Well Father, it’s certainly been a roller-coaster of a week. You’ve been extremely “chatty” with me as of late and while I don’t completely understand these urgings You’re placing on my heart yet, I’m starting to put some of the pieces together. Either way Lord, I am paying attention. 🙂
Today Father, I’d like to lift a dear friend of mine up in prayer. He’s going through a very rough time at the moment, and he’s hurting deeply inside. He’s been an incredible support and Blessing both to myself and my business over the years, and has always encouraged me on my journey to Your Service. Please bring Your Healing Presence to his heart Father, and grant him the comfort he needs to be strong during this time of trial.
To close out the week Lord, I’d like to once again share some music that uplifts and inspires me. One of my favorite Christian Artists for many years has been Mark Schultz. He initially grabbed my attention almost ten years ago with “He’s My Son”, which I first heard while Jonathan was going through chemotherapy. Recently however, he seems to be coming out with one amazing new song after another. One of those that truly makes my heart swell is “Love Has Come” :
He’s a truly talented artist Father, and I can feel Your Love each time I hear this song. The chorus says it all :
“Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That God is love and love has come for us all
Every heart set free, every one will see
That God is love and love has come for us all”
During my morning web “stumbling” Lord, I came across a statement made on a blog site regarding missionary work that got the gears in my head spinning. The phrase used was : “God is not practical.”. In the context of the article it was contained in the statement wasn’t used in a derogatory fashion, it was simply used to illustrate that You call us to do things that may not be expedient, or what we would deem logical and productive. Either way, it got me to thinking…
Am I allowing You to take me outside my “comfort zone” when You ask, or am I sometimes only serving You when it’s practical to do so?
Ouch… That’s a convicting question. Yes, I’ve absolutely stretched my boundaries and grown in Faith but have I always done all I can? If I’m brutally honest with myself the answer is a resounding no. Have I taken every opportunity to share Your Message with others? No. Have I consistently followed the whispers You place in my heart, and dropped everything to accomplish Your Will? No. Have I faithfully followed Jesus’ example in every aspect of my daily life? No.
Am I learning, growing and striving for transformation so that I may someday change those answers? Yes. 🙂
I am a work in progress Father; A repentant child who looks to You for guidance, inspiration, understanding and mercy. Please hear my prayer.
Heavenly Father, I pray that in Your Word and with Your Guidance I continue to grow in Your Kingdom. Please lead me to bring Your Message to others, and to stray joyously out of the practical in Your Service. Amen.
On my way to a client’s office this morning, I was listening to the local contemporary Christian radio station and they were airing a piece about an outreach program they’d conducted a couple weeks ago. During the clip they played, one of the participants was discussing how wonderful it was that You used that event to reach out to those who were in need.
That got me thinking Father… The idea of “being used” usually has such a negative connotation in the context of our earthly relationships, and yet as Christians we yearn for You to use us.
If we examine Your Word, we find that even Your enemies are used to accomplish Your Works. For example, in the story of Exodus You not only used Moses to bring the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, but You also used Pharaoh as well :
“Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”” – Exodus 7:1-5 (NIV)
By manipulating Pharaoh and hardening his heart, You used him to make Your Might known to the Egyptians. Even those that stand against you in doubt and defiance may be used for Your Purpose.
For those who follow You however Father, there is no greater joy than being used for Your Divine Works; to be Your emissary, Your instrument and Your servant.
Use me Lord. Lead me. Let me be Your Hands. Let me shine Your Light for all to see. This is my prayer, today and every day.
This morning Father, my heart is troubled by some extremely disturbing events that happened yesterday evening involving a friend of ours. You know the lady and the details Lord; she’s in terrible emotional turmoil, and needs You desperately. As I’ve asked in my prayers many times today Father, please let her feel Your Comfort and Presence to guide her through this time of trial.
On a happier note, I thought I’d close the week with some joyous music! Jonathan and I have tickets to the Newsboys “Born Again Experience” Concert with Kutless, Disciple and Carlos Whittaker for April 9th. Jonathan is a HUGE Newsboys fan, and this is his first concert as well so he’s very excited (Ok, so am I 🙂 ). Anyways, they released a new music video last month for the song “Miracles” so I thought I’d finish our chat up with that :
“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;” – Psalm 98:4 (NIV)
Over the last couple weeks Father, it seems that I’ve been performing more and more data recovery services at my office. It’s actually work that I enjoy; taking a damaged hard drive where the contents have been rendered inaccessible and extracting the client’s seemingly lost bits of information contained therein. It’s a puzzle sometimes, and each drive has it’s own nuances that requires specific “massaging” to get to the data.
For the client, it’s a time of trial to be sure. Critical business data, family photos, tax returns or years of childhood videos may hang in the balance. People tend to underestimate the importance and value of the information they entrust to their computers these days, and when it’s not there all of a sudden it can be quite a shock. In the end, It’s a wonderfully satisfying feeling for me to hand them back something precious that they thought was lost to them forever.
Hold on… That’s what You do for us!
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” – Ephesians 2:4-5
We bring our lost and broken selves to Your Feet Lord, and through Your Son Jesus Christ we are “recovered” and made whole again. You return to us the most precious part of ourselves, and delight in doing so.
I never thought of you as a fellow geek Father… I like it. 🙂
Heavenly Father, thank You for “recovering me” from my sin and brokenness. Please continue to fill my spirit with new and beautiful “data”, and assist me in promoting Your Wondrous Service to others. Amen.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
