We Should Boast in This Alone!

 

This is what the LORD says:

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
    or the powerful boast in their power,
    or the rich boast in their riches. 

But those who wish to boast
    should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD
    who demonstrates unfailing love
    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.

    I, the LORD, have spoken!”

—Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

May I never boast in my own wisdom, power, or riches—but may I instead know You for who You are, and understand that You are the LORD!

Help me not to depend on my own wisdom to get me safely home to You—but rather help me depend on the wisdom I find in Your Word as revealed by Your Spirit to guide me along Your paths of peace and safety.

Help me not to depend on my own strength—but rather help me to find my strength in the power of Your righteous right hand to hold me up so that, though I may stumble, I will not fall.

Help me not to depend on my own riches, which are here today and gone tomorrow, to sustain my needs—but rather help me to depend on Your unending provision for every need that I have by Your immeasurable riches in glory.

Help me to seek to know You more intimately—so that my understanding of the truth of who You are, and of who I am in Christ, will carry me through all things, according to the power of Your unfailing love for me.

May I never boast in my own wisdom, power, or riches—but may I instead know You for who You are, and understand that You are the LORD!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Let My Words Be Few

As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God.  Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God.  After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth.  So let your words be few. —Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 (NLT)

 

Almighty God,

Help me carefully guard my steps as I enter Your house—as I come before Your Presence—that I might not foolishly dishonor You.

Let me never come before You unless my ears are ready to listen, my heart is ready to receive, and my flesh is ready to obey all that You would ask of me.

Help me to thoughtfully consider every offering that I bring to You—that I might offer it with the humble acknowledgment that You alone are the One who takes each thing that I have to offer and makes it worthy to be received.

Keep me from making rash promises to You and to others—but help me consider my weaknesses and my propensity to fail to deliver on my promises, apart from Your power at work in me enabling me to do so.

Never allow me to come before You carelessly, abruptly, irreverently, or arrogantly—as if I deserved Your attention or could dictate to You what You should do to accommodate my wishes.

For You are the LORD of Heaven and Earth, God Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of all there is and all that there will ever be.  So, let my words be few.

Help me carefully guard my steps as I enter Your house—as I come before Your Presence—that I might not foolishly dishonor You.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Shining Like Bright Lights

 

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

—Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me to live a life free from complaining and arguing, so others would not have reason to criticize me.  Let my life be clean and innocent—like a bright light of hope in a world that is darkened by crooked and perverse people.

Help me never to complain about anything, but choose a life full of gratefulness and thanksgiving—knowing that Your plan for me is always good and that You use everything that I experience to draw me to Yourself, turning all of it to my benefit and for Your glory.

Help me not to needlessly stir up strife between myself and others with petty arguments, when You want me to walk humbly before others, full of truth and grace, as expressed in the perfect love of Christ—leaving to You the work of changing hearts.

As Your very own child, let my response to the Truth of Your Word and the promptings of Your Spirit always be one of willing obedience, so others will have no room to criticize me and so they might be drawn to the light of Christ at work in me.

Help me to live a life free from complaining and arguing, so others would not have reason to criticize me.  Let my life be clean and innocent—like a bright light of hope, in a world that is darkened by crooked and perverse people.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.