforming you through and through. Walk in the Light with Me by practicing the discipline of thanksgiving.

Scripture for Meditation

I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:17

“Of course you may eat it,” the woman told him. It’s only the fruit from the tree of the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.”

“You won’t die!” The serpent hissed. “God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil”

The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it too. Genesis 3:2-6

But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. 1 John 1:7

Music for Meditation

Not What My Hands by Aaron Keyes 

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.

The Fabric of the Everlasting

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Moments of Peace for the Morning: inspirational Thoughts and Prayers to Begin Your Day.

Wrap yourself in this beautiful promise today—God’s love is always, constantly, and ceaselessly with you. His love adorns you and salvation, protection, guidance, and provision. It shrouds you from your cold, piercing fears. Nothing can reach you except that which is allowed by his covering grace.

Though you may lay his love aside and get far away from him in your own heart, he remains close by.

He weaves himself intimately into your life so that nothing can separate his eternal cords from your earthly cloth. Joyfully wear the love of God forever.

Prayer for Meditation

Dear God, how great and steadfast is your love. Dress me in it this morning, and my heart will sing your praises forever. Amen

Scripture for Meditation

From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with who fear him. Psalm 103:17

As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

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.

Your Best

This morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Moments of Peace for the Morning: Inspirational Thoughts and Prayers to Begin Your Day.

Love bears all things. As Jesus faithfully bears your weaknesses, so faithfully bear his strength in helping others.

Believes all things. As Jesus believes your life is worth sacrificing his, so believe that proclaiming his good news of salvation is worth investing yours.

Hopes all things. As Jesus hopes that you will willingly reflect his image, so maintain the hope that anything that comes into your life works toward that end.

Endures all things. As Jesus endured the cross to provide you eternal life, so obediently endure this life in order to give him glory.

Just as Jesus has given you his best, so freely give him yours.  

Prayer for Meditation

Dear God, I know your love never fails. Help me to give my best by bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things in your love. Amen

Scripture for Meditation

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I Corinthians 13:7

Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the Lord’s act of faithful love. Psalm 107:43

Music for Meditation 

In Christ Alone

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.

Life Offering

I offer you my life from thus moment and for whenever you wish me to lay it down for your glory. ~Saint Catherine of Siena 

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

God wants nothing less than everything. He wants not just a part of us, not just our Sunday lives, not just the “good” parts, but every part, every moment, every cell, every thought, every desire. His. All his.

When we willingly offer ourselves completely and thoroughly to him, we gain true freedom. We are set free from the bounds of our sinful natures. We are given a life plan that will bring glory to God. We have a purpose. We have meaning. We matter.

When we let God have it all, we will learn that where our strength ends, his begins. We will help others. We will build the kingdom. And, beyond our wildest imagining, we will bring glory to our Creator all the way up until the moment when we lay down this life and enter the next.

All for his glory.

Prayer for Meditation

Take my life, Lord, every part. I want it all to bring glory to you.

Scripture for Meditation

 Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 6:13

Music for Meditation

How Deep the Father’s love for Us  by Selah 

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's Strength

Whatever comes, God will give me the strength to deal with it.

~Lisa Beamer

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

Whatever comes, can we really trust God that much?

No one is ever prepared for the unexpected twists and turns of life: hurt, betrayal, sorrow, job loss, financial difficulty, the sudden death of a loved one. No, the unexpected comes when we least expect it and, more often than not, it challenges our faith.

But God is here, seeing our tears, knowing our fears, and truly feeling our pain. Whatever comes, we won’t go through it alone. Every “whatever” is in God’s hands and, as Lisa Beamer discovered on 9/11, God will give us the strength to deal with it. He will hold us up when we want to fall; he will wipe away our tears; he will hold us tight and calm our fears.

When “whatever” comes your way, give it to God.

You can trust him that much.

Prayer for Meditation

Whatever comes, Lord, I trust you to walk me through it—today and every day.

Scripture for Meditation

But whatever happens to me, you must live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ, as citizens of heaven. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News. Philippians 1:27

Music for Meditation

 Don’t Give Up by Josh Groban 

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.

Remember

Our prayer and meditation this morning for Sally’s healing comes from Moments of Peace for the Morning: Inspirational Thoughts and Prayers to Begin Your Day.

This morning, take a moment to remember the wonderful deeds of God. Remember how he showed his mighty power in the Bible and in the lives of the people you love. 

Remember how God has revealed himself to you and has worked in your life. Remember how he acted in the past on your behalf and how he orchestrated circumstances just to show you how deeply and intimately he cares about you. Remember the times the Bible gave you peace and God’s presence gave you joy. 

Remember all these things today so that you can remain faithful to him and so that your hope will remain strong.

Prayer for Meditation

Dear God, fill my thoughts with your wonderful deeds and remind me of your works, and I will sing your praise all day long. Amen

Scripture for Meditation

I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. Psalm 77:11-12

O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of miracles and wonders! You demonstrate you awesome power among the nations. Psalm 77:13-14

Music for Meditation

Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens 

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.

Never Let Go

Our prayer and meditation this morning for Sally’s healing comes from Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young.

Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we’re traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven. 


When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus—My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.

