As the rain and snow

“Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am godly;
    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
    for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love...
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.
In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
    for you answer me.

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol…
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:1-13,15

When David took up his harp or lyre, songs of his Lord issued forth with emotion and wonder. For this needy, godly servant of the Lord, every strum, every idea set to note echoed God’s works remembered: His attributes, His creative and saving acts among men and nations, His grace and glory. Every word was one of dependence, declaration, or exaltation. His godly captivation with his Maker and the Doer of all things good spilled forth in psalms full of thanksgiving and praise.

We set the rhythms of our lives. Certainly we have outward forces and responsibilities influencing the content and pace of our days, but soul focus is ours to determine and keep. When mindset and senses are open to considering the Lord no matter where we are or what we are doing, a multitude of His works will fill our minds and invigorate our spirits. We are poor and weak, He is able and sufficient. We err, He is merciful. We are spent, He gladdens the heart. We’re planning or negotiating, He is orderly and purposeful. In every opportunity to love, every breath-taking view, every close call, warm embrace, or inspiration ignited, we will sense the Spirit’s work and want to praise Him.

Which of God’s attributes do we notice around us? How united are our affections and attention to fear and praise Him? How can we surrender our work to His greater works, and so imprint efforts with His steadfastness, grace, and faithfulness? How can we point others to say, “There’s no work like God’s”?

“Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.” ~Walter Smith (1867)

Lord, may my works be like Yours, reflecting Your greatness and glory.

“You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath.., that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from… slavery, from the Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

“Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised.

“Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations.., and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers…

“Know, therefore,.. you are a stubborn people. Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness… You have been rebellious against the Lord.” Deuteronomy 7:6-8; 9:3-7

Moses repeatedly reminds the Israelites whose they are. He knows well how man can get in the way, and keeps turning them to the Lord their God who chose them as His treasured possession, set His love on them, delivered and redeemed them to be His people, possess His gifts, and keep and carry His word to the world. Remember Him. Their taking of the promised land would be all God’s doing, not theirs. They were never to take credit nor touch His glory, only to revolve their lives around Him and His plans. (Numbers 20:10-12)

Oh, how we like to swagger! We think highly of ourselves, and relish taking credit for good things that happen. We boast about our favor, let it be known what we envisioned, achieved, built, influenced, earned.

The Lord has for us a whole new paradigm: life is all about Me. ‘Your specialness, your freedom, your bounty, your safety, your successes- they are all about My love, My amazing grace, My holiness, My generosity.’ We are to know this, and know it well. (Romans 12:3)

Once we begin to see life and gifts through this divine, eternal lens, we marvel at how different aspects of God’s character involve themselves in our every day. Do we sense His love and creativity when we behold the beauty of a color-burst dawn graced with soaring birds and their cheery song? Do we delight in His unique affection when our hearts squeeze at the sight, birth, or death of a loved one? How well do we know that all we have and are is from Him, and for Him? (Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 1:16-17)

The next time we’re tempted to take credit, would we point to Jesus? How has He guided, guarded, or given to our benefit? A changed mindset results in greater praise to Him.

All glory to You, my Lord.

“This iniquity shall be to you
    like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse,
    whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;
and its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel
    that is smashed so ruthlessly
that among its fragments not a shard is found
    with which to take fire from the hearth,
    or to dip up water out of the cistern.

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
‘In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’
But you were unwilling,  and you said,
‘No! We will flee upon horses’;
    therefore you shall flee away;
and, ‘We will ride upon swift steeds’;
    therefore your pursuers shall be swift…

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.

“For a people shall dwell in Zion..; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see [him]. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Be gone!’

“And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.” Isaiah 30:13-16,18-24

The prophet exposes the truth about those who feigned devotion and pretended at righteousness while serving as their own gods. While the Lord was near with open arms, His people insisted on making their own way, their hearts far from Him. In mercy He spoke: only the meek would know His joy, only the redeemed would sanctify the Lord, yet they settled for fruitless effort. He would give understanding and the will to accept instruction if only they would return.

