Prayer for Our Best Friends

I have a best friend.  She is so much more than a best friend, she is family. You know, that person that will be there for you no matter what.  A person that will listen to you as you rant on about something, anything, or you listen to them as they rant on about something.  That person, that no matter how long you have been apart, you pick up right where you left off.

We all need prayers, and so this month we are specifically praying for our best friend. I am sure that each of you reading this has a person in mind when I mention best friend.  Maybe there is more than one person who you consider your best friend. My prayer for my best friend is that the Lord will show up in her life.

God brought us together so many years ago.  Our friendship has lasted the test of time.  I believe that God brought us into each other’s lives.  She is my person.   We have been in each other’s lives for so long, and I can’t imagine not having her in my life.

“A friend loves at all times...”  Proverbs 17:17

My best friend is someone I met when I was sixteen years old.  We met in high school.  We have been there for each other in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.  Our conversations last minutes or hours.  We know each other’s dark secrets and dreams. If I was stranded on a desert island, I would want her on the island with me.

We don’t live in the same state, but we always talk to each other.  When we get on the phone, we talk about everything and nothing at all.  Sometimes we talk about books, or movies, and then other times, we solve the world’s problems.  Whatever we talk about, it brings us closer together.

There have been things that we don’t agree on.  However, we respect each other.  If we do have difficult conversations, two seconds later we are joking about something.  Through the years we have grown and matured, hopefully.

“My prayer for my best friend is that she know that God will never leave or forsake her.” Laura Maxson

Photo by kartini maxson

My best friend sat with me all night long one night a very long time ago.  It was a dark night for me, and she didn’t leave me.  She made sure that I was not a danger to myself. That was just the beginning of our friendship.

If something good happens, then she is the first one that I want to tell.  If I am sad, then she is the first person I call to just listen.  She listens to me and then imparts her wisdom, or sometimes, she just listens. Sometimes, that is all I need.

I pray that God be with her in her life as she makes the decisions and choices for her life. 

Lord, I pray for my best friend.  You brought us together and have made us sisters.  May she know You, and may her life be better because of it.  Thank you for bringing her into my life. I know my life is better because of her.

Amen

Laura Maxson

I will Teach You...

Merriam-Webster Defines an acrostic as:

acrostic

play

noun  acros·tic \ə-ˈkrȯs-tik, -ˈkräs-\

Definition of acrostic

1. 1:  a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet
2. 2:  acronym

acrostic

 also 

acrostical

 play\-ti-kəl\ adjective

acrostically

 play\-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

I remember at an early age in school learning about acrostics from my teachers. I remember often writing poems about people. They were usually for those I love, Mom, Dad, Grandparents. Who knew leaning in school how to write and use an acrostic would continue to be useful even today?

Working in the healthcare field, we use acrostics for many things. CPR, SAS, remember your H's and T's, just to name a few. 

Acrostics have a way of helping us remember important things and usually in a certain order. 

I can't help but wonder if that was why David wrote Psalm 34 as an acrostic. Was his love for the Lord and his gift of poetry, combined to teach us something important?

I encourage you to read it again. Look as each line, feel the meter as you read, notice the grouping and framing of what David has written about his Love. 

Come, you children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 34:11

~kartini r. maxson

Come, You Children, Listen to Me...

"The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them." Psalm 34:7

I remember learning this verse as a child. Often in church during children's story. In fact, I've even used it before. 

It was Girls' Club camp out, my freshmen year. A group of high school girls, a handful of parents, and both our deans. We headed into the the mountains of western Maryland. 

Even today I can picture our camp site. Surround by trees, up on a hill bordered by a creek down below and a road running around the other sides. 

Those were our boundaries. It was Saturday night, we had worship about  end time events and we were  going to "run to the hills" to play a version of hide-and-seek. 

Just imagine the flurry and confusion as a group of high school girls went running into the woods. As the small group I was with went running down towards the creek, we noticed the light of the campfire dim the further down the hill we went. That was when we realized no one in our group had a flash light. 

But because of the excitement and hide-and-seek adrenaline running through our bodies, we decided to continue on our course instead of heading back to the campsite to get one. We knew we were still with in our boundaries. We hadn't reach the creek yet, we could see the beams of other flashlights down below, we could hear nervous voices of other girls around us.

Then I heard it, "Stop." 

It was as audible as if it had been one of the my friends I was running to hide with. "I think we should stop, " I told the girls, unsure if I had made up the voice out of fear when you're playing hide-and-seek. We stopped, we all hunched down and waited. As we were waiting we watched down below small beams of light bobbing between the trees. We starting hearing the occasion scream followed by laughter as the dads found some of the girls hiding in the woods. 

One of the girls in our group said, "I think we too close, lets keep going." So we got up and started heading towards to creek, trusting our own instincts as we headed down. 

Then I heard it again, just as clearly as the first time, "Stop." 

Sheepishly I said, "I think this is far enough, we should stop." Again we stopped, hunched down, and waited. The voices and laughter of other being caught up the hill seemed to get closer. The flash lights down below starting turning off one by one as if they could sense the nearness of those looking for us. 

"I still think we're too close," said one of the girls in the group. Knowing we were still with in the boundaries we got up, and once again starting fumbling our way down the hill.

