You Are the Salt!

 

You are the salt of the earth.  But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?  Can you make it salty again?  It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. —Matthew 5:13 (NLT)

 

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!                                      —Psalm 34:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Do not let me ever forget the calling that Christ placed on my life to be the salt of the earth—so that others may also taste and see that You are good and find the joy that comes when they take their refuge in You!

 

Help me to guard against losing my saltiness—that flavor my life in Christ brings to the world.  For without Christ, my life would be good for nothing and left to be trampled under the feet of a carelessly bustling world.

 

Help me to remember that in order to remain salty, I desperately need to invest my time in being in Your Presence, learning from Your Word and being taught by Your Spirit—as I pray, search the Bible, and sit quietly before You to hear what the Spirit would have to say to my life and circumstances—so that when You add me into the mix of this day, I will be in a position to improve its flavor.

 

So, fill me with the deep and unfailing love of Christ, until it overflows from within me by the power of the Holy Spirit—so that the flavor of every thought that I have, of every word that I speak, and of every action I take, will be made alive—having been seasoned with genuine compassion, patient kindness, fresh and daily-renewed mercy, freely-offered forgiveness, and abundant grace.

 

Do not let me ever forget the calling that Christ placed on my life to be the salt of the earth—so that others may also taste and see that You are good and find the joy that comes when they take their refuge in You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Search for Good!

 

 

If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

 

—Proverbs 11:27 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Good and Gracious Father,

 

Help me search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

Remind me that there is good to be found all around me—when I search for it! Help me to look for that good in every person I encounter and in each circumstance that I face.

 

Save me from every temptation to search for evil—and don’t let me walk away from Your sheltering protection. For I know that I will never find evil before it finds me—because it watches for every opportunity of catching me unprotected, that it might destroy me.

 

In everything, help me keep my eyes fixed on You—the Author of all things good—so that all my thoughts, words and actions will be filled with Your goodness and love, and I would bring honor to You.

 

Help me search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Faith, Love, Hope

 

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

—1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

 

 

My God and Father,

 

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Help me to remember to give thanks for those people that You have placed in my life whose best work is produced out of their absolute faith in You—for their example of steadfast faith, which challenges me to trust You more.

 

And to give thanks for those who emulate well Christ’s labor of love toward all those He died to save—whose example of Christ’s love in action, prompts me to love more deeply and express that love more completely.

 

And to give thanks for those whose endurance is made possible only by their hope in our Lord Jesus Christ—for their example of long-suffering, which inspires me to endure my struggles because of the hope that stands forever before me.

  

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Live Like Fools!

 

 

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

 

—Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live like one who is wise—like one who makes the most of every opportunity You give—as I take the time to consider, understand, and submit to Your will, Your plan, and Your purpose for me.

 

Help me to be careful how I live. Help me not to live foolishly but help me carefully consider and seek to understand what You would have me do—as I pour out my heart to You in prayer, search Your Word for truth, and as I listen for and trust the promptings of Your Spirit to guide me.

 

Reveal Your will for me and help me to be willing to eagerly and obediently walk with You wherever You lead—knowing that Your plan is the very best path for me to walk, and will always bring You glory, honor, and praise.

 

And keep me always ready to accept Your invitation to join You in the opportunities You put before me to advance Your Kingdom here on earth—as I choose to live every day of my life with the intention and purpose of taking on more and more of the character of Jesus Christ.

 

Help me to live like one who is wise—like one who makes the most of every opportunity You give—as I take the time to consider, understand, and submit to Your will, Your plan, and Your purpose for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Long and Prosperous Life

 

 

Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 

—Psalm 34:12-14 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Make every word I speak be virtuous and true, every action I take be kind and good, and create in me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

Help me not to speak evil things—words that hurt, rather than heal; words that tear down, rather than build up; words that bring despair, rather than hope.

 

And keep me from telling lies—words that deceive, rather than reveal; words that slander, rather than commend; words that omit, rather than declare the whole truth.

 

Help me to remember that while it is good for me to turn away from evil, You desire so much more of me—that to be truly obedient to You, I must also do those things that are good.

 

Help me to understand that to live in the peace You want me to enjoy, I must never stop searching for that peace and working to maintain it, through all my thoughts, words and actions.