How often and in what situations do we drift from the Lord and rely on ourselves? We might proclaim that He’s all-wise, and we trust Him, yet in daily concerns we fret. We become so accustomed to making our own way, asking for blessing rather than guidance, that we cannot see the crack in our protection. We take responsibility for every battle, every decision of our children, every need in the workplace, and forget who it is we serve, who has the rightful throne. In our self-imposed adversity, God waits to be gracious.

Would we take time to assess how near we really are to the Lord? Does profession match action? What idols need we banish? What instruction are we hearing? Where have we experienced His mercy applied? Drawing near to the Lord is the place of soul rest and abundance.

Father, draw and keep me near, to the praise of Your mercy.

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land you are going to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes… all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord… has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land..—with great and good cities that you did not build, houses full of all good things that you did not fill, cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve.” Deuteronomy 6:1-13a

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Moses had just recounted God’s ten commandments to the younger generation of Israelites, and how they’d been communicated in greatness and glory. In emphasizing that they were to fear God and follow these statutes, he highlighted the greatest: that they love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and might. Loving Him first and best would result in a long life of glad obedience and fulfillment. (Deuteronomy 5:1-24)

There are many enticements that drive us, many pursuits we initiate, many things for which we strive. The God who made our hearts knows what truly fulfills, and it is not a life focused on self or toiling. We must consider, in every effort with people, tenacity at work, goal pursued, where is love? Expertise, brilliance, talents, or accomplishments that are exercised without love procure no lasting meaning or satisfaction. (1 Corinthians 13:1–3)

We cannot just muster up love by sheer will. It is planted in us by God’s Spirit. Have we received Christ and so His indwelling love? Does it strum the rhythm of our daily work, activities, and interactions with others? Love for God motivates us to be grateful. Love motivates us to show honor and respect. Love motivates obedience and excellence for His sake. And love for God ignites love for brother. How are we expressing love in these areas? What needs to change for us to welcome the Lord’s love into heart, soul, and might anew? (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 John 4:19-5:3)

Lord, keep Your love on my heart, hands, and in every step.

“You shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna,.. that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out and your foot did not swell… So you shall keep [his] commandments by walking in his ways and fearing him. For the [he] is bringing you into a good land of brooks of water, fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, vines and fig trees and pomegranates, of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, [and] will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. You shall eat and be full, and bless the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 8:2-4,6-10

Moses was used by God to impart a long view to the people of Israel. The Lord worked through decades in Moses’s life to develop him as His humble leader and friend. In their daily wrangle of difficulties and opposition, he was the appropriate messenger to remind them of God’s big picture. As they entered the promised land, they needed to remember that God works on a heavenly timetable in heavenly ways, and to trust, fear, obey, and bless Him in every season.

It is natural in the flesh to prefer certain stages of life over others and want happiness in them all. Sometimes we relish only the good, glossing over or choosing to forget the pain, neglect, and sins of the past because we do not want to deal with them, by confession or forgiveness. Sometimes we remember only the shame, regrets, and hurt, and in bitterness fail to acknowledge how God has faithfully met and carried us, bringing help and comfort. The Lord would have us remember the whole way He has led, through briars and beauty.

God designs the life of a pilgrim to be marked by a variety of circumstances and experiences. To grow in Christ-likeness, we need both bitter and sweet, stretching and consoling, darkness and illumination. We tend to pray for one way for one outcome, when God knows the opposite would bring about His better results: more conforming to His image, deeper faith, greater revelation of His character, wider testimony to His grace, more glory to His renown. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,11)

Where am I fickle in devotion and gratitude to the Lord? Do I pick and choose where I want to be grateful, and complain or resist the unpleasant? How has He proven Himself in the past, teaching me that He orders and works in all things for my good and sanctification? Will I commit to look for Him in every situation, and to praise Him for the varied ways He guides and provides? Remembering God through the whole of life increases expectation, hope, and zeal for His marvelous work to be done.

Lord God, may I pass the test of thanksgiving to You in all things, at all times, and may my life be a testimony to Your goodness, constancy, and glory.

