See, I am Doing a New Thing!

 

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

 

—Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

 

Almighty God,

 

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things—those even far greater things—which will define my future with You.

 

Teach me to see—to stop, and look, and perceive Your will for me—as You work in me, through me, and all around me, in new and fresh ways to bring glory to Yourself!

 

Make me open to receive all that this ever-changing gift of life You have given me has to offer—as You unfold before me the newness of the perfect path that You have for me to walk.

 

Grant me the faith to believe that You are able—and You certainly will—make a road for me in the wilderness and cause life-giving rivers to flow in any desert that lies before me, both now and forevermore.

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things—those even far greater things—which will define my future with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God's Amazing Love for Us All!

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

—John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for loving us!

 

Thank You for Your amazing love for us all—a love which is ever reaching out to us to draw us into relationship with You.

 

Thank You for the perfect love that You freely gave in the form of Your only begotten Son—who You willingly sacrificed, so we could know just how far true love will go.

 

Thank You for the complete freedom from our sin that You bought for us, and the path to joy and peace that You laid out before us—when Christ laid down His life for us all.

 

Thank You for not sending Your Son to condemn us to die as we deserved—but to offer everlasting life with You to all who would believe in Jesus.

 

Thank You for loving us!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Send Out 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 to guide me! 

 

Send out Your Light!  It is in Your Light that the paths before me are fully illuminated—that all darkness is driven away—and I can see clearly and move forward with confidence into Your plans for me.

 

Send out Your Truth!  It is in Your Truth that the perfect path that You have for me is revealed—as You graciously guide me into all Truth by the empowering of Your Spirit, who abides in me.

 

Let Your Light and Your Truth lead me into Your Glorious Presence—to that place where You live—so that I can abide there in the abundance of Your very best for me.

 

Send out Your Light and Your Truth to guide me! 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Word Became Flesh

 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

—John 1:14 (NKJV)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for Your perfect plan to send forth Your Word to become flesh—in the fragile form of a baby—so that He could dwell among us and so we could behold His Glory!

 

Help me to be a good student of Your Word, that I might learn the lessons that Jesus came to teach us all—about who You are, and who we should be—and help faithfully apply them to my life, so that Christ Jesus might more perfectly shine through me.

 

Help me to follow the example of Jesus in the way that I live my life in this world, so that my life would stand out in its uniqueness, rather than blend in with the “norms” of this world’s thinking—and would draw others to Christ.

 

And help me to learn to live a life of sacrifice—in order to represent well the life of perfect sacrifice that Jesus came to live, so that I could have an abundant life here and now, and eternal life with You forevermore.

Thank You for Your perfect plan to send forth Your Word to become flesh—in the fragile form of a baby—so that He could dwell among us and so we could behold His Glory!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Why am I so Discouraged?

 

 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,

 

In those times when I am tempted to become discouraged, help me to reason with my heart—and remember that all my hope is found in You, my Savior and my God!

 

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 only One who is worthy of my praise.

 

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

 

Because You are my Savior and my God—the One who drives away all doubt, fear, and sadness by Your love, the One who renews my courage, hope and joy—I will sing my praises to You, yet again!

 

In those times when I am tempted to become discouraged, help me to reason with my heart—and remember that all my hope is found in You, my Savior and my God!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

One Thing I Ask

 

One thing I ask from the LORD,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
    and to seek him in his temple. 

 —Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

 

O LORD My God,

 

May the one thing I ask for, the only thing I seek, be the privilege of dwelling in Your Presence—of gazing on Your beauty, in an abiding, unbroken, intimate relationship with You!

 

King David wrote of his desire to make Your house his home—knowing that Your house was where Your Presence could be found, and that in Your Presence he would find everything that He needed.

 

And so, it is true for me, that in Your Presence I can experience provision for all my needs, protection from all my enemies, comfort for all my sorrows, wisdom to discern the truth of Your Word, knowledge beyond my own intellect, the power, strength and courage to do Your will, and a peace that surpasses my own understanding.

 

Help me to be ever mindful that You are always with me, You never leave my side, and that You are, in truth, alive within me—so that I won’t be tempted to wander my own way, but can personally experience all the grace and truth of the abundant life that I find, when I seek out Your Presence.

 

May the one thing I ask for, the only thing I seek, be the privilege of dwelling in Your Presence—of gazing on Your beauty, in an abiding, unbroken, intimate relationship with You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

You Sustain Me With Joy!

 

If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy,
    I would have died in my misery.

I will never forget your commandments,
    for by them you give me life.

 

—Psalm 119:92-93 (NLT)

 

 

Father God,

 

Thank You for the sustaining joy and the abundant life that You give to all who will listen to Your instructions—to those who are careful to remember, and to obey, Your commandments!

