Welcome to my "guest" devotional writer, my sweet 13 year old daughter, Sarah. I had the privilege to read this beautiful letter she wrote to The King of Kings, Jesus, the One who loves her dearly. Inspired by Psalm 121 and Psalm 139, Sarah's letter to Jesus is a precious example of breathing Scripture back to the One who breathed the Word to us. I pray you will be blessed by her letter of love. I know I was...
Psalm 121:1 I lift my eyes up to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 139:1-5 O, LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:16 ...your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
A Love Letter To My King
Dear Jesus,
You know me inside and out. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts from far away. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do. Lord, you know what I say, even before the words leave my mouth. You are all around me -- in front of me and behind me.
You adorn me in a cloak of light. I am amazed by Your love for me. Wherever I go, and wherever life leads me, I will cling to You and find comfort in Your presence. I praise You because You made me in such a wonderful way. You know all my worries and You set me on the straight path.
You always walk by my side and when I cannot walk any further, You gather me up in Your arms and carry me. You will never leave me nor forsake me. I lift my eyes up to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from You, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. You will not let me fall. You never sleep and You always watch over me. You will protect me from every danger. I will go through hard times because I live in a fallen world, but You will not put me through anything I can't handle, O Lord.
Always stand by my side because I belong in Your presence. My heart is Yours, and I love You forever into eternity.
Love,
Your Princess,
Sarah
...Amen. Next time, "I Know You" a letter from Jesus to Sarah...
Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people.
I love praying with people. I love to join in prayer with those of all ages, of all denominations, on all points of the journey... I love praying with people whose prayers are like poetry, and with those whose prayers are precious in their simplicity... It is a blessing to hear each prayer... each is beautiful to me.
Our prayers are beautiful to God. Scripture tells us that we may approach the throne of grace because of what Jesus did for us. When we pray, we are entering into the throne room with confidence. That image simply fills me with awe. As we pray, we enter the throne room... and God is there, with Jesus at His right hand, listening to our prayers. And every prayer is important; every prayer is heard.
I can imagine all the prayers held in those golden bowls of incense... mingled with the prayers of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Hannah, David, Solomon, Ruth, Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Mary, Peter, Paul... mingled with the prayers of Jane, Tom, Sarah, Jason, Rob, Michael, Elisabeth, Bruce, Arlene, Chris... all the prayers of desperation, fear and worry... the prayers for comfort, healing and strength... the prayers for provision, wisdom and discernment... the prayers of thanksgiving, worship and praise... the tentative prayers, the bold prayers, and the questioning prayers... all are significant, all are heard. Each and every one.
Heavenly Father, we humbly, yet boldly, approach Your throne of grace and pray. Father, we come to You, knowing that You hear our prayers. LORD, we know that our prayer is a sweet conversation with You... thank You for Your grace, thank You for Your mercy, and thank You for Your undeniable love for us. I praise You, and give You all honor and glory. In the mighty, loving, awesome name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
