‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

I want you to take a few deep inhales and exhales. Envision God breathing His breath into you as you read today’s key verse. We are blessed to be alive with the Holy Spirit living in each of us. It has been said that by inhaling and exhaling we are saying Yahweh.

God is so intentional and pays close attention to detail as should we. When we live for today, we are more likely to express gratitude and be intentional with how we utilize our time. How will you choose to live for today? As we go to God in prayer, spend some quiet time in His presence taking deep breaths.

Yahweh, I sit in Your presence and count my blessings for today. Forgive me for rushing through this life. Help me to live today with intention, making the best use of my time for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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‭‭Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Before we share in God’s word today, let’s take a moment to go to God in prayer to prepare our hearts and minds to be open to what God has for us this week. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your word and Holy Spirit to direct us. Open my heart and mind to receive the message that You have for me this week. Help me to be intentional in everything I do so that I can put into practice the mindset of living for today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Now let’s get into the mindset to live for today by taking a moment to read all of Psalms 118. Psalms are such a wonderful way to praise and worship God. Did you know when we praise and worship God the enemy scatters? We can also break down barrier walls and bring nations together. 

Take a moment to listen to Psalm 118 sung in Hebrew by Julie Geller.

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‭‭Take a moment today to meditate on this week’s scripture verses!

Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

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Video by Ray White, Meditate Monday.

This week we will be talking about living for today. In the song, Fresh Fire by Maverick City, featuring Brandon Lake and Naomi Raine, they sing, “God, if I live, I live for You.”

By living for today, we are living for God.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

This week has been devoted to prayer. This past Monday our twins, Trevor and Kendal turned 21. We have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Many prayers have been surrendered at God’s feet over the years. In today’s key verse, Paul tells us not to be anxious about anything. Let’s face it, whether excited, nervous, or fearful, those feelings can produce an anxious mind. I think back to the time I prayed to have children. I prayed for a set of boy/girl twins. Yes, God has a sense of humor. Pregnancy was an exciting, yet anxious time. Over the years the needs and prayers have gotten bigger. Each time we would watch God answer with a yes, no, or not yet. 

We celebrated with family over dinner at Alfresco Italian Bistro. I enjoyed eggplant Parmesan. The morning of their birthday, our daughter requested M&M sourdough pancakes. You are never too old for pancakes. I will savor this birthday celebration for years to come.

Of course just because our children become adults does not change things. We will be praying for our remnant and future remnants for years to come. I encourage us all to take a moment to stop and pray for someone we love.

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‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

This week is devoted to prayer. When making sourdough, you only need a remnant to make it grow and multiply. Just like I don’t want to waste a remnant of sourdough, I don’t want to waste my opportunity to live as God’s remnant. I also don’t want to waste the prayers that have been said before me. In Draw The Circle, Mark Batterson writes, “when we live by faith, we will harvest prayer seeds that have been planted for decades, for centuries, for millennia.”

By fixing our eyes on Jesus as God’s remnant, we live by faith and harvest those millennia prayers as we read in ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Earlier in the week I had us examine our prayer habits. I pray for all our readers, that you will harvest prayer seeds that have been planted for decades and desire to plant new ones.

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, I fix my eyes on You. Thank You for the prayers that have been planted before me. I seek to harvest those prayer seeds and plant new seeds for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

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2 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

This week is devoted to prayer. In today’s reading, the Prophet Elisha asks God for the servant to see an army protecting them in the spiritual realm. Wouldn’t this be amazing to see today!

Tara-Leigh Cobble in The Bible Recap says, “our prayers are a tool in God’s hand to accomplish what God has planned for us.” This goes along with what Pastor Mark Batterson says, “the greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked.”

In my thoughts, God’s plan unfolds no matter what but when we pray and get answers (yes, no, not yet) we have the blessing to see God move. So if we don’t pray, it’s like we are walking around in the dark and don’t see God move. Reread today’s key verse. Take a moment to think about the Spiritual realm all around us. Do you desire to be in constant communication with God?

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for direct communication with You through prayer. I love our relationship and that I can share everything with You. I desire to see Your glory unfold. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

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