PRAYING TO BE BLESSED ON THE HOLIDAY

For most people today is a holiday – Victoria Day weekend where we celebrate the  birthday of the queen.  Her 70-year Jubilee celebration in Britain isn’t for another couple of weeks but it’s fast approaching.  

Even though the price of gasoline is sky high many folks are taking advantage of the fact that we can travel this year.  Wherever you are, I pray that you will find rest and recreation and experience peace in your hearts from the God who is with us wherever we are.

These are familiar words but I love them and what a wonderful prayer of blessing they are for one another.

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Psalm 1 gives us a restful scene for this holiday weekend when it says:

Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God. Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night.  They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.  Psalm 1:1-3

So Lord, wherever we find ourselves on this holiday Monday we pray that we will be those who are finding joy in obeying Your Word, filling our minds and hearts with it day and night.  We want to be like the trees mentioned that are by the streams, soaking up all the moisture and food needed from day to day and season to season so at just the right time our lives can produce good fruit. 

And not only that, but be vibrant in the middle of it all.  You don’t want us to be worn out and just getting through, You want us to thrive like the leaves in this picture that do not dry up.  I wonder if the prophet Jeremiah wasn’t thinking about these words too when he prayed:

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.  Jeremiah 17:7-8

That’s our prayer, God, that we would not just read and meditate on Your word each day but that we would put our trust in You and what You say and have confidence that You are good to Your word.  Troubles will come and go but as we stay rooted in Your refreshing truth we’ll get through the dry times and flourish.

And so on this holiday Monday we pray once again:

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13