My Light, My Salvation

 

 

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
    so why should I be afraid?
The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?

 

—Psalm 27:1 (NLT)

 

 

 

LORD God Almighty,

 

You are my light and my salvation!  You are the One who protects me from danger—my fortress and my refuge from all harm.  So, I have no reason to be afraid—no reason to tremble.

 

You are the light that shines within me!  You are that unfaltering light that dispels all the darkness—that never-failing light against which evil cannot stand.  So, let Your light shine in me, and through me, and help me to see it shining all around me, as You keep me in perfect peace and illuminate every step I take with You.

 

You are my salvation!  You are the One who, through Christ, has saved me from my sin and blessed me with eternal life in You—the One who has made me peculiar, by calling me to come away from the ways of this world, so I can live in ongoing fellowship with You forever.

 

You are my fortress and my refuge!  You are the One, the All-Powerful God, who keeps me safe in every way:  my Defender—when I am falsely accused; my Protector—from the forces of evil that would seek to destroy me; my Provider—who gives me all that I need to accomplish Your will for me; and my Peace—standing firm and unmoved in the midst of every storm.

You are my light and my salvation!  You are the One who protects me from danger—my fortress and my refuge from all harm.  So, I have no reason to be afraid—no reason to tremble.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Into Light

 

You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;

    my God turns my darkness into light.

 

—Psalm 18:28 (NIV)

 

 

 

 

Light of my life,

 

May the oil of Your Holy Spirit always keep the light of my lamp burning brightly—illuminating me from within and turning my darkness into glorious light!

 

When I begin to allow my troubles and trials to overwhelm me, pour out again the oil of Your Holy Spirit within me to keep my lamp burning—to comfort my spirit with hope and lead me forth in peace.

 

When I find it hard to see the way which You would have me go, help me step out in faith and believe that You will lead me, as You make the way clear before me—lighting each next step along Your path for me.

 

Cause my lamp, which is the Light of Christ, to shine so brightly within me, that it drives out all the darkness hidden there. And make that same Light shine through me, to touch a dark world that so desperately needs to know the joy of Your Presence and the depth of Your love for them.

 

May the oil of Your Holy Spirit always keep the light of my lamp burning brightly—illuminating me from within and turning my darkness into glorious light!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Chosen!

 

 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

 

—1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to walk fully in the truth of who I am in Christ—so that I will never cease to declare the praises of the One who called me out of darkness into His wonderful light!

 

Thank You that You chose me—that You wanted me even before You created me—and that by Your grace, You gave me Your invitation to choose You back by faith.

 

Thank You that You called me to be a part of a chosen people—the family of believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ—set apart to be distinctly different from this world in which we live.

 

Thank You that You invited me to be a part of a royal priesthood—a royalty that flows from my adoption into Your family—and that my justification, by the blood of Christ, and my sanctification, by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me, make my service to You holy and acceptable in Your sight.

 

Thank You that I am privileged to be a part of a holy nation—joined with other believers, committed to following Your commandments, and consecrated to You under the Lordship of Christ Jesus.

 

Thank You that I am included as part of Your special possession—and that as such, I am given the honor of declaring Your story of salvation, as told through my life, by both my words and my actions, to a dark, lost, and dying world.

 

Help me to walk fully in the truth of who I am in Christ—so that I will never cease to declare the praises of the One who called me out of darkness into His wonderful light!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

His Peace

 

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

 

—2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Lord of Peace,

Help me to receive Your peace—that peace that You offer, at all times and in every situation, to everyone who chooses to believe that You are with them always.

 

I know that it is not Your will for me to lose my peace—trying to figure my way out of a situation that I am facing by relying on my own understanding—as if I could ever do anything without You!

 

In fact, it is the “relying on my own understanding” that is the very thing that keeps me from entering into Your peace—that peace which is far beyond my intellect, and way beyond my understanding!

 

So, help me to quiet the wandering thoughts of my mind, so I can fix my eyes on You and be still in Your Presence, as I create room for You in my heart and invite You in to fill me with Your Spirit.

 

Then take over all my thoughts and saturate my mind and spirit with the Light of the Truth of Your Word—so I can know the path forward that You have prepared for me to take.

