Because You are My Helper

 

Because you are my helper,
    I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

I cling to you;
    your strong right hand holds me securely.

 

—Psalm 63:7-8 (NLT)

 

 

Almighty God, My Helper,

May I always sing for joy, and may I forever cling to You!

 

While there are those who seek to find their help from the things of this world, You have shown us the Truth in Your Word—that our help is found in You alone.

 

You are the One who spoke the heavens and the earth into existence—so where else would I go to find help for my life, if not to the Creator of life, Himself?

 

Because You are my helper, I can always sing for joy—no matter what outward circumstances I face—for You shelter me under the protection of Your covering wings from the troubles of this life. 

 

As I cling to You, You hold me securely—You take on Yourself the force of each storm that comes against me—so I can fulfill Your plan and purpose for me.

 

So, let my unending song in this life be a joyful song of praise, worship and thanksgiving offered to You—my only help and my sure salvation!

May I always sing for joy, and may I forever cling to You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Continually Seek The LORD

 

Search for the LORD

 and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
you children of his servant Abraham,
    you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

 

—Psalm 105:4-6 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

When I lose my way, when I no longer feel Your strength in me, stir my heart to search for You—to continually seek You.

 

Help me to remember that, just as You chose the descendants of Abraham and Jacob as Your own, You chose me and received me as Your own.

 

And help me not to forget all the wonders that You have performed, Your miracles, and the rulings and instructions that You have given—both as recorded in the Bible, and as I have experienced personally in my own walk with You.

 

Then move me to respond to Your immeasurable love for me, with a grateful heart, and in faithful obedience to everything You have taught me and to everything that You ask me to do.

 

And help me to walk through each moment of all the rest of my days in that strength, so I will come to understand more and more how You are at work in me, through me and all around me—both now and always.

 

When I lose my way, when I no longer feel Your strength in me, stir my heart to search for You—to continually seek You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

I Sought, He Answered, and Delivered Me!

 

I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
    And delivered me from all my fears.

 

—Psalm 34:4 (NASB)

 

O LORD, My Deliverer,

 

Thank You for delivering me from all my fears!

 

For far too much of my life, I lived full of fear—not knowing intimately, nor trusting completely, the One who could deliver me from that fear and usher me into the abundant life that He wanted me to experience.

 

But then I sought You. I searched Your Word for Truth, studied to understand who You are and all that You have done, and I prayed to You. I found that You are the God who can be found—the Father who wants to have a deep and personal relationship with each of His children.

 

I found that You are the God who hears and answers my prayers, according to the perfect plans that You have for me, always with my best interests at heart—out of Your great love for me. 

 

I discovered, through my personal experience of relationship with You, that You are faithful—that You are who You say You are, and that You do what You say You will do—and that my trust is never misplaced when I put my trust in You.

 

And then, I looked back at where I started and followed my path to where You have brought me thus far, and I realized I was no longer afraid. You had delivered me from all my fears. Now, fear no longer has a hold on me, and I am free to continue becoming all that You have called me to be in Christ.

 

Thank You for delivering me from all my fears!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Pay Attention, Listen!

 

My child, pay attention to what I say.

    Listen carefully to my words.

Don’t lose sight of them.

    Let them penetrate deep into your heart,

for they bring life to those who find them,

    and healing to their whole body.

—Proverbs 4:20-22 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me pay attention to what You say!

 

With Your Holy Spirit as my teacher, help me fully hear what You would say to me—when I read and study my Bible, while I listen to teaching and preaching, through my conversations with others, and as I quiet myself before You.

 

Help me receive, remember and treasure every word—allowing the truth of Your words to find a home in the deepest parts of my heart and abide there forever.

 

Then help me apply the truth that I have hidden in my heart to everything I think, say, and do—so I can experience the life, healing, and wholeness it brings, to my body, soul, and spirit, for the rest of my days, for Your glory alone!

 

Help me pay attention to what You say!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Weapons We Fight With

 

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

—2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me always remember this:  The real battles I must fight in this life are spiritual battles against anything that challenges Truth—that is, the knowledge of God—for the control of my heart. 

 

Thank You that my battles are not like those of the world which—because they are waged in the flesh—only bring misery and destruction to all who fight them.  Thank You there is victory in Christ for every battle I face!

 

Remind me that You have given me divinely powerful weapons—to use in the spiritual battles I must fight for the control of my heart, soul, and spirit—weapons that are able to demolish any strongholds of the enemy, every argument he may make, and each lie that he spews which contradicts the Truth I find in Your Word.

 

Grant me the wisdom to use these weapons—the weapons of prayer, the power of Truth of Your Word proclaimed, the witness of Your Holy Spirit within my spirit, and my authority in Christ as Your child—to enforce Your victory over the enemy in my life.

