HOPE!

 

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 43:5 (NLT)

 

 

O LORD, My God,

 

You are my Hope! Yes, You are my never-failing Hope! Help me fix my eyes on You and l will praise You again—my Savior and my God!

 

In those dark times of deep distress, when my soul is downcast and disturbed within me, grant me the wisdom to question myself, to question the truth of the thoughts that have me disquieted, and to focus my heart on things eternal—on all that You are to me, and on all that You say that I am in You.

 

Help me to exhort myself again, to stir up my faith anew, to put my hope in the One who never disappoints—to put my hope in You, alone—trusting that You are well able and ever-willing to do all that You have promised to do, according to Your Word.

 

And help me to begin to lift my praise to You—even in my distress—and wait expectantly as You lift me up into Your Presence where the Truth is found, where my strength and courage are renewed, and where my joy and peace are restored, because of my never-failing Hope!

 

You are my Hope! Yes, You are my never-failing Hope! Help me fix my eyes on You, and I will praise You again—my Savior and my God!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Overwhelmed!

 

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?      —Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT)

 

Creator God,

 

As I gaze upon the night sky, as I try to take it all in, I cannot even begin to comprehend the vastness of all that You have made.  And when I think that Your creation is no more than a mere glimpse of Your power and glory, I am overwhelmed to think that You would choose to set Your unfailing love and affection on one like me!

 

I am amazed at the intricate details with which You designed, created, set in place, and put in perfectly synchronized motion, the moon and each of the stars in the multitude of galaxies that You spread across the vastness of an endless space.

 

I am even more amazed that You created them all and put them on display for us—to demonstrate Your power and greatness and majesty to all of mankind—in order to reveal who You are and to draw us into relationship with You.

 

I am most amazed that You would make mankind the reason for, and focus of, everything that You have created—that You not only would think about us, but would want us, and truly care for us—making us the objects of Your amazing and immeasurable love.

 

As I gaze upon the night sky, as I try to take it all in, I cannot even begin to comprehend the vastness of all that You have made.  And when I think that Your creation is no more than a mere glimpse of Your power and glory, I am overwhelmed to think that You would choose to set Your unfailing love and affection on one like me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

An Attitude of Thanksgiving

 

Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.

 

—Colossians 4:2 (AMP)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for giving me the privilege of praying to You—the One who hears and answers my prayers, according to Your perfect will, and Your very best for me.

 

Help me to be persistent in my prayers—devoting myself to pray about all things—knowing You long for me to lay the desires of my heart before You, and to place all my trust in You, believing that You will do what only You can do.

 

Help me to be alert and focused as I come before You with my prayers—mindful that I am speaking directly to You, knowing that only You hold all power and authority in Your hands, that only You are willing and able to answer my prayers, and that only You can do this according to Your perfect love for me.

 

Help me to come before You with an attitude of thanksgiving—grateful for all that You have done, are doing, and have yet to bring to pass, but also grateful for all that You are that makes You worthy of my unending worship and adoration, forever!

 

Thank You for giving me the privilege of praying to You—the One who hears and answers my prayers, according to Your perfect will, and Your very best for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Sing, Shout, Come!

 

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. 

—Psalm 95:1-3 (NKJV)

 

My LORD and my KING,

 

Establish within me new, stronger and truer pathways of thought, word and action—pathways that spring forth out of a heart overflowing with gratitude for who You are and for all the wondrous things You have done for me! 

 

Let songs and shouts of joy erupt from my grateful heart and be lifted up to You in spontaneous praise and worship—for You are the Rock, the immovable and firm foundation that every aspect of my life is built upon! You are the God of my salvation—the author of my freedom over the sin of this evil world!

 

Let me come before You as Your beloved child—entering confidently into Your Holy Presence and remaining and abiding with You, that I might know You as You are—and continue to give my life back to You in thanksgiving!

 

Let me always praise You with shouts and songs of joy—for You are the Great and Sovereign God!  You are far above all other so-called gods, and the Great and Almighty King of all, forever!  

 

Thank You for choosing me to be Your very own child, for blessing my life with every good thing, and for allowing me to experience the joy and peace that comes as I choose You back—as my only God and King, forevermore!

 

Establish within me new, stronger and truer pathways of thought, word and action—pathways that spring forth out of a heart overflowing with gratitude for who You are and for all the wondrous things You have done for me! 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Return to God

 

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

        your sins like the morning mist.

    Return to me,

        for I have redeemed you.

 

  —Isaiah 44:22 (NIV)

 

 

O LORD, My God and My Redeemer, 

 

Let me forever live in the truth of the work of redemption You performed in me, when You removed all my offenses and sins, so that I could return to You!

