Delight in the LORD!

How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.

—Psalm 111:2-3 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that all of my life would remain centered on You!

Help me to rekindle that awestruck wonder that I first had for the truly amazing and awesome things that You have done—both for me and for others—out of Your great love for all of us.

Help me to look for that which is amazing in the common place occurrences of my day and give You all the honor, glory and praise that You deserve—for all the things You have done, are doing now, and have yet to bring to pass.

Don’t let my familiarity with the story of my own life dull my sense of gratitude for how You have always been faithful to reveal Yourself to me—allowing me to experience for myself the truth of Your never failing righteousness.

With great joy and excitement, help me look for opportunities to tell the story of Your goodness and Your faithfulness to me—so that others would come to believe how truly great You are, and be drawn to receive Christ for themselves!

Oh, that I would faithfully delight in You—pondering Your amazing deeds, reflecting on Your glory and majesty, and marveling at Your unfailing righteousness—so that all of my life would remain centered on You!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Worrying Does Not Lead to Life

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

—Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

All Wise God,

Help me to remember that I never lengthen or add value to my life by worrying.

Help me to understand that when I worry I am allowing the enemy to steal from me—to steal my peace and my joy, and the time that You have given to me to praise, honor and glorify You with my life.

Help me to understand that when I worry I am inviting the enemy to come and kill me—because worry chokes the life from me and draws me physically, intellectually, emotionally, and worst of all, spiritually closer to death.

Help me to understand that when I worry I open myself up for the enemy to come and destroy me—that worry leaves me powerless to carry out the plan of God for my life and makes me ineffective in my battle against the enemy.

Help me to understand that worrying is sin.  It is in direct opposition to Christ’s command not to worry—a command that is intended to protect and keep me in every way.  So, help me to feel the conviction of Your Spirit when I worry—and repent of my sin.

Help me to understand that worry is the opposite of faith—and that without faith it is impossible to please You.  So, give me a heart to seek out the Truth of Your Word, that I would strengthen my faith and leave all my worries in Your loving and capable hands.

Help me to remember that I never lengthen or add value to my life by worrying.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

United With Christ Jesus

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.  Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

—1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NLT)

Merciful and Gracious God,

Let me never boast about anything, except Jesus, my Lord!

Thank You for uniting me with Christ Jesus, Your Son, so that I can walk in the blessing of being joined with wisdom itself.

Thank You that because I believe and have confessed that Christ died and rose again for me—because I have received Him into my heart and life as my Lord—I am made right with You. 

Thank You that by Christ’s transforming power, I am made pure and holy—and by His death and resurrection, the power that sin once had over me has been broken, and I am free to choose good over evil.

Help me always remember that anything good in me has come through Christ who is Worthy of all of the Honor, and Glory, and Power, forevermore!

Let me never boast about anything, except Jesus, my Lord!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.