Rhythms of Grace

Scripture:

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am ^[a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Let us pray:

Lord, today I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for Your peace and safety in my city of _________________. Let Your peace and rest come to my city so that our people can hear Your still small voice. Drown out the “voice” of busyness over all of us teaching us how to stop, to rest. Dismiss the lies of the enemy that tell us that we should “fill” each moment with something. Speak to the lost in our city who are desperately searching for life. Show them that You are the life. (add your own prayers)

(consider praying this prayer for another city, perhaps where you have friends and family.)

And add this personal prayer:

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

A thought on prayer:

“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.” 

— Corrie Ten Boom

Some suggested music to help you slow down:

QUIET TIME WITH JESUS 🙏🏼🎹 Instrumental Worship Music for Prayer, Devotion & Bible Reading

Scripture:

Matthew 5:14-16

 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Let us pray:

Lord, today I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for Your peace and safety in my city of _________________. Lord, teach every one of Your children in my city what it means to let their light shine. Wipe off the dirty “lens” on Your “lighthouses” so that nothing hinders Your light from shining clearly through us. Help all of Your children to begin to ask You for more of Your light to shine through them. (add your own prayers)

(consider praying this prayer for another city, perhaps where you have friends and family.)

And add this personal prayer:

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

A thought on prayer:

“The churches are the candlesticks, the golden candlesticks, in which these lights are placed, that they light may be diffused; and the gospel is so strong a light, and carries with it so much of its own evidence, that, like a city on a hill, it cannot be hid, it cannot but appear to be from God to all those who do not wilfully shut their eyes against it. It will give light to all that are in the house, to all that will draw near to it, and come where it is.” ~Matthew Henry

A Song for Today: (I just discovered this one and loved it!)

Be a Light

Scripture:

Psalm 127:1

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labour in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
    the guard keeps watch in vain.

Let us pray:

Lord, today I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for Your peace and safety in my city of _________________. Lord, let my city be built by You, on solid and righteous foundations. Remove the faulty foundations upon which we have placed our hope and remind us that You are the Rock. Guard my city from the evil one and surround us with Your angelic hosts. (add your own prayers)

(consider praying this prayer for another city, perhaps where you have friends and family.)

And add this personal prayer:

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

A thought on prayer:

“True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice.” ~Billy Graham

Scripture:

Psalm 122:6-9

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    ‘May they prosper who love you.
⁷ Peace be within your walls,
    and security within your towers.’
⁸ For the sake of my relatives and friends
    I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.

Let us pray:

Lord, today I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for Your peace and safety in my city of _________________. Keep my city safe and prosperous and may many people come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior in my city. I say to my city, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of Your House, Lord, I seek Your good for my city.

(consider praying this prayer for another city, perhaps where you have friends and family.)

And add this personal prayer:

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

A thought on prayer:

“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that – it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” – Charles Spurgeon

Dear Praying Friends,

Have you been battling anxiety? I am truthfully telling you that I have been and I have to spend time everyday casting it all on the Lord. I hope you are doing that, too.

Everyday, for a while now, I have been praying: “Lord, I don’t know where we are going, but I know that You know the way!”

This past week, the Lord took me to Psalm 37:1-7:

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

 Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

 Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

I realized that I was getting caught in the “weeds” of anxiety and fear over what is happening everyday all around us.

I know the Lord wants to help keep me and you out of the “weeds” and He is teaching me in Psalm 37:1-7:

1. Keep my eyes on the Lord…(v. 1 &2) Don’t fret, God will take care of it all in His timing.
2. Keep trusting Him and doing the right things each day…V. 3 Overcome evil with good!
3. Keep looking for places to give thanks and take delight in His good gifts…(v. 4) There is always something to thank God for!
4. Keep committing to trust Him knowing that the battle belongs to Him. (v. 5-6) I don’t have to defend myself. He will vindicate.
5. Keep practicing silence and stillness…in this crazy, busy world this is really important. (v. 7)

I invite you to pray with me now:

