Remain in My Love!

 

 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” 

—John 15:9-11 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to remain in the love of Christ, my Savior and Lord, by obeying His commandments—so that I will be continually filled to overflowing with the joy of Christ!

 

Thank You for the perfect love with which You loved Your Son, Jesus, who then loved me with that same perfect love—and gave up His life, so that I would find my life in Him.

 

Help me to remain in His love—in that ongoing and ever-growing love relationship with Him—proving my love for Him by my willing obedience to His every command.

 

For only there, in my complete submission to His instruction, will I find His joy, bubbling up from within me like an overflowing fountain—not only for my own benefit, but for the blessing of all those around me!

 

Help me to remain in the love of Christ, my Savior and Lord, by obeying His commandments—so that I will be continually filled to overflowing with the joy of Christ!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Way, The Truth, and The Life!

 

 

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

—John 14:6 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You that I can come to You and call You my Father because of the redeeming sacrifice, of Your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ, for me.

 

When I lose my way and I find myself separated from You, remind me that Jesus is the Way—the only way—to You. Help me not to seek some lesser path back to You, but only seek the person of Jesus Christ.

 

When I am confused and unsure of what is true, help me not to merely seek what is true. Help me seek the One who is not only faithful and true, but is the very embodiment of Truth.

 

When I am feeling like my life is draining from me, help me not to seek to save my life. But rather, help me to find my life in the One who is everlasting life Himself.

 

Thank You that I can come to You and call You my Father because of the redeeming sacrifice, of Your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ, for me.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Turn . . . and Be Saved!

 

 

 

Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.”

 

—Isaiah 45:22 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

Righteous God and Savior,

 

From all the ends of the earth, may each soul You have created turn to You—the One and Only God—and be saved!

 

You are indeed God, and there is no other. You created all that there is and set in perfect motion every interdependent complexity of Your creation.

 

You created each one of us to bear Your image and placed us within Your creation, so that we could know You through a deep and personal relationship with you, to worship You, and to bring You glory.

 

You have made known to us Your love for us and made Your creation to declare to us the wonders of Your power and goodness—that we would make You known to the ends of the earth.

 

May we continue to turn to You in every moment of this day—to turn to the only One who can save us—and find that You are the God who is faithful to save, always.

 

From all the ends of the earth, may each soul You have created turn to You—the One and Only God—and be saved!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

The Word

 

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.

His Name Will Be Called

 

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.

Hope in God!

 

 

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.

The Light That Leads to Life

 

 

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.

 

Heal Me, Save Me!

 

 

O LORD, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;

    if you save me, I will be truly saved.

    My praises are for you alone!

 

—Jeremiah 17:14 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Sovereign LORD of My Life,

 

All my praise belongs to You alone!

 

Thank You for being the One who truly and fully heals me of all my brokenness—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—as You draw me closer and closer to You and form the true character of Christ in me.

 

Thank You for being the One who truly and completely saves me—from all my sins, from all my faults, and from all my failures—the One who sets me free to become everything that I have been created and called to be in Christ. 

 

No one else deserves my praise, so help me never give to another that which belongs to You alone. For You are the One who truly heals me, the One who truly saves me. May Your praises forever be on my lips.

 

All my praise belongs to You alone!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Turn, and Live!

 

 

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.

 

— Ezekiel 18:32 ESV

 

 

Dear Lord GOD, 

 

Thank you that even in my unfaithful wanderings away from You, You never wanted me to die. You wanted me to turn back to You and live!

 

Thank You for loving me with an unfailing love and for the unrelenting way that You call me to Yourself—because You want me to be in right relationship with You.

 

Thank You for showing me that You want me to walk in the abundant life that is available to all who will accept Jesus as their Savior, and who choose to make Him Lord of their lives.

 

So, help me to trust and obey each command and instruction of Your Word and every prompting of Your Spirit within me. Help me turn my back on the sin that leads me to death, and walk, with Christ, down the path that leads me to the life you want me to have in Him.

 

Thank you that even in my unfaithful wanderings away from You, You never wanted me to die. You wanted me to turn back to You and live!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God is in Your Midst!

 

 

The LORD your God is in your midst,

A Warrior who saves.

He will rejoice over you with joy;

He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],

He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

 

—Zephaniah 3:17 (AMP)

 

 

 

O LORD My God,

 

Make me always mindful of Your ever-abiding presence with me and help me honor You by my faithful obedience to Your Word and Your Spirit.

 

Thank You that You always remain with me, that You never leave my side, but continue Your unrelenting pursuit to have all my heart—even when I wander from off the path You have placed before me.

 

Thank You that You are the Mighty and Victorious Warrior who saves me—my Rescuer, my Redeemer, my Defender, and my Guardian—both now and forevermore!

 

Thank You for drawing me into the quietness of Your love—a place where the power of Your love has separated me from all my sins, a place where they are remembered against me no more, and I am seen as righteous in Your eyes.

 

Thank You for being the One who rejoices greatly over me—with thundering shouts of joy—because You have set Your affection on me and take great delight in calling me Your own.

 

Make me always mindful of Your ever-abiding presence with me and help me honor You by my faithful obedience to Your Word and Your Spirit.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Live in Truth and Love!

 

 

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

 

—2 John 1:3 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for the promise that Your Word gives me—that grace, mercy and peace will continue to be with me, if I live in truth and love!

 

Thank You for revealing to believers the absolute Truth and the unfailing Love found both in Your written Word and in Your Word made flesh—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior—who is the perfect expression of love and of truth.

 

Save me from the lies of the enemy which would try to convince me that there is no absolute truth, that I can decided for myself what truth is, or that I can trust my feelings to show me what real love is.  Help me always look to You to guide me into all Truth, that I may always live in the Love you intended for us all to experience.

 

And should I ever find my peace disrupted, Your mercy for me in question, or feel as though Your grace to me is running low, remind me to examine my heart to see if I have walked away from truth and love—and by Your Holy Spirit bring me back to Your Word, that I might repent and be restored.

 

Thank You for the promise that Your Word gives me—that grace, mercy and peace will continue to be with me, if I live in truth and love!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Everything You Say

 

 

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

 

—Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

 

 

Father God,

 

May every word I say be lovingly truthful and purely motivated by Your Spirit within me—so that the only words I speak will be those which edify, encourage, and give grace to anyone who might hear them.

 

Help me never speak words that are slanderous, foul, corrupt, polluting, hurtful, or abusive—words that poison the minds and infect the hearts of those that hear them, with the evil that they carry.

 

Instead, help me only speak words that are wholesome, helpful, truthful, and that encourage the spiritual growth of others—always spoken in love and at the right time—which are appropriate for the occasion and for the need of the moment.

 

Help me also remember that there may be those to whom I am not directly speaking, who may overhear my words—so let me always be intentional about representing my Lord and Savior well, with every word I say.

 

May every word I say be lovingly truthful and purely motivated by Your Spirit within me—so that the only words I speak will be those which edify, encourage, and give grace to anyone who might hear them.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

And His Name Shall Be Called

 

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

 —Isaiah 9:6 (AMP)

 

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.