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)

I am in the midst of writing more devotional prayers beginning with "God, You are...". Yesterday morning, I came across a bible verse that referred to God as holding my hand. Wow, think of that--BIG GOD and little me walking through life together! In the same way I held my children's hands when they were toddlers, He holds mine. He cares, He protects, He lifts up, He guides:

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

God, You are my Hand-Holder. When I consider Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him? And yet, it is by this same powerful hand that Youlead me beside quiet waters. You even say that my name is engraved upon Your palm. How intimate is Your tender loving care for me, O God of the Universe! I hear You proclaiming to me, "I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. And You also say, "I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone." Thank You for these promises that will not fail. Put my hand in Yours and hold it tight, so that even when I fall I will not be hurled headlong. Your care is complete; Your touch is sweet. Yes, I will put my hand in Yours and walk with You forever.

Psalm 8:3-4; Psalm 23:2; Isaiah 49:16; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 42:16; Psalm 37:24

Below is another devotional prayer written for the purpose of directing hearts to worship the name of the Lord. Other prayers (all beginning with "God, You are") can be found on my website, www.respitefortheweary.com, under the three titles: latest devotional prayers, orThe Heartbeat of God, or The Heritage of God.

Pray with me:

My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. II Corinthians 12:9

O God, You are Sufficient. Like manna in the morning, Your word gives me exactly what I need. It's there for the taking. Likewise,Your word fills my cup each day, and every day. It's there for the drinking. Yes, thank You for pouring Your love into my heart through the Holy Spirit who has been given to me. I don't deserve this ample love! God, please forgive me when I don't eat from Your manna of mercy or drink from Your cup of confidence. Instead, I choose to feast on the past and become bitter, or I drink in the future and become anxious. These unhealthy habits only rob me of theYourgrace that is sufficientfor me today. Dear Lord, help me to obey You andnot ponder on things of the past, norworry about tomorrow. Fill me up with You today--Your peace, Your strength, Your wisdom. You are more than capable to manage my present. Walk with me in my current weakness, so that I may be completely reliant on Your eternal power. For my heart knows, my sufficiency is from You. 

Ex. 16:16-18, Rom. 5:5, II Cor. 12:9, Is. 43:18, Matt. 6:34, II Cor. 3:5

This year I have the privilege of studying the book of Acts with a group of women at my church. One of the main themes of Acts concerns the Holy Spirit. As I read the book in its entirety in order to get my mind wrapped around where we were headed in our study, I noticed that two words words were repeated when the Holy Spirit was mentioned: grace and power. What two incredible gifts we possess as believers when we are filled with the Holy Spirit!

GRACE. Why would the Holy Spirit choose to indwell the biblical characters found in Acts? Think of the disciples--they all scattered on the night Jesus was arrested. And then there's Saul; he was ravaging the church, persecuting all Christ followers. But God chose these men in spite of their fears and misguided passions. Why does He choose to indwell you and me? The answer can only beGRACE.

POWER. What happens when, by faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells believers? Amazing things. Read Acts. His power pours in us, transforms us, and then is meant to pour out of us. Because God resides in us, we have the power to heal broken hearts with His kindness, provide salvation to the lost with His truth, and build one another up with His love. His Spirit brings life alteringPOWER.

And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33

Stephen, (full of the Spirit and wisdom), full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people...they (the unbelieving Jews) were unable to stand up against the wisdom and Spirit by whom he spoke.  Acts 6:8, 10

Let each of us be encouraged that we are not alone. The Spirit that lived in the apostles, is the same Spirit that lives in us today. If the Lord has called you to do something, praise Him for the amazing grace He has poured out on you...He chose you, in spite of you. And then take confidence in the fact that He will give you the power to fulfill His calling.

For this man (Saul) is My chosen instrument to carry My name before Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel.  Acts 9:15

Praise Him for His grace, obey Him with His power.

I recently returned from Sharptop Cove which is a Young Life camp in Jasper, Georgia. My daughter Maggie is currently working there as a nurse over the summer months. Last week, my husband Mac was able to be the camp doctor, so it was a sweet thing to see the two of them serving side by side.Another sweetness to the week was watching the ministry of Young Life in action from start to finish. The heartbeat of this ministry is to reach high school students-- particularly the kids who are living through all kinds of brokeness--broken homes, broken hearts, broken lives. Local Young Life leaders reach out to these kids all year long in the lunch room, at football games, after school, in their world. Then these faithful leaders recruit these students to sign up for summer camp, promising them the best week of their life. Each are desperate for real love, but are searching for it in the world's "mirky mud puddles", not knowing or not believing that they can drink from the living water of Jesus Christ. Can He really offer something better?And so the buses arrive at camp, hundreds and hundreds of teenagers unload, and as the week progresses in Young Life style, the gospel unfolds...hearts are won...and angels rejoice.The beautiful thing about this ministry is that the ones (YL leaders, staff, and volunteers) that are pursuing these kids were once, not too long ago, sitting in the exact same place as these campers. They too were wallowing in their brokeness; but then, the message of the gospel changed everything on the inside. Jesus redeemed their hearts in the midst of their mess, giving hope to what seemed like a hopeless unfixable life.And now, drinking from living water, these redeemed people are redeeming people.A wonderful truth: God can do great things through the faith filled heart, no matter how young or old their walk with the Lord may be.For example, look at scripture: the woman at the well, after encountering Jesus, immediately ran back to her city and manybelieved in Him because of her testimony (John 4:14). And then there's Zacchaeus the tax-collector, after sitting with Jesus, declared instantly that he would make restoration with all those he cheated on financially (from Luke 19). The disciples, likewise, were all a mess, but as soon as they were filled with His Spirit, they became His witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). They didn't wait years to figure it all out; and God didn't wait years to use them. The Good News was too good to keep to themselves!I ask you to join in with the sweet story of redeemed people redeeming people. If you only know one bible verse or truth about God's character, share it with someone who is hurting today. It's His Spirit in you that does the marvelous work, not your fancy words or well organized persuasion. When we share our hope, we grow in our faith.On the last early morning of camp, I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the peaceful setting of the Georgia mountainside. And then, through the mist, along came close to a hundred teenagers walking quietly down the path. They were taking their "new believer's walk", with their leaders by their side; yes, they each decided, Jesus could offer something better. I sat in joyful silence and took it all in.Thank you, Young Life leaders for your faithful pursuing love concerning these kids. You are an inspiration to me. I am praying for you as you are now back home, involved in their broken lives; yet now on the inside, they (and you) are not without Hope. Your Redeemer, Jesus, lives.Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" Isaiah 40:9