If You Follow Jesus

 

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 

—John 8:12 (NLT)

Gracious Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World—so that we wouldn’t have to walk in darkness!

 

Thank You that the darkness of evil doesn’t have the power—nor will it ever have the power—to overcome that Light we find in the Creator of life itself, Jesus Christ, whose life brings light to all humankind.  

 

Thank You that though I once was a prisoner to the evil at work in me—an evil which held me captive in sin—I am now free from its bondage, because of the Light, which exposed the works of darkness in me and showed me my desperate need for a Savior.

 

Thank You that, as I follow after Jesus, I don’t have to walk in darkness—blindly stumbling through life, driven by evil to fall into sin—but I can choose to walk in the Light of Your Truth, which leads me to life, because of the power of Christ within me.

 

Thank You that, in Jesus, I experience Your presence with me, Your love for me, Your protection over me, Your provision for all my needs, and Your guidance, as You reveal Your plan for me to truly live in the freedom of Your marvelous Light.

 

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World—so that we wouldn’t have to walk in darkness!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Feeding on God's Faithfulness

 

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

 

—Psalm 37:3 (NKJV)

 

 

Loving and Gracious LORD,

 

As I purpose to put all my trust in You, LORD, help me also actively seek to do good—so that I might dwell in the safety of Your Will for my life here on earth, and be fed by Your great faithfulness.

 

May I never claim to trust You by my words, but then fail to demonstrate that trust through my obedience to Your Word. Help me hold fast to the truth that only through my obedience can I demonstrate the depth of my faith—and only by my faith can I please You.

 

Show me that when I am obedient to do that which is good, You are faithful to bless me with everything that I need to accomplish Your Will—to provide for every spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental need I have, according to Your plan and purpose for me.

 

Teach me that it is only within Your Will that I can find the satisfaction, peace and joy of true contentment. So let me feed on Your faithfulness to sustain me through everything that might come against me—as You prove Yourself forever faithful and true.

 

As I purpose to put all my trust in You, LORD, help me also actively seek to do good—so that I might dwell in the safety of Your Will for my life here on earth, and be fed by Your great faithfulness.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Store Your Treasures in Heaven

 

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

—Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May I never forget that the only treasures that will ever truly satisfy the longing desires of my heart are found in Jesus Christ.

 

Help me not to allow the distractions or the attractions of this world to become a quickly vanishing treasure that I get lost in seeking after—when such a greater treasure is made available to me in Christ.

 

Help me remember that only the treasures that I lay up for myself in heaven are truly mine to keep—that they are the only treasures which can never be taken away from me.

 

Help me keep my heart set on those eternal things, things that cannot be destroyed, and cannot be taken from me—as I lift up to You every blessing You have given me in this life with open hands and surrendered it all to You to be used for Your Glory.

 

May I never forget that the only treasures that will ever truly satisfy the longing desires of my heart are found in Jesus Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Do Not Dwell on the Past

 

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

 —Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

 

Almighty God,

 

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things, those even far greater things, which will define my future with You.

 

Teach me to see—to stop, and look, and perceive Your will for me—as You work in me, through me, and all around me, in new and fresh ways to bring glory to Yourself.

 

Make me open to receive all that this ever-changing gift of life You have given me has to offer—as You unfold before me the newness of the perfect path that You have for me to walk.

 

Grant me the faith to believe that You are able—and You certainly will—make a road for me in the wilderness and cause life-giving rivers to flow in any desert that lies before me, both now and forevermore.

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things, those even far greater things, which will define my future with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Study, Reflect, Delight, and Not Forget

 

I will study your commandments

    and reflect on your ways.

I will delight in your decrees

    and not forget your word.

 

—Psalm 119:15-16 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

May I forever study Your commandments and reflect on Your ways! Let Your decrees be my delight and may I never forget Your Word!

 

Help me to study Your commands that I might know the Truth behind all that You have commanded us in Your Word—and rightly apply that Truth to my life and more perfectly live my life for You.

