From Everlasting to Everlasting

 

Before the mountains were born, Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. 

 

—Psalm 90:2 (NASB)

 

Everlasting God,

 

I worship You for who You are—the God who always was, always is, and always shall be—the only One worthy of my worship!

 

I worship You for only You are timeless! Only You existed before time began—before You created everything that now exists, put it all in order, and set in motion, thus creating time itself.

 

I worship You, for among the so-called gods and other worshiped things of this world, only You are the Living God—the One who gives life to all things! Yes, You are alive and live here within me. You make yourself known to me through Your Word, as revealed by Your Spirit, so I can personally experience Your great affection for me as Your dearly loved child.

 

I worship You, for out of all of that which begs my worship, only You will remain steadfast and unchanging for all eternity—only You will always love me with an unfailing love that passionately and unrelentingly pursues me.  And only You will remain worthy of my love and worship and devotion, forevermore.

 

I worship You for who You are—the God who always was, always is, and always shall be—the only One worthy of my worship!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Lift Me Up!

 

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
    but you will restore me to life again
    and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
You will restore me to even greater honor
    and comfort me once again.

 

—Psalm 71:20-21 (NLT)

 

Loving and Gracious LORD,

 

In Your sovereign and infinite wisdom, You have allowed me to suffer much hardship in my life. And still, the story You are writing with my life is—and always will be—a testimony to the faithfulness of my God!

 

For I have seen You use every hardship that You have entrusted to me, as part of my story, to bring about something good—always drawing me closer to the abundant life that I find only when I totally surrender to Your plan for my life.

 

So, help me to continue to look for Your hand in every difficulty that may come, that I would see Your faithfulness once again—as You lift me up from the depths of this earth, from heartache, pain and evil of this fallen world, and restore me to life in You again.

 

Be my source of comfort in this world, as by Your grace You honor me, taking me to those higher and deeper places I have yet to discover in Christ. Keep me and sustain me in every way through everything that I may face—until that day You rescue me completely out of this world and its hardships and take me home with You.

 

In Your sovereign and infinite wisdom, You have allowed me to suffer much hardship in my life. And still, the story You are writing with my life is—and always will be—a testimony to the faithfulness of my God!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In the Secret Place

 

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 

—Psalm 91:1 (NKJV)

 

Almighty and Most High God,

 

May I always live in Your secret, sheltering place—that place where I find serenity, security, and safety—forever abiding under the shadow of Your Holy Presence!

 

Help me remember that I am drawn into that secret place when I live in constant, prayerful communion with You; as I allow the Truth of Your Word, as revealed by Your Spirit, to fill me; and as I believe and apply Your promises to my life.

 

Help me to find my place of rest in Your shadow—in closest proximity to You, under Your covering, and firmly held in Your everlasting arms of love.

 

Help me not to wander in and out of that secret place, but rather, make it my place of permanent residence—so I can remain under Your protection, provision, and peace—where You are my rescue, refuge and rest, and my only hope, forevermore. 

 

May I always live in Your secret, sheltering place—that place where I find serenity, security, and safety—forever abiding under the shadow of Your Holy Presence!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Be Misled

 

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

 

—Galatians 6:7-8 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me live to please Your Spirit—planting only good seeds and harvesting the best that You have for me here, in this world—as I look forward, with confidence, to that time when You will call me to my heavenly home.

 

Don’t allow me to forget that there are either good consequences or bad consequences associated with everything that I think, say and do—for You are a Holy and Just God. 

 

Remind me that when I live for myself—living only to satisfy my own sinful nature—only death and decay can come as a result.  But when I live in faithful obedience to Your Spirit, I get to enjoy a harvest of abundant and everlasting life. 

 

Keep me mindful that while You will show me mercy, completely forgive me, and even extend to me Your grace when I repent of my bad choices, there will always be consequences of my sin which remain—consequences that hurt both myself and others.

 

Show me how the choices I make—that is, the kind of seeds that I plant—will determine the kind of harvest that I will reap.  And help me to choose wisely to plant the seeds that lead to life.

 

Help me live to please Your Spirit—planting only good seeds and harvesting the best that You have for me here, in this world—as I look forward, with confidence, to that time when You will call me to my heavenly home.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Close Watch

 

Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

 

—1 Timothy 4:16 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to keep a close watch on how I live and what I teach. May I stay true to what is right, not only for the sake my own salvation, but also for the salvation of others.

