Hear my prayer, O Lord, answer my plea, because you are faithful to your promises. Don't bring me to trial! For as compared with you, no one is perfect. My enemies chased and caught me. They have knocked me to the ground. They force me to live in the darkness like those in the grave. I am losing all hope. I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the glorious miracles you did in days of long ago. I reach out for you. I thirst for you as parched land thirst for rain. Come quickly,

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient; we were misled by others and became slaves to many evil pleasures and wicked desires. Our lives were full of resentment and envy. We hated others and they hated us. But, when the time came for the kindness and love of God our Savior to appear, then he saved us - not because we were good enough to be saved, but because of his kindness and pity - by washing away our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit whom he

Praise the Lord, you angels of his; praise his glory and his strength. Praise him for his majestic glory,the glory of his name. Come before him clothed in sacred garments. The voice of the Lord echoes from the clouds. The God of glory thunders through the skies. So powerful is his voice; so full of majesty. It breaks down the cedars. It splits the giant trees of Lebanon. It shakes Mount Lebanon and Mount Sirion. They leap and skip before him like young calves! The voice of th

Then the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. You have sown much, and harvested little, you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes. Thus says the Lord

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30 (NRSV) Many years ago Tony Lotito, from Virginia, took a rock climbing course at a local college. The instructor put Tony in a harness and instructed him to climb to the top of the wall. He told Tony upon

Work hard and cheerfully at all you do, just as though you were working for the Lord and not merely for your masters, remembering that it is the Lord Christ who is going to pay you, giving you your full portion of all he owns. He is the one you are really working for. And if you don't do your best for him, he will pay you in a way that you won't like - for he has no special favorites who can get away with shirking. Colossians 3: 23-25 (TLB) Jo Davis is from Missouri. When sh

Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me, and keep me from stumbling. I've said it once and I'll say it again and again: I will obey these wonderful laws of yours. I am close to death at the hands of my enemies; oh, give me back my life again, just as you promised me. accept my grateful thanks and teach me your desires. My life hangs in the balance, but I will not give up obedience to your laws. The wicked have set their traps for me along your path, but I wi

"Listen! A farmer decided to sow some grain. As he scattered it across the field, some of it fell on a path, and the birds came and picked it off the hard ground and ate it. Some fell on thin soil with underlying rock. It grew up quickly enough, but soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and crowed the young plants so that they produced no grain. But some of the seeds fell i

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. in those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest. Yes, says the Lord, I will be found by you, and I will end your slavery and restore your fortunes, and gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you back home again to your own land. Jeremiah 29: 11-14 (TLB) Lei Cao Garcia-Bote

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Colossians 4:2-6 (NRSV) Jennif