 

Teach me to know You, as I reflect on Your ways—so that in coming to know You more completely, I can better understand Your love for each one of us and so be compelled to share that love with others around me.

 

Show me how to take my highest delight in what You have decreed—knowing that Your love for us is the foundation upon which every decree is established, each one being framed for our benefit.

 

May I forever study Your commandments and reflect on Your ways! Let Your decrees be my delight and may I never forget Your Word!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The LORD is the Everlasting God!

 

Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

 —Isaiah 40:28 (NLT)

 

Everlasting God,

 

Grant me ears that will hear and a heart that seeks to understand the immeasurable greatness of all that You are!

 

Let the truth—that You are the everlasting God—fill my life with the comforting peace of knowing that You are, and forever will be, in control of everything.

 

Let me hear the music of Your creation as it praises You and makes You known as the Creator of all the earth—and let me join my voice with theirs in declaring there is none like You.

 

Let it be Your unfailing strength which lovingly carries me when I am weak or weary—that I might not falter or fail.

 

Let me trust in the immeasurable depth of Your understanding and confidently rest in the truth that You know what is best for me—and are always working in me to guide me to that end.

 

Grant me ears that will hear and a heart that seeks to understand the immeasurable greatness of all that You are!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Your Words!

 

When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
    They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
    O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.

 

 —Jeremiah 15:16 (NLT)

 

Dear LORD,

 

Keep me hungry—eager to receive and ready to apply every word that You would speak into my life. Let Your words be my joy and my heart’s delight!

 

Continue to speak to my heart through Your Holy Spirit, and by that same Spirit reveal and illuminate the words of the Bible to my spirit—that I might devour the fresh Truth that You have waiting there for me to discover.

 

Use that Truth to help me grow in obedience and faithfulness to You, so that I can live my life submitted to Truth and can become all that You have planned for me to be in Christ—for Your own glory and honor and praise.

 

For it is in Your words that I find my strength and hope! And in them I discover the responsibilities of obedience that I carry, because I have been chosen—and I have chosen—to bear Your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies!

 

Keep me hungry—eager to receive and ready to apply every word that You would speak into my life. Let Your words be my joy and my heart’s delight!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The One Who is Over All Things!

 

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

 

—1 Chronicles 29:11 (NLT)

O LORD My God,

 

Grant that I would always adore You as the One who is over all things—the only One worthy to receive the worship of my heart!

 

Capture my every thought this day with Your unsurpassed greatness—that I would ponder the limitlessness of the great God I serve and find comfort in Your unfailing love for me.

 

Help me to tap into Your power—that same power that raised Christ from the dead which lives in me—so that I can do all things that You ask of me, through Christ.

 

Show me Your glory all around me, that I would find comfort for my weary soul in Your presence with me—knowing that You will never leave me, nor forsake me.

 

Strengthen me to walk in victory over all my sin—victory which You bought for me, through the redeeming sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.

 

And let me worship You in all Your majesty—making much of You, so that my troubles here on earth fade from sight, in the light of who You are and of all that You have done.

 

Give me Your peace today, as I offer You all my adoration—knowing all things are Yours and under Your control, as You hold it all in the palm of Your hand.

 

Grant that I would always adore You as the One who is over all things—the only One worthy to receive the worship of my heart!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Be Afraid, I Am Here

 

"For I hold you by your right hand—
    I, the LORD your God.
And I say to you,
    ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’"

 

—Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)

 

Sovereign LORD my God,

 

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone! For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

So, help me to embrace whatever lies before me today, with the certain confidence that You are by my side, and with the understanding that my access to all that You are is only restricted by how willing I am to seek You out by faith.

 

Thank You for the compassionate love You show to me—that You comfort and keep me, holding fast to my right hand—so that in the times I stumble, You uphold me in Your strength and steady me, so that I don’t fall down completely.

