The Love of Christ!

 

Jesus wept.

 

—John 11:35 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compassionate Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your deep, deep love of humanity which You expressed to us in the tears that You shed.

 

Thank You for loving me enough to come to earth and take on the flesh and blood and the mind and emotions of a man, to experience all the tests and trials and grief and pain that I face—and so much more—so I would know that You know how I feel.

 

Thank You that there is healing from my hurts and pains in the tears that You designed for me to shed—that it’s okay to cry—and that in crying I should cry out to You, the only One who can help me live an overcoming life of peace and victory.

 

Thank You for Your example of loving compassion and how it reminds me of my obligation to open my heart that I might be overwhelmed by Your Spirit with compassion for all those around me—for life in this world is not easy, especially for those who do not know You.

Thank You for Your deep, deep love of humanity which You expressed to us in the tears that You shed.

 

In Your Matchless Name, Jesus, Amen.

Deep Waters

 

 

When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.

 

     —Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

You are the One who is always with me—for you have placed Your loving affection upon me! You take each step of this life with me and are always faithful—never letting go of my hand—so that I never walk alone!

 

When I feel as if I am in too deep, like I am no longer able to touch bottom, and am drowning in my troubles, You are there to give me my next breath and to help me to regain my footing once again.

 

When I feel as if I am going to be swept away by the raging currents around me—the tides of evil that come against me—You are there to help me stand firm and to discover that You are my refuge and strength.

 

When I feel the burning oppression of the enemy seeking to consume my very soul, You are there to shield me in Your loving arms—to remind me of who I am, and assure me of Your immeasurable love for me, so that I can continue to walk with You through every attack, in victory.

 

You are the One who is always with me—for you have placed Your loving affection upon me! You take each step of this life with me and are always faithful—never letting go of my hand—so that I never walk alone!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Be Afraid!

 

 

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

 

—Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me boldly move forward into this day with You—with confidence, with courage and with great strength—upheld, in every way, by Your ever-victorious right hand!

 

Help me to see that there is nothing to fear, because You are always actively present with me to protect and deliver me from all the attacks of the enemy—whether they be attacks against my body, my mind, or my spirit. Thank You that You never leave me!

 

Keep discouragement far from me by helping me to find my courage in You, knowing You—the Creator and Sustainer of all things—are my loving Heavenly Father and the all-powerful LORD God.  Thank You for being my God!

 

Help me to receive Your strength—as by Your Spirit, You show me Your power at work within me to help me. Thank You that You help me according to Your unmatched strength!

 

Hold me up with Your victorious right hand—that I might not fall, but rather accomplish everything that You have called me to do in service to You. Thank You for being my victory in all things!

 

Help me boldly move forward into this day with You—with confidence, with courage and with great strength—upheld, in every way, by Your ever-victorious right hand!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Wait Quietly Before God

 

I wait quietly before God,
    for my victory comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will never be shaken.

 

—Psalm 62:1-2 (NLT)

 

 

 

Almighty God,

 

No matter what dangers or difficulties I may face in this life, let me always wait—with confident and quiet expectation—for that glorious and saving victory that can only come from You.

 

Help me always remain in right relationship with You—willingly submitting to You as my Sovereign God and looking to You for help—as a child looks to a good father either to deliver him out of trouble, or to carry him through that trouble in complete safety.

 

Help me not to complain against what You do—as if I could know better than You.  But help me to embrace Your will as my own, choosing to make You the firm and immovable rock upon which my life is built—to make You my only salvation.

 

Let me live in the truth that You are the only strong fortress where I can find quiet shelter from the storms that rage against me—the only place I can hide myself and not be shaken by their fury.

 

No matter what dangers or difficulties I may face in this life, let me always wait—with confident and quiet expectation—for that glorious and saving victory that can only come from You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

Comfort Others

 

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

—2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)

 

 

 

Merciful and Comforting Father God,

Teach me to show others the same mercy and extend to them the same loving comfort that You pour out on me when I am weighed down with troubles.  

 

Help me be careful to give You all the praise—as the Father of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the source of all comfort—for Your continuing faithfulness to bring good out of all my troubles.

 

Don’t let me forget that You allow hardships, so that I can experience Your faithfulness in my hardships—whether You choose to deliver me from them altogether or walk with me through them to ultimate victory in Christ.

 

Remind me that, as I find comfort and help from You in my troubles, You are equipping me then to be able to offer that same comfort to others who are troubled—and to point them to the only true source of help and hope.

Teach me to show others the same mercy and extend to them the same loving comfort that You pour out on me when I am weighed down with troubles.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Obedient to Christ

 

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

—2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me always remember this:  The real battles I must fight in this life are spiritual battles against anything that challenges Truth—that is, the knowledge of God—for the control of my heart. 