 

You have swept away my offenses like a cloud that the wind carries away—so that Your light can shine on me, in me, and through me.

 

My sins are gone—like the morning mist that evaporates in the warmth of the rising sun. You have done this for me—out of Your immeasurable love for me—to make a way for me to return to You!

 

So when I sin, make my heart eager to repent and return to You, my feet ready to run to You—for my salvation is found in You alone!

 

Let me forever live in the truth of the work of redemption You performed in me, when You removed all my offenses and sins, so that I could return to You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Be the Servant

 

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”  But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.  He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”—Mark 9:33-35 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Let everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

 

Help me to guard against being caught up in chasing after any man-made ideas of what success or achievement might be—only to find that my own self-promotion has kept me from Your higher plans and better purposes for my life. 

 

Help me to watch that I don’t allow my own deep-rooted insecurities or foolish pride to cause me to put too much stock in the power of a position, or the amount of prestige it might happen to carry—but humbly remember that I am nothing without You.

 

Help me to fully understand that all my energy, time and talents should be directed to knowing Christ for myself and making Him known to others—by following His example of leadership and reflecting His love—as I become a servant of all.

 

Let everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Living by God's Power!

 

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

 

—1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May Your Kingdom be seen in me, not just by the words that I say, but so much more by the way I live—as I live according to Your life-giving power at work within me.

 

By the power of Your Holy Spirit, continue to change my heart so that my walk—the evidence that proves what I truly believe—more perfectly reflects my talk—those things I claim to believe.

 

Help me to see that my understanding of the spiritual realm, over which You are sovereign, is not realized merely by knowing the right words to say—but that it is revealed and made alive by my personal experience of the power of Your Holy Spirit working in me, through me, and all around me.

 

Help me to live by submitting my will, my wants, and my desires more completely to Your authority over me, so that I might truly experience living by Your power—and so that Your Kingdom authority would be fully established, both in my life and here upon the earth.

 

May Your Kingdom be seen in me, not just by the words that I say, but so much more by the way I live—as I live according to Your life-giving power at work within me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Living at Peace

 

Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone.  If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

 

—Romans 12:17-18 (AMP)         

 

Prince of Peace, 

 

Let Your peace remain in me, by helping me to be a person who resists the impulse of my flesh to repay evil with evil and chooses the better way—the way that is right and gracious and proper—so that my actions don’t diminish the possibility of me living at peace with everyone.

 

Help me to remember that any evil that I do to others, in response to evil they have done to me, will only breed more evil—and that if I choose this destructive course, evil will always have me in its ever-tightening grip.

 

Let me instead enjoy the freedom that comes from being one who walks uprightly before others—being careful to love others in the same way You have loved me—so that I might represent You well and sow seeds of peace wherever I go.

 

And while I know that it will not always be possible for me to live at peace with everyone, remind me that I must always do my part to be a peacemaker—by speaking only the truth, granting an abundance of grace to all, letting Your love guide my thoughts, and making that same love be the sole motive behind everything I say and do.  

 

Let Your peace remain in me by helping me to be a person who resists the impulse of my flesh to repay evil with evil and chooses the better way—the way that is right and gracious and proper—so that my actions don’t diminish the possibility of me living at peace with everyone. 

 

For the glory of Your Name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Greater is He!

 

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

 

—1 John 4:4 (NASB)

 

 

All-Powerful God,

 

Help me not to be moved when I see the evil that surrounds me, and let me never be afraid—but rather, let me stand firm in the assurance that Your power to overcome the evil of this world resides in me, by Your Spirit and Your Word!

 

Thank You that I am one of Your children—that I come from You, that I am made in Your image, and that I am chosen by You to be the focus of Your unending and unfailing love and affection.

 

Thank You for the Christ-raising power of Your Spirit—that greater power that lives within me—that broke the grip of sin in my life and allows me the freedom to choose to walk in the victory that Christ won for me over evil.

 

Thank You for the Truth-giving power of Your Word—that power that reveals to me who You are and lets me understand who I am in Christ—so that I can exercise the authority given to me, in the Name of Jesus, to counter all the lies of the enemy.

 

Thank You for being the Greater One—the great “I AM”—the only One who is worthy to be praised and worshiped forever!  Let Your glory be seen in my life as You demonstrate Your power over the evil of this world—even through me!

