Everything!

 

 

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

 

—2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

There will always be times when my heart will ache—because of the loss, disappointments, and injustices that I experience personally, or that I may observe in the world around me.  

 

But You came to give me hope, that my heart would rejoice in You—as I trust in Your sovereignty, mercy, grace and love, as I watch for You to work all things together for my good, and as I trust You to guide me to my forever home with You.

 

Help me to remember that You have given me this hope-filled joy, so that I will always have something to give to others—no matter how poor I might be—that their joy might also be full.

 

What joy is mine to know that—even though I own nothing in this world, because everything I have belongs to You—I have everything I need and more, in Christ!

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God is in Your Midst!

 

 

The LORD your God is in your midst,

A Warrior who saves.

He will rejoice over you with joy;

He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],

He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

 

—Zephaniah 3:17 (AMP)

 

 

 

O LORD My God,

 

Make me always mindful of Your ever-abiding presence with me and help me honor You by my faithful obedience to Your Word and Your Spirit.

 

Thank You that You always remain with me, that You never leave my side, but continue Your unrelenting pursuit to have all my heart—even when I wander from off the path You have placed before me.

 

Thank You that You are the Mighty and Victorious Warrior who saves me—my Rescuer, my Redeemer, my Defender, and my Guardian—both now and forevermore!

 

Thank You for drawing me into the quietness of Your love—a place where the power of Your love has separated me from all my sins, a place where they are remembered against me no more, and I am seen as righteous in Your eyes.

 

Thank You for being the One who rejoices greatly over me—with thundering shouts of joy—because You have set Your affection on me and take great delight in calling me Your own.

 

Make me always mindful of Your ever-abiding presence with me and help me honor You by my faithful obedience to Your Word and Your Spirit.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In Your Unfailing Love

 

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,

    for you have seen my troubles,

    and you care about the anguish of my soul.

 

—Psalm 31:7 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know that it’s Your unfailing love that always carries me through even the hardest things that life may bring!

 

When my troubles try to overtake me, show me Your unfailing love—Your mercy and Your grace poured out over me. For only through the caring and compassion of Your presence with me will the anguish of my soul be truly put to rest.

 

Don’t allow my soul to be overwhelmed. Don’t allow my troubled heart to see the very hard but momentary struggles I face here on earth, as larger than Your capacity to bring me through them all, in the ultimate victory granted to me in Christ.

 

Help me to run to Your love and help me to trust You to uphold me in that love—to protect me and provide for me, because You see my troubles, care about the anguish of my soul, and have a plan to bring good from it all.

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know that it’s Your unfailing love that always carries me through even the hardest things that life may bring!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Our Strength!

 

They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

 

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our LORD. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

 

And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.”  So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

 

—Nehemiah 8:8-12 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD God,

 

Let my joy never waver, my strength never wane, as You help me to understand the truth of the good plans You have laid out clearly before me, in the pages of Your Word.

 

As I come to understand Your Word more and more—and in that understanding, my sins are brought to light before me—help me not only to mourn my sin and repent, but help me even more to rejoice in the power of Your love to remove my sin from me, so my joy in You might not waver and cause me to lose strength.

 

Help me to live in the understanding that my joy in You will strengthen me to be obedient to the things that You have placed before me to do and cause me to be able to resist any temptations from the enemy to do the wrong thing.

 

Help me to spread the joy that acceptance of Your salvation and obedience to Your Word brings, by sharing with others the abundant blessings You have placed on my life—materially, physically and spiritually.

 

Let my joy never waver, my strength never wane, as You help me to understand the truth of the good plans You have laid out clearly before me, in the pages of Your Word.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Rejoice and Be Glad!

 

 

This is the day the LORD has made.

    We will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

—Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

 

 

One and Only Creator God,

 

You, O LORD, have made this day!  So, I choose to rejoice and be glad in it!

 

Before You created everything there is—before You placed it all in order and set it all in motion—You knew this day would come, You knew the good plans You had for me today!

