No Other Gods!

 

 

You must not have any other god but me.

   —Exodus 20:3 (NLT)

 

For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

   —John 12:43 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

O LORD, My GOD,

 

Be the only God I serve!  Help me to care only about the praise I get from You—as I trust You to show me how to think about things, to tell me what I should say, and to make me certain of everything You want me to do. 

 

Don’t allow me to be moved by what others may think—but only be moved by what You would say to me, through Your Word and by Your Spirit—so I can be set free from the bondage that I put myself in, when I try to please others.  For You are the only One who fully knows the plans You have for me.

 

Don’t allow me to exalt what I may think over what You think—so that I don’t allow my own thoughts to move me away from Your very best for me.  Keep me aware that my heart can and will deceive me—tainting my motives, making me prideful—and may work to push You from Your rightful place within me.

 

Don’t allow me to have any other gods before you—whether it be people, things, ideas, or even myself.  Let there only be one throne in my heart, reserved for You.  May You be pleased with me as I put all my faith in You—as I walk in step with You in freedom!

 

Be the only God I serve!  Help me to care only about the praise I get from You—as I trust You to show me how to think about things, to tell me what I should say, and to make me certain of everything You want me to do. 

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Lead Me

 

 

Send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling!

 

—Psalm 43:3 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Send out Your Light and Your Truth to guide me! 

 

Send out Your Light!  It is in Your Light that the paths before me are fully illuminated—that all darkness is driven away—and I can see clearly and move forward with confidence into Your plans for me.

 

Send out Your Truth!  It is in Your Truth that the perfect path that You have for me is revealed—as You graciously guide me into all Truth by the empowering of Your Spirit, who abides in me.

 

Let Your Light and Your Truth lead me into Your Glorious Presence—to that place where You live—so that I can abide there in the abundance of Your very best for me.

 

Send out Your Light and Your Truth to guide me! 

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen!

He Hears!

 

I love the LORD because he hears my voice

    and my prayer for mercy.

Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!

 

—Psalm 116:1-2 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Merciful and Loving LORD,

 

I love You, LORD! For You are the One who bends down to listen, who hears my prayers for mercy! 

 

In a world where so many are speaking but so few are listening, let my comfort and hope be found in the truth that You are always interested in what is on my heart. 

 

For You are my Heavenly Father and You bend down to listen to me—not willing to miss a single word I pray—because I am Your dearly loved child.

 

So, help me to make every next breath I breathe a prayer lifted up to You—from a heart that is filled with love for You—knowing You will hear me and answer me according to what is best for me and for Your glory!

 

I love You, LORD! For You are the One who bends down to listen, who hears my prayers for mercy! 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

For the Good of Others

 

 

Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

 

—1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Loving and Compassionate God,

 

Save me from any self-centered tendency in me that would cause me to consider only that which is good for me!

 

Too often I make decisions according to what I think is best for me—with little thought to making those decisions based on what is good for others.

 

Help me to think about myself less, so I can think more about the people that You divinely place in my path—and what I might do that would be best for them.

 

Today, grant me opportunities to be more self-sacrificial—and help me to be willingly obedient to Your Spirit’s promptings, so that Christ may be glorified in me.

 

Save me from any self-centered tendency in me that would cause me to consider only that which is good for me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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.

He Makes My Way Perfect

 

God arms me with strength,

    and he makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

 

—Psalm 18:32-33 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for arming me with strength in every season and circumstance of life and for making my way perfect—so I can stand high on the mountain tops of victory with You.

 

Thank You that though life here is seldom easy—and I am daily faced with challenges along the way—You are always with me in those challenges to offer me Your strength as You walk with me through each one.

 

Thank You that You turn each adversity that I face to my own benefit—causing me to learn and grow—so that the way that I travel becomes the perfect path for me to become that person You have called me to be.

 

Thank You that in each challenge You enable me to overcome, and You cause me to be better equipped to walk in the high places where You have called me to live—standing surefootedly with You by my side—having risen high above any obstacles that would hold me back from Your best for me.

 

Thank You for arming me with strength in every season and circumstance of life and for making my way perfect—so I can stand high on the mountain tops of victory with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Live a Holy Life

 

 

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

 

—1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NIV)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

You have called me to live a holy life, but You have also equipped me to live that life by sending me the Holy Spirit, who empowers me for my journey toward holiness.

 

Help me never forget that the instruction to live a holy life does not come from a man, but from You—and is given to me out of Your unsurpassed wisdom and for my own benefit, because of Your great and unfailing love for me.

 

May I always remember that when I reject this instruction, I reject You, my Creator and Protector—instead of allowing Your instruction to work within me the protections and blessings it brings.

 

Keep me from grieving Your Holy Spirit in that way—causing separation from the One who makes it possible for me to turn from impurity and choose to live a holy life.

 

Help me to understand fully that when I choose impurity over Your call to holiness, I don’t have my own best interests at heart—because I have rejected You, and Your very best for me.

 

You have called me to live a holy life, but You have also equipped me to live that life by sending me the Holy Spirit, who empowers me for my journey toward holiness.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

This is the Way!

 

 

Your own ears will hear him.

        Right behind you a voice will say,

    “This is the way you should go,”

        whether to the right or to the left.

 

    —Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to listen for the voice of Your Spirit—as You faithfully guide me along the best path for me, today.

