By Name

When I pray for people I like to pray for them by name.

Of course, if we come upon an accident, we typically don’t know who is involved. But God always knows so I know He fills in the gaps.

I start with my inner circle and say all the names, asking God to be with them and provide for them. And then I move to the outer circles and say their names as well. There are times I take shortcuts on the outer circles, depending on what is going on that might need more intentionality. For example, instead of naming everyone in Julie’s family, sometimes I say “Julie and her people.” The blessing on knowing and praying for a lot people is that it can take a lot of time. I don’t necessarily do all my praying at once. Sometime I get my inner core done and then I work through the others during the day. When someone comes to mind, I try not to just think about them but to also pray for them.

I can also pray for people and their situations, if I know it. But, of course, God always knows their situation. And that is a freedom for me. I can just say, “Lord, you know what _________ needs. Please bring that to them and make them aware of Your presence.” When I am praying to the One who created the people you are praying for it really opens things up for me. He knit them together. He desires a relationship with them. And He can use all the things in their life — good and difficult — to bring them to His saving grace. He knows exactly what they need even though I don’t.

How do you pray for your people?

Slow Down

I have a friend who I really enjoy but don’t get to chat with very often because we both have busy schedules and we live in different states. I often text her a quick greeting or a quick question and, if she can, she calls me back for a few minutes. The other day I sent a short message and she responded with a phone call.

But, this time was different.

We got through all the “official business” we needed to get through and then she said, “How are you and Don doing?” I explained we had been ill for several weeks and a few other things.

It is so easy to get caught up in our own drama.

Then I was prompted to ask, “How are you guys?” I do believe God nudged me to do that. It isn’t that I don’t care. Sometimes I try not to take too much of someone’s time and I cut short my natural inclinations of care and concern to not be a bother. But I am so glad I asked.

I had absolutely no idea, but she is going through some challenges on several fronts and I listened and asked a few questions. We weren’t in quick text mode — it was the share-your-heart conversation mode. She is in the middle of a lot. It’s not what one expects as you get close to all kids being launched. But then, not all launches go perfectly. And then with aging parents on the other side, well, you get the picture. Sometimes life gets messy.

She didn’t expect me to solve any of her situations. She simply shared her heart. And I am so thankful she trusted me with the less-than-glamorous parts of her life. I have been praying for her and her sweet family ever since.

I could have easily tried to “respect her time” and not ask how she was doing. She was intentional about asking me the question first. And I am thankful I asked the question of her.

Of course, there are times when things are hectic. But, by and large, it is important to slow down and check in with your people. Ask how they are doing and get ready to listen to the answers. You’ll be strengthening your friendship as well as deepening your prayer life as you intercede for them.

Simply Start

Sometimes I have such a grandiose plan that instead of starting simply I make it incredibly complicated to start at all.

I try to dot every i and cross every t and then I lose momentum to ever begin.

I am so thankful God knows me (He created me!) and knows this about me. When He nudges me down a path, He does not expect me to marathon it — He expects me to take the first steps on the path.

Simply start.

Step-by-step I will gather new info that will help me move forward. I don’t need to know all of the path before I make a move. It involves faith and trust. And it also requires action on my part. The best first action for me is to pray about it. And ask God to keep me aware of what I need to do next. Sometimes the opportunities just start making their appearance. Some I recognize right away, others I am a bit slow on noticing. God even builds in second, third, and forth chances!

Are you psyching yourself out by expecting to know the whole shebang before you even start? Ask God to direct your steps. And simply start.

PrayerPoints for 2025

Each year for at least 16 years I have been writing daily PrayerPoints during Lent.

I have grown to love this rhythm.

There have been times I have experimented with variations and adding on additional PrayerPoints during the year, but the Lenten season is always the right time for me for PrayerPoints. By this time of the year I am so ready to step outside of my regular day-to-day schedule and create PrayerPoints to share with you.

So, welcome to this season of PrayerPoints!

