I know I’ve been praying about school more and about moving to Orlando; I know those desires aren’t bad.  They’re not wrong, yet I know there is a more perfect thing for me to ask for.  I do want to be in Your will, Father.  Let Your will be done in my life.  If You really want me to stay in Huntsville I am willing to stay.  Where You are is where I want to be.

I don’t know what grand scheme You have planned.  As far as I know, Your plan may simply be for me to live a life with You for others to see how great it is to serve the Living God.

You know the true desire of my heart is to be like You; to be the man that You planned for me to be.  Please don’t let my dreams of traveling and “ministry” override Your plan.   Keep me in line with You at all times, please.

Thank You for where You’ve brought me.  Thank You for planting me here in Huntsville, blessing all that I’ve put my hands to, and broadening my sphere of influence.  Thank for the friends and family here in town that keep my relationship with You strong and keep me in constant conversation with You.  You are truly a wise God.  Keep that in my mind as I continue to trust You to order my steps in Your word.

Thanks for Your love!

Image by J.D. Bol via Flickr

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness and truth.

Psalm 86:15 (Amplified Bible)

You know Sis Marva is hype about taking some classes as well.  So, that’s three of us You have to provide money for.  Me, Daynia, and Sis Marva are serious about not taking out any loans.  If You own everything, Lord, and You’re our Father then why should we have to loan money from someone else when You can give it to us like a good earthly dad would?  That’s my thinking on it.  And, if I have to repetitiously ask You for it I will.

Daynia needs her money first though.  She is already enrolled in school and knows what she is going to do.  So please hook her up first, Lord.  Sis Marva and I just got our stuff together.  We won’t need our funds until the Spring semester.  We know You are an on time God, so I’m just letting You know time frames.  This will also give us time to apply to the schools we are interested in and see what kind of work programs, grants, scholarships, and whatever else is available.

Oh yeah, thanks for putting me in touch with Vince yesterday at UAH.  That dude loaded me down with information.  Plus, he is in my field.  How crazy is that!  You know You are something special, right, Father.  There really isn’t anyone else like You.

Finally, Lord, just order our steps in Your word.  We’re only trying to maximize our skills and talents for You.  Keep us balanced.  Don’t let the push for grades and academic success trump our true motivation to become stronger vessels in Your hands.  Thanks for Your sacrifice, Your favor, Your forgiveness, and Your love.  Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever.

Amen

Please let what we read tonight permeate our beings.  We need that, Lord.  There’s no sense in reading just for the sake of reading.  Let it be a source of encouragement during those days that we can’t find anyone else to encourage us.  Let it be a tender nudging to read the Word when we would rather watch tv or do nothing or overwork or read some frivolous nonsense.

You assure us by 2 Corinthians 3:18 that “…we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”  So, basically by beholding we become changed.  I’m holding on to that, Lord.  I’m trusting that what I read one writer say will come to pass:

If we gaze even a moment uon the sun in its meridian glory, when we turn away our eyes, the image of the sun will appear in everything upon which we look.  Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness.  We cannot see anything else, or talk of anything else.  His image is imprinted upon the eye of the soul, and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and subduing our whole nature. *

Please, Lord, grant us what we seek.  Reward us for our laughable diligence.  Pick us up where we are falling and strengthen us.  We need You to do it.  Please.

* a quote from Ellen G White that I have yet to find where it came from.

Is there anything that I can do?  I don’t want to be pulled into something I can’t handle, you know.  I don’t want to start something and then drop out of it especially when it concerns helping someone.  That’s more devastating than not doing anything.

Father, please don’t let anyone hurt him while he’s out wandering around in a drunken stupor.  Seriously, Lord.  There are some wild people in the world, so please protect him.  Help him come to his senses.

Is there more I can do for him?  Give me the words to speak to him when he’s in my company.  Give me the love, patience, kindness, gentleness, longsuffering, joy, peace, mercy, grace, forgiveness and strength I need to pass on to him and to help shoulder his burden.  Protect me from the evil one, Father.

Lord, You have to do it.  He’s going to hurt someone else and heap more pain onto himself.

Break the chain of bondage that holds him.  Sever the connection he has to alcohol.  Release him from his past.  If there is something there, Lord, something that happened to him similar to what he did to me, help him deal with it.  I don’t know what that entails, but he needs You.

All power is Yours, Father, so I know You can help him.  All glory is Yours, Lord, so I know this is not too hard for You and You will get the glory from his restoration, also. You are the King of kings, Addonai!  This is Your kingdom and he is one of your subjects that is being bullied and done wrong.  Vindicate him, Lord!

