PrayerPoint ~ The Mouth ~ February 29

PrayerPoint ~ The Mouth

I speak up when I shouldn’t and don’t when I should. When really frustrated or angry I have used words like weapons. I am guilty of saying things that are true, but not helpful or necessary. And if I have really blown it, I relive my verbal sin in the dark of the night and feel sick in the pit of my stomach.

Just because I think it doesn’t mean I should say it.

We have all been hurt by someone else’s words. And intentionally or not, we have all wounded others. I try to give a lot of grace to others in this department because I know just how often I make mistakes myself. I find if I just take some extra time before I respond in an unkind way, the moment often passes, I say nothing and I have retained my integrity. I sleep better on those nights.

Heavenly Father, My words can tear down and they can also build-up. Help me to think more soberly before I speak and measure my words carefully. Let the words that come out of my mouth be encouraging and edifying. May my words be praise for You and the works You have done in my life! In Jesus’ Name…

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 NIV

Contemplating the words I say,

Liz

PrayerPoint ~ The Heart ~ February 28

PrayerPoint ~ The Heart

Chronic unemployment, job loss, unplanned pregnancy, prodigal child, prodigal spouse, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, divorce, cancer diagnosis, autism, fatal accident, school shooting…..

My heart is brimming with empathy and intercession for others these days. Of course, there are always difficult things in life, but there are some times I look around and all I see is heartbreak after heartbreak. It is so difficult to watch another person as they writhe in pain over their situation. Powerless to change any of it, sometimes all I can do is groan and be a compassionate friend. I am so glad the spirit intercedes for me during these times.

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:25-28 NIV

Are there families and circumstances that God has laid on your heart for intercession? Stand in the gap for these precious people. Whether or not they are believers at this moment intercession on their behalf is so very important.

Lord, please wrap your arms around those who are undergoing tremendous grief. I am sure they feel as though their heart is broken beyond repair. Please bring them to a place of healing–in Your time and in Your way. Remind them that you can bring blessing from unimaginable heartbreak and pain. Only You can heal a broken heart and broken dreams. In Jesus’ name…

Lifting up the broken hearts,

Liz

PrayerPoint ~ The Ears ~ February 27

PrayerPoint ~ The Ears

I don’t know why but I am always amazed at the lyrics I remember, word for word, of songs from the 70’s even if I haven’t heard them for 20 years. It’s a little scary that they are tucked away so deep within me that a song can bring them out and the recollection as well as a renewed understanding of the meaning comes rolling off my tongue.

What I am listening to is extremely important–whether it be music or even those thoughts that run around in my head and masquerade as God’s truth. It is so easy to engage the ear without also being discerning about what I am listening to. In some circumstances I am stuck hearing what I hear, but I don’t have to listen to it. I can tune out that noise and not give it any place in my brain. But there are other days when I just take it all in and wonder why I am feeling overwhelmed and insecure and unappreciated.

Maybe you have some of the very same problems. It isn’t so hard to listen to a lie. After all, Adam and Eve were living in a perfect world and in fellowship with their Creator and they listened to the serpent. You don’t have to believe everything you hear and you don’t have to listen to it either. Discerning God’s truth takes practice as well as a lot of time in His Word. If you are not in a regular Bible study, I recommend meeting with a small group or even just making sure you are in His Word each day. Find encouraging verses to memorize. It will be music to your ears!

Blessings on your week!

Liz

PrayerPoint ~ February 26 ~ The Nose

PrayerPoint ~ The Nose

When I was mulling over the PrayerPoint for today, so many thoughts came to mind regarding the nose. A welcome aroma for me in the morning is coffee brewing. But there are many other equally wonderful smells–bread baking, fresh flowers, lilacs blooming, the sage and citrus fragrance from Yankee Candle.

But what smells great to me doesn’t always smell great to others. I have a friend whose husband is a pastor but she can hardly go to church because she has such severe allergic reactions to all the perfumes that are so prevalent these days. I find her whole situation fascinating and I try to do what I need to do when I am in her presence so as not to trigger a reaction because I love her dearly.

This might be my song for her because her situation is literally life threatening:

Ooh, ooh that smell

Can’t you smell that smell?
Ooh, ooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you. [That Smell — Lynyrd Skynyrd chorus]

As you consider your nose today, thank God for the blessing of your sense of smell (as well as a place to rest your glasses!). Recognize that you might have an extra sensitive sniffer while others might be oblivious to certain things (like a sour dishrag). And consider that the fragrance of God’s love is probably received differently by different people. As you share God’s grace today, may it be a welcomed aroma!