 

Help me to do all these things, as a testimony to Your power at work in me, so that I may live long enough in this world to accomplish Your plan and purpose for me here.

 

Make every word I speak be virtuous and true, every action I take be kind and good, and create in me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Whatever You Do or Say!

 

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

 —Colossians 3:16-17 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for the rich message of Christ—and the example that He gave us to follow.  Help me to represent Him well, today.

 

I know that if I ever hope to represent Christ well, I must let the truth of the message of Christ, in all its richness, fill every part of my life.

 

Help me to fully understand that this means that every thought that I allow to remain within my mind, every word that I speak, every action that I take, and every motive of my heart, must be a reflection of Christ in me. 

 

Help me to teach and counsel others with all the wisdom that He gives—speaking only words of truth and grace in love—as I spend time in His Word and allow its rich message to fill me so completely that it can’t help but overflow to others.

 

Bring up from within me, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs of praise and worship, that I might sing for You—from a heart that is filled with gratitude—giving thanks, through Christ, to You.

 

Thank You for the message of Christ—and the example that He gave us to follow.  Help me to represent Him well, today.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Incredible Greatness, Mighty Power

 

 

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

 

—Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)

 

Omnipotent God,

 

Help me to grow in my understanding of the incredible greatness of Your power—so I might more fully live my life by that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, which now lives in me!

 

Help me to know and believe that it is Your power alone—as given by the Holy Spirit and made possible by Christ’s redeeming sacrifice—that enables me to become everything You have called me be, and that apart from that I am powerless.

 

Help me to realize that in order to fulfill Your call to become more like Christ, I must continually draw from that unlimited resource of Your power within me—in humility and in willing obedience to the commands and instructions of Your Word, and every prompting of Your Spirit. 

 

Help me forever stand in awestruck wonder of Your power, knowing that it is that very same power—the power of Your love in action for all mankind—which is presently and actively at work within me. 

 

Help me to grow in my understanding of the incredible greatness of Your power—so I might more fully live my life by that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, which now lives in me!

 

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.

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.

I Will Listen to You

 

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

 

—Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NASB)

 

Loving LORD,

 

Give me the wisdom to call upon You, come to You, pray to You—with an unwavering faith that believes You listen to hear my every prayer. Help me seek You with my whole heart, fully confident that You are the God who can be found—the God who desires that all His children find Him.

 

Thank You that You are not a god who is unconcerned about those things that concern me—but rather, the God who is intimately acquainted with my every need, and with every desire of my heart.

 

Thank You that, when I come to You in prayer, You are eager to put into action Your already existing plan to provide for my every need—in accord with what is the very best for me—because You always have my best interests at heart.

 

So, help me to seek You with all my heart—holding nothing back—knowing that as I seek You, You will reveal Yourself to me and draw me into that close, intimate and personal relationship that You desire to have with me. 

 

Give me the wisdom to call upon You, come to You, pray to You—with an unwavering faith that believes You listen to hear my every prayer.  Help me seek You with my whole heart, fully confident that You are the God who can be found—the God who desires that all His children find Him.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Salt

 

“You are the salt of the earth.  But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?  Can you make it salty again?  It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”  —Matthew 5:13 (NLT)

 

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!                                                            —Psalm 34:8 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Do not let me ever forget the calling that Christ placed on my life to be the salt of the earth—so that others may also taste and see that You are good and find the joy that comes when they take their refuge in You!

 

Help me to guard against losing my saltiness—that flavor my life in Christ brings to the world.  For without Christ, my life would be good for nothing and left to be trampled under the feet of a carelessly bustling world.

 

Help me to remember that in order to remain salty, I desperately need to invest my time in being in Your Presence, learning from Your Word and being taught by Your Spirit—as I pray, search the Bible, and sit quietly before You to hear what the Spirit would have to say to my life and circumstances—so that when You add me into the mix of this day, I will be in a position to improve its flavor.

 

So, fill me with the deep and unfailing love of Christ, until it overflows from within me by the power of the Holy Spirit—so that the flavor of every thought that I have, of every word that I speak, and of every action I take, will be made alive—having been seasoned with genuine compassion, patient kindness, fresh and daily-renewed mercy, freely-offered forgiveness, and abundant grace.

