Open My Eyes - 2 Kings 6

S - 2 Kings 6:17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!”
O - Elisha's servant was afraid as he saw the huge army of Arman surrounding them. Elisha, however, saw something different, an army of horses and chariots of fire there to protect them.
A - There are times in my life that I face obsticles and challenges that look overwhelming and I don't know what to do. God, however, has complete control of the situation as He said that He will not give us anything that we can't handle. Instead of living in fear, I should be asking Him to open my eyes to His will. There I may see that He has assembled an army to protect me or I may see that there is something coming soon to help, but I will always see that God is in complete control.
P - God, I lay my life down before you and worship you with everything that is in me. I pray that you would open my eyes to your plan and to show me what you have in store for me. Please bless my family and me today and everyday and use me for your plans and your kingdom. I pray that you protect me and my family and continue to give us all 100% functioning bodies and complete health. Bless my efforts today and guide me through everything that I may face.

God Works Miracles - 2 Kings 5

S - 2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
O - Naaman wasdisappointed in what Elisha said and did when he came to him to be healed. He thought that he would be told to do some elaborate thing or that Elisha would do something more noteworthy than telling him to wash in the Jordan River seven times.
A - I too come to God and ask for a miracle. Eventhough sometimes these requests are not answered with the boon of God's voice or a very clear, definite sign, God is still talking and working miracles in my life. I need to stand back and just realize that ALL things work together for the good of those that love Him. That means that God is in control and He will bring about the events that I need to answer my prayers. These answers may not always be a "Yes" but instead a "Wait" or a "No" but He always answers prayers and answers them with knowing what is best for me.
P - Heavenly Father, I praise you this morning for everything that you have done and for all that you are. I thank you for a great weekend that helped me to recharge and rethink exactly what you have called me to do with my life. I ask for your help and for your guidence in fulfilling the call that you have placed on my life. I pray that you will guide and protect me and my family and help me to be that man, husband, and father that my family and those around me need so desperately.

God Can Be Glorified Through My Actions - 1 Kings 18

S - 1 Kings 18:36...“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,[e] prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”
O - Elijah had called all the people of Israel and all the prophets of Baal to the mountain and was going to prove who the living God really was. After the Baal prophets failed miserably, Elijah prepared his alter and prayed this prayer. The prayer wasn't to glorify himself or what he went through, but instead to prove that God was real and that Elijah was speaking for Him.
A - Elijah was called to be a prophet of God and because of this he faced trials. I too have been called to something and I would be a fool to think there are going to be no trials in this calling. However, when I pray, I need to pray a different prayer than that God blesses me for my sake. Instead, like Elijah, I need to pray that I be blessed so that those around me and those that I work with know that God gave this and to bring people to His presence.
P - God, I worship you this morning and realize your awesome power and authority. I pray that you be with me and my family and that you bless our actions to give you honor and glory and to show others around us that you are the one and only God. I pray that you give me strength and courage to go through the struggles so that you may receive all the praise and honor. Bless my family and I and protect and heal us.

See God's Hand All Around Me - 1 Kings 17

S - 1 Kings 17:12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”..15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah...24 Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”
O - Elijah was sent by God to a widow during the famine. Everyone was hurting, including this widow would was going to cook the last meal for herself and her son when Elijah came to her. Elijah said that there would be enough food for the three of them and that it wouldn't run out, and that is just what happened. Then the woman's son die and the Lord brought him back to live and only at that point did she say she knew for sure that Elijah was a man of God.
A - There are many times around me and others that miraculous things happen, things that can only be the hand of God. However, we may discredit them and explain them away. This very well may be the hand and voice of God protecting and providing for us. I need to remain aware and alert to these types of events in my life to be more thouroughly lead by Him. I feel many times that I am waiting for that "BONG" followed by God's voice to know for sure that was Him rather than just being still and listening to His still small voice and to perceive those events that are going on around me.
P - God, you are the author and perfecter of life and I praise you this morning. I pray that you help me be aware of the signs and wonders around me that you are giving to me in a way to protect and guide me. I ask that you help me to strengthen my faith and to really see things the way that you see things and to serve and love on people the way that your son, Jesus, loved and served people. Thank you for all of the blessings that you have showered on my life and for your continued blessings and healing on my family and me.

