The Source of My Greatest Joy

 

I take joy in doing your will, my God,
    for your instructions are written on my heart.  

—Psalm 40:8 (NLT)

 

Father God,

Let my greatest joy be found in doing Your will!

Help me to remain passionate about discovering Your will for me—as I take the time to quiet my mind, to search the scriptures, and to allow Your Spirit to reveal  the Truth that is waiting there for me in Your Word—so that Your instructions would be established within my heart and I might faithfully apply them to my life.

Let my earnest seeking after Your will result in Your instructions being written so deeply within my heart that that which is my duty to do—as a follower of Christ—will truly become my joy and delight and privilege to do!

Then help me to live out the rest of my life in Your Truth—and experience the joy and the peace that come when I put all my trust in You and follow Your instructions, in willing and heartfelt obedience to Your will for me.

Let my greatest joy be found in doing Your will!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Joy of the LORD is My Strength!

 

They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our LORD. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.”  So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

—Nehemiah 8:8-12 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD God,

Let my joy never waver, my strength never wane, as You help me to understand the truth of the good plans You have laid out clearly before me, in the pages of Your Word.

As I come to understand Your Word more and more—and in that understanding, my sins are brought to light before me—help me not only to mourn my sin and repent, but help me even more to rejoice in the power of Your love to remove my sin from me, so my joy in You might not waver and cause me to lose strength.

Help me to live in the understanding that my joy in You will strengthen me to be obedient to the things that You have placed before me to do and cause me to be able to resist any temptations from the enemy to do the wrong thing.

Help me to spread the joy, that acceptance of Your salvation and obedience to Your Word brings, by sharing with others the abundant blessings You have placed on my life—materially, physically and spiritually.

Let my joy never waver, my strength never wane, as You help me to understand the truth of the good plans You have laid out clearly before me, in the pages of Your Word.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Like Those Who Complain and Whine

 

Now the people became like those who complain and whine about their hardships, and the LORD heard it; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.   —Numbers 11:1 (AMP)

Sovereign LORD,

Help me not to become like those who complain and whine about their hardships!  Help me instead be grateful in all things—recognizing that the mercy and grace that You have poured out on me infinitely exceeds any momentary hardships I might encounter here in this life!

It is easy to fall into the trap that the enemy has set for me—to join in with the culture around me and focus my attention on everything that seems wrong in my life, and find myself stirring up Your anger against my ingratitude.

Like the Israelites, You have called us, as believers, to be set apart from the world we live in—declaring the praises of our God—that others might see that we are different and be drawn to the Light of Christ in us.

Help me remember that this doesn’t happen when what comes out of my mouth sounds no different than the rest of the world—that I can’t sing Your praises and complain about the circumstances that You have sovereignly allowed to me to experience at the same time!

Show me that, in all things and at all times, You are working everything together for my good, because You love me and have called me according to Your purpose for me.

Help me not to become like those who complain and whine about their hardships!  Help me instead be grateful in all things—recognizing that the mercy and grace that You have poured out on me infinitely exceeds any momentary hardships I might encounter here in this life!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.