Turning Away From the Evil of Pride

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

—Proverbs 3:7 (NLT)

All-Wise Father,

Don't allow me to be impressed with my own wisdom—as though any wisdom that comes through me, could have originated from me!  For You are the Holy God, only All-Wise Father, and Originator of all things—and my pride is that evil which separates me from You.

Keep me from thinking that my own intellect or reasoning will produce any wisdom outside of You—but let me pray, asking You to make me wise, as You reveal Your Truth to me by Your Spirit and through Your Word.

Help me humbly and reverently fear and worship You alone and turn my back on all that is evil—repenting of all my sin and determining to find Your best for me—by submitting myself to Your will, plans and purposes for my life.

Grant me the wisdom always to seek You first, in all things, so that my life would be lived out in Truth—both in private moments and in public moments—as a testimony to others, all for Your glory, honor, and praise.

Don't allow me to be impressed with my own wisdom—as though any wisdom that comes through me, could have originated from me!  For You are the Holy God, only All-Wise Father, and Originator of all things—and my pride is that evil which separates me from You.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

With Humility and Gentleness, Patiently Love Each Other

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

—Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Teach me to love others with humility, gentleness, patience, and compassion—and with great mercy, forgiveness and grace—out of a deep gratitude for how You love me, and in willing obedience to the commands of Your Word.

Grant me a humble heart—that I might not think more highly of myself than I ought to think—as I acknowledge that any good thing that may be found in me comes only by Your hand.

Help me to be lovingly gentle in all of my dealings with others—offering them truth and grace, delivered with love—remembering at all times that Christ died for every one of us, out of His immeasurable love for us all.

Remind me of the patience, mercy, forgiveness and grace that You show me—every moment of each day—so that I might be a living offering of Christ’s patient and compassionate love to others, at all times.

Help me to make allowances for the faults of others, by the way that I love them—as I remember that all of us are broken in some way.  And help me see that You may want to use me in the work You are doing to heal their brokenness and make them whole again, in You.

Teach me to love others with humility, gentleness, patience, and compassion—and with great mercy, forgiveness and grace—out of a deep gratitude for how You love me, and in willing obedience to the commands of Your Word.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

We Always Have Joy

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

—2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

There will always be times when my heart will ache—because of the loss, disappointments and injustices that I experience personally, or that I may observe in the world around me. 

But You came to give me hope, that my heart would rejoice in You—as I trust in Your sovereignty, mercy, grace and love, as I watch for You to work all things together for my good, and as I trust You to guide me to my forever home with You.

Help me to remember that You have given me this hope-filled joy, so that I will always have something to give to others—no matter how poor I might be—that their joy might also be full.

What joy is mine to know that—even though I own nothing in this world, because everything I have belongs to You—I have everything I need and more, in Christ!

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.