God's Timing is Perfect - 2 Peter 3

S - 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
O - Peter is talking about the end of the world and that God is not slow but has a perfect time for this. He is waiting for repentance.
A - I take this passage I step further. "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise" means to mean that He is in control and that He does things in His time because He can see the bigger picture and how everything will play together. Wait on Him because His timing is perfect!
P - God, you are the creator and author of life and I know that you have a plan for our lives and that your timing is perfect. I pray that you guide me and my family through our lives in a way that brings you honor and praise. I pray that you also protect us and give us the strength and courage to follow you each and every day in every circumstance. I love you Lord.

Stand Against Sin - 2 Peter 2

S - 2 Peter 2:9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.
O - In this section of the chapter, Peter is talking about the sin that was all around Lot. However, Lot was saved from this sin. God had a way to protect Lot and to bring him out of this sin and live a Godly life.
A - This same kind of sin and every other sin is around me and my family daily. I need to first of all identify these sins and not become numb to them and start to downplay them and think that maybe they are not as bad as I once thought. Secondly, I need to take a stand against these sins. At times this may just be an internal stand while other times it might be something that I need to say outloud to my children or wife or even those just around me. My first job is to protect my wife and children from evil and without taking a stand, my lack of stand may show my family that this evil maybe isn't so bad. Thirdly, I need to constantly be looking to and praying to God for His protection and guidence through life. He will protect and if it gets really bad, He will rescue us from these trials and sins.
P - God, You are the author and protecter of life. I pray that you will continue to watch over my family and me and to protect us from these sins that are all around us and that you will give me the courage to stand up against these sins and lead my family. You are the reason that I am where I am today and I want to honor you and praise you with my life and the life of my family. I pray for protection and healing over all of us.

Love My Wife - 1 Peter 3

S - 1 Peter 3:7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
O - Peter is talking through the marriage relationship and how the wife and husband should be treating each other and living together. The husband is first to honor and love his wife. Second, he is to treat her with understanding. And third, he is to lead her. By doing these things Peter says that my prayers will not be hindered.
A - I need to live by this and honor and love my wife daily. I need to strive to understand her and give her the depth that she needs and desires in our relationship. I need to be bold in leading her and my children. Not be a tyrant, but a servant leader that is passionate about God and willing to listen to God's direction and humble myself to Him. I don't understand why doing these things will make my prayers be more affective to God. Maybe because marriage was originally instituted by God and He hates divorce so much that he rewards those people that give the relationship everything it needs to not only survive, but to thrive.
P - God, I praise you and thank you for the wonderful wife that you have blessed me with. I truly count myself as blessed! Thank you for blessing our marriage daily and protecting us. I pray that you continue to work on my heart and guide me to love, honor, understand, and lead her in a way that gives you honor and joy. I pray that you bless my family and me today and I thank you for always being there for me in anything and everything that I go through.

Fulfill My Calling - 1 Peter 1

S - 1 Peter 1:17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.”
O - God has no favorites; He will judge based on what a person does. The playing field is completely level.
A - God is no respecter of people. He has given me talents and abilities and to squander them, like I sometimes do, is to choose to not be rewarded. On the flip side, by doing what I'm supposed to do, I will be blessed as much as any other person that does the same thing. God is truly good! I want to live a life worthy of hearing "Well done thou good and faithful servant." I want to live a life that gives God glory and honor each and every day.
P - Heavenly Father, I praise you this morning for everything that you have done for me. I come today before you ashamed of what I haven't done and for the calling that I have left unfulfilled. I ask for your forgiveness and I ask for your strength and courage to start fresh today to go and do what I need to do today and everyday. I know that without your blessing, help, and guidence my actions are in vain. I ask of your to take control of my life and direct me; I will follow your prompting and your calling. Thank you for your mercy and grace for my family and me and I pray that you will continue to bless and protect us.

Do the Work Necessary - Proverbs 20

S - Proverbs 20:4 Those too lazy to plow in the right season
will have no food at the harvest.
O - There is a very simple, yet sometimes challenging, law that says there is a time for everything and doing work for a season is required to live and succeed in life.
A - God has placed a calling on my life and it involves doing some work. Although this work isn't necessarily hard, physical work, it is none the less difficult work mentally. I need to treat this work as if it was planting crops in the springtime. Without planting the crops in spring, there is no harvest in the fall. I can also use this same logic in being a man, father, and husband. If there are jobs to do, relationships to strengthen, or just to give support to someone that I love these are the work that I am to do to become the man, father, and husband that God wants me to be.
P - God I come before you today humbled to be in your presence. I thank you for all that you have done in my life and in the life of my family. I pray that you be with me continually and to give me the strength and courage to do the work that is needed to fulfill your call in my life. I pray blessings, healing, and protection over my family and me today.

