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. 

I Hold You!

 

 

"For I hold you by your right hand—
    I, the LORD your God.
And I say to you,
    ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’"

 

—Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)

 

 

 

Sovereign LORD my God,

 

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone! For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

So, help me to embrace whatever lies before me today, with the certain confidence that You are by my side, and with the understanding that my access to all that You are is only restricted by how willing I am to seek You out by faith.

 

Thank You for the compassionate love You show to me—that You comfort and keep me, holding fast to my right hand—so that in the times I stumble, You uphold me in Your strength and steady me, so that I don’t fall down completely.

 

Thank You for Your assurance to me that I have nothing to fear, because You are here to help me, to guide and direct me—no matter the situation or circumstance in which I may find myself—as You lead me forward down paths of righteousness, for love’s sake and for Your glory, in the fullness of Truth and Grace.

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone!  For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Answer Me

 

 

Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.

 

—Psalm 86:1 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

 

Loving and Compassionate Father God,

 

Don’t allow me to ever take for granted the truth that, like a good father, You bend down to listen to my every word and understand every matter on my heart—then lovingly and compassionately answer me according to what is best for me.

 

Thank You that because You are a loving and compassionate God, I can be confidently assured that You will never disregard or dismiss the cries of my heart.

 

With that confidence that You hear me, help me to always come to You in humility, recognizing that I am poor and needy—that without You I am nothing and apart from You I can do no good thing.

 

Thank You for answering me out of the infinite vastness of Your love, understanding, and wisdom, so that I can always trust that You answer will set me on the very best path that You have for me—and that in walking that path with You, I will find my every need met.

 

Don’t allow me to ever take for granted the truth that, like a good father, You bend down to listen to my every word and understand every matter on my heart—then lovingly and compassionately answer me according to what is best for me.

 

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.

In Your Unfailing Love

 

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,

    for you have seen my troubles,

    and you care about the anguish of my soul.

 

—Psalm 31:7 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know that it’s Your unfailing love that always carries me through even the hardest things that life may bring!

 

When my troubles try to overtake me, show me Your unfailing love—Your mercy and Your grace poured out over me. For only through the caring and compassion of Your presence with me will the anguish of my soul be truly put to rest.

 

Don’t allow my soul to be overwhelmed. Don’t allow my troubled heart to see the very hard but momentary struggles I face here on earth, as larger than Your capacity to bring me through them all, in the ultimate victory granted to me in Christ.

 

Help me to run to Your love and help me to trust You to uphold me in that love—to protect me and provide for me, because You see my troubles, care about the anguish of my soul, and have a plan to bring good from it all.

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know that it’s Your unfailing love that always carries me through even the hardest things that life may bring!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

While There is Still Time

 

That is why the LORD says,

“Turn to me now, while there is time.

Give me your hearts.

    Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,

    but tear your hearts instead.”

Return to the LORD your God,

    for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

He is eager to relent and not punish.”  —Joel 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

Merciful and Gracious LORD God,

 

Fully expose my every sin and bring me to heartfelt grief, so that my grief would lead me to true, godly repentance. And in that repentance, let me return to You, so I may be healed and made whole again.

 

May any outwardly visible manifestation of my grief over my sin be an accurate indication of how my heart is torn with grief—as I resolve to turn from that sin, to leave it behind forever, to throw myself once again on Your mercy, to ask for Your forgiveness, and return to You.

 

Help me to make the choice to return to You now, with the confidence that comes from believing that You truly want to be in relationship with me—and in the understanding that You are full of mercy and compassion, slow to get angry, and filled with unfailing love

 

May I run back to You quickly, with the assurance that You are willing to welcome me back, ready to relent from giving me the punishment that I deserve, and are eager to bring me back to that walk of obedience into which You first called me.

 

Fully expose my every sin and bring me to heartfelt grief, so that my grief would lead me to true, godly repentance. And in that repentance, let me return to You, so I may be healed and made whole again.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Collected and Recorded

 

 

You keep track of all my sorrows. 

    You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

    You have recorded each one in your book.

 

 —Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

 

Compassionate LORD GOD,

 

Down all the paths of sorrow, where my wanderings sometimes lead, remind me that you see each tear, and know my every need.

 

When I find myself in a place of great sorrow—when I start to waver between faith and fear—comfort me with the certainty that You see me, You completely understand what I am feeling, and You are right there with me to carry me through my sadness and bring me back to that place of joy.

 

You know the end of every problem and trouble that I face before it even comes, but still You feel the hurt of every pain that I suffer along the way. Nothing that happens to me goes unnoticed, unrecorded or unremembered by You—for You are lovingly compassionate and just. You are my God and my Defender.

 

Quiet my heart and soothe my restless emotions, so I can live in the peaceful assurance that You intimately know and care about every detail of my life and are actively working for good through everything that happens, as You draw me closer to You.

 

Down all the paths of sorrow, where my wanderings sometimes lead, remind me that you see each tear, and know my every need.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Compassionate Love of Jesus

 

 

Jesus wept.

 

—John 11:35 (NASB)

 

Compassionate Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your deep, deep love of humanity which You expressed to us in the tears that You shed.