 

Thank You for Your assurance to me that I have nothing to fear, because You are here to help me, to guide and direct me—no matter the situation or circumstance in which I may find myself—as You lead me forward down paths of righteousness, for love’s sake and for Your glory, in the fullness of Truth and Grace.

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone!  For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

My Thoughts, and My Ways

 

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."

—Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)

 

Sovereign LORD,

 

How limited I am in my understanding—and yet, how gracious You are to show me things I could never come to understand on my own!

 

You are the Sovereign LORD—my infinitely powerful, infinitely present, infinitely wise, infinitely loving, Heavenly Father. How foolish it would be for me to depend on my own understanding, when Your thoughts reach infinitely further than mine!

 

Help me understand that I cannot ever fully understand Your thoughts and Your ways, because of the finite limits of my mind. My thinking can be distorted by the ongoing assault of the enemy’s lies, so help me remember that I am totally dependent on You to lead me into all Truth.

 

Draw me close and teach me to pursue a more personal and intimate relationship with You always—so I might learn to trust more completely in Your love for me and Your absolute knowledge of, and provision for, everything that I need to accomplish Your will and purpose for me.

How limited I am in my understanding—and yet, how gracious You are to show me things I could never come to understand on my own!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Only God Knows Each Heart

 

Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can fully share its joy.

 

—Proverbs 14:10 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to remember that only You can fully know the depths of the hearts of the those around me—and help me to carefully consider that truth, and love them with all the love of Christ.

 

Teach me to look through eyes of compassion at each person I encounter, realizing that I do not fully know the particular experiences that have helped to shape them into the persons that they now are—whether for the good, or for the bad.

 

Don’t let me forget that each person’s heart carries its own bitterness and pain—each heart its own hurts, wounds and brokenness—which cry out, searching for healing wherever it might be found.  

 

Use me to help point the broken-hearted to Your Son, and our Savior, Jesus—the only One that can bring true healing to the broken—as I speak truth and grace, motivated by love, into their lives.

 

And help me also to rejoice with those whose hearts are rejoicing—though I can never fully share the joy that is uniquely theirs—in order that my own joy would be awakened within me, and my mouth would be filled with praise to You.

 

Help me to remember that only You can fully know the depths of the hearts of the those around me—and help me to carefully consider that truth, and love them with all the love of Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Path to an Untroubled Heart

 

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

 

—John 14:1 (NLT)

 

Lord Jesus,

 

As we live our lives in this very troubled world, help us to remember Your instruction to us—help us never allow our hearts to be troubled.

 

Thank You for not only giving us this instruction, but also for empowering us to obey this instruction by showing us the pathway to an untroubled heart—that an untroubled heart trusts in God, and trusts in You.

 

Show us how our capacity to trust in You is dependent on the depth of our relationship with You—and that the depth of that relationship is determined by our understanding of who You are and of Your great love for us, which is revealed to us in the Word and by the Spirit.

 

Help us to realize that the more that we act on the Truth we find in Your Word, and put our trust in You, the more we give You the opportunity to show Yourself faithful to us, which in turn causes our trust to grow because of our experience of that faithfulness.

 

As we live our lives in this very troubled world, help us to remember Your instruction to us—help us never allow our hearts to be troubled.

 

In Your beautiful and powerful name, I pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Don't Let Evil Find You!

 

 

If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

 

—Proverbs 11:27 (NLT)

 

Good and Gracious Father,

 

Help me search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

Remind me that there is good to be found all around me—when I search for it! Help me to look for that good in every person I encounter and in each circumstance that I face.

 

Save me from every temptation to search for evil—and don’t let me walk away from Your sheltering protection. For I know that I will never find evil before it finds me—because it watches for every opportunity of catching me unprotected, that it might destroy me.

 

In everything, help me keep my eyes fixed on You—the Author of all things good—so that all my thoughts, words and actions will be filled with Your goodness and love, and I would bring honor to You.

 

Help me search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.