Love One Another

 

 

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.  Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

 

—1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)

 

 

 

Gracious and Loving God,

 

You are love!  May I receive all Your love for me and return that love by loving You above all others. May the proof of my love for You be evident in the way I love others, just as You have first loved me.

 

Show me how apart from You I cannot truly love—that I first must come to know You, through Your Word and by Your Spirit, and in doing so, learn to know, accept, and personally experience Your great love for me.

 

Remind me that I am Your child, made in Your very own image! And that as such, I was created to be a vehicle of Your love—to share with others that same love which I have experienced in my own life, through my personal relationship with You.

 

Continue to fill me to overflowing with Your perfect love—so that the same compassionate and merciful love, with which You have so graciously loved me, would overflow from me to others.

 

You are love!  May I receive all Your love for me and return that love by loving You above all others. May the proof of my love for You be evident in the way I love others, just as You have first loved me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom

 

Cry out for insight,
    and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver;
    seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD,
    and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the LORD grants wisdom!
    From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. —Proverbs 2:3-6 (NLT)

 

 

God of All Wisdom,

 

Thank You for showing me the pathway to wisdom, and for guiding me down that path.

 

Strengthen me along this journey, as I cry out to You for insight and pray to You for understanding.

 

Create in me a hunger to search out those hidden treasures that are found within the pages of Your Word—treasures which reveal Your truth, Your will and Your ways.

 

And as I gain knowledge of all You are, help me to fully experience what it means to fear You—to respond to the glory of who You are with humble and awestruck reverence.

 

For only You can grant wisdom, and all knowledge and understanding comes from Your mouth alone.

 

Thank You for showing me the pathway to wisdom, and for guiding me down that path.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

God is With You!

 

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:8-9 (NLT)

 

O LORD, My God,

 

Thank You for giving us Your Word—this amazing Book of Instruction—which tells us everything we need to know to navigate the challenges of life here on earth and fulfill our calling with strength and courage!

 

Help me to study Your Word continually and meditate on its truth day and night—so that I will not only be careful to fully understand Your instruction but also be able to apply its Truth to my life, in willing obedience.

 

For if I obey Your instruction, You have promised I will prosper and succeed in all that I do—and because of Your blessing upon my life, others will come to understand their own need for a relationship with You.

 

Keep me far from fear and discouragement—comforted by knowing that, though Your way for me may not always seem easy, it will always be right. And help me to remain strong and courageous, confident in the Truth that You are always with me wherever I go.

 

Thank You for giving us Your Word—this amazing Book of Instruction—which tells us everything we need to know to navigate the challenges of life here on earth and fulfill our calling, with strength and courage!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If Any of You Lacks Wisdom

 

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

 

—James 1:5 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

In all my asking, may I never fail to ask You for wisdom—so that every decision I make might bring You glory, honor, and praise.

 

Grant me the kind of wisdom that only You can give—a wisdom that is founded upon a knowledge of the Truth of Your Word and forged in an understanding of how to practically apply that Truth to all of life’s challenges.

 

Grant me the kind of wisdom that transcends my human understanding—a wisdom that properly stands in awe of all that You are and all You have done; a wisdom that knows that everything good comes from You alone; a wisdom that trusts and obeys You. Speak to me, by Your Spirit, and empower me to make each next right choice.

 

Grant me the kind of wisdom that transforms my heart, purifies my every motive, and perfects me in love for others—a wisdom that moves me to take on the character of Christ—so that the Light of His Life can shine in me, through me, and all around me.

 

In all my asking, may I never fail to ask You for wisdom—so that every decision I make might bring You glory, honor, and praise.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Confess, Turn, and Receive Mercy!

 

 

People who conceal their sins will not prosper,

    but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

 

—Proverbs 28:13 (NLT)

 

 

 

Merciful and Compassionate LORD,

 

Keep me from the foolishness of trying to conceal my sins. Help me to confess and turn from them, so that I will receive mercy.

 

By Your Holy Spirit, convict me of my sins—and expose the evil that they contain and the power that they have to destroy me—so that I might learn from my sins and not repeat them. 

 

Help me willingly and openly confess my sins to You, for You already know them; tremble before Your justice, knowing that I deserve punishment; and fall upon Your mercy and grace, that I may be delivered from them through Your promise of forgiveness.

 

Help me to truly repent of my sins—to turn away from them and run the other direction, straight into Your merciful and compassionate arms of love. Then let me glorify You for the unmerited favor that You pour over me.

 

Keep me from the foolishness of trying to conceal my sins. Help me to confess and turn from them, so that I will receive mercy.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Do What It Says!