 

Help me carefully examine every thought or argument that enters my mind and hold it captive and isolated—unable to escape, deceive, or influence me in any way—until such time as it conforms to, and agrees with, and is obedient to Truth I find in Christ.

 

Help me always remember this:  The real battles I must fight in this life are spiritual battles against anything that challenges Truth—that is, the knowledge of God—for the control of my heart. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Rid Yourselves of all These Things

 

But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.

 

—Colossians 3:8 (AMP)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to purge my life completely of anything that is not pleasing to You—so that I can truly honor You, and bring You glory, by the way that I live.

 

The world around me is filled with people who live in anger and rage, people who are malicious and slanderous, and who use obscene language—and it can become tempting to my flesh to join in those things, if I spend too much time listening to the world, instead of feeding my spirit with the Truth of Your Word.

 

So, help me to turn away from those things—and as much as I am able, to remove them completely from my life—so that the things that I choose to watch, read, dwell on, and participate in, won’t become a hindrance to my becoming all that You have created me to be.

 

Help me to live according to the instruction of Your Word, so that I would show patience instead of anger, demonstrate calmness instead of rage, offer kindness instead of malice, speak truth in love instead of slander—and let words of life fill my mouth, rather than the sinful, vulgar, and blasphemous language of this world. 

 

Help me to purge my life completely of anything that is not pleasing to You—so that I can truly honor You, and bring You glory, by the way that I live.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Fear, Worship, Revere, Obey, and Wait

 

The LORD favors those who fear and worship Him

[with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
Those who wait for His mercy and lovingkindness.

 

—Psalm 147:11 (AMP)

 

LORD of Mercy and Lovingkindness,

 

May I fear and worship only You—as I wait for Your mercy and lovingkindness!

 

Help me to find the favor You show to those who truly fear and worship You—to those who tremble before You because You are the God who does what He says He will do, the One who sovereignly reigns with perfect justice.

 

Let the power that You display in me, through me, and in all Your creation around me, inspire me to reverently worship You with all my life—to obey every instruction of Your Word, and every prompting of Your Holy Spirit—trusting You will guide me into Your very best for plan for me.

 

And help me to expectantly wait for, and joyfully anticipate the mercy and lovingkindness that You promise to show me—both today and forevermore—as I put all my hope in You.

 

May I fear and worship only You—as I wait for Your mercy and lovingkindness!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

The Lord of Peace Himself

 

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

 

—2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NLT)

 

Lord of Peace,

Help me to receive Your peace—that peace that You offer, at all times and in every situation, to everyone who chooses to believe that You are with them always.

 

I know that it is not Your will for me to lose my peace—trying to figure my way out of a situation that I am facing by relying on my own understanding—as if I could ever do anything without You!

 

In fact, it is the “relying on my own understanding” that is the very thing that keeps me from entering into Your peace—that peace which is far beyond my intellect, and way beyond my understanding!

 

So, help me to quiet the wandering thoughts of my mind, so I can fix my eyes on You and be still in Your Presence, as I create room for You in my heart and invite You in to fill me with Your Spirit.

 

Then take over all my thoughts and saturate my mind and spirit with the Light of the Truth of Your Word—so I can know the path forward that You have prepared for me to take.

 

Help me to understand that it is your great desire that I walk with You in peace—at all times and in every situation, so that I can live find my best life in You.

Help me to receive Your peace—that peace that You offer, at all times and in every situation, to everyone who chooses to believe that You are with them always.

 

In Your Precious and Glorious Name, Lord Jesus—my Prince of Peace! Amen.

All of Us, Like Sheep

 

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
    the sins of us all.

 

—Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away. 

 

 

I need You to lead me today.  Because just like a sheep, if left on my own, I will wander from the path of Your will for me—and follow a path marked by my own self-centered desires. 

 

Sometimes, I do it somehow blindly unaware of my wandering—as if I were sleepwalking—failing to wake up to the error of my way, until I am lost and a long way from home.

 

Sometimes, I fall back into my old ways of stubborn and willful rebellion—fully aware, but foolishly wanting what I want, more than wanting what You want for me.

 

And yet, always, even in my sin, You call me to return to You—having laid all of my sin upon Jesus, so that I might stand in the peace and protection of Your Presence once again.

 

Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You, and to value Your Presence as I should, so I will hear Your instruction and choose to follow You in obedience—as You lead me to every good thing that You have prepared for me.  

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away.  

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Sharing of My Faith

 

I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective and powerful because of your accurate knowledge of every good thing which is ours in Christ.

 

—Philemon 1:6 (AMP)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to share my faith effectively and powerfully—so that others might come to know You, too.