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

2 Corinthians 2: 14-17 NIV

PrayerPoint ~ February 25

PrayerPoint ~ The Feet

Have you ever read the comic strip Family Circus by Bil Keane? When I think of feet I chuckle when I think of some of the panels of Billy and his dotted line footprints as they travel through the neighborhood when he was only supposed to take something from Point A to Point B.

Or I think about the Israelites on their feet wandering through the desert for 40 years. How can one never quite get anywhere in 40 years?

Or Jonah getting swept of his feet and into the belly of a big fish.

And then I think about me…and some of the places I went. The places my feet took me that I had no business going to. Phew! I am thankful God provided me a way to get out of some of it. But I certainly remember being there and I think it is important to remember. It helps me to have more compassion when I see other people going places that are dangerous. And I can pray for their protection and for them to come to the important realization that getting away from bad things is not nearly as easy as getting into them–

Where is God leading you and are your feet following or resisting?

Be careful little feet where you walk.

Sometimes the path you trod will take you into a completely different direction than you intended ~ for good or for bad ~ and, thankfully, no experience is wasted with God. He can use it all for His purposes.

Heavenly Father,

I am so thankful for your promises! As a parent, I know it troubles me when my children feel like they need to make choices (small or large) contrary to what I would prefer. And as Your child, it must break Your heart when I chose to go places where You know harm might come to me. Help me to hear the Holy Spirit and take heed when I am heading in a dangerous direction. I know You have forgiven me, help me to forgive myself for those detours I took. Help me to have compassion for those who may be wandering. Help my feet to bring the Good News of the Gospel to the places I walk. And help me be willing to go to the places You send me. In Your Son’s Name….Amen

Blessings on your day!

Liz

PrayerPoint ~ February 24

PrayerPoints ~ The Hands

Heavenly Father,

You have created my hands to do good works that will glorify Your name. Help me to discern those things You have prepared in advance for me to do. You have seen my hands participate in tasks that are hurtful. Forgive me for those times I have used my hands to harm others or myself. You were there when I dirtied my hands with sin. Thank you for the cleansing and forgiveness that is found in You alone. Help my hands to do many things for You. Let my hands show love in the daily tasks of cleaning, cooking, driving, digging, sorting, serving, touching, typing, washing, and writing. You know where my hands need Your intervention. Please continue to nudge me with Your Holy Spirit to consider what my hands should be doing each day and soften my heart to heed Your conviction. Thank You for the gift of my hands! In Jesus’ Name, Amen

PrayerPoints are “in season” during Lent and are written every day leading up to Easter. I have found that if I just pause long enough to listen, usually in the quiet of the early morning hours, God has things He would like me to consider. PrayerPoints are the outcome of my willingness to listen. It is always important and beneficial to be in God’s Word. My prayer is that PrayerPoints are simply a springboard to your deeper walk with God. Liz Vos

PrayerPoint ~ February 23

PrayerPoint ~ The Eyes

Eyes are so intriguing. They are incredibly designed – by an incredible Designer. With so much available to look at, I invite you to consider what you see, where you look, and what you are looking for.

I know if I am looking for ways to be annoyed, many come within my vision in very short order. If I am looking for ways to be distracted, my eyes will surely pick up on something to distract me. If I have been hurt by something I saw, it is often quickly recalled in my mind.

Here are some of the things I want to see and appreciate and care about:

* God’s creation ~ it is truly stunning

* God’s people ~ particularly the hurting among us. Sometimes it is difficult to look at but so very important to be aware of at least in order to pray

* God’s plan ~ sometimes it seems so clear and other times we only move on faith and clinging desperately to His promises

* God’s provision ~ often in ways I cannot see or detect but always there

* God’s love ~ available in many, many forms

Gracious Father,

You have given me the gift of my eyes. Even though they may be aging and needing assistance via prescription lenses, I thank you for my eyes. Please help me to see others the way You do. There are many things available for me to see, but not all those options are beneficial. In fact, many are dangerous and damaging. Please, Lord, let help me to guard my eyes from things that I shouldn’t be looking at or looking for. In Jesus’ Name…

Blessings on your day! May you see with His loving eyes!

Liz

PrayerPoints ~ February 22

Today is Ash Wednesday.

