Morning Praise

O Lord, in the morning I will praise your name.
Your grace and mercy are my constant companions.
Your Spirit goes before me and prepares my day.
I will bless your name.

My heart will sing your praise throughout the day.
Whether good or ill befall me, my song will rise to you.
May my words and actions declare your glory
to all who hear and see me.

When day ends I will rest in your peace.
For you and only you bring satisfaction.
You alone restore my body, mind and soul.
Even as my eyes close in sleep my heart rejoices in you.

My Hiding Place

O Lord, you are my hiding place,
You are the refuge of my soul.
When I am at odds with myself
and the world around me,
You open your arms and draw me in.

When I have grown weary from the struggle
You are my rest.
Help me remember the battle is yours.
It is not in confrontation
but in relaxing in your presence.

Whatever the result of each circumstance
- you are God.
You can be trusted.
Teach me to be satisfied with you and you alone.

You are my refuge, my strengh, my rest.

I Trust in You

O Lord, I declare my trust in you!
You are faithful.
You do all things well.
You delight in your children.
Their success makes you proud!

Teach me to walk in peaceful obedience.
Your design for me is greater than anything I can imagine.
Your provision is more than adequate.
Your presence is life.

O Lord I declare my trust in you.
When war is declared against me
I will stand in your armor.
When I am powerless against the foe
I will hide in you.

When My feet have taken me down the wayward path
You lovingly guide me back to your side.
When I fall into the pit
you rescue me.

When I have been blinded by the glitter of stuff
You gently heal my sight.
When I have been deafened by the siren call of success
You whisper my name and I hear again.

When my hands have created idols
You cleanse my hands so I may lift them in worship to you.
When I am puffed up by compliments
You kindly remind where the gift comes from.

When my mind has conceived grand plans for myself
You reveal your plans and I am humbled by your trust in me.
When my heart declares independence
You graciously remind me only in you am I at my best.


O Lord, I trust in you!

Not My Will...

O Lord, you never betray us!

Even when circumstance goes in contrary direction.

You are at work;

Teaching us, guiding us, growing us, molding us, refining us.

You are perfecting us;

If we allow you to take us through the circumstance.



Let me learn not to feel betrayed by circumstance,

or fight against it,

or finally desert it.

Help me understand why circumstance is there:

Fulfilling your work, your plan for my life.

As Jesus prayed....

Not my will but yours be done.

I Don't Want To Be Happy!

O Lord, everything in this world
tells us to seek happiness:
Seek it in what we have,
Seek it in what we do,
Use others to our own happy ends,
Find your happy place.

Happiness is not a destination.
Happiness is a drug.
It is frantically bought and sold daily.
It is a temporary fix for a permanent problem.
Happiness rises and falls with the circumstances.

Lord, I don't want to be happy.
I want to be joyful.
You are the source of joy.
You are joy.
Only relationship with you brings joy.
May your Spirit well up within me.
May your joy overflow from your presence within.
I choose Joy.