The Peace That Comes From Christ

 

 

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

 

—Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live in the peace that comes when I allow Christ to rule my heart.  And let me be forever thankful.

 

Though the storms of life in this fallen world rage all around me and the cold winds of change blow against me, You have given me the amazing privilege of allowing Your peace—the peace that comes from Christ—to rule and reign in me.

 

It is not a peace that anyone or anything in this world could ever give, but it is a peace that transcends all circumstances or situations I may face, and is a measure of my faith—a direct reflection of whether I truly believe You, and the promises I find in Your Word.

 

Only as I allow Your peace to live in my heart, can I live at peace with others in the body of Christ and do my part to bring unity within the church, so that, together, we can be a beacon of hope to a lost and dying world.

 

So, let my heart become so saturated with the peace of Christ that it flows from me, bringing peace to all those around me—so that You might be glorified in my life.

Help me to live in the peace that comes when I allow Christ to rule my heart.  And let me be forever thankful.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Come and Pray!

 

 

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 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.

Training for Godliness

 

 

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

 

—1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

Don’t allow me to neglect my physical body but give me the wisdom to know how best to take care of it, as You grant me the discipline to do so—so that I will be physically able to accomplish the work that You call me to do.

 

But beyond physical training, let my heart be even more devoted to the training and development of my spiritual life—knowing that it is with spiritual strength and faith that the true battles of this life are waged and won.

 

And help me to remember that, in training for godliness, I must not only set aside that which is evil, but also choose to do that which is good—so that in my obedience to You I will find peace and joy, and by godly living I might bring You glory.

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Great and Mighty Things

 

 

“Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” 

—Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

O LORD of All Creation,

 

How wonderfully amazing it is that You—the One who made the earth and everything in it, who formed it and established it by Your Word—would not only invite me to call to You, but would promise to answer me and tell me great and unsearchable things that I do not know!

 

May I forever remain in reverent fear and overwhelming awe of Your power and majesty—as You continue to surround me with the glories of Your creation and reveal to me the intricacies of the order by which You alone have established all things.

 

Through Your unfailing love for me, teach me to know more perfectly Your will and Your ways—so that my will would be conformed to Yours, and so my prayers would be offered up in harmony with Your will, Your plans, and Your purposes for me. 

 

Grant me the courage to call out boldly to you with prayers of faith.  And help me to believe that You always hear and will answer my call—and that You will reveal to me great things that I cannot discover within my own intellect or power.

 

How wonderfully amazing it is that You—the One who made the earth and everything in it, who formed it and established it by Your Word—would not only invite me to call to You, but would promise to answer me and tell me great and unsearchable things that I do not know!

 

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.

You Came When I Called

 

 

Yes, you came when I called;

    you told me, “Do not fear.”

Lord, you have come to my defense;

    you have redeemed my life.

 

—Lamentations 3:57-58 (NLT)

 

 

 

Faithful Lord, My Redeemer,

 

Thank You that, because of Your faithfulness to me, I don’t ever have to be afraid.

 

Thank You for being the God who hears me when I call out to You in prayer—the One who comes to me and speaks words of comfort to my soul, the One who speaks only truth and tells me, “Do not fear.”

 

Thank You for coming to defend me, by surrounding me with Your angelic armies—who fight against every attack of the enemy as he seeks to destroy me—and for ushering me safely through every battle by covering me in Your unfailing love.

 

Thank You for redeeming my life—for sending Christ to lay down his life and pay the price I could never pay—that I might find my life in Him, and live that life for Him alone!

 

Thank You that, because of Your faithfulness to me, I don’t ever have to be afraid.

 

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.

All Who Call Upon Him

 

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.

 

—Psalm 145:18-19 (NASB)

 

Faithful and Loving LORD,

 

What an amazing comfort to know that You are near, that You hear us when we call on You in truth, that You fulfill our desire when we fear You, and save us in every way!

 

May my response to Your promised nearness be to call upon You in truth—that is to call upon You from a clean, sincere, and devoted heart, a heart that beats after Your own heart.

 

May my response to Your promise to fulfill my desire be to fear You—that is to praise, worship, and serve only You, in holy awe of all You are and all You have done, so that my greatest desire is to know You and to make You known.

 

May my response to Your promise to hear me and save me be to cry out to You with confidence—that is to recognize my total dependence on You and find my hope in Your faithfulness to all Your promises.

 

What an amazing comfort to know that You are near, that You hear us when we call on You in truth, that You fulfill our desire when we fear You, and save us in every way!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The LORD Says

 

 

The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 

 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.

I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”    

—Psalm 91:14-16 (NLT)

 

O LORD my GOD,

 

Thank You for all the promises that I find in Your Word—and help me to do my part to secure those promises in my life.

 

Your Word promises me that You will rescue me—if I love You.

 

Your Word promises me that You will protect me—when I put my trust in Your name.

 

Your Word promises me that You will answer me—every time I call to You.

 

Your Word promises me that You will be with me—even when I find myself in trouble.

 

Your Word promises me that You will honor me—as I humbly depend on You alone.

 

Your Word promises me that You will reward me with long life—long enough for me to accomplish Your purposes for me here and to make me ready to meet You there.

 

Your Word promises me that You will give me Your salvation—as I reach out and take it by faith.

 

Thank You for all the promises that I find in Your Word—and help me to do my part to secure those promises in my life.

 

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.

Called to Live in Peace

 

 

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

 

—Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live in the peace that comes when I allow Christ to rule my heart.  And let me be forever thankful.

 

Though the storms of life in this fallen world rage all around me and the cold winds of change blow against me, You have given me the amazing privilege of allowing Your peace—the peace that comes from Christ—to rule and reign in me.

 

It is not a peace that anyone or anything in this world could ever give, but it is a peace that transcends all circumstances or situations I may face, and is a measure of my faith—a direct reflection of whether I truly believe You, and the promises I find in Your Word.

 

Only as I allow Your peace to live in my heart, can I live at peace with others in the body of Christ and do my part to bring unity within the church, so that, together, we can be a beacon of hope to a lost and dying world.

 

So, let my heart become so saturated with the peace of Christ that it flows from me, bringing peace to all those around me—so that You might be glorified in my life.

Help me to live in the peace that comes when I allow Christ to rule my heart.  And let me be forever thankful.

 

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.

No One Can Come, Except Through Me

 

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.

Training for Godliness

 

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

 

—1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

Don’t allow me to neglect my physical body but give me the wisdom to know how best to take care of it, as You grant me the discipline to do so—so that I will be physically able to accomplish the work that You call me to do.

 

But beyond physical training, let my heart be even more devoted to the training and development of my spiritual life—knowing that it is with spiritual strength and faith that the true battles of this life are waged and won.

 

And help me to remember that, in training for godliness, I must not only set aside that which is evil, but also choose to do that which is good—so that in my obedience to You I will find peace and joy, and by godly living I might bring You glory.

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.