Comfort Others

 

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

—2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)

 

 

 

Merciful and Comforting Father God,

Teach me to show others the same mercy and extend to them the same loving comfort that You pour out on me when I am weighed down with troubles.  

 

Help me be careful to give You all the praise—as the Father of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the source of all comfort—for Your continuing faithfulness to bring good out of all my troubles.

 

Don’t let me forget that You allow hardships, so that I can experience Your faithfulness in my hardships—whether You choose to deliver me from them altogether or walk with me through them to ultimate victory in Christ.

 

Remind me that, as I find comfort and help from You in my troubles, You are equipping me then to be able to offer that same comfort to others who are troubled—and to point them to the only true source of help and hope.

Teach me to show others the same mercy and extend to them the same loving comfort that You pour out on me when I am weighed down with troubles.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Remember Your Mercy!

 

 

I have heard all about you, LORD.
    I am filled with awe by your amazing works.
In this time of our deep need,
    help us again as you did in years gone by.
And in your anger,
    remember your mercy.

                 —Habakkuk 3:2 (NLT)

 

 

 

Merciful LORD,

 

In this time of our deep need, please help us once again!  Though we deserve Your anger, even still have mercy upon us according to Your loving-kindness! 

 

As I search the words of Your Holy Scriptures, fill me with awe and wonder—with reverential fear and respect—because of Your amazing works and the demonstrations of Your unlimited power and unfailing love for Your people.

 

Remind me of all the times that You have tempered Your anger toward the unfaithfulness of Your people with Your mercy—so that they were not destroyed, and the glory of Your Name could continue to be proclaimed throughout the world by the remnants of the faithful.

 

And grant us, again today, Your mercy—that Your glory might yet shine from within us, that we would return to You in repentance, and find You waiting there to help us, just as You did in years gone by.

 

In this time of our deep need, please help us once again!  Though we deserve Your anger, even still have mercy upon us according to Your loving-kindness!

 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

I Have Given Rest . . . and Joy!

 

 

 

“For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”

 

—Jeremiah 31:25 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

O God, the One who sees me,

 

In those times when I become weary, in those times when sorrow fills my heart, may I find in You the rest You promise, and may You strengthen me with inexpressible joy!

 

You know me completely! You know how easy it is for me to let the cares of this world weigh me down. So, let me find my rest in You—as I choose to live my life in Christ.

 

You know every sorrow that fills my heart! Yet, You offer to restore me to a place of strength and gladness—as, by Your Holy Spirit, You fill me with the joy of my salvation!

 

So draw me close to You—so I can find rest for my weariness, and joy for my sorrow, in Christ Jesus alone!

 

In those times when I become weary, in those times when sorrow fills my heart, may I find in You the rest You promise, and may You strengthen me with inexpressible joy!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Love the LORD!

 

 

“Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

 

—Joshua 22:5b (NLT)

 

 

 

 

O LORD, My God,

 

May everything that I think, say, and do, be evidence of my unwavering love for You—so that there would never be any doubt about who owns my heart and keeps my soul!

 

Grant me the wisdom to walk in all Your ways—to be faithful to follow, even when the path is hard, and steep, and narrow—for all Your ways are perfect.

 

Grant me the willingness to obey all Your commands—for in obedience to You, I find the path to life and well-being, to healing, and to wholeness for my soul.

 

Grant me the strength to hold firmly to You—and to believe that You will uphold me in every way and provide for my every need along this journey to my forever home in You.

 

Grant me the humility to submit to You in all things—as You work in me the desire and the power to offer all my heart and soul in service for You.

 

May everything that I think, say and do, be evidence of my unwavering love for You—so that there would never be any doubt about who owns my heart and keeps my soul!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Choose to Obey God!

 

 

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

 

—Romans 6:16 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to remember that I become the slave of whatever I choose to obey—and may I always choose
to obey You, so that I might live a righteous life, in Christ, before You.

 

Help me to be careful, in every choice I make today, to choose that which honors You—so that in my choosing I don’t enslave myself once again to sin.

 

Help me look to the Truth of Your Word to be my standard, and to listen to Your Holy Spirit as You teach me, along that path of becoming more and more like Christ. 

 

Let my obedience, be proof of my love for you—as You take me to that place of intimate and personal relationship with You, where I find the abundant life You have hidden there for me in Christ.

 

Help me to remember that I become the slave of whatever I choose to obey—and may I always choose to obey You, so that I might live a righteous life, in Christ, before You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

To Gain Christ

 

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

—Philippians 3:8-9a (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me let go of anything that keeps me from knowing You. Teach me to value nothing above the joy of gaining Christ and becoming one with Him.

 

 

Teach me that I should consider all the things that I might pursue in life here on earth as worthless—when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, as my Lord.

 

May all the things that I choose to pursue, help me grow in my knowledge and understanding of the attributes and character of Christ, so that I would learn to become more like Him.

 

Use every opportunity, every challenge, every disappointment, and every blessing You place before me, to produce a good work in me and through me, so that You would be glorified and I would be sanctified—and ultimately, perfectly fashioned into the image of Christ. 

Help me let go of anything that keeps me from knowing You. Teach me to value nothing above the joy of gaining Christ and becoming one with Him.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Training for Godliness

 

 

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

 

—1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

Don’t allow me to neglect my physical body but give me the wisdom to know how best to take care of it, as You grant me the discipline to do so—so that I will be physically able to accomplish the work that You call me to do.

 

But beyond physical training, let my heart be even more devoted to the training and development of my spiritual life—knowing that it is with spiritual strength and faith that the true battles of this life are waged and won.

 

And help me to remember that, in training for godliness, I must not only set aside that which is evil, but also choose to do that which is good—so that in my obedience to You I will find peace and joy, and by godly living I might bring You glory.

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.