“If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’  you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and Egypt,  the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.  Moreover, the Lord your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left… are destroyed. You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.  The Lord  will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. The Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you… The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.  And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house… You shall utterly detest and abhor it.” Deuteronomy 7:17-26

Moses knew well how vacillating and timid the Israelites could be. He told them to look at the Lord God and His wonders rather than the foreboding people of the nations, to consider His great deeds and deliverance instead of what terrible might be. Rather than stew in self and feelings, believe that the Lord was great and awesome in their very midst, mighty to guard and lead and save. Count on His promises, on His step-by-step clearing of their way in the land. He was with them to completely conquer if they revered Him alone.

Sin and self-preservation often taint or distort our view of things. When we are the center, with all else revolving around our concerns, we tend to turn inward and doubt God’s greater promises. We forget His grace, His faithfulness, His miraculous deliverances over the years because we are fixated on our present obstacle or fear. We may say we believe His word, but we fail to take hold of its substance. We ignore His presence.

Raising our heads to see with eyes of perspective and faith diminishes the size of enemies. Recounting God’s past victories inspires claiming His promises and following His commands, even if fulfillment is not on my timetable. Acknowledging and rejoicing in the fact that He is with us changes dread to expectation, hesitation to eager obedience.

What do I say in my heart that discounts what God has said? What causes this disconnect? Do I fixate on threatening situations, or the Word? Do I absorb reports designed to keep me in fear, or what I know is unshakably true? What gods of safety, comfort, or smug control are preventing my taking the land the Lord wants to give?

Father, help me live in the power of Your presence in my midst, eager to take in faith opportunities You present, to Your glory.

“You said,
‘No! We will flee upon horses’;
    therefore you shall flee away;
and, ‘We will ride upon swift steeds’;
    therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
A thousand shall flee at the threat of one;
    at the threat of five you shall flee,
till you are left
    like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
    like a signal on a hill.

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.

“For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Be gone!’

“He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder… And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water… Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.” Isaiah 30:16-26

Isaiah prophetically describes when the nature of God meets the nature of man. As those made in His image exert their rebel impulses and unwillingness to conform, the Lord watches and waits to respond to surrender. His justice metes out natural consequences for disobedience, He sustains through adversity and affliction, His mercy welcomes the cry and confession of the needy. His guidance, provision, and rest await those who return. His loving nature is constantly nigh, and does not change.

And so with all God’s imperfect children and His perfect concern. We saunter, we boast, we flee His good commands to go and have our own way. He watches our arrogance turn to weakness and vulnerability, and waits to be gracious. O, how He waits, with long-suffering and undying affection. The moment we cry across the great divide between flesh and divine, weak will and unshakable purpose, He answers. He gives help, the impulse to put away idols and find satisfaction and light in Him. His whole and perfect nature thrumming in our mess cannot be ignored, and makes every difference.

What are some of the obvious and detrimental differences between our nature and the Lord’s? How can His presence affect our attitudes? Will we take the Lord at His word and ask for His intervention, guidance, and determination to worship aright? He is worthy of full obedience and trust.

Lord, sanctify my nature to be like Yours, to Your exaltation.

“In the fortieth year.., Moses spoke to the people of Israel.., ‘The Lord our God said to us in Horeb,.. “Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to… the Arabah, in the hill country and the lowland and the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the Euphrates.  I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession…”

“Then we set out and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness… And we came to Kadesh-barnea.  And I said, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord is giving us… Go up, take possession… Do not fear or be dismayed.’  Then you… said, ‘Let us send men before us [to] explore the land…’ They… brought us word, ‘It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.’

“Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord. And you murmured in your tents, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us… to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us…’ I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. The Lord who goes before you will fight for you, just as he did in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where… [he] carried you… to this place.’ Yet you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.

“The Lord heard your words and swore, ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb… [and] Joshua… And as for your little ones,.. they shall go in.’

“Then you answered, ‘We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight…’ You rebelled against the command of the Lord and presumptuously went up into the hill country. The Amorites… came out and chased you as bees and beat you down… And you returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord did not listen to your voice.” Deuteronomy 1:3,6-8,19-22,25-27,29-36,38-39,41,43-45

The people of Israel had a problem with fickleness. Moses repeatedly reminded them of the unchanging facts of God’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt and His promises for their future, but their fluctuating feelings and fears were stronger than their faith. What they saw and felt- whether giants or chastisement or disappointment or rejection- dictated their decisions. Their consequences were dire. Those who failed to take the land, then tried by their own effort against God’s word, would not ever taste its fruits.