 

Too much of my life I wandered from Your instructions—reaping the consequences of my disobedience—until finally I learned that each of Your instructions are meant to benefit me, not to harm me or hold me back from life in any way.

 

When I learned to follow Your instructions and ordered my steps by Your commandments, trouble still came my way—but misery could no longer take away my life, for You sustained me with a deep and abiding joy!

 

Let me never forget Your commands, for by them You give me abundant life—life that is rich, and deep, and full, and overflowing—so that I can do everything You have called me to do, and be all that You have called me to be, for Your glory, honor, and praise.

Thank You for the sustaining joy and the abundant life that You give to all who will listen to Your instructions—to those who are careful to remember, and to obey, Your commandments!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Listen Very Carefully!

 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

 

—Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth!  Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

Help me to hold onto the precious gift of Truth that I have been given—Truth which continues to be revealed to me in proportion to my willingness and obedience to continue to read, study, believe, and apply Your Word to my life.

 

Help me to be careful to remember the Truth I have heard—by regularly meditating upon it—so that I would be ready to apply Your Truth to every situation or circumstance in which I find myself, as I mix my faith with Your Truth.

 

Help me to recognize and guard against the weakness of my mind.  For Your Truth is so quick to drain from my heart when I allow the enemy to speak lies into my thoughts—or when I entertain the condemnation that he spews—as he tries to move me from the Truth I find in You.

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth!  Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The LORD Will Personally Go Ahead of You

 

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”  

—Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)

 

Omnipresent and Sovereign LORD,

 

May my confident hope—for the facing of this day before me—be found in Your promise that You will personally go ahead of me, that You will be with me, and that You will neither fail me nor abandon me!

 

Help me to remember that You are always with me, and that where I am going, You are already there—that You have gone before me to make a way for me, so that with each step I take, I can be where You are, as You call me to Yourself.

 

Don’t allow any situations or circumstances before me draw me into fear or discouragement.  Help me to reject any thoughts or doubts that come up against the Truth of Your promises to me—help me trust in Your love for me!

 

Help me to walk boldly forward into the plan that You have for me today—knowing that You will never fail me nor abandon me, but will walk with me to empower me, provide for me, and protect me along the path You have chosen for me, today.

May my confident hope—for the facing of this day before me—be found in Your promise that You will personally go ahead of me, that You will be with me, and that You will neither fail me nor abandon me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Get Sidetracked!

 

Mark out a straight path for your feet;
    stay on the safe path.

Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.

 

—Proverbs 4:26-27 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

With each new day, help me to mark out the straight path for my feet—the path which leads to a more abundant life!

 

Keep me on that straight path of willing obedience to Your will and Your decrees—as You prove Your loving faithfulness to me by keeping me in every way, when I choose the safe path you have offered me.

 

And don’t allow me to get sidetracked by the distractions of this world—to wander off that path—but help me stay focused on honoring Your ever-abiding Presence with me, as You show me the next best step for me.

 

For then my feet will not follow after evil and I won’t find myself lost along the way—as I journey through this life, on my way home to You.

 

With each new day, help me to mark out the straight path for my feet—the path which leads to a more abundant life!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Light That Leads to Life

 

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

 

—John 8:12 (NLT)

 

Gracious Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World—so that we wouldn’t have to walk in darkness!

 

Thank You that the darkness of evil doesn’t have the power—nor will it ever have the power—to overcome that Light we find in the Creator of life itself, Jesus Christ, whose life brings light to all humankind.  

 

Thank You that though I once was a prisoner to the evil at work in me—an evil which held me captive in sin—I am now free from its bondage, because of the Light, which exposed the works of darkness in me and showed me my desperate need for a Savior.

 

Thank You that, as I follow after Jesus, I don’t have to walk in darkness—blindly stumbling through life, driven by evil to fall into sin—but I can choose to walk in the Light of Your Truth, which leads me to life, because of the power of Christ within me.

 

Thank You that, in Jesus, I experience Your presence with me, Your love for me, Your protection over me, Your provision for all my needs, and Your guidance, as You reveal Your plan for me to truly live in the freedom of Your marvelous Light.

 

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World—so that we wouldn’t have to walk in darkness!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Feed on His Faithfulness!

 

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

 

—Psalm 37:3 (NKJV)

 

Loving and Gracious LORD,

 

As I purpose to put all my trust in You, LORD, help me also actively seek to do good—so that I might dwell in the safety of Your Will for my life here on earth, and be fed by Your great faithfulness.

 

May I never claim to trust You by my words, but then fail to demonstrate that trust through my obedience to Your Word.  Help me hold fast to the truth that only through my obedience can I demonstrate the depth of my faith—and only by my faith can I please You.

 

Show me that when I am obedient to do that which is good, You are faithful to bless me with everything that I need to accomplish Your Will—to provide for every spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental need I have, according to Your plan and purpose for me.

