Sing to the LORD

 

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live.
    I will praise my God to my last breath!

May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the LORD.

 

—Psalm 104:33-34 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Oh, that all my thoughts would be pleasing to You—that You would be the source of all my joy and the object of all my praise, for as long as I live!

 

Give me a strong voice, so l can continually lift up songs of praise and worship to You—for as long as You put breath in my lungs.

 

Give me a pure heart—a heart that is motivated only by my love for You and for others—so that my every thought would please you, causing all my words and actions to bring You glory.

 

Give me a rejoicing spirit—so that the light of joy that shines from within me would be the Light of Christ.

 

Oh, that all my thoughts would be pleasing to You—that You would be the source of all my joy and the object of all my praise, for as long as I live!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

My Best Sacrifice to God

 

“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
    and keep the vows you made to the Most High.”

 

—Psalm 50:14 (NLT)

 

 

Most High God,

 

May my life be marked by an expression of continuous thankfulness to You—for all that You are, and for all that You have done, are doing, and have yet to bring to pass!

 

May my sense of gratitude for You be revealed in the thankfulness of my heart, through every thought I think, every word I speak, and every action I take—that You might receive the honor that You are due.

 

May I keep every vow that I make to You—as a faithful response to my experience of Your perfect faithfulness to me.

 

May my thankfulness and faithfulness to You overshadow every temporary trouble that may come against me—so that I am kept in every way, within the sheltering peace of Your love for me.

 

May my life be marked by an expression of continuous thankfulness to You—for all that You are, and for all that You have done, are doing, and have yet to bring to pass!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Withdraw and Keep Away from Evil

 

Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].

 

—1 Thessalonians 5:22 (AMP)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me choose