Just a Moment, But a Breath

 

 

“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.”

 —Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Infinite LORD,

 

Help me to be willing to accept every invitation that You extend to me to be a part of what You are doing in the lives of those around me, so that my brief life here—while little more than a single breath—will shout to Your glory, honor and praise!

 

Help me to use the time that has been given to me in a way that honors You. Don’t let me allow apathy, complacency, or fear to hold me back from moving boldly forward with the things that You have given me to do.

 

But at the same time, help me to remember to wait for You, to never run ahead of You. Since any good thing I do requires me to be completely dependent on You, help me to take every step of my life’s journey in concert with You.

 

Help me to live each moment in trust and obedience, by faith—so I can enjoy Your presence and rest in Your peace, unencumbered by my past failures or any of the uncertainties of my future. 

 

Help me to be willing to accept every invitation that You extend to me to be a part of what You are doing in the lives of those around me, so that my brief life here—while little more than a single breath—will shout to Your glory, honor and praise!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Awe-Inspired Reverence and Obedience

 

 

The LORD favors those who fear and worship Him

[with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
Those who wait for His mercy and lovingkindness.

 

—Psalm 147:11 (AMP)

 

 

 

LORD of Mercy and Lovingkindness,

 

May I fear and worship only You—as I wait for Your mercy and lovingkindness!

 

Help me to find the favor You show to those who truly fear and worship You—to those who tremble before You because You are the God who does what He says He will do, the One who sovereignly reigns with perfect justice.

 

Let the power that You display in me, through me, and in all Your creation around me, inspire me to reverently worship You with all my life—to obey every command and instruction of Your Word, and every prompting of Your Holy Spirit—trusting You will guide me into Your very best plan for me.

 

And help me to expectantly wait for and joyfully anticipate the mercy and lovingkindness that You promise to show me—both today and forevermore—as I put all my hope in You.

 

May I fear and worship only You—as I wait for Your mercy and lovingkindness!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God of My Salvation

 

 

But as for me, I will look to the LORD;

I will wait for the God of my salvation;

my God will hear me.

 

—Micah 7:7 (ESV)

 

 

 

 

God of My Salvation, 

 

Help me to remember that You are my source of help—that all my help surely comes from You!

 

Help me look to You and wait—in quietness of spirit and in confidence of heart—for You to save me from whatever circumstance or situation in which I find myself.

 

And help me to see Your hand working to accomplish Your plans and purposes for me along every path that You lead me down—as You teach me more about Your ways and show me Your salvation.

 

May I always cry out to You in faith—trusting that You will hear me. For You know my thoughts, even before I put them into words and are ever eager to answer the cries of my heart.

 

Help me to remember that You are my source of help—that all my help surely comes from You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be Still, Don't Worry

 

 

Be still in the presence of the LORD,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes.

 

—Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

 

 

 

Loving LORD,

 

Bring me into the stillness and peace of Your presence and help me wait patiently for You to act, as You work in me, through me, and all around me. Don’t allow me to worry or fret over evil people, or their wicked schemes, but keep my eyes fixed on You.

 

Help me rest confidently in Your loving presence, far from the restless anxiousness that this life brings. Make me content to be where You have me now, and assured that You never stop working, never stop unfolding Your perfect plan.

 

Help me not to get caught up in fretting over those who seem to be getting away with their evil schemes—who make a game of life and appear to be winning, as they play that game by their own set of rules and leave the truth behind to chase after lies.

 

Help me remain in Your presence and live out my life within the protection that Your instructions promise, never compromising the truth. Help me remember that as I wait for You, You will set all things right—every hurt, every offense, every injustice—according to Your perfect timing, plan and purpose, and for Your greatest glory.

 

Bring me into the stillness and peace of Your presence and help me wait patiently for You to act, as You work in me, through me, and all around me. Don’t allow me to worry or fret over evil people, or their wicked schemes, but keep my eyes fixed on You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Just Walk by Faith

 

 

 

The LORD directs our steps,
    so why try to understand everything along the way?

 

—Proverbs 20:24 (NLT) 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

When I don’t quite understand all that is going on, grant me the faith I need to trust You and the patience I need to wait and watch, as You unfold before me—according to Your perfect timing—Your plan to use all things to accomplish Your purposes.

 

Keep me in Your peace, by helping me to accept that the full impact of Your plans and purposes—for those things that happen both to me and all around me—is infinitely beyond my ability to fully comprehend, but still a part of Your plan.  

 

Don’t allow my days to be so consumed by my own “need" to understand the reason behind why certain things happen, that I miss doing the next good and right thing with the opportunity that You have placed immediately before me—a gracious and loving invitation to join in with what You are doing.

