Stage 9 Vielha Val d'Aran / Andorre Arcalis

We leave France today to ride in to Spain and ending in Andorra.  Monday is a rest day and the riders will take their rest day here in Andorra.  Today is the Queen Stage for the Pyrenees.  A Queen stage is designed to set apart riders and create a day that will bring time gaps between the GC riders.  I think yesterday was an appetizer for the Queen Stage.  It will be interesting to see how much gas Froome left in his tank for today.  If yesterday took him into the red then it will be a good day for the other GC riders to make their move. Enjoy the race.

Father, today we ride down into Spain and end the day in the small country of Andorra.  We pray for both of these country.  They both have a strong Roman Catholic influence.  Lord, we pray that the Word of God and the Work of God will have the freedom it needs to create a revival in the hearts and minds of the people in Spain and in Andorra.  Lord.  allow the Holy Spirit to have freedom to move in and through Hearts.  We pray that the people of Spain and Andorra will share the love of Christ with neighboring France and people all over the Pyrenees mountain will have a revival in the land and many will come to know You as Lord and Savior.   Lord, save souls in this area of the World so that the people who live in these mountain will shine for you as a beacon of light to a very dark area of Europe.  We pray in the name of Jesus Amen.

Stage 8 Pau / Bagnères-de-Luchon

Lord, we pray for the Church here in the Pyrenees.
Lord, you created the Body of Christ to be your Light,
Share your Love and Word.
To live  in your Strength and Truth,
Trust in the Guidance of the Holy Spirit
and to Spread your Gospel Story.

We thank you for the faithfulness of the Body of Christ.

We we pray for Strength of Christ to sustain them,
The Guidance of the Spirit to lead them,
and your Love Father to hold them.  

We pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Stage 7 L'Isle-Jourdain / Lac de Payolle

Isaiah 55 6 -13

Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
¹¹ So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
¹² “For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
¹³ “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up,
And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up,
And ^[e]it will be a ^[f]memorial to the Lord,
For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”

Stage 7 L'Isle-Jourdain / Lac de Payolle

Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.                          
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
12 “For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up,
And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up,
And [e]it will be a [f]memorial to the Lord,
For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.” Isaiah 55:6-13 NASB

Stage 12 Lannemezaan /Plateau de Beille

The Tour has been through this area and I am a bit late with this prayer, but as they move on through France keep the Pyrenees and people who live there in your prayers.  The days in the mountains  are always exciting and unpredictable things go on as the teams ride over each mountain on the stage.

Lord,
we pray for all the people who live in and on these beautiful green hills called the Pyrenees.  Lord, even through they live in a beautiful location, life can be ugly and bring pain and hardship along with beauty and grace.  Lord, we pray that as people struggle to climb up life's mountain they will look to You for wisdom, strength, guidance and redemption so that they will be blessed by You for generations to come.  Father pour your blessings over the Pyrenees.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen

Stage 11 Pau / Cauterets - Vallee de Saint-Savin

The people will be here crowding around the summits as they wait for the arrival of the riders who will master their bodies and their minds.    We cheer them on as they dig deep to demand more out of each stroke.  Lord, thank you for the joy these stages bring to our lives. 

Lord, we thank you for the people on these mountains.  We thank you for their excitement and their joy as they cheer on their favorites.  Thank you for those strong enough to ride in the tour this year.  We pray that each person will have the opportunity to learn about Jesus and how he endured all for each one of us.  He chose to obey the Father and climb to the top of Calvary and sacrifice everything for each of us.  We thank you, Jesus, for your love and your sacrifice for our salvation.  We stand here today and cheer for your return, so that all will know you as King of King and Lord of Lord.  We pray in the name of Jesus our King.  Amen

Stage 10 Tarbes / La Pierre-Saint-Martin

Today is the first of the Pyrenees, so we will enjoy the climbs and the strategies that come with the slopes and the valleys.  Each team comes with different strengths and weaknesses, but they all have the same goal to make it over the mountains to the finish line in the least amount of time.  The sprinters will pop off the back as the climbers will their bodies to go faster and faster. 

Lord, we watch as they move through your handiwork.  Up hills, around the bends, and down into the valleys below protect them as they go.  Lord, help us all to slow down and enjoy the beauty around us each day.  Thank you for what you have created.  As we see your creation we praise you as our creator.  Father thank you for the beauty we see this stage and the stages to come. 

We pray in the name of Jesus our Creator. 