 

Teach me from Your Word every good thing which is mine in Christ—as I read and study Your Word, and as I listen for Your Spirit to instruct me—so that my knowledge would be accurate.

 

As I share my faith, remind me to begin with what I know to be true from my own life about the good things that are mine in Christ.  

 

And don’t let the things that I don’t yet fully understand hold me back from sharing what I do know to be true—those things I have learned from the riches of my personal experience with You.

 

Remind me that it is easy to tell the story of my faith, because You have written that story on the pages of my life—with the pen of Your love for me.

 

Help me to share my faith effectively and powerfully—so that others might come to know You, too.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Every Word of God

 

Every word of God proves true.

    He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

 

—Proverbs 30:5 (NLT)

 

 

Father God,

 

Thank You for all the times that Your words have been proven true in my life—and for the comfort and hope that comes over me when I remember Your faithfulness to Your Word!

 

Remind me to run to Your Word—the Bible—every day, so that by Your Spirit You can reveal the Truth that You have waiting there for me to discover.

 

And should I become discouraged, help me to look back and remember how in all my life Your words have always proven to be true—and have worked to my great gain, when I have been faithful to live in willing obedience to Your Word.

 

Help me never to forget that You have provided this pathway to Truth out of Your great love for me—so that if I seek out Your Truth and apply it to my life, You will be a shield for me, covering me, protecting me and keeping me in perfect peace.

 

Thank You for all the times that Your words have been proven true in my life—and for the comfort and hope that comes over me when I remember Your faithfulness to Your Word!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Our Present Troubles are Small

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

 

—2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Renew me once again today, so that I won’t be tempted to give up! 

 

Help me to draw on the power of Your Holy Spirit within me, to renew my strength, so I can boldly face what lies before me on my journey through this life.

 

Remind me that though my body has been aging since the day I was born, You cause me to be renewed in the inner man of my spirit—so that I find new life in You, discover more about who You are, and become more like You, with each new day.

 

Show me how to trust in You, and believe, and put my hope in You alone, knowing the temporary troubles that I face are simply tools which You will use for my good—to mold and fashion me into the person that You want me to be, so that I can bring You glory.

 

Grant me the humility to accept my human limitations, recognize my dependence on You, and to take my eyes off my troubles long enough to see You—and acknowledge Your great power to save me out of them all!

 

And help me to embrace life here with the joy and peace that You have called me to—until that great day when You call me home to be forever with You in glory.

 

Renew me once again today, so that I won’t be tempted to give up! 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Things the LORD Detests

 

There are six things the LORD hates—
    no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family.

 —Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT)

 

LORD of my Heart,

 

Help me surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

 

Remove any haughtiness or conceitedness from within me—especially when my eyes show contempt for others. Keep me from sinning by thinking more highly of myself than I ought to, while undervaluing others.

 

Check me by Your Spirit should any lie be formed in my heart—before it spills across my tongue—that my words would always reflect that I hold Truth as sacred in my life.

 

Purge from me any desire for the shedding of innocent blood—for cruelty or bloodthirstiness.  Help me to have precious reverence for the sanctity of life.

 

Expose any tendency to devise wickedness in my heart or to entertain or rehearse evil plans in my mind—that I might chose to meditate only on what is good and right.

 

Make my feet quick to run to do what is good, so that my feet will be kept from that which is evil.

 

Let me only speak the truth about others—and let those words be pleasing to You—so that I cannot be used as a tool of the enemy for his purposes.

 

And stop me from sowing any seeds of discord among my family—whether my natural family or my brothers and sisters in Christ—that unity would be preserved.

Help me surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In the Beginning . . .

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 

—John 1:1-3 (ESV)

 

Ever-existing Jesus,

 

Help my finite mind and limited understanding grasp the depths of this truth: You exist outside of the limits of time—You always were and always shall be, from eternity past to eternity future—and are the Creator of all there is and that You created it from nothing!

 

Help me to understand that You have always been here—that You were here before You created time and set it into motion . . . before there was a beginning, “In the beginning.”

 

Help me to understand that everything that was created was created through You—that nothing that was made was made without You.

 

Help me to understand that You are, and always have been, fully God—that even though You took on human flesh and became fully man, You never ceased to be fully God.

 

Help me to understand that when I look to You, Jesus, I am looking to the Creator of the universe, the highest revelation of God to man, the living example to me of perfect and complete holiness, and the One who holds everything together by the power of His might.

 

May all my praise and worship forever be lifted unto You, my God, my Savior, my Lord, and my soon-returning King!

 

Help my finite mind and limited understanding grasp the depths of this truth: You exist outside of the limits of time—You always were and always shall be, from eternity past to eternity future—and are the Creator of all there is and that You created it from nothing!

 

All Glory to Your Name, Lord Jesus, Amen.