Lord, help each of us to keep looking to You every day with hope and trust. We know that You have the victory so please help us to walk in Your victorious ways. Help us to bring light into the darkness of this present age, always doing good to overcome evil. We give You thanks for salvation and the great things that You have done. Help us to be still and to wait upon You. Let the world see that we walk with confidence in You in these difficult times. (add your own prayers)

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

Until next time…be blessed! Gina

Dear Praying Friends,

I woke up today with this thought: “I don’t travel alone!” When I am going somewhere I’ve never been it really helps if I travel with someone who already knows the way. Every day I am going somewhere I’ve never been before because I don’t know what each day will hold. I’m grateful today that Jesus is the Way! I don’t have to fret because I don’t travel alone! And neither do you!

Let’s keep praying for Nation and Neighbor. Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

Blessings, Gina

A few verses about Jesus: Possibility! Perfecter! Salvation!

Prayer “Pointer” to Think/Journal/Apply: The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine…Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus.” ― Hudson Taylor

Prayer “Fuel”: Lord, please remind us everyday that we don’t travel alone. When we become fearful because we don’t know the way, remind us that YOU ARE THE WAY! (add your own prayers) Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

As You Have Time: God Will Make a Way Because He is the Way – The Crosswalk Devotional – May 2 – Daily Devotional | Crosswalk.com

A Worship Song: Michael W. Smith-Still

Dear Praying Friends,

I’m writing this on February 20,2026 and it’s been almost a month since I last wrote a post on the blog. But I have been journaling and praying and trying hard to listen to what God would say to me.

A few weeks ago, I was in the prayer room in Laramie with several friends and we were intensely praying. The Lord seemed to highlight Psalm 51:12 to us that day and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since that day. The verse in the NIV reads like this:

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

As I have studied this verse over the last few weeks, the commentaries mention that this is David asking God to restore the joy of a right relationship with Him after he had sinned. But as I have been meditating on this verse, I feel that we can be walking in right standing with God but still feel that our joy is under attack. Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble and I can see how trouble can try to rob us of our joy. And so I think that we can pray this verse every day asking the Lord to keep us strong in His joy. I will probably share more insights in a later post. Until then, let’s pray for one another in these challenging times.

Let’s keep praying for Nation and Neighbor. Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

Blessings, Gina

A few verses about renewal: Psalm 51:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:2

Prayer “Pointer” to Think/Journal/Apply:

We may not have all the answers, but we have the Answer—Jesus. Every trial is refining us, every waiting season is shaping us, and every heartbreak is being woven into a greater story of redemption.

-Our Daily Verse (think about this and let it inspire your prayers and journaling)

Prayer “Starter”: Lord, in this world that tries to rob us of our joy, we ask You to restore the joy of Your salvation in each weary heart. Help our brothers and sisters all over the earth who are battling discouragement. Our joy isn’t in our circumstances our joy is in You, Jesus. (add your own prayers) Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

As You Have Time: Restore, Renew, Rejoice! | Psalm 51:12 | Our Daily Bread Video Devotional (and I say YES and AMEN to this!)

A Worship Song: When I feel sad, this song brings me joy. Your Way’s Better

Dear Praying Friends,

I am writing this on January 23, 2026 because the Lord woke me very early this morning to pray. My scripture reading this morning took me to Luke 5:1-11. (see below for link). The story is probably familiar to you as it was to me. Peter and the fishermen had been fishing all night and were finishing for the day. I think they were pretty weary and maybe even discouraged because their fishing efforts had not yielded anything. I began to meditate this morning about the places where I have cast my “nets” hoping for answered prayers and the prayers have felt futile. I’m thinking out loud here wondering is Jesus is saying “Try again!”? I’m going to keep praying about this and I encourage you to pray over the places where you may feel discouraged. Is Jesus challenging you to try again?

Let’s keep praying for Nation and Neighbor.

