Week of October 1, 2006, James 5:13-20

One of the Scripture readings for Sunday is from James, the brother of Jesus, in his letter, chapter 5, verses 13 to 20:
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

And also for Sunday from Psalm 19, verse 14, a very familiar passage: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Dear Lord, may Your word come alive in my life, for You are my Rock and my Redeemer. What a reminder to me to always come to You, Jesus, whether I am in trouble, happy, sick, or need to bring my sins to You, You are here with me, and You are through others. For You are the great Trouble-Fixer. You cause me great joy, so that I shout out to You in songs of praise. You are the great Physician, my Healer. You raise me up. And You are my Confessor, who forgives my sins as I confess my sinfulness.

Thanks, Lord, for people You place in my life who help. And thanks for reminding me that prayer is important and powerful – and that my prayers as a righteous person are powerful and effective.

Jesus, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Jesus. May everything I think do and say be acceptable to You, Lord. Thanks for Your presence and love and peace and joy in my life…. Amen.


May the Lord bless you as you go on your way. May He go before you to show you the way. May He go behind you to encourage you. May He go beside you to guide and befriend you. May He always be above you to watch over you. And may He be within you to give you peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you would like to leave a message or prayer request, you can e-mail me at: peacewm@tds.net.

May God, our Rock and Redeemer be with you always.

Week of September 24, 2006, James 3:13-4:3, 7-8

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is from James, chapter 3, verses 13 to chapter 4, verse 3, and including verses 7 and 7 of chapter 4 - some good words for us:
CHAPTER 3
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
CHAPTER 4
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?
2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Heavenly Father, You are a great God, filled with wisdom and love. Help me to be wise and understanding, a good life following You, with deeds done in humility. I give You all of myself, Lord, so rid me envy and selfish ambition. Help me to be peace-loving, considerate, submissive, filled with mercy, sincere.

Jesus, in all things, I call to You, and I do what Your word says – to ask for Your help, to seek Your kingdom in the midst of life. And when I ask, may I always be motivated by what will honor You, what will bring glory to You.

And in everything I do, I want to submit myself – my life, my thoughts, my desires, my actions – submit them all to You. And help me to resist the attacks of the enemy by coming to You, purifying my heart, being single-minded in living for You, always coming to You as the center of my life. Thanks, Jesus, that You always come to me when I seek You. Thanks for Your love, peace, presence, and patience with me always. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His strength and His great peace. In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you would like to leave a message or prayer request, you can e-mail me at: peacewm@tds.net.
May God, our Strength and Hope, be with you now and always.

Week of September 17, 2006 Psalm 116:1-8

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is from Psalm 116, the first eight verses:
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!"
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.

Dear Lord, I love You. You heard my voice. You heard my cry for mercy. You turn Your ear to me always, and I will always call on You – as long as I live.

The cords of death seem to entangle me. The anguish of the grave comes upon me, and crisis upon crisis seems to overwhelm me. I am overcome by trouble and sorrow.

But then I call on Your name, O Lord – “O Lord, save me!” Jesus, You are gracious and righteous and full of compassion. You protect me when I am simple in heart, for as a child, I come to You – with complete trust, and in my great need, You save me.

You word reminds me to rest, to be at rest, even in the midst of weariness, for You Lord, are good to me. O God, You have delivered my soul from death’s darkness. You have delivered my eyes from tears. You have delivered my feet from stumbling. Jesus, I now walk in Your light, filled with joy, and walking tall because You bring freedom. You bring joy. You bring peace. You bring rest. And You remind me that I can always call on You, and Your grace and love and presence are with me always. Amen.

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to Himself;
May the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in His service;
May the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls;
May the fire of the Holy Spirit bring comfort, guidance and fervency;
And may the blessing of the almighty and most merciful God - Creator, Word and eternal Holy Spirit - be upon us and remain with us always. In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you would like to leave a message or prayer request, please e-mail me at: peacewm@tds.net.
God's best to you this week!

Week of September 10, 2006, Psalm 146

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is Psalm 146 - a great psalm of praise, and a reminder of God's promises to us:
1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2 I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.

Dear Lord, I praise You. I will praise You all my life long, all the day long – I will praise You as long as I live. My inclination is first to trust myself, then others, and then You. Help me, Lord, to put no trust in mortal man, or to trust myself, but instead reach out always to You. For my hope is in You, O God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Maker of the seas and everything in them, the Maker of all creation – all that I see.

For You are always faithful, Lord. You uphold the cause of the oppressed. You give food to the hungry. You set the prisoners free. You give sight to the blind. You lift up all those who are bowed down. You love the righteous. You watch over the alien and sustain the fatherless and the widow.

Jesus, I fit into all of these. I feel oppressed at times. You respond. I hunger and thirst for You. You sustain. When I am bound by emotions of anger and frustration, You set me free. Sometimes, I am clueless. But You give me sight to see beyond and behind things, and You show me the things that matter. When I am weary from all of my life’s activities, You lift me up.

Father God, You reign forever. Thank You that You are a great God – for all generations. May I always give You praise and thanks. Thanks for Your presence and peace with me – always. Amen.


May the Lord bless you as you go on your way. May He go before you to show you the way. May He go behind you to encourage you. May He go beside you to guide and befriend you. May He always be above you to watch over you. And may He be within you to give you peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may leave a message or prayer request by e-mailing me at: peacewm@tds.net.
May God, our Hope and our Life be with you always.