Lord, you have a single mind, to bring every lost soul into communion with yourself. No other goal clutters your calendar.

Let my attentions today find that same singleness of purpose. Because you brought me into your mission as a child of the kingdom of Christ. Amen.

Lord, you are sovereign over time, space, and knowledge. Our efforts to control these things often lead us to anxiety, worry, and panic. Let us remember that you own it all. Father, we trust you to care for us. Because you are with us, we are calm and peaceful.

Help us to do what must be done, what can be done, for your glory. Above all, let us put our confidence in you that you, as Judge of all the earth, will always do right. As we have seen in the sacrifice of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lord of Hosts, your power knows no limits. Your strength secures complete victories. We praise you that your energies enliven our hearts and animate our hands.

The analysts believe Spain's voters capitulated to intimidation and sought to appease terrorists by giving victory to the Socialist candidate for president. Fears sprout that this will only encourage more attacks.

Spiritually, O heavenly Father, we know this to be true. Give us courage to face Satan's onslaughts, to resist departures from the faith, to continue preaching in the face of opposition. Make us "act like men" to be strong, to enter the fray in full armor, to refuse to flinch when all appears lost.

For we know that all has already been won on the Cross, that you have dealt evil the death blow and handed your people certain victory. So we will not appease, will not falter, will not fail, for we know yours is the kingdom. Amen.

O God, you know every human heart. Your eye sees all that happens.

O. J. Simpson was acquitted; Martha Stewart was convicted. We confess that we do not know who is innocent or guilty in earthly matters. We were not there, did not witness misdeeds, did not hear court evidence presented. So keep us from speaking hastily or from judging them or others like them.

We do know, O Lord, that every soul stands guilty under your holy questioning. And that you have provided a pardon for all who will convert to Jesus. Let us speak of what we know: salvation in Christ. Amen.

Seems churches, and even some New Testament congregations, have taken up the cry of French post-impressionist painter, Paul Gauguin, "Before anything else, emotion! Comprehension only comes afterwards!" I have not discovered the context of the painter's statement. Perhaps he wrote it thinking of painting, which would explain some things. Visual arts -- and especially cinema -- appeal strongly to the emotions. But the gospel is not visual but auditory, based not on seeing, but on hearing. And hearing is, above all, a comprehension activity. God wants us, before anything else, to understand. From that understanding will rise the emotions of sadness at our sins, joy at our salvation, happiness in our blessedness, peace in our security, excitement in our hope. If we look to churn the emotions before comprehension, inevitably the emotions will be the wrong ones, wrongly based, wrongly directed. As such, they will not last, and even if they last, they will crumble in eternity when the wrong comprehension is finally corrected -- but too late!