Day 346

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 

John 5:28-29

Lord Jesus,

Give Pastor Robert, give all of us, patience to wait for the day when our loved ones will be restored to us; when we will be with You.

The days grow longer, and Your people grow wearier in the waiting. Sustain us, Lord, through Your Holy Spirit, and help us to run the race just a little longer.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 345

But now, O Lord,

You are our Father;

We are the clay, and You our potter;

And all we are the work of Your hand.

-Isaiah 64:8

Lord Jesus,

I lift up Pastor Robert to You. Mark him with Your grace, and shape him with Your wisdom. Breath a hope in him. He is in Your hands.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 344

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all Gods.

Psalm 95:2-3

Lord Jesus,

Today, I thank You for Pastor Robert. Thank You for giving him to the body of Christ at Calvary Chapel Tucson; for his leadership and teaching; for his reflection of Your heart of mercy and grace. We are grateful for him, Jesus, and we are grateful for You.

I ask You to bless him, and fill the scrapbook of his heart with new and beautiful memories. 

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 343

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:17

Lord Jesus,

Give Pastor Robert a heart of thankfulness that overflows into his words and actions through the smile of the Holy Spirit inside him.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 342

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Lord Jesus,

Please continue to demonstrate Your love for Pastor Robert, every day of his life. Remind him that he is precious to You; that if he had been the only man in the world, You would have died for him alone. Let him know that he is loved by so many.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 341

My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

Lord Jesus,

I lift up Pastor Robert to You, and ask You to be the keeper of his heart. Be his strength when his own heart falters; be his home.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 340

They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.

Psalm 34:5

Lord Jesus,

Please keep Pastor Robert's gaze fixed on You. Keep him captivated by Your love and grace. And keep the people of Your church captivated through this humble man, who teaches us Your word and leads us to You.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 339

"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10b

Lord Jesus,

Today is a gift, it's a beautiful day. Please shine Your joy into Pastor Robert's heart, and let that be his strength. In spite of everything, may we always find joy in You.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 338

And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:4

Lord Jesus,

May Pastor Robert find high esteem in Your eyes, and may he be blessed with Your favor. Bless him also, Lord, with the gift of great respect and honor in the eyes of men.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 337

For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:45b

Lord Jesus,

We know that bad things do happen to good people sometimes. It's part of living in a fallen world. Your own people, as well as unbelievers, have their share of misery. But there is a difference. We have hope, the hope of something better.

As someone once said, for those of us who believe, this is the closest to Hell we'll ever get. But unfortunately, for those who do not submit to Jesus, this is as good as it gets.

Today, I lift up Pastor Robert to You, and all those brothers and sisters in the church who are suffering through difficult trials. I ask You to give them the strength to hold on, just a little bit longer, when these days will be behind them.

Until Heaven,
I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 336

The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

Numbers 6:25

Lord Jesus,

Please bless the life of Pastor Robert, his children, and all the people of Calvary Chapel Tucson. Make Your face shine upon them, Lord, and be gracious unto them.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 335

He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.

Proverbs 21:21

Lord Jesus,

Pastor Robert lives to know You. He pursues righteousness and seeks mercy. Fill him with life, righteousness, and the honor befitting a man after Your own heart.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 334

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Colossians 4:6

Lord Jesus,

May Pastor Robert's words be measured out in grace, seasoned with the salt of wisdom, and rightly discerned.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 333

But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

Psalm 13:5

Lord Jesus,

As Matthew Henry says, You take pleasure in those who hope in Your mercy. I pray that Pastor Robert has such hope, and that he continues to hold fast to it all his days.

Comfort his heart with the joy of Your salvation, Lord, and soothe his soul.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 332

that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love,

Colossians 2:2a

Lord Jesus,

I lift up Pastor Robert and his children to You.

I ask You to comfort them, and bring them closer together, knitting their hearts in love.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,

Amen

Day 331

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Romans 8:24-25

Lord Jesus,

Give Pastor Robert hope in what he cannot see. Hold out Your hand to him in the shadows of his grief, and call out to him with the still, small voice of Your Holy Spirit. Lead him back into life.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 330

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

Lord Jesus,

We are so different than You are. We think differently, we act differently, and we understand differently. We live in the moment, where You live in eternity.

I ask You to minister to Pastor Robert. Give him peace, even in the midst of not understanding. Turn his thoughts away from despair, and open up his mind to the endless promises of forever.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 329

Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Numbers 23:19b

Lord Jesus,

Please shower Pastor Robert with Your grace. Fill his heart with the hope of Your word. And above all, Lord, remind him: Your promises still stand.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 328

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

Lord Jesus,

When You take the measure of a man, You look at his heart. Our hearts are the map of our lives, determining which paths we will follow, which choices we will make.

I ask You to consider Pastor Robert. His heart influences the hearts of so many others. He holds a solemn responsibility, a charge which You have placed upon him. Protect his heart, Lord, and guard it with Your Holy Spirit. May access to Pastor Robert's heart be denied to all things except those ordained by You.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 327

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:3-4

Lord Jesus,

I lift up Pastor Robert to You, as well as all the others in Your holy service. As their Commander in Chief, please help them to endure the hardships that come their way. Keep them focused on the battles that You have set before them, and train them to avoid becoming entangled in worldly things.

May Pastor Robert and the rest of Your troops serve as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. 

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,

Amen

Day 326

 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Lord Jesus,

Each of us face circumstances that try our faith. We struggle daily with adversities that are beyond human expression. Often we have only one word to cry out to You, "Help!"

Thankfully, for us, that is all You need to hear. You will always answer our cries for help. You are the only one who is able to read the secret pages of our hearts.

I pray You read the pages of Pastor Robert's heart, and write Your response upon those very same pages, forever locked within his heart. 

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,

Amen

Day 325

 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.

When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

Luke 5:18-20

Lord Jesus,

We know the faith of friends matters to You. You show us in Your word that You will honor that faith, so we lift up Pastor Robert to You; we who are his friends. 

We ask You to help him, Lord. Mend his heart, comfort his soul, and fill him to overflowing with Your love--and ours.

We ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 324

"I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first."

Revelation 2:19

Lord Jesus,

No one knows the sacrifices Pastor Robert makes for You. No one hears the prayers he pours out for his brothers and sisters. No one feels the ache in his heart over the sufferings of others-- but love does. And love has a name: Jesus.

I pray that You keep Pastor Robert's heart in Your hands, and his prayers in Your ears.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 323

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry."

Hebrews 10:35-37

Lord Jesus,

I ask You to help Pastor Robert hold on. Sometimes that is all we can do. You are our anchor, our foundation. When life tries to loosen our grip on You, we can't let go. 

A broken heart is still a beating heart.
Please hold Pastor Robert as he holds on to You. 

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen

Day 322

He has put a new song in my mouth--praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:3

Lord Jesus,

I lift up Pastor Robert to You. I ask that he reflect the love back to You that You have filled him with. Make him a mirror of Your mercy, grace, and righteousness; an image of Your own heart. 

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,

Amen

Day 321

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Psalm 133:1

Lord Jesus,

Tear down the walls that separate Your people. May we live together in peace, joy, and love towards one another. Let the strongholds of the enemy be destroyed by devotion, and hardened hearts melted with mercy.

I pray for Pastor Robert to enjoy the gift of unity among the members of the church, and bask in the blessings of his brethren.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,

Amen

Day 320

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things...

Matthew 12:35a

Lord Jesus,

May Pastor Robert continue to be a reflection of You through the bringing forth of the good treasures of his heart.

I ask this in Your name, Jesus,
Amen