 

Today, I get to choose whether to embrace Your plans with joy and gladness, or to resist Your plans—as if to think that I would know better than You what is best for me—and only reap a harvest of trouble and hardship for my efforts.

 

So, help me open my eyes to all that You have done for me, to rejoice, and gladly and obediently submit my will to Your sovereign plans for me.  Help me to see that You have called me and saved me for such a time as this. 

 

Grant me the faith to believe that You have already arranged to supply me with everything that I need to accomplish Your will for me today and that, in doing so, You have made it possible for me to live this day with deep peace and enduring joy!

 

You, O LORD, have made this day!  So, I choose to rejoice and be glad in it!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Always Near

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.

And Yet We Have Everything

 

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

 

—2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

There will always be times when my heart will ache—because of the loss, disappointments, and injustices that I experience personally, or that I may observe in the world around me.  

 

But You came to give me hope, that my heart would rejoice in You—as I trust in Your sovereignty, mercy, grace and love, as I watch for You to work all things together for my good, and as I trust You to guide me to my forever home with You.

 

Help me to remember that You have given me this hope-filled joy, so that I will always have something to give to others—no matter how poor I might be—that their joy might also be full.

 

What joy is mine to know that—even though I own nothing in this world, because everything I have belongs to You—I have everything I need and more, in Christ!

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Warrior Who Saves

 

The LORD your God is in your midst,

A Warrior who saves.

He will rejoice over you with joy;

He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],

He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

 

—Zephaniah 3:17 (AMP)

 

O LORD My God,

 

Make me always mindful of Your ever-abiding presence with me and help me honor You by my faithful obedience to Your Word and Your Spirit.

 

Thank You that You always remain with me, that You never leave my side, but continue Your unrelenting pursuit to have all my heart—even when I wander from off the path You have placed before me.

 

Thank You that You are the Mighty and Victorious Warrior who saves me—my Rescuer, my Redeemer, my Defender, and my Guardian—both now and forevermore!

 

Thank You for drawing me into the quietness of Your love—a place where the power of Your love has separated me from all my sins, a place where they are remembered against me no more, and I am seen as righteous in Your eyes.

 

Thank You for being the One who rejoices greatly over me—with thundering shouts of joy—because You have set Your affection on me and take great delight in calling me Your own.

 

Make me always mindful of Your ever-abiding presence with me and help me honor You by my faithful obedience to Your Word and Your Spirit.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be Glad and Rejoice!

 

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,

    for you have seen my troubles,

    and you care about the anguish of my soul.

 

—Psalm 31:7 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know, in my heart, that it’s always Your unfailing love which carries me through the hardest things that life on this earth can bring!

 

When my troubles try to overtake me, show me Your unfailing love for me—Your mercy and Your grace poured out over me.  For only by the power of Your caring and compassionate presence here with me can the anguish of my soul be truly put to rest.

 

Don’t allow my soul to be overwhelmed. Don’t allow my troubled heart to see the very hard but momentary struggles I face here on earth, as larger than Your capacity to bring me through them all, in the ultimate victory granted to me in Christ.

 

Help me to run to Your love, expecting You to hold me in that love, and trusting You to protect me and provide for me by that love—believing that You see my troubles and care about the anguish of my soul, and through Your unfailing love, will take me down the best path for me.

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know, in my heart, that it’s always Your unfailing love which carries me through the hardest things that life on this earth can bring!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Joy of the LORD

 

They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

 

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our LORD. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

 

And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.”  So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

 

—Nehemiah 8:8-12 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD God,

 

Let my joy never waver, my strength never wane, as You help me to understand the truth of the good plans You have laid out clearly before me, in the pages of Your Word.

 

As I come to understand Your Word more and more—and in that understanding, my sins are brought to light before me—help me not only to mourn my sin and repent, but help me even more to rejoice in the power of Your love to remove my sin from me, so my joy in You might not waver and cause me to lose strength.

 

Help me to live in the understanding that my joy in You will strengthen me to be obedient to the things that You have placed before me to do and cause me to be able to resist any temptations from the enemy to do the wrong thing.

