His Home, Your Heart

 

 

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

 

—Ephesians 3:16-17 (NLT)

 

 

Gracious God,

 

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we would be made spiritually stronger—that our hearts, rooted and nourished in Your love, would be a place for Christ to call His home, as we put all our trust in Him.

 

According to Your glorious and unlimited resources, pour spiritual strength into us—change us by the working of Your Spirit within us—so our outward lives would be made visibly different, to the Glory of Christ.

 

Help us to surrender anything that doesn’t honor Christ, to the sanctifying work of Your Spirit—making Him Lord of our hearts, so that our hearts would be a place suitable for our King to make His home.

 

And grant that our roots would go down deep and be nourished by Your amazing love—so that we would be made strong and firmly established, forever abiding with You.

 

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we would be made spiritually stronger—that our hearts, rooted and nourished in Your love, would be a place for Christ to call His home, as we put all our trust in Him.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Chose You!

 

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 

—Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me today, as I seek to live a holy life—in grateful response to Your amazing love for me.

 

Help me to put on tenderhearted mercy for others—as I see each person through Your eyes of compassion.

 

Help me to clothe myself in kindness to all—having experienced for myself the abundant kindness of my Savior.

 

Help me put my own selfish desires aside and dress myself with humility—as I consider others before I consider myself.

 

Help me to put on the garment of quiet and gently disciplined strength—as I look to You as my only source of strength.

 

Let the clothing of tireless patience be mine to wear, as I bear with those around me, forgiving them freely, quickly, and completely—just as You, through Your Son, Jesus, have forgiven me.

 

And over all of these, help me to wear Your love—which holds every virtue in perfect unity—so that I might be known by the love of Christ in me.

 

Help me today as I seek to live a holy life—in grateful response to Your amazing love for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Don't Speak Evil!

 

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.  If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law.  But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.

 

—James 4:11 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me never speak evil against my brothers and sisters—never say anything about someone which would hurt them or defame their character in the eyes of someone else—as I choose instead to live by Your law of love.

 

Replace any critical spirit within me with a spirit of grace and truth.  Grant me the wisdom to discern truth in every situation—and as I seek after what is just and right, help me remain submitted to Your laws of forgiveness, kindness and grace.

 

Help me to capture and bring my every thought into obedience to Christ and His character, as revealed in Your Word—so that any word I speak would be true and useful to bring encouragement and unity between myself and others.

 

And if I ever feel offended by someone, keep me from sharing that offense with others.  Rather, help me always to go directly to the offender to express my complaint against them—in humility, with kindness and love—so that understanding can come, our relationship can be restored and strengthened, and the enemy’s plans to bring division between us can be stopped.

 

Help me never speak evil against my brothers and sisters—never say anything about someone which would hurt them or defame their character in the eyes of someone else—as I choose instead to live by Your law of love.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Teach Me!

 

 

Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

 

—Psalm 143:10 (NASB)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Teach me, both to know what Your will is and to do it always, so that my journey here on earth is marked by a faithful and settled course of holy living—as You lead me, by Your good Spirit, on that level ground that takes me to my eternal home with You.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit open the eyes of my understanding, so that I am fully able to discern the depths of meaning found in Your Holy Scriptures—so I can always know Your will.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit usher me into the plans You have for me, as I step out in faith to do Your will—so I can always walk within the safety of Your will.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit continue to do Your work of sanctification within me, so that my life would become wholly set apart for You—so I can always live to the glory of Your will.

 

Teach me, both to know what Your will is and to do it always, so that my journey here on earth is marked by a faithful and settled course of holy living—as You lead me, by Your good Spirit, on that level ground that takes me to my eternal home with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Come and Pray!

 

 

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

 

—Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NASB)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

Give me the wisdom to call upon You, come to You, pray to You—with an unwavering faith that believes You listen to hear my every prayer. Help me seek You with my whole heart, fully confident that You are the God who can be found—the God who desires that all His children find Him.

 

Thank You that You are not a god who is unconcerned about those things that concern me—but rather, the God who is intimately acquainted with my every need, and with every desire of my heart.

 

Thank You that, when I come to You in prayer, You are eager to put into action Your already existing plan to provide for my every need—in accord with what is the very best for me—because You always have my best interests at heart.

 

So, help me to seek You with all my heart—holding nothing back—knowing that as I seek You, You will reveal Yourself to me and draw me into that close, intimate and personal relationship that You desire to have with me. 

 

Give me the wisdom to call upon You, come to You, pray to You—with an unwavering faith that believes You listen to hear my every prayer.  Help me seek You with my whole heart, fully confident that You are the God who can be found—the God who desires that all His children find Him.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Always Ready to Help!

 

 

God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.

 

—Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

LORD God Almighty,

 

Thank You for being my place of shelter and protection, my source of strength for every moment I face in life—and for always being ready to help me in my times of trouble!

 

Thank You that this is not only something that I believe, but it is something that I have seen proven again and again in my relationship with You—throughout my entire lifetime.

 

It is Your presence with me and Your magnificent power—alive within me, flowing through me, and at work all around me—which has delivered me through, or out of, every trouble that I have ever faced.

 

Help me always remember Your faithfulness to me, so that—in response to Your demonstrated love for me—I might become ever more faithful in my relationship with You.

 

Thank You for being my place of shelter and protection, my source of strength for every moment I face in life—and for always being ready to help me in my times of trouble!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Deep Waters

 

 

When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.

 

     —Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

You are the One who is always with me—for you have placed Your loving affection upon me! You take each step of this life with me and are always faithful—never letting go of my hand—so that I never walk alone!

 

When I feel as if I am in too deep, like I am no longer able to touch bottom, and am drowning in my troubles, You are there to give me my next breath and to help me to regain my footing once again.

 

When I feel as if I am going to be swept away by the raging currents around me—the tides of evil that come against me—You are there to help me stand firm and to discover that You are my refuge and strength.

 

When I feel the burning oppression of the enemy seeking to consume my very soul, You are there to shield me in Your loving arms—to remind me of who I am, and assure me of Your immeasurable love for me, so that I can continue to walk with You through every attack, in victory.

 

You are the One who is always with me—for you have placed Your loving affection upon me! You take each step of this life with me and are always faithful—never letting go of my hand—so that I never walk alone!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.