My Hope and Confidence

 

But blessed are those who trust in the LORD
    and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.

 

—Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

 

Faithful, Trustworthy, and Sovereign LORD GOD,

 

May I always trust You to be the One in whom I can confidently place all my hope—knowing that Your plans and purposes will always prevail and cannot be stopped.

 

You alone are the God who saves us—both in, and through, the trials of this life here and now, and beyond into the eternity that you have planned for all who have made Jesus Christ their Savior, and the Lord of their lives.

 

So, keep me from putting my confidence and hope in material things, like money or possessions, that will all fade away to nothing. For those things have no power to save my soul.

 

But also keep me from looking to human power to save me from the evil of this world—when You already have redeemed me, having broken the power of evil over me, and have given me victory and everlasting life in Christ Jesus. 

 

And You have equipped me with everything I need to live an abundant life in Him, assured that—no matter what may come—I am Your dearly loved child and that I will never slip from Your grip.

 

May I always trust You to be the One in whom I can confidently place all my hope—knowing that Your plans and purposes will always prevail and cannot be stopped.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Your Name

 

 

 

“Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.’”

 

—Matthew 6:9 (NASB)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Teach me to keep Your Name Holy—set apart as sacred, revered in my heart, and glorified through my life.

 

Show me how to bring honor to Your Holy Name—in everything I think, say, and do—so others might see in me the mercy, forgiveness, healing, grace, truth, peace, and joy of Your love, which is available to all those who call upon Your Name.

 

Keep me from using Your Holy Name in vain—carelessly throwing it around, shamefully invoking it in unholy ways and bringing dishonor to all the holy perfection that is represented in Your Name.

 

Fully knowing who I am as Your dearly loved child, help me to speak and act boldly, and in faith, according to the Truth and Grace that are fully expressed by the perfect Love that is found within Your Holy Name.

 

Teach me to keep Your Name Holy—set apart as sacred, revered in my heart, and glorified through my life.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Your Word

 

 

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
    and a light for my path.

 

—Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to take up the lamp of Your Word, discover the Truth that it holds, and trust it to light my way through all the perils of this world—as I journey home to You.

 

Help me study, embrace, and apply to my life the Truth that Your Word holds for me—Truth about who You are, and who I am in Christ, about right and wrong, and good and evil, and about Your great plan for my life.

 

Show me how Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet—so that when I carry the lamp of Your Word within me, I can see clearly each step that I am taking and be kept from falling, in my thoughts, words, and actions, as I navigate this life here on earth.

 

Teach me that Your Word is a light for my path—that as I move forward in faith, I can trust that You will illuminate before me the best path for me to walk and will safely lead me all the way home to You.

 

Help me to take up the lamp of Your Word, discover the Truth that it holds, and trust it to light my way through all the perils of this world—as I journey home to You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Abide

 

 

 

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

 

—John 15:7 (NASB)

 

Lord Jesus,

 

May I continually abide in You, keeping every word that You have spoken alive in my heart and proven out by the way I live my life. May my deepest desire always be that Your Will would be accomplished in me.

 

May I always live my life in You—being vitally and necessarily joined with You and making You the center of everything I think, say and do—always mindful that apart from You, I am nothing.

 

Cause Your words to remain in my heart—so I can remember to rely on them, continually contemplate them, use them as my strict standard for that which I do, graciously grow by them, carefully cling to them for my hope, and evermore establish them as the Truth in my life.

 

For I know that, in as much as I am truly able to do this, not only will my thoughts, words and actions be in harmony with Your plans and purposes for my life, but every desire of my heart will be conformed to Your will.

 

May I continually abide in You, keeping every word that You have spoken alive in my heart and proven out by the way I live my life. May my deepest desire always be that Your Will would be accomplished in me.

 

This I pray in Your Holy Name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

A Servant of Christ

 

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 

—Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May I always seek the approval of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ—the One to whom I choose to surrender myself, as a servant, forever! 

 

Forgive me, for too many times I have sought the approval others—allowing what they think to determine my decisions, and thus, the course of my life—while disregarding what is required of me to win Your approval, O Lord my God.