 

Don’t allow me to indulge in any carelessness in the way I live my life—so that I don’t ever leave room for my actions to become a stumbling block for any who may be watching me.

 

May I especially watch the things that I teach to others—staying true to all that is right, knowing that as a teacher I am held to a higher standard of accountability, because of the influence I have on those whom I teach.

 

Help me remember that my lifestyle should be the primary evidence of my salvation—and that a life of inconsistency is contrary to the gospel and may cause others to fall.

 

Help me to keep a close watch on how I live and what I teach. May I stay true to what is right, not only for the sake my own salvation, but also for the salvation of others.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Ponder the Amazing

 

How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.

 

—Psalm 111:2-3 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that every aspect of my life would remain centered on You!

 

Help me to rekindle that awestruck wonder that I first had for the truly amazing and awesome things that You have done—both for me and for others—out of Your great love for all of us.

 

Help me to look for the amazing in the common place occurrences of my day and give You all the honor, glory and praise that You deserve—for all the things You have done, are doing now, and have yet to bring to pass.

 

Don’t let my familiarity with the story of my own life dull my sense of gratitude for how You have always been faithful to reveal Yourself to me—allowing me to experience for myself the truth of Your never-failing righteousness.

 

With great joy and excitement, help me look for opportunities to tell the story of Your goodness and Your faithfulness to me—so that others would come to believe how truly great You are, and be drawn to receive Christ for themselves!

 

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that every aspect of my life would remain centered on You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Worry Much?

 

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 

—Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

 

All Wise God,

 

Help me to remember that I never lengthen or add value to my life by worrying.

 

Help me to understand that when I worry, I am allowing the enemy to steal from me—to steal my peace and my joy, and the time that You have given to me to praise, honor and glorify You with my life.

 

Help me to understand that when I worry, I am inviting the enemy to come and kill me—because worry chokes the life from me and draws me physically, intellectually, emotionally, and worst of all, spiritually closer to death.

 

Help me to understand that when I worry, I open myself up for the enemy to come and destroy me—that worry leaves me powerless to carry out the plan of God for my life and makes me ineffective in my battle against the enemy.

 

Help me to understand that worrying is sin. It is in direct opposition to Christ’s command not to worry—a command that is intended to protect and keep me in every way. So, help me to feel the conviction of Your Spirit when I worry—and repent of my sin.

 

Help me to understand that worry is the opposite of faith—and that without faith it is impossible to please You. So, give me a heart to seek out the Truth of Your Word, that I would strengthen my faith and leave all my worries in Your loving and capable hands.

 

Help me to remember that I never lengthen or add value to my life by worrying.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

What to Boast About

 

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.  Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

 

—1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NLT)

 

Merciful and Gracious God,

 

Let me never boast about anything, except Jesus, my Lord!

 

Thank You for uniting me with Christ Jesus, Your Son, so that I can walk in the blessing of being joined with wisdom itself.

 

Thank You that because You have called me, and I have believed and confessed that Christ died and rose again for me—because I have received Him into my heart and life as my Lord—I am made right with You.  

 

Thank You that by Christ’s transforming power, I am made pure and holy—and by His death and resurrection, the power that sin once had over me has been broken, and I am free to choose good over evil.

 

Help me always remember that anything good in me has come through Christ who is Worthy of all the Honor, and Glory, and Power, forevermore!

 

Let me never boast about anything, except Jesus, my Lord!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

 

 

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

—James 4:7 (NIV)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me not to forget that, as I humbly and obediently submit myself to You in all things, You give me the power to resist the attacks of the enemy, so that he has no choice but to run from me in fear.

 

Help me always willingly acknowledge Your authority over me, Your power at work in me through Your Holy Spirit, and the authority that is given to me in the name of Jesus, as a follower of Christ.

 

Help me to remember that the only power the enemy has to use against me is that which I give him, when because of his lies, I begin to doubt the Truth of Your Word.

 

Don’t let me forget that You alone have the authority over me, and it is Your Word that gives me the authority to act on Your command to resist the attacks of the devil, with the full confidence that he must flee from me.

 

Help me not to forget that, as I humbly and obediently submit myself to You in all things, You give me the power to resist the attacks of the enemy, so that he has no choice but to run from me in fear.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

When I Am Afraid

 

 

But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.

