encouragement – Blue Collar Theologian

Sunrise and Rainbow

Sunrise, 17 January 2023, photo taken by Mandy Sweigart-Quinn.

I can honestly say that I have never seen a sunrise in the East and rainbow (there’s a hint of a second one) in the West, at the same time in all my 41 years of living.

I am fascinated and awed by sunrises, sunsets, and rainbows. Since God spoke the world into being, God has watched over the rising and setting of the sun. The rainbow in the sky is God’s promise not to destroy the earth by flood again.

While this may sound provincial to this unbelieving world, in today’s rapidly changing culture, I take great comfort in this fact.

Today’s beautiful morning also reminds me of Jesus’s rebuke to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matt 16:2-3 ESV).

There is a judgment that is coming for both believers and unbelievers. For believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, ask the Lord to reveal to You where You are falling short of what and where the Lord wants You. Work for the Lord willingly rather than man, even in the most difficult circumstances. I know first hand how much easier it is said than done. However, God gives us the grace we need to be His hands and feet with the proper attitude.

For the unbeliever it is my humble prayer that today will be your day of salvation, repenting of your sins and that you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, so you will be saved (Rom 10:9).

Lord God, You know our hearts. You know the loads we carry. Lord God, may we come to You and find rest for our souls. Lord God, thank You for this beautiful sunrise and rainbow. Lord God, prepare us Lord to face You. Lord God, help us to think Your thoughts! Lord God, Your judgement that is coming will be quick and final. May we NEVER presume on Your grace. Lord God, I ask that believers will hold other believers accountable in a loving manner when they are in sin and error. Lord God, may Your people love each other enough to fight for their personal time with You, may believers seek to be spiritually healthy with the same passion that we seek to be emotionally and physically healthy. Lord God, raise up strong leaders in Your Church! Lord God, thank You for this reader. Lord God, encourage this reader today. Help this reader to trust You Lord. Help all believers to increase in their obedience and submission to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Rainbow, 17 January 2023. Photo taken by Mandy Sweigart-Quinn.

17 January 2023. Photo taken by Mandy Sweigart-Quinn.

Fort Worth, here I come!!!!

It has been over year since I have last seen Kelly and it has been over five years since I visited Kelly in Texas. This will be a quick visit; however, that is better than no visit!!!!!!

I thank God for the opportunity to visit Kelly for the weekend. My small local airport is surprisingly busy at 4am eastern time!

I look forward to sharing with y’all what God places on my heart from this visit. I am so thankful and grateful to God for my family and friends that the Lord has entrusted me with. I am thankful and blessed.

Lord God, thank You for the opportunity to see Kelly. Lord God, prepare me for Texas and Texas for me. Prepare me and the people I will sit beside. Lord, if there is an opportunity to share Jesus on this flight, may I rise to the occasion. Thank You Jesus for this reader! Thank You for their friendship! Lord God, lead this reader today! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Happy New Year! January 2023 Prayer

Lord God, thank You for this new year and this new month. Lord God, thank You that Your mercies are new each morning! Lord God, remind us that our negative behaviors of 2022 do not need to continue in 2023. Help us to be more like Jesus in this new year and month.

Lord God, teach us to number our days that we may make the most of the time that You have given to us. Remind us that as You helped Moses in Psalm 90, so too will you help us. Lord God, help us to live in greater confidence and hope this year. Lord God, may we read our Bible’s more this year.

Lord God, help us to crave You more this year. Lord God, may we take inventory and confess anything that is coming between us and You. Lord God, may we actively choose to live a life of obedience and submission to You.

Lord God, in a world that values doing what pleases ourselves, help us to live as a people who live and long to please. Lord God, help us to die more to ourselves this year. Help us to pick up our cross more this year. Help us to follow You more this year!

Lord God, prepare us to not be surprised by the events that unfold in our world. Help us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ when opportunities are presented to us! Lord God, help us to want others to know Jesus, even if it is costly.

Lord God, thank You that You have created each person in Your image. May we never forget that unbelieving people are created in Your image and that when unbelievers do things that we do not like or do not understand, they are only acting as unbelievers should. May we call out sin more this year, may we hold ourselves and other believers accountable this year; however, may we leave the judgement of unbelievers to You and You alone.

