The Heart of a Man

 

 

As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.

 

— Proverbs 27:19 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Show me my heart, that I may know the man that I am. Then make me more like Jesus. 

 

Just as I might look carefully into still, clear water to see the reflection of my face on its surface, so may I carefully examine what my thoughts, words, and actions say about the condition of my heart—and how that reveals the man that I truly am. 

 

Help me to see the places in my heart that I have not yet surrendered to the sanctifying power of Your Holy Spirit within me—and give me the strength and desire to give those places over to You, today.

 

Change me, so that the reflection of the man that I am in my heart will no longer resemble a man of this world but be a better reflection of a man who has a heart after Your own heart.

 

Show me my heart, that I may know the man that I am. Then make me more like Jesus.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

His Home, Your Heart

 

 

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

 

—Ephesians 3:16-17 (NLT)

 

 

Gracious God,

 

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we would be made spiritually stronger—that our hearts, rooted and nourished in Your love, would be a place for Christ to call His home, as we put all our trust in Him.

 

According to Your glorious and unlimited resources, pour spiritual strength into us—change us by the working of Your Spirit within us—so our outward lives would be made visibly different, to the Glory of Christ.

 

Help us to surrender anything that doesn’t honor Christ, to the sanctifying work of Your Spirit—making Him Lord of our hearts, so that our hearts would be a place suitable for our King to make His home.

 

And grant that our roots would go down deep and be nourished by Your amazing love—so that we would be made strong and firmly established, forever abiding with You.

 

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we would be made spiritually stronger—that our hearts, rooted and nourished in Your love, would be a place for Christ to call His home, as we put all our trust in Him.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Teach Me!

 

 

Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

 

—Psalm 143:10 (NASB)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Teach me, both to know what Your will is and to do it always, so that my journey here on earth is marked by a faithful and settled course of holy living—as You lead me, by Your good Spirit, on that level ground that takes me to my eternal home with You.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit open the eyes of my understanding, so that I am fully able to discern the depths of meaning found in Your Holy Scriptures—so I can always know Your will.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit usher me into the plans You have for me, as I step out in faith to do Your will—so I can always walk within the safety of Your will.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit continue to do Your work of sanctification within me, so that my life would become wholly set apart for You—so I can always live to the glory of Your will.

 

Teach me, both to know what Your will is and to do it always, so that my journey here on earth is marked by a faithful and settled course of holy living—as You lead me, by Your good Spirit, on that level ground that takes me to my eternal home with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

To Gain Christ

 

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

—Philippians 3:8-9a (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me let go of anything that keeps me from knowing You. Teach me to value nothing above the joy of gaining Christ and becoming one with Him.

 

 

Teach me that I should consider all the things that I might pursue in life here on earth as worthless—when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, as my Lord.

 

May all the things that I choose to pursue, help me grow in my knowledge and understanding of the attributes and character of Christ, so that I would learn to become more like Him.

 

Use every opportunity, every challenge, every disappointment, and every blessing You place before me, to produce a good work in me and through me, so that You would be glorified and I would be sanctified—and ultimately, perfectly fashioned into the image of Christ. 

Help me let go of anything that keeps me from knowing You. Teach me to value nothing above the joy of gaining Christ and becoming one with Him.

 

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.

Fully Committed!

 

 

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

 

—2 Chronicles 16:9a (NLT)

 

 

 

O LORD my God,

 

Let it be that You would find in me a heart that is fully committed to You—so that You would strengthen me in every way, for the work to which You have called me.

 

Don’t allow me to settle for having a heart that is only mostly surrendered to You—a heart that is willing to stop at, “At least I’m better than I used to be!” or “Nobody’s perfect, everybody sins.”

 

Purify my heart!  Show me my heart and any darkness I have hidden there!  Help me to root out those things that I am withholding from You—according to the sanctifying power of Your Holy Spirit within me.

 

Grant me a heart that is willing and obedient—willing to seek out the truth of Your Word, and faithful to obediently apply that Truth to my life, so that I would be found faithful in Your eyes.