Human nature is prone to swings of emotion, pulled by circumstances and what-if events, imaginations and harsh realities. God calls us to remain centered on His faithful word and character. He directs His children with steadiness, truth, and clarity.

What emotions sway our reasoning, effectuating the suffering of sorry consequences or missed opportunities to grow spiritually? Where have we disobeyed clear commands due to fear or stubbornness? Do we make choices by what is right or what feels good? Where are we letting surmised reactions or rejection dictate decisions that are better based on present and biblical realities? Sometimes obedience in faith is harder in the moment, but the Lord’s consistent undertaking and provision prove His way and ways are always best.

Lord, keep me steady, walking in Your truth and fulfilling Your purposes.

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
    and bring her into the wilderness,
    and speak tenderly to her.
And there I will give her her vineyards
    and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt…

“And I will make for them a covenant with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.

“In that day I will answer, declares the Lord,
    I will answer the heavens,
    and they shall answer the earth,
and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and they shall answer Jezreel,
    and I will sow her for myself in the land.
I will have mercy on No Mercy,
    and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
    and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’” Hosea 2:14-15,18-23

Hosea the prophet experienced deep and painful sorrow in his personal life. He was God’s chosen to issue God’s prophesies with the passion of one who understood betrayal, unrequited love, and the brokenness that ensues from unrestrained wayward affections. His description of tender love and merciful redemption flooded the vale of judgment with hope only the Faithful Lord could give. (Hosea 1:2-10; 3:1-3)

In a valley, every step can be drudgery. Outlooks dim due to heads hung low, bodies and expectations weary as the vale stretches ahead with no end in sight. Grief, an incurable disease, a wayward child, scars from regret that never heal. Disagreement, dissension, division, depression. The weight of the burden, the heat where no fresh winds blow, can seem unbearable. How long, O Lord?

Every valley we encounter- of relational trouble, work distress, heartache, physical or emotional destitution- God can make into a door of hope. It may be dark and deep, and seem endless, but God makes it a passageway to the reality best seen against that very bleakness. His hope is bright and sure and never disappoints, calling the weary traveler forward, onward, upward, to see through to the light.

In what strange valleys have we found ourselves, only to experience the Lord’s unexpected love and care through another person, a need met, or miraculous deliverance? Are we presently trudging in one, bereft of energy or hope? Would we hear and believe the Lord’s tender allure, and trust His promises of rest, redemption, and deeper knowledge of Him? Hope in God renews our spirits and the will to persevere.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.” ~ R. Keen (1787)

Lord, in my valley, help me see the door and take hope in the beyond.

“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.  I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,  we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets… To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame,.. because of the treachery… committed against you,.. because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed…

“’O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.  O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name…’

“While I was speaking in prayer, Gabriel… came to me in swift flight [and] made me understand.'” Daniel 9:3-10,16-19,21-22

“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth… 

“I desire that in every place men should pray, lifting holy hands.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4,8

Daniel was a man of regular prayer. He had for decades invigorated his competencies with holy resolve and bold intercession. His high view of God gave him proper perspective of himself, his people, and his responsibility, and set the rhythm of his days on worship, humble confession, and prayer that sought God’s renown and honor. (Daniel 1:3-5,8; 2:16-23; 6:1-11)

Prayer begins with turning our faces toward the Lord- which necessarily supposes turning away from all else: self, agendas, devices, distracted thoughts. Its conduit is mercy sought and applied, and its power is in God’s greatness, righteousness, and faithfulness. Filling our minds with His majesty, holiness, and grace instead of ourselves and personal wants informs and emboldens this wondrous communion.

Gauged against His holiness, do we recognize our depravity and daily waywardness? How consistently do we humble ourselves in desperate contrition, seeking forgiveness on the basis of His mercy? What rebel thoughts and actions, what specific disobedience and dishonor need we confess?

Guided by Him, how faithfully do we plead for our city, those in authority who influence freedoms and governance, our churches? Whose glory and will do we seek? The Lord is swift to answer humble prayer. (James 5:16)

Lord, keep me honest and steadfast in prayer, for Your glorious sake.