Polished Arrow Journey of Healing, PO Box 1868, Monrovia, CA (2026)

08/22/2026

Psalm 78:38-39 But He showed them loving-kindness and forgave their sins. He did not destroy them. He held back His anger many times. He did not let all of His anger loose. He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. We know the Old Testament story of the Exodus, don’t we? God freed Israel from Egypt’s yoke of slavery and did mighty works against the Egyptians and throughout Israel’s desert journey. He parted the Red Sea, provided bread from heaven to eat in the desert, and provided many, many miracles on behalf of Israel. Yet we also see the times that Israel still lost faith in God and turned away. There were times when God knew a family or a remnant of the people would never believe in Him or commit to Him, and He “killed the strongest of them” (verse 31). There were others whom God knew would turn from their sin and follow Him and to those He showed mercy. God is just in all circumstances.

As we read through the Old Testament, we see this same pattern. First, we see God does miraculous things for His creation. Second, we see over time they begin to turn away and look to other gods for their help. Third, God steps in and deals with them justly. Repeat from step one. We need to know that sin really does deserve God’s wrath and anger, but we must not forget that God has provided another way in the New Testament. It is a new pattern of life. We don’t get what sin deserves when we align our hearts and minds with Jesus. Instead, we get a clean slate and we start again. We get God’s mercy in Jesus’ name, and it does triumph over judgement. It is not a free pass to do whatever we want for the rest of our lives. It is more like a bridge that takes us in time from who we are to who we were always meant to be. First, we accept Jesus and begin following Him. Second, we make mistakes along the way. Sometimes intentional, sometimes from misunderstanding His way, sometimes from ? (fill in the blank). Third, we recognize we are lost again and we turn back to Him and sincerely ask for and desire forgiveness in Jesus’ name to begin again. Repeat from this new step one. This new pattern gives us the hope that we need to know that we really can accomplish all we are destined to accomplish and become in time who He created us to be even though we are “only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return.” We have an amazing future in Christ. We should pursue Him with all our hearts.

Father, we sincerely desire this new pattern in our lives. We know we are imperfect beings. We humble ourselves before You and acknowledge that we have the wrong pattern in our lives. We want to be who You made us to be. We want to accomplish all that You have ordained for us in this life. We know we cannot walk a perfect walk without Jesus and without Your Holy Spirit in us. Even then, we might misunderstand or be led astray. When we realize we have made a wrong turn, we ask that You forgive us in Jesus’ name and help us back to the right road – to the right pattern of life that You have for us. We trust in You and we trust in Your love for us. We know that You know everything that is in our hearts and minds. Please listen to our heartfelt prayers and help us again to find Your sacred road and continue walking on it. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

08/17/2026

Psalm 72:12-14 For He will take out of trouble the one in need when he cries for help, and the poor man who has no one to help. He will have loving-pity on the weak and those in need. He will save the lives of those in need. He will take them from the bad power that is held over them and from being hurt. Their blood will be of much worth in His eyes. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. Psalm 72 is one that scholars believe to be written by David for his son, Solomon, who would be the next king of Israel. However, as one reads through it, it becomes clear that there is a vision of the coming Messiah in this Psalm. Much of David’s prayer for his son was answered by God many, many years later through the life of His own son, Jesus. Reading through this Psalm, we see that God is releasing to David a vision for a future king of God’s own choosing who would live up to these divine expectations.

While there are many things in this psalm that remind us of Jesus, one thing can be a bit surprising, though. The end of verse 14 speaks of the worth of our (yours and my) blood in His eyes. Some translations say, “precious is their blood in His sight.” We often sing of the “precious blood of Christ,” but we haven’t always known that He sees our blood as precious, also. The Psalm describes a “bad power” that is held over the people that can cause them to be hurt. It can cause their blood to be shed. While we have many examples of these bad regimes and bad individuals in our history, we still see it today. This psalm, if nothing else, should make us aware that God does not approve of people who desire to hurt or kill others. He does not look upon any of His people as ones who deserve to be harmed – not when He considers our blood to be precious. Who are His people? Those who know God, who know His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and who follow His ways. When our ways line up with His, we will see the “precious blood” in Jesus, in ourselves, and in others. Psalm 72 is an excellent example of prayer in that David had no doubts at all of how big and powerful God is and how much He cares for all of us. Our prayers should also reflect that. There are no limitations to what God can do. Limitations exist only in us and in our ability to accept our own self-worth, the value of others around us, and just how much God cares for all of us. Let’s come boldly to the throne for the miracles that only God can provide. And when we do, know that while we are singing about the “precious blood of Christ” that He sees us just as lovingly and just as precious.

