King of Kings and Lord of Lords

If you have had too many experiences with people in a position of authority who abused it, it can really mess around with your concept of God.

satan probably just loves that.

Now, to be fair, from an early age I experienced quite a few people who had significant, undetected issues. But, as I have thought about this through the years, it really didn’t mess with my concept of God. I was protected from having a skewed understanding of God and His love for me, in spite of the ridiculous number of unhealthy people in positions of authority in my life.

I didn’t come away from those experiences unscathed though. Ask me if I trust the church and people in authority in an unquestioning manner and that is another story altogether. I definitely don’t trust organizations and humans easily. I have a fairly fine-tuned “creep-o-meter”. It’s not perfect, of course, but it’s pretty on target and has served me well.

But how am I when it comes to trusting God? That little mustard seed of faith keeps growing, even in the midst of difficulties. And I am so thankful.

When I think of God and his position of authority, I find comfort. I know He is my redeemer, my provider, and the King over all kings, and the Lord over all lords.

I hope you have a clear sense of the goodness of God. But if you struggle with that, it might be attributed to you running into some unhealthy people during the course of your life. It is important to sort that out. Knowing God for who He truly is is life changing!

My Light and My Salvation

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1 NIV

If you are reading this, the chances are high that you know who God is — that He is your light and your salvation. But, how easy it is to let the cares and concerns of the day overtake our hearts and spirits and suck the joy out of our days.

It’s so easy to lose our focus.

Let’s start the day recognizing who God is. Once we do that, we also can easily see who we are — and who we are not. Too often the events of a day or a week confuse us about who we are and what we are to be about. Taking some time to be re-oriented every day — sometimes multiple times a day — helps us remember who our Creator is and that we need His light and perspective, and, most importantly, His salvation.

Father, I Adore You

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

When I was a young one in church we sang this song, “Father, I adore You and I lay my life before You. How I love you!” Do you know it? It has a calming melody, and it is beautiful with the natural harmony that comes into play when it is sung in a round. We even learned some sign language that went along with it.

I love the simplicity of this song. I can get caught up in the expectation of eloquence when it comes to talking with or about God because He is God. Who am I to even think to address Him? But, that is not my relationship with the God of the Universe. He paved my way. My simple prayers are not too simple for Him. I don’t need to earn the right to be in conversation with Him.

When I am in a stressful moment, sometimes negative thoughts come to mind. But, if I can pause those and reach out for something so simple, it can start my heart in a more positive direction.

Father, I adore you. And I lay my life before You. How I love you.

You are Creator

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable. Isaiah 40:28 NLT

It seems crazy that I need to be reminded that I am not the Creator of my life, but I do. It is important to keep my focus on God and His work, even as I go about my day and do my own work.

Lord, You alone are the Creator. I am in awe of the intricacies of Your Creation — the details, the variations, the immensity, the beauty, the majesty, the simplicity, the complexity, the diversity, the way things work together –ALL of it. Wow!

Thank you, Lord, for my life. Thank you for letting me see your Creation and be a part of it. The attention to detail is incredible. Help me to see that You care about the details of my life in a similar way. Thank you for tending to your creation (me) in such a personal way!

Note: Welcome to PrayerPoints! I am glad you are here!

This year I will be using at the New Living Translation. If you have a preferred Bible translation you like to work with, check out the daily verses there. If you love to compare versions, I encourage you to see how things are said in the various ways. Touch the pages, read the words, doodle them, pray through them, and contemplate them through the day.

PrayerPoints 2023

The Lenten season is almost upon us. As you allow God to prepare your hearts, join me for a series of daily devotional thoughts through Easter.

This year, PrayerPoints will be a daily Lenten devotional. While I have experimented a bit through the years, this is the typical format it has taken. Each day I will post a devotional thought and/or Bible verse and I encourage you to sit with it for a bit as you offer your thoughts and prayers to God. Sign up with your email address and it will be delivered to your inbox each morning! Feel free to invite others to join along.

This project has been a part of my life since about 2006 and I am looking forward to another time of reflection.