Rejoice!

 

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

 

—Philippians 4:4-5 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Lord Jesus Christ,

 

Make me always mindful that You are near—for heartfelt knowledge of that truth will cause me to rejoice and will inform my every interaction with those around me.

 

Your Word instructs me to rejoice in You always—to make You my delight and to find my pleasure in You, no matter what my circumstances are, or what situations I may face—confident that You are always near to help me.

 

May my mindfulness that You are near also cause me to act with a gentle spirit toward others—unselfishly showing mercy, grace, patience, kindness, and making a loving allowance for the faults of others—while still standing up against all evil and injustice, and boldly speaking the truth in love.

 

Help me to remember that not only are You near to help, but that the time of Your return is also near—so that I will be ready and not be ashamed when I see You face to face.

 

Make me always mindful that You are near—for heartfelt knowledge of that truth will cause me to rejoice and will inform my every interaction with those around me.

 

This I pray in Your Most Holy Name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Wisdom

 

 

 

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

 

—James 3:17-18 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to allow that pure wisdom—which only You can give—guide me through every new day. And let me enjoy the harvest of right standing with You, as I plant seeds of love and peace wherever I go.

 

Grant that every choice I make today would flow from a pure heart—a heart that is after Your own heart.

 

Show me how to be peace loving—to seek out the paths of peace, rather than follow the ways of contention and division.

 

Let me handle others with gentle care and not insist on my own way, but yield to others, as long as it does not compromise my heart being yielded to You.

 

Help me extend mercy to others—just as I have been shown mercy—and do good things for the benefit of those around me, to bring You glory and to lead others to Christ.

 

May I sincerely treat all people with the same respect and honor that is due every one of Your unique creations—out of the knowledge that You love each one of us, both greatly and equally.

 

Show me how to be a wise peacemaker—not just a peacekeeper—by helping me plant seeds of the truth of Your Word into the hearts of those around me. Help me then water those seeds generously with love and grace.

 

Help me to allow that pure wisdom—which only You can give—guide me through every new day.  And let me enjoy the harvest of right standing with You, as I plant seeds of love and peace wherever I go.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Waiting for You!

 

 

But I am deaf to all their threats.
    I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.

I choose to hear nothing,
    and I make no reply.

For I am waiting for you, O LORD.
    You must answer for me, O Lord my God.

—Psalm 38:13-15 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

O Lord my God,

 

When I feel threatened by others, when I feel offended, or I am falsely accused, keep me from being provoked into sin. Help me keep control of my mind, will, and emotions, as I wait in faith for You to answer for me.

 

Make me as if I were deaf to all the threats of others, as You remind me who I am in Christ. For I am Your dearly loved child, whom You have carefully and uniquely crafted according to Your perfect plans and purposes for me. You hold my life in Your hands.

 

By Your mercy and grace, let my mouth remain closed and my heart remain at peace—as if I cannot speak at all—until Your words fill my mouth with truth and grace, and love requires that they be spoken.

 

Help me to choose not to hear their unjustified attacks against me. For I know that their accusations are not about me but come from the brokenness of their own hearts—that their words are born out of their own hurts and not out of their hatred for me.

 

Never allow me to reply from my own understanding, but rather help me wait for You. For I trust You to answer and set all things right, according to Your perfect timing and purpose—as I remain surrendered and submitted to Your will for my life.

 

When I feel threatened by others, when I feel offended, or I am falsely accused, keep me from being provoked into sin. Help me keep control of my mind, will, and emotions, as I wait in faith for You to answer for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen. 

Show Mercy, Receive Mercy

 

 

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

 

—James 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Just and Merciful God,

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

Help me remember that the same law that sets me free—that moral law that sets all obedient followers of Christ free from the bondage of sin—is the law by which I will be judged.

 

For while I have been saved by grace through faith, the evidence of my having received that salvation is my obedience to Christ—which is the path upon which perfect freedom is found—and my ability to extend mercy to others, is a proof that I am walking out that salvation which the Gospel of Christ has provided.