Father, we acknowledge that there is none like You. Amid wars and hatred and power seekers, sometimes it is just difficult to see You and to know Your love for us. Whether we live or die we belong to You (Romans 14:8), and we will give You the praise of our lips and our souls. Jesus paid the price for us. Without the love of Jesus, we don’t know where we would be today. While we may not fully understand Your great love, just knowing that You do love all of us puts us on the solid rock to come before You and pray like David did – with divine and seemingly impossible prayers. We pray now for those who have been hurt – even those who have been killed – and we ask for Your justice. We pray that the knowledge of You would reach to the farthest corners of the earth and touch everyone in need. We ask that You help the poor and the needy – even when they least expect it – even when their situations seem impossible – we ask that You rise up and do what only You can do. Provide the help that no one on earth can! While we may try, we know that You can take our small steps of faith and make them more than enough to see miracles and healing and protection. We pray these things now over ourselves, our communities, and in the world. While the wars seem almost impossible to end, we know that You will and You can end them before any more precious blood is spilled on either side. We pray that strategies to kill and destroy human life would fail before You. We pray that bombs, ammunition, anything that is launched to kill would just explode in mid-air (even just disappear – or whatever You desire to do to stop it) without any more bloodshed. Let all who see it know it is You. We pray for Your miraculous intervention in the wars to turn the leaders, the generals, all of them to peace. We pray for Your strategies to enter into the peace talks in every single war. Give Your people many testimonies of how their lives were saved – whether from war or just dangerous situations or even weather conditions. Give them many testimonies of divine healing and help. We know that You desire all lives to be saved. This is why You sent Your precious Son, Jesus, to us. So, we ask that You do what we are incapable of doing – that You would bring peace, protection, strength to the weak, and healing to the sick. Be glorified in all that You do and in all that we offer You - our praises, obedience, and love. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

08/03/2026

Psalm 69:32-33 Those without pride will see it and be glad. You who look for God, let your heart receive new strength. For the Lord hears those who are in need and does not hate His people in prison. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. Psalm 69 carries on the theme of praising God in the hard times. This psalmist was falsely accused, ridiculed, hated, and pursued by others who had murderous intentions. While he was falsely accused of some things, he also knew he was guilty of many sins. He confessed to God that he was in a deep hole of his own making, and that God knew what his sins were. But – BUT – the psalmist knew God. He knew the loving kindness, mercy, and forgiveness of God. He knew there was no point to try and hide his sins and mistakes from God. He knew the only path to survival, protection, and change in his life was from God. While he was aware of those who hated and even tried to kill him, he chose to keep his eyes on God, his only hope. There will always be those in our lives who will try and define us by our worst moments in life. Only God has the authority to define us. There will always be those in our lives who try to instill such fear in us that we can’t even receive the compassion of God or His forgiveness. This is not a true gospel. The true gospel is to recognize when we have done wrong and then humble ourselves and look for God to help us. He does not hate His people in prison – literal prison or prison of our own making due to our sin. He does not hate us. Let’s step out of our pride, confess our wrongdoings to Him, and receive new strength in our hearts to live again in hope and belief that God will save us.

His plan of salvation for us today is Jesus Christ. Jesus is our hope and our way to life everlasting. When we find ourselves in sin, we need to stop. We need to look to God – to His son, Jesus, who loved us so much that He died for our sins. We need to align ourselves again with His ways. If we find we continue to miss the mark, we let His love pick us up, put us on our feet and on the right path once more – as many times as we need until we get it. We must recognize our need to learn His ways. Sometimes, it is hard to understand that His love is never-ending and so forgiving. We must, though, renounce our pride and sin with true repentance and confession before Jesus. Make no mistake. God cannot be fooled. He knows our level of sincerity in everything we say and do. There will be consequences which can be severe if we remain unrepentant and refuse to acknowledge God’s ways or even try to follow them. Know that if we try and fail but honestly and sincerely try to find our way back to the right path, we will find forgiveness and acceptance from God through His Son, Jesus. If we choose to never accept Jesus, it is the same as choosing to never accept God. Instead, let’s continue to worship God with words, dance, praise, singing. Let’s thank Him for His love and compassion and for sending Jesus to us to show us the way back to Him when we are lost.

