When I am Afraid

 

 

But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.

I praise God for what he has promised.
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

 

—Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Overwhelm me with an ever-deepening revelation of Your amazing love for me—so that I will place all my trust in You and see all my fears brought down to nothing!

 

Help me resist the times when my mind tries to take me to those dark places that open an entrance for fear to come rushing into my heart. May the light of Your love fill me up inside, flooding me with truth and driving the darkness of fear away.

 

May I always praise You out of a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude—as Your Spirit brings back to my remembrance every promise that You have given me in Your Word.

 

Help me to see the folly of fearing what mortal man can do to me, when it is You, the Ever-living LORD of all Creation, in whom I have placed my trust—that it is You who holds my life firmly and forever in His grip!

 

Overwhelm me with an ever-deepening revelation of Your amazing love for me—so that I will place all my trust in You and see all my fears brought down to nothing!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Those Who Trust in the LORD

 

 

But blessed are those who trust in the LORD
    and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.

 

—Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faithful, Trustworthy, and Sovereign LORD GOD,

 

May I always trust You to be the One in whom I can confidently place all my hope—knowing that Your plans and purposes will always prevail and cannot be stopped.

 

You alone are the God who saves us—both in, and through, the trials of this life here and now, and beyond into the eternity that you have planned for all who have made Jesus Christ their Savior, and the Lord of their lives.

 

So, keep me from putting my confidence and hope in material things, like money or possessions, that will all fade away to nothing. For those things have no power to save my soul.

 

But also keep me from looking to human power to save me from the evil of this world—when You already have redeemed me, having broken the power of evil over me, and have given me victory and everlasting life in Christ Jesus. 

 

And You have equipped me with everything I need to live an abundant life in Him, assured that—no matter what may come—I am Your dearly loved child and that I will never slip from Your grip.

 

May I always trust You to be the One in whom I can confidently place all my hope—knowing that Your plans and purposes will always prevail and cannot be stopped.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Lamp and a Light

 

 

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
    and a light for my path.

 

—Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to take up the lamp of Your Word, discover the Truth that it holds, and trust it to light my way through all the perils of this world—as I journey home to You.

 

Help me study, embrace, and apply to my life the Truth that Your Word holds for me—Truth about who You are, and who I am in Christ, about right and wrong, and good and evil, and about Your great plan for my life.

 

Show me how Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet—so that when I carry the lamp of Your Word within me, I can see clearly each step that I am taking and be kept from falling, in my thoughts, words, and actions, as I navigate this life here on earth.

 

Teach me that Your Word is a light for my path—that as I move forward in faith, I can trust that You will illuminate before me the best path for me to walk and will safely lead me all the way home to You.

 

Help me to take up the lamp of Your Word, discover the Truth that it holds, and trust it to light my way through all the perils of this world—as I journey home to You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In All Your Ways!

 

 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

 

—Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

 

Sovereign and Loving LORD,

 

May I always trust You with all my heart, so that I do not rely on my own understanding but seek Your will in all that I do—knowing You will show me the path I should take.

 

Help me to lean only on You—to trust You completely, and to remain confident that You have great plans for me—as I commit my love and surrender my life to You.

Help me not to depend on my own limited insights or understanding of things, but rather to put my trust in Your unlimited wisdom and understanding—always confident that You love me and always want what is best for me.

 

Help me understand that as I choose to trust You—more than I trust myself—You will show me what I should do and will remove every obstacle from my path, and bring me to that place where You have called me to live in Christ.

 

May I always trust You with all my heart, so that I do not rely on my own understanding but seek Your will in all that I do—knowing You will show me the path I should take.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Delight and Desires

 

 

 

Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

 

—Psalm 37:4-5 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

Let the deepest desires of my heart, my greatest pleasure, and my most complete joy simply be found in experiencing the blessing of Your Presence in my life—as I commit all that I am to You and trust You to help me, no matter what I face.

 

This day, may I truly take delight in You, as I seek to know You in a more intimate and personal way, and as I make this commitment to walk in Your Presence—to walk continually mindful of the truth that You are always right here with me.

