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.

Faithfulness to God!

 

 

“Look at the proud!

    They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.

    But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

 

—Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)

 

 

 

Father God,

 

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

 

Don’t allow me to trust in my own strength or abilities—for, apart from You, I cannot do any good thing.

 

Help me to live my life on the straight path that leads to life—and keep my pride from putting my life on a crooked path of destruction and ruin.

 

May my hope for righteousness be found in Christ alone, and may my life be lived in faithfulness to You—always, in all my ways.

 

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The LORD is Close!

 

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles,

    but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

 —Psalm 34:18-19 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You that when my heart is broken, when my spirit is crushed, and when I face many troubles, You remain close to me and never let me slip from Your rescuing grip.

 

Teach me to trust You—whether my troubles appear to be insurmountably huge in my own eyes or are just a series of small frustrations that have piled up on me to wear me down and rob me of my strength.  Remind me that You are always here to rescue me.

 

Thank You for all the times You have sovereignly chosen to rescue me by either shielding me from the trouble I was facing or by entirely removing the trouble from me.

 

Thank You for all the times You have chosen to rescue me by equipping me with the strength, courage, and discerning wisdom that enabled me to remain in Your peace and push through the trouble that came against me.

 

And even though I may face many troubles—because I have chosen to walk in the righteousness of Christ—let me not be afraid but only believe that I will see Your goodness through it all, as I look to You to rescue me.

 

Thank You that when my heart is broken, when my spirit is crushed, and when I face many troubles, You remain close to me and never let me slip from Your rescuing grip.

 

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.

Living in This Evil World

 

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

—Titus 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live in this evil world in a way that brings glory to You—as I look forward with hope to that wonderful day when all of Christ’s glory will be revealed.

 

You have told me to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures, and yet I must still live in this world—which is full of godlessness and sin.

 

So, help me to stand against the temptations of the world—by granting me the wisdom I need to correctly discern good from evil, the strength I need to make right and pure choices, and the assurance of Your love and goodness that I need to live a life that is devoted to You.

 

Help me to live purposefully while I am here—as I use the gifts and talents that You have given me to be a part of building Your Kingdom here on earth.  And let me look forward with great hope and anticipation to the day when my battles with temptation will end—when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, comes again.

 

Help me to live in this evil world in a way that brings glory to You—as I look forward with hope to that wonderful day when all of Christ’s glory will be revealed.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

How Amazing!

 

 

How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.

 

—Psalm 111:2-3 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that every aspect of my life would remain centered on You!

 

Help me to rekindle that awestruck wonder that I first had for the truly amazing and awesome things that You have done—both for me and for others—out of Your great love for all of us.

 

Help me to look for the amazing in the common place occurrences of my day and give You all the honor, glory and praise that You deserve—for all the things You have done, are doing now, and have yet to bring to pass.

 

Don’t let my familiarity with the story of my own life dull my sense of gratitude for how You have always been faithful to reveal Yourself to me—allowing me to experience for myself the truth of Your never-failing righteousness.

 

With great joy and excitement, help me look for opportunities to tell the story of Your goodness and Your faithfulness to me—so that others would come to believe how truly great You are, and be drawn to receive Christ for themselves!

 

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that every aspect of my life would remain centered on You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Pure Wisdom From Above

 

 

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.

Living by Faithfulness to God

 

“Look at the proud!

    They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.

    But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

 

—Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)

 

Father God,

 

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

 

Don’t allow me to trust in my own strength or abilities—for, apart from You, I cannot do any good thing.

 

Help me to live my life on the straight path that leads to life—and keep my pride from putting my life on a crooked path of destruction and ruin.

 

May my hope for righteousness be found in Christ alone, and may my life be lived in faithfulness to You—always, in all my ways.

 

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The LORD Comes to the Rescue

 

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles,

    but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

 —Psalm 34:18-19 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Thank You that when my heart is broken, when my spirit is crushed, and when I face many troubles, You remain close to me and You never let me slip from Your rescuing grip.

 

Teach me to trust You—whether my troubles appear to be insurmountably huge in my own eyes or are just a series of small frustrations that have piled up on me to wear me down and rob me of my strength.  Remind me that You are always here to rescue me.

 

Thank You for all the times You have sovereignly chosen to rescue me by either shielding me from the trouble I was facing or by entirely removing the trouble from me.

 

Thank You for all the times You have chosen to rescue me by equipping me with the strength, courage and discerning wisdom that enabled me to remain in Your peace and push through the trouble that came against me.

 

And even though I may face many troubles—because I have chosen to walk in the righteousness of Christ—let me not be afraid, but only believe that I will see Your goodness through it all, as I look to You to rescue me.

 

Thank You that when my heart is broken, when my spirit is crushed, and when I face many troubles, You remain close to me and You never let me slip from Your rescuing grip.

 

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.

Living as Instructed

 

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

—Titus 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to live in this evil world in a way that brings glory to You—as I look forward with hope to that wonderful day when all of Christ’s glory will be revealed.

 

You have told me to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures, and yet I must still live in this world—which is full of godlessness and sin.

 

So, help me to stand against the temptations of the world—by granting me the wisdom I need to correctly discern good from evil, the strength I need to make right and pure choices, and the assurance of Your love and goodness that I need to live a life that is devoted to You.

 

Help me to live purposefully while I am here—as I use the gifts and talents that You have given me to be a part of building Your Kingdom here on earth.  And let me look forward with great hope and anticipation to the day when my battles with temptation will end—when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, comes again.

 

Help me to live in this evil world in a way that brings glory to You—as I look forward with hope to that wonderful day when all of Christ’s glory will be revealed.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Ponder the Amazing

 

How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.

 

—Psalm 111:2-3 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that every aspect of my life would remain centered on You!

 

Help me to rekindle that awestruck wonder that I first had for the truly amazing and awesome things that You have done—both for me and for others—out of Your great love for all of us.

 

Help me to look for the amazing in the common place occurrences of my day and give You all the honor, glory and praise that You deserve—for all the things You have done, are doing now, and have yet to bring to pass.

 

Don’t let my familiarity with the story of my own life dull my sense of gratitude for how You have always been faithful to reveal Yourself to me—allowing me to experience for myself the truth of Your never-failing righteousness.

 

With great joy and excitement, help me look for opportunities to tell the story of Your goodness and Your faithfulness to me—so that others would come to believe how truly great You are, and be drawn to receive Christ for themselves!

 

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that every aspect of my life would remain centered on You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Wisdom from Above

 

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, in order 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.

Living By Faithfulness to God

 

“Look at the proud!
    They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
    But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

—Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)

 

 

Father God,

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

Don’t allow me to trust in my own strength or abilities—for, apart from You, I can do no good thing.

Help me to live my life on the straight path that leads to life—and keep my pride from putting my life on a crooked path of destruction and ruin.

May my hope for righteousness be found in Christ alone, and may my life be lived in faithfulness to You—always, in all my ways.

Empty me completely of any pride that You find hidden in my heart.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.