I praise God for what he has promised.
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

 

—Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Overwhelm me with an ever-deepening revelation of Your amazing love for me—so that I will place all my trust in You and see all my fears brought down to nothing!

 

Help me resist the times when my mind tries to take me to those dark places that open an entrance for fear to come rushing into my heart. May the light of Your love fill me up inside, flooding me with truth and driving the darkness of fear away.

 

May I always praise You out of a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude—as Your Spirit brings back to my remembrance every promise that You have given me in Your Word.

 

Help me to see the folly of fearing what mortal man can do to me, when it is You, the Ever-living LORD of all Creation, in whom I have placed my trust—that it is You who holds my life firmly and forever in His grip!

 

Overwhelm me with an ever-deepening revelation of Your amazing love for me—so that I will place all my trust in You and see all my fears brought down to nothing!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Everything Through Christ

 

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

 

—Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT)

 

Father God, 

 

Help me hold onto the secret of living in every situation—keeping my eyes, my mind, and my heart fixed on Jesus Christ, the One who gives me all the strength I need to do everything that You ask me to do.

 

Help me remember that I can remain content if I keep a heart full of gratitude and faith—gratitude expressed by continual thankfulness for all the undeserved blessings of my life, and faith demonstrated by my unwavering confidence that You will always provide everything that I need to accomplish the plans and purposes You have for me.

 

Help me to rest in the truth that You provide for me out of Your unlimited knowledge, wisdom and understanding—that You completely know me and the good plans You have for me—while I have only a cloudy memory of where I have been, a partial understanding of where I am now, and by Your grace, perhaps a mere glimpse of where You are taking me.

 

Help me remember that the power You give to me through Christ is not so that I can do whatever I please with my life—or to have anything that I think I want—but rather that I might have the strength to do whatever You would require of me, whether I have little or plenty.

 

Help me hold onto the secret of living in every situation—keeping my eyes, my mind, and my heart fixed on Jesus Christ, the One who gives me all the strength I need to do everything that You ask me to do.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Bringing Light and Life

 

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

 

—Genesis 1:3-4 (NLT)

 

 

Creator of Light and Life,

 

Let every word I speak be birthed out of truth, seasoned with grace, spoken in faith, and motivated by love—bringing light and life to anyone who has ears to hear. 

 

You spoke, “Let there be light,” and light came into being from nothing—forever demonstrating for us the creative power of Your spoken Word. 

 

Knowing that You have made me in Your image, may I ever be mindful that the words I speak also contain a power to create—either something that is good, or something that is evil. 

 

Forgive me, LORD, for too often my careless words have created doubt, instead of hope; resentment, instead of respect; discouragement, instead of encouragement; hurt, instead of healing; darkness, instead of light; and death, instead of life.

 

Just as You saw that the light was good, help me to speak in such a way that I might see good things created from the words that You give me to speak—that with every word, I would represent Christ well and bring You glory.

 

Help me to walk fully in Your light—so I can be the messenger of light, that You created me to be, to those who are lost and separated from You by the evil darkness of this world.

 

Let every word I speak be birthed out of truth, seasoned with grace, spoken in faith, and motivated by love—bringing light and life to anyone who has ears to hear. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen. 

Overwhelming Victory!

 

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

—Romans 8:35, 37 (NLT)

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

May I always rejoice in the knowledge that there is nothing that can ever separate me from the constant and continuous love of Christ—which never wavers, never diminishes, never fails, and never ends.

 

In the tough and troubled times of my life, help me to cling to this Truth:  You will use everything that I may suffer to help me to identify more closely with Christ’s sufferings on my behalf, so I can more fully realize the depth of His love for me, and be drawn into ever closer fellowship with You.

 

Use those times of my life to help me to understand how totally dependent I am on You to provide everything I need, not only survive, but also to thrive along this journey here—as I watch You prove Your faithfulness to me, every step along the way.

 

Let me never forget that no matter what may come, I have no need to fear, for overwhelming victory is mine through Christ—who, because of His great love for me, heals my brokenness with Truth; who, through His mercy, forgives my sin and makes me completely whole; and who, out of His amazing grace, grants me abundant and eternal life with Him. 

 

May I always rejoice in the knowledge that there is nothing that can ever separate me from the constant and continuous love of Christ—which never wavers, never diminishes, never fails, and never ends.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.