Guard Your Heart!

 

 

Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

 

—Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to guard my heart above all else!

 

Help me to see that the battle for my heart is a battle that is waged against the enemy—in my mind—for the rights to occupy that sacred space which is my heart.   It is a battle over what thoughts (good or bad) and beliefs (right or wrong) that I will allow to fill my heart, and thus determine my life’s course.

 

Help me remember that You are always with me in this battle and that I am armed with the Truth of Your Word—the Bible—so that I have the strength I need to stand against the enemy, and the weapons I need to defeat him and defend the holy ground of my heart.

 

Help me to make my heart a space that only You can fill—with Your Presence and Power—as I wage every battle of my mind, by holding every thought captive until it lines up with the Truth of the Word, as revealed to my heart, by the Holy Spirit.

 

Help me to guard my heart above all else!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Drift Away!

 

 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

 

—Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth! Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

Help me to hold onto the precious gift of Truth that I have been given—Truth which continues to be revealed to me in proportion to my willingness and obedience to continue to read, study, believe, and apply Your Word to my life.

 

Help me to be careful to remember the Truth I have heard—by regularly meditating upon it—so that I will be ready to apply Your Truth to every situation or circumstance in which I find myself, as I mix my faith with Your Truth.

 

Help me to recognize and guard against the weakness of my mind. For Your Truth is so quick to drain from my heart when I allow the enemy to speak lies into my thoughts—or when I entertain the condemnation that he spews—as he tries to move me from the Truth I find in You.

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth! Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Servant of Everyone Else

 

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”  But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.  He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”—Mark 9:33-35 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

 

Help me to guard against being caught up in chasing after any man-made ideas of what success or achievement might be—only to find that my own self-promotion has kept me from Your higher plans and better purposes for my life. 

 

Help me to watch that I don’t allow my own deep-rooted insecurities or foolish pride cause me to put too much stock in the power of a position, or the amount of prestige it might happen to carry—but humbly remember that I am nothing without You.

 

Help me to fully understand that all my energy, time and talents should be directed to knowing Christ for myself and making Him known to others—by following His example of leadership and reflecting His love—as I become a servant of all.

 

May everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Worry . . . Pray!

 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You, that I don’t have to waste one more moment of time worrying—because You are the God who protects me, provides for my every need, and gives me peace beyond my own understanding, as I live my life in Christ Jesus.

 

When the enemy does all he can do to make me worry, as he attacks me with his lies, help me to pray to You in faith—remembering that You are the One who holds every moment of my life in Your loving hands.

 

Help me to run to You with whatever is bothering me and ask You for what I need—knowing that as I let my worries go, give them over to You, and leave them all in Your hands, You will do what only You can do and will multiply Your peace back to me.

 

When that flood of negative thoughts assaults me, remind me to thank You for how You have always carried me through my life—providing for my every need and consistently working for my good.

 

Show me that You have given me a way to escape the torment, quiet the enemy, and experience Your peace—when I hold my thoughts captive until they line up with the Truth of Your Word, so that Your peace can guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

 

Thank You, that I don’t have to waste one more moment of time worrying—because You are the God who protects me, provides for my every need, and gives me peace beyond my own understanding, as I live my life in Christ Jesus.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Foxes, Those Little Foxes

 

 

Catch all the foxes,
    those little foxes,
before they ruin the vineyard of love,
    for the grapevines are blossoming!

 

— Song of Songs 2:15 (NLT)

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

Help me never get so comfortable in my marriage relationship that I fail to guard against the little things that might grow to cause deep relationship problems for us.

 

Just as little foxes could wreak havoc in a vineyard of blossoming grapevines, help me to see how quickly small things can grow into large problems in my love relationship with my spouse.

 

Help me to remember that there is a tender fragility to the intimacy that I enjoy with my spouse that relies on both trust and truth—an intimacy that the enemy would love to disrupt and destroy.

 

So, help us not to ignore or minimize any of these small things, but rather carefully work together to identify them and eliminate them, as we continue to grow the bonds of our intimacy.

 

Help me never get so comfortable in my marriage relationship that I fail to guard against the little things that might grow to cause deep relationship problems for us.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

On Guard

 

 

 

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.

The Course of My Life

 

Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

 

—Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to guard my heart above all else!

 

Help me to see that the battle for my heart is a battle that is waged against the enemy—in my mind—for the rights to occupy that sacred space which is my heart.   It is a battle over what thoughts (good or bad) and beliefs (right or wrong) that I will allow to fill my heart, and thus determine my life’s course.

 

Help me remember that You are always with me in this battle and that I am armed with the Truth of Your Word—the Bible—so that I have the strength I need to stand against the enemy, and the weapons I need to defeat him and defend the holy ground of my heart.

 

Help me to make my heart a space that only You can fill—with Your Presence and Power—as I wage every battle of my mind, by holding every thought captive until it lines up with the Truth of the Word, as revealed to my heart, by the Holy Spirit.

 

Help me to guard my heart above all else!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Listen Very Carefully!

 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

 

—Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth! Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

Help me to hold onto the precious gift of Truth that I have been given—Truth which continues to be revealed to me in proportion to my willingness and obedience to continue to read, study, believe, and apply Your Word to my life.

 

Help me to be careful to remember the Truth I have heard—by regularly meditating upon it—so that I will be ready to apply Your Truth to every situation or circumstance in which I find myself, as I mix my faith with Your Truth.

