Pray this Lazaroo with observant humility:

“Those who were full hire themselves out for food…”
(1 Samuel 2:5)

The tables do turn, don’t they, Jesus?

Today’s snapshot may be a thousand miles away
from tomorrow’s reality.

Just because someone’s on top
doesn’t mean he will stay there.

Just because someone’s struggling to keep her head above water
doesn’t mean she won’t someday pilot the boat.

Help me remember this, Holy Spirit!

To humble me when I’m on a winning streak
and to give me hope

when no hope is in sight.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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2 Samuel 1:19; Psalms 143:5; Ecclesiastes 11:8; Ezekiel 21:26; John 14:26; Hebrews 8:12; Revelation 2:5; Revelation 14:8

 Pray this Lazaroo in steadfast hope: 

“…who is left to make me glad…?”
(2 Corinthians 2:2)

You’re the one who brings enjoyable people into my life, Jesus.

And You’re the one who takes them out.

Well, okay.

Occasionally I’m the one who drives them away.

Sometimes it’s because I took a stand for You they didn’t like.
Sometimes it’s because I was a jerk.

Okay, okay…most of the time it’s the latter.

But where can I turn when You (and mostly I) have chased them all away?

To You, LORD.
To You.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Genesis 37:30; Ezra 9:9; Psalms 42:2; Psalms 139:7; Matthew 26:56; John 6:66-69; Acts 15:38; 2 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:16-18

 Pray this Lazaroo in trusting wonder: 

“As it turned out…”
(Ruth 2:3)

Nothing just “turns out,” does it, Jesus?

Not without You doing the “turning.”

That’s not to say what I do doesn’t matter.

You make it clear: It does.

It’s just that I can’t make anything “turn out” on my own

no matter how hard I try.

You honor my work

You bless me for it.

But if what I’m working so hard to achieve
ever turns out to amount to anything worthwhile

You’re the One who does it.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Genesis 41:13; Job 5:12; Job 42:2; Psalms 33:10; Proverbs 21:30; Isaiah 8:10; Haggai 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:4

 Pray this Lazaroo with burning zeal: 

“Christ Jesus…our…holiness…”
(1 Corinthians 1:30)

You tell me to be holy, Jesus.

But I can’t.
Not on my own.

You have to do it for me –

by being Yourself in me –
as I surrender myself more and more fully to You.

It’s not that I’m not supposed to try to be holy.

I do.

But as I try with all my might, what I learn the hard way

is that unless You rise up within me –

in Your power –

it will never happen.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Leviticus 20:7; Deuteronomy 23:14; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15; Revelation 22:11

 Pray this Lazaroo with burning zeal: 

“Christ Jesus…our…holiness…”
(1 Corinthians 1:30)

You tell me to be holy, Jesus.

But I can’t.
Not on my own.

You have to do it for me –

by being Yourself in me –
as I surrender myself more and more fully to You.

It’s not that I’m not supposed to try to be holy.

I do.

But as I try with all my might, what I learn the hard way

is that unless You rise up within me –

in Your power –

it will never happen.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Leviticus 20:7; Deuteronomy 23:14; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15; Revelation 22:11

 Pray this Lazaroo in passionate concern: 

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.”
(Judges 2:10)

Chilling words, Jesus.

Some generations serve You
only as long as their parents are alive to make them.

They don’t really have a relationship with You, do they?
It’s all secondhand…through their parents.

O God! Help my generation connect 1on1 with You!

and help us pass on that precious 1on1 relationship with You
to our children and grandchildren.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Exodus 18:20; Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 11:19; Psalms 24:3-6; Psalms 112:1-2; Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:2

 Pray this Lazaroo in submission to the wisdom of God: 

“Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.”
(Romans 1:26)

The people in my culture don’t want to hear this, Jesus.

They believe a person’s sexual preference is nobody’s else’s business

including Yours.

They’re wrong.

You created us.

You have every right to tell us what we can do
and what we can’t.

But it goes far deeper than that.

Your commands are guided solely by love.

If you tell me not to do something

You’re not robbing me of pleasure.
You’re protecting me from harm.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Genesis 18:20-21; Genesis 19:4-5; Leviticus 18:22; Judges 19:22-23; Romans 1:26-27; Romans 9:19-24; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:5

 Pray this Lazaroo with over-the-top trust: 

“…go on your way.”
(Joshua 2:16)

Great advice, Jesus.

I’m pretty sure it came from You…
even though the person who gave it was a prostitute.

It certainly worked for the two spies Joshua sent to Jericho.

In fact, it’s such great advice that I’d like to follow it, too.

There’s only one problem:

I’ve gone my way before and it hasn’t worked out.

I don’t want to go my way anymore.

I’ve got to know which way You want me to go.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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2 Kings 21:22; Psalms 1:1; Psalms 25:12; Psalms 32:8; Proverbs 12:15; Proverbs 14:12; Acts 18:26

 Pray this Lazaroo…in courageous, obedient faith: 

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd…”
(Acts 2:14)

I’ve addressed the crowd too, Jesus…

privately
under my breath.

It’s one thing to be in the crowd.

It’s something else entirely

to raise my voice
cause the crowd to quiet
fix their eyes on nothing me.

There’s not a single thing I have to say that warrants their stares
that justifies interrupting their thoughts, conversations, lives.

But what You have to say through me

does.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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Numbers 22:38; John 3:11; John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Hebrews 6:9

 Pray this Lazaroo with bottomless trust: 

“…until you reached this place.”
(Deuteronomy 1:31)

What place do you want me to reach, Jesus?

Have I already glimpsed it
or is it still out of sight?

What do I have to do to make it?

More than I’m currently doing?
Something different from what I’m doing?

How long will it take me to get there?

Okay.
I think I know the answer to that one:

a lifetime.

But it’s not really about the place, is it?

It’s who I become on the way.

[LISTEN to today’s Lazaroo by phoning 212-LAZAROO…or by clicking the PLAY button below:]

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1 Samuel 10:6; 2 Kings 18:5; 2 Kings 23:25; Nehemiah 13:26; Job 1:8; Job 2:3; Proverbs 26:4; Philippians 2:20; 1 John 3:2