The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

O God, You are Supernatural. It is the eleventh hour, so I am asking for Your abundant grace and Your mighty power to intervene this very minute. I am pleading for something heavenly to happen in this very human situation. I cling to this story of old, and ask for the same supernatural power today: So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. And on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and roused him saying “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him,“Gird yourself and put on you sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap you cloak around you and follow me.” …and when they passed through the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out along one street; and immediately the angel departed from him.” O Lord, my God, I ask You to do this very same work today. There are so many hearts that are locked in a prison of lies and deceit. Come into their darkness and shed Your light. Awaken their souls to Your freeing truth. Cause Your wonder-working power to strike hardened hearts with Your tender mercy and Your gentle love. Remove chains of deception and addiction that bind them to this world; by Your grace, help each one of them to get dressed with Your garments of salvation and Your robes of righteousness. Open the gates to the One way that brings complete freedom, which is Jesus, only Jesus. O God, I ask for You to show up in this mighty way right now. I believe in You, Father, I believe in Your Son, I believe in Your Spirit. I am tired, I am weary, and I have no fight left in me. Yet because of You, I am not without hope. So I will continue my rock solid stance; and in this place, I will lift up my fervent and faith-filled prayers to You, without ceasing. Please do Your supernatural work in the hearts and in the lives of the ones I love. For I cling to the promise that You have come to proclaim liberty to captives, and to set prisoners free.

Acts 12:5-8; Acts 12:10; Is. 61:10; I Thess. 5:17; Is. 61:1

Every year at Christmas time I look forward to a few of my favorite things. It's what makes Christmas, Christmas. Here are three (of many) traditions that I cherish over the holiday season: love exchanged through Christmas cards, joy shared at family get-togethers, and peace given in quiet moments with my Savior. I think each of you can relate to one or all of these Christmas traditions.

I John 1:7

But have you ever thought why certain things are our favorites? What is the deeper root, or the  foundational rock of the different traditions at Christmas? Could it be that we are made in the image of God and that He is the originator of the beautiful things that we habitually do this time of year? I believe so… A long, long, long time ago, God spoke to the Israelites: These are the appointed feast of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies (Lev. 23:1). These feasts were to be celebrated every year, generation after generation. And all these feasts pointed to…Jesus. So, we humans are not the originator of traditions, or the author of Christmas for that matter! Perpetual acts of celebrating are a God-designed decree; and it pleases Him. He is the author of love and joy and peace and fellowship and family and faith.

    So over this next week, invite Him into a few of HIS favorite things. Dig deeper into these traditions and stretch your arms wider with His love that is ever present and that conquers all; then, hear Him rejoice over you with singing (Zeph 3:17).

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As we are getting into the thick of the holiday season, the pace seems to get faster by the day… the every day to-do list gets bombarded by other must-do lists: gift lists, grocery lists, Christmas card lists, packing lists, etc. My personal challenge, that I will offer to you as well, is to start the day s..l..o..w and q..u..i..e..t. Wake up, drink your warm cup of coffee, and just sit in silence before the Lord. Breathe. Allow Him to invade your heart and mind with His sweet peace. And then, meditate on His word. Breathe deeper. Allow Him to infuse you with His strength. Time with Him in the morning will set the mood and tempo of the day. Remember, afterall, Christmas is about... Him.

If you need guidance during these holy-days, please feel free to use the Christmas devotional "Who is this Jesus and Why did He come?".  The devotional can be found in its entirety at www.respitefortheweary.com.Below is a sample of one day:

December 12 ~ He is the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6
.and His name will be called...the Prince of Peace.
Ephesians 2:17-18
And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Colossians 1:19-20
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Psalm 119:165
Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.
Mark 4:38-39
And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
My Child,
I am your Prince of Peace. Realize I have the power and authority to calm every “storm” that arises in your heart and mind. Cry out to Me and I will answer. The “wind and the waves” might continue in your circumstances, but My incomprehensible peace will be ever present in your soul.
Immanuel