Father, we will worship and praise You in every circumstance of our lives. In every situation, whether good or bad, we will keep our eyes on You. We may not always understand Your ways. Sometimes we may fall off Your sacred path. We sincerely regret when we have done so intentionally whatever the motivation. We lay down our pride and ask that You forgive us of all of our wrongdoings and help us to get back on the sacred road again. We ask that when our understanding fails, that Your Spirit would correct and teach us. We desire a loving relationship with You in this life. And we confess, we do not always understand just how much You love us and want us to be in this loving relationship with You. We open our hearts to You and ask that Your Spirit would reveal more and more of Your ways to us that our lives would achieve all that You have ordained for us. We desire to please and not anger You. We know that You are the answer to every problem or situation we find ourselves in, even if it is because of our own wrongdoing. We just want that loving relationship with You and we declare our praise and love for You now, each and every day. Once again, we thank You for who You are and what You do. In the Holy Name of Jesus! A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

07/27/2026

Psalm 67:1-4 May God show loving-kindness toward us and bring good to us. May He make His face shine upon us. May Your way be known on the earth, and Your saving power among all nations. May the people praise You, O God. May all the people praise You. May the nations be glad and sing for joy. For You will be fair when You judge the people and rule the nations of the earth. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. Psalm 67 is just one of many where the people prayed for themselves, but also for all nations. They knew God’s mercy, compassion, and grace. They were not satisfied praying only for their own needs and desires, but they included all nations of people in their prayers, knowing God loves and has compassion on them also. They prayed for the joy and gladness of the other nations. In addition, the psalmist encouraged all people and all nations to praise God. We know that our praises are weapons against darkness. We also know that God is always worthy of our praise – in times of trouble and need – and in times of joy and gladness.

Is anyone reading this in need of some joy? Start singing praises to God. Is anyone in need of a healing? Remember all the things He has done for you in your life and give him praise and thanks. Is anyone in need of peace, security, or freedom from fear? Remember who God is. He is greater than the darkness. He is the author of peace and the Creator of all things. Nothing makes the darkness turn away like the sacrifice of praise. When we don’t really feel it, we tell our bodies, souls, and spirits to praise the Lord anyway – this is the sacrifice of praise. A pastor said we should spend the next seven days praising God each and every day – lay down our worries and concerns – just praise. If we do this for seven days straight, we can see breakthroughs in our situations, we can see changes and shifts in our surroundings. He said we will see the earth shift in ways we need it to shift. I would love to see more peace on earth right now, would you? I would love to see a halt to the fires, the natural disasters, and anything that intends to harm the earth. And I would love to see more healing and so much less war, fear, and insecurity. Would you? Long ago, this psalmist prayed that we (all the people) would praise God. Can we stop asking God for the same things we have been struggling with, set them aside for 7 days, and just praise Him? Sing, dance, and move joyfully around the house. Let’s remind ourselves of who God is, and let’s see what He will do.

(Need a little help? Try youtube and look for praise elevation worship, Once you find some praise music there you like, more should automatically queue up behind it.)

Father, we have asked You for so much. We want to be a people who will come before You now with no agenda other than to just give You the honor and praise You deserve. Father, we say we are grateful for You! We declare we cannot do this life without You! You are so loving, compassionate, forgiving, and just. You deserve our praise. We praise You in our highs and lows. We praise You when we are on top of the world. We praise You when we are not. We praise You when we win. We praise You when it looks like things are going the wrong way. Through it all, we know You are by our side and will not forsake us or forget us. We will wait for You – and praise You while we are waiting. We give You all of our praise and we thank You for who You are and what You do. In the Holy Name of Jesus! A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

07/19/2026

Psalm 65:5 O God Who saves us, You answer us in the way that is right and good by Your great works that make people stand in fear. You are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. 1 John 5:14 says “We are sure that if we ask anything that He wants us to have, He will hear us.” (New Life Version) How do we know what He wants us to have? Some translations say, “according to His will” and others have commented that this means according to who God is and what He does. We cannot know everything there is to know about God, but we can get part of the way there by reading and studying His word. We can also watch and learn from what we see Him do. For example, we have learned in the last few weeks from David’s psalms, that He not only provides for our material and physical needs, but He also cares for our spiritual and mental health by giving us the weapon of praise that takes us from the dark places and brings us into His light. This week, we can see also from this Psalm that He cares very much about the earth, watering the ground and making it produce grain and food for all. He doesn’t do this work without us, though. He worked with Adam and Eve from the very beginning to have them tend the garden “according to His will.” As we know, mankind often gets away from God’s will. This is usually when we see danger to us and to the land. We might see long periods of drought, fires popping up everywhere that threaten the land, animals, and people, famine, chemical explosions or even war. The question for each of us to answer is how do we respond to these things? Do we just listen to the news and hope for the best? Do we rely on scientists and experts to figure out a way? Or do we take our rightful place as caretakers of the land and pray to and praise God, the one who has all the answers and solutions?

