Delight and Desires

 

 

 

Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

 

—Psalm 37:4-5 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

Let the deepest desires of my heart, my greatest pleasure, and my most complete joy simply be found in experiencing the blessing of Your Presence in my life—as I commit all that I am to You and trust You to help me, no matter what I face.

 

This day, may I truly take delight in You, as I seek to know You in a more intimate and personal way, and as I make this commitment to walk in Your Presence—to walk continually mindful of the truth that You are always right here with me.

 

As I seek to understand more completely the vastness of Your unfailing love for me, the mystery of the perfection of Your ways, and as I reflect on Your steadfast faithfulness to me, help me learn to trust You even more. 

 

Help me to commit all that I do to You, so my heart’s desires will be melded with Your will for my life, and so I can walk fearlessly in the plans and purposes that You have for me—as I make the choice to believe that You will always empower and equip me in every way, for the good plans You have for me.

 

Let the deepest desires of my heart, my greatest pleasure, and my most complete joy simply be found in experiencing the blessing of Your Presence in my life—as I commit all that I am to You and trust You to help me, no matter what I face.

 

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.

Always Ready to Help!

 

 

God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.

 

—Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

LORD God Almighty,

 

Thank You for being my place of shelter and protection, my source of strength for every moment I face in life—and for always being ready to help me in my times of trouble!

 

Thank You that this is not only something that I believe, but it is something that I have seen proven again and again in my relationship with You—throughout my entire lifetime.

 

It is Your presence with me and Your magnificent power—alive within me, flowing through me, and at work all around me—which has delivered me through, or out of, every trouble that I have ever faced.

 

Help me always remember Your faithfulness to me, so that—in response to Your demonstrated love for me—I might become ever more faithful in my relationship with You.

 

Thank You for being my place of shelter and protection, my source of strength for every moment I face in life—and for always being ready to help me in my times of trouble!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Comfort Others

 

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

—2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)

 

 

 

Merciful and Comforting Father God,

Teach me to show others the same mercy and extend to them the same loving comfort that You pour out on me when I am weighed down with troubles.  

 

Help me be careful to give You all the praise—as the Father of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the source of all comfort—for Your continuing faithfulness to bring good out of all my troubles.

 

Don’t let me forget that You allow hardships, so that I can experience Your faithfulness in my hardships—whether You choose to deliver me from them altogether or walk with me through them to ultimate victory in Christ.

 

Remind me that, as I find comfort and help from You in my troubles, You are equipping me then to be able to offer that same comfort to others who are troubled—and to point them to the only true source of help and hope.

Teach me to show others the same mercy and extend to them the same loving comfort that You pour out on me when I am weighed down with troubles.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

This Same God

 

 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

 

 

 

Provider God,

 

All thanks be to You, for You are always faithful to take care of me—to supply all my needs according to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus!

 

Because of Your faithfulness, and out of Your unfailing love for me, I have always had everything that I needed to be able to carry out Your plans and purposes for me—and so it shall be for the rest of my days.

 

Never let me forget that the supplying of my needs is not according to any of the limited resources that I can see here in the natural, but rather, according to the supernatural and inexhaustible supply of Your glorious riches—prepared for us who have found our life in Christ Jesus.

 

Help me to be faithful to carry this message of hope to others—that this same abundant and glorious supply is available to all who believe and have received the redemptive gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

 

All thanks be to You, for You are always faithful to take care of me—to supply all my needs according to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus!

 

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.

My Strength, My Song, My Salvation!

 

“Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For the LORD GOD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.”

 

—Isaiah 12:2 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

LORD GOD Almighty,

 

You are my strength and song—the One who saves me in every way! I choose to trust You and not be afraid!

 

With wide-eyed wonder and an ever-grateful heart, I declare that You are my salvation—not only because of the saving work of grace that was accomplished through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, but also because of the place of perfect peace and safety You have reserved and called me to in Him. 

 

Knowing what You did for me, how can I still be afraid?  How can I not believe that You will take care of every temporal need while I am here—working all things for my good because of Your great love for me—until You take me to my forever home with You?

 

Help me to always reflect Your faithfulness to me—by my consistent obedience to Your Word and Your Spirit—as I put all my hope and faith in You for the continuing salvation that You have promised to me.

 

Be my strength—flooding the void of my weakness with Your sustaining power—equipping me in every way for every battle of faith that comes along the path upon which You have set me.

 

Be my song—overwhelming my spirit with Your Holy Spirit—so that the music of my life would be one of continual praise and thanksgiving for all You have done, and uninterrupted worship for all that You are.

You are my strength and song—the One who saves me in every way! I choose to trust You and not be afraid!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Completely Love God!

 

If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.  But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him.  That is how we know we are living in him.  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 

 —1 John 2:4-6 (NLT)

 

 Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live in the truth—to obey all the commandments of Your Word as a demonstration of my sincere love for You—so I would be found truly alive in Christ, and so my life would be an acceptable and living sacrifice to You.

 

May any claim that I make that I “know you” be established as truth by my commitment to study Your Word and to be instructed in truth by Your Spirit—in order that I would fully know and understand, then carefully follow, all Your instructions and commands.

 

May my faithful obedience to You be an outflow of my love for You, as a fitting response to the amazing love that You passionately pour out over me—a love that is unending, unfailing, unrelenting, and far beyond measure.