Lord God, thank You for this reader! Thank You for the opportunity to pray for this reader! Lord God, what a joy and honor it is that You have allowed us to live in this time period where believers all over the world can pray for one another online.

Lord God, as the internet unites the world, how much more does Jesus unite Your people. Help us Lord to be bridge-builders and peacemakers in this difficult time. Help us to love as Christ loved, help us to see others as Christ saw others, and Lord God, may people smell Christ on us even if that means we are repugnant and disgusting. Lord God, may we rather be approved by You than approved by this dying world system.

Lord God, thank You again for this reader. Prepare this reader for the new year. Lord God, prepare Your people to live for You and to endure for Your sake and glory. Thank You Holy Trinity for Your unfailing love. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Sunset December 13, 2022

Lord God, thank You for today. Thank You for family, friends and fellowship. Lord God, thank You for this reader. Lord God, help this reader focus on You. Thank You Jesus that Your Holy Spirit indwells us, motivates us and sustains us.

Lord God, as You hold the whole world in Your Hands, may we never forget that You hold our personal lives in Your Hands as well.

Thank You Lord that no two sunsets are the same, just as there are no two Christians alike. Lead us Lord. Although there is nothing new under the sun, may we continue to dwell in You each day and apply old truths as well as new truths from Your Word in our lives.

Lord, bless and guide this reader. May this reader know that Jesus loves them and so do I. Thank You Holy Trinity for the opportunity to see another day. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

December 2022 Prayer

Sunrise, December 1, 2022. Photo taken by Mandy Sweigart-Quinn.

Father God, as this new month dawns help us to draw closer to You. Lord God, teach us to walk in Your ways. Give us boldness and confidence to denounce and call out evil where we see it.

Thank You Lord God that You will hold all people accountable who do inexplicable things to children. Lord God, help us to value and affirm life more this month. Lord God, may we as Christians stop platforming and following celebrities and people of this world who do NOT care about You, Your Word and how You call Your people to live. Help us Lord to separate ourselves from evil. Help us to defend the cause of widows and orphans more this month. Lord God, may we be quick to defend Your Word this month even if it is costly.

Lord God, I know that not everyone who reads this blog celebrates Christmas; however, may we all take time to meditate on the fact that the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, was born of a virgin, took on flesh and dwelt among us.

Lord God, may we mediate more this month on how costly the Incarnation really was. Lord God, may we cling to You more this month than to this dying world.

Help us to point people to Jesus more this month. Lord God, it breaks my heart how far society has fallen. It grieves me how bankrupt, evil and wicked we have become. Lord God, while we grieve may we not lose heart or hope that Christ is Victorious, He is reigning and He is soon returning, Amen!

Lord God. thank You for this reader. May this reader grow in You more this month. Lord God, help us to think Your thoughts more this month. Help us to remain in Your perfect peace. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Sunset November 30, 2022

Lord God, what a magnificent God You are! Lord God, You never cease to amaze me that no matter what the day held, the sun rises and sets on Your schedule. Thank You for this sunset Lord to go with the rain that we so needed today. Thank You Lord for Your grace and mercy.

Lord God, may this reader have a blessed evening, morning or afternoon, depending on where they live. May this reader seek You while there is still time. Thank You Lord that You do truly hold the whole world in Your Hands. Thank You again for this reader. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Blessed

Nathan, PQ and I will be leaving FL today. We have always visited my mom for Thanksgiving. This has been a wonderful and refreshing time in the Lord. My heart is heavy to leave my mom, yet full of love and gratitude. I am so thankful for all the love and support that I receive from my physical and spiritual family.

Thank you dear reader for being on this journey with me. I love you and I look forward to spending more time blogging over the Christmas break.

Lord God, thank You for refreshment and renewal. Thank You Lord God for my mom. Thank You Lord for this reader. Thank You Lord for family. Prepare our hearts Lord to love as You want us to love. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Thanksgiving 2022 Prayer

Whipped sweet potatoes with brown sugar, pecans and marshmallows. Photo taken by Mandy Sweigart-Quinn.

Lord God, forgive us for how often we forget to praise and thank You. May we take time today to reflect on all that You have done for us.

Lord God, thank You and praise You for the gift of fellowship. Thank You Lord for the ability to give You thanks and praise with brothers and sisters all over the world. Lord God, may our thanks and praise be a pleasing aroma to You.