Not too long ago, the news announced a pressure build-up in a chemical tank in Southern California. All the scientists and experts associated with this said that only 2 possible outcomes were imminent. One was that the chemicals would leak into the ground, poisoning a large area of land. The other was that the pressure would cause an explosion where everything surrounding that tank (homes, people, land, even the ocean) would be poisoned and polluted. Neither of these options were good. Evacuations of up to 40,000 or more were ordered. Many of us were praying, asking God to “confound” the scientists and experts with His solution. Sometimes, all the experts know is the black and white of things, but God created a much broader color spectrum. He parted the Red Sea, cured leprosy, and made wine from water. This kind of prayer (asking God to confound scientists and earthly wisdom with His solutions) is absolutely in agreement with who He is and what He does. I don’t believe my friends and I were the only ones praying, but God does hear the sincere prayer of even one. The threat began on May 21 and by May 23 (Saturday night), they found a crack which began relieving the pressure buildup. According to the news, they now had many more options. People were allowed back home, and the “threat” of explosion or leak had been eliminated. One of the interesting things that came out in the news was the name that the experts gave to this threat. They named it “BLEVE” (pronounced believe) for boiling liquid expanding v***r explosion. They may call that a threat, but we know that believe-ing in God is the only way out of an impossible situation. (Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” NIV). Will we believe more in what God can do than in what men say will happen? Let’s pray for the impossible – the things that only God can do - and praise Him before, during, and after He does it.

Father, there is nothing that can come into our lives that You cannot overcome. We pray for each person reading this that no matter what is announced on the news, no matter what is seen with our eyes and heard with our ears, that our faith and hope in You would not be shaken. We will not be helpless spectators, but we will instead take our place in prayer and trust only in You to defend and protect us. Remind us that men (and women) can only do so much – but all things are possible with You. Establish us in the kind of faith and hope that would always be firmly found in You. When we hear of impending threats that could take lives, we will pray. When we see the earth and Your creation in need, we will pray. Even when we are evacuated, our faith and hope will remain in You to heal the land and preserve our lives and the lives of others. We will not be abandoned. Father, we also ask that You would reveal to us in our prayer times, those impending threats that have either not been announced yet or are threatening our future. We do not have to wait until something occurs to begin praying. Our prayers will always be that You would confound the scientists, the experts, or even governments who turn to war and other things as the only answer. It’s Your answers we need. We pray for the leaders of every nation (who may or may not even know of You) to find unexpected solutions and ways to solve problems that do not result in death and destruction. You have all the answers. For the sake of Your creation (land, animals, birds, and Your people), we ask YOU to remain on the throne and do what only You can do to protect us. You are so worthy of our praise. We give You all of our praise and we thank You for who You are and what You do. We pray these things now in the Holy Name of Jesus. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

07/06/2026

Psalm 63:1-5 O God, You are my God. I will look for You with all my heart and strength. My soul is thirsty for You. My flesh is weak wanting You in a dry and tired land where there is no water. So I have seen You in the holy place. And I have seen Your power and Your shining-greatness. My lips will praise You because Your loving-kindness is better than life. So I will give honor to You as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul will be filled as with rich foods. And my mouth praises You with lips of joy. (New Life Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. David knew what it was like to be in the desert – not just physically but spiritually as well. During the time that he was on the run from Saul (who wanted to kill him), David left an area and people whom he had just victoriously defended against the Philistines. He had to leave them because God told him they would hand him over to Saul (1 Samuel 23). We can begin to enter an “emotional” desert when we feel betrayed by others, especially those we have helped. The “emotional” desert can turn into a “spiritual” desert as we begin to question God or our trust in Him. Did David hear correctly from God when he defended these people? Does God still love him and are His promises still true? It seems that the rich promises of God sometimes take us through desert places first, possibly to bring us closer to Him. David was to be king (Saul’s successor) but he had to pass through these emotional and spiritual deserts first. For David, these became real deserts as he and his men had to flee to the deserts of Judah (Ziph and Maon). Through this psalm, we get to see into his heart during that time. He was physically thirsty for water but knew that his spiritual thirst could only be quenched by God. He reminded his weak and tired soul that he knew the power and greatness of God. While he had been let down by men, he knew that God would never let him down, so he recommitted himself to honor and praise God, even in the desert places.