 

As I seek to understand more completely the vastness of Your unfailing love for me, the mystery of the perfection of Your ways, and as I reflect on Your steadfast faithfulness to me, help me learn to trust You even more. 

 

Help me to commit all that I do to You, so my heart’s desires will be melded with Your will for my life, and so I can walk fearlessly in the plans and purposes that You have for me—as I make the choice to believe that You will always empower and equip me in every way, for the good plans You have for me.

 

Let the deepest desires of my heart, my greatest pleasure, and my most complete joy simply be found in experiencing the blessing of Your Presence in my life—as I commit all that I am to You and trust You to help me, no matter what I face.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

This is My Comfort

 

This is my comfort in my affliction,
That Your word has revived me and given me life.

 

—Psalm 119:50 (AMP)

 

 

 

 

 

LORD of All Comfort,

 

Help me always run to Your Word—for only there have I found comfort when I am afflicted, a reviving for my soul, and the promised gift of new life, forevermore!

 

Grant that I would be able to see beyond any afflictions that I may face to the God who was made flesh for me, so that I can be comforted as I put my trust in the truth of both His unfailing love for me, and His faithful promises to me.

 

May my soul—my mind, will, and emotions—be continually revived and refreshed as Your Word washes over me, and may Your Spirit teach me to know and believe all that You say I am in Christ.

 

Let me forever praise and celebrate Jesus Christ with my life! For He is the One who heals me and makes me whole. He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life—the One who gives me the promise of eternal life, fresh and anew, with every day that comes.

 

Help me always run to Your Word—for only there have I found comfort when I am afflicted, a reviving for my soul, and the promised gift of new life, forevermore!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

All the Foxes!

 

 

 

Catch all the foxes,
    those little foxes,
before they ruin the vineyard of love,
    for the grapevines are blossoming!

 

— Song of Songs 2:15 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

Help me never get so comfortable in my marriage relationship that I fail to guard against the little things that might grow to cause deep relationship problems for us.

 

Just as little foxes could wreak havoc in a vineyard of blossoming grapevines, help me to see how quickly small things can grow into large problems in my love relationship with my spouse.

 

Help me to remember that there is a tender fragility to the intimacy that I enjoy with my spouse that relies on both trust and truth—an intimacy that the enemy would love to disrupt and destroy.

 

So, help us not to ignore or minimize any of these small things, but rather carefully work together to identify them and eliminate them, as we continue to grow the bonds of our intimacy.

 

Help me never get so comfortable in my marriage relationship that I fail to guard against the little things that might grow to cause deep relationship problems for us.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

True and Trustworthy

 

For the word of the LORD holds true,
    and we can trust everything he does.

He loves whatever is just and good;
    the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth.

 

—Psalm 33:4-5 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Faithful LORD,

 

In a world filled with uncertainty and lies, may we find rest in knowing that every word You have ever spoken to us holds true and we can trust everything that You do. Let us find our comfort and peace in You, for You love what is just and good and Your unfailing love fills the earth.

 

In a world of radical change and chaos, may we always look to You as the ever-true, all-knowing, never-changing, ever-constant, always-trustworthy, Almighty God of all creation—remembering that Your Word always reflects Your character perfectly, as it goes forth in power to accomplish Your purposes.

 

In a world of people who demand everything their way, help us submit to the working of Your Spirit within us so that the character of Christ would be established in our lives, in order that we would bring You glory, honor and praise. 

 

In a world that deals so harshly and cruelly with us, let us remember that You deal with us according to the unfailing loving-kindness that You pour out over us and that You always have our best interests at heart.

 

In a world filled with uncertainty and lies, may we find rest in knowing that every word You have ever spoken to us holds true and we can trust everything that You do. Let us find our comfort and peace in You, for You love what is just and good and Your unfailing love fills the earth.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Good Plans, Great Hope!

 

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

 

—Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Dear LORD,

 

Thank You that I can trust that Your plans for me are for my good and extend throughout eternity, as evidence of Your love for me—and that I can live in perfect peace because of this hope!