 

Thank You that my battles are not like those of the world which—because they are waged in the flesh—only bring misery and destruction to all who fight them.  Thank You there is victory in Christ for every battle I face!

 

Remind me that You have given me divinely powerful weapons—to use in the spiritual battles I must fight for the control of my heart, soul, and spirit—weapons that are able to demolish any strongholds of the enemy, every argument he may make, and each lie that he spews which contradicts the Truth I find in Your Word.

 

Grant me the wisdom to use these weapons—the weapons of prayer, the power of Truth of Your Word proclaimed, the witness of Your Holy Spirit within my spirit, and my authority in Christ as Your child—to enforce Your victory over the enemy in my life.

 

Help me carefully examine every thought or argument that enters my mind and hold it captive and isolated—unable to escape, deceive, or influence me in any way—until such time as it conforms to, and agrees with, and is obedient to Truth I find in Christ.

 

Help me always remember this:  The real battles I must fight in this life are spiritual battles against anything that challenges Truth—that is, the knowledge of God—for the control of my heart. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

His Name Will Be Called

 

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

—Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

 

 

 

 

Immanuel, God With Us,

 

Thank You for coming into our world as a baby, living a sinless life, taking our sin on Yourself, and dying in our place to gain, for us, the victory over sin and death—so that we could find our life in You!

 

You were born into the world, through a virgin girl—to be fully human—and You were conceived in her womb, by the Holy Spirit, as the Son of God—to be fully God—and sent to a world in desperate need of a Savior.  

 

You brought a new government, a new covenant—perfect and just in all its ways—that would rest on Your shoulders, and not our own, so that it would never end.

 

You are my Wonderful Counselor—awesomely wonderful in all Your ways and perfectly wise in all Your counsel.

 

You are my Mighty God—strong and powerful on my behalf, protecting me from my enemies, preserving me with Your mighty right hand and never letting me slip from Your loving grip.

 

You are my Everlasting Father—the One who gave life itself in the beginning, the One who gave life to me when I was conceived in my mother’s womb, and the One who gives me life forevermore in You.

 

You are my Prince of Peace—as in You alone do I find that peace that is far greater than I can understand, when I humbly submit myself to Your will for me.

 

Thank You for coming into our world as a baby, living a sinless life, taking our sin on Yourself, and dying in our place to gain, for us, the victory over sin and death—so that we could find our life in You!

 

In Your Most Holy and Glorious Name, Amen.

Over All Things

 

 

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

 

—1 Chronicles 29:11 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

O LORD My God,

 

Grant that I would always adore You as the One who is over all things—the only One worthy to receive the worship of my heart!

 

Capture my every thought this day with Your unsurpassed greatness—that I would ponder the limitlessness of the great God I serve and find comfort in Your unfailing love for me.

 

Help me to tap into Your power—that same power that raised Christ from the dead which lives in me—so that I can do all things that You ask of me, through Christ.

 

Show me Your glory all around me, that I would find comfort for my weary soul in Your presence with me—knowing that You will never leave me, nor forsake me.

 

Strengthen me to walk in victory over all my sin—victory which You bought for me, through the redeeming sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.

 

And let me worship You in all Your majesty—making much of You, so that my troubles here on earth fade from sight, in the light of who You are and of all that You have done.

 

Give me Your peace today, as I offer You all my adoration—knowing all things are Yours and under Your control, as You hold it all in the palm of Your hand.

 

Grant that I would always adore You as the One who is over all things—the only One worthy to receive the worship of my heart!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

What Do You Count On?

 

The best-equipped army cannot save a king,

        nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.

Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—

        for all its strength, it cannot save you.

But the LORD watches over those who fear him,

        those who rely on his unfailing love.

 

    —Psalm 33:16-18 (NLT)

 

Almighty God, My Father,

 

Watch over me today and always.  Help me to fear nothing and no one, but You.  Help me to rely completely on You—and on the mighty, saving and delivering power of Your unfailing love for me!

 

You teach me through Your Word that a king should not count on a great army to be able to protect and save him, nor should a warrior believe that his great strength is enough to deliver him, nor that his warhorse will bring him victory.

 

So, help me to examine my heart and remove those things that I may have allowed to become my “warhorse”—those things in which I have foolishly placed my trust and hope, for my safety, salvation, and deliverance.

 

Keep me from the false hope that comes from allowing anything to remain in my heart that would try to take Your rightful place—and let true hope fill my heart until all that is left in my heart is my complete faith and trust in You alone.

 

Watch over me today and always.  Help me to fear nothing and no one, but You.  Help me to rely completely on You—and on the mighty, saving and delivering power of Your unfailing love for me!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Through Suffering

 

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.—2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Whenever I am pressed on every side by troubles, help me hold onto this Truth:  You never leave me, You never let go of my hand, and victory over this world is found in Christ—who is my strength and who has won for me eternal life.

