Nothing Can Separate Us

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

—Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

Ever Faithful LORD,

Thank you for the way that You daily demonstrate just how great Your love is for me—as evidenced by Your unrelenting, passionate, pursuit of my heart.

I know that I can be sure of this:  there is nothing that will in any way stop, alter, or diminish the love You have for me—as revealed to me in Christ Jesus my Lord. 

Your love is passionately unrelenting and unconditional—always seeking to fill every corner of my heart and drive out any shadow of darkness in me.

There is nothing in all creation that can remove me from Your love.  Your love knows no time or distance.  It cannot be cut off and it never fades in the least.

I cannot escape Your love.  I cannot hide from Your love.  I cannot change Your love by anything I say or do now, or in the future.  Your love abides with me forever.

Your love never fails to reach me.  No matter where I am, no matter the circumstances I face, no matter what my fears and faith failures may be—You still lavish Your love on me, in order to draw me back into fellowship with You.

Thank you for the way that You daily demonstrate just how great Your love is for me—as evidenced by Your unrelenting, passionate, pursuit of my heart.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Fully Experiencing Your Salvation

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.  Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.  Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

—1 Peter 2:1-3 (NLT)

LORD GOD,

I know that You are good and kind—for I have tasted of Your goodness and kindness from the day You saved me.

Set me free from every trace of wickedness and any desire there may be within me to cause pain, injury, or distress to others—so that no longer would evil behavior be seen in me.

Set me free from any tendency to try to deceive others—so that my true intentions will always be understood and my actions will always reflect my words.

Set me free from each temptation that comes to entice me to pretend to be someone that I am not—and help me to be, vulnerably and sincerely, just who I am.

Set me free from any envy for, or resentment toward, the blessings I see in the lives of others—so I might be content with Your generous blessing upon my own life.

Set me free from wrongly using my words to slander another person's reputation, or to hurt or insult others—so that my words might be a continual praise to You.

May I cry out for the nourishment of the pure spiritual milk of Your Word—just as a newborn baby cries out without restraint for the life giving milk of his mother—knowing without it I cannot grow into everything you called me to become and fully experience the depths of Your salvation.

I know that You are good and kind—for I have tasted of Your goodness and kindness from the day You saved me.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Set Apart From, Set Apart To

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

--1 Peter 1:14-16 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

By Your Spirit at work within me, keep me from slipping back into the ignorance of my old ways—when I was living my life for myself, rather than embracing the freedom and blessing of obedience to You.

It is only right that I should strive to walk in obedience to You in all my ways—out of gratitude for the grace that You have poured out on me, in order to set me apart from my sin.

I no longer have the excuse that I don’t know any better, because Your Spirit continually shows me the way I should go.

May Your holiness—Your example of absolute moral perfection—be my only standard by which I judge my actions, as I endeavor to be more like You.

Let everything I say and do reflect that You have not only set me apart from sin, but set me apart to Your service—as in obedience, I submit my will to Yours.

By Your Spirit at work within me, keep me from slipping back into the ignorance of my old ways—when I was living my life for myself, rather than embracing the freedom and blessing of obedience to You.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.