Clothed In His Presence

The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here.  So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.  Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see.  Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.  Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

—Romans 13:12-14 (NLT)

Awesome LORD God,

Thank You for the hope that is mine—because the evil age in which we now live is coming to an end and the day of salvation is nearly upon us.

In the time that I have left, before You call me home, help me to remove any dark deeds with which I have clothed myself and put on the shining armor of right living—that the example of my repentance would be a testimony to the power of Christ at work within me, which brings light out of such darkness.

Help me to live a decent life—at all times and in all situations—so that others might see that I don’t belong to the night and would be drawn to the light of presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in me.

Help me to guard my heart and resist those temptations that would draw me again into the works of darkness—that would try to pollute my thoughts, words and actions.

And help me to make my identity the very presence of Christ within me—as I make His love my own, follow in the footsteps of His wisdom, find my strength in His power, and walk in His peace and grace toward all those around me.

Thank You for the hope that is mine—because the evil age in which we now live is coming to an end and the day of salvation is nearly upon us.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Protection, Pardon And Peace

“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

—Numbers 6:24-26 (NKJV)

Loving and Gracious LORD,

Grant that I would fully walk in the favor of Your blessings of protection, pardon and peace this day.

Thank You that Your blessing is available to every person who will prepare his or her heart to receive it—and that those who will gratefully receive from Your fountain of goodness, will find great contentment and joy in the blessing.

Thank You for the way You make Your face to shine upon us, enlightening us and giving us comfort and life—just as the sun shines upon the earth and warms it to bring it life.

Thank You for lifting up Your countenance upon us in loving adoration—like a gentle and caring father who gazes upon his children with such amazing love that they are assured of the special favor and unreserved acceptance that is theirs in him.

Thank You that in Your blessing I find that I am kept safe in every way—by the power of the Creator of all things; that I am pardoned for all of my sin—by the gracious sacrifice of my Lord Jesus; and that I have peace—because my Comforter, the Spirit of peace, lives within me.

Grant that I would fully walk in the favor of Your blessings of protection, pardon and peace this day.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Mercy And Grace Waiting For Me There

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

—Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Gracious and Merciful God,

Thank You for making a way for me to come before Your throne, despite my sinfulness—and find Your mercy and grace waiting for me there.

Help me to comprehend the greatness of the sacrificial gift that Your Son, Jesus, gave for me to make that possible—so that I might give You the respect and reverence that You deserve.

Help me to believe and embrace the truth that my righteousness is provided through Christ alone—so that I might come boldly and confidently before You in Him in those times when I need You most.

Help me to overcome those thoughts that would come against the truth—thoughts that tell me that I don’t deserve to come before You—so I can see that those are the very times that I need to come before You most, to receive mercy for my sin and grace to move forward in the great plans You have for me.

Help me to bring honor to who You are and what You have done for me—as I live by the power of Christ in me—and come before Your throne with both respect and reverence, and with boldness and confidence, as Your beloved child.

Thank You for making a way for me to come before Your throne, despite my sinfulness—and find Your mercy and grace waiting for me there.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.