 

Help me to understand that it is your great desire that I walk with You in peace—at all times and in every situation, so that I can live find my best life in You.

Help me to receive Your peace—that peace that You offer, at all times and in every situation, to everyone who chooses to believe that You are with them always.

 

In Your Precious and Glorious Name, Lord Jesus—my Prince of Peace! 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!

The Light That Leads to Life

 

 

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

 

—John 8:12 (NLT)

 

 

 

Gracious Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World—so that we wouldn’t have to walk in darkness!

 

Thank You that the darkness of evil doesn’t have the power—nor will it ever have the power—to overcome that Light we find in the Creator of life itself, Jesus Christ, whose life brings light to all humankind.  

 

Thank You that though I once was a prisoner to the evil at work in me—an evil which held me captive in sin—I am now free from its bondage, because of the Light, which exposed the works of darkness in me and showed me my desperate need for a Savior.

 

Thank You that, as I follow after Jesus, I don’t have to walk in darkness—blindly stumbling through life, driven by evil to fall into sin—but I can choose to walk in the Light of Your Truth, which leads me to life, because of the power of Christ within me.

 

Thank You that, in Jesus, I experience Your presence with me, Your love for me, Your protection over me, Your provision for all my needs, and Your guidance, as You reveal Your plan for me to truly live in the freedom of Your marvelous Light.

 

Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World—so that we wouldn’t have to walk in darkness!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Filled With Light!

 

 

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.”

 

—Matthew 6:22 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Sovereign God,

 

Help me remember that a healthy eye is one that has fixed its gaze upon You. So let my eyes see You, all around me, in each moment of every day and night.

 

Fill me with the Light of Life—as You reveal Yourself to me and cause the lamps of my eyes to flood my whole body with the Light that gives Life to my soul.

 

Fill me with the Light of Truth that I find in You—and help me walk in that Truth, unmoved by my circumstances, wholly devoted to Your Word, Your Will, and Your Way.

 

Fill me with the Light of Love—and help me to accept and receive the fullness of the Love of Christ, so that I can’t help but release that same Love to every person that You put before me.

 

Help me remember that a healthy eye is one that has fixed its gaze upon You. So let my eyes see You, all around me, in each moment of every day and night.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Search Me!

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

—Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)

 

 

 

Holy God,

Search me and know my heart—and by the continuing work of the power of Christ in me, point out and remove anything that is offensive to You, so I can walk more perfectly with You the path that leads to everlasting life.

 

As You test the integrity of the motives my heart and as You reveal my secret fears, grant me the strength to endure Your testing and the faith to overcome my fears—so I might learn to put all my trust and hope in You.

 

Grant me the courage to ask You to shine the light of Your love on the hidden places of my heart to dispel the darkness—indeed the evil—of anything in me that offends You, as I repent and run to You. 

 

Grant me the peace and the joy that comes when I invite You to lead me along the path of everlasting life—to that place where nothing remains that would keep me from that close, personal, intimate relationship that You desire to have with me, and which I so desperately need to have with You.

 

Search me and know my heart—and by the continuing work of the power of Christ in me, point out and remove anything that is offensive to You, so I can walk more perfectly with You the path that leads to everlasting life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

If Any of You Lacks Wisdom

 

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

 

—James 1:5 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

In all my asking, may I never fail to ask You for wisdom—so that every decision I make might bring You glory, honor, and praise.

 

Grant me the kind of wisdom that only You can give—a wisdom that is founded upon a knowledge of the Truth of Your Word and forged in an understanding of how to practically apply that Truth to all of life’s challenges.

 

Grant me the kind of wisdom that transcends my human understanding—a wisdom that properly stands in awe of all that You are and all You have done; a wisdom that knows that everything good comes from You alone; a wisdom that trusts and obeys You. Speak to me, by Your Spirit, and empower me to make each next right choice.

 

Grant me the kind of wisdom that transforms my heart, purifies my every motive, and perfects me in love for others—a wisdom that moves me to take on the character of Christ—so that the Light of His Life can shine in me, through me, and all around me.

 

In all my asking, may I never fail to ask You for wisdom—so that every decision I make might bring You glory, honor, and praise.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Shining Like Bright Lights!