 

Help me not to be moved when I see the evil that surrounds me, and let me never be afraid—but rather, let me stand firm in the assurance that Your power to overcome the evil of this world resides in me, by Your Spirit and Your Word!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Follow the Spirit

 

If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.  Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

 

—Galatians 5:25-26 (NASB)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Since I claim to be led by the Spirit, help me humbly submit to the Spirit’s leading in every part of my life, so that my life produces fruit that proves the truth of that leading. 

 

Your Spirit is alive and active in me and has shown me the path to eternal life—and, by that same Spirit, you give me the power to live as I should, in the here and now.

 

So, help me to live every aspect of my life in total harmony with Your Spirit—allowing You to guide my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors always—that by faith, my life will produce those things that please You.

 

Let me reflect the Light of Christ that is within me in all my relationships—for Your glory, honor, and praise—as I encourage both my brothers and sisters in Christ and those who are lost and hurting, with Christ-like love and compassion.

 

Help me to find my identity in Christ alone—so there is no room in me for conceit, no need in me to provoke others, no temptation to be envious or jealous—so that I can live my life with courage, integrity, and godly character.

 

Since I claim to be led by the Spirit, help me humbly submit to the Spirit’s leading in every part of my life, so that my life produces fruit that proves the truth of that leading. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

There is None Like Me

 

Remember the things I have done in the past.

    For I alone am God!

    I am God, and there is none like me.

Only I can tell you the future

    before it even happens.

Everything I plan will come to pass,

    for I do whatever I wish.

 

—Isaiah 46:9-10 (NLT)

 

O LORD GOD,

 

Remind me that You are God and there is none like You—that only You know the end of from the beginning, and that Your plan will always come to pass, because You are ultimately in control of everything that happens, and You answer to no one.

 

When I don’t understand what is happening around me, and I begin to fear the evil of this world, help me to remember and reflect on all the amazing ways that You have kept me safely sheltered in Your hands—providing for my every need—as You have led me down Your best path for me.

 

Help me to be comforted in the truth that You are Holy and Just—that every evil thing that is done in darkness will be brought to light one day to be judged, and You will one day vanquish all evil, just as You have promised in Your Word.

 

Show me how to see Your hand at work in everything that is presently happening around us, as You unfold before us Your plans to usher us into the glorious future that You have waiting for those who faithfully believe that You alone are God, and there is none like You!

 

Remind me that You are God and there is none like You—that only You know the end of from the beginning, and that Your plan will always come to pass, because You are ultimately in control of everything that happens, and You answer to no one.

 

In the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Incredible Greatness!

 

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

 

—Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)

 

Omnipotent God,

 

Help me to grow in my understanding of the incredible greatness of Your power—so I might more fully live my life by that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, which now lives in me!

 

Help me to know and believe that it is Your power alone—as given by the Holy Spirit and made possible by Christ’s redeeming sacrifice—that enables me to become everything You have called me be, and that apart from that I am powerless.

 

Help me to realize that in order to fulfill Your call to become more like Christ, I must continually draw from that unlimited resource of Your power within me—in humility and in willing obedience to Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your Will for me. 

 

Help me forever stand in awestruck wonder of Your power, knowing that it is that very same power—the power of Your love in action for all mankind—which is presently and actively at work within me. 

 

Help me to grow in my understanding of the incredible greatness of Your power—so I might more fully live my life by that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, which now lives in me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Fear God

 

Show respect for all people [treat them honorably], love the brotherhood [of believers], fear God, honor the king.

 

—1 Peter 2:17 (AMP)

 

Holy God,

 

May my fear of You—my absolute reverence and overwhelming awe of You—be proven by my obedience to all Your commandments.

 

I confess that I have not always shown respect for all people—that I have forgotten that every one of us has been made in Your image, and therefore is worthy of being treated with respect.

 

I confess that it is easy to respect and treat honorably those who agree with what I believe, but very difficult for me when it is apparent to me that they are not living in the Truth of Your Word.

 

I confess that I have not loved my brothers and sisters in Christ as I should—much less the unbelievers of this world, or those that You have placed in authority over me.

 

Forgive me I pray, and help me to remember that You control all things—that You give power and authority over me to whomever You choose—in order to bring about Your plans and purposes for us. 

 

And help me to remember that my part remains the same:  to fear and worship You alone, as I put all my hope in Christ; to show respect to all people and treat them honorably; to love well my brothers and sisters in Christ; and, as much as I can do so without violating Your commandments, to give honor to those in authority over me.

 

May Your Kingdom come, and Your Will be done—that the whole earth would be filled with Your Glory!

 

May my fear of You—my absolute reverence and overwhelming awe of You—be proven by my obedience to all Your commandments.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.