Rivers of Tears!

 

Rivers of tears gush from my eyes
    because people disobey your instructions.

 

—Psalm 119:136 (NLT)

 

Ever-Loving LORD,

 

May my heart break—along with Yours—and may my tears gush over the disobedience of Your people!

 

I confess that my heart has not been truly broken and far too few of my tears have been shed over the choices that Your own people have made to disobey, dishonor, and disregard Your instructions.

 

Instead of being broken, my heart has been self-righteously critical and judging of others when I witness the mess that they have made of their lives by the choices that they have made—thinking in my heart that they have gotten what they deserve.

 

Then I am reminded that I, too, have broken Your heart through my own disobedience and am deserving of much worse than I have received—and yet, You have loved me back to Yourself, time and time again.

 

Help my heart to break over sin—both mine own and the sins of others—and show me how to love others in the same way You have shown Your love to me. 

 

Grant me the humility of heart to love them as You would have me love them—to love them enough to love them back to You!

 

May my heart break—along with Yours—and may my tears gush over the disobedience of Your people!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Look to the LORD, Wait Confidently

 

As for me, I look to the LORD for help.

    I wait confidently for God to save me,
    and my God will certainly hear me.

 

—Micah 7:7 (NLT)

 

God of My Salvation, 

 

Help me to remember that You are my source of help—that all my help surely comes from You!

 

Help me look to You and wait—in quietness of spirit and in confidence of heart—for You to save me from whatever circumstance or situation in which I find myself.

 

And help me to see Your hand working to accomplish Your plans and purposes for me along every path that You lead me down—as You teach me more about Your ways and show me Your salvation.

 

May I always cry out to You in faith—trusting that You will hear me. For You know my thoughts, even before I put them into words and are ever eager to answer the cries of my heart.

 

Help me to remember that You are my source of help—that all my help surely comes from You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Come With Haste and Go and Tell!

 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 

—Luke 2:8-17 (KJV)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Just like the shepherds on that night long ago, may I come with haste to find my Savior waiting for me, then go and tell the story of His great love for me.

 

Thank you for choosing to reveal this good news to shepherds, to show me that Jesus is a King for every man—so I would know that He was sent for me.

 

Thank You that, just like You did for the shepherds, You meet me where I am—and surround me with Your Glory.

 

Thank You that I don’t have to fear—because what You have to tell me is always for my good.

 

Thank You that the “good tidings of great joy” which You brought that night continue in the good news You bring to me today.

 

Thank You that when I seek Jesus today—through prayer and through Your Word—He shows Himself to me and I learn to experience for myself His great love for me.

 

Thank You that I, too, am invited to join with the angels and sing praises to You for all the wondrous things You have done for me.

 

Help me not only to continue to seek Jesus for myself, but also to tell the story of my experience of His love for me—so that others might come to know Him, too.

Just like the shepherds on that night long ago, may I come with haste to find my Savior waiting for me, then go and tell the story of His great love for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

For Unto Us a Child is Born!

 

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

—Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

 

Immanuel, God With Us,

 

Thank You for coming into our world as a baby, living a sinless life, taking our sin on Yourself, and dying in our place to gain, for us, the victory over sin and death—so that we could find our life in You!

 

You were born into the world, through a virgin girl—to be fully human—and You were conceived in her womb, by the Holy Spirit, as the Son of God—to be fully God—and sent to a world in desperate need of a Savior.  

 

You brought a new government, a new covenant—perfect and just in all its ways—that would rest on Your shoulders, and not our own, so that it would never end.

You are my Wonderful Counselor—awesomely wonderful in all Your ways and perfectly wise in all Your counsel.

 

You are my Mighty God—strong and powerful on my behalf, protecting me from my enemies, preserving me with Your mighty right hand and never letting me slip from Your loving grip.

 

You are my Everlasting Father—the One who gave life itself in the beginning, the One who gave life to me when I was conceived in my mother’s womb, and the One who gives me life forevermore in You.