Lord, for our brothers and sisters who live in countries where evangelism is costly, may the lost smell Jesus on our fellow Christians as they live in praise and thanksgiving of who You are and what You have done in their lives. Lord may the Western church learn from the persecuted church as our time of suffering is coming. Thank You Lord for all the examples of Christian witnesses that have gone before us!

Lord God, thank You for this reader. Thank You for giving this reader worth because they are created in Your image. Lord God, thank You for the gift of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ alone.

Thank You Lord for the opportunity to love and serve You. May we serve You well each day that You give us. Help us Lord that when we mess up that may we confess our sin and praise You for the opportunity to walk on Your path again.

Thank You Holy Trinity that You are alive, that You are intimately involved in Your Creation and that You know Your people. Lord, thank You again for this reader! May they thank and praise You today! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

November 2022 Prayer

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com

Lord God, thank You for this new month. Thank You and praise You Lord that Your Word does NOT return void! Thank You Lord that You will complete Your Work in us. Lord, help us to be mindful that we do our work in Your strength and not our own. Thank You Lord that Your grace is sufficient and that You give us the energy that we need to complete Your Work. Help us Lord to be focused more on You this month.

Lord God, many countries are having elections this month, help us to trust You and Your rule more than in the rule of man. Lord God, thank You and praise You there will be a day when every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to Your glory Father.

Lord God, guide this reader. May this reader draw closer to You and to their loved ones this month. Lord God, many countries celebrate some form of Thanksgiving this month, help Your people Lord to be thankful and grateful each day.

Lord God, remind us more this month that the faith You call us to is not a blind faith, but a reasoned faith. Yes, we walk by faith and not by sight; however, You call us to be discerning and to exercise common sense. Help us to have more discernment and common sense this month!

Lord God, prepare our minds, hearts and hands to suffer for You. This is not easy for me to write, and in all honesty Lord, You know that I would like to delete this last sentence, but I know that it is true. Lord God, You do not call us to be naive about the hardships of this life. This life is NOT easy and it is even more difficult without Christ. Thank You and praise You Jesus that Your burden is easy and light. Thank You Jesus that when we come to You we will find rest for our weary souls.

Thank You and praise You Lord that Your shalom, Your peace is one of wholeness. It is completeness. No matter what we are facing, no matter our physical, mental and emotional deficiencies, weaknesses, and shortcomings we are complete and whole in Christ. Lord, may this reader not lose sight of who they are in Christ this month.

What a blessing and a relief it is Father to know that Your Son and His Work on the Cross has reconciled us to You by grace through faith.

Thank You Lord for the Holy Spirit sealing us. Lord, may we meditate on what it means to be sealed with Your Spirit more this month. Lord God, for those who are sealed with Your Spirit, You are indwelling them, while the devil and his agents can harass believers, remind this believer that it is absolutely impossible for them to be possessed by anyone or anything other than You. Lord, may we never forget that greater are You who is in us, than the devil who is in this world.

Lord God, strengthen Your people all over the world to fear You rather than their circumstances. I know this is easier said than done. Help us Lord to live as victorious and Spirit-indwelled and Spirit-empowered people. Not for show or for greater gain, but out of obedience to You. Help us to obey You more this month. Help us to love You more this month.

Reveal to us Lord what we are holding too tightly. Remind Your people, including myself, that anything we hold too tightly, You will remove from us. And that removal is usually painful. Lord, help us to be cheerful givers in all aspects. Help us to give ourselves away, to show people the love of Christ more this month, even if we get hurt and suffer for it.

Lord, thank You for the opportunity to live in a day and age where we can pray so openly and publicly with one another. Lord God, may this reader be encouraged and strengthened through this prayer. Lord, convict us where we need to be convicted. Help us to bless others and to be strong for our weaker brothers and sisters where there are needs. May we learn to love You and others more this month.

Thank You again Lord for this reader. Thank You again for this new month. Lead us and guide us Lord. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Sunset October 28, 2022

Lord God, thank You for Your magnificent colors! Lord God, as the seasons change help us to reflect that You are in control and that You never change. Thank You and praise You Lord that You neither slumber nor sleep!

Lord God, thank You that as You know each leaf on the tree, each sparrow in the sky, You know each of our needs. Lord God, fill this reader with Your truth and wisdom. Cause this reader to know You more deeply. Lord God, thank You for this reader. In Jesus’s I pray. Amen.