 

Let the mercy that You have poured over me be reflected in me, to all those around me, through my obedience to Christ’s command to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. For therein lies the power to love my neighbor as myself.

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

What is Good

 

 

No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

 

—Micah 6:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You, today.

 

Thank You, for showing me Your character and Your will through Your Word—so that, out of my own personal experience with the goodness I see demonstrated in You, I am able to understand what is good.

 

Help me live out my life with an overflowing gratefulness for the gifts of Your unrelenting and unfailing love, Your ultimate sacrifice for my redemption, and the fullness of my salvation.

 

Let that heart of gratefulness govern my thoughts, words, and actions—so I might always respond by doing what is right and just in Your sight.

 

Help me to live my life in service to You and to others—in demonstration of the love and mercy that has been poured out on me.

 

And help me to walk with You—living for You and drawing my very essence from You—with a humble spirit that is void of pride.

 

Help me to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You, today.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In The Name!

 

 

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 

— Colossians 3:17 ESV

 

 

 

Father God,

 

Help me to represent my Lord Jesus well this day—in my thoughts, words and actions—and may my life become a continual act of giving thanks, through Him to You.

 

As a grateful follower of Your Son, Jesus, let every aspect of my daily life reflect well on the One whose Name and Love I carry with me, into this dark and lost world. 

 

Let me ever be conscious of the impression that I leave with others, so that I would always show them the love of Christ—that they might be changed by the Christ they see in me, for Your glory.

 

Help me remember to speak only words of life, truth, love and encouragement to everyone that I encounter, both today and every day.

 

Help me always remain obedient to Your commands and submitted to Your authority—to depend on Your strength and remain in Your peace, serving You in all things with joy.

 

Let my life be an offering of grateful worship to You for all the gentle compassion, patient mercy, complete forgiveness, amazing grace, and unfailing love that You have poured out over me through Jesus Christ.

 

Help me to represent my Lord Jesus well this day—in my thoughts, words and actions—and may my life become a continual act of giving thanks, through Him to You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Chose You!

 

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 

—Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me today, as I seek to live a holy life—in grateful response to Your amazing love for me.

 

Help me to put on tenderhearted mercy for others—as I see each person through Your eyes of compassion.

 

Help me to clothe myself in kindness to all—having experienced for myself the abundant kindness of my Savior.

 

Help me put my own selfish desires aside and dress myself with humility—as I consider others before I consider myself.

 

Help me to put on the garment of quiet and gently disciplined strength—as I look to You as my only source of strength.

 

Let the clothing of tireless patience be mine to wear, as I bear with those around me, forgiving them freely, quickly, and completely—just as You, through Your Son, Jesus, have forgiven me.

 

And over all of these, help me to wear Your love—which holds every virtue in perfect unity—so that I might be known by the love of Christ in me.

 

Help me today as I seek to live a holy life—in grateful response to Your amazing love for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Just Love!

 

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD.  And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’  The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  No other commandment is greater than these.  —Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

 

 

 

Dear LORD God,

 

Oh, that I could more perfectly return to You that same love with which You first loved me—and then actively love others in the same way that I love myself!

 

Help me to make room within my heart, so that You can fill it completely with Your love—that love that overwhelms me and consumes my soul—so that I would never miss any opportunity You give me to participate with You in loving those around me.

 

Help me to avoid the trap of believing that there could ever be anything more important than these all-inclusive commands—commands that are not restricted by time or place, commands I should follow no matter where I may find myself.

 

Just as You have loved me, help me to love others well—with that same compassion, patience, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and grace that You have shown me—by willingly and obediently reflecting Your love for them in all my thoughts, words, and actions.

 

Oh, that I could more perfectly return to You that same love with which You first loved me—and then actively love others in the same way that I love myself!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Deceitful and Desperately Sick

 

 

The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it?
“I the LORD search the heart
    and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
    according to the fruit of his deeds.”

 

—Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV)

 

 

O LORD, who searches my heart,

 

Show me my heart and reveal the true motives in my mind, so that I won’t be led astray by any deceitfulness within me.

