Strayed Away

 

 

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
    the sins of us all.

 

—Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away. 

 

I need You to lead me today.  Because just like a sheep, if left on my own, I will wander from the path of Your will for me—and follow a path marked by my own self-centered desires. 

 

Sometimes, I do it somehow blindly unaware of my wandering—as if I were sleepwalking—failing to wake up to the error of my way, until I am lost and a long way from home.

 

Sometimes, I fall back into my old ways of stubborn and willful rebellion—fully aware, but foolishly wanting what I want, more than wanting what You want for me.

 

And yet, always, even in my sin, You call me to return to You—having laid all my sin upon Jesus, so that I might stand in the peace and protection of Your Presence once again.

 

Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You, and to value Your Presence as I should, so I will hear Your instruction and choose to follow You in obedience—as You lead me to every good thing that You have prepared for me.  

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away.  

 

In the name of Jesus, 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!

Joy to the Heart, Insight for Living

 

 

The commandments of the LORD are right,

    bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are clear,

    giving insight for living.

 

—Psalm 19:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands are exactly right—that they flow from Your Truth and are written for my good, and for Your glory.

 

Help me to understand that, as I obediently follow them, I not only demonstrate my love for You, but my heart is also filled with joy—as protection, provision and peace flood my life in proportion to that obedience.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands are perfectly clear—that they are pure, clean, that there is no darkness in them at all, and they are clearly understood.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands allow me to see with certainty the best paths for me to follow—as You guide me by Your Spirit on my journey through this life on my way home to You.

 

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Those Who Wish to Boast

 

This is what the LORD says:

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,

    or the powerful boast in their power,

    or the rich boast in their riches. 

But those who wish to boast

    should boast in this alone:

that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD

    who demonstrates unfailing love

    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,

and that I delight in these things.

    I, the LORD, have spoken!”

 

—Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May I never boast in my own wisdom, power, or riches—but may I instead know You for who You are and understand that You are the LORD!

 

Help me not to depend on my own wisdom to get me safely home to You—but rather help me depend on the wisdom I find in Your Word, as revealed by Your Spirit.

 

Help me not to depend on my own strength—but rather help me to find my strength in the power of Your righteous right hand to hold me up so that, though I may stumble, I will not fall.

 

Help me not to depend on my own riches, which are here today and gone tomorrow, to sustain my needs—but rather help me to depend on Your unending provision for every need that I have by Your immeasurable riches in glory.

 

Help me to seek to know You more intimately—so that my understanding of the truth of who You are, and of who I am in Christ, will carry me through all things, according to the power of Your unfailing love for me.

 

May I never boast in my own wisdom, power, or riches—but may I instead know You for who You are and understand that You are the LORD!

 

In the name of 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.

All of Us, Like Sheep

 

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
    the sins of us all.

 

—Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away. 

 

 

I need You to lead me today.  Because just like a sheep, if left on my own, I will wander from the path of Your will for me—and follow a path marked by my own self-centered desires. 

 

Sometimes, I do it somehow blindly unaware of my wandering—as if I were sleepwalking—failing to wake up to the error of my way, until I am lost and a long way from home.

 

Sometimes, I fall back into my old ways of stubborn and willful rebellion—fully aware, but foolishly wanting what I want, more than wanting what You want for me.

 

And yet, always, even in my sin, You call me to return to You—having laid all of my sin upon Jesus, so that I might stand in the peace and protection of Your Presence once again.

 

Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You, and to value Your Presence as I should, so I will hear Your instruction and choose to follow You in obedience—as You lead me to every good thing that You have prepared for me.  

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away.  

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Your Light and Your Truth

 

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.

Insight for Living

 

The commandments of the LORD are right,

    bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are clear,

    giving insight for living.

 

—Psalm 19:8 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands are exactly right—that they flow from Your Truth and are written for my good, and for Your glory.

 

Help me to understand that, as I obediently follow them, I not only demonstrate my love for You, but my heart is also filled with joy—as protection, provision and peace flood my life in proportion to that obedience.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands are perfectly clear—that they are pure, clean, that there is no darkness in them at all, and they are clearly understood.

 

Help me to understand that Your commands allow me to see with certainty the best paths for me to follow—as You guide me by Your Spirit on my journey through this life on my way home to You.

 

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Boast in This Alone!

 

This is what the LORD says:

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,

    or the powerful boast in their power,

    or the rich boast in their riches. 

But those who wish to boast

    should boast in this alone:

that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD

    who demonstrates unfailing love

    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,

and that I delight in these things.

    I, the LORD, have spoken!”

 

—Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

May I never boast in my own wisdom, power, or riches—but may I instead know You for who You are, and understand that You are the LORD!

 

Help me not to depend on my own wisdom to get me safely home to You—but rather help me depend on the wisdom I find in Your Word as revealed by Your Spirit to guide me along Your paths of peace and safety.

 

Help me not to depend on my own strength—but rather help me to find my strength in the power of Your righteous right hand to hold me up so that, though I may stumble, I will not fall.

 

Help me not to depend on my own riches, which are here today and gone tomorrow, to sustain my needs—but rather help me to depend on Your unending provision for every need that I have by Your immeasurable riches in glory.

 

Help me to seek to know You more intimately—so that my understanding of the truth of who You are, and of who I am in Christ, will carry me through all things, according to the power of Your unfailing love for me.

 

May I never boast in my own wisdom, power, or riches—but may I instead know You for who You are, and understand that You are the LORD!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Paths of the LORD

 

 

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.

Wanting What You Want for Me

 

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
    the sins of us all.

 

—Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away.  

 

I need You to lead me today.  Because just like a sheep, if left on my own, I will wander from the path of Your will for me—and follow a path marked by my own self-centered desires. 

 

Sometimes, I do it somehow blindly unaware of my wandering—as if I were sleepwalking—failing to wake up to the error of my way, until I am lost and a long way from home.

 

Sometimes, I fall back into my old ways of stubborn and willful rebellion—fully aware, but foolishly wanting what I want, more than wanting what You want for me.

 

And yet, always, even in my sin, You call me to return to You—having laid all of my sin upon Jesus, so that I might stand in the peace and protection of Your Presence once again.

 

Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You, and to value Your Presence as I should, so I will hear Your instruction and choose to follow You in obedience—as You lead me to every good thing that You have prepared for me.  

Like a shepherd lead me, along Your paths today,

and teach me by Your Spirit’s voice, to never stray away.  

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

 

Send out your light and your truth;
    let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you live.

 

—Psalm 43:3 (NLT)

 

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.

Bringing Joy and Giving Insight

 

The commandments of the LORD are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear,
    giving insight for living.

—Psalm 19:8 (NLT)

 

 

Loving LORD,

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

Help me to understand that Your commands are exactly right—that they flow from Your Truth and are written for my good, and for Your glory.

Help me to understand that, as I obediently follow them, I not only demonstrate my love for You, but my heart is also filled with joy—as protection, provision and peace flood my life in proportion to that obedience.

Help me to understand that Your commands are perfectly clear—that they are pure, clean, that there is no darkness in them at all, and they are clearly understood.

Help me to understand that Your commands allow me to see with certainty the best paths for me to follow—as You guide me by Your Spirit on my journey through this life on my way home to You.

Grant me the hunger to know, and the desire to obey, the commandments of Your Word—so my heart may be full of joy, and my mind would be filled with insight for how I should live.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.