All posts by imacorn

Delightfully blessed

We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. 

So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 4But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.

But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.

Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. 32They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”

 “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.

Lord God my Father,

You are worthy of an altar with my every step. Thank you for blessing me with all the gifts you have and help me to be a living altar to you as I walk through my day. Your blessing is abundant and living in worship makes the days more delightful. Keep me from boasting and to be humble in all things.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Real conversation with God

“From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

“But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.

Lord God my Father,

Give me courage to fight with you so I may learn the error of my ways. Help me to not think I know the outcome before you expose it to me. Help me to not jump to conclusions.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Quietly obedient

Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me,

Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 

Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”

And I replied, ‘Yes, here I am.’

Lord God my Father,

Keep my heart focused on your desire, keep me from “helping” you do your will. Help me to not try to understand what your are doing, but just be obedient. Keep me cry from my heart to be, “here I am.”

One service, His.

At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 

Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God.

“Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”

Lord God my Father,

All that I have, home, family, health, is from you. I am grateful for your abundance and grace. Help me to keep only one thought to motivate my actions, to serve you in all things and not act in my own service. Your plan is perfect, its ok that I don’t understand it.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

First

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.

Lord God my Father,

Help me to bring honor to you with all you have given me. I want to put you first in all things.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Here I am

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

12“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

“This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants

When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.”

He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful.

‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission.

Lord God my Father,

Thank you for revealing yourself to me through your Word. Your way is so overwhelming and comforting. Give me the heart that only looks to you and commits to your way. Lord God I say, “Here I am.”

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Willing

When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.

Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. 

Lord God my Father,

Keep me close and obedient. Destroy the evil around me and use me for your purpose. Open my eyes to see your blessings and desires.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

No limits.

Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”

Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

Lord God my Father,

Help me to see past my own limits and know your ability. Keep me from allowing my weakness to limit your blessing. Help me to keep all your desires possible in my thoughts. Keep me honest in my response.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Altar

“I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

There he built another altar to the Lord.

 for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

Lord God my Father,

I am so grateful for what you have given me, turn me towards your blessing and shape my heart to bring you glory with it. Allow your spirit to guide my family into creating an altar to you with these gifts and protect us from wicked ways. Deliver me from my sin nature and into your way.

in Jesus name i pray,

Amen

Known

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.

Lord God my Father,

Now that I have seen you, I realize I don’t know anything, only you carry wisdom. Thank you for the life you have given me so far, may what I have left please you. Your way is perfect, help me to be still and allow you to be my Lord.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen