To Keep Your Commandments, To Reflect Your Decrees

You have charged us
    to keep your commandments carefully.
Oh, that my actions would consistently
    reflect your decrees!

—Psalm 119:4-5 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Help me to carefully keep Your commandments, so that the life I live out before You would be a consistent reflection my obedience to Your decrees!

LORD, out of Your great love for me, You have charged me with this great and awesome responsibility—to keep Your commandments carefully.

In order to do this, I must take the time to discover and seek to understand Your commandments—by reading, studying and being taught the instructions that are found in Your Word.

This also means I must meditate on Your Word at all times—so the Truth of Your Word will permeate my thoughts and, in turn, will produce in me the godly actions that would bring You glory, honor, and praise.

I must totally surrender control over my heart to Your Spirit—so that You can empower me not to do those things I shouldn’t do, but also, to do those things I that I should.

Because of Your great and unending love for me, You have given me Your commandments—so that, to the extent that I am faithful to follow them, I can walk in the freedom, peace, protection, provision, and joy that they provide.

Help me to carefully keep Your commandments, so that the life I live out before You would be a consistent reflection my obedience to Your decrees!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Comfort of Your Unfailing Love

I cried out, “I am slipping!”
    but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

—Psalm 94:18-19 (NLT)

Loving LORD,

When I feel myself slipping in any way, help me to cry out to You in faith—knowing that You will hear my cry and You will support me in Your unfailing love.

Help me to fix my eyes upon You at all times, so that I won’t slip or fall, but rather will allow Your unfailing love to sustain me in every way—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

But, in those times when I find myself under attack from the deceiver—the one who floods my mind with doubts and lies, and tempts me to question all that I know in my heart is true—help me to cry out to You.

For You, O LORD, are the only One who can save me, comfort me, and bring me renewed hope and cheer.

When I feel myself slipping in any way, help me to cry out to You in faith—knowing that You will hear my cry and You will support me in Your unfailing love.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Hidden Safely in Your Hand

My name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
And I have put my words in your mouth
    and hidden you safely in my hand.

—Isaiah 51:15b-16a (NLT)

O LORD of Heaven’s Armies,

Thank You for being the self-existent One, the redemptive God—for all who choose to believe, receive and respond to Your passionate, unrelenting and pursuing love. You are the God of all the armies of Heaven—and the One who holds me safely hidden in the palm of Your hand!

It is You who has put Your words in my mouth—that I might boldly proclaim the Truth of all that You are and of all that You have done—so that You would receive all the glory and honor and praise that You are due.

You have chosen me as an ambassador of the Good News—placing Your hand of blessing upon me, so that my entire life would be a testimony to everyone that You place in my path of the power and glory of the God that I worship.

And it is You who holds me safely hidden in Your hand and shielded from my enemies—that is, kept perfectly at peace against any storm of evil that would try to come against me physically, spiritually, emotionally or mentally.

Thank You for being the self-existent One, the redemptive God—for all who choose to believe, receive and respond to Your passionate, unrelenting and pursuing love. You are the God of all the armies of Heaven—and the One who holds me safely hidden in the palm of Your hand!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.