Protect the children that are in his direct contact.  Wake the people around him to sense the danger lurking behind his smile.  You gotta protect the kids, Lord, until Your work is done in him.

Lord, will You please grant us the means to pay for our higher education goals?  I’ll give You specifics as soon as I find out for sure.  I know right now I need $390 to take one class and that doesn’t include books, registration, and admission, so let’s say $500.  That’s just for me.  If Daynia is going full time then she needs, um, $5000 for this semester.  That’s a guesstimate, Lord.  I’m going to get specifics from her.

Father, please continue opening doors for me as I press to be a part of Academia.  I want to be all that You imagine me to be.  I want to be a more functional vessel in Your hands.  I need money to accomplish that though, Lord.  You’ve got the whole world in Your hands, right?  You can do anything, right?  You own the cattle on a thousand hills, right?  The wealth of the gentiles is mine, right?  Well, I shouldn’t have to take out any loans to improve myself for Your glory then, right?  You advised us not to be in debt, right?  Bless me indeed, then, Father.

I believe.  Help, Thou, my unbelief.

What shall I do?  What step should I take?  What move should I make?  Oh, Lord, what should I do?  I’m going to wait for an answer from You.  I have nothing to lose.  Oh, Lord, I’m going to wait.  I know You’ll come through, Lord, with a blessing for me.  Please, Lord, set my soul free.  I know You’ll come through.  For I can’t live without your help; I am weak all by myself.  Lord, please, give me the strength that I need, so I can possess eternal peace.*

So many scriptures talk about the value of waiting on You, Father, whether it was for You to rise up in a person’s stead or simply for You to give someone direction or spiritual blessing.   I am going to wait on You as well, Lord, because right now I don’t know which step to make in a number of situations.

I don’t trust myself anymore.  Which in hindsight, Father, is exactly where I should be.  I think of Psalm 118:8

It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. (AMP)

I’m a man, right, Father?  I shouldn’t put confidence in myself.  Savior, like a shepherd, lead me.  I know You’ll come through.  Anoint my eyes with eye salve so I can see clearly.  Douse my ears with some type of solution so that I can hear clearly.  Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it; seal it for Your courts above.

Ultimately, Lord, every choice that I make it is either fitting me for heaven or not.  It’s either bringing us closer or not.  Continue teaching me.  Precious Lord, take my hand.  Lead me on…

*Tramaine Hawkins – What Shall I Do?

Regardless, I am awake and thanking You for another day, more life, a chance to bask in Your glory.

Lord, increase my faith, please.  If that’s the key to unlocking heaven’s storehouse then I need it.  I need that faith that believes that You can do all things.  Not just the simple things.  Not just the logical things.  I need that faith that believes that I can step out on water; that faith that believes when You speak it is done; that faith that slaps doubt upside the head and tells it, “Move! You don’t belong here!”

I’m thirsting for You badly right now, Father.  Don’t deny me what I need.  You promised to give us what we need, especially if it was in Your will.  Isn’t me having the faith to speak to a mountain and move it in Your will?  I have mountains that need to be moved, Lord.  If those mountains aren’t moved, no, eradicated then I’m going to be lost, man.  Please grant me my request.  Teach me what I need to know; show me what I need to do; help me understand it all; give me the strength to endure the process.

Put Your healing hands on Shawn’s neck, back and thyroid.  Speak to Him as he continues to seek You out.  Thank You for his friendship.  Please honor his desire to know You.  Show Him Your glory as he reads Your word.  As He reads, Lord, melt away the preconceived ideas he’s holding, ignite a flame in his soul that will not only warm him but those he comes in contact with.

To hear Anthis on the phone last night, Father, was to hear a different guy than the one I’ve been speaking to for the past few years.  Thank You for blessing him.  You know You had me shaking a bit.  I know You didn’t do it on any merit of mine, but because I held onto the merits of Christ.  Don’t forget that this is supposed to give him a glimpse of Your majesty, Lord.  You’re directing this whole thing and I am impressed with it entirely.  Thank You for the house and how well that’s working out for him.  Thanks for the job and the great reviews he’s receiving from his superiors and co-workers.

Keep a watchful eye on the revival that All-Nations is trying to have.  You know I have mixed emotions about the whole thing.  Yet, since the church is making an effort I have to pray for at least one soul to connect to You.  It may not even be the ones that are being reached out to, which would be ironic since it is being called a revival instead of a crusade or evangelistic meeting.  If Your spirit is anywhere in the vicinity, Lord, connect with a heart that is open to You.  Be among me, Sis Marva and Sis Sandra as we pray this morning during the early morning power hour which I need to get ready for.

I love talking to You, Father.  Speak to me as only You can do, and may praise continually be on my lips because praise is comely.

Amen.