Search for the LORD!

 

Search for the LORD and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
you children of his servant Abraham,
    you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

 

—Psalm 105:4-6 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

When I lose my way, when I no longer feel Your strength in me, stir my heart to search for You—to continually seek You.

 

Help me to remember that, just as You chose the descendants of Abraham and Jacob as Your own, You chose me and received me as Your own.

 

And help me not to forget all the wonders that You have performed, Your miracles, and the rulings and instructions that You have given—both as recorded in the Bible, and as I have experienced personally in my own walk with You.

 

Then move me to respond to Your immeasurable love for me, with a grateful heart, and in faithful obedience to everything You have taught me and to everything that You ask me to do.

 

And help me to walk through each moment of all the rest of my days in that strength, so I will come to understand more and more how You are at work in me, through me and all around me—both now and always.

 

When I lose my way, when I no longer feel Your strength in me, stir my heart to search for You—to continually seek You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Delivered From All My Fears!

 

I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
    And delivered me from all my fears.

 

—Psalm 34:4 (NASB)

 

O LORD, My Deliverer,

 

Thank You for delivering me from all my fears!

 

For far too much of my life, I lived full of fear—not knowing intimately, nor trusting completely, the One who could deliver me from that fear and usher me into the abundant life that He wanted me to experience.

 

But then I sought You.  I searched Your Word for Truth, studied to understand who You are and all that You have done, and I prayed to You.  I found that You are the God who can be found—the Father who wants to have a deep and personal relationship with each of His children.

 

I found that You are the God who hears and answers my prayers, according to the perfect plans that You have for me, always with my best interests at heart—out of Your great love for me. 

 

I discovered, through my personal experience of relationship with You, that You are faithful—that You are who You say You are, and that You do what You say You will do—and that my trust is never misplaced when I put my trust in You.

 

And then, I looked back at where I started and followed my path to where You have brought me thus far, and I realized I was no longer afraid.  You had delivered me from all my fears.  Now, fear no longer has a hold on me, and I am free to continue becoming all that You have called me to be in Christ.

 

Thank You for delivering me from all my fears!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Pay Attention!

 

My child, pay attention to what I say.

    Listen carefully to my words.

Don’t lose sight of them.

    Let them penetrate deep into your heart,

for they bring life to those who find them,

    and healing to their whole body.

 

—Proverbs 4:20-22 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to pay attention to what You say!

 

With Your Holy Spirit as my teacher, help me fully hear what You would say to me—when I read and study my Bible, while I listen to teaching and preaching, through my conversations with others, and as I quiet myself before You.

 

Help me to receive, remember and treasure every word—allowing the truth of Your words to find a home in the deepest parts of my heart and abide there forever.

 

Then help me to apply the truth that I have hidden in my heart to everything I think, say and do—so I can experience the life, healing, and wholeness it brings, to my body, soul, and spirit, for the rest of my days, for Your glory alone!

 

Help me to pay attention to what You say!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Divine Power of our Weapons

 

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

—2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

 

Heavenly Father,

Help me always to remember this:  The real battles I must fight in this life are spiritual battles against anything that challenges Truth—that is, the knowledge of God—for the control of my heart. 

 

Thank You that my battles are not like those of the world which—because they are waged in the flesh—only bring misery and destruction to all who fight them.  Thank You there is victory in Christ for every battle I face!

 

Remind me that You have given me divinely powerful weapons—to use in the spiritual battles I must fight for the control of my heart, soul, and spirit—weapons that are able to demolish any strongholds of the enemy, every argument he may make, and each lie that he spews which contradicts the Truth I find in Your Word.

 

Grant me the wisdom to use these weapons—the weapons of prayer, the power of Truth of Your Word proclaimed, the witness of Your Holy Spirit within my spirit, and my authority in Christ as Your child—to enforce Your victory over the enemy in my life.

 

Help me to examine carefully every thought or argument that enters my mind and hold it captive and isolated—unable to escape, deceive, or influence me in any way—until such time as it conforms to, and agrees with, and is obedient to Truth I find in Christ.

 

Help me always to remember this:  The real battles I must fight in this life are spiritual battles against anything that challenges Truth—that is, the knowledge of God—for the control of my heart. 

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Rid Yourselves of All These Things

 

But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.

 

—Colossians 3:8 (AMP)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to purge my life completely of anything that is not pleasing to You—so that I can truly honor You, and bring You glory, by the way that I live.

 

The world around me is filled with people who live in anger and rage, people who are malicious and slanderous, and who use obscene language—and it can become tempting to my flesh to join in those things, if I spend too much time listening to the world, instead of feeding my spirit with the Truth of Your Word.

 

So, help me to turn away from those things—and as much as I am able, to remove them completely from my life—so that the things that I choose to watch, read, dwell on, and participate in, won’t become a hindrance to my becoming all that You have created me to be.

 

Help me to live according to the instruction of Your Word, so that I would show patience instead of anger, demonstrate calmness instead of rage, offer kindness instead of malice, speak truth in love instead of slander—and let words of life fill my mouth, rather than the sinful, vulgar, and blasphemous language of this world. 

 

Help me to purge my life completely of anything that is not pleasing to You—so that I can truly honor You, and bring You glory, by the way that I live.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

With 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 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.

Peace at All Times, In Every Situation

 

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

 

—2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NLT)

 

Lord of Peace,

Help me to receive Your peace—that peace that You offer, at all times and in every situation, to everyone who chooses to believe that You are with them always.

 

I know that it is not Your will for me to lose my peace—trying to figure my way out of a situation that I am facing by relying on my own understanding—as if I could ever do anything without You!

 

In fact, it is the “relying on my own understanding” that is the very thing that keeps me from entering into Your peace—that peace which is far beyond my intellect, and way beyond my understanding!

 

So, help me to quiet the wandering thoughts of my mind, so I can fix my eyes on You and be still in Your Presence, as I create room for You in my heart and invite You in to fill me with Your Spirit.

 

Then help me to allow You to take over all my thoughts and saturate my mind and spirit with the Light of the Truth of Your Word—so I can know the path forward that You have prepared for me to take.

 

Help me to understand that it is your great desire that I walk with You in peace—at all times and in every situation, so that I can live find my best life in You.

Help me to receive Your peace—that peace that You offer, at all times and in every situation, to everyone who chooses to believe that You are with them always.

 

In Your Precious and Glorious Name, Lord Jesus—my Prince of Peace!