The LORD of Strength and Peace

 

 

The LORD gives his people strength.
    The LORD blesses them with peace. 

—Psalm 29:11 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

LORD of Strength and Peace,

 

From Your glorious riches You pour out strength and peace upon me—that sustaining strength and abiding peace which can only be found in You!

 

You are the One who strengthens me so I can shine forth Your glory! You cause me to stand in Your strength, fortified against the forces of evil, fully equipped and perfectly suited to accomplish the good works that You have called me to do.

 

Thank You that though I am very weak, I am made very strong in You—as your strength is made perfect in my weakness and I come to understand and acknowledge my total dependence upon You.

 

You are the One who blesses me with peace—not as the world might measure peace, but according to the unfathomable depths of Your peace, which cannot be measured with human understanding.

 

Thank You that this strength and peace can be mine today and always—even while I remain in this evil world—and will remain unbroken, as I demonstrate my faith in Your Word, through my obedience to Your instructions and commands.

From Your glorious riches You pour out strength and peace upon me—that sustaining strength and abiding peace which can only be found in You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

Turn . . . and Be Saved!

 

 

 

Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.”

 

—Isaiah 45:22 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

Righteous God and Savior,

 

From all the ends of the earth, may each soul You have created turn to You—the One and Only God—and be saved!

 

You are indeed God, and there is no other. You created all that there is and set in perfect motion every interdependent complexity of Your creation.

 

You created each one of us to bear Your image and placed us within Your creation, so that we could know You through a deep and personal relationship with you, to worship You, and to bring You glory.

 

You have made known to us Your love for us and made Your creation to declare to us the wonders of Your power and goodness—that we would make You known to the ends of the earth.

 

May we continue to turn to You in every moment of this day—to turn to the only One who can save us—and find that You are the God who is faithful to save, always.

 

From all the ends of the earth, may each soul You have created turn to You—the One and Only God—and be saved!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

A Dangerous Trap!

 

 

 

Fearing people is a dangerous trap,
    but trusting the LORD means safety.

 

—Proverbs 29:25 (NLT)

 

 

Loving and Caring LORD,

 

Keep me far from the dangerous trap of fearing people—whether it is a fear of what they may think of me, or a fear of what they might try to do to me, or even a fear of what they might choose to do to themselves—and help me find my safety and rest in trusting You.

 

Don’t allow me to let my fear of people keep me from doing that which You have called me to do, or from being who You have called me to be—but help me keep my eyes focused on You, so that I won’t be enslaved by the power that the fear of others can hold over me.

Let me fear You only—to respect, reverence, and honor You with wholehearted trust—knowing that You are well able to turn what others intend for evil into great good, and to protect me and provide for my every need, through Christ Jesus.

And let me fully experience the liberating freedom of rejoicing in all things, by placing them and leaving them all—both the overwhelmingly big and the seemingly small—in Your hands for safe keeping, with the absolute assurance that You are always in control and want the very best for us all.

Keep me far from the dangerous trap of fearing people—whether it is a fear of what they may think of me, or a fear of what they might try to do to me, or even a fear of what they might choose to do to themselves—and help me find my safety and rest in trusting You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

My LORD and My King

 

 

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

 

—Judges 21:25 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

My LORD and My King,

 

May You remain forever my only LORD and King, so that the way I conduct my life will be according to Your Truth and not according to my own opinion.

 

Help me to seek Your perfect will, rather than my selfish will; Your eternal plans, rather than my fleeting plans; Your righteous desires, rather than my corrupt desires; and Your pure motives, rather than my sinful motives—so that my heart would be fully Yours and I would reflect the character of Christ.

 

Keep me from the chaos that comes from deciding for myself what is right and what is wrong—based on my own limited and flawed intellect and perspective—and give me the faith to trust You for the best answers, knowing Your intellect is infinitely beyond my own and Your perfect perspective is limitless.

 

As I commit to obediently follow Your instructions—as revealed to my spirit by the Holy Spirit through Your Word—let my actions reflect Your standards for morality, mercy, forgiveness, grace, justice, truth, and above all, love.

May You remain forever my only LORD and King, so that the way I conduct my life will be according to Your Truth and not according to my own opinion.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

He is the One!

 

 

“Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. You must worship only the LORD your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.”

—2 Kings 17:38-39 (NLT)

 

 

 

O LORD, My God,

 

You alone, O LORD, are the One who rescues me from all my enemies! May I never forget this truth.

 

I am tempted, on all sides, to put my faith in—and thus make objects of my worship—the things this world has to offer, counting on them to rescue me, keep me safe, and to sustain me during these difficult and trying times.

 

Don’t allow me to make gods of the things with which You have given to bless me. Help me instead to use every blessing, as You direct me, only to bring You glory, honor, and praise.

 

Help me cling to the truth of Your Word, being ever mindful of the power that lives in me by the Holy Spirit, who leads me into that truth—as I put all my trust and faith in the only One who can truly rescue me from all my enemies.

 

You alone, O LORD, are the One who rescues me from all my enemies! May I never forget this truth.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Glory, Honor, and Power!

 

 

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

 

—Revelation 4:11 (NASB)

 

 

 

My Lord and my God,

 

You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power—for You created all things. By Your will alone, I was created and now exist.

 

You are worthy to receive glory. Help me glorify You by accurately reflecting Your character in everything that I think, say, and do—imitating the example of Jesus.

 

You are worthy to receive honor. May the value that I personally attribute to You be evident by the honor that I give to You—from within the deepest parts of my heart—as demonstrated by the way I live my life.

 

You are worthy to receive power. Help me never foolishly try to hold on to control of my life—as if I had the power to determine its course.  May I surrender it completely to the You—the One who holds my life in His powerful right hand.

 

You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power—for You created all things. By Your will alone, I was created and now exist.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Along the Path of Your Commands

 

 

Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;
    I will put them into practice with all my heart.
Make me walk along the path of your commands,
    for that is where my happiness is found.

 —Psalm 119:34-35 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

May I always seek to understand Your Word—so that I will be able to obey all Your instructions. Help me to put them into practice and experience the happiness that belongs to those who walk along the paths of Your commands.

 

With Your Spirit as my teacher, open the richness of Your Word to my spirit and help me to understand everything that You want me to know—that I might fully accomplish those things that You have planned for me to do.

 

Lead me to that place of absolute obedience to You—as You bend my will along the path of Your commands—for my own good, to protect me, to provide for me, and to keep me in Your perfect peace.

 

And help me find those places of great blessing, joy, and happiness—by following all Your instructions and trusting in Your great love for me—so I can discover that the very best You have for me is found within my life in Christ.

May I always seek to understand Your Word—so that I will be able to obey all Your instructions. Help me to put them into practice and experience the happiness that belongs to those who walk along the paths of Your commands.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.