I walk in your shadow, Lord, grateful to be as close as that to you. When I see you go in another direction, I try to stay with you. When I do not notice, you turn back, look for me, and return to yourself. I walk in the shadow of your wings and you lift me up and let me soar with you.  Oh, glorious moments when my soul flies with yours. Someday…yes, someday…you will fling open the gates of heaven and we will be together forever. Great God, you are my soul.

Sometimes, Lord, I attack sin ruthlessly and, in the process, attack the sinner. Help me know where the fine line is so I do not run off someone who is thinking of changing. Help them understand it is not them I hate.

The cross.  Oh, the cross you suffered on and died on. The cross made of wood. From it your soul cried out to the world, “Come to me. I look weak, but I am attacking Satan for you and I will win!”  And so, I crawl to your cross, dare to look up, then touch your bloody feet. The feet that once walked the earth, the feet that once walked on water, the feet that walked out of a death cave. How can I thank you? It is so far above my ability. I will spend eternity trying to find new ways to exalt you.

My heart rushes to your heart, Oh God. I cannot bear the thought of being without you. I sigh at the thought of you. Sometimes I weep tears of loneliness. I have many friends and brothers and sisters in the family of God. But they are not the same. How I long to live in your heavenly realm and bask in your glory, the glory of my Maker. Though your light dawns on me every morning, I yearn for the true light of your presence. I worship you once again for, when you are near, it is always dawn.

Ah, my Lord, I started to quote an author the other day who said something I knew deep down was true. But I left it out because I didn’t like it. I robbed my listeners of the truth by my omission. Help me do what is right and leave my ego out of things. Forgive me, please.

Every day that I read your Word, I think of your promises, your assurances to always love me. They are ever with me. They make me confident through the day that you will protect and guide my every step. It would be so wonderful to walk with you as Adam and Eve did in the garden. I cling to your words that it will indeed happen someday. There you will give me a crown though I do not know why.  Are there a million other worlds out there for each of us to rule under you?  You declared idleness a sin. Or will you assign artists to paint rainbows and jewelers to form emeralds and musicians to composed great and wondrous songs for the stars to your glory?  Whatever it is, I will always praise you. The gratitude in my heart bursts like sunrise.

I praise you God, enthroned in my heart. You are truth. Truth never changes. It is not a different truth for each person. That is opinion. Satan does not want anyone to see truth in anything, for he is the greatest liar in existence, having been that way from the very beginning. Satan favors chaos when no one understands what anyone else is doing or saying or intending. Truth is the pillar of all things good and right.  You never change. You are the same no matter how much I change. You are always good, always right, always there for me. In you I have my foundation and sure path through life. You are my destination. You are my destiny.

Lord, I saw something in the store I wanted. I did not have the money for it, but I bought it anyway. I did not need it, but I bought it anyway. I needed that money to pay a bill, but I bought it anyway. I must return to the store and hope they will take it back. Forgive me for being so rash.

Thank you for saving me from Satan’s eternal tortures. Thank you for the hope of heaven. What you offer me goes beyond what and who I have on earth. Though I may become destitute of possessions and friends, I will always have heaven. Though I lose my health, you will always be by my bedside. Even if one day my mind fades, you will still be in my heart.  Ah, my Lord Jesus, no matter what happens, I still will always have you.

Lord, you never forget me. You have so much to do in the universe to keep the stars in their heavens, the planets in their orbits, and the seas in their bounds. More, you are always thinking about me. I am always on your mind. You watch me and do all that is necessary to guide me, though you leave the choice up to me. You are so boundless in knowledge and wisdom, yet you respect my decisions ~ right or wrong. Even when my decisions are wrong, you do not interfere. You give me room to think and change my mind. I lift up my hands in praise to you. You are the Great God of the universe, Ruler of heaven & earth and King of my heart.