 

Keep me from the temptation to “make You in my image”—thinking I know best what You should do and how You should do it.  Rather be the Lord of my life—as the Sovereign God that You are—within my heart of hearts.

 

When I don’t quite understand all that is going on, grant me the faith I need to trust You and the patience I need to wait and watch, as You unfold before me—according to Your perfect timing—Your plan to use all things to accomplish Your purposes.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Wait Quietly

 

 

The LORD is good to those who depend on him,

    to those who search for him.

So it is good to wait quietly

    for salvation from the LORD.

 

—Lamentations 3:25-26 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Good and Faithful LORD,

 

May I always depend on You, and see that You are good. May I always search for You, and discover that You can be found. And may I always wait quietly for You, and find my salvation always and only comes from You.

 

Help me to acknowledge that I am totally dependent on You—that apart from You I have no hope. Display Your goodness in every corner of my life, as it is Your desire to do.

 

Help me to search for You with all my heart, so that You can usher me into Your presence and show me who You are and who I am to You.

 

Help me to wait quietly for You, trusting in Your faithfulness. Let me fully experience the salvation that comes to everyone who puts all their hope in You.

 

May I always depend on You, and see that You are good. May I always search for You, and discover that You can be found. And may I always wait quietly for You, and find my salvation always and only comes from You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Wait Expectantly!

 

 

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;

    in the morning I lay my requests before you

    and wait expectantly.

 

—Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

 

 

Loving LORD,                        

 

Every morning, let me call out to You with confidence, humbly placing my requests before You. Then let me wait expectantly, in Your Presence, believing You hear me and will answer the cry of my heart.

 

Help me come eagerly and boldly before You each morning—with a deep and abiding reverence for You—knowing my reward will be that I will always find You lovingly waiting to meet with me.

 

Help me to approach Your throne with a heart full of gratitude for this great privilege I have been granted of being welcomed into Your Presence—and for the interest that You have in every detail of what I have to say to You about everything I have on my heart.

 

And when I have shared my heart, help me to remember to be still and wait, quietly and expectantly in Your presence, for You to speak to me about Your best plans for me—knowing that You will withhold no good thing from me and trusting that You always want what is best for me.

 

Every morning, let me call out to You with confidence, humbly placing my requests before You. Then let me wait expectantly, in Your Presence, believing You hear me and will answer the cry of my heart.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

He Who Works for Us

 

 

For since the world began,

   no ear has heard

and no eye has seen a God like you,

   who works for those who wait for him!

 

—Isaiah 64:4 (NLT)

 

Father God,

 

Teach me how to wait for You—and remind me that it is the most important thing that I must do today!

 

There is no God like You.  Since the world began, You have always been ready to work on behalf of anyone who would patiently wait for You—anyone who would take time to be quiet in Your presence, listen for Your voice to speak to them, and follow You as You guide and direct their ways.

 

Help me to see that taking time to be quiet before You is the most important thing I can do today—so that You can show me the way that I should go and the things that You want me to do.

 

Help me to realize that if I fail to do this, that I will exhaust myself in busyness and in doing things in my own strength—by my own will—and in the end, I will neither accomplish that which You want me to do, nor will I be any closer to being who You want me to become.

 

Help me to understand that the difference my life makes in this world is determined much less by how much I do, and so much more by how closely my life reflects the light of Christ’s love in me, to those around me.

 

Let me live in the truth that the more I wait on You—trusting You to work in me, and through me, and all around me, according to Your perfect plan—the less difficult my life becomes, and the more peace and joy I will experience.

 

Teach me how to wait for You—and remind me that it is the most important thing that I must do today!

 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Each of Us is But a Breath

 

“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.”

 —Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT)

 

 

Infinite LORD,

 

Help me to be willing to accept every invitation that You extend to me to be a part of what You are doing in the lives of those around me, so that my brief life here—while little more than a single breath—will shout to Your glory, honor and praise!

 

Help me to use the time that has been given to me in a way that honors You. Don’t let me allow apathy, complacency, or fear to hold me back from moving boldly forward with the things that You have given me to do.

 

But at the same time, help me to remember to wait for You, to never run ahead of You. Since any good thing I do requires me to be completely dependent on You, help me to take every step of my life’s journey in concert with You.

 

Help me to live each moment in trust and obedience, by faith—so I can enjoy Your presence and rest in Your peace, unencumbered by my past failures or any of the uncertainties of my future. 

 

Help me to be willing to accept every invitation that You extend to me to be a part of what You are doing in the lives of those around me, so that my brief life here—while little more than a single breath—will shout to Your glory, honor and praise!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Fear, Worship, Revere, Obey, and Wait

 

The LORD favors those who fear and worship Him

[with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
Those who wait for His mercy and lovingkindness.