On a personal note: This year I have been reading through the Bible in a year using The Bible Recap and I love it. I am on Day 64 and it has been a while since I have systematically read through the Bible like this. I encourage you to check it out — it isn’t too late to jump on board! I started in January but you can read through the Bible in a year ANYTIME! I particularly like the daily recap as well as the overview of the books of the Bible. And, you can read on your own or you can choose to have them read to you and you follow along.

We continue to settle into our neighborhood. We have been getting to know our immediate neighbors better as well as the ones a block or two away. And, since we started picking up trash in our 8 or so block area, we have had quite a few neighbors stop us and thank us for picking up the trash.

Picking up trash is not quite a full time job around here, but almost. And how easy it is to draw a parallel with things of Faith.

Picking up trash is so much easier when it is one piece. If I see something big, I try to deal with it right away because if I leave it for another day, the chances are pretty high it will be smashed into many more pieces the next time I walk by. So, dealing with something sooner rather than later — like an offense, grudge, concern — is better than letting it fester and grow and spread. That can happen pretty quickly when things go unchecked.

I encourage you to sit for a moment and think about that junk in your life — things that need to be confessed to God. He delights to hear from you and He delights to forgive you. When you are in the habit of daily communication with God, you are giving Him room to direct your thoughts and steps. I don’t know about you, but left to my own devises and my own ideas, I can find myself surrounded by a lot of trash pretty quickly!

I am so thankful God takes all my trashy thoughts and ideas and transforms my heart, soul, and mind!

Have an amazing day!
Liz

The Empty Tomb

The empty tomb is full of promises kept.

Jesus fulfilled that which we could not.

From start to finish

From beginning to end

From now until forevermore

God makes the way by providing what we need for this life and the new life to come.

Come, Lord Jesus. Be our guest. And let thy gifts to us be blessed. Amen.

He is Risen!

He is Risen, indeed!

Alleluia!

What is to come

Sometimes we want to know how “it” is going to happen. Or when “it” will happen. But, mostly, it seems, we don’t get the heads up. Things happen and we are either ready for it or we are not and we need to switch gears.

Sometimes the anticipation is more anxiety producing than the event we are expecting or dreading.

God is there. He is here, now. And He is there, in our next steps. And He will carry us through in ways we mY not be able to put into words.

Some of our “to comes” are things we are dreading…things we don’t want to walk through, witness, or endure.

Even as we think about Jesus’ betrayal, suffering, and death — not something to look forward to experiencing. Yet, in that ugliness God gave us an unimaginable gift.

May we view our uncertainties and difficulties knowing that Jesus understands our pain and will lead us through them. God’s unimaginable gift is for us each and every day.

Heavenly Father — Thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice. It allows us the gift of everlasting life. Amen.

Take the time

Sometimes I want to get to “the other side” of an experience and so I try to bulldoze my way through it.

If it’s cleaning or a task or something that doesn’t involve human thoughts and emotions, it is usually doable.

I can power through laundry, shopping, cleaning….

But powering through things like a disagreement with someone I care for or working through a complex relationship situation or processing some difficult news is just not something to expect of myself or others.

These things take time.

We all need time to think, mourn, process, feel, understand, pray, and work through all of the emotions of difficult situations. Be sure to take the time to work through things and not just try to breeze through them. Sometimes, a good friend can be a great resource but don’t forget a pastor or a Christian therapist might also be an important resource.

Take the time.

And be confident in God’s work in you through the difficult circumstances. He loves you and is with you every step of the way.

Invitations

When we are invited to do something, we have an opportunity to decide if we want to participate in it.

God gives is plenty of opportunities to connect with Him — from sunrises to Scripture to intercessions to giving thanks to worship to Baptism to Holy Communion and more.

Each and every day He calls us — by our name — and invites us to be with Him and to join Him in the work He is doing.

May our ears and hearts hear the invitations and accept the gifts He offers us!