Showing posts with label praise God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise God. Show all posts

April 30, 2021

I Sing Better With Him Behind

 

Has your voice ever slid off-key for lack of breath or unfamiliarity with a hymn? As our vocal chords age, it’s harder for most of us to hold a note or stay consistently in tune.

When our extended family members come back to Florida for the winter and early spring, I look forward to Henry’s return. As soon as I see him, I eagerly point to the seat behind me where I can hear his pleasing voice. Not only that, but my own voice instantly improves!

Who do you need to have your back?

What voice do you hope to hear?

What key verses keep you in tune with God’s Will?

 

Prayer: Loving Father, help us to hear You well as You speak to us through Your Word. Help us to stay on key with Your truth and love. Help us to sing Your praises this and every day in Jesus’ Name.

 

©2021, Mary Sayler

April 17, 2017

Jesus Christ is Risen indeed!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Christ our Lord
is risen
in each of us each day,
and neither gravity
nor a cruel grave
can keep us down.

by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, from her book of prayers, poems, and contemporary psalms, PRAISE! published by Cladach Publishing

April 10, 2013

Daniel prays for mercy

Background:

After the Hebrew people had been taken captive in Babylon (ancient Babel and modern-day Iraq), King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream that kept him awake at night. In hope of sleep the king called magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to tell him the meaning of this dream, but no one could. Instead, the not-so-wise men admitted that no one on earth could possibly do what the king asked. No one could possibly reveal the meaning of the dream except gods, who do not lower themselves to live on earth. This made the king so angry, however, that he ordered every supposedly wise person in the kingdom to be put to death!

When Daniel (known to the king by his Babylonian name Belteshazzar) heard of this predicament, he asked the king to give him a little time for the meaning of the dream to become clear. Then, hurrying home, he explained the situation to his Hebrew friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, also known by their Babylonian names of Hananiah, Mishal, and Azarish. Daniel urged his friends to plead for mercy from the God of heaven, so they would not be condemned to die nor would the wise men of Babylon.


Then during the night, the mystery was revealed. During the night, a vision came to Daniel. During the night, Daniel prayed to the God of heaven, praised the God of heaven, and said:

Praise be to the Name of God for ever and ever
for wisdom and power belong only to Him.

God alone can change times and seasons.
God alone can depose and raise up leaders and kings.
God alone can give wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.

The God of Heaven reveals deep things
and knows what hides in the darkness,
for with God alone, all light dwells.

And so I thank You and praise You,
O God of my ancestors
for You have given me wisdom and power
and made known to me what we have asked
for You alone know the dream of kings.

Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had selected to slay the wise men of Babylon, and said, “Do not kill the wisdom of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will decipher his dream.”

So Arioch took Daniel to the king and said, “I found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell what dreams mean.”

“Belteshazzar,” the king said, “Are you able to tell what came in my dream. Are you able to tell and interpret?”

Daniel replied, “No wise man, no enchanter, no magician, no diviner can explain the mystery the king has seen, but God in heaven reveals mysteries."

Dreams and visions came to your mind as you lay in your bed, and these dreams and visions show days ahead – days in a mystery revealed now to me, not from my wisdom, but my God, the Revealer of Mysteries, Who wants you to know what will happen, Who wants you to know God of heaven, Who wants you to understand what turns and turns and awakens your mind.

© 2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of today’s Bible reading from Daniel 2:17-30


~~

Me, Myself, and Eye Care

  Over a decade ago I began this blog, and, as time has flown, so has my vision. With a few other blogs to maintain, I hope to post/ repost ...