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.

Steadfast Love!

 

 

O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
    for you, O God, are my refuge,
    the God who shows me unfailing love. 

 

—Psalm 59:17 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

Loving and Gracious God,

 

May I always sing praise to You, so all might know that You are my Strength and my Refuge—the God who shows me unfailing love.

 

I will sing praise to You for being my Strength. You are the power within me, the Holy Spirit by whom I am equipped and sustained for every good work that You have planned for me to accomplish in Christ.

 

I will sing praise to You for being my Refuge.  You are that safe haven against the evil of this life, where I find peace, protection, and provision for my every need under the shelter of Your Presence with me.

 

I will sing praise to You for Your unfailing love. You pour out Your unfailing loving-kindness, mercy, and grace over me, so that I can love others with the love of Christ.

 

May I always sing praise to You, so all may know that You are my Strength and my Refuge—the God who shows me unfailing love.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Training for Godliness

 

 

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

 

—1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

Don’t allow me to neglect my physical body but give me the wisdom to know how best to take care of it, as You grant me the discipline to do so—so that I will be physically able to accomplish the work that You call me to do.

 

But beyond physical training, let my heart be even more devoted to the training and development of my spiritual life—knowing that it is with spiritual strength and faith that the true battles of this life are waged and won.

 

And help me to remember that, in training for godliness, I must not only set aside that which is evil, but also choose to do that which is good—so that in my obedience to You I will find peace and joy, and by godly living I might bring You glory.

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Something New

 

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

 —Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

 

 

 

Almighty God,

 

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things, those even far greater things, which will define my future with You.

 

Teach me to see—to stop, and look, and perceive Your will for me—as You work in me, through me, and all around me, in new and fresh ways to bring glory to Yourself.

 

Make me open to receive all that this ever-changing gift of life You have given me has to offer—as You unfold before me the newness of the perfect path that You have for me to walk.

 

Grant me the faith to believe that You are able—and You certainly will—make a road for me in the wilderness and cause life-giving rivers to flow in any desert that lies before me, both now and forevermore.

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things, those even far greater things, which will define my future with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Share Each Other's Burdens

 

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.  If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

 

—Galatians 6:2-3 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Keep me from getting so caught up in my own self-perceived importance that I fail to be obedient to Your call to share the burdens of those You place in my path.

 

Give me the heart to do the hard work of sharing the burdens of others—of lightening their load of care and helping them back to the peace and joy that You have called them to in Christ.

 

In willingly obedience, let me submit to the law of Christ—to be faithful to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and allow the love of Christ to reach through me, to love others as I have been so greatly loved.

 

Save me from the pride and arrogance that tempts me to think more of myself than I ought to think—when I know that any good in me comes from You alone, and can only be made known when I submit myself completely to Your plans and purposes for me.

Keep me from getting so caught up in my own self-perceived importance that I fail to be obedient to Your call to share the burdens of those You place in my path.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Eternity in the Human Heart

 

 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

 

—Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Oh, that I would see the beauty of everything that You have created and rest in the comfort and assurance of Your sovereignty over all things!

 

Help me to accept that I am not able to see the whole scope of the work You are doing from beginning to end—and that sometimes it will be hard for me to see the beauty of what You have done, because the things that You have planned are still unfolding before me.

 

Thank You for that glimpse of the perfection of eternity that You have planted in my heart—a taste of what is yet to come that keeps me never quite satisfied with anything this world has to offer but always yearning for the perfect world that will only come by Your perfect rule.

 

Thank You for making me in Your image—and for showing me that the longing and hungering of my heart can only be truly satisfied by more of You in my life.

Oh, that I would see the beauty of everything that You have created and rest in the comfort and assurance of Your sovereignty over all things!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Faith, Love, Hope

 

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

—1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

 

 

My God and Father,

 

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Help me to remember to give thanks for those people that You have placed in my life whose best work is produced out of their absolute faith in You—for their example of steadfast faith, which challenges me to trust You more.

 

And to give thanks for those who emulate well Christ’s labor of love toward all those He died to save—whose example of Christ’s love in action, prompts me to love more deeply and express that love more completely.

 

And to give thanks for those whose endurance is made possible only by their hope in our Lord Jesus Christ—for their example of long-suffering, which inspires me to endure my struggles because of the hope that stands forever before me.

  

Make me ever mindful that a person’s best work is produced by faith, that a person’s most honest labor is prompted by love, and that a person’s strength to endure all things can only be inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Long and Prosperous Life

 

 

Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 

—Psalm 34:12-14 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Make every word I speak be virtuous and true, every action I take be kind and good, and create in me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

Help me not to speak evil things—words that hurt, rather than heal; words that tear down, rather than build up; words that bring despair, rather than hope.

 

And keep me from telling lies—words that deceive, rather than reveal; words that slander, rather than commend; words that omit, rather than declare the whole truth.

 

Help me to remember that while it is good for me to turn away from evil, You desire so much more of me—that to be truly obedient to You, I must also do those things that are good.

 

Help me to understand that to live in the peace You want me to enjoy, I must never stop searching for that peace and working to maintain it, through all my thoughts, words and actions.

 

Help me to do all these things, as a testimony to Your power at work in me, so that I may live long enough in this world to accomplish Your plan and purpose for me here.

 

Make every word I speak be virtuous and true, every action I take be kind and good, and create in me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Overwhelmed!

 

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?    

 

 —Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT)

 

Creator God,

 

As I gaze upon the night sky, as I try to take it all in, I cannot even begin to comprehend the vastness of all that You have made.  And when I think that Your creation is no more than a mere glimpse of Your power and glory, I am overwhelmed to think that You would choose to set Your unfailing love and affection on one like me!

 

I am amazed at the intricate details with which You designed, created, set in place, and put in perfectly synchronized motion, the moon and each of the stars in the multitude of galaxies that You spread across the vastness of an endless space.

 

I am even more amazed that You created them all and put them on display for us—to demonstrate Your power, greatness, and majesty to all of mankind—in order to reveal who You are and to draw us into relationship with You.

 

I am most amazed that You would make mankind the reason for, and focus of, everything that You have created—that You not only would think about us, but would want us, and truly care for us—making us the objects of Your amazing and immeasurable love.

 

As I gaze upon the night sky, as I try to take it all in, I cannot even begin to comprehend the vastness of all that You have made.  And when I think that Your creation is no more than a mere glimpse of Your power and glory, I am overwhelmed to think that You would choose to set Your unfailing love and affection on one like me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Foxes, Those Little 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.

My Strength, My Refuge, My God

 

 

O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
    for you, O God, are my refuge,
    the God who shows me unfailing love. 

 

—Psalm 59:17 (NLT)

 

Loving and Gracious God,

 

May I always sing praise to You, so all might know that You are my Strength and my Refuge—the God who shows me unfailing love.

 

I will sing praise to You for being my Strength. You are the power within me, the Holy Spirit by whom I am equipped and sustained for every good work that You have planned for me to accomplish in Christ.

 

I will sing praise to You for being my Refuge.  You are that safe haven against the evil of this life, where I find peace, protection, and provision for my every need under the shelter of Your Presence with me.

 

I will sing praise to You for Your unfailing love. You pour out Your unfailing loving-kindness, mercy, and grace over me, so that I can love others with the love of Christ.

 

May I always sing praise to You, so all may know that You are my Strength and my Refuge—the God who shows me unfailing love.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Training for Godliness

 

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

 

—1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

Don’t allow me to neglect my physical body but give me the wisdom to know how best to take care of it, as You grant me the discipline to do so—so that I will be physically able to accomplish the work that You call me to do.

 

But beyond physical training, let my heart be even more devoted to the training and development of my spiritual life—knowing that it is with spiritual strength and faith that the true battles of this life are waged and won.

 

And help me to remember that, in training for godliness, I must not only set aside that which is evil, but also choose to do that which is good—so that in my obedience to You I will find peace and joy, and by godly living I might bring You glory.

Help me to keep my priorities in order, so that I might enjoy the greater benefits You have promised, both in this life and in the life to come, and bring You glory with my life.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Do Not Dwell on the Past

 

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

 —Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

 

Almighty God,

 

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things, those even far greater things, which will define my future with You.

 

Teach me to see—to stop, and look, and perceive Your will for me—as You work in me, through me, and all around me, in new and fresh ways to bring glory to Yourself.

 

Make me open to receive all that this ever-changing gift of life You have given me has to offer—as You unfold before me the newness of the perfect path that You have for me to walk.

 

Grant me the faith to believe that You are able—and You certainly will—make a road for me in the wilderness and cause life-giving rivers to flow in any desert that lies before me, both now and forevermore.

Help me not to dwell so much on the past—even on those great and wondrous miracles that have marked my life thus far—that I end up missing out on the new things, those even far greater things, which will define my future with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Share Each Other's Burdens

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.  If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

 

—Galatians 6:2-3 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Keep me from getting so caught up in my own self-perceived importance that I fail to be obedient to Your call to share the burdens of those You place in my path.

 

Give me the heart to do the hard work of sharing the burdens of others—of lightening their load of care and helping them back to the peace and joy that You have called them to in Christ.

 

In willingly obedience, let me submit to the law of Christ—to be faithful to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and allow the love of Christ to reach through me, to love others as I have been so greatly loved.

 

Save me from the pride and arrogance that tempts me to think more of myself than I ought to think—when I know that any good in me comes from You alone, and can only be made known when I submit myself completely to Your plans and purposes for me.

Keep me from getting so caught up in my own self-perceived importance that I fail to be obedient to Your call to share the burdens of those You place in my path.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Everything Beautiful For It's Own Time

 

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

 

—Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Oh, that I would see the beauty of everything that You have created and rest in the comfort and assurance of Your sovereignty over all things!

 

Help me to accept that I am not able to see the whole scope of the work You are doing from beginning to end—and that sometimes it will be hard for me to see the beauty of what You have done, because the things that You have planned are still unfolding before me.

 

Thank You for that glimpse of the perfection of eternity that You have planted in my heart—a taste of what is yet to come that keeps me never quite satisfied with anything this world has to offer, but always yearning for the perfect world that will only come by Your perfect rule.

 

Thank You for making me in Your image—and for showing me that the longing and hungering of my heart can only be truly satisfied by more of You in my life.

Oh, that I would see the beauty of everything that You have created and rest in the comfort and assurance of Your sovereignty over all things!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.