 

Help me to understand that to trust my heart is to trust in man—and that You have warned me against trusting in man. Help me to put all my trust in You alone!

 

Heal my heart and purify my mind, so that Your thoughts and ways will be made known to me and reflected in all my thoughts, words, and actions.

 

May love be my only motive for the choices I make—love for You and love for others—so that Your perfect will for me would be accomplished, and Your goodness and mercy would overtake me.

 

Show me my heart and reveal the true motives in my mind, so that I won’t be led astray by any deceitfulness within me.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

My LORD and My King

 

 

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

 

—Judges 21:25 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

My LORD and My King,

 

May You remain forever my only LORD and King, so that the way I conduct my life will be according to Your Truth and not according to my own opinion.

 

Help me to seek Your perfect will, rather than my selfish will; Your eternal plans, rather than my fleeting plans; Your righteous desires, rather than my corrupt desires; and Your pure motives, rather than my sinful motives—so that my heart would be fully Yours and I would reflect the character of Christ.

 

Keep me from the chaos that comes from deciding for myself what is right and what is wrong—based on my own limited and flawed intellect and perspective—and give me the faith to trust You for the best answers, knowing Your intellect is infinitely beyond my own and Your perfect perspective is limitless.

 

As I commit to obediently follow Your instructions—as revealed to my spirit by the Holy Spirit through Your Word—let my actions reflect Your standards for morality, mercy, forgiveness, grace, justice, truth, and above all, love.

May You remain forever my only LORD and King, so that the way I conduct my life will be according to Your Truth and not according to my own opinion.

 

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.

 

Remember Your Mercy!

 

 

I have heard all about you, LORD.
    I am filled with awe by your amazing works.
In this time of our deep need,
    help us again as you did in years gone by.
And in your anger,
    remember your mercy.

                 —Habakkuk 3:2 (NLT)

 

 

 

Merciful LORD,

 

In this time of our deep need, please help us once again!  Though we deserve Your anger, even still have mercy upon us according to Your loving-kindness! 

 

As I search the words of Your Holy Scriptures, fill me with awe and wonder—with reverential fear and respect—because of Your amazing works and the demonstrations of Your unlimited power and unfailing love for Your people.

 

Remind me of all the times that You have tempered Your anger toward the unfaithfulness of Your people with Your mercy—so that they were not destroyed, and the glory of Your Name could continue to be proclaimed throughout the world by the remnants of the faithful.

 

And grant us, again today, Your mercy—that Your glory might yet shine from within us, that we would return to You in repentance, and find You waiting there to help us, just as You did in years gone by.

 

In this time of our deep need, please help us once again!  Though we deserve Your anger, even still have mercy upon us according to Your loving-kindness!

 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Like a Breath of Air

 

 

O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them,
    mere mortals that you should think about them?

For they are like a breath of air;
    their days are like a passing shadow.

 

—Psalm 144:3-4 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

O LORD, Our Father in Heaven,

Out the vastness of all that You have created, You choose not only to notice us, but to pour out over us Your mercy, grace, and love, in abundance!  Such things are too great for me to ever fully understand—and yet I believe!

 

What is it about human beings—mere mortals—that You should pay us any attention, that You should set Your thoughts on any one of us?  And why would a holy, righteous, and just God want anything to do with me?

 

The answer lies somewhere in the truth that though You are holy, righteous, and just, You are also equally merciful, gracious, and loving.  It is the completeness of Your perfect character that has chosen to call us into relationship with You.

 

You have loved us, chosen us, called us, and wanted us in this intimate relationship with You so that we could be made perfect in Christ—and so we would show forth the glories of our God to all the world with our lives! 

 

So, though I may not see or fully understand Your plans and purposes for my short life, may I submit myself to Your Will in all things—trusting in Your great love for me—and love You back as a reflection of all the love I have been given.

 

Out of the vastness of all that You have created, You choose not only to notice us, but to pour out over us Your mercy, grace, and love, in abundance!  Such things are too great for me to ever fully understand—and yet I believe!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.