Do What is Right and Really Listen

 

“You see and recognize what is right

    but refuse to act on it.

You hear with your ears,

    but you don’t really listen.”

 

—Isaiah 42:20 (NLT)

 

Merciful LORD,

 

Help me be the kind of person who not only sees and recognizes what is right, but also acts on it—someone who not only hears with his ears, but also really listens, eager to obey every prompting of Your Spirit.

 

When I already know the right thing to do, help me not to hesitate to do it—knowing that my obedience to Your Word is a direct reflection of my love for you, and will be used by You to bring glory to Yourself.

 

From all the things that my ears hear, help me to listen only for Your Voice—knowing that You will tell me everything that I need to know in order to accomplish Your plan for my life, and will lead me into every good thing that You have for me.

 

Help me to walk with You, by faith, the path that You unfold before me—knowing that Your very best for me can only be found as I trust in Your unfailing love for me, and return that love to You through my heartfelt obedience.

 

Help me be the kind of person who not only sees and recognizes what is right, but also acts on it—someone who not only hears with his ears, but also really listens, eager to obey every prompting of Your Spirit.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God's Perfect Plans

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

 

—Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

 

Dear LORD,

 

Thank You that I can trust that Your plans for me are for my good and extend throughout eternity, as evidence of Your love for me—and that I can live in perfect peace because of this hope!

 

Interwoven among all the things that have ever happened, the things that are happening now, and anything that has yet to happen, is that marvelous plan for my individual life that was authored by You.

 

Limited by my humanness, I do not fully understand where I have been, where I am now, or where I am going.  I do not even fully know my own heart and I am uncertain of my own mind, at times.

 

But there is no uncertainty within You.  You know everything—past, present and future—and have designed a plan to bring me good and not disaster, to give me a future with You, and with that, great hope, as I put my trust in You.

 

Thank You that I have no reason to fear anything that may have happened in the past, nor the things that are happening around me now, nor anything that may happen to me next—because the plan You have for me is a plan to use it all to greatly benefit me and not to cause me harm.

 

And though trouble may come to me—because I live in a fallen world, full of evil—You will always be working in the midst of every circumstance I find myself in, to carry me through it in peace and bring good out of it for me.

 

Thank You that I can trust that Your plans for me are for my good and extend throughout eternity, as evidence of Your love for me—and that I can live in perfect peace because of this hope!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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.

The Love of the Father 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.

You Hear My Voice

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.

He 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,

 

Help me to remember that when I give all my worries and cares to You, I am giving You a welcomed gift of my faith in Your abounding love for me.

 

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.

 

May I never allow my circumstances to have control over me—never believe the lie that what I am facing cannot be overcome by You—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.

 

Help me to remember that when I give all my worries and cares to You, I am giving You a welcomed gift of my faith in Your abounding love for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Worthy of My Meditation

 

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,

And on Your wondrous works.

 

—Psalm 145:5 (NKJV)

 

Almighty and Glorious God,

 

Let me meditate on the majestic and glorious splendor of who You are and on the wondrous works of Your hand—works that are on full display before me in every moment of my life.

 

Help me to constantly consider the magnificence of Your sovereign power and stand in awe of You, who—by Your great power and by the Word of Your  mouth—created all there is from nothing.

 

Help me to be overwhelmed by the perfect brilliancy of Your character and—since You have made me in Your own image—walk in the hope that I might reflect enough of that brilliance of character that others would be drawn to You by the  Christ they see in me.

 

Help me to recognize the wondrous works of Your hand in the beauty that surrounds me and overtakes me—as well as in the minutest details of my personal life—as You reveal to me Your intimate interest in every facet of my existence, by Your faithful and unfailing love.

 

Let me meditate on the majestic and glorious splendor of who You are and on the wondrous works of Your hand—works that are on full display before me in every moment of my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Value Others

 

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

—Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Save me from my own self-centeredness and any impure, attention-seeking motive in me—so that I might walk in true humility, thinking of others before myself.

 

Help me not to be selfish—always looking at everything to see what’s in it for me, rather than how it might be an opportunity for me to be a part of what You are doing to benefit others.

 

Help me not to try vainly to impress others, but simply just do all I can to please You—as by faith I follow Your will, plan and purpose for me in each and every moment You give me.

 

Keep me humble before You and before others—and help me to value them above myself, so that I am never found to be arrogant, irritable or unapproachable.

 

Help me not to look out for my own interests alone—but make my first effort to look out for the interests of others, with the love of Christ.

 

Save me from my own self-centeredness and any impure, attention-seeking motive in me—so that I might walk in true humility, thinking of others before myself. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Every Word I Say

 

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

 

—Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

 

Father God,

 

May every word I say be lovingly truthful and purely motivated by Your Spirit within me—so that the only words I speak will be those which edify, encourage, and give grace to anyone who might hear them.