 

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

 

—Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live a life free from complaining and arguing, so others would not have reason to criticize me. May my life be clean and innocent—like a bright light of hope in a world that is darkened by crooked and perverse people.

 

Help me never to complain about anything but choose a life full of gratefulness and thanksgiving—knowing that Your plan for me is always good and that You use everything that I experience to draw me to Yourself, turning all of it to my benefit and for Your glory.

 

Help me not to needlessly stir up strife between myself and others with petty arguments, when You want me to walk humbly before others, full of truth and grace, as expressed in the perfect love of Christ—leaving to You the work of changing hearts.

 

As Your very own child, let my response to the Truth of Your Word and the promptings of Your Spirit always be one of willing obedience, so others will have no room to criticize me and so they might be drawn to the light of Christ at work in me.

 

Help me to live a life free from complaining and arguing, so others would not have reason to criticize me. May my life be clean and innocent—like a bright light of hope, in a world that is darkened by crooked and perverse people.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Arise! Shine!

 

 

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

 

—Isaiah 60:1 (ESV)

 

Dear Lord Jesus,

 

Thank You that the light of a new day has come, but even more so, that Your Glorious Light has come to dispel all the darkness!

 

Help us to receive Your Light—to receive everything that You have for us, in this new day, with open, willing, and eagerly obedient hearts.

 

Teach us what You want us to learn. Help us walk in the depths of all that You want us to experience as Your lead us by Your Light. And instruct us in the way that we should go, how we should think about things, and what we should say, and do!

 

May the Light of Your Glory be upon us and within us, that we might shine with it brightly and dispel the darkness surrounding us!

 

Thank You that the light of a new day has come, but even more so, that Your Glorious Light has come to dispel all the darkness!

 

In Your Name, Lord Jesus, Amen!

True and Right Paths!

 

Let those who are wise understand these things.

    Let those with discernment listen carefully.

The paths of the LORD are true and right,

    and righteous people live by walking in them.

    But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.  

 —Hosea 14:9 (NLT)

 

LORD of Heaven and Earth,

 

Give me the wisdom to search Your Holy Scriptures, that I might gain understanding.  And grant me the discernment to listen carefully to Your Spirit and walk uprightly in Your paths—to faithfully apply the Truth of Your Word to my life.

 

I know that all Your paths are true and right—and that because You chose to make me righteous through the sacrifice of Christ, I will find the abundant life that You promised me, by faithfully walking in those paths.

 

I know that without Christ, I could not walk those paths without stumbling and falling. So help my heart to swell with compassion for those who don’t yet have Your light within them to illuminate the path before them.

 

And make me bold to share that precious hope that is mine in Christ—that they, too, can walk in those true and right paths that lead to abundant life and a forever home with You.

 

Give me the wisdom to search Your Holy Scriptures, that I might gain understanding.  And grant me the discernment to listen carefully to Your Spirit and walk uprightly in Your paths—to faithfully apply the Truth of Your Word to my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

He Who Works for Us

 

 

For since the world began,

   no ear has heard

and no eye has seen a God like you,

   who works for those who wait for him!

 

—Isaiah 64:4 (NLT)

 

Father God,

 

Teach me how to wait for You—and remind me that it is the most important thing that I must do today!

 

There is no God like You.  Since the world began, You have always been ready to work on behalf of anyone who would patiently wait for You—anyone who would take time to be quiet in Your presence, listen for Your voice to speak to them, and follow You as You guide and direct their ways.

 

Help me to see that taking time to be quiet before You is the most important thing I can do today—so that You can show me the way that I should go and the things that You want me to do.

 

Help me to realize that if I fail to do this, that I will exhaust myself in busyness and in doing things in my own strength—by my own will—and in the end, I will neither accomplish that which You want me to do, nor will I be any closer to being who You want me to become.

 

Help me to understand that the difference my life makes in this world is determined much less by how much I do, and so much more by how closely my life reflects the light of Christ’s love in me, to those around me.

 

Let me live in the truth that the more I wait on You—trusting You to work in me, and through me, and all around me, according to Your perfect plan—the less difficult my life becomes, and the more peace and joy I will experience.

 

Teach me how to wait for You—and remind me that it is the most important thing that I must do today!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.