 

You are my Prince of Peace—as in You alone do I find that peace that is far greater than I can understand, when I humbly submit myself to Your will for me.

Thank You for coming into our world as a baby, living a sinless life, taking our sin on Yourself, and dying in our place to gain, for us, the victory over sin and death—so that we could find our life in You!

 

In Your Most Holy and Glorious Name, Amen.

God So Loved The World

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. —John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

  

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for loving us!

 

Thank You for Your amazing love for us all—a love which is ever reaching out to us to draw us into relationship with You.

 

Thank You for the perfect love that You freely gave in the form of Your only begotten Son—who You willingly sacrificed, so we could know just how far true love will go.

 

Thank You for the complete freedom from our sin that You bought for us, and the path to joy and peace that You laid out before us—when Christ laid down His life for us all.

 

Thank You for not sending Your Son to condemn us to die as we deserved—but to offer everlasting life with You to all who would believe in Jesus.

 

Thank You for loving us!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

And The Word Became Flesh

 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

—John 1:14 (NKJV)

 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your perfect plan to send forth Your Word to become flesh—in the fragile form of a baby—so that He could dwell among us and so we could behold His Glory!

Help me to be a good student of Your Word, that I might learn the lessons that Jesus came to teach us all—about who You are, and who we should be—and help me faithfully apply them to my life, so that Christ Jesus might more perfectly shine through me.

Help me to follow the example of Jesus in the way that I live my life in this world, so that my life would stand out in its uniqueness, rather than blend in with the “norms” of this world’s thinking—and would draw others to Christ.

And help me to learn to live a life of sacrifice—to represent well the life of perfect sacrifice that Jesus came to live, so that I could have an abundant life of grace and truth here and now, and eternal life with You forevermore.

Thank You for Your perfect plan to send forth Your Word to become flesh—in the fragile form of a baby—so that He could dwell among us and so we could behold His Glory!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Your Light and Your Truth

 

Send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling!

 

—Psalm 43:3 (ESV)

 

Heavenly Father,

Send out Your Light and Your Truth to guide me! 

 

Send out Your Light!  It is in Your Light that the paths before me are fully illuminated—that all darkness is driven away—and I can see clearly and move forward with confidence into Your plans for me.

 

Send out Your Truth!  It is in Your Truth that the perfect path that You have for me is revealed—as You graciously guide me into all Truth by the empowering of Your Spirit, who abides in me.

 

Let Your Light and Your Truth lead me into Your Glorious Presence—to that place where You live—so that I can abide there in the abundance of Your very best for me.

 

Send out Your Light and Your Truth to guide me! 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

I Will Praise Him Again!

 

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 42:11 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

In those times when I am tempted to become discouraged, help me to reason with my heart—and remember that all my hope is found in You, my Savior and my God!

 

Help me to see that when I become discouraged, I have “mis-placed” my hope—that I have placed my hope in something or someone other than the only One who is worthy of my praise.

 

Help me to see that when my heart is saddened, I need only raise my voice to You, the One to whom all praise is due—and You will lift me up once again into your Presence, where I find the joy of my salvation and the abundant life that You offer me.

 

Because You are my Savior and my God—the One who drives away all doubt, fear, and sadness by Your love, the One who renews my courage, hope and joy—I will sing my praises to You, yet again!

 

In those times when I am tempted to become discouraged, help me to reason with my heart—and remember that all my hope is found in You, my Savior and my God!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

This Only Do I Seek

 

One thing I ask from the LORD,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
    and to seek him in his temple. 

 —Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

 

O LORD My God,

 

May the one thing I ask for, the only thing I seek, be the privilege of dwelling in Your Presence—of gazing on Your beauty, in an abiding, unbroken, intimate relationship with You!

 

King David wrote of his desire to make Your house his home—knowing that Your house was where Your Presence could be found, and that in Your Presence he would find everything that He needed.

 

And so, it is true for me, that in Your Presence I can experience provision for all my needs, protection from all my enemies, comfort for all my sorrows, wisdom to discern the truth of Your Word, knowledge beyond my own intellect, the power, strength and courage to do Your will, and a peace that surpasses my own understanding.