 

I know that to win Your approval, I must completely set aside my own will—breaking down all my fleshly impulses to act independently of the One who created me for His purposes—and live every moment of my life in service to Christ.

Each day, let me surrender my life anew—signing away my own “perceived rights” to my life and living in absolute surrender to Christ—so that I may be found to be a true bondservant to the One to whom I owe everything.

 

May I always seek the approval of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ—the One to whom I choose to surrender myself, as a servant, forever! 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Trust . . . With All Your Heart

 

 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

 

—Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

 

 

Sovereign and Loving LORD,

 

May I always trust You with all my heart, so that I do not rely on my own understanding but seek Your will in all that I do—knowing You will show me the path I should take.

 

Help me to lean only on You—to trust You completely, and to remain confident that You have great plans for me—as I commit my love and surrender my life to You.

Help me not to depend on my own limited insights or understanding of things, but rather to put my trust in Your unlimited wisdom and understanding—always confident that You love me and always want what is best for me.

 

Help me understand that as I choose to trust You—more than I trust myself—You will show me what I should do and will remove every obstacle from my path, and bring me to that place where You have called me to live in Christ.

 

May I always trust You with all my heart, so that I do not rely on my own understanding but seek Your will in all that I do—knowing You will show me the path I should take.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Worry . . . Pray!

 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You, that I don’t have to waste one more moment of time worrying—because You are the God who protects me, provides for my every need, and gives me peace beyond my own understanding, as I live my life in Christ Jesus.

 

When the enemy does all he can do to make me worry, as he attacks me with his lies, help me to pray to You in faith—remembering that You are the One who holds every moment of my life in Your loving hands.

 

Help me to run to You with whatever is bothering me and ask You for what I need—knowing that as I let my worries go, give them over to You, and leave them all in Your hands, You will do what only You can do and will multiply Your peace back to me.

 

When that flood of negative thoughts assaults me, remind me to thank You for how You have always carried me through my life—providing for my every need and consistently working for my good.

 

Show me that You have given me a way to escape the torment, quiet the enemy, and experience Your peace—when I hold my thoughts captive until they line up with the Truth of Your Word, so that Your peace can guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

 

Thank You, that I don’t have to waste one more moment of time worrying—because You are the God who protects me, provides for my every need, and gives me peace beyond my own understanding, as I live my life in Christ Jesus.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

You Must Love the LORD Your God

 

 

And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

 

—Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (NLT)

 

 

O LORD my God,

 

Help me to learn to live in that place where the love I have for You flows freely out of me, in wholehearted obedience to everything You have commanded me—that place where I truly love You with everything that I am.

 

Your Word shows me that it isn’t enough just to say I love You and then go on my way—pouring my heart into my own pursuits and disregarding Your will, Your plans, and Your purposes for my life.  

 

Your Word cries out for me to have a love relationship with You as it commands me to love You completely—so that there is not anyone or anything that can take Your rightful place in my heart.

 

I want my love for You to burst from my spirit and flood my mind, will and emotions—so completely saturating me that, with every ounce of strength in me, I prove my love for You in my every thought, word and action.

 

Help me commit to love You that way, so that I can fulfill all Your commands and instructions—and experience the joy of living in Your peace, under Your protection, because of Your provision for my every need.

 

Help me to learn to live in that place where the love I have for You flows freely out of me, in wholehearted obedience to everything You have commanded me—that place where I truly love You with everything that I am.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Open My Eyes to See!

 

 

Open my eyes to see
    the wonderful truths in your instructions.
I am only a foreigner in the land.
    Don’t hide your commands from me!

 

—Psalm 119:18-19 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

Do not hide Your commands from me, but rather open my eyes and let me see and understand the wonderful truths in your instructions—so that I may find my way through this foreign land, down the path that leads me safely home to You.

 

Do not ever let me forget that Your Word contains every instruction that I need to navigate this evil world through which I now pass—that Your Word shows me how to live protected by Your peace, filled with Your joy, and strengthened by Your presence in me—as You make provision for my every need.

