16 January: Tuesday Refocus

“Calm me, O Lord, as You still the storm. Still me, O Lord, keep me from harm. Let all the tumult within me cease. Enfold me, Lord, in Your peace.” - Celtic prayer

The rest and rescue we most desire cannot be found in created things. Both within and without the ground of our being and beneath our feet is sand. Shifting, sinking. No amount of interior exploration, or exterior distraction can level out the most unsettled places of our souls.

But there is good news, there is hope - Christ our Savior is a firm and fixed hope, an anchor for our souls (Psalm 18:1-2, Hebrews 6:19). Upon the throne of grace is seated a Savior who lives to make intercession - daily bearing us up at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 7:25, Psalm 68:19, Romans 8:34). Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne, and steadfast love and faithfulness go before Him (Psalm 89:14). Even in the chaos of the world and our hearts, no one can be snatched from the hand of the Savior (John 10:28).

Father, in the middle of storms within and without, may our gaze be fixed, my our lives be anchored, my our souls rest in the life, death, resurrection, and intercession of Your Son, Jesus. In His name, amen.

Wrestling and resting,

AB

The Louder Song

Whatever has been of 2023, and whatever will be of 2024 - may the song of the Father be louder than the song of your enemies (Psalm 13:2).

“The Lord your God is in your midst,

    a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

    he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17

First Sunday of Advent

Father, forgive us when our impatience is more passionate than our worship, and we act more childish than childlike. Keep rescuing us from our nagging unbelief, little-trust, and gospel amnesia. For the rest of Advent, may we wait in love and love with hope. - Scotty Smith

Advent Devotional

The Advent and Christmas season can accelerate an already full, and busy life. Our attention can be scattered, our hearts divided, and our prayers infrequent and indifferent. Is this just the reality of life? As followers of Jesus, how do we recenter our hearts, minds, attention, and affection on the person of Jesus - particularly at this time of year?

Prayer and praise anchor the people of God. And the invitation of prayer and praise during the season of Advent is to be present with and to the God who is with us.

Worship and prayer do not flow exclusively from the heart and life of believers.

Everyone prays. Everyone worships. Christian and non-Christian alike. But because of sin, it is not that we cease to worship and pray, but that we aim our worship and words in all the wrong directions. If right worship is to occur, it is first a work of the Holy Spirit - lifting our eyes to behold the beauty, wonder, and work of Jesus. If we are to rightly receive the gift of prayer and praise in the season of Advent those realities must move intentionally from the outskirts and margin of our lives to the deep down center.

This devotional contains the prayers of the saints - those in the story of Scripture, as well as those through the generations. My hope and prayer is that their words become our own as we seek to recenter our prayers and praise this Advent season.

Tuesday Refocus: October 31

“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” - Teresa of Avila

In prayer we come face to face with our need, and face to face with God’s sufficiency. 

We wake up to our shortcomings and his boundless grace.

We taste and see that He is good and He does good.

Hallelujah, amen.

Praying,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: October 24

“People will mock those who prioritize prayer. Gather and pray anyway.” - K.A. Ellis

If we are honest, prayer can feel unproductive. Even the most devout Christians can believe their time is better spent laboring in ministry, laboring in the community, laboring in work, rather than laboring in prayer. Prioritizing prayer can seem like an excuse to avoid the ‘real’ work.

But if it is in prayer that our hearts are revealed, are priorities are realigned, our desires are exposed, our lives are surrendered, we become aware of our desperate need and dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and we grow in affection for the Person of God - why would we ever cease to pray? Why would we prioritize anything other than prayer?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We are invited to pray without ceasing. This constant flow of communication to our Father is right and good. But perhaps it is easier to speak than to be silent. Perhaps it is easier to pray without ceasing than to cease and pray.

In high school, I took a missions trip to Peru. There was an American 20-something who had lived in Lima, serving with a church for a year before we arrived. Our team of 20+ quickly dwindled to single digits as many were so sick they could barely crawl out of bed each morning. I remember she said to me, “Maybe God brought your team all the way to Peru not so that you could serve, but so that you could pray. So that you could pray for these people, this community, and this country.” This young woman who had left her own country, raised support to live and serve in this community, who wept through singing worship songs in English - because it had been more than a year since she could sing in her heart language - believed the real work was not our English classes, vacation bible schools, and street evangelism - it was prayer. Prayer was not the lesser work of our preparation but was the invitation to deeper work.

