Motives and Intents

 

 

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 help me to surrender all my ways to You. Make my heart Your Home!

 

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 help me to surrender all my ways to You. Make my heart Your Home!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

All Will Be Well

 

 

Tell the godly that all will be well for them.
    They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!
But the wicked are doomed,
    for they will get exactly what they deserve.

 

—Isaiah 3:10-11 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Holy and Just, yet Merciful and Gracious, LORD GOD,

 

Thank You for being the God who sees His children and promises that all will be well for them—who promises that they will enjoy rich rewards for their godly actions.

 

Thank You that Your words—delivered through the prophet, Isaiah, to the people of Israel—remain true for Your children today.  Even though judgment may fall on this land—because we as a people have turned our backs on You—You will not forget the remnant of Your children who have remained faithful.

 

Neither will You allow any wicked person, intent on doing evil, to escape being held to account for that evil—but You will repay them according to their evil deeds, in order that justice would prevail.

 

Therefore, as Your children, help us to stand against the injustice of all things evil.  But let us also pray that the hearts of the wicked would be changed—that they would turn from their evil ways, surrender themselves to the lordship of Christ, and be saved, so they would escape eternal judgment. 

 

Thank You for being the God who sees His children and promises that all will be well for them—who promises that they will enjoy rich rewards for their godly actions.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Show Mercy, Receive Mercy

 

 

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

 

—James 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Just and Merciful God,

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

Help me remember that the same law that sets me free—that moral law that sets all obedient followers of Christ free from the bondage of sin—is the law by which I will be judged.

 

For while I have been saved by grace through faith, the evidence of my having received that salvation is my obedience to Christ—which is the path upon which perfect freedom is found—and my ability to extend mercy to others, is a proof that I am walking out that salvation which the Gospel of Christ has provided.

 

Let the mercy that You have poured over me be reflected in me, to all those around me, through my obedience to Christ’s command to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. For therein lies the power to love my neighbor as myself.

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

What is Good

 

 

No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

 

—Micah 6:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You, today.

 

Thank You, for showing me Your character and Your will through Your Word—so that, out of my own personal experience with the goodness I see demonstrated in You, I am able to understand what is good.

 

Help me live out my life with an overflowing gratefulness for the gifts of Your unrelenting and unfailing love, Your ultimate sacrifice for my redemption, and the fullness of my salvation.

 

Let that heart of gratefulness govern my thoughts, words, and actions—so I might always respond by doing what is right and just in Your sight.

 

Help me to live my life in service to You and to others—in demonstration of the love and mercy that has been poured out on me.

 

And help me to walk with You—living for You and drawing my very essence from You—with a humble spirit that is void of pride.

 

Help me to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You, today.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Stand Firm in the Faith

 

 

 

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

 

—1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

In these difficult and uncertain times, as I await the return of Your Son, Jesus, may I never let my guard down. May I always stand firm in my faith, be courageous and strong, and do everything You ask of me with love.

 

Help me to stay on guard—alert, aware, and ready to respond—to any attack of enemy, whether it comes as an overt threat, or a subtle attempt to deceive me and lead me away from what I know is true.

 

Help me to stand on the truth You have shown me in Your Word and refuse to exchange it for the so-called “wisdom” of this world—remembering that it is by faith alone, in Christ alone, that I am able to stand.

 

Make me fearlessly courageous and forever strong. As Your dearly loved child, never let me forget who I am in Christ. Keep me sensitive to Your Spirit and willingly obedient to Your Word, for my confidence and strength is found in You.

 

Cause grace and truth to coexist within my heart—in the purest form of love—and let my thoughts, words and actions be a God-honoring reflection of the love of Jesus Christ in me.

 

In these difficult and uncertain times, as I await the return of Your Son, Jesus, may I never let my guard down. May I always stand firm in my faith, be courageous and strong, and do everything You ask of me with love.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In The Name!

 

 

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 

— Colossians 3:17 ESV

 

 

 

Father God,

 

Help me to represent my Lord Jesus well this day—in my thoughts, words and actions—and may my life become a continual act of giving thanks, through Him to You.

 

As a grateful follower of Your Son, Jesus, let every aspect of my daily life reflect well on the One whose Name and Love I carry with me, into this dark and lost world. 

 

Let me ever be conscious of the impression that I leave with others, so that I would always show them the love of Christ—that they might be changed by the Christ they see in me, for Your glory.

 

Help me remember to speak only words of life, truth, love and encouragement to everyone that I encounter, both today and every day.

 

Help me always remain obedient to Your commands and submitted to Your authority—to depend on Your strength and remain in Your peace, serving You in all things with joy.

 

Let my life be an offering of grateful worship to You for all the gentle compassion, patient mercy, complete forgiveness, amazing grace, and unfailing love that You have poured out over me through Jesus Christ.

 

Help me to represent my Lord Jesus well this day—in my thoughts, words and actions—and may my life become a continual act of giving thanks, through Him to You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Walk by the Spirit

 

 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

 

—Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Make me make aware of Your Holy Spirit within me and help me submit to His guidance—so I won’t find myself doing what my sinful nature desires to do.

 

May my actions reflect my character, and my character be an overflow of the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that I find in Christ. 

 

Help me to be able to discern the difference between my own subjective feelings and the leading of Your Holy Spirit—as I commit to listen for, to hear, and to willingly obey all the instructions You give me through Your Word and by Your Spirit.