 

Interwoven among all the things that have ever happened, the things that are happening now, and anything that has yet to happen, is that marvelous plan for my individual life that was authored by You.

 

Limited by my humanness, I do not fully understand where I have been, where I am now, or where I am going.  I do not even fully know my own heart and I am uncertain of my own mind, at times.

  

But there is no uncertainty within You.  You know everything—past, present and future—and have designed a plan to bring me good and not disaster, to give me a future with You and with that, great hope, as I put my trust in You.

 

Thank You that I have no reason to fear anything that may have happened in the past, nor the things that are happening around me now, nor anything that may happen to me next—because the plan You have for me is a plan to use it all to greatly benefit me and not to cause me harm.

 

And though trouble may come to me—because I live in a fallen world full of evil—You will always be working in every circumstance I find myself, to carry me through it in peace and bring good out of it for me.

 

Thank You that I can trust that Your plans for me are for my good and extend throughout eternity, as evidence of Your love for me—and that I can live in perfect peace because of this hope!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

He Will Keep in Perfect Peace

 

 

You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the LORD always,
    for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

 

—Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)

 

 

 

LORD GOD of Peace,

 

Grant that I would abide—would remain—in that perfect and constant peace that comes when I trust You completely and keep You within my every thought.

 

Help me to place all my trust in You—no matter what hardship or pain, no matter what circumstances or situations I may face—knowing that You will deliver me out of, or carry me safely through, every attack of the enemy.

 

Help me to fix my thoughts on You, rather than trying to find my own way out of my troubles—confidently believing that every answer I am looking for is found in You.

 

Help me live in the kind of peace that not only remains in me, but radiates outwardly, from deep within me, to a world that needs Your peace so desperately. 

 

Establish within my heart this unchanging truth:  that You are, and forever will be, my strength and the firm, unchanging, and never-failing Rock upon which all my faith and hope stands.

 

Grant that I would abide—would remain—in that perfect and constant peace that comes when I trust You completely and keep You within my every thought. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Course of World Events

 

 

He said, 

“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
    for he has all wisdom and power.
He controls the course of world events;
    he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the scholars.”

—Daniel 2:20-21 (NLT)

 

 

 

Sovereign God Almighty,

 

May I never forget that it is You who controls the course of world events.  It is You who removes kings and sets up other kings—for Your divine purposes, by Your unlimited power, and according to Your infinite wisdom.

 

Let me praise Your name, O God, forever and ever, for You have all wisdom and power—and it is You who gives wisdom and knowledge to men who are wise enough to seek You, and who study to know You.

 

So, may I never second-guess the wisdom of things that You do—as if I could ever know better than You.  Let me instead trust in the Truth that You control everything and will use all things to accomplish Your Will.

 

Help me to continue to seek You, that I might grow in wisdom and understanding, and teach me the lessons You have for me, when things don’t go the way I think they should.  Then lead me forward by Your Spirit in the good  work You have given me to do.

 

May I never forget that it is You who controls the course of world events.  It is You who removes kings and sets up other kings—for Your divine purposes, by Your unlimited power, and according to Your infinite wisdom.

 

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.

Deceitful and Desperately Sick

 

 

The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it?
“I the LORD search the heart
    and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
    according to the fruit of his deeds.”

 

—Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV)

 

 

O LORD, who searches my heart,

 

Show me my heart and reveal the true motives in my mind, so that I won’t be led astray by any deceitfulness within me.

 

Help me to understand that to trust my heart is to trust in man—and that You have warned me against trusting in man. Help me to put all my trust in You alone!

 

Heal my heart and purify my mind, so that Your thoughts and ways will be made known to me and reflected in all my thoughts, words, and actions.

 

May love be my only motive for the choices I make—love for You and love for others—so that Your perfect will for me would be accomplished, and Your goodness and mercy would overtake me.

 

Show me my heart and reveal the true motives in my mind, so that I won’t be led astray by any deceitfulness within me.

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.