Blessed, Nourished, Strong, and Steadfast

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

—Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV)

Heavenly Father,

Help me to delight in being faithfully obedient to Your law.  Let it become my habit to meditate on Your precepts, instructions, and teachings both day and night.

Keep me from being a person who takes the advice of the ungodly to heart—or who follows after their example of bad behavior—only to find I have been led away from the Truth that can only be found in Your Word.

Keep me from being a person who stands around doing nothing, in the midst of an evil people who continue in pursuing their sinful ways, when I should be declaring the Truth of Your Word—having been motivated to such boldness by my great love for others.

Keep me from being a person who sits down, joining company with those who would dare to ridicule You and defiantly reject You—mocking the blessings that are made available to all of us, when we embrace the Truth of Your Word.

Let me be a person who has cultivated a desire to hold Your Word in his heart—whose best joy comes from considering, studying and meditating on the Truth of Your Word, at all times.

Let me be a person who is like a tree that was planted by the streams of water—nourished, strong and steadfast—producing the kind of fruit that brings blessing to all those around me, as I allow the Truth of Your Word to guide my life and bring glory to Your Name.

Help me to delight in being faithfully obedient to Your law.  Let it become my habit to meditate on Your precepts, instructions, and teachings both day and night.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Faithful God

I will proclaim the name of the LORD;
    how glorious is our God!

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.
    Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong;
    how just and upright he is!

—Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (NLT)

LORD God Almighty,

With each day that comes, let me ever more deeply fathom how glorious You are—that I might become more faithful in serving You and declaring Your glory to others!

You are glorious in every way!  The beautiful splendor of all that You are surrounds me at all times—as You show me that You are worthy of all my praise and adoration.

You are my Rock—unchanging, steadfast and sure—the anchor of my soul which holds me fast and keeps me from being swept away by the storms of this life.

All Your ways are perfect—and though I don’t always understand the things You choose to do, I rest in the confidence that You work perfectly in me, around me and through me to accomplish Your will—and are ever working for my good.

You are the God of justice and fairness and You execute Your justice and fairness according to Your perfect timing—within Your own will, plans and purposes—and for Your glory.

You are faithful.  You are who You say You are and You do that which You say You will do—and You do no wrong.

You deal with me justly and You show me Your uprightness—that I might follow after You all the days of my life, placing all of my faith in You.

With each day that comes, let me ever more deeply fathom how glorious You are—that I might become more faithful in serving You and declaring Your glory to others!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Sin That Separates

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.

—Isaiah 59:1-2 (NKJV)

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

—Psalm 51:10-11 (NKJV)

Holy LORD,

Expose my sin and reveal my iniquities to me—that there would be nothing to hinder my prayers from finding Your ear, nothing to separate me from fellowship with my God.

There is nothing too hard for You, LORD, for You hold all power and authority in Your hand—and You know everything I need and everything I might ask for, even before my prayer crosses over my lips

When it seems that my prayers are going nowhere and I am far from Your presence when I pray, remind me to examine my heart for any sin that might be hidden there that has caused Your face to be turned away from me.

Create in me a clean heart and make my spirit steadfast—in harmony with Your own Spirit.  Don’t allow me to harbor sin, but fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit—so there is no room for darkness within me.

Expose my sin and reveal my iniquities to me—that there would be nothing to hinder my prayers from finding Your ear, nothing to separate me from fellowship with my God.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.