This time more clearly, more urgently I heard it, "Stop!" 

"I really think we should stop." So for a third time we stopped. This time hunkering down, we waited. The waiting, mixed with anticipation, a bit of fear and excitement seemed like forever.

Then we knew our wait would be much longer, we could hear and see other groups around us getting caught. The beam of light from one of the dads got brighter as he approached our group. 

He found us. The feeling of anticipation and fear in me was replaced by relief when he came to our group. Our questions and chatter mixed with nervous laughter from the running and hiding, "How many girls have you found? How long have we been out here? How much longer till the game is over?" 

As we were brushing ourselves off getting ready to head back with the one who had the light, there we one more questions. "Can you shine your light down the hill, so we can see how much further we have till the creek?"

As he changed direction of his light to point down the hill, that's when we saw it. No further than about 5 feet down the hill, a tangled line of barb wire stretched across our path, with a 3 foot drop off just beyond it. 

"The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,And delivers them." Psalm 34:7

There in the woods we stopped. He prayed and thanked God for watching over us.

As I think back on that story I praise the Lord that even in our ignorance He watches over us.  In our walk with Him, whether immature or deeply-rooted, He meets us where we're at and has so much more then we could even imagine in store for us.

The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 34:7-11

But am I ready to listen? Am I ready to obey? Do I have the fear of the Lord in me?

~kartini r. maxson

August Prayer Topic: Psalm 34 A Poetic Acrostic in the Hebrew Alphabet.

Psalm 34New King James Version (NKJV)

The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God

A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel[a] of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
²² The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Praying for World Leaders

Anyone watching the news lately will wonder where this world is going, and who is in control and who is making the decision.  Some of you may know where this world is going and are worried about it.  Whatever your views are Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Conservative, there are things going on in this world that are scary.  

This year we have had so many disasters.  Just to name a few that have happened in recent days, Turkey, France, Dallas, and Baton Rouge.  All of these disasters came from a decision made by one person or a group of people, a decision that has affected a lot of people.

World leaders have decisions that they have to make every day. If you stop and think of the pressure that leaders, any leaders, are under, it is a monumental undertaking.  How to keep their people safe, whether civilians, or officers, and it is not just in the USA. 

What do they do after a coup? What is the next step with the Brexit vote?  How can we protect our people from being mowed over by a truck? How can keep people safe from being shot? These are just a few of the questions they have to face.

Every day our leaders have to make decisions that affect us.  I have to admit that sometimes this really scares me. I don’t agree with all of those decisions. Yet, I remember that my God is so much bigger than any hate, any person, any wrong decision.  I can pray for our leaders.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

Praying for our leaders is something that we can do.  We don’t have to agree with every decision.  Yet, there are times that we don’t have all the pieces, as our leaders should.  Pray that our leaders take all the information that they have, and make the best decision.

We can pray that our world leaders are given all the information, and make the best decision based on the latest and greatest information.  You and I can also do our part.  When we have a chance to make a difference, like voting-do it.  Pray before you vote, whichever way it is.  If you pray before you vote, then you are voting how God wants you to vote.

 “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you.  I do not give it as the world does.  Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” John 14:27

I am proud to be an American.  Do I agree with everything that has happened here, or decisions that have been and will continue to be made here? No, I do not.  I do realize that my country, and every country around the globe, is made up of people, and as long as people are in any country, wrong decisions will be made. 

So, my job is to pray for those that make the decisions.  Also, write your leaders, whether congressman, or local leader, and tell them that you are praying for them this month.  Don’t complain about taxes, or the bad decisions they have made.  Just tell them that you are praying for them.

Dear Lord,

Lord, I must remember that you are still on Your thrown.  I pray for our world leaders as they make life altering decisions that affect us all.  Please give the wisdom to make the best decision.

Amen

~ Laura Maxson

July Prayer Topic: Our World Leaders

We just recently returned from a visit back east. The plan was to visit Washington, D.C. on the 4th of July. What better way to celebrate our nations independence then in our capitol itself.

It's not often that I think about our nations history and our founding fathers. But it's hard not too when surround so closely to where history actually took place. The thought of the weight those men and women who started our county carried on there shoulders is unimaginable to me. The birth of a nation, a nation that they hoped would not only live, but thrive long after they were gone.

As I think about all of this, it brings my mind to those leading our country today. The thought of the responsibility that they carry, also incredible in my mind. I know that I may  or may not agree with everything that they do or say. I don't have all the information that they may have, or understanding of what decisions they have to make. Decisions that not only will affect them, but in turn us and who knows for how long.

When I think about it all, it seems somewhat daunting, and maybe a little scary, especially when I may not agree with them. But, there is one thing I do believe in. "In God We Trust." I have to believe that God is in complete control. 

With the up coming elections, seemingly uncertain future of our country, we can have peace. Peace to know God holds the future. He is the One who set up and takes down kings. He is the One who helped our founding fathers shape our nation. He is the One who fashioned history, to tell His-Story. 

As we look to the future and what may be in store for our country, we can be assured of this. By looking at the past, we can have peace in our future because, IN GOD WE TRUST.

~ kartini r. maxson