 

Help me to spread the joy that acceptance of Your salvation and obedience to Your Word brings, by sharing with others the abundant blessings You have placed on my life—materially, physically and spiritually.

 

Let my joy never waver, my strength never wane, as You help me to understand the truth of the good plans You have laid out clearly before me, in the pages of Your Word.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

This is the Day!

 

This is the day the LORD has made.

    We will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

—Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

 

 

One and Only Creator God,

 

You, O LORD, have made this day!  So, I choose to rejoice and be glad in it!

 

Before You created everything there is—before You placed it all in order and set it all in motion—You knew this day would come, You knew the good plans You had for me today!

 

Today, I get to choose whether to embrace Your plans with joy and gladness, or to resist Your plans—as if to think that I would know better than You what is best for me—and only reap a harvest of trouble and hardship for my efforts.

 

So, help me open my eyes to all that You have done for me, to rejoice, and gladly and obediently submit my will to Your sovereign plans for me.  Help me to see that You have called me and saved me for such a time as this. 

 

Grant me the faith to believe that You have already arranged to supply me with everything that I need to accomplish Your will for me today and that, in doing so, You have made it possible for me to live this day with deep peace and enduring joy!

 

You, O LORD, have made this day!  So, I choose to rejoice and be glad in it!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Loves Us

 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 —Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

 

 

Loving Father,

 

Help me to choose to rejoice always, even in the face of any problems and trials I may face.  Let me look beyond them to see the working of Your plan—a plan to help me to endure all things, as I grow in strength of character, in hope of Your salvation, and in knowledge of Your love for me.

 

Help me to endure every hardship I face with complete faith and trust in You—knowing that You use life’s difficulties, and even the enemy’s attacks against me, to strengthen my character.

 

Then use my strengthened character to build my confident hope that You will always be faithful to save me in, or through, or out of every situation or circumstance that I may face—even death itself.

 

Remind me that as long as my hope is in You alone, I will never be disappointed, and help me to truly embrace how much You dearly love me—as Your Holy Spirit fills my heart with Your love.

 

Help me to choose to rejoice always, even in the face of any problems and trials I may face.  Let me look beyond them to see the working of Your plan—a plan to help me to endure all things, as I grow in strength of character, in hope of Your salvation, and in knowledge of Your love for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Lord is Near

 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 knowledge of Your nearness also cause me to act out of a gentle spirit toward others—unselfishly showing mercy, grace, patience, kindness, and a loving allowance for the faults of others—while still standing up against all evil and injustice, and boldly speaking 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.

Everything I Need, And More

 

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.  We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.  We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

 

—2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

There will always be times when my heart will ache—because of the loss, disappointments and injustices that I experience personally, or that I may observe in the world around me.  

 

But You came to give me hope, that my heart would rejoice in You—as I trust in Your sovereignty, mercy, grace and love, as I watch for You to work all things together for my good, and as I trust You to guide me to my forever home with You.

 

Help me to remember that You have given me this hope-filled joy, so that I will always have something to give to others—no matter how poor I might be—that their joy might also be full.

 

What joy is mine to know that—even though I own nothing in this world, because everything I have belongs to You—I have everything I need and more, in Christ!

 

Thank You for making it possible for me to experience a deep and abiding joy in You—a joy that is not dependent on my circumstances and is mine to keep—as I fix my eyes on Christ and look to Him to be everything I need, and more.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Sing to the LORD

 

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live.
    I will praise my God to my last breath!

May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the LORD.

 

—Psalm 104:33-34 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Oh, that all my thoughts would be pleasing to You—that You would be the source of all my joy and the object of all my praise, for as long as I live!

 

Give me a strong voice, so l can continually lift up songs of praise and worship to You—for as long as You put breath in my lungs.

 

Give me a pure heart—a heart that is motivated only by my love for You and for others—so that my every thought would please you, causing all my words and actions to bring You glory.

 

Give me a rejoicing spirit—so that the light of joy that shines from within me would be the Light of Christ.

 

Oh, that all my thoughts would be pleasing to You—that You would be the source of all my joy and the object of all my praise, for as long as I live!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.