Give thanks for His strength

He remembered us in our weakness.
  His faithful love endures forever.
He saved us from our enemies.
  His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:23, 24

We struggle against addictions, depression, discouragement, doubt, worldly desires, and physical enemies. But take heart! God is faithful to remember us in our weakness. When you feel the world pressing in, press into Him. In His strength, He saves us from our enemies. His love endures no matter what you're facing today.


Dear God, thank you for loving me no matter what I do. Thank you for saving me from my enemies. Your strength is awesome to behold and I am in awe of you. May I give the glory to you in every situation. In Jesus' name, Amen.


What is your prayer of thanksgiving? Leave a comment so we can give thanks for you too!

Psalm 30 prayer

Psalm 30 has been my altar cry for many months. Like many of the psalms, it holds powerful emotion that I identify with, as well as warm promises and blessings that I crave. No one knows our struggle the way our Heavenly Father does, and it seems no one can voice hope for deliverance the way the Bible does.

For those who fight an addiction, or who love someone who fights, know that we lift you to the Father in prayer:

Lord, my loved ones are lost. They ridicule your name while I mourn.
They destroy their lives by chasing pain and pointlessness.
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on us.
Lord, be our helper!


I will lift you up, because you have lifted me up.
You do not let the enemy rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, heal the ones I love.
Bring their souls up from the grave and keep them alive,
that they might sing praise to your name and give thanks.


May your anger last but for a moment, and your favor for life.
Weeping endures for the night, but may joy come in the morning.
Turn our mourning into dancing, Lord.
Put off our sackcloth and clothe us with gladness.
We will give thanks to you forever. Amen.

Facing the Giant of Drug Addiction

I have been reading a book about the "giants" we face in our lives.  This is not a new topic for me but every once in a while I revisit it wondering if I have allowed new giants to take up residence in my heart, mind, and life.  My main giant is my health; will I breathe today or not.  Some giants we learn to live with for many years; this one has been with me my entire life, I don't know a day without it.  There are other giants we carry around on our backs and become so used to the weight that we don't remember it as a burden until we practically sink under it.

I know some wonderful people who manage under the weight of a huge heart-rending giant each and every day as they work, support their families, and attempt to enjoy their lives.  These families are dealing with adult children who abuse drugs and can no longer function at a normal level to care for themselves or their children.  I am surprised at the numbers of adults that abuse drugs and wonder what in the world caused that "child" to choose such a path.  Only they and God know for sure.  My heart is burdened for families that have someone they love changed by drugs, so the prayer below is offered to the Father on their behalf.  If you are one of these folks, please know that you are not alone and that God cares about you and your child.  If you are one of the abusers, please know that others love you and long for you to be whole and that God holds the answers you are seeking. 

Father -
Thank you that you give us each other to help carry the burdens of life.  I pray today for those who are dealing with adult children who have lost their way by choosing a life of drug abuse.  Our hearts break for them as they struggle each day to feed an addiction that they cannot control; to live a life they can no longer choose. 
I pray that you will give their parents wisdom to act and love beyond all human reason.  I pray that you will empower parents to do the hard things to protect themselves and others from the many facets of an abusers life that can elicit dangerous situations.  
I pray that you would give all of us who support these parents wisdom to know how to help them as they grieve for their children, raise their grandchildren, and dare to hope their children can become free.  We dare to pray for freedom from the life of addiction.
In the Son's name we offer these prayers to you. 
Amen.