Amen.   

Étape 13 Pau to Lourdes

Pau sets in the valley looking up at the mountains surrounding her.  Pau is  a city with British influences, first golf corse in France and one of the first rugby teams.  Over 84,000 people make Pau their home.  We will begin the race here and go to Lourdes.  Pray for the two regions that we will be in today, first Aqutaine and then Medi-Pyrénées. 

Assemblée Chrétienne, Église Évangélique Libre,Église Évangélique Tzigane, Église Protestante Évangélique, and Réunions Chrétiennes are all churches in Pau sharing the love of God.

Lord, as we stand in the valley and look to the mountains we are in awe of the madjesty of each one. Father many people live in and around this mountains here Aqutaine and in the MediPyrénées and we ask that as they look at the beauty they will see you as their Creator and Savior. Let the churches in this area help the people know you more. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen

Étape 17 - Pau Col du Tourmalet

Using their superb natural resources, the Hautes Pyrenees has created a range of wellbeing, relaxation and spa treatments in naturally heated and therapeutic waters.

To choose a spa treatment in the Hautes Pyrenees is to discover the region with the most rivers, lakes and torrents. The air is so pure you can almost taste it.

Come and regenerate and recharge the batteries by enjoying all our mountains have to offer ; sunshine, superb landscapes, traditional villages, a superb local cuisine.With water massages and fresh mountain air you will benefit from all the virtues of our spas and our magnificent mountains. Steam baths, saunas, jacuzzis, mud baths, hot water lagoons, water massages, essential oils, defoliation, chocolate massages, oriental massages, we have everything! You may find your place at one of  the seven spa centres : Aquensis in Bagnères de Bigorre, Balnéa in Loudenvielle - Louron valley, Barèges, Les Bains du Rocher in Cauterets, Edenvik in Capvern les Bains, Luzéa in Luz Saint Sauveur et Sensoria in Saint-Lary-Soulan.

Many people read and see this add and come.  The come to wash away all their cares or find relief to to a stress for life.  The sad part about it all is that it is a short fixes, nothing permanent. 
Jesus said to the women at the well.

John 4:13-14
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Lord, I pray that they will come to you for a drink of water.  Your water produces life for and eternity.  As we come to you for our needs, show us how to live what you have given us.  Let the water spring up in us and for the people of the Pyrenees.  I pray in your holy and precious name. Jesus. Amen

Étape 15 Pamiers > Bagnères-de-Luchon

On route today we come to MAS-D’AZIL.  This town is rich in protestant church history.  When there were times of persecution they, early Christians, Albigensians, and Huguenots, sought refuge in these caves. . The biggest cave is Mas-d'Azil. Its Caverne Merveilleuse extends 2-1/2 miles.  Two scriptures come to mind.

Psalms 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.  and
Psalms 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

I am glad the Word of God the Huguenots believed in is still the same today and their God is our God.  In times of hardship and persecution they trusted in God to protect them and to be their strength.  I am honored by the rich heritage we have as believers in Christ.  It will be glorious to be in Heaven and hear the stories of God's goodness to all of them. 

Sovereign Lord,
As we travel through France today, we see our church history unfold before us.  In these stories of the past we see your faithfulness and we are blessed to know that you never change.  I praise you for all that you did for this region in the time of the Huguenots and others who have lived here believing in your salvation.  Lord, I pray that you will gather together a mighty army of believers who will once more stand for the truth of the word of God.  Lord, thank you for those you have saved and those whom you will save, but we know that they can only be saved through the hearing of your word.  Bring believers to this area to boldly preach the gospel of Christ.  I pray these things in the name of Jesus the Alpha and the Omega.  Amen

Hautes-Pyrénées Department 65

National Park of the Pyrenees

Isa 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Lord, thank you for the beauty that you have given to us in the Pyrénées region. Your creation is refreshing to our souls. Thank you for taking the time to create this reminder of your greatness and love for beauty.

I pray that all who come to this department will see you as a mighty creator and give you glory that only you deserve. Thank you for giving us the living reminder in the eagle that you are not only our creator but our sustainer. You carry us through each and everyday. You lift us up and allow us to soar on the wings as eagles. You give us the legs to run and walk and provide us with strength so that when we are weary and ready to faint we can trust in you and carry on.

Thank you for the visual reminders of you each and everyday. Help us to open our eyes and hearts to see you. Lord, lift up each believer in department 65 and carry them through this day. I pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen