Show Mercy, Receive Mercy

 

 

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

 

—James 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Just and Merciful God,

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

Help me remember that the same law that sets me free—that moral law that sets all obedient followers of Christ free from the bondage of sin—is the law by which I will be judged.

 

For while I have been saved by grace through faith, the evidence of my having received that salvation is my obedience to Christ—which is the path upon which perfect freedom is found—and my ability to extend mercy to others, is a proof that I am walking out that salvation which the Gospel of Christ has provided.

 

Let the mercy that You have poured over me be reflected in me, to all those around me, through my obedience to Christ’s command to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. For therein lies the power to love my neighbor as myself.

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

As God's Obedient Children

 

 

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

 

 —1 Peter 1:14-16 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Since You have adopted me into Your family, claiming me as one of Your own, help me to live as Your obedient child—rejecting my old life and embracing completely the wonderful new life that You have freely offered me in Christ.

 

Save me from slipping back into the attitudes and patterns of behavior from which You rescued me—those old selfish ways that I once thought served me well, but in fact, only led me closer to my own destruction and death.

 

Since I now know better, let me always be led by Your Spirit, according to the Truth of Your Word. May I be found grateful in every circumstance and willing submitted to You in all things.

 

Continue to sanctify me, making me holy, because You are holy. Help me daily put on the clothing of Christ’s righteousness and be set apart for Your service.

 

Since You have adopted me into Your family, claiming me as one of Your own, help me to live as Your obedient child—rejecting my old life and embracing completely the wonderful new life that You have freely offered me in Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Be Transformed!

 

 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

—Romans 12:2 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Transform me into a new person by changing the way I think—so I can learn to know Your good and pleasing and perfect will for me.

 

Grant me the wisdom not to copy any of those behaviors, customs and values of this world, which are birthed out of selfish pride and nurtured with corruption—those things that this world so quickly and casually accepts.

 

Do the work of transformation in me—by the power of Your Holy Spirit—so that my thoughts will be like Your thoughts and Your ways will become the only ways that I choose to follow.

 

Help me to learn to know Your will for me—and to trust that Your will is good, pleasing and perfect—so that I can walk down every path You place before me in willing obedience, confident that it will lead to Your very best for me.

 

Transform me into a new person by changing the way I think—so I can learn to know Your good and pleasing and perfect will for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Glory, Honor, and Power!

 

 

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

 

—Revelation 4:11 (NASB)

 

 

 

My Lord and my God,

 

You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power—for You created all things. By Your will alone, I was created and now exist.

 

You are worthy to receive glory. Help me glorify You by accurately reflecting Your character in everything that I think, say, and do—imitating the example of Jesus.

 

You are worthy to receive honor. May the value that I personally attribute to You be evident by the honor that I give to You—from within the deepest parts of my heart—as demonstrated by the way I live my life.

 

You are worthy to receive power. Help me never foolishly try to hold on to control of my life—as if I had the power to determine its course.  May I surrender it completely to the You—the One who holds my life in His powerful right hand.

 

You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power—for You created all things. By Your will alone, I was created and now exist.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

No Other Gods!

 

 

You must not have any other god but me.

   —Exodus 20:3 (NLT)

 

For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

   —John 12:43 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

O LORD, My GOD,

 

Be the only God I serve!  Help me to care only about the praise I get from You—as I trust You to show me how to think about things, to tell me what I should say, and to make me certain of everything You want me to do. 

 

Don’t allow me to be moved by what others may think—but only be moved by what You would say to me, through Your Word and by Your Spirit—so I can be set free from the bondage that I put myself in, when I try to please others.  For You are the only One who fully knows the plans You have for me.

 

Don’t allow me to exalt what I may think over what You think—so that I don’t allow my own thoughts to move me away from Your very best for me.  Keep me aware that my heart can and will deceive me—tainting my motives, making me prideful—and may work to push You from Your rightful place within me.

 

Don’t allow me to have any other gods before you—whether it be people, things, ideas, or even myself.  Let there only be one throne in my heart, reserved for You.  May You be pleased with me as I put all my faith in You—as I walk in step with You in freedom!

 

Be the only God I serve!  Help me to care only about the praise I get from You—as I trust You to show me how to think about things, to tell me what I should say, and to make me certain of everything You want me to do. 

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

For the Good of Others

 

 

Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

 

—1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Loving and Compassionate God,

 

Save me from any self-centered tendency in me that would cause me to consider only that which is good for me!

 

Too often I make decisions according to what I think is best for me—with little thought to making those decisions based on what is good for others.

 

Help me to think about myself less, so I can think more about the people that You divinely place in my path—and what I might do that would be best for them.

 

Today, grant me opportunities to be more self-sacrificial—and help me to be willingly obedient to Your Spirit’s promptings, so that Christ may be glorified in me.

 

Save me from any self-centered tendency in me that would cause me to consider only that which is good for me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Arise! Shine!

 

 

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

 

—Isaiah 60:1 (ESV)

 

Dear Lord Jesus,

 

Thank You that the light of a new day has come, but even more so, that Your Glorious Light has come to dispel all the darkness!

 

Help us to receive Your Light—to receive everything that You have for us, in this new day, with open, willing, and eagerly obedient hearts.

 

Teach us what You want us to learn. Help us walk in the depths of all that You want us to experience as Your lead us by Your Light. And instruct us in the way that we should go, how we should think about things, and what we should say, and do!

 

May the Light of Your Glory be upon us and within us, that we might shine with it brightly and dispel the darkness surrounding us!

 

Thank You that the light of a new day has come, but even more so, that Your Glorious Light has come to dispel all the darkness!

 

In Your Name, Lord Jesus, Amen!

Do Not Love This World

 

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

—1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) 

 

Almighty God,

 

Help me to set my love on You alone—so that, through my faith, I would please You with the things that I think, say and do.

 

Help me not to set my love on the world, or the lesser things that this world offers, but help me to find the true treasure of knowing and experiencing all that You are—to me, for me, and in me.

 

Help me to turn away from a self-focused pursuit of the physical pleasures of this world and a desire for everything I see.  Instead may I look for more opportunities to experience You working in me, through me, and all around me.

 

Help me to turn away from prideful attitudes over those things that I have accomplished—knowing that You alone bring me success, and that the success that You bring me is not as the world measures success.

 

Help me to turn away from finding my identity in the possessions I have accumulated—knowing every good thing I have been given has come through Your hands and is not mine at all, but only temporarily entrusted to me to meet my needs—as well as the needs of others—while I am here on earth.

 

Remind me that this world, and all that is in it, is quickly fading away—and that my hope for joy, peace, and everlasting life can only be found in You.

 

Help me to set my love on You alone—so that, through my faith, I would please You with the things that I think, say and do.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Abide

 

 

 

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

 

—John 15:7 (NASB)

 

Lord Jesus,

 

May I continually abide in You, keeping every word that You have spoken alive in my heart and proven out by the way I live my life. May my deepest desire always be that Your Will would be accomplished in me.

 

May I always live my life in You—being vitally and necessarily joined with You and making You the center of everything I think, say and do—always mindful that apart from You, I am nothing.

 

Cause Your words to remain in my heart—so I can remember to rely on them, continually contemplate them, use them as my strict standard for that which I do, graciously grow by them, carefully cling to them for my hope, and evermore establish them as the Truth in my life.

 

For I know that, in as much as I am truly able to do this, not only will my thoughts, words and actions be in harmony with Your plans and purposes for my life, but every desire of my heart will be conformed to Your will.

 

May I continually abide in You, keeping every word that You have spoken alive in my heart and proven out by the way I live my life. May my deepest desire always be that Your Will would be accomplished in me.

 

This I pray in Your Holy Name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Mercy for Mercy

 

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

—James 2:12-13 (NLT)

 

Just and Merciful God,

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

Help me remember that the same law that sets me free—that moral law that sets all obedient followers of Christ free from the bondage of sin—is the law by which I will be judged.

 

For while I have been saved by grace through faith, the evidence of my having received that salvation is my obedience to Christ—which is the path upon which perfect freedom is found—and my ability to extend mercy to others, is a proof that I am walking out that salvation which the Gospel of Christ has provided.

 

Let the mercy that You have poured over me be reflected in me, to all those around me, through my obedience to Christ’s command to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. For therein lies the power to love my neighbor as myself.

