DAY 09 | My Lord

The priests who carry the ark of Yahweh, Adonai (Lord) of the whole earth, will stand in the water of the Jordan. Then the water flowing from upstream will stop and stand up like a dam.
Joshua 3:13

photography by Boris Baldinger / calligraphy by Rita Ip

MUSIC

PRAYER

My Lord, my Master, I praise you. All authority in heaven and on earth submits to Your lordship. You rule over everything.

Thank You for the privilege to serve the One who has the absolute power to orchestrate the entire universe.

Forgive me for serving You on my terms, not Yours, for serving You reluctantly, half-heartedly, or with impure motives.

Come take Your throne and reign in my life. Make me Your humble and loyal servant. I want to serve You alone with all that You have graciously entrusted me with: my time, my wealth, my strengths, and my weaknesses. I consecrate everything to You for Your divine purpose; I submit myself to what is important to You.

Because You are my Lord, I declare I refuse to serve other masters. I am Your faithful servant, and I choose to obey You fully and immediately.

A few facts…

Adonai is a Hebrew word meaning "my Lord" or "my Lord Master", indicating God has sovereignty over us.
Adonai is the plural of “Adon” which derives from a Ugaritic word meaning "lord" or "father".
lord, Lord, and LORD in the Bible:
- The word “lord” (all lowercase) refers to a human, someone who has authority over another.
- The word “Lord” (first letter in uppercase) refers to God who has sovereignty over us
- The word “LORD” (all uppercase) refers to the personal Hebrew name of God, Yahweh (or Jehovah, a Latinization of Yahweh).

Exercise 1:

TWO-WAY JOURNALING

In a quiet space where you can be undisturbed, sit in a comfortable position and settle yourself in peace.

Smile and breathe. Smile, one day every tongue in heaven and on earth will confess that Jesus is Lord. Take a deep breath through your nose as you focus on Jesus, who humbled Himself and died on the cross. Pause and hold your breath for a moment. Because of that obedience, Father elevated Jesus to the highest place and honored Him far beyond anyone or anything. Exhale slowly through your mouth as you let go of any unyielding spirit in you.

I admit that in my prayers and worship, I often call Him “Lord”, unaware of the meaning it carries, unaware of the weightiness of His authority. If you are like me, today’s journaling would be the perfect time to rethink and to re-submit to His lordship.

In the form of a letter, write to your Lord. Posture your heart to hear Him, take the time to listen, and record His response. Let your thoughts and your words pour out onto your journal pages. Don’t worry about sticking to grammar or spelling rules, or trying to be logical and decent. It’s a safe place to be truly you.

[Part 1]
Dear Lord …
[Part 2]
Dear (your name), …

• ask Him what you do that brings Him the most joy

• ask Him how He wants you to serve Him

• talk to Him about your joy or struggles in serving or surrendering to Him

• ask Him if there is a specific thing or area that He wants you to surrender to Him
Check out APPENDIX 2 for more.

Exercise 2:

DECLARATION

How does the fact that “He is Lord” relate to the way you live today? In your journal, write your own declaration. Keep it simple and to the point.

Because You are my Lord, I declare I can / I will / I am…

Read the declaration to the Lord and to yourself. Repeat it a couple of times, with power and certainty. Speaking the words out loud definitely makes a greater impact than just having the thought floating in your mind. Let these words sink into your heart and become your new reality.

This completes Day 9 of HE. Today, I pray that He will give you a deeper understanding and a greater awareness of His lordship. May you surrender yourself to Him in ways you never did before.