 

Do not let me ever forget the calling that Christ placed on my life to be the salt of the earth—so that others may also taste and see that You are good and find the joy that comes when they take their refuge in You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Love in Deed and in Truth

 

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

 

—1 John 3:18 (ESV)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May every deed I do confirm the truth of every word I speak of my love.

 

Don’t allow me to merely talk about my love. Cause Your love to fill my heart and drive my words to produce in me the actions that demonstrate the proof of real love.

 

Don’t allow me to withhold Your love within me from anyone who needs it. Help me give it freely and generously in my every thought, word, and action toward another.

 

Don’t allow me to be any less than humble before you and others. Help me to give the best of what I have been given to meet the need in someone else—that need that cries out for real love.

 

May every deed I do confirm the truth of every word I speak of my love.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Don't Let Evil Find You!

 

 

If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

 

—Proverbs 11:27 (NLT)

 

Good and Gracious Father,

 

Help me search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

Remind me that there is good to be found all around me—when I search for it! Help me to look for that good in every person I encounter and in each circumstance that I face.

 

Save me from every temptation to search for evil—and don’t let me walk away from Your sheltering protection. For I know that I will never find evil before it finds me—because it watches for every opportunity of catching me unprotected, that it might destroy me.

 

In everything, help me keep my eyes fixed on You—the Author of all things good—so that all my thoughts, words and actions will be filled with Your goodness and love, and I would bring honor to You.

 

Help me search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

By Faith, By Love, By Hope!

 

 

 

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

—1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

 

 

 

My God and Father,

 

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Help me to remember to give thanks for those people that You have placed in my life whose best work is produced out of their absolute faith in You—for their example of steadfast faith, which challenges me to trust You more.

 

And to give thanks for those who emulate well Christ’s labor of love toward all those He died to save—whose example of Christ’s love in action, prompts me to love more deeply and express that love more completely.

 

And to give thanks for those whose endurance is made possible only by their hope in our Lord Jesus Christ—for their example of long-suffering, which inspires me to endure my struggles because of the hope that stands forever before me.

 

Let me always aspire to work by faith, labor in love, and endure through hope—as I make reflecting the Light of Jesus Christ my great obsession.

 

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be Careful How You Live

 

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

 

—Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live like one who is wise—like one who makes the most of every opportunity You give—as I take the time to consider, understand, and submit to Your will, Your plan and Your purpose for me.

 

Help me to be careful how I live. Help me not to live foolishly but help me carefully consider and seek to understand what You would have me do—as I pour out my heart to You in prayer, search Your Word for truth, and as I listen for and trust the promptings of Your Spirit to guide me.

 

Reveal Your will for me and help me to be willing to eagerly and obediently walk with You wherever You lead—knowing that Your plan is the very best path for me to walk, and will always bring You glory, honor, and praise.

 

And keep me always ready to accept Your invitation to join You in the opportunities You put before me to advance Your Kingdom here on earth—as I choose to live every day of my life with the intention and purpose of taking on more and more of the character of Jesus Christ.

 

Help me to live like one who is wise—like one who makes the most of every opportunity You give—as I take the time to consider, understand, and submit to Your will, Your plan and Your purpose for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Long and Prosperous Life

 

Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 

—Psalm 34:12-14 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Let every word I speak be virtuous and true, let every action I take be kind and good, and let me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

Help me not to speak evil things—words that hurt, rather than heal; words that tear down, rather than build up; words that bring despair, rather than hope.

 

And keep me from telling lies—words that deceive, rather than reveal; words that slander, rather than commend; words that omit, rather than declare the whole truth.

 

Help me to remember that while it is good for me to turn away from evil, You desire so much more of me—that to be truly obedient to You, I must also do those things that are good.

 

Help me to understand that in order for me to live in the peace You want me to enjoy, I must never stop searching for that peace and working to maintain it, through all of my thoughts, words and actions.

 

Help me to do all these things, as a testimony to Your power at work in me, so that I may live long enough in this world to accomplish Your plan and purpose for me here, before I join You there for eternity.

 

Let every word I speak be virtuous and true, let every action I take be kind and good, and let me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.