All posts by Stephen Schwambach

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Friday, May 6, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo in awe:

“…light is better than darkness.”
(Ecclesiastes 2:13)

Yes it is, Jesus…

when I long to see
when I want to stay safe
when I hope to understand
when I need to keep from falling.

But darkness also has its merits.

You didn’t say darkness isn’t good.
You made it, too.

Darkness is good for sleeping

enjoying candlelight
watching movies
seeing stars.

It’s also good for hiding things

temporarily

until the day comes

when You turn on the light.

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

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Genesis 1:2-5; 2 Samuel 22:29; 1 Kings 8:12; Job 12:22; Psalms 18:28; John 1:5; John 3:19; 1 Corinthians 4:5

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Friday, May 6, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo in awe:

“…light is better than darkness.”
(Ecclesiastes 2:13)

Yes it is, Jesus…

when I long to see
when I want to stay safe
when I hope to understand
when I need to keep from falling.

But darkness also has its merits.

You didn’t say darkness isn’t good.
You made it, too.

Darkness is good for sleeping

enjoying candlelight
watching movies
seeing stars.

It’s also good for hiding things

temporarily

until the day comes

when You turn on the light.

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

_________
Genesis 1:2-5; 2 Samuel 22:29; 1 Kings 8:12; Job 12:22; Psalms 18:28; John 1:5; John 3:19; 1 Corinthians 4:5

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Thursday, May 5, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo with pure devotion:

“If anyone considers himself religious…”
(James 1:26)

Is that a good thing, Jesus –

to consider myself religious?

Maybe it’s better for others to make that judgment

instead of me.

There are so many things done in the name of religion that are detestable to You

and me.

Sometimes it seems like those who most think of themselves as religious

are the least Godly of all.

Rather than be religious

I think I’d simply prefer to be pleasing to You.

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

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Amos 5:21; Amos 8:10; Acts 17:22; Colossians 2:16; Hebrews 10:11; 1 Timothy 5:4; James 1:27

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Thursday, May 5, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo with pure devotion:

“If anyone considers himself religious…”
(James 1:26)

Is that a good thing, Jesus –

to consider myself religious?

Maybe it’s better for others to make that judgment

instead of me.

There are so many things done in the name of religion that are detestable to You

and me.

Sometimes it seems like those who most think of themselves as religious

are the least Godly of all.

Rather than be religious

I think I’d simply prefer to be pleasing to You.

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

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Amos 5:21; Amos 8:10; Acts 17:22; Colossians 2:16; Hebrews 10:11; 1 Timothy 5:4; James 1:27

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo with pedal-to-the-metal commitment:

“Wisdom will save you…from the wayward wife with her seductive words…”
(Proverbs 2:12, 16)

Nor is it only wives who lead men into adultery, Jesus.

Sadly, there are countless cheating husbands
intent on luring women into their deadly trap.

Marriage is harder than any bride or groom could possibly expect!

The day comes when the goal of two very different people becoming one
rears its impossible head

causing them to fall on their faces before You

to work that miracle.

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

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Genesis 2:23-25; Proverbs 30:20; Malachi 2:13-16; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:3; 1 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 13:4

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Tuesday, May 3, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo with white-hot fervor:

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity…”
(Hebrews 2:14)

What God is so great as You, Jesus?

There are no other gods.

All the more reason for You to keep Your distance from our messy, inexcusably sinful lives.

But that’s not what You did!

You left Your throne in heaven, clothed Yourself with our flesh and lived among us

until, reacting to Your holiness
we took advantage of Your vulnerability

and crucified You.

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

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2 Chronicles 6:26-27; Psalms 53:2; Matthew 3:17; John 3:13; John 3:31; John 6:50; 1 Thessalonians 1:10

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Monday, May 2, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo with total transparency:

“…bloodthirsty…men the LORD abhors.”
(Psalm 5:6)

Wow.

If that’s the standard…
a lot of people in our world are in trouble, Jesus

and that is
Your standard.

An alarming percentage of our movies, TV shows and video games are dripping with blood.

What’s up with that?
Where does that come from?

Oh.
Right.

You said Satan was a murderer from the beginning.

Maybe that’s why You abhor those who are bloodthirsty.

May I never..never..never

be counted among their number.

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

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Genesis 4:1-8; Psalms 11:5; Psalms 26:9; Psalms 55:23; Psalms 139:19; Proverbs 29:10; John 8:44

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Sunday, May 1, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo all the way to the marrow of your bones:

“So if you consider me a partner…”
(Philemon 1:17)

That phrase sets me up, Jesus

just as Paul used it with Philemon, Apphia, Archippus
and the church that met in their home

to urge them to show forgiveness and Christian compassion
toward their runaway slave Onesimus.

But not everyone who employs that phrase uses it for good!

Protect me from being set up by those who call me “partner”
except for those who are true partners

with You.

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

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Proverbs 2:16-17; Proverbs 28:24; Isaiah 1:23; Malachi 2:14; Luke 5:6-11; Ephesians 5:3-7; 1 Peter 3:7

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Saturday, April 30, 2016

 

Pray this Lazaroo with laser-focused intensity:

“May its morning stars become dark…”
(Job 3:9)

Because of his suffering, Jesus

Job curses the day of his birth.

Normally, birthdays are joyous occasions.

No more.
Not for Job.

His life has become too bitter.

Now he wants the day of his birth to become a bleak, dark day

a cause for mourning
the brightest stars extinguished.

But little does he know the happiness You have planned for him

if he will only hold on
a little longer.

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

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1 Corinthians 13:6-7; 1 Timothy 4:16; Hebrews 10:36; Hebrews 11:27; James 1:12; James 5:11; Revelation 2:3

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Friday, April 29, 2016

 

Take stock as you pray this Lazaroo:

“To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.”
(Titus 2:15)

That explains a lot, Jesus.

Cynical – especially in some situations – is wise.

But the immovable cynic

has a lot of ‘splainin’ to do.

When I’ve been burned over and over again

I’m tempted to become a cynic –
someone who believes nothing is pure.

But that totally disrespects You –

whose specialty
is removing impurity from my life.

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

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Numbers 5:20; Deuteronomy 23:9; Ezekiel 4:14; Matthew 10:1; Philippians 4:8; James 1:27; 1 John 1:7