As we are entering Thanksgiving week, and then the Christmas season, there has been a heavy weight on my heart for those who have suffered recent and great loss. Please know I am bringing you before the Lord, asking Him to give you His peace that passes all understanding. This "God, You are…" prayer is written for you:

Man of Sorrows

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

Is. 53:3

O God, You are a Man of Sorrows. Yes, Jesus Son of God, You are the great high priest who has passed through the heavens…In so doing, You became a man who can sympathize with our weaknesses. Every emotion that I have experienced, You have endured as well, yet without sin. Right now dear Lord, You know the depth of my sorrow, not from the outside, rather, You are deeply moved within. Please make sense of this mess; this grief is too much for me. Save me, O God, for the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood overflows me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. Come Lord Jesus, comfort me; hold me; hear me. Help me not to push You away in anger; help me not to blame You for this chaos; help me not to become bitter with this loss. Help me to trust in You; help me to cling to You; help me to hear You weeping with me. The only answer is the cross. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Jesus, in Your life You experienced grief of Your own, in Your death You experienced mine, and in Your resurrection You promise to walk with me step by step. Yes Man of Sorrows, I am not alone. I have to trust You, for You are my only hope. Please help me carry this load; please enter my grief. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears my burden, the God who is my salvation.

Heb. 4:14; Heb. 4:15; John 11:38; Ps. 69:1-3; Ps. 63:8; Is. 53:4; Ps. 68:19

***Other prayers like these are now availble for free on YouVersion, under "The Heartbeat of God". This a 30 day on-line devotional; all prayers begin with the statement, "God, Your are…"

Sometimes, it's hard to know what to do in particular situations, whether they are big or small: should I go to this college, should I take this job, should I pursue this relationship? Take courage that God knows your path, and as you seek Him, He will guide you. Here is another devotional prayer that pertains to God as the Director:

…(Ruth) happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz… Ruth 2:3

God, You are the Director.  You know that I choose to walk by faith, not by sight. And You also know that this is sometimes unsettling for me. Which way do I take, which road do I walk down? Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul…teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Yes Lord, please lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. I want Your way, even if it’s a road of patience, or perseverance, or trial. I ask for Your divine wisdom to override any of my potential wayward decisions. Reroute my heart and mind back to You, O God. Thank You that in my heart I plan my course, but You, O Lord, determine my steps. Keep me close to You, and continue to direct my heart into Your love and into the steadfastness of Christ. Through the guidance in Your word, let me hear You say, “This is the way, walk in it.”  Yes, be the Director of my path, O God; for I am confident that the seemingly unknown road to me is completely and clearly known to You. And no good thing do You withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

II Corinthians 5:7; Psalm 143:8,10; Matthew 6:13; Psalm 16:9; II Thess. 3:5; Isaiah 30:21; Psalm 84:11

One of my "go to" passages of Scripture is II Chronicles 20:1-30. It's about a king of Judah named Jehoshaphat who found himself in a desperate situation. In these verses, he and his people got word that the enemies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir were coming against them to fight and throw them out of the land.King Jehoshaphat's response is threefold: he prays, he stands firm, and he worships.His prayer, together with the people of Judah, is beautiful, beginning with praising God as their protector and ruler, and ending with a humble petition: For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You. (20:12)God answers his prayer by telling them, "Don't fear, don't fight, this battle is Mine…stand firm." (see 20:15-17)And so the king obeyed; instead of fearing and fighting, he and his people stood at the battleline and worshiped the Lord together with music and song. (see 20:18-21) What an interesting battle tactic!The result: Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. (20:22)Today, do you feel as if you are being attacked on all sides? Your enemies don't necessarily have to be physical; you can be fighting emotions such as frustration, confusion, and dismay (name your enemies). In your battle, choose to follow the incredible wisdom of king Johshaphat of long ago. Put your eyes on the Lord alone, trust and stand firm in who He is, and then just start singing praises to His name. Allow Him to dispel the power of your enemies!All day long today, sing in your heart the very words that the people of Judah sang on the battlefield thousands of years ago: Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever! (v.21)And may you have rest on all sides.Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around. (20:30)