 

Help me to recognize and guard against the weakness of my mind. For Your Truth is so quick to drain from my heart when I allow the enemy to speak lies into my thoughts—or when I entertain the condemnation that he spews—as he tries to move me from the Truth I find in You.

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth! Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be the Servant

 

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”  But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.  He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”—Mark 9:33-35 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Let everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

 

Help me to guard against being caught up in chasing after any man-made ideas of what success or achievement might be—only to find that my own self-promotion has kept me from Your higher plans and better purposes for my life. 

 

Help me to watch that I don’t allow my own deep-rooted insecurities or foolish pride to cause me to put too much stock in the power of a position, or the amount of prestige it might happen to carry—but humbly remember that I am nothing without You.

 

Help me to fully understand that all my energy, time and talents should be directed to knowing Christ for myself and making Him known to others—by following His example of leadership and reflecting His love—as I become a servant of all.

 

Let everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Worry, Live in Christ Jesus

 

 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You, that I don’t have to waste one more moment of time worrying—because You are the God who protects me, provides for my every need, and gives me peace beyond my own understanding, as I live my life in Christ Jesus.

 

When the enemy does all he can do to make me worry, as he attacks me with his lies, help me to pray to You in faith—remembering that You are the One who holds every moment of my life in Your loving hands.

 

Help me to run to You with whatever is bothering me and ask You for what I need—knowing that as I let my worries go, give them over to You, and leave them all in Your hands, You will do what only You can do and will multiply Your peace back to me.

 

When that flood of negative thoughts assaults me, remind me to thank You for how You have always carried me through my life—providing for my every need and consistently working for my good.

 

Show me that You have given me a way to escape the torment, quiet the enemy, and experience Your peace—when I hold my thoughts captive until they line up with the Truth of Your Word, so that Your peace can guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

 

Thank You, that I don’t have to waste one more moment of time worrying—because You are the God who protects me, provides for my every need, and gives me peace beyond my own understanding, as I live my life in Christ Jesus.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Those Little Foxes

 

Catch all the foxes,
    those little foxes,
before they ruin the vineyard of love,
    for the grapevines are blossoming!

 

— Song of Solomon 2:15 (NLT)

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

Help me never get so comfortable in my marriage relationship that I fail to guard against the little things that might grow to cause deep relationship problems for us.

 

Just as little foxes could wreak havoc in a vineyard of blossoming grapevines, help me to see how quickly small things can grow into large problems in my love relationship with my spouse.

 

Help me to remember that there is a tender fragility to the intimacy that I enjoy with my spouse that relies on both trust and truth—an intimacy that the enemy would love to disrupt and destroy.

 

So, help us not to ignore or minimize any of these small things, but rather carefully work together to identify them and eliminate them, as we continue to grow the bonds of our intimacy.

 

Help me never get so comfortable in my marriage relationship that I fail to guard against the little things that might grow to cause deep relationship problems for us.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Be On Guard

 

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.

Above All Else!

 

 

Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

 

—Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to guard my heart above all else!

 

Help me to see that the battle for my heart is a battle that is waged against the enemy—in my mind—for the rights to occupy that sacred space which is my heart.   It is a battle over what thoughts (good or bad) and beliefs (right or wrong) that I will allow to fill my heart, and thus determine my life’s course.

 

Help me remember that You are always with me in this battle and that I am armed with the Truth of Your Word—the Bible—so that I have the strength I need to stand against the enemy, and the weapons I need to defeat him and defend the holy ground of my heart.

 

Help me to make my heart a space that only You can fill—with Your Presence and Power—as I wage every battle of my mind, by holding every thought captive until it lines up with the Truth of the Word, as revealed to my heart, by the Holy Spirit.

 

Help me to guard my heart above all else!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Listen Very Carefully!

 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

 

—Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth!  Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

Help me to hold onto the precious gift of Truth that I have been given—Truth which continues to be revealed to me in proportion to my willingness and obedience to continue to read, study, believe, and apply Your Word to my life.

 

Help me to be careful to remember the Truth I have heard—by regularly meditating upon it—so that I would be ready to apply Your Truth to every situation or circumstance in which I find myself, as I mix my faith with Your Truth.

 

Help me to recognize and guard against the weakness of my mind.  For Your Truth is so quick to drain from my heart when I allow the enemy to speak lies into my thoughts—or when I entertain the condemnation that he spews—as he tries to move me from the Truth I find in You.

 

Don’t allow me to drift away from the Truth!  Help me instead to listen very carefully to the Truth that You speak into my life—through Your Word and through the witness of Your Spirit within me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be the Servant

 

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”  But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.  He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”—Mark 9:33-35 

 

Heavenly Father,

Let everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

Help me to guard against being caught up in chasing after any man-made ideas of what success or achievement might be—only to find that my own self-promotion has kept me from Your higher plans and better purposes for my life.

Help me to watch that I don’t allow my own deep-rooted insecurities or foolish pride to cause me to put too much stock in the power of a position, or the amount of prestige it might happen to carry—but humbly remember that I am nothing without You.

Help me to fully understand that all of my energy, time and talents should be directed to knowing Christ for myself and making Him known to others—by following His example of leadership and reflecting His love—as I become a servant of all.

Let everything that I say and do, the deepest thoughts of my mind, and every hidden motive of my heart, always be pleasing to You—so that I never have to be ashamed when I am asked to account for them.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.