The Lord Speaks As I Pray
May 12, 2026
“Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.””
Reflection
14th December 2023 Thank You, Lord, for every blessing under heaven. You have blessed me with more than I need and more than I can imagine. Even though the arrows fly overhead and the enemies encamp around me, You have prepared a table for me to dine in the presence of my enemies. Your angels surround me and Your favour protects me as with a shield. Indeed, my shield is the shield of faith – believing in the testimonies of the saints that You have sent to me, with words of encouragement and hope. Whilst my faith is in things unseen, it is not in things unknown; for Your love and sacrifice for me is clearly known and clearly expressed in my life. I am blessed with wonderful parents, who clearly love me and will do anything to protect me. My wife loves me in ways that can only be due to Your love being channeled through her, for I have not been able to express my love enough. I confess that I have also not expressed my love for You often enough. Forgive me. I am blessed with beautiful children, physically, and more importantly, in spirit. Thank You, Lord, for depositing the Holy Spirit in their hearts and I pray that the Spirit will grow and commune with their spirits, as He communes with mine. Our communion is one where You take charge, O Lord, yet we are also participants in our decisions, conduct and actions. We cannot absolve ourselves from blame, as You have given us the freedom to choose, whether to obey You or to ignore You. I want to obey You. I trust You and I love You. Flow through me, Holy Spirit, and let Your thoughts be my thoughts. I ask for forgiveness for my sins – my wilfulness and choices in my career. I know You would have me serve You in healthcare, where there are souls to be healed and to give a hope for the reason that I have, to live as one with eternal life, rather than one who lives as if my days on earth were numbered. Others may believe that ‘you only live once’, but I know that in You, I live forever. I ask that You take the yoke of my current situation away from me, for it has been a long 3 years and it appears that it will go on for another 3. Yet, You have said that I must be patient and the time has not yet come for my trials to stop. I ask You, then, for the fruit of Your Spirit, which is patience, peace and joy, in spite of my circumstances. I ask for self-control, that I do not allow my emotions and feelings to overwhelm me. Instead, O Lord, please let me be filled with the fruit of Your Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In all these things, may I truly know You and experience You. May I be the expressed image of You to others. What are Your plans for my children? Will I be able to attend their graduations? Will I be able to provide for them, my wife and my aging parents? I do have many questions and am uncertain about the future. Yet I know You are in the wind and the storms. Your answer is carried in the gentle whispers of the wind, on clouds above and even in the peace of each dark night. Let me seek solace in things unknown, for You are there. Yes, You have plans for my children and they will be to glorify You. You have placed them in situations that will not be beyond what they can bear. Do not fear for their future, for You are there with them. You will prepare the way for them and You will guide them with Your angels. Thank You, O Lord, for Your promises. Yes, I shall be able to attend their graduations, no matter what happens, because You will clear the path for me. I shall be able to rejoice with them as You rejoice with me. You have promised to sing with me and for me, as in Zephaniah. Thank You for Your mercies, O Lord! Yes, whilst I may not seem to be able to provide financially for my family, You shall provide for them in ways beyond my imagination. You shall be more than sufficient for my family’s needs, for we are Your servants and Your beloved. I should not seek to be able to provide for my family’s needs on my own strength, for that will be repeating the mistakes of my past. Instead, let me learn to lean on You and Your promises for our future. You have plans for us, not to harm us, but to give us hope for a future. You shall see us through this time of testing and we shall be found faithful. We shall not turn away from You, because we are tightly gripped by Your hands – hands of love and security. You shall hide us under Your wings and allow us time to rest and to recover. You have further plans for us, not only in this world, but in the worlds to come. Thank You, Lord, for allowing us to rule with You in the heavenly realms; to have dominion over all Your creations as we rule with Your heart and Your purpose. May Your will be done always, on earth as it is in heaven. Hallelujah! Blessed be Your name! Jesus, name above all names! Amen.
Application
Pray and listen at the same time, for our Lord loves a good chat!
(Thank You, Lord, for speaking clearly to me and for giving me the courage to share Your love with others. I pray that everyone who wanders into this Valley of Grace be edified and comforted by You. Amen)