The other day there were some children shouting at each other in front of my house. And the terrible words that came out of their mouths, even adults should be embarrassed to say. But I got into a rage and yelled at them. Why did I do that? I should have offered each off them a cookie and sat them on my porch to teach them a song to calm them down. Help me never be so full of rage, I am never really in control of my emotions. Better yet, help me eliminate rage from my life completely.

Your eyes were so sleepy on the day you were born. Ah, what a journey you had made. By the time the wise men found you, your eyes were big and wide and full of curiosity.  As you grew up, your eyes looked intently at what was around you and a vague memory approached of you having made it all. As a full-grown man, your eyes looked with pity on the sick, the crippled, the diseased, the handicapped and you healed them all. Then one day those eyes were filled with tears as you looked down from the cross at people bragging they were at last killing you. Those tears blended with your blood fell on the hearts of mankind. I kneel before you, my tears mingling with yours.  Ah, my Lord, thank you for your love.

You are the God of beauty to my senses, magnificence to my heart, awesomeness to my mind. You made me, and how I long to return to my Maker. Your hands formed me. Your breath brought life to my body. Your spirit made my soul eternal. When I die, I will only change worlds. When I die, I will enter into your wondrous eternal home and bask in the light of your love, the tenderness of your touch, the wonder of your very presence.

I am so afraid to confront when I think someone is offended by me. I am afraid they will get madder if I confront. So, I try to stay quiet and hope the offense will wither and die on its own. The few times I have confronted, everyone felt better. Sometimes they weren’t offended; I just thought they were. Forgive me for running away from my responsibilities.

Thank you, Lord God, for all you have done to save me from the punishment for my sins ~ hell, an eternal living death. An existence where Satan’s masquerade is over. An existence with no light, no goodness, no patience, no love. A place with no walls of salvation, no streets to walk on, no foundations for a bottomless existence. An existence without God is horrid. You have prodded and poked mankind to lure us away from hell.  You do everything possible to keep us in safety by you but so many believe Satan’s lies that you hate them. Your love is a tower than cannot collapse. It is a wall that cannot be penetrated. A fortress that cannot fall. How can I thank you?

Your love, Oh God, is like the ocean.  When I need you the most, the tide moves in closer and refreshes my soul.  When it is time for me to work on an assignment from you to help people blaming you for their problems, the tide ebbs and moves out to tend to someone else.  Then, when I need refreshed by you, here comes the tide flowing in again. Just like clockwork. You are never far away.  I can always depend on you. You never change. You are from eternity to eternity.

Oh, Father when I catch myself not forgiving someone, I think about what it would be like for you to forgive me as often as I forgive others. Then there are my own sins. I am careful with my speech in front of a friend I respect.  So, why don’t I train myself to be careful with my speech in front of you whom I respect, and not give in to the way Satan wants me to talk. Help me always be aware that Satan wants me on his side and makes following him look so harmless.  Help me, Lord.

Thank you for being my example. Your feet walked a thousand miles back and forth across Palestine looking for people who needed you. Your hands touched a thousand people with diseases and frailties and handicaps and you healed them all. Your lips parted a thousand times to speak words of hope to people in the clutches of Satan who convinced them they were happy.  They weren’t. Satan convinced them they were safe with him when they really weren’t. Satan convinced them God hated them when you really loved them beyond understanding. In some ways I am those people. Yet you kept right on walking and touching and speaking. Thank you, my Lord.  And, Lord, may I walk and touch and speak as you did then.

Ah, my Lord God. People accuse you of using them as pawns in the game of beating out Satan. They accuse you of having a life of ease in heaven while we do all the struggling here on earth.  Not so! You are always at work in the background keeping Satan’s emissaries away from us as much as we allow you to. You are always watching people follow Satan’s rebellious ways with artificial laughter as they destroy their lives and blame you for it. Do they not see? Do they not understand that you go through more pain and heartache than the world ever dreamed of? You watch us fall into the pit because they wouldn’t pay any attention to you, afraid you would ruin their fun. Oh, how you suffer for us, how you suffer for me. It boggles my mind to understand the love and passion you have for me. I must wear you out as you rush ahead of me and around me, trying to get me to turn back to you. Your grace is as high as the stars at the pinnacle of the universe. I worship you.