 

Thank You for loving me enough to come to earth and take on the flesh and blood and the mind and emotions of a man, to experience all the tests and trials and grief and pain that I face—and so much more—so I would know that You know how I feel.

 

Thank You that there is healing from my hurts and pains in the tears that You designed for me to shed—that it’s okay to cry—and that in crying I should cry out to You, the only One who can help me live an overcoming life of peace and victory.

 

Thank You for Your example of loving compassion and how it reminds me of my obligation to open my heart that I might be overwhelmed by Your Spirit with compassion for all those around me—for life in this world is not easy, especially for those who do not know You.

Thank You for Your deep, deep love of humanity which You expressed to us in the tears that You shed.

 

In Your Matchless Name, Jesus, Amen.

Don't Be Afraid, I Am Here

 

"For I hold you by your right hand—
    I, the LORD your God.
And I say to you,
    ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’"

 

—Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)

 

Sovereign LORD my God,

 

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone! For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

So, help me to embrace whatever lies before me today, with the certain confidence that You are by my side, and with the understanding that my access to all that You are is only restricted by how willing I am to seek You out by faith.

 

Thank You for the compassionate love You show to me—that You comfort and keep me, holding fast to my right hand—so that in the times I stumble, You uphold me in Your strength and steady me, so that I don’t fall down completely.

 

Thank You for Your assurance to me that I have nothing to fear, because You are here to help me, to guide and direct me—no matter the situation or circumstance in which I may find myself—as You lead me forward down paths of righteousness, for love’s sake and for Your glory, in the fullness of Truth and Grace.

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone!  For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Incline Your Ear, O LORD!

 

Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.

 

—Psalm 86:1 (ESV)

 

 

Loving and Compassionate Father God,

 

Don’t allow me to ever take for granted the truth that, like a good father, You bend down to listen to my every word and understand every matter on my heart—then lovingly and compassionately answer me according to what is best for me.

 

Thank You that because You are a loving and compassionate God, I can be confidently assured that You will never disregard or dismiss the cries of my heart.

 

With that confidence that You hear me, help me to always come to You in humility, recognizing that I am poor and needy—that without You I am nothing and apart from You I can do no good thing.

 

Thank You for answering me out of the infinite vastness of Your love, understanding, and wisdom, so that I can always trust that You answer will set me on the very best path that You have for me—and that in walking that path with You, I will find my every need met.

 

Don’t allow me to ever take for granted the truth that, like a good father, You bend down to listen to my every word and understand every matter on my heart—then lovingly and compassionately answer me according to what is best for me.

 

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)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Since You are love, help me to know You more and more each day—so that, as Your very own child, I would love You first, love You best, and love You always. Then help me prove my love for You by loving others 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—that the same compassionate and merciful love, with which You have so graciously loved me, would pour out from me in love for others.

 

Since You are love, help me to know You more and more each day—so that, as Your very own child, I would love You first, love You best, and love You always.  Then help me prove my love for You by loving others as You have first loved me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be Glad and Rejoice!

 

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,

    for you have seen my troubles,

    and you care about the anguish of my soul.

 

—Psalm 31:7 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know, in my heart, that it’s always Your unfailing love which carries me through the hardest things that life on this earth can bring!

 

When my troubles try to overtake me, show me Your unfailing love for me—Your mercy and Your grace poured out over me.  For only by the power of Your caring and compassionate presence here with me can the anguish of my soul be truly put to rest.

 

Don’t allow my soul to be overwhelmed. Don’t allow my troubled heart to see the very hard but momentary struggles I face here on earth, as larger than Your capacity to bring me through them all, in the ultimate victory granted to me in Christ.

 

Help me to run to Your love, expecting You to hold me in that love, and trusting You to protect me and provide for me by that love—believing that You see my troubles and care about the anguish of my soul, and through Your unfailing love, will take me down the best path for me.

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know, in my heart, that it’s always Your unfailing love which carries me through the hardest things that life on this earth can bring!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Return to the LORD Your God

 

That is why the LORD says,

 

“Turn to me now, while there is time.

Give me your hearts.

    Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,

    but tear your hearts instead.”

Return to the LORD your God,

    for he is merciful and compassionate,

slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” 

                                             —Joel 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

Merciful and Gracious LORD God,

 

Fully expose my every sin and bring me to heartfelt grief, so that my grief would lead me to true, godly repentance. And in that repentance, let me return to You, so I may be healed and made whole again.

 

Let any outward, visible manifestation of my grief over my sin be an accurate indication of how my heart is torn with grief—as I resolve to turn from that sin, to leave it behind forever, to throw myself once again on Your mercy, to ask for Your forgiveness and return to You.

 

Help me to make the choice to return to You now, with the confidence that comes from believing that You truly want to be in relationship with me—and in the understanding that You are full of mercy and compassion, slow to get angry, and filled with unfailing love

 

Let me run back to You quickly, with the assurance that You are willing to welcome me back, ready to relent from giving me the punishment that I deserve, and are eager to bring me back to that walk of obedience into which You first called me.

 

Fully expose my every sin and bring me to heartfelt grief, so that my grief would lead me to true, godly repentance. And in that repentance, let me return to You, so I may be healed and made whole again.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.