 

May all my thoughts, words and actions be the evidence that I truly understand the depths of the mercy You have offered me—for I know I will receive mercy according to my willing obedience to extend that same mercy to others.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Live as God's Obedient Children

 

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

 —1 Peter 1:14-16 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Since You have adopted me into Your family, claiming me as one of Your own, help me to live as Your obedient child—rejecting my old life and embracing completely the wonderful new life that You have freely offered me in Christ.

 

Save me from slipping back into the attitudes and patterns of behavior from which You rescued me—those old selfish ways that I once thought served me well, but in fact, only led me closer to my own destruction and death.

 

Since I now know better, let me always be led by Your Spirit, according to the Truth of Your Word. May I be found grateful in every circumstance and willing submitted to You in all things.

 

Continue to sanctify me, making me holy, because You are holy. Help me daily put on the clothing of Christ’s righteousness and be set apart for Your service.

 

Since You have adopted me into Your family, claiming me as one of Your own, help me to live as Your obedient child—rejecting my old life and embracing completely the wonderful new life that You have freely offered me in Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Not Conformed . . . Transformed!

 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

—Romans 12:2 (ESV)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Transform me into a new person by changing the way I think—so I can learn to know Your good and pleasing and perfect will for me.

 

Grant me the wisdom not to copy any of those behaviors, customs and values of this world, which are birthed out of selfish pride and nurtured with corruption—those things that this world so quickly and casually accepts.

 

Do the work of transformation in me—by the power of Your Holy Spirit—so that my thoughts will be like Your thoughts and Your ways will become the only ways that I choose to follow.

 

Help me to learn to know Your will for me—and to trust that Your will is good, pleasing and perfect—so that I can walk down every path You place before me in willing obedience, confident that it will lead to Your very best for me.

 

Transform me into a new person by changing the way I think—so I can learn to know Your good and pleasing and perfect will for me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Worthy!

 

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

 

—Revelation 4:11 (NASB)

 

My Lord and my God,

 

You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power—for You created all things. By Your will alone, I was created and now exist.

 

You are worthy to receive glory. Help me glorify You by accurately reflecting Your character in everything that I think, say, and do—imitating the example of Jesus.

 

You are worthy to receive honor. May the value that I personally attribute to You be evident by the honor that I give to You—from within the deepest parts of my heart—as demonstrated by the way I live my life.

 

You are worthy to receive power. Help me never foolishly try to hold on to control of my life—as if I had the power to determine its course.  May I surrender it completely to the You—the One who holds my life in His powerful right hand.

 

You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power—for You created all things. By Your will alone, I was created and now exist.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The Only God I Serve!

 

You must not have any other god but me.

   —Exodus 20:3 (NLT)

 

For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

   —John 12:43 (NLT)

 

 

O LORD, My GOD,

 

Be the only God I serve!  Help me to care only about the praise I get from You—as I trust You to show me how to think about things, to tell me what I should say, and to make me certain of everything You want me to do. 

 

Don’t allow me to be moved by what others may think—but only be moved by what You would say to me, through Your Word and by Your Spirit—so I can be set free from the bondage that I put myself in, when I try to please others.  For You are the only One who fully knows the plans You have for me.

 

Don’t allow me to exalt what I may think over what You think—so that I don’t allow my own thoughts to move me away from Your very best for me.  Keep me aware that my heart can and will deceive me—tainting my motives, making me prideful—and may work to push You from Your rightful place within me.

 

Don’t allow me to have any other gods before you—whether it be people, things, ideas, or even myself.  Let there only be one throne in my heart, reserved for You.  May You be pleased with me as I put all my faith in You—as I walk in step with You in freedom!

 

Be the only God I serve!  Help me to care only about the praise I get from You—as I trust You to show me how to think about things, to tell me what I should say, and to make me certain of everything You want me to do. 

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

For the Good of Others

 

Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

 

—1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)

 

Loving and Compassionate God,

 

Save me from any self-centered tendency in me that would cause me to consider only that which is good for me!

 

Too often I make decisions according to what I think is best for me—with little thought to making those decisions based on what is good for others.

 

Help me to think about myself less, so I can think more about the people that You divinely place in my path—and what I might do that would be best for them.

 

Today, grant me opportunities to be more self-sacrificial—and help me to be willingly obedient to Your Spirit’s promptings, so that Christ may be glorified in me.

 

Save me from any self-centered tendency in me that would cause me to consider only that which is good for me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.