Those Who Live in Truth and Love

 

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

—2 John 1:3 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the promise that Your Word gives me—that grace, mercy and peace will continue to be with me, if I live in truth and love!

Thank You for revealing, to all those who choose to believe You, the absolute Truth and the unfailing Love found in Your written Word, and in Your Word made flesh—in the person of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who is Your greatest expression of love and of truth .

Save me from the lies of the enemy which would try to convince me that there is no absolute truth, that I can decided for myself what truth is, or that I can trust my feelings to show me what real love is.  Help me always look to You to guide me into all Truth, that I may always live in the Love you intended for us all to experience.

And should I ever find my peace disrupted, Your mercy for me in question, or feel as though Your grace to me is running low, remind me to examine my heart to see if I have walked away from truth and love—and by Your Holy Spirit bring me back to Your Word, that I might repent and be restored.

Thank You for the promise that Your Word gives me—that grace, mercy and peace will continue to be with me, if I live in truth and love!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

May the Love of the Father be Found in Me

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. —1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) 

Almighty God,

Help me to set my love on You alone—so that, through my faith, I would please You with the things that I think, say and do.

Help me not to set my love on the world, or the lesser things that this world offers, but help me to find the true treasure of knowing and experiencing all that You are—to me, for me, and in me.

Help me to turn away from a self-focused pursuit of the physical pleasures of this world and a desire for everything I see.  Instead may I look for more opportunities to experience You working in me, through me, and all around me.

Help me to turn away from prideful attitudes over those things that I have accomplished—knowing that You alone bring me success, and that the success that You bring me is not as the world measures success.

Help me to turn away from finding my identity in the possessions I have accumulated—knowing every good thing I have been given has come through Your hands and is not mine at all, but only temporarily entrusted to me to meet my needs—as well as the needs of others—while I am here on earth.

Remind me that this world, and all that is in it, is quickly fading away—and that my hope for joy, peace, and everlasting life can only be found in You.

Help me to set my love on You alone—so that, through my faith, I would please You with the things that I think, say and do.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Waiting Expectantly

 

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.

—Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

Loving LORD,                        

Every morning, let me call out to You with confidence, humbly placing my requests before You.  Then let me wait expectantly, in Your Presence, believing You hear me and will answer the cry of my heart.

Help me come eagerly and boldly before You each morning—with a deep and abiding reverence for You—knowing my reward will be that I will always find You lovingly waiting to meet with me.

Help me to approach Your throne with a heart full of gratitude for this great privilege I have been granted of being welcomed into Your Presence—and for the interest that You have in every detail of what I have to say to You about everything I have on my heart.

And when I have shared my heart, help me to remember to be still and wait, quietly and expectantly in Your presence, for You to speak to me about Your best plans for me—knowing that You will withhold no good thing from me and trusting that You always want what is best for me.

Every morning, let me call out to You with confidence, humbly placing my requests before You.  Then let me wait expectantly, in Your Presence, believing You hear me and will answer the cry of my heart.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Cares About You!

 

 

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

—1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Loving and Compassionate Heavenly Father,

Nothing more deeply demonstrates how much You care about me, than the truth that You sent Jesus to die in my place, and then conquered sin and death through His resurrection—so that I could find life forever through Him!

Remind me to look at what Jesus endured on the cross to help me to better understand the depth of Your love and care for me—so I might more fully trust You with my life and so that any sin of unbelief left in my heart would have to go.

Show me that when I anxiously try to carry my own worries and concerns—rather than giving them over to You and trusting You to take care of them all—I am rejecting Your love, walking away from Your care and discounting what Christ did for me.

Let me never allow my circumstances to have control over me—never believe the lie that any particular circumstance that I may find myself in cannot be overcome—and keep me on the path of life, joy and peace that You have set before me, so I can become everything You have called me to be.

May I always look to You in faith—the One who cares for me and controls all circumstances—patiently waiting for the good plans that You have made for me to unfold before me, as You work all things together for my good.

Nothing more deeply demonstrates how much You care about me, than the truth that You sent Jesus to die in my place, and then conquered sin and death through His resurrection—so that I could find life forever through Him!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.