 

—Psalm 147:11 (AMP)

 

LORD of Mercy and Lovingkindness,

 

May I fear and worship only You—as I wait for Your mercy and lovingkindness!

 

Help me to find the favor You show to those who truly fear and worship You—to those who tremble before You because You are the God who does what He says He will do, the One who sovereignly reigns with perfect justice.

 

Let the power that You display in me, through me, and in all Your creation around me, inspire me to reverently worship You with all my life—to obey every instruction of Your Word, and every prompting of Your Holy Spirit—trusting You will guide me into Your very best for plan for me.

 

And help me to expectantly wait for, and joyfully anticipate the mercy and lovingkindness that You promise to show me—both today and forevermore—as I put all my hope in You.

 

May I fear and worship only You—as I wait for Your mercy and lovingkindness!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Look to the LORD, Wait Confidently

 

As for me, I look to the LORD for help.

    I wait confidently for God to save me,
    and my God will certainly hear me.

 

—Micah 7:7 (NLT)

 

God of My Salvation, 

 

Help me to remember that You are my source of help—that all my help surely comes from You!

 

Help me look to You and wait—in quietness of spirit and in confidence of heart—for You to save me from whatever circumstance or situation in which I find myself.

 

And help me to see Your hand working to accomplish Your plans and purposes for me along every path that You lead me down—as You teach me more about Your ways and show me Your salvation.

 

May I always cry out to You in faith—trusting that You will hear me. For You know my thoughts, even before I put them into words and are ever eager to answer the cries of my heart.

 

Help me to remember that You are my source of help—that all my help surely comes from You!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Be Still and Wait Patiently

 

Be still in the presence of the LORD,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes.

 

—Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

Bring me into the stillness and peace of Your presence and help me wait patiently for You to act, as You work in me, through me, and all around me. Don’t allow me to worry or fret over evil people, or their wicked schemes, but keep my eyes fixed on You.

 

Help me rest confidently in Your loving presence, far from the restless anxiousness that this life brings. Make me content to be where You have me now, and assured that You never stop working, never stop unfolding Your perfect plan.

 

Help me not to get caught up in fretting over those who seem to be getting away with their evil schemes—who make a game of life and appear to be winning, as they play that game by their own set of rules and leave the truth behind to chase after lies.

 

Help me remain in Your presence and live out my life within the protection that Your instructions promise, never compromising the truth. Help me remember that as I wait for You, You will set all things right—every hurt, every offense, every injustice—according to Your perfect timing, plan and purpose, and for Your greatest glory.

 

Bring me into the stillness and peace of Your presence and help me wait patiently for You to act, as You work in me, through me, and all around me. Don’t allow me to worry or fret over evil people, or their wicked schemes, but keep my eyes fixed on You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The LORD Directs Our Steps

 

The LORD directs our steps,
    so why try to understand everything along the way?

 

—Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

When I don’t quite understand all that is going on, grant me the faith I need to trust You and the patience I need to wait and watch, as You unfold before me—according to Your perfect timing—Your plan to use all things to accomplish Your purposes.

 

Keep me in Your peace, by helping me to accept that the full impact of Your plans and purposes—for those things that happen both to me and all around me—is infinitely beyond my ability to fully comprehend, but still a part of Your plan.  

 

Don’t allow my days to be so consumed by my own “need to understand” the reason behind why certain things happen, that I miss doing the next good and right thing, with the opportunity that You have placed immediately before me—a gracious and loving invitation to join in with what You are doing.

 

Keep me from the temptation to “make You in my image”—thinking I know best what You should do and how You should do it.  Rather be the Lord of my life—as the Sovereign God that You are—in my heart of hearts.

 

When I don’t quite understand all that is going on, grant me the faith I need to trust You and the patience I need to wait and watch, as You unfold before me—according to Your perfect timing—Your plan to use all things to accomplish Your purposes.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Salvation From the LORD

The LORD is good to those who depend on him,

    to those who search for him.

So it is good to wait quietly

    for salvation from the LORD.

 

—Lamentations 3:25-26 (NLT)

 

Good and Faithful LORD,

 

May I always depend on You, and see that You are good. May I always search for You, and discover that You can be found. And may I always wait quietly for You, and find my salvation always and only comes from You.

 

Help me to acknowledge that I am totally dependent on You—that apart from You I have no hope. Display Your goodness in every corner of my life, as it is Your desire to do.

 

Help me to search for You with all my heart, so that You can usher me into Your presence and show me who You are.

 

Help me to wait quietly for You, trusting in Your faithfulness. Let me experience the salvation that comes to everyone who puts all their hope in You.

 

May I always depend on You, and see that You are good. May I always search for You, and discover that You can be found. And may I always wait quietly for You, and find my salvation always and only comes from You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.