Father, what a gift to be your children, what a gift to approach you with boldness and confidence. May we never cease to pray, and may we cease to pray. In Christ’s name, amen.

Praying,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: October 17

“The end of your praying is not to inform God, as through he knew of your wants already; but rather to inform ourselves; to fix the sense of those wants more deeply in your hearts, and the sense of your continued dependence on Him who only is able to supply all your wants. It is not so much to move God who is always more ready to give than you to ask, as to move yourselves, that you may be willing and ready to receive the good things he has prepared for you.” - John Wesley

If we are willing, prayer is one of the purest places to hear our hearts. 

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks…” Matthew 12:34

When we drop the pretense and approach the throne of grace with confidence as Christ invites us (Hebrews 4:16), all our longings are laid bear before God (Psalm 38:9). Our desires are realigned, and our delight is in the Lord (Psalm 37:4).

Father, you know all things. You know our every word before it is on the tongue. You see through to the motive of every heart. Would You, in Your kindness reveal our hearts to us? Would You, in Your kindness give us new hearts, new desires, and lives that are more open and obedient to You? For the glory of Jesus, amen.

Praying,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: October 10

“Prayer is primarily and fundamentally surrender.”  - E. Stanley Jones

Often we turn to prayer when we have run out of options. The force of will, the problem-solving self has found its edges, borders, and limits - and so we come to the One without limits. And it is in prayer that we recognize all the things we grasp with clenched fists have been held by the One who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

Father, help us find the end to self in coming to you. May we experience joy in surrendering our lives to the one who loves and cares for our every need. In Christ’s name, amen.

Praying,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: October 3

“I am not in control. I am not in a hurry. I walk in faith and hope. I greet everyone with peace. I bring back only what God gives me.” - Murray Bodo

I am not in control…

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1:17

I am not in a hurry…

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

I walk in faith and hope…

“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” - 2 Corinthians 5:6-9

I greet everyone with peace…

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:7

I bring back only what God gives me…

“But he gives more grace…” - James 4:6

Amen and amen.

Amen,

AB

Lent 2023 [A Free Devotional]

In a world that encourages the avoidance of pain, shortcuts to joy, and subtle-yet-significant forms of self-indulgence, Lent invites us to identify with Christ in His suffering through self-denial, confession, and repentance of sin, so that we may share with Christ in His glory (Romans 8:17). Lent is not sullen, but sobering because we trace the shadow of our sin through the shadow of Christ’s cross and empty tomb. In the season of Lent, we remember the great forgiveness that we have received, and are stirred to love and treasure Christ in response (Luke 7:47).

Changes in a season or new year often invite us to consider and practice new rhythms. That is why in this Lenten season we will use the Prayer of Examen (or Daily Examen, or Examen) to move through this season in the Church calendar.

Tuesday Refocus: February 7

"Without the death of Jesus, nothing remains for us but death." — Charles Spurgeon

The enemy of our souls, the accuser of the brethren came to steal, kill and destroy. Christ came so that we may have life - abundant life (John 10:10). But it is only in the death of Christ that we can experience the life of Christ. It is only in dying to ourselves that we can truly live. We can be truly free only by carrying the cross (Matthew 16:24-26).

Today we sit somewhere between winter and spring. 

Somewhere between celebrating the birth of Christ and the cross of Christ. 

Somewhere between the first advent and the final advent. 

And so we fix our eyes on the death that brings life.

We fix our eyes upon the One who died the death that we deserve so that we can enjoy the life that He deserves.

Father, we have nothing in which to boast apart from the cross of Christ. We have nothing on which to cling apart from the cross of Christ. We have no life apart from the life of Christ given to us in the completed work of Christ. Make us grateful and humble, in Jesus name, amen.

Amen,

AB

Advent 2022 [A Free Devotional]

Songs are more than a combination of music and melody, lyric and rhyme. Songs are a bridge between our heads and our heart. They give us language to that which we have sensed but been unable to name. They engage our whole bodies in response and collective celebration, lament, and unity. More still, songs are prayers. They are confessions of things we believe. Things we need to believe. And things we desire to believe. This Advent devotional represents a small selection of songs - Psalms, Advent Songs, and Songs in Scripture to help bridge our heads and our hearts this season. Because more than our homes, our hearts need to be prepared to make room and receive the King of kings, and Lord of lords again. I hope and pray that these songs bridge what we know and believe, and what we feel and experience.