[This is the first day of our summer arts day camp and I covet your prayers for this week.]
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6 NIV)
“Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.”
(Psalm 115:1 NIV)
God, our Truth and Way,
We glorify your name! Yes, your name alone be glorified, not ours. For you are the one who loves us passionately, and you are faithful and true. We know our God rules from the heavens, and he takes delight in all that he does. The unbelievers of this world worship what they make—their wealth and their work. They idolize what they own and what they make with their hands, but their things can’t talk to them or answer their prayers. Their possessions will never satisfy. Futile faith in dead idols and dead works can never bring life or meaning to souls. As we start camp today, help these campers and volunteers know and remember that YOU are the only True God. You are the only god worthy of worship, the one whose Word, Spirit, and Life are more precious than all the silver, gold, money, or other earthly treasures in the world. You are high above all things.
Your Word says that blind men can only create blind things and those deaf to God can only make a deaf image. You say that dead men can only create dead idols, and everyone who trusts in these powerless, dead things will be just like what they worship—powerless and dead. We want to be seeing, hearing, creators whose creations reflect your glory, your life, and your hope. May we, the artists of the world, trust in the Lord. For you are the only true hero, God-wrapped-around-us as our shield.
Even when there are struggles in life or in camp, we know that our Lord will never forget us in our need; you will bless us indeed! We pray you will bless the singers, instrumentalists, dancers, actors, photographers, visual artists, writers, technicians, volunteers, and all who call on the name of the Lord. Yes! We pray you will bless your devoted children who bow before you, no matter who they are, and fill them with more of your Spirit. Blessings upon blessings will be heaped upon us as we seek you. Praise to you, maker of heaven and earth, the very God who made us! The heavens belong to our God; they are yours alone. Dead people cannot praise the Lord, but we can! Those who sink to the silence of the grave can no longer give glory to God, but we can! So let’s praise the Lord and let it go on forever. Hallelujah, and praise the Lord! AMEN!
“The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.” (Psalm 119:72 NIV)
The Only True Hero
“1God, glorify your name!
Yes, your name alone be glorified, not ours.
For you are the one who loves us passionately,
and you are faithful and true.
2Why should the unbelievers mock us, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”
3But we know our God rules from the heavens,
and he takes delight in all that he does.
4The unbelievers worship what they make—
their wealth and their work.
5-8They idolize what they own
and what they make with their hands,
but their things can’t talk to them or answer their prayers.
Their possessions will never satisfy.
Their futile faith in dead idols and dead works
can never bring life or meaning to their souls.
Blind men can only create blind things.
Those deaf to God can only make a deaf image.
Dead men can only create dead idols.
And everyone who trusts in these powerless, dead things
will be just like what they worship—powerless and dead.
9So trust in the Lord, all his people.
For he is the only true hero,
the wraparound God who is our shield!
10You, his priests, trust in the Lord.
For he is the only true hero,
God-wrapped-around-us as our shield.
11Yes, all his lovers who bow before him, trust in the Lord.
For he is our only true hero,
God-wrapped-around-us as our shield.
12The Lord will never forget us in our need; he will bless us indeed!
He will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron, his priest.
13Yes! He will bless his devoted lovers who bow before him,
no matter who they are.
14-15God himself will fill you with more.
Blessings upon blessings will be heaped upon you
and upon your children from the maker of heaven and earth,
the very God who made you!
16The heavens belong to our God; they are his alone,
but he has given us the earth and put us in charge.
17-18Dead people cannot praise the Lord, but we can!
Those who sink to the silence of the grave
can no longer give glory to God, but we can!
So let’s praise the Lord and let it go on forever.
Hallelujah, and praise the Lord!” (Psalm 115 TPT)