 

 

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

 

—James 1:22 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Don’t allow me to fool myself!  Help me not only to listen to Your Word, but also willingly choose to do what it says!

 

Save me from the self-deception that I am accomplishing something good when I merely listen to Your Word, but then walk away—failing to embrace and apply its instructions to my life.

 

Help me always to approach Your Word carefully and with proper reverence for the power of the Truth that it contains—that power to change me, from within, into all that You have called me to be.

 

Help me to invest the time to look carefully into the perfect law that sets me free, so that I can understand it, do what it says, remember what I have heard, and enjoy the freedom that living by Your Word can bring me.

 

Don’t allow me to fool myself!  Help me not only to listen to Your Word, but also willingly choose to do what it says!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Know the LORD!

 

 

Oh, that we might know the LORD!

    Let us press on to know him.

He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn

    or the coming of rains in early spring.

 

—Hosea 6:3 (NLT)

 

 

Loving and Compassionate LORD,

 

Your Word promises that You will respond to me, when I seek You, when I choose to press on to know You. So, help me to know You as You are—to know You in truth! 

 

Don’t allow me to settle for knowing about You, LORD, but help me to know You intimately—through my experience of Your Holy Spirit at work in me, through me, and all around me.

 

Help me to understand that my deepest needs and desires are satisfied only by knowing You personally—not as some abstract idea, but in unbroken fellowship with You, as Your very own child.

 

Help me to seek You through continuous prayer, in spontaneous worship, and by careful meditation on the Truth of Your Word—and by application of that Truth to my life.

 

Keep me mindful that You so desired a relationship with me, that You chose to live inside of me by Your Holy Spirit when I first surrendered my life to Christ—sealing my life in Your love forever.

 

Your Word promises that You will respond to me, when I seek You, when I choose to press on to know You. So, help me to know You as You are—to know You in truth!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Breath of the Almighty

 

 

“The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

 

—Job 33:4 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

 

Almighty God,

 

May I never take for granted that it is Your Spirit that has made me and Your breath that gives me life.

 

Your Spirit has made me according to Your image. I bear the imprint of You, Father God, upon my spirit!

 

You—the same God that breathed out the stars and galaxies—are the God that breathed life into me. By Your Word and by Your Spirit my life is sustained with every breath You give to me.

 

You fill my lungs and fill my heart, so that I might continually give praise and thanks to You—the Giver of all good things!

 

May I never take for granted that it is Your Spirit that has made me and Your breath that gives me life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Faithfulness to God!

 

 

“Look at the proud!

    They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.

    But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

 

—Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)

 

 

 

Father God,

 

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

 

Don’t allow me to trust in my own strength or abilities—for, apart from You, I cannot do any good thing.

 

Help me to live my life on the straight path that leads to life—and keep my pride from putting my life on a crooked path of destruction and ruin.

 

May my hope for righteousness be found in Christ alone, and may my life be lived in faithfulness to You—always, in all my ways.

 

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Glory of God!

 

 

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

    The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;

    night after night they make him known.

 

—Psalm 19:1-2 (NLT)

 

 

God of All Creation,

 

May I always listen and watch carefully—so that my ears will hear and my eyes will see—as the heavens declare Your glory and the skies display Your craftsmanship.

 

Teach me to consider the evidence of Your existence—that proclamation of Your power and presence—which surrounds me day and night and continuously speaks to make You known.

 

Help me to understand the extent of Your greatness—as demonstrated by the limitlessness of the heavens that You created by Your Word alone—that my faith in Your Word might soar.

 

Show me the wonder of the innumerable multitude of stars You placed in the skies—galaxies that You effortlessly breathed into existence—and help me know that there is nothing too difficult for You.

 

Help me to take comfort within the harmony and order with which You choreographed everything You created—those purposeful and perfect balances and intricacies by which the parts of Your creation interdependently exist.

 

Teach me to see Your love and care reflected in all that You have made and to realize that all this was made for us—so we might see You and believe.

 

And most of all, never let me fail to see Your divine signature written on the deepest parts of who I am—because You have made me in Your very own image.

 

May I always listen and watch carefully—so that my ears will hear and my eyes will see—as the heavens declare Your glory and the skies display Your craftsmanship.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Life in This World

 

 

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.

 

—John 12:25 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for showing me that the very best life that this world has to offer me is nothing when compared to the unending and unfailing life that You have promised me—a life that is safely kept in Christ, both now and for eternity.

 

Help me to hold every blessing of my life with open hands, lifted up to You—acknowledging that everything I have belongs to You—so that trying to hold onto the things of this life won’t rob me of one moment of the incomparable joy of living my life in Your presence.