 

Help me never speak words that are slanderous, foul, corrupt, polluting, hurtful, or abusive—words that poison the minds and infect the hearts of those that hear them, with the evil that they carry.

 

Instead, help me only speak words that are wholesome, helpful, truthful, and that encourage the spiritual growth of others—always spoken in love and at the right time—which are appropriate for the occasion and for the need of the moment.

 

Help me also remember that there may be those to whom I am not directly speaking, who may overhear my words—so let me always be intentional about representing my Lord and Savior well, with every word I say.

 

May every word I say be lovingly truthful and purely motivated by Your Spirit within me—so that the only words I speak will be those which edify, encourage, and give grace to anyone who might hear them.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Jesus Christ, the Lord of My Life

 

 

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?”

 

—Luke 6:46 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to fully realize that making Jesus Christ the Lord of my life involves so much  more than merely calling out to Him, “Lord, Lord!”

 

Help me to understand and accept the truth that, in order for Jesus to be my Lord, I must freely surrender the “liberty of my free will” to “His will for me”—and then, and only then, find true freedom from the things that hold me captive.

 

Help me remember that my obedience to His commands and instructions is the best measurement of His Lordship over my life—and that the example of how He lived His life is the only standard of comparison by which I should examine my own life.

 

Keep me from the hypocrisy of claiming Christ as my Lord, while choosing to go my own way—allowing my own fleshly desires to control me, rather than living surrendered to the Spirit of Christ that lives in me.

 

Help me to fully realize that making Jesus Christ the Lord of my life involves so much more than merely calling out to Him, “Lord, Lord!”

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Living as Instructed

 

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

—Titus 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live in this evil world in a way that brings glory to You—as I look forward with hope to that wonderful day when all of Christ’s glory will be revealed.

 

You have told me to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures, and yet I must still live in this world—which is full of godlessness and sin.

 

So, help me to stand against the temptations of the world—by granting me the wisdom I need to correctly discern good from evil, the strength I need to make right and pure choices, and the assurance of Your love and goodness that I need to live a life that is devoted to You.

 

Help me to live purposefully while I am here—as I use the gifts and talents that You have given me to be a part of building Your Kingdom here on earth.  And let me look forward with great hope and anticipation to the day when my battles with temptation will end—when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, comes again.

 

Help me to live in this evil world in a way that brings glory to You—as I look forward with hope to that wonderful day when all of Christ’s glory will be revealed.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

When Gossip Stops

 

 

Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.

 

—Proverbs 26:20 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me never allow myself—in any way—to be the wood that fuels fires of contention and strife by joining in with others in gossip.

 

May the thoughts, motives and intents of my heart be right and pure and holy, so that those things which fill my heart—and flow from my mouth—will produce the good fruit of one who loves by only speaking words of truth and grace.

 

Help me remember that it is not enough to refuse to start or repeat gossip—I must also refuse to listen to gossip—refuse to allow my ears to receive and my heart to be polluted by that which is garbage to my soul.

 

So, help me to be bold and loving enough to challenge anyone who chooses to gossip, to stop—in the hope that they might repent and that we all would benefit from the peace and unity that comes when gossip stops.

 

Help me never allow myself—in any way—to be the wood that fuels fires of contention and strife by joining in with others in gossip.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Miraculous Things

 

O LORD, You are my God;

I will exalt You, I will praise and give thanks to Your name;

For You have done miraculous things, 

Plans formed long, long ago, [fulfilled] with perfect faithfulness.

—Isaiah 25:1 (AMP)

 

 

Sovereign and Faithful LORD,

 

You are—and forever will be—my God!

 

May I always honor and praise You—exalting You with every area of my life and giving thanks to Your Name with every word of my testimony.

 

Help me to remember and to boldly declare all the wonderful things that You have done—those miraculous things that I have read about in Your Word as well as the wonderful, amazing and supernatural things that I have witnessed first-hand in my own life.

 

Thank You for showing forth Your sovereignty with perfect faithfulness—as You fulfill every plan that You formed long, long ago, according to Your specific timing and purpose, for Your upmost glory.

 

You are—and forever will be—my God!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

My Greatest Joy

 

I take joy in doing your will, my God,

    for your instructions are written on my heart.   

—Psalm 40:8 (NLT)

 

Father God,

 

May my greatest joy be found in doing Your will!

 

Help me to remain passionate about discovering Your will for me—as I take the time to quiet my mind, to search the scriptures, and to allow Your Spirit to reveal the Truth that is waiting there for me in Your Word—so that Your instructions would be established within my heart, and I might faithfully apply them to my life.

 

Let my earnest seeking after Your will result in Your instructions being written so deeply within my heart that that which is my duty to do—as a follower of Christ—will truly become my joy and delight and privilege to do!

 

Then help me to live out the rest of my life in Your Truth—and experience the joy and the peace that come when I put all my trust in You and follow Your instructions, in willing and heartfelt obedience to Your will for me.

 

May my greatest joy be found in doing Your will!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.