 

Help me to be ever mindful that You are always with me, You never leave my side, and that You are, in truth, alive within me—so that I won’t be tempted to wander my own way, but can personally experience all the grace and truth of the abundant life that I find, when I seek out Your Presence.

 

May the one thing I ask for, the only thing I seek, be the privilege of dwelling in Your Presence—of gazing on Your beauty, in an abiding, unbroken, intimate relationship with You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Sustained with Joy!

 

If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy,

    I would have died in my misery.

I will never forget your commandments,

    for by them you give me life.

 

—Psalm 119:92-93 (NLT)

 

Father God,

 

Thank You for the sustaining joy and the abundant life that You give to all who will listen to Your instructions—to those who are careful to remember, and to obey, Your commandments!

 

Too much of my life I wandered from Your instructions—reaping the consequences of my disobedience—until finally I learned that each of Your instructions are meant to benefit me, not to harm me or hold me back from life in any way.

 

When I learned to follow Your instructions and ordered my steps by Your commandments, trouble still came my way—but misery could no longer take away my life, for You sustained me with a deep and abiding joy!

 

Let me never forget Your commands, for by them You give me abundant life—life that is rich, and deep, and full, and overflowing—so that I can do everything You have called me to do, and be all that You have called me to be, for Your glory, honor, and praise.

 

Thank You for the sustaining joy and the abundant life that You give to all who will listen to Your instructions—to those who are careful to remember, and to obey, Your commandments!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Listen Very Carefully!

 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

 

—Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth! Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

Help me to hold onto the precious gift of Truth that I have been given—Truth which continues to be revealed to me in proportion to my willingness and obedience to continue to read, study, believe, and apply Your Word to my life.

 

Help me to be careful to remember the Truth I have heard—by regularly meditating upon it—so that I will be ready to apply Your Truth to every situation or circumstance in which I find myself, as I mix my faith with Your Truth.

 

Help me to recognize and guard against the weakness of my mind. For Your Truth is so quick to drain from my heart when I allow the enemy to speak lies into my thoughts—or when I entertain the condemnation that he spews—as he tries to move me from the Truth I find in You.

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth! Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Do Not Be Afraid or Discouraged

 

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”  

—Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)

 

Omnipresent and Sovereign LORD,

 

May my confident hope—for the facing of this day before me—be found in Your promise that You will personally go ahead of me, that You will be with me, and that You will neither fail me nor abandon me!

 

Help me to remember that You are always with me, and that where I am going, You are already there—that You have gone before me to make a way for me, so that with each step I take, I can be where You are, as You call me to Yourself.

 

Don’t allow any situations or circumstances before me draw me into fear or discouragement. Help me to reject any thoughts or doubts that come up against the Truth of Your promises to me—help me trust in Your love for me!

 

Help me to walk boldly forward into the plan that You have for me today—knowing that You will never fail me nor abandon me, but will walk with me to empower me, provide for me, and protect me along the path You have chosen for me, today.

May my confident hope—for the facing of this day before me—be found in Your promise that You will personally go ahead of me, that You will be with me, and that You will neither fail me nor abandon me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Straight Path, A Safe Path

 

Mark out a straight path for your feet;
    stay on the safe path.

Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.

 

—Proverbs 4:26-27 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

With each new day, help me to mark out the straight path for my feet—the path which leads to a more abundant life!

 

Keep me on that straight path of willing obedience to Your will and Your decrees—as You prove Your loving faithfulness to me by keeping me in every way, when I choose the safe path you have offered me.

 

And don’t allow me to get sidetracked by the distractions of this world—to wander off that path—but help me stay focused on honoring Your ever-abiding Presence with me, as You show me the next best step for me.

 

For then my feet will not follow after evil and I won’t find myself lost along the way—as I journey through this life, on my way home to You.

 

With each new day, help me to mark out the straight path for my feet—the path which leads to a more abundant life!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.