 

Help me faithfully search Your Word and be filled with the truths that You have waiting there for me.  Then help me to apply each truth to my life—that I might better honor You with my life and bring glory to Your Holy Name.

 

Command me in the way that I should go!  Never withhold Your instructions from me and grant that I would willingly submit to Your Word and Your Spirit—for You are the only One who knows the good plans You have for me.

 

Do not hide Your commands from me, but rather open my eyes and let me see and understand the wonderful truths in your instructions—so that I may find my way through this foreign land, down the path that leads me safely home to You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

All the Ways of a Man

 

 

All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions],
But the LORD weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth].

 

—Proverbs 16:2 (AMP)

 

All-Knowing LORD,

 

You alone know the truth about the motives and intents of my heart—so I ask You to show me my heart.  And then help me to surrender all my ways to You—so that You make Your home in my heart.

 

Don’t allow me to deceive myself into believing that all my ways are clean and innocent—but help me to find the truth behind the reasons for what I do, so that I can more perfectly submit my thoughts, words, plans and actions to Your will for me.

 

Help me to live every moment of my life in willing obedience to the instruction of Your Word and according to the promptings of Your Holy Spirit—so that I can live an emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually healthy life of Truth.

 

Help me never to try to hide my impurity from You, but openly come before You to confess and repent of my sin and ask You to change me by Your mercy, forgiveness and grace—fully aware that You already know every imperfection in me but love me anyway.

 

You alone know the truth about the motives and intents of my heart—so I ask You to show me my heart.  And then help me to surrender all my ways to You—so that You will make Your home in my heart.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

That I Might Not Sin

 

 

Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

 

—Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to hide Your Word in my heart, so I might not sin against You. May it cleanse me as it continuously washes over my soul.

 

Thank You that Your Word answers everything that I encounter on my earthly journey and takes me down the path of abundant and everlasting life in Christ, both in the here and now, and forevermore.

 

Help me truly know Your Word. May it be so much more than simply lines that I recall having read. Help me to grasp the depth of meaning contained in every verse, so that, with Your Spirit as my teacher, I can receive all the life-giving Truth that each word offers me.

 

Don’t let my hunger for Your Word ever wain but may I always hide it—as I would any great treasure—within the deepest parts of my heart.  And strengthen me as I commit to meditate daily on Your Word and apply each truth that I find there to my life.

 

Help me to hide Your Word in my heart, so I might not sin against You. May it cleanse me as it continuously washes over my soul.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Lead Me, Lord!

 

 

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

 

—2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Lead my heart that I would come into a full understanding of Your love and then be able to express that same love to others—with the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

 

Help me each day to come to understand Your love more—by granting me insights into its mysteries and ever deeper revelations of its wondrous and healing power.

 

Let my deepening understanding of Your unfailing love cause my heart to change toward others—so that I can fully express Your love to them, as my own.

 

Let Your love’s patient endurance live in me—a manifestation of Christ in my life—so that all will see You and give You the glory and honor that You are due.

 

Lead my heart that I would come into a full understanding of Your love and then be able to express that same love to others—with the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Each of Us is But a Breath

 

“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.”

 —Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT)

 

 

Infinite LORD,

 

Help me to be willing to accept every invitation that You extend to me to be a part of what You are doing in the lives of those around me, so that my brief life here—while little more than a single breath—will shout to Your glory, honor and praise!

 

Help me to use the time that has been given to me in a way that honors You. Don’t let me allow apathy, complacency, or fear to hold me back from moving boldly forward with the things that You have given me to do.

 

But at the same time, help me to remember to wait for You, to never run ahead of You. Since any good thing I do requires me to be completely dependent on You, help me to take every step of my life’s journey in concert with You.

 

Help me to live each moment in trust and obedience, by faith—so I can enjoy Your presence and rest in Your peace, unencumbered by my past failures or any of the uncertainties of my future. 

 

Help me to be willing to accept every invitation that You extend to me to be a part of what You are doing in the lives of those around me, so that my brief life here—while little more than a single breath—will shout to Your glory, honor and praise!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.