 

In those times when it seems as if my world is falling in on me, remind me that, as hard as it is to endure, You will not allow me to be crushed—but will strengthen me through the struggle and deliver me safely through to the other side.

 

When I feel confused, perplexed, or at a loss as to how to find my way, remind me that I find my way in You—that You hold all wisdom and I don’t have to be driven to despair, because You will always show me what to do, when I ask in faith.

 

If I am ever pursued or persecuted for my beliefs, remind me that it is Your right hand that protects me and Your Spirit who tells me how to answer my accusers.

 

When I get my feet knocked out from under me, help me trust that You will pick me up and brush me off and set me on solid ground again—that in Christ, I will not be shaken and I cannot not be destroyed.

 

Remind me that in every situation I face, in every suffering I endure, Christ has already won the victory—that these are all opportunities for Him to demonstrate His power and presence in me and through me, to all those around me.

 

Whenever I am pressed on every side by troubles, help me hold onto this Truth:  You never leave me, You never let go of my hand, and victory over this world is found in Christ—who is my strength and who has won for me eternal life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

In Your Unfailing Love

 

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,

    for you have seen my troubles,

    and you care about the anguish of my soul.

 

—Psalm 31:7 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know that it’s Your unfailing love that always carries me through even the hardest things that life may bring!

 

When my troubles try to overtake me, show me Your unfailing love—Your mercy and Your grace poured out over me. For only through the caring and compassion of Your presence with me will the anguish of my soul be truly put to rest.

 

Don’t allow my soul to be overwhelmed. Don’t allow my troubled heart to see the very hard but momentary struggles I face here on earth, as larger than Your capacity to bring me through them all, in the ultimate victory granted to me in Christ.

 

Help me to run to Your love and help me to trust You to uphold me in that love—to protect me and provide for me, because You see my troubles, care about the anguish of my soul, and have a plan to bring good from it all.

 

How wonderful it is to be glad and rejoice in Your love—to know that it’s Your unfailing love that always carries me through even the hardest things that life may bring!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

And His Name Shall Be Called

 

For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given;
And the government shall be upon His shoulder,
And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 —Isaiah 9:6 (AMP)

 

Immanuel, God With Us,

 

Thank You for coming into our world as a baby, living a sinless life, taking our sin on Yourself, and dying in our place to gain, for us, the victory over sin and death—so that we could find our life in You!

 

You were born into the world, through a virgin girl—to be fully human—and You were conceived in her womb, by the Holy Spirit, as the Son of God—to be fully God—and sent to a world in desperate need of a Savior.  

 

You brought a new government, a new covenant—perfect and just in all its ways—that would rest on Your shoulders, and not our own, so that it would never end.

 

You are my Wonderful Counselor—awesomely wonderful in all Your ways and perfectly wise in all Your counsel.

 

You are my Mighty God—strong and powerful on my behalf, protecting me from my enemies, preserving me with Your mighty right hand and never letting me slip from Your loving grip.

 

You are my Everlasting Father—the One who gave life itself in the beginning, the One who gave life to me when I was conceived in my mother’s womb, and the One Who gives me life forevermore in You.

 

You are my Prince of Peace—as in You alone do I find that peace that is far greater than I can understand, when I humbly submit myself to Your will for me.

 

Thank You for coming into our world as a baby, living a sinless life, taking our sin on Yourself, and dying in our place to gain, for us, the victory over sin and death—so that we could find our life in You!

 

In Your Most Holy and Glorious Name, Amen. 

Christ's Love for Us

 

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

 

—Romans 8:35, 37 (NLT)

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

May I always rejoice in the knowledge that there is nothing that can ever separate me from the constant and continuous love of Christ—which never wavers, never diminishes, never fails, and never ends.

 

In the tough and troubled times of my life, help me to cling to this Truth: You will use everything that I may suffer to help me to identify more closely with Christ’s sufferings on my behalf, so I can more fully realize the depth of His love for me, and be drawn into ever closer fellowship with You.

 

Use those times of my life to help me to understand how totally dependent I am on You to provide everything I need, not only survive, but also to thrive along this journey here—as I watch You prove Your faithfulness to me, every step along the way.

 

Let me never forget that no matter what may come, I have no need to fear, for overwhelming victory is mine through Christ—who, because of His great love for me, heals my brokenness with Truth; who, through His mercy, forgives my sin and makes me completely whole; and who, out of His amazing grace, grants me abundant and eternal life with Him. 

 

May I always rejoice in the knowledge that there is nothing that can ever separate me from the constant and continuous love of Christ—which never wavers, never diminishes, never fails, and never ends.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.