 

Give me a listening heart—a heart that listens to hear and respond to every prompting of Your Spirit, a heart that is eager to do all that You ask of me.

 

Give me a loving heart—a heart that loves You first, and best, and always, and loves others in the same way that You have so graciously and wondrously loved me—as a proof of my love for You.

 

Let it be that You would find in me a heart that is fully committed to You—so that You would strengthen me in every way, for the work to which You have called me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

No Rock Like Our God!

 

 

No one is holy like the LORD!

    There is no one besides you;

    there is no Rock like our God.

 

—1 Samuel 2:2 (NLT)

 

 

 

Unchanging and Holy LORD,

 

There is no one like You, LORD!  You are my Rock—firm and unchanging—the strong and solid foundation of my life.

 

Because you are Holy—and because there is no one Holy as you are—I can confidently place all my trust and hope in You. 

 

May I build upon the foundation of unchanging truth that I find in You—as declared in Your Word, revealed by Your Spirit, and demonstrated in my life through my experience of trusting You.

 

May I set my eyes only on those things eternal, so that when the things of this world slip through my hands and fall away, I will remain standing on the Rock—my ever-present, never-changing, and never-failing Hope!

 

There is no one like You, LORD!  You are my Rock—firm and unchanging, the strong and solid foundation of my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

The Truth That Sets Me Free

 

 

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

 

—John 8:34-36 (NLT)

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

Help me fully live every moment of this day in the freedom that was purchased by Christ, when He gave His life on the cross for mine.

 

Through Christ, and by Your Holy Spirit, You have called me out of my slavery to sin and have invited me to take my place of freedom as Your very own child—a chosen member of Your own family.

 

You have made true freedom possible for me—so that sin no longer has the power to make me its slave, by controlling me, manipulating me, clouding my mind, will and emotions, and dictating my every action.

 

The freedom You purchased for me is not freedom to do whatever I please, but freedom to choose to obey You, as an act of my love for You.

 

And You have poured out on me the blessings that flow from my obedience—joy, peace, provision, protection, power and purpose—as I fulfill Your plan for me, by serving You wholeheartedly.

 

May I live continually in that freedom, as I choose to seek You first—by searching out the Truth of Your Word, listening for Your Spirit to speak to my heart, and willingly submitting my life to You—so that You can change me more and more into the likeness of Christ, Himself.

 

Help me fully live every moment of this day in the freedom that was purchased by Christ, when He gave His life on the cross for mine.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

The Heart of Man Reflects the Man

 

 

As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.

 

— Proverbs 27:19 (ESV)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Show me my heart, that I may know the man that I am. Then make me more like Jesus. 

 

Just as I might look carefully into still, clear water to see the reflection of my face on its surface, so may I carefully examine what my thoughts, words, and actions say about the condition of my heart—and how that reveals the man that I truly am. 

 

Help me to see the places in my heart that I have not yet surrendered to the sanctifying power of Your Holy Spirit within me—and give me the strength and desire to give those places over to You, today.

 

Change me, so that the reflection of the man that I am in my heart will no longer resemble a man of this world but be a better reflection of a man who has a heart after Your own heart.

 

Show me my heart, that I may know the man that I am. Then make me more like Jesus.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ's Home, Our Heart

 

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

—Ephesians 3:16-17 (NLT)

 

Gracious God,

 

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we would be made spiritually stronger—that our hearts, rooted and nourished in Your love, would be a place for Christ to call His home, as we put all our trust in Him.

 

According to Your glorious and unlimited resources, pour spiritual strength into us—change us by the working of Your Spirit within us—so our outward lives would be made visibly different, to the Glory of Christ.

 

Help us to surrender anything that doesn’t honor Christ, to the sanctifying work of Your Spirit—making Him Lord of our hearts, so that our hearts would be a place suitable for our King to make His home.

 

And grant that our roots would go down deep and be nourished by Your amazing love—so that we would be made strong and firmly established, forever abiding with You.