It is important to praise God for the material provisions He gives to us, but we cannot forget those things He does to feed and satisfy our soul. We may have times in this world when we experience fear, unrest, and anxiety in the very core of our being. Praise will restore us. We need to be like David and ask God to feed, restore, and refresh our soul and spirit with the richest of food – His love, mercy, grace, strength, and power. Our only “payment” desired by God – the only thing we can really give Him – is the offering of our honor, praise, and glory for the rest of our lives. Desert places are not all that bad when we allow ourselves to “reboot” and get back to the basics. God does love us. God is powerful and strong and can take anything that was meant for evil and use it for good. God is worthy of our praise at all times and in all places.

Father, You are worthy of our praise. There is no doubt about that. No matter what we see going on around us or even to us, we know the only way we can make it through is WITH You and not WITHOUT You. We praise You with our very soul, mind, heart, and lips. We know that You are our strength and our mighty fortress. You protect us from evil. When we are walking through dark and fearful places, You are there in the midst of our praise. You take what was meant for evil and use it for our good. We are so thankful for that. We ask now that anyone praying this prayer would feel the increase of praise and faith in You. Renew their spirits such that they would be free to dream of Your praises, to wake up with a song to You in their hearts and minds, and that You would receive their songs of praise and protect them from all harm. We ask that You refresh the very core of their being. We ask that all those who are currently in the desert awaiting Your promises would not faint but be strengthened and encouraged. We pray that all would understand how much You deserve our praise. You are faithful. You are truth. You are life. We thank You and we pray these things now in the Holy Name of Jesus. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

06/28/2026

Psalm 59:16-17 But I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love. You are my fortress, my place of protection in times of trouble. I will sing your praises! You are my mighty fortress, and you love me. (Contemporary English Version)

We are continuing in our “food study” stopping where food is referenced and studying the story/scriptures surrounding it. David was a man who knew hard times. He had many enemies for various reasons. We don’t necessarily have to be wrong or do wrong things to have enemies. When we choose to follow God and do right, we can also see enemies working against us. While David was forced to retreat from time to time, it was not to a position of defeat. Instead, David would retreat to avoid harming his enemies. He hid from Saul, for example, when Saul was set on killing him. He had to retreat from the throne for a period of time when his own son was set against him. He knew the wisdom of letting God defend him in times of trouble. He also knew when God called him to stand and fight instead. He never took God’s response or desires for granted. One thing we can see is God does not provide one size fits all solutions. He has the answer for each problem we encounter – and each problem most likely will require a different response and action. The only way we will ever know the response that God requires of us for any given situation is to ask, listen and follow.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen many psalms from David who cried out to God to deliver him and save him from his enemies. David knew as it says in verses 16-17 above in Psalm 59 that life is not about what we can do nor is it about how strong we are or how clever we can be to protect ourselves from harm. David knew God’s strength in his life was what he needed most. David knew it was God who provided shelter from any storm he would encounter, and it would always be God who would provide the protection he needed in times of trouble. He was confident in this because he was confident in God’s love for him. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so we can be confident in God’s love for us also, especially when we turn to Him for protection and strength. Life on earth is hard. Life on earth is unfair. Jesus told us that we would grow together with the tares (those who practice evil, especially to get ahead). He told us we would see our fair share of trouble and haters in this world but not to fear. Jesus overcame the world by putting His complete faith and trust in God. He never tried to defend Himself. He never did anything of his own will or motivation (John 5:19, John 8:29, and so many more.) David knew the way to “tap in” to God’s strength and protection was to rely completely on God and sing His praises. It takes much faith and courage to stand and sing to God in times of trouble. This is what we need to do also. In the midst of trouble, let’s remember God’s love for us. Stand on His foundation of love and sing our praises to Him like David did – no, even better than David did. We’ve seen Jesus. David only knew some day … and yet he praised him.

Father, we know better than most that we would be nothing without You. We could not survive this world without the solid foundation of Your love that we stand on. You told us we would have problems in this world, but to have no fear because You have overcome. Help us to know that the problems we are facing now are ones that You have already solved. You have already made a way! Protect us as You have promised to do. Show Your strength to our enemies. You really are our fortress in times of trouble. We will set aside our fears and sing Your praises even better than David did because we know Jesus! There is no one else we can turn to but You. We will put our faith and trust in You, we will pray and sing Your praise, and we will wait to see what You will do. We also ask that if we have a part to play in this, that You would reveal what it is and give us the courage to do it. We thank You and we pray these things now in the Holy Name of Jesus. A’ho, Amen, Blessings!

Polished Arrow Journey of Healing

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