 

Save me from my own selfish ways that tempt me to buy into the lies that positions will give me power, material things will bring me security, and pleasures will make me satisfied—so I can clearly see that only in You can I ever hope to experience true power, real security, and lasting satisfaction for my soul.

 

Help me to totally surrender my life into Your care and control—to live for Christ and allow Christ to live in me—so my life would in some way serve Your purposes and bring glory to Your name.

 

Thank You for showing me that the very best life that this world has to offer me is nothing when compared to the unending and unfailing life that You have promised me—a life that is safely kept in Christ, both now and for eternity.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

The LORD is Close!

 

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles,

    but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

 —Psalm 34:18-19 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You that when my heart is broken, when my spirit is crushed, and when I face many troubles, You remain close to me and never let me slip from Your rescuing grip.

 

Teach me to trust You—whether my troubles appear to be insurmountably huge in my own eyes or are just a series of small frustrations that have piled up on me to wear me down and rob me of my strength.  Remind me that You are always here to rescue me.

 

Thank You for all the times You have sovereignly chosen to rescue me by either shielding me from the trouble I was facing or by entirely removing the trouble from me.

 

Thank You for all the times You have chosen to rescue me by equipping me with the strength, courage, and discerning wisdom that enabled me to remain in Your peace and push through the trouble that came against me.

 

And even though I may face many troubles—because I have chosen to walk in the righteousness of Christ—let me not be afraid but only believe that I will see Your goodness through it all, as I look to You to rescue me.

 

Thank You that when my heart is broken, when my spirit is crushed, and when I face many troubles, You remain close to me and never let me slip from Your rescuing grip.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Come and Talk!

 

 

Hear me as I pray, O LORD.

    Be merciful and answer me!

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

    And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

 

—Psalm 27:7-8 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Gracious and Loving LORD,

 

When within my heart I hear You calling, “Come and talk with me,” let my response always be an eager, “LORD, I am coming!”

 

Grant me the kind of faith that fully believes that You hear me when I pray—and that You answer me in Your perfect timing, according to Your sovereign purpose and plan for my life, and always with my best interest at heart.

 

Let me experience the wonderous depths of Your merciful love and goodness—as You faithfully answer me and draw me into the unfathomable peace of Your abiding presence once again.

 

Give me the strength to push aside every distraction and accept this gracious invitation into Your glorious presence, knowing that it is in Your presence—within that place of intimate fellowship with You—that everything I need to accomplish Your will for my life is supplied.

 

When within my heart I hear You calling, “Come and talk with me,” let my response always be an eager, “LORD, I am coming!”

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Nothing Hidden, All Naked and Exposed!

 

 

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

 

—Hebrews 4:13 (NLT)

 

 

 

Omniscient God,

 

Thank You for loving me, wanting me, and for continually calling me into a deeper relationship with You—even though You see and know all my imperfections.

 

You have created everything there is and there is not one thing that is hidden from You. You have perfect and absolute knowledge of the smallest detail about every person, everywhere, at all times.

 

You know all of my thoughts, even before they are formed; sense every one of my emotions, before they ever manifest; discern and understand my every motive, better than I ever will myself; hear my every word, even before it is formed in my mouth and crosses my lips; and You see everything I do, before I even begin to do it.

 

And You are the One to whom I am held accountable, so help me to see myself as I truly am—then help me repent of my sin, submit myself to You, and allow You to change me into the person I should be.

 

Help me each day to purpose in my heart to please You in everything that I think, say, and do—just as You are faithful to shower me daily with new mercy, grace, forgiveness, and love.

 

Thank You for loving me, wanting me, and for continually calling me into a deeper relationship with You—even though You see and know all my imperfections.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Foolish, Ignorant Arguments

 

 

Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.

 

—2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Keep me far from foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. Help me not to quarrel with others, but to be kind to everyone—even the difficult—so that You might one day use me to teach them about the things that really matter.

 

Instead of allowing myself to be drawn into meaningless arguments over things which don’t matter at all, help me to be patient and kind. Help me to make more room in my conversations for listening and seeking to understand the opinions of others.

 

Help me to build my reputation as one who is approachable and eager to hear other points of view so that when the time is right, I might have a platform from which to be heard concerning those matters that are of eternal consequence.

 

Help me be especially patient with difficult people. Help me to be ready to accept Your invitation to speak into their lives—as the Holy Spirit prepares their heart to receive the Truth of Your Word and be set free.

 

Keep me far from foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. Help me not to quarrel with others, but to be kind to everyone—even the difficult—so that You might one day use me to teach them about the things that really matter.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.