Scripture for Meditation

Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Romans 12:12

But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8

So God has given us both his promise and his oath. The two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:18-19

Music for Meditation 

Never Let Go by David Crowder Band

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.

Fly To Jesus and Live

Our prayer and meditation this morning for Sally’s healing comes from Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young.

Living in dependence on Me is a glorious adventure. Most people scurry around busily, trying to accomplish things through their own strength and ability. Some succeed enormously; others fail miserably. But both groups miss what life is meant to be: living and working in collaboration with Me.

When you depend on Me continually; your whole perspective changes. You see miracles happening all around, while others see only natural occurrences and “coincidences.” You begin each day with joyful expectation, watching to see what I will do. You accept weakness as a gift from Me, knowing that My Power plugs in most readily to consecrated weakness. You keep your plans tentative, knowing that My plans are far superior. You consciously live, move, and have your being in Me, desiring that I live in you. I in you, and you in Me. This is the intimate adventure I offer you.

Scripture for Meditation

Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2  Corinthians 12:9-10

For in him we live and move and exist. As one of your own poets says, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:28

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots grow down into him, and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.  Colossians 2: 6-7

When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:20

Music for Meditation

Fly to Jesus by Chris Rice

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 Surrender All

Our prayer and meditation this morning for Sally's healing comes from A Book of Prayer: 365 Prayers for Victorious Living by Stormie Omartian.

Prayer for Meditation

Lord, I know you have real purpose for me and a plan for my life. Open my ears to hear Your voice leading me into all You have for me. Align my heart with Yours and prepare me to understand where You would have me to go and what You would have me to do. Help me to hear Your call. If my expectations and plans are out of alignment with Your will for me, I surrender them to You. I let my desires for myself die. I would rather endure the suffering of that than the pain of never realizing what You made me to be.

Scripture for Meditation

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possessions. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

Music for Meditation

I Surrender All by the Newsboys 

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.

Sleep Deprived

Our prayer and meditation this morning comes from Praying Through Cancer by Susan Sorensen. Excerpt written by Lois Olmstead author of Breast Cancer and Me.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:

 for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety

~Psalm 4:8 KJV

I had always been a morning person and followed the old adage, “Early to bed, early to rise.” But cancer treatment changed that.

At first, I thought it was worry or fear that was keeping me awake long hours in the night. However, after committing every single thing I could think of to the Lord, I was still awake. I asked people to pray for me. I was still awake. Finally, checking with my doctor (Now isn’t that a novel idea?), I found out that sleeplessness is a common side effect of cancer treatment.

Patients undergoing radiation and many of the chemotherapy protocols find they cannot sleep. You want to go to sleep. You want to rest. You are bone tired. But your brain will not shut down. In talking with other cancer survivors, the most common comment was, “I thought it was just me.”

I found that National Geographic travel videos or Moody Bible Institute praise and worship videos helped me thorough sleepless nights. My Bible was a source of encouragement. Praying also brought comfort and courage during those long, sleepless nights. 

Prayer for Meditation

Lord God, I praise You that when I am awake in the middle of the night, You are not asleep. Even in the night hours, You hear my prayers. Your presence comforts me. Your Word strengthens me. I thank You, Lord.

It is amazing to consider that You watch over me. You are the shade at my right hand. The sun will not harm me by day or the moon by night. You watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore. Thank You for Your promise that when I lie down, I need not be afraid. When I lie down, my sleep will be sweet. You are my strength and my shield. You are my Shepherd. I will trust in You.

Scripture for Meditation

He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not hurt you by day nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. Psalm 121:3-8

You can lie down without fear and enjoy pleasant dreams. Proverbs 3:24

Music for Meditation

Perfect Peace by Laura Story

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 Met God In The Morning

I Met God In The Morning
PJW Art Gallery

Our prayer and meditation this morning comes from Moments of Peace for the Morning: Inspirational Thoughts and Prayers to begin Your Day. 

This morning are you pondering what God is doing in your life? You may not know, and that is okay. However, the real question is this: Do you have confidence that God knows where he is leading you?

Your hope should not be based on your understanding of God’s purpose for you. Rather, your faith should be firmly grounded in God, who is bringing it about in you. Even if that purpose seems very distant, you still trust him to successfully bring you to the destination. It is his able hand that works out his plans—not yours. Trust him to do exactly what is needed to bring them to fulfillment.

Prayer for Meditation

Dear God, I trust that you are a faithful and able leader. Thank you that my future is a work in your hands. Amen.

Scripture for Meditation

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever. Psalm 138:8

O Lord my God, you have done many miracles for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. Psalm 40:5

Music for Meditation

Poem by Ralph Cushman; Music: Melancholy

I Met God in The Morning 

I met God in the morning,

when my day was at it's best

and His Presence came as sunrise

like a glory in my breast.

All day long His Presence lingered

All day long He stayed with me

and we sailed in perfect calmness

o'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,

other ships were so distressed,

but the winds that seemed to drive them

brought to me a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings

with a keen remorse of mind,

when I too had loosed the moorings

and His Presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,

learned from many a troubled way

you must seek God in the morning,

if you want Him through the day.

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.