Good Things Stored Up

 

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

—Luke 6:45 (NIV)

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

—Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to become a better reflection of Your goodness—someone who chooses to fill his heart only with that which is good—so that whatever overflows from my heart and across my lips will always bring You glory!

 

Let those things I have stored up in my heart be those things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise—so that the life I live will be a pleasing offering to You and be a source of blessing to those around me.

 

Help me not to allow any evil thoughts, or the lies of the enemy, to have any place in my heart—for if I allow them to remain, they will corrupt the good treasure of my heart, and pollute and poison every part of me.

 

Through Your Word, and by Your Spirit, continue to fill my heart with Your Love and Truth—until I overflow with all things good, and become that faithful representative of my Lord, Jesus Christ, that You have called me to be.

 

Help me to become a better reflection of Your goodness—someone who chooses to fill his heart only with that which is good—so that whatever overflows from my heart and across my lips will always bring You glory!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Completely Love God!

 

If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.  But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him.  That is how we know we are living in him.  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 

 —1 John 2:4-6 (NLT)

 

 Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live in the truth—to obey all the commandments of Your Word as a demonstration of my sincere love for You—so I would be found truly alive in Christ, and so my life would be an acceptable and living sacrifice to You.

 

May any claim that I make that I “know you” be established as truth by my commitment to study Your Word and to be instructed in truth by Your Spirit—in order that I would fully know and understand, then carefully follow, all Your instructions and commands.

 

May my faithful obedience to You be an outflow of my love for You, as a fitting response to the amazing love that You passionately pour out over me—a love that is unending, unfailing, unrelenting, and far beyond measure.

 

Continue to work in me to make me more like Jesus—as You call me into an ever-deepening relationship with You and cause the character of Christ to be formed within me—so that my life would be a more perfect reflection of the life of Christ.

 

Help me to live in the truth—to obey all the commandments of Your Word, as a demonstration of my sincere love for You—so I would be found truly alive in Christ, and so my life would be an acceptable and living sacrifice to You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Turn Away From Evil!

 

 

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

 

—Proverbs 3:7 (NLT)

 

 

 

All-Wise Father,

 

Don't allow me to be impressed with my own wisdom—when You are the only wise God.

 

Keep me from thinking that my own intellect or reasoning will produce any wisdom outside of You—but let me pray, asking You to make me wise, as You reveal Your Truth to me through Your Word and by Your Spirit.

 

Help me humbly and reverently fear and worship You alone and turn my back on all that is evil—repenting of all my sin and determining to find Your best for me—by submitting myself to Your will, plans, and purposes for my life.

 

Grant me the wisdom always to seek You first, in all things, so that my life would be lived out in Truth—both in private moments and in public moments—as a testimony to others, all for Your glory, honor, and praise.

Don't allow me to be impressed with my own wisdom—when You are the only wise God. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In Deed and in Truth

 

 

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

 

—1 John 3:18 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Let my actions be proof of my love for You and for others.

 

Let my actions show genuine love, not just my words. Fill me with Your love so that everything I say and do reflects true lovingkindness.

Help me to share Your love freely with anyone who needs it, offering it openly with compassionate kindness in every thought, word, and deed.

Guide me to remain humble before You and others, and encourage me to generously use the gifts I have been given to help meet the needs of those searching for real love.

 

Let my actions be proof of my love for You and for others.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Always Be . . .

 

 

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

 

—Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Show me how to love others, just as Jesus has loved me.

 

Grant me a humble heart—that I would not think more highly of myself than I ought—knowing that any good thing that may be found in me is only there by Your hand.

 

Grant me a gentle spirit—that I would act with loving gentleness in all my dealings with others—offering them both truth and grace, which are born out of Christ’s great love for us all.

 

Grant me a patient disposition—that I would not blindly rush past any invitation of the Holy Spirit for me to be a part of what You are doing to change the hearts and lives of those You put before me.

 

Grant me a merciful attitude—that I would make allowances for the faults of others, out of my love for them—remembering that all of us are broken in some way and need Your healing touch.

 

Show me how to love others, just as Jesus has loved me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Everything!

 

 

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

 

—2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

There will always be times when my heart will ache—because of the loss, disappointments, and injustices that I experience personally, or that I may observe in the world around me.  

 

But You came to give me hope, that my heart would rejoice in You—as I trust in Your sovereignty, mercy, grace and love, as I watch for You to work all things together for my good, and as I trust You to guide me to my forever home with You.

 

Help me to remember that You have given me this hope-filled joy, so that I will always have something to give to others—no matter how poor I might be—that their joy might also be full.

 

What joy is mine to know that—even though I own nothing in this world, because everything I have belongs to You—I have everything I need and more, in Christ!

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Hiding Place

 

 

You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

 

—Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

 

 

 

O LORD, My God,

 

Where else, O LORD, can I go to hide?  To whom can I turn for protection from my troubles, besides You?  Who else will surround me with songs of deliverance?  My only hope for salvation is found in You, through Christ!

 

You alone are my hiding place—my place of safety and comfort, my sanctuary of peace—where I am held in Your arms, high above the storms of this life.  So may my life always remain hidden in Christ.

 

In You alone will I find protection from all my troubles—as I humble myself before you, repent of my sins, and experience the grace of Your loving-kindness.

 

Only You, will surround me with songs of deliverance.  Just as You have delivered me from the power of sin and death over my life, You will save me from all the powers that would seek to destroy me—when I hide myself in You.

 

Where else, O LORD, can I go to hide?  To whom can I turn for protection from my troubles, besides You?  Who else will surround me with songs of deliverance?  My only hope for salvation is found in You, through Christ!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.