Heavenly Father I praise You today for the wonder You continually surprise me with. I praise You for my family, my friends, my church, and the community I live in, and for my job. I praise You for the wisdom You have given me and the hunger to learn more. I praise You for the example You gave Job to take command of my day and to shake the evil from it.
Holy Spirit, I appreciate how You bring things to light at different times in my life. I heard a speaker on KLove tell how all four gospels tell the story of the feeding of more than 5 thousand. This miracle and wonder overwhelmed and impressed all four authors. It is the best example of when we give what we have, no matter how little, We can do great and mighty things with it. A boy offering his lunch would feed thousands. A boy with a sling and five stones would defeat a giant and lead a nation. A baby born in a manger without room would bring Magi from other countries to come and pay homage to him. A man who lived in the wilderness, ate Locus would lead the way for the Messiah to come. A man who loved his sisters and took care of people would be called out of the tomb to prove the power of God. A man who would die a horrific death in shame before all of his countrymen would go get the keys from hell and then leave the grave and walk among men before ascending into heaven to be our advocate. Help me never to miss the wonder around me no matter how insignificant it may seem to others. Help me to stand on the memories of how a 7th-grade football team would cheer a severe asthmatic who had grown overweight because of the medications he had to take, run laps falling behind but his teammates would come back around and run with him and clap and cheer him to the finish. How a sickly little boy would make his class learn to love each other and make sure they all got hugs before they left each day. How do college students and young adults allow this old man to pray and give them small pieces of advice when they have such busy lives? Finally, the simplest gift I could ever receive means I can see eternity and reunite with loved ones and babies I never was able to hold alive. Help me never miss that wonder and to broadcast it as the writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John did.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom come, You will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. (Amen) (Matthew 6:9-13)