So That the Life of Jesus May Also be Seen

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.          —2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

   

Whenever I am pressed on every side by troubles, help me hold onto this Truth:  You never leave me, You never let go of my hand, and victory over this world is found in Christ—who is my strength and who has won for me eternal life.

In those times when it seems as if my world is falling in on me, remind me that, as hard as it is to endure, You will not allow me to be crushed—but will strengthen me through the struggle and deliver me safely through to the other side.

When I feel confused, perplexed, or at a loss as to how to find my way, remind me that I find my way in You—that You hold all wisdom and I don’t have to be driven to despair, because You will always show me what to do, when I ask in faith.

If I am ever pursued or persecuted for my beliefs, remind me that it is Your right hand that protects me and Your Spirit who tells me how to answer my accusers.

When I get my feet knocked out from under me, help me trust that You will pick me up and brush me off and set me on solid ground again—that in Christ, I will not be shaken and I cannot not be destroyed.

Remind me that in every situation I face, in every suffering I endure, Christ has already won the victory—that these are all opportunities for Him to demonstrate His power and presence in me and through me, to all those around me.

Whenever I am pressed on every side by troubles, help me hold onto this Truth:  You never leave me, You never let go of my hand, and victory over this world is found in Christ—who is my strength and who has won for me eternal life.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Faith, Love, and Endurance

 

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

—1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

 

 

 

My God and Father,

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Help me to remember to give thanks for those people that You have placed in my life whose best work is produced out of their absolute faith in You—for their example of steadfast faith, which challenges me to trust You more.

And to give thanks for those who emulate well Christ’s labor of love toward all those He died to save—whose example of Christ’s love in action, prompts me to love more deeply and express that love more completely.

And to give thanks for those whose endurance is made possible only by their hope in our Lord Jesus Christ—for their example of long-suffering, which inspires me to endure my struggles because of the hope that stands forever before me.

Let me always aspire to work by faith, labor in love, and endure through hope—as I make reflecting the Light of Jesus Christ my great obsession.

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

You Saw Me!

 

You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

—Psalm 139:16 (NLT)

 

Omniscient and Sovereign LORD GOD,

You are the One who knows the end—even from before the beginning—the One who holds every moment of my life in His hands!

You saw me—before I came to be, You saw me!  You saw every detail of every aspect of who You created me to be, and You saw exactly how I fit into Your perfect plan for all of mankind.

You knew me—You knew how every moment of every day of my life would go—and even recorded it all in Your book, to establish it, before a single day had come to pass.

Thank You that I can rest in the assurance that Your plans never fail to accomplish all that You intend for them to accomplish—and that You have invited me to live fully the life story You wrote especially for me, in Christ.

You are the One who knows the end—even from before the beginning—the One who holds every moment of my life in His hands!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.