Joy to the Heart, Insight for Living

 

 

The commandments of the LORD are right,

    bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are clear,

    giving insight for living.

 

—Psalm 19:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands are exactly right—that they flow from Your Truth and are written for my good, and for Your glory.

 

Help me to understand that, as I obediently follow them, I not only demonstrate my love for You, but my heart is also filled with joy—as protection, provision and peace flood my life in proportion to that obedience.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands are perfectly clear—that they are pure, clean, that there is no darkness in them at all, and they are clearly understood.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands allow me to see with certainty the best paths for me to follow—as You guide me by Your Spirit on my journey through this life on my way home to You.

 

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

He Makes My Way Perfect

 

God arms me with strength,

    and he makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

 

—Psalm 18:32-33 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for arming me with strength in every season and circumstance of life and for making my way perfect—so I can stand high on the mountain tops of victory with You.

 

Thank You that though life here is seldom easy—and I am daily faced with challenges along the way—You are always with me in those challenges to offer me Your strength as You walk with me through each one.

 

Thank You that You turn each adversity that I face to my own benefit—causing me to learn and grow—so that the way that I travel becomes the perfect path for me to become that person You have called me to be.

 

Thank You that in each challenge You enable me to overcome, and You cause me to be better equipped to walk in the high places where You have called me to live—standing surefootedly with You by my side—having risen high above any obstacles that would hold me back from Your best for me.

 

Thank You for arming me with strength in every season and circumstance of life and for making my way perfect—so I can stand high on the mountain tops of victory with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

No Rock Like Our God!

 

 

No one is holy like the LORD!

    There is no one besides you;

    there is no Rock like our God.

 

—1 Samuel 2:2 (NLT)

 

 

 

Unchanging and Holy LORD,

 

There is no one like You, LORD!  You are my Rock—firm and unchanging—the strong and solid foundation of my life.

 

Because you are Holy—and because there is no one Holy as you are—I can confidently place all my trust and hope in You. 

 

May I build upon the foundation of unchanging truth that I find in You—as declared in Your Word, revealed by Your Spirit, and demonstrated in my life through my experience of trusting You.

 

May I set my eyes only on those things eternal, so that when the things of this world slip through my hands and fall away, I will remain standing on the Rock—my ever-present, never-changing, and never-failing Hope!

 

There is no one like You, LORD!  You are my Rock—firm and unchanging, the strong and solid foundation of my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

What Do You Count On?

 

The best-equipped army cannot save a king,

        nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.

Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—

        for all its strength, it cannot save you.

But the LORD watches over those who fear him,

        those who rely on his unfailing love.

 

    —Psalm 33:16-18 (NLT)

 

Almighty God, My Father,

 

Watch over me today and always.  Help me to fear nothing and no one, but You.  Help me to rely completely on You—and on the mighty, saving and delivering power of Your unfailing love for me!

 

You teach me through Your Word that a king should not count on a great army to be able to protect and save him, nor should a warrior believe that his great strength is enough to deliver him, nor that his warhorse will bring him victory.

 

So, help me to examine my heart and remove those things that I may have allowed to become my “warhorse”—those things in which I have foolishly placed my trust and hope, for my safety, salvation, and deliverance.

 

Keep me from the false hope that comes from allowing anything to remain in my heart that would try to take Your rightful place—and let true hope fill my heart until all that is left in my heart is my complete faith and trust in You alone.

 

Watch over me today and always.  Help me to fear nothing and no one, but You.  Help me to rely completely on You—and on the mighty, saving and delivering power of Your unfailing love for me!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Cherish My Law

 

 

“Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults.”

—Isaiah 51:7 (NLT)

 

 

 

O LORD my GOD,

 

Grant that I would always cherish Your law in my heart—so that I would know right from wrong, walk in obedience to all Your commands, and have no reason to fear the scorn and insults of others.

 

Through Your Word You have laid open before me that which is right and that which is wrong. Help me to choose to live according to all that is right—so that the light of Christ may be seen in me, and You would be glorified.

 

Help me to cherish the Truth of Your Word in my heart—to read Your Word to know it, to study Your Word to understand it, and to obey Your Word to experience all the peace and joy it brings to those who truly love You.

 

Do not let me be afraid to be scorned or insulted because of my faith but let me take comfort in knowing that Your Truth will prevail. Help me to pity those who do such things and show them the love and compassion of Christ—since it is not me that they are rejecting, but the One that loved them enough to die for them.

 

Grant that I would always cherish Your law in my heart—so that I would know right from wrong, walk in obedience to all Your commands, and have no reason to fear the scorn and insults of others.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

God is Faithful!

 

 

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

 

—1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father, 

 

Thank You for being faithful to provide the way of escape—from the temptations of this world—to all who have received the salvation you offer through Jesus Christ.

 

Don’t allow me to think that the temptation that overcomes me is any different than those that the rest of humanity experiences. Help me to see that every temptation is common to mankind in this broken world—and allowed by You that I may grow through them.

 

Help me to remember that because of the Holy Spirit who lives within me, I have the power available to resist and withstand every temptation, to choose a different way—the way of escape. I have been set free from my slavery to sin—set free to choose what is right and good and to reject that which is not.

 

Help me see that the way of escape is found within my relationship with Your written and living Word. Keep me willingly obedient to every instruction of Your Word, trusting every prompting of Your Spirit—as You lead me in the path of life and peace.

 

Thank You for being faithful to provide the way of escape—from the temptations of this world—to all who have received the salvation you offer through Jesus Christ.

 

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Live a Holy Life

 

 

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

 

—1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NIV)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

You have called me to live a holy life, but You have also equipped me to live that life by sending me the Holy Spirit, who empowers me for my journey toward holiness.

 

Help me never forget that the instruction to live a holy life does not come from a man, but from You—and is given to me out of Your unsurpassed wisdom and for my own benefit, because of Your great and unfailing love for me.

 

May I always remember that when I reject this instruction, I reject You, my Creator and Protector—instead of allowing Your instruction to work within me the protections and blessings it brings.

 

Keep me from grieving Your Holy Spirit in that way—causing separation from the One who makes it possible for me to turn from impurity and choose to live a holy life.

 

Help me to understand fully that when I choose impurity over Your call to holiness, I don’t have my own best interests at heart—because I have rejected You, and Your very best for me.

 

You have called me to live a holy life, but You have also equipped me to live that life by sending me the Holy Spirit, who empowers me for my journey toward holiness.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.