 

Help me to know, understand, and believe that You always have my best interests at heart and that every path You will guide me down will be for my good—when I carefully listen and willingly obey.

 

As I walk in all Your ways, unfold before me the plans that You have for me—and help me to learn the things You have for me to learn, to remember what You have taught me, and to faithfully apply those lessons to my life, that I might better live for You.

 

Don’t allow me to wander from Your side—to leave the protection, provision, peace, and purpose that I find only when I remain with You—but let me walk each step I take under Your divine direction.

 

Help me to listen for the voice of Your Spirit—as You faithfully guide me along the best path for me, today.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Along the Best Pathway for Your Life

 

 

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

    I will advise you and watch over you.

Do not be like a senseless horse or mule

    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

 

—Psalm 32:8-9 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

Guide me along the best pathway for my life—advise me and watch over me always.  Let my heart be fully submitted to Your will, Your plan and Your purpose for me.

 

I don’t want to find myself fighting against You—like a senseless or stubborn horse or mule—only to end up having to endure the discipline and deal with the consequences of my foolish disobedience.

 

Help me to remember that the path You lead me down is the best way for me to go—the way that will keep me safe and the direction in which I will find my every need met according to Your plan and Your perfect timing.

 

Help me to seek out Your counsel, listen for Your advice, willingly obey Your instruction—and then, by faith, rest in Your provision, protection, peace, and joy.

 

Guide me along the best pathway for my life—advise me and watch over me always.  Let my heart be fully submitted to Your will, Your plan and Your purpose for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Help Us!

 

 

 

Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
And save us and forgive our sins for the sake of Your name.

 

—Psalm 79:9 (NASB2020)

 

God of our Salvation,

 

Only You can help us—for only You can save us and forgive us of our sins!

 

Help us! Move as only You can move! According to Your absolute power and Your never-failing love for Your children, unfold before us what is best for us—for the glory of Your name.

 

Save us! Deliver us from evil! Because You are Holy and Just, do not let the evil of this fallen world overtake us—for the sake of Your name.

 

Forgive our sins! Bring us to repentance! Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us and call us into Your Presence once again—that Your name would be made great in all the world.

 

Only You can help us—for only You can save us and forgive us of our sins!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Come and Listen to My Counsel

 

 

 

Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
    and make you wise. 

 

—Proverbs 1:23 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father, 

 

Let me never forget that the highest and best counsel that I can receive comes from You!  For when I come and listen to You, You share Your heart with me and make me wise.

 

So, give me a hunger to come boldly into Your presence with a heart to listen for, to hear, to understand, and to follow Your counsel—as You speak to me through Your Word, and teach me by Your Spirit, revealing everything I need to know in order to accomplish Your plans and purposes for me.

 

Continue to show me more of Your heart with every day that passes—so that my heart might beat more and more fully after the things I find in You, and less and less after my own desires and distractions.

 

Teach me to draw from the deep wells of wisdom that I only find in You—as I allow Your great power, Your complete understanding, and Your perfect wisdom to flow through me and guide my every choice in truth.

 

Let me never forget that the highest and best counsel that I can receive comes from You!  For when I come and listen to You, You share Your heart with me and make me wise.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

With an Attitude!

 

 

 

Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.

 

—Colossians 4:2 (AMP)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for giving me the privilege of praying to You—the One who hears and answers my prayers, according to Your perfect will, and Your very best for me.

 

Help me to be persistent in my prayers—devoting myself to pray about all things—knowing You long for me to lay the desires of my heart before You, and to place all my trust in You, believing that You will do what only You can do.

 

Help me to be alert and focused as I come before You with my prayers—mindful that I am speaking directly to You, knowing that only You hold all power and authority in Your hands, that only You are willing and able to answer my prayers, and that only You can do this according to Your perfect love for me.

 

Help me to come before You with an attitude of thanksgiving—grateful for all that You have done, are doing, and have yet to bring to pass, but also grateful for all that You are that makes You worthy of my unending worship and adoration, forever!

 

Thank You for giving me the privilege of praying to You—the One who hears and answers my prayers, according to Your perfect will, and Your very best for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

Remember!

 

Remember the things I have done in the past.

    For I alone am God!

    I am God, and there is none like me.

Only I can tell you the future

    before it even happens.

Everything I plan will come to pass,

    for I do whatever I wish.

 

—Isaiah 46:9-10 (NLT)

 

O LORD GOD,

 

Remind me that You are God and there is none like You—that only You know the end of from the beginning, and that Your plan will always come to pass, because You are ultimately in control of everything that happens, and You answer to no one.

 

When I don’t understand what is happening around me, and I begin to fear the evil of this world, help me to remember and reflect on all the amazing ways that You have kept me safely sheltered in Your hands—providing for my every need—as You have led me down Your best path for me.

 

Help me to be comforted in the truth that You are Holy and Just—that every evil thing that is done in darkness will be brought to light one day to be judged, and You will one day vanquish all evil, just as You have promised in Your Word.

 

Show me how to see Your hand at work in everything that is presently happening around us, as You unfold before us Your plans to usher us into the glorious future that You have waiting for those who faithfully believe that You alone are God, and there is none like You!

 

Remind me that You are God and there is none like You—that only You know the end of from the beginning, and that Your plan will always come to pass, because You are ultimately in control of everything that happens, and You answer to no one.

 

In the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, 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.