Whether or not you observe Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent is a great time for repentance and spiritual renewal. Here is a link to a Lutheran church in Kentucky with a great explanation: http://bit.ly/ash_wed

It is so easy to get caught up in the demands of life and skip past honest reflection and confession of my sin as well as delay or completely forget to seek God’s forgiveness and reconciliation. Join me as I journey through Lent again with considerations for prayer. The older I get, the faster all time seems to fly and this season in the church year is an opportunity to stop and savor God’s timeless provisions.

Heavenly Father,

It is so easy to let the tasks of living life edge out my time with you. Allow these next several weeks of Lent be an opportunity for reflection on Your Holy Word, a reordering of Your place in my life, and the recognition of my desperate need for You. You know my sins so well. When I pause long enough to ponder my sin, the weight is unbearable. Please help me keep that measure of recognition of the ugliness of sin as close to me as the joy of Your salvation. The beauty of You is in such contrast to the darkness of sin. May Your love and light flood my dark places and heal my sin and brokenness.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

PrayerPoints are written from the heart and inspired during quiet moments with God — usually around 5am. First and foremost, I believe these are nudges from God that apply directly to me. A typical PrayerPoint is typed up within the hour of being convicted about a certain area needing prayer. You may wonder why PrayerPoints are very focused during Lent and very sporadic during the rest of the year. There are several reasons for that ~ I am often distracted and disobedient but I also pray I am discerning. Not everything God is teaching me is meant to be shared immediately. Please excuse grammatical inconsistencies! Liz Vos

It is so overwhelming!!! Where do I even begin?

PrayerPoint ~ February 7

Have you found yourself so overwhelmed with the need to pray for others that you don’t even know where to start? Oftentimes during prayer, the most urgent rise to the top of your mind quickly but other times your mind is bouncing around from crisis to crisis.

Here is something I have started to do to help me gain a little bit of focus:

The most Inner Circle is our immediate family. I can pause there for a long time because I know a lot about this group of people and their needs. The next group is our extended family (our siblings and their families). Next is our small group families and those who may not be in our small groups but we are close to them. After that is super-extended family ~ those aunts and uncles and cousins “in the distance” but still on our hearts. As you consider this idea, don’t forget to consider co-workers, neighbors, missionaries, etc.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Early this morning I was awake for about an hour.

**I never consider those early morning awakenings too much of a bother until about 2pm in the afternoon. :+)

When it seems like I am going to be awake for a while, I start to pray. This morning, I was able to cover a lot of ground by listing people in their family groupings. I just picture a family and name everyone in the family. This list happens to include our immediate family as well as our siblings and their spouses and kids: Don, Lauren, Landon, Elizabeth, Hannah, Ernie, Kim, Nikki, Justin, Bob, Kim, Emily, Brittany, Delilah, Charles, Nancy, Jayson, Elise, Cindy, Gary, Kassie, Michele, Carrie, Shannon, Faye, Alan, Lori, Noah, Bridget, Jonah.

Then I moved to the families I am in a small group with. I lifted up each person in the family by name. Even though I may have an inkling about their needs, I don’t technically need to know much because I trust God will fill in the blanks.

You can tweak this idea to better suit you and your situation. Maybe it can be a project you do with your kids or grandkids–you can each draw your circles on a clean piece of paper and fill in the blanks with people in your circle. You can even do it with a large piece of newsprint paper and photos of your targets!

I love how everyone’s “targets” will look different. Get creative! I think that is one of the ways God works with His people ~ He gives us eyes and hearts for different people and people groups. I have found having a target helps me focus my aim.

“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time!” Zig Ziglar

Of course, the idea is to pray. And once you start thinking about it this way, you will see you have a lot of work to do!

Express Yourself!

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

My guess is that when God inspired these words in Philippians, He knew that whatever one dwells on, one ends up expressing. You know how it is–whatever you ponder in your heart and mind eventually makes it to your lips.

And so it is incredibly important to consider what you ponder. Do you marinate a certain frustrating encounter that ends up creating or feeding an anger and intolerance for that other person in your heart? Do you find yourself ruminating over someone’s words or actions to the point of getting really fired up about getting even or at least getting a good dig in?

I hate it when I fall into that trap!

If dwelling on false, lowly, wrong, impure, ugly, repulsive, imperfect, or unworthy things is tripping you up, make a conscientious choice to focus your thoughts on other things. Having a hard time doing this on your own? Ask God to help you and He certainly will!

And as you express yourself, consider your words and the example they set. Encouraging words in this day and age are like a precious bloom amidst some weeds–so refreshing!

Lord, Teach me to measure my words and to consider dwelling, truly dwelling, on Your Word alone!