Build a Healthy Successful Home - Proverbs 17

S - Proverbs 17:1 Better a dry crust eaten in peace
than a house filled with feasting and conflict.
O - All the success and possessions in the world do no good if there are troubles and conflicts in the home.
A - Being the man, my first responsibility outside of loving and serving God with all of my heart, is to be accountable and lead my family. It starts with having a marriage that is truly amazing. The marriage should be one that both of us feel safe and comfortable sharing everything together, being committed to eachother forever. Having this type of marriage bring a level of peace and happiness in the home and in the lives of our children. Next, it is my responsibility to set the tone in the house. This means that I need to let everyone know what is acceptable and what isn't and to guide and train, especially our boys, to grow into an adult that will be full of love toward God, full of integrity and honest. If these two responsibilities are met, I think that the house and everyone in it will be full of peace and joy and have all the tools they need to live victorious lives. However, it doesn't stop there. This is not all I'm to do. God has also called me to make a difference in other people's lives as well and to be successful in all areas of life. It is not OK for me to be the best husband, father, and man but to stumble and not do what he has additionally called me to do.
P - God, I come to you today asking for your help and your guidence. I fall short at times of what you have called me to do with being that protecting and providing husband, father, and man and also that businessman. Give me your strength to carry on and to be consistent in all of these areas. Help me to show the same love that you showed and to be as persistent and consistent as you are. I love and worship you. I give you all the praise for everything that you have and will continue to do in my life. Bless my family and me today.

Ask God Where Change is Needed - Psalm 139

S - Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
O - The psalmist has just talked about how God is always with him and knows everything about him. Here he is asking God to search him and point out anything that offends Him and then lead him to everlasting life.
A - God is always with me as well and knows everything about me. Instead of me trying to live a life that I may be trying to cover up or excuse away certain things that are maybe questionable to God, I will be like the psalmist and fillet myself open before God and ask Him to search my life for areas that may offend Him. I want to live my life in a way that is pleasing to Him so by honestly asking Him what He thinks and listening to His response I can more easily do just that.
P - God, I praise you this morning! You are amazing and I stand before you knowing that I'm unworthy to be in your presence without your son, Jesus. I ask you today to highlight areas in my life that need adjustments and/or corrections. I want to live a life that pleases you and serves you. Guide me and my thoughts and actions so as to live a live that is free from sin and decay. Help me to be the man, husband, and father that those around me so desperately want, need, and desire. I pray health and blessing over my family and me today.

God's Wisdom - Psalm 119

S - Psalm 119:73 You made me; you created me.
Now give me the sense to follow your commands.
O - The psalmist was admitting that God made him and, because of this, God probably knew more than he did and he wanted the sense to follow His commands.
A - When I start to think that I know so much or don't need any help in life, I should be reminded of this verse. God created me. I have no idea how he could do this and I know without a shadow of doubt I couldn't do that. Because of this, I need to think of this and understand that I don't have all of the answers in life no matter how much I feel I should or feel I do. God's wisdom and understanding makes me look as though I'm stupid. The good thing about this is that when Jesus died for me, the Holy Spirit came to live inside of me. The Holy Spirit can and should rule in my life. The only thing that I need to do is to surrender to him and I will have this same understanding and wisdom.
P - God, I lay my life down before you today and lower myself to you. I know that you are the almighty God and worthy of praise and awe. I thank you for all that you have done for me and my family. I offer my life into your hands and I ask that you give me your wisdom and understanding throughout my life. Guide me today and everyday and give me wisdom as to how we should move forward to get this child that you have placed on our hearts. I pray for healing and blessings on my family and me today and everyday.

I'm a Child of God Because of Jesus - Hebrews 8

S - Hebrews 8:12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
O - Because of Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for us, God no longer looks at me as a sinner. It says that He even goes past looking at me as a sinner but that He doesn't even remember my sins.
A - Jesus is the reason that I am a child of God; He and He alone! Nothing that I have done or will do has made me worthy of being His. As I do things wrong, I need to ask of His forgiveness, which He willingly gives me, but beyond that I need His help to get past these sins and get to the issue in the heart so as to not do these again. The motivation is not to become better so as to earn my way to Him, as this is not possible, but instead to reflect Him through my life to those around me and those that I meet.
P - God, I praise you this morning for the special gift that you give me through your son Jesus! I count it a real blessing to be called your child and I want to act like your child 100% of the time and to reflect you through my life. Help me and guide me through my days to not only do the right things but to have an outward focus and to look at others and see where I can impact them and their lives. Bless my family and me today and I pray for health in all of our bodies.