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

Blessings, Gina

Scripture readings: Luke 5:1-11, Galatians 6:9

Prayer “Pointer” to Think/Journal/Apply: Starting over can be daunting, but many Bible verses encourage us to embrace new beginnings with hope. We all encounter moments when life doesn’t proceed as we planned or when our dreams seem out of reach. God is in the business of making all things new. He invites us to trust Him in re-routing our paths and trying again toward fresh opportunities. ~30 Powerful Bible Verses About Trying Again (think about this and let is inspire your prayers and journaling)

Prayer “Starter”: Lord, help me to hear Your voice when You are saying “try again!” Help me to not give up but to press on. Show me brothers and sisters who may need my encouragement to hold on and press on. In this world that feels dark and hopeless, let us bring Your light. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done through each of us in 2026. (add your own prayers) Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

As You Have Time: (full commentary for site mentioned above) ~30 Powerful Bible Verses About Trying Again

A Worship Song: Anchor of My Soul

Dear Praying Friends,

This is my first post for 2026. If you have been reading the previous posts you will know that in December the Lord was teaching me about weeping. I had a conversation during December with other Christians and we agreed that the Church doesn’t teach “lament” well. Some concluded that this might be because of the wide spread “prosperity gospel” in the Western Church.

I knew that the tears I was shedding in December were holy tears. Some have referred to these seasons of weeping as “liquid tears.” I knew that my tears were not a sign of weakness but actually strengthened me to depend on God. I knew that I was weeping for the lost of my city and beyond.

I know that things in our world seem pretty dark right now. When January 1, 2026 dawned I felt that the Lord spoke and then confirmed from Psalm 30 that after the weeping “joy comes in the morning.”

I don’t know what is ahead in 2026 but I know Who is there every day with us if we will just call out to Him.

Let’s keep praying for Nation and Neighbor.

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

Blessings, Gina

Scripture readings: Isaiah 61:3, Psalm 126:5

Prayer “Pointer” to Think/Journal/Apply: When we experience sorrow, it is comforting to know that God’s promise of joy is never far behind. He assures us that joy will return after our hard times. We are reminded that, even in our darkest moments, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow. God holds our sorrows and provides us with the promise of rejoicing again. By trusting Him, we are reassured that we will experience joy, just as He has promised. We need to cling to this promise to lift our spirits and provide us with strength through trials. ~40 Bible Verses About Joy After Sorrow (With Commentary) (think about this and let is inspire your prayers and journaling)

Prayer “Starter”: Lord, help us to remember in weeping and in laughter that You are Lord of all. Let us feel the heart of Heaven, Your heart, when we intercede for our Nation and our world. We trust You with the future because we know that You hold the future. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done through each of us in 2026. (add your own prayers) Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Let us be Your “candles” in this dark world. Light our “wicks” in 2026!

As You Have Time: Check out more scriptures from https://bibleoutlined.com/bible-verses-about-joy-after-sorrow/

A Worship Song: Joy Comes in the Morning

Dear Praying Friends,

As I spent some extended time in silence with the Lord today an image began to form in my mind. I saw a Christmas tree with gifts under it. Jesus opened one of the gifts and out of it came His glorious light. Then a globe appeared over the tree and the light reached up to it. I recognized again that Jesus is the true gift of Christmas. That gift didn’t contain clothes or toys or a banquet. The box contained Jesus.

As I have asked the Lord about weeping and in particular what makes Him weep, I think that the “muddied” message of Christmas makes Him weep. I’m asking the Lord to help me get back to Him as my “first love” and to let go of everything that leads me away from loving and serving Him.

Let’s keep praying for Nation and Neighbor.

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Help us to thrive in 2025 and help us worship You as the greatest gift of all.

Blessings, Gina

Weeping…part 4… A familiar scripture but take another look…John 3:16 NKJV

Prayer “Starter”: Lord, Jesus forgive us for the places where we have replaced Your story with our own. Christmas isn’t about clothes or toys or even banquets. Christmas is Your story, it is about You. How You must weep over the distraction of Your Church. Help us to return to You as our “first love” and to release the things that have become idols in our lives leading us away from You. (add your own prayers)

Show Us Your Glory, Lord. Help us to thrive in 2025 and help us worship You as the greatest gift of all.

Prayer “Pointer” to Think/Journal/Apply:

God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful.” 

— Mother Teresa

(add your own thoughts/prayers)

A Worship Song: Gifts from God