 

Teach me that it is only within Your Will that I can find the satisfaction, peace and joy of true contentment.  So let me feed on Your faithfulness to sustain me through everything that might come against me—as You prove Yourself forever faithful and true.

 

As I purpose to put all my trust in You, LORD, help me also actively seek to do good—so that I might dwell in the safety of Your Will for my life here on earth, and be fed by Your great faithfulness.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Wherever Your Treasure Is

 

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

—Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May I never forget that the only treasures that will ever truly satisfy the longing desires of my heart are found in Jesus Christ.

 

Help me not to allow the distractions or the attractions of this world to become a quickly vanishing treasure that I get lost in seeking after—when such a greater treasure is made available to me in Christ.

 

Help me remember that only the treasures that I lay up for myself in heaven are truly mine to keep—that they are the only treasures which can never be taken away from me.

 

Help me keep my heart set on those eternal things, things that cannot be destroyed, and cannot be taken from me—as I lift up to You every blessing You have given me in this life, with open hands, and surrendered it all to You to be used for Your Glory.

May I never forget that the only treasures that will ever truly satisfy the longing desires of my heart are found in Jesus Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

My Highest Delight

 

I will study your commandments
    and reflect on your ways.

I will delight in your decrees
    and not forget your word.

 

—Psalm 119:15-16 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

May I forever study Your commandments and reflect on Your ways!  Let Your decrees be my delight and may I never forget Your Word!

 

Help me to study Your commands that I might know the Truth behind all that You have commanded us in Your Word—and rightly apply that Truth to my life and more perfectly live my life for You.

 

Teach me to know You, as I reflect on Your ways—so that in coming to know You more completely, I can better understand Your love for each one of us and so be compelled to share that love with others around me.

 

Show me how to take my highest delight in what You have decreed—knowing that Your love for us is the foundation upon which every decree is established, each one being framed for our benefit.

May I forever study Your commandments and reflect on Your ways!  Let Your decrees be my delight and may I never forget Your Word!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Never Weak or Weary

 

Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

—Isaiah 40:28 (NLT)

 

 

 

Everlasting God,

 

Grant me ears that will hear and a heart that can understand the immeasurable greatness of all that You are!

 

Let the truth—that You are the everlasting God—fill my life with the comforting peace of knowing that You are, and forever will be, in control of everything.

 

Let me hear the music of Your creation as it praises You and makes You known as the Creator of all the earth—and let me join my voice with theirs in declaring there is none like You.

 

Let it be Your unfailing strength which lovingly carries me when I am weak or weary—that I might not falter or fail.

Let me trust in the immeasurable depth of Your understanding and confidently rest in the truth that You know what is best for me—and are always working in me to guide me to that end.

 

Grant me ears that will hear and a heart that can understand the immeasurable greatness of all that You are!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Keep Me Hungry!

 

When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
    They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
    O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.

 —Jeremiah 15:16 (NLT)

 

Dear LORD,

 

Keep me hungry—eager to receive and ready to apply every word that You would speak into my life.  Let Your words be my joy and my heart’s delight!

 

Continue to speak to my heart through Your Holy Spirit, and by that same Spirit reveal and illuminate the words of the Bible to my spirit—that I might devour the fresh Truth that You have waiting there for me to discover.

 

Use that Truth to help me grow in obedience and faithfulness to You, so that I can live my life submitted to Truth and can become all that You have planned for me to be in Christ—for Your own glory and honor and praise.

 

For it is in Your words that I find my strength and hope!  And in them I discover the responsibilities of obedience that I carry, because I have been chosen—and I have chosen—to bear Your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies!

 

Keep me hungry—eager to receive and ready to apply every word that You would speak into my life.  Let Your words be my joy and my heart’s delight!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Worthy to Receive the Worship of My Heart

 

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

 

—1 Chronicles 29:11 (NLT)

 

 

O LORD My God,

 

Grant that I would always adore You as the One who is over all things—the only One worthy to receive the worship of my heart!

 

Capture my every thought this day with Your unsurpassed greatness—that I would ponder the limitlessness of the great God I serve and find comfort in Your unfailing love for me.

 

Help me to tap into Your power—that same power that raised Christ from the dead which lives in me—so that I can do all things that You ask of me, through Christ.

 

Show me Your glory all around me, that I would find comfort for my weary soul in Your presence with me—knowing that You will never leave me, nor forsake me.

 

Strengthen me to walk in victory over all my sin—victory which You bought for me, through the redeeming sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.

 

And let me worship You in all Your majesty—making much of You, so that my troubles here on earth fade from sight, in the light of who You are and of all that You have done.

 

Give me Your peace today, as I offer You all my adoration—knowing all things are Yours and under Your control, as You hold it all in the palm of Your hand.

 

Grant that I would always adore You as the One who is over all things—the only One worthy to receive the worship of my heart!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.