“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Genesis 12:2-3

The word "bless" is used quite a bit.  From a closing salutation or valediction at the end of a letter to a response to a sneeze.  What are we really saying when we say "God Bless You"?  Blessing refers to "To Make Holy".  "To Invoke Define Favor".  "To Ask God For Care".  I think we would all rather be blessed than cursed.  We would much rather have "favor" with God then receive His wrath.  

Lord, thank you for caring for me and showing favor for me.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.  Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?  Job 38:4-7

Bad News:  Contrary to how we may think or feel most of the time, the world does not revolve around me and although my life is important to me, I am not the center of the universe.

Good News:  We know the one who created the Universe and he does see our life as important.

Lord, thank you for loving me and choosing to have a relationship with me.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Psalm 19:1

"I will believe in God when I see Him".  As with most things, seeing is believing.  it is hard to trust what we don't see.  God knows this.  God is fully aware of our faults and inadequencies as human beings.  After all, he made us and He has been dealing with our immaturity for a long time.  That is why God goes to great lengths to stoop down to our level and show us that He does exist.  God doesn't need to try harder to prove that He exists.  We need to be more open to see what He is showing us.

Lord, please open my eyes, mind and heart and help those around me to see you as I do.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8 :28

... and life isn't easy or comfortable or effortless or fun all of the time.  God never says that it will be any of these things.  We may expect fairness or life to work out ideally and perfect for us but nearly everything in the bible states otherwise.  God never says that "all things ARE good".  He says, "... in all things God works for THE good ..."  This not only supports the idea that things in life are not always good, but it reinforces the idea that "the good" is more important than "our good".  

Lord, please help me remove the expectations and myth that my life is supposed to be easy, smooth, effortless and fair and help me to understand that when unfairness, hardtimes and trials come, that You will help those things to work for the good for Your Kingdom.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  Psalm 147 3:3

Mental and emotional wounds are usually more painful and tend to linger more than physical wounds.  When we cut ourselves, a band aid or even stitches are the obvious solution.  Band aids are less effective when we suffer an emotional or mental injury.  God can heal those wounds much better than we can.

Lord, help me to seek your help when I am hurt.

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”  Isaiah 6:3

We can easily be "centric".  We can be egocentric or American-centric or English-centric.  We find ourselves not only at the center, but the only.  The world is a big place with many diverse places and people and languages.  God is the God of everyone.  We don't own Him.

Lord, help me to see that You are the God of all human beings and although I may be important to You, I am not the only one in existence.

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.   1 Chronicles 16:10

Unfortunately, many people primarily function in a "reactionary mode" compared to a "proactive mode".  Action is usually taken in reaction to events or situations instead of performing intentional action prior to the event.  Being intentional will not eliminate the need to react but it typically allows a person to "respond" more than simply "react".  Our faith should be intentional.  Our only conversations with God should not be due to our reaction to troubling events in our life.  Our conversations with God should be on-going and intentional, which allows Him to respond to the troubles in our life.

Lord, please help me to be active and intentional in my relationship with You and with those around me.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Is our purpose to seek comfort or is our purpose to seek completeness in God.  If it is comfort, then our main priority would be to find the easiest path through life.  We wake up in the morning and attempt to find the least trouble or inconvenience.  We should avoid discomfort and find the easy way.  However, if our purpose is to be complete in God, then we shouldn't seek weaknesses or insults or hardships or persecution or difficulties but we should not complain as much about them when they occur, either.  We should see these threats to our comfortable lives as opportunities to ask God for help and for His strength.  God's power is made complete only through our weaknesses.  When we attempt to rely on our own strength, we limit the opportunity for God to work in us and through us.

Lord, I don't know if I am bold enough to ask for weakness but help me to at least see weakness as an opportunity for growth and relying on you and not a threat to my easy life.  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17

A mentor once famously said, "I can go stand in my garage and say that I am a car and even go 'vroom vroom' all day long but it won't make me a car.  I can call myself a Christian and shout it from the rooftops but if my actions don't resemble those of Christ, then it doesn't matter what I say."  

Lord, help me to believe but also to act on that belief by my actions.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

The dark can be nice when you are sleeping or when you are watching a movie.  There are some situations when darkness is favorable but the amount of activities that can be performed in the darkness well are fairly limited.  Most of us prefer light to drive, or do homework or to read a book or to make dinner.  Darkness makes these activities impossible or at least, very inefficient.  Light allows these activities to be performed to their potential.  When we are faced with a challenge, I am confident that we would prefer as much light as possible to expose any obstacles in our way and to help us to avoid further trouble.

Lord, thank you for being the light that I require to overcome any trial I face but also to perform most of the activities in my daily life.