Today I am praying especially for law enforcement officers including all of the men and women who serve in the city, county, state, and national agencies. If you serve in one of these agencies, “Thank you.”

Most of us know, by name, people who serve in these agencies. Pray specifically for them. Pray for their families as well. Over the next several days, these servants will be extremely busy with all of the holiday traffic and happenings. This is on top of their everyday stressors and obligations.

In a day when there seems to be a growing divide between law enforcement and the general public, let’s remind ourselves to treat them the way we want to be treated. Here are three passages of Scripture to help guide your prayer time.

Matthew 7:12 ”Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 13:1-7   “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

If you are traveling over the next many days, be alert, be safe, and be attentive to pray for and respect our law enforcement officers.

Take care

Today I am praying for people who are currently experiencing rejection. There are two types of rejection – covert (passive) and overt (active).

An example of covert rejection is what Joseph and Mary experienced in Bethlehem when “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). The innkeeper did not know Joseph and Mary and did not actively reject them. The inn was full. The town of Bethlehem was overcrowded with people. There was simply no vacancy. He did not reject them because they were Jewish. He did not know the Savior of the world was about to be born.

An example of overt rejection would be what Joseph (in the Old Testament) experienced when his brothers threw him into that pit and sold him to the Midianite traders (Genesis 37:18-36). They wanted him dead (at first) and then decided to sell him into slavery. They wanted him out of their sight. They overtly / actively rejected him. They wanted to never see or hear from him again. Jumping ahead, the egg on their face came later.

We experience both types of rejection. Both are painful. When a person rejects you covertly (passively), they may not know what they have done. They are so absorbed in their life and their plans and their goals they are oblivious to the pain they have inflicted. It is no less painful.

However, when a person rejects you overtly (actively), they know exactly what they are doing. They are seeking to inflict as much pain as possible. People who overtly reject other people have one or more of several possible illnesses working out from the inside. It could be:

• Jealousy
• Prejudice
• Inferiority
• Immorality
• Immaturity (just to name a few)

They could even be suffering from an undetected physical illness. The way they can feel better about themselves is to reject another person. They are living out the adage, “misery loves company.” They are miserable and want others to feel miserable as well. In their twisted thinking, if they can hurt another person, they can have a few minutes of relief. However, the relief is short-lived. They will need to look for another person to reject to get another fix. They will remain in their sickness until they get some professional help.

Just remember, if you are a child of God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you have been accepted by the One who really counts. Paul the Apostle reminds us in Ephesians 1:6, we have been “accepted in the Beloved.” Because of what Jesus has done and is doing for us, we have been accepted with unconditional acceptance. Stop and meditate on that truth for a few moments.

Pray for your rejecter and even thank the Lord for them in light of Matthew 5:11-12. As you do so, for sure walk on in victory today knowing you have been “accepted in the Beloved.” Do not let Scrooge spoil your Christmas.

Have a great day!

Today I am praying for people not attending church today either because they cannot or will not. Here are some of the many reasons why people cannot attend church today:

• An illness (yours or a loved one)
• Recuperation from surgery
• Recent birth of a child
• Work situation
• Mobility issues
• Military service obligations

There may be other reasons why a person cannot attend church today that otherwise would attend. Please write to me if your situation is not included here and I will be glad to pray for you. tom@tomsavage.us

Many people will choose to not attend church today. This could be because they:

• Have never attended church
• Have experienced a death in the family
• Have lost the desire to attend and just do not want to
• Have been deeply wounded by people in the church
• Have fallen spiritually
• Do not believe it is of any value

If you will choose to not attend today for another reason, would you write me and let me pray for you as well? My email address: tom@tomsavage.us.

Regardless of your situation, I am praying for you today. If I can be of any help so you may return or start attending church, please write me and let me know. I close with this verse from Psalm 100:4. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

Today I am praying for those who are going through a transition in life. There are so many possible scenarios. Here are just some of the many possibilities:

• The ending of a friendship and/or the starting of a new one
• Physical relocation due to work, heath, or a family need
• Aging parents and all the care associated with their needs
• The death of someone very close to you
• The empty nest syndrome
• Time to find a new church
• Job or career change
• Mid-life crisis

If I missed your particular situation, write me and let me know. I will take your particular situation or need to the Father.

Whether I touched on your situation or totally missed it, know I am praying for you. This is a time to seek God. Seek Him just to be near Him (see Jeremiah 29:13). As the Proverb says, “… there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Seek Him for wisdom and direction. Often in life transitions, we are tempted to make decisions we will regret later. Seek Him for the wisdom you need.

Spend time with Him in His Word. In life transitions we are super attentive to information but we really need truth. When we are empty and do not know where to turn we need illumination. In the Bible, we find occasions where people were “filled with fear.” God would have us be “filled with the Spirit.” Being filled with God’s Word and filled with the Holy Spirit is a powerful combination regardless of the situation you are facing.

If you have a relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, remember and draw strength from these words in Romans 8:35-39. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord..”

Stay close to Him today

Today I am praying for you who have experienced the death of a child. The pain you have experienced is more than I can imagine. I wish there was something I could do to minimize your pain. My prayer for you is threefold.

First, that God would comfort your heart. Lean heavily on your heavenly Father. He knows exactly what you are going through. He experienced the death of His Son. In John 3:16 we find the words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Please know He knows and many people are praying for you today. We are praying your sorrow is a bit less.

Second, look forward to the day you can see your child again. When King David knew in his heart a child of his would soon pass from this life, the Bible records he mourned for many days. When the child passed he said, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me (1 Sam 12:23).” David knew his child was safe in heaven and he looked forward to the day he could see and be with his child again.

Third, pray for others who are experiencing what you have experienced. You know what they are going through. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 we find, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

I am so sorry you have experienced this. May God be with you in a special way today.