 

Empower us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we would be made spiritually stronger—that our hearts, rooted and nourished in Your love, would be a place for Christ to call His home, as we put all our trust in Him.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Spirit Lead Me

 

Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

 

—Psalm 143:10 (NASB)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Teach me, both to know what Your will is and to do it always, so that my journey here on earth is marked by a faithful and settled course of holy living—as You lead me, by Your good Spirit, on that level ground that takes me to my eternal home with You.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit open the eyes of my understanding, so that I am fully able to discern the depths of meaning found in Your Holy Scriptures—so I can always know Your will.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit usher me into the plans You have for me, as I step out in faith to do Your will—so I can always walk within the safety of Your will.

 

Teach me!  Let Your good Spirit continue to do Your work of sanctification within me, so that my life would become wholly set apart for You—so I can always live to the glory of Your will.

 

Teach me, both to know what Your will is and to do it always, so that my journey here on earth is marked by a faithful and settled course of holy living—as You lead me, by Your good Spirit, on that level ground that takes me to my eternal home with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Everything Else is Worthless!

 

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

—Philippians 3:8-9a (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to discard anything from my life that would hinder me from gaining Christ—and becoming one with Him.

 

Teach me that I should consider all the things that I might pursue in life here on earth as worthless—when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, as my Lord.

 

Don’t allow me to pursue anything that would keep me from becoming like Christ—and help me to consider those things as mere garbage.  And may all my pursuits help me grow in my understanding of the character of Christ, so that I would learn to become more like Him.

 

Use everything You put before me (every opportunity, every challenge, every disappointment, and every blessing) to do a good work in me, through me, and all around me—in order to sanctify me, and ultimately, perfectly fashion me into the image of Christ. 

Help me to discard anything from my life that would hinder me from gaining Christ—and becoming one with Him.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Out of Darkness, Into His Wonderful Light!

 

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.

Fully Committed to the LORD

 

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

 

—2 Chronicles 16:9a (NLT)

 

 

O LORD my God,

 

Let it be that You would find in me a heart that is fully committed to You—so that You would strengthen me in every way, for the work to which You have called me.

 

Don’t allow me to settle for having a heart that is only mostly surrendered to You—a heart that is willing to stop at, “At least I’m better than I used to be!” or “Nobody’s perfect, everybody sins.”

 

Purify my heart!  Show me my heart and any darkness I have hidden there!  Help me to root out those things that I am withholding from You—according to the sanctifying power of Your Holy Spirit within me.

 

Grant me a heart that is willing and obedient—willing to seek out the truth of Your Word, and faithful to obediently apply that Truth to my life, so that I would be found faithful in Your eyes.

 

Give me a listening heart—a heart that listens to hear and respond to every prompting of Your Spirit, a heart that is eager to do all that You ask of me.

 

Give me a loving heart—a heart that loves You first, and best, and always, and loves others in the same way that You have so graciously and wondrously loved me—as a proof of my love for You.

 

Let it be that You would find in me a heart that is fully committed to You—so that You would strengthen me in every way, for the work to which You have called me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

You Are My Rock!

 

No one is holy like the LORD!

    There is no one besides you;

    there is no Rock like our God.

 

—1 Samuel 2:2 (NLT)

 

Unchanging and Holy LORD,

 

There is no one like You, LORD!  You are my Rock—firm and unchanging, the strong and solid foundation of my life.

 

Because you are holy—and because there is no one besides you that is holy as you are—I can confidently place all my trust and hope in You. 

 

So may I only build upon the foundation of unchanging truth that I find in You—as declared in Your Word, revealed by Your Spirit, and demonstrated in my life by my experience of trusting You.

 

And let me build only on those things that are eternal, so that when the things of this world slip through my hands and fall away, I will remain standing on the Rock—my ever present, never changing, and never-failing Hope!

 

There is no one like You, LORD!  You are my Rock—firm and unchanging, the strong and solid foundation of my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.