Shirlee Abbott

Pour Out Your Hearts

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Like those two New Testament women, I can pour out my heart before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 62:8 (NIV)
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

Good morning, Lord. I bring to You my hopes, fears, concerns, doubts, desires, gratitude and praise. I pour all of it — the good, the bad and the ugly — at the foot of Your throne in prayer. You accept it all with grace, thank You. Teach me to trust You in all things. Empty my heart of all selfishness and evil; fill it to overflowing with love.

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Poured on Jesus’ Head

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

A different woman than yesterday’s post, but a similar story:

Matthew 26:7-9 (ESV)
… a woman came up to him [Jesus] with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.”

Extravagant love!

Good morning, Lord. All that is good comes from You, and I owe all the good that I have to You — not just what money can buy, but also what money cannot buy: loyalty, compassion, kindness, devotion, joy, reverence. You alone are worthy, O God, of extravagant love.

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Poured at Jesus’ Feet

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

“Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.”
Frances Havergal, 1874
From the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be”

This verse of our old hymn looks to the action of the sinful woman of Capernaum:

Luke 7:37-38 (TLB)
… a woman of the streets—a prostitute—heard he [Jesus] was there and brought an exquisite flask filled with expensive perfume. Going in, she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping, with her tears falling down upon his feet; and she wiped them off with her hair and kissed them and poured the perfume on them.

Good morning, Lord. I don’t particularly like my own feet, and I have no desire to get up close and personal with anyone else’s. But if I saw Your feet, Jesus, wounded and bloody after being nailed to the cross, I would cry — enough tears, perhaps, to clean away some of the blood. Like the biblical woman of the streets, I pour my love at Your feet … forever grateful for Your sacrifice on my behalf.

Posted in Morning Prayer, Timeless Wisdom | Tagged Frances Havergal, Luke 7:37-38, Take My Life and Let It Be | 2 Comments

Broken-Hearted

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Psalm 51:17 (NLT)
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Other versions of this psalm say contrite, penitent, truly sorry, humble, sorrowful. If I’m honest, those words rarely describe my heart.

Good morning, Lord. Break my heart for what breaks Yours — be it the sin of the world or my own sin. Teach me to rejoice in good and mourn evil. Grant me the discernment to know wrong from right. May I be truly sorry for my sin, confessing and repenting with an honest, humble heart.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged broken and contrite heart, Psalm 51:17 | 2 Comments

Hard-Hearted

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Matthew 13:15 (NLT) – also Isaiah 6;9-10
For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.

A hard heart leads to all sorts of problems.

Good morning, Lord. I don’t want to be counted among those hard-hearted folks who lack understanding, people who are spiritually deaf and blind. Grant me an open heart, eager to absorb Your wisdom, quick to hear and read Your Word. O God, heal me — body and soul.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged blind, deaf, hard-hearted, Isaiah 6:9-10, Matthew 13:15 | Comments Off

Half-Hearted

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

The book of Revelation records this complaint against the Church at Ephesus:

Revelation 2:4 (AMP)
… you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].

I ask myself: Do I love God more or less than I used to?
Is my love wholehearted or halfhearted?

Good morning, Lord. There have been, I confess, seasons when my love for You wavered, when I loved You halfheartedly — forgive me. These were apt to be times when all was going well, when I thought I had things under control. But in the hard times I leaned on You wholeheartedly. Thus, O God, I am grateful for the hard times. It was in times of trouble that I learned to love You more and more.

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Whole-Hearted

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Whole-hearted faith … for my own good.

Good morning, Lord. When I trust You with all my heart, You show me the way. When I trust my own judgment, I wander off the narrow path. What I think is a shortcut turns out to be a tangled trail leading nowhere — or worse, it ends in trouble. As I slip into the slimy pit, I call out to You … and You save me, thank You. Teach me, dear God, to follow You whole-heartedly, start to finish.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged Proverbs 3:5-6, straight path, whole heart | 2 Comments

Whose Heart?

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

“Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.”
Frances Havergal, 1874
From the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be”

Acts 13:22 (NIV)
God testified concerning him: “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”

I want to be a person “after God’s own heart,” a person who does everything God wants me to do. I want Jesus to take charge, give the instructions and make the decisions — to be Lord and King of my flesh, my thoughts and my deeds.

Good morning, Lord. I declare You to be Lord of my life. And then I push You off the throne, take over and do things my way. Forgive me, O God. When I take charge, I make a mess of things, and then I ask You to fix it — thank You for grace and mercy. Please! Teach me to do things right the first time. Teach me to step aside and let You take charge.

Posted in Morning Prayer, Timeless Wisdom | Tagged Acts 13:22, after God's own heart, Frances Havergal, heart, Take My Life and Let It Be | Comments Off

God’s Will

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

I sometimes think God’s will is too hard.

Hebrews 13:20-22 (TLB)
And now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will …

The same power that raised Christ from the dead equips me to do God’s will. It’s more than enough.

Good morning, Lord. You give me everything I need to do Your will — but all too often, I don’t feel ready. Teach me to follow Your lead, not my feelings. Teach me to lean on Your Spirit and not my own understanding. Teach me to trust that You know what You’re doing even when I don’t.

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Good Will

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

God’s will — good for us, good for our friends and family, good for society.

1 Peter 2:15-17 (MSG)
It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

Good morning, Lord. You grant me the ability to choose how to live, to do good or evil, to be kind and respectful or to be mean and selfish. I want to be a force for Your glory and the common good. Teach me to choose well.

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