 

Continue to work in me to make me more like Jesus—as You call me into an ever-deepening relationship with You and cause the character of Christ to be formed within me—so that my life would be a more perfect reflection of the life of Christ.

 

Help me to live in the truth—to obey all the commandments of Your Word, as a demonstration of my sincere love for You—so I would be found truly alive in Christ, and so my life would be an acceptable and living sacrifice to You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

I Sought the LORD!

 

 

I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
    And delivered me from all my fears.

 

—Psalm 34:4 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

 

O LORD, My Deliverer,

 

Thank You for delivering me from all my fears!

 

For far too much of my life, I lived full of fear—not knowing intimately, nor trusting completely, the One who could deliver me from that fear and usher me into the abundant life that He wanted me to experience.

 

But then I sought You. I searched Your Word for Truth, studied to understand who You are and all that You have done, and I prayed to You. I found that You are the God who can be found—the Father who wants to have a deep and personal relationship with each of His children.

 

I found that You are the God who hears and answers my prayers, according to the perfect plans that You have for me, always with my best interests at heart—out of Your great love for me. 

 

I discovered, through my personal experience of relationship with You, that You are faithful—that You are who You say You are, and that You do what You say You will do—and that my trust is never misplaced when I put my trust in You.

 

And then, I looked back at where I started and followed my path to where You have brought me thus far, and I realized I was no longer afraid. You had delivered me from all my fears. Now, fear no longer has a hold on me, and I am free to continue becoming all that You have called me to be in Christ.

 

Thank You for delivering me from all my fears!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Get Sidetracked!

 

Mark out a straight path for your feet;
    stay on the safe path.

Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.

 

—Proverbs 4:26-27 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

With each new day, help me to mark out the straight path for my feet—the path which leads to a more abundant life!

 

Keep me on that straight path of willing obedience to Your will and Your decrees—as You prove Your loving faithfulness to me by keeping me in every way, when I choose the safe path you have offered me.

 

And don’t allow me to get sidetracked by the distractions of this world—to wander off that path—but help me stay focused on honoring Your ever-abiding Presence with me, as You show me the next best step for me.

 

For then my feet will not follow after evil and I won’t find myself lost along the way—as I journey through this life, on my way home to You.

 

With each new day, help me to mark out the straight path for my feet—the path which leads to a more abundant life!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Trust

 

 

 

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

 

—Psalm 37:3 (NKJV)

 

 

 

 

 

Loving and Gracious LORD,

 

As I purpose to put all my trust in You, LORD, help me also actively seek to do good—so that I might dwell in the safety of Your Will for my life here on earth, and be fed by Your great faithfulness.

 

May I never claim to trust You by my words but then fail to demonstrate that trust through my obedience to Your Word. Help me hold fast to the truth that only through my obedience can I demonstrate the depth of my faith—and only by my faith can I please You.

 

Show me that when I am obedient to do that which is good, You are faithful to bless me with everything that I need to accomplish Your Will—to provide for every spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental need I have, according to Your plan and purpose for me.

 

Teach me that it is only within Your Will that I can find the satisfaction, peace and joy of true contentment. So let me feed on Your faithfulness to sustain me through everything that might come against me—as You prove Yourself forever faithful and true.

 

As I purpose to put all my trust in You, LORD, help me also actively seek to do good—so that I might dwell in the safety of Your Will for my life here on earth, and be fed by Your great faithfulness.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

An Untroubled Heart

 

 

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

 

—John 14:1 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Jesus,

 

As we live our lives in this very troubled world, help us to remember Your instruction to us—help us never allow our hearts to be troubled.

 

Thank You for not only giving us this instruction, but also for empowering us to obey this instruction by showing us the pathway to an untroubled heart—that an untroubled heart trusts in God, and trusts in You.

 

Show us how our capacity to trust in You is dependent on the depth of our relationship with You—and that the depth of that relationship is determined by our understanding of who You are and of Your great love for us, which is revealed to us in the Word and by the Spirit.

 

Help us to realize that the more that we act on the Truth we find in Your Word, and put our trust in You, the more we give You the opportunity to show Yourself faithful to us, which in turn causes our trust to grow because of our experience of that faithfulness.

 

As we live our lives in this very troubled world, help us to remember Your instruction to us—help us never allow our hearts to be troubled.

 

In Your beautiful and powerful name, I pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.

 

Fully Convinced!

 

 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.  He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

 

—Romans 4:20-21 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

May my faith never waver, but rather grow ever stronger, so that my life will bring glory to You—and may I ever remain fully convinced that You are able and will do everything that You have promised, at just the right time, according to Your perfect plan.

 

Remind me that—though my life has been filled with many mistakes, much sin, and multiple failures of my faith—You have always remained faithful to love and forgive me, and to use every circumstance I find myself in, to call me to a deeper faith in You.

 

Grant me the wisdom to seek out Your promises within the pages of Your Word, so I might, by faith, remain obedient to You in all things—and teach me to trust You even more, through my experience of Your faithfulness to me.

 

With strengthened faith, let me never again allow any doubt or unbelief to cause me to question Your faithfulness or Your ability to carry out that which You have promised—but let me remain fully convinced that You are able!

 

May my faith never waver, but rather grow ever stronger, so that my life will bring glory to You—and may I ever remain fully convinced that You are able and will do everything that You have promised, at just the right time, according to Your perfect plan.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.