Your Light And Your Truth

Send out your light and your truth;
    let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you live.

—Psalm 43:3 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Send out Your Light and Your Truth!

For it is in Your Light that the paths before me are fully illuminated—that all darkness is driven away—and I can see clearly to move forward with confidence.

And it is in Your Truth that the perfect path that You have for me is revealed—as by Your Spirit alive in me, You graciously guide me into all Truth.

When I find myself unsure and I can no longer see clearly the way that I should go, help me to cry out to You in prayer and in worship, that You would send out Your Light and Truth, and that they would lead me into Your Glorious Presence—that place where You live—so that I can live my life there in You.

Send out Your Light and Your Truth!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Worthy Of All My Hope And Praise

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

—Psalm 42:11 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

When I am tempted to become discouraged, help me to reason with my heart—reminding myself that You are worthy of all my hope and praise.

Help me to see that when I become discouraged, I have “mis-placed” my hope—that I have placed my hope in something or someone other than the One in whom all my hope is found.

Help me to see that when my heart is saddened, I need only to raise my voice to the One to whom all praise is due—and You will lift me up once again into your Presence, where I find joy in my salvation and in the life that You bring to me.

For You are my Savior and my God—the One who drives away all doubt and fear and renews my courage, hope and joy, as I sing praises to You!

When I am tempted to become discouraged, help me to reason with my heart—reminding myself that You are worthy of all my hope and praise.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God With Us

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

—Matthew 1:23 (KJV)

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, into our world, to be for us, Emmanuel, God with us—forevermore!

Help me fully grasp this Truth:  that just like we could not truly love You until You showed us what love is by first loving us, we also could not freely come into Your presence, until You revealed Yourself to us by coming to live with us—as a baby born to a virgin, who lived as a perfect man, who died in our place as a payment for our sin, that we might find eternal life in Him.

Help me daily to take advantage of this invitation to live in Your presence—in direct and continually uninterrupted fellowship with You—that I might experience all of the blessings of peace, protection, provision, and purpose that You have waiting there for me with You.

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, into our world, to be for us, Emmanuel, God with us—forevermore!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.