 

Strengthen me to live every moment of my life under the guidance and control of Your Spirit. Fill my heart with the words of Christ and cause my actions to reflect Your truth. Show me how to rely on Your power within me to control of my selfish and sinful desires. 

 

Make me more aware of Your Holy Spirit within me and help me submit to His guidance—so I won’t find myself doing what my sinful nature desires to do.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Deceitful and Desperately Sick

 

 

The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it?
“I the LORD search the heart
    and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
    according to the fruit of his deeds.”

 

—Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV)

 

 

O LORD, who searches my heart,

 

Show me my heart and reveal the true motives in my mind, so that I won’t be led astray by any deceitfulness within me.

 

Help me to understand that to trust my heart is to trust in man—and that You have warned me against trusting in man. Help me to put all my trust in You alone!

 

Heal my heart and purify my mind, so that Your thoughts and ways will be made known to me and reflected in all my thoughts, words, and actions.

 

May love be my only motive for the choices I make—love for You and love for others—so that Your perfect will for me would be accomplished, and Your goodness and mercy would overtake me.

 

Show me my heart and reveal the true motives in my mind, so that I won’t be led astray by any deceitfulness within me.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

No Greater Love!

 

 

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

 

—John 15:12-13 (NLT)

 

 

 

My Lord Jesus,

 

Help me to love others as You have loved me—to lay down my life for my friends.

 

Help me more fully understand and more completely receive Your love for me—so that same love will flow through me, in all my thoughts, words and actions, toward others.

 

Your love for me is not dependent on my love for You—for Your love continues constant, unchanging and unfailing, regardless of my faults and failures.

 

Your love for me is demonstrated in Your compassion for me—and poured out over me with mercy and grace, by Your goodness and kindness toward me.

 

Your love for me is evidenced in Your patience and gentleness with me—for Your love for me is perfectly genuine and never superficial.

 

Your love for me changes me and always points me to my Heavenly Father—back to the love relationship I was made to have with Him.

 

Your love for me is sacrificial. You laid down Your life for me, so that I could have life—so I could then follow Your example, by setting aside my will, so that the Father’s will would be done through me.

 

Help me to love others as You have loved me—to lay down my life for my friends.

 

In Your compassionate and loving Name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

My LORD and My King

 

 

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

 

—Judges 21:25 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

My LORD and My King,

 

May You remain forever my only LORD and King, so that the way I conduct my life will be according to Your Truth and not according to my own opinion.

 

Help me to seek Your perfect will, rather than my selfish will; Your eternal plans, rather than my fleeting plans; Your righteous desires, rather than my corrupt desires; and Your pure motives, rather than my sinful motives—so that my heart would be fully Yours and I would reflect the character of Christ.

 

Keep me from the chaos that comes from deciding for myself what is right and what is wrong—based on my own limited and flawed intellect and perspective—and give me the faith to trust You for the best answers, knowing Your intellect is infinitely beyond my own and Your perfect perspective is limitless.

 

As I commit to obediently follow Your instructions—as revealed to my spirit by the Holy Spirit through Your Word—let my actions reflect Your standards for morality, mercy, forgiveness, grace, justice, truth, and above all, love.

May You remain forever my only LORD and King, so that the way I conduct my life will be according to Your Truth and not according to my own opinion.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Essence of All

  

 

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

 

—Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to prove my love for You, by loving others in the same way that I would want to be loved—in the same way that I have been loved by You.

 

Help me to see that how I want others to treat me goes far beyond merely wanting them to refrain from hurting me. Help me to recognize how much I desire to be truly seen and not ignored, heard and well understood, and sincerely loved despite all my failures and shortcomings—as evidenced by what others say to me and about me, and by their actions toward me.

 

Then, help me always look for opportunities to actively do those good things for others, just as I would want them to do for me—with the pure motive of a sincere heart that wants what You want for all Your children.

 

Just as You have poured over me Your immeasurable love, according to Your patience, compassion, kindness, goodness, gentleness, mercy, and grace, let me pour out all these things on others—as You empower me by Your Spirit to fulfill the law of Christ.

 

Help me to prove my love for You, by loving others in the same way that I would want to be loved—in the same way that I have been loved by You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Kept Safe

 

 

Those who trust in themselves are fools,
    but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

 

—Proverbs 28:26 (NIV)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Save me from the foolishness of trusting in myself and help me to walk as a wise man—with my eyes fixed on You and with a heart that beats only after Your own heart!

 

Don’t allow me to start believing that my thoughts are necessarily wise just because I think them, or that my own strength and power is sufficient to carry me, or that my own actions could ever be enough to justify me before You.

 

Keep me ever close to You—and help me to remember that the times that I am most likely to be deceived by the enemy are those times when I have foolishly wandered from Your Holy Presence.

 

Make me wise enough to put all my trust in You—in Your power at work in me, in Your promises given to me, and in Your unfailing love for me—the One who is faithful to keep safe all those who wisely humble themselves and step forward in faith, to walk with the One who is mighty to save!

 

Save me from the foolishness of trusting in myself and help me to walk as a wise man—with my eyes fixed on You and with a heart that beats only after Your own heart!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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,

 

Let my actions be proof of my love for You and for others.

 

Let my actions show genuine love, not just my words. Fill me with Your love so that everything I say and do reflects true lovingkindness.

Help me to share Your love freely with anyone who needs it, offering it openly with compassionate kindness in every thought, word, and deed.

Guide me to remain humble before You and others, and encourage me to generously use the gifts I have been given to help meet the needs of those searching for real love.

 

Let my actions be proof of my love for You and for others.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.