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     “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?'” Matt. 6:25-27 (NIV)

     Dear Lord Jesus, whenever we’re tempted to wonder about our value to the Father, all we have to do is consider the astonishing sacrifice you made for us. By your life, death, and resurrection, we are clothed with the very righteousness of God, and have been given a steady free diet of bread from heaven and living water. We praise, bless, and adore you. The birds of the air have nothing on us!

     Nevertheless, our weakness persists, our anxieties flare up, and our worries often get the best of us. So we run to you, confident of your welcome, compassion, and grace. Please help us with the things we’d love to control, but can’t. It’s not so much that we’re anxious to add a single hour to our lives; it’s more that we don’t want our loved ones to suffer unnecessarily.

     Jesus, please reveal more of your beauty and love to our children. If we could give our kids and grandkids anything, it would be to know and love you, and to find safe and welcome haven in your heart. Keep them restless until they rest in you.

     For our friends and family members facing vocation crises, health issues, and relationship challenges, Jesus, lift the weight of our worries as you give us the assurance of your engagement. Show us how to love well, without meddling and manipulating. It’s hard not to want to be dispensers of anesthetics on demand—relieving pain at will. But our biggest need isn’t for relief, but for more of you.

     Jesus, we will trust you—not horses, chariots, or our devices. Grant us grace, fuel our hope, and give us peace. So very Amen we pray, in your loving and strong name.

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