I know some people who love to quarrel when I am with them. I get drawn in. I know they are just setting me up by saying the opposite of what they know I believe. But I succumb to their temptations and begin defending what I believe. Solomon said not to answer a fool according to his folly.  Such people just say “jump” and those of us who step into their trap say, “How high?”. Slow me down Lord and help me change the subject or pray with them or walk away.

Thank you for your Bible so I don’t have to guess what you think, what you want, what you are like.  Thank you for solid words instead of fickle feelings. Jesus was your seeable word. Your Spirit is the readable word. You thought of everything to help my faith along.  And thank you for sunny mornings and color and breezes and birds singing. Oh beautiful, fresh mornings. Summer is almost here.

God of the universe, you think of everything.  You gave us morning, day, evening, and night. All good in their own way for starting, doing, stopping, and resting.  Each day has its own mosaic. Seasons of the year are a mosaic too. Life is a mosaic. So are my friends you gave me, and my enemies too.  Even you are, for I was fashioned like you. All things work together for your pleasure and mine as long as I follow you. I wonder what you have in mind for my mosaic today. What color will today be? Whether light or dark, bright or dull, I will praise you for it.

My Father, sometimes I have a hard time distinguishing between pride and spreading the word about something I have done that will inspire others. Keep me from pride.

Thank you for loving me and saving my soul. Thank you for preparing a place for me in your eternal world. Oh, how I long to transfer from this world to your perfect one. And thank you for the opportunities I have in this world to stand up for you and fight Satan and his wiles and false promises of happiness.  Working for you is sometimes hard, but it makes me stronger and more like you. And I know that, whatever you promise, it will come true.

How I praise you, my God, for your goodness and grace, might and mercy, wonder and warmth, toil and tenderness, wrath and righteousness, life and love. I cannot begin to describe your greatness.  The earth with everything in and on it declares your majesty. The heavens proclaim your splendor. Ah, my Lord, I love you so. And I worship you.

The other day, Lord, I read about some people who communicate with the dead and they were so convincing. Luckily, I was able to search your Bible and learned you forbid such things because they are distortions of what is true. Satan distorted what you said in the Garden of Eden by making the forbidden so wonderful and he is still doing it.

You are doing everything possible to save me and everyone else in the world. You never stop trying. You gave me free will and shall not force me to come to you for refuge from Satan’s masquerades and empty promises.  So, you keep trying. When I begin to wander, you bring me back. When I spend my time selfishly, you nudge me. And you gave your Bible so I can read your mind and heart. Together we shall conquer Satan. Thank you, dear Lord, for loving me so tirelessly.

You are so amazing, My Lord. You are so big, no one can really see you. Seeing you is like trying to see a 100-story building of different colors of marble, decorated with majestic columns, splendid filigree under the roof and around all the windows, and statues on each side of a grand stairway and on the roof.  Seeing you is like standing an inch from that building and seeing only a little wood or brick and that’s all.  I have such a limited view of the building, I cannot begin to understand its grandeur. In the same way, when I try to see you as you are, my human view is so limited, I cannot begin to understand all that you are. How I long for the day when my faith in you will become sight.

I still complain sometimes when it is so unnecessary. Lord, when I catch myself complaining, help me to at least end it with acknowledging the blessings I do have and that I love you still and trust you fully.

Lord, thank you for the things I take for granted ~ dishes to eat off of, paved streets, electricity, flowers, butterflies, puppies, stars, friends, busses, food, cotton, trees, water. Also for all those prophets through the ages who wrote down your divine words and all those who translated them into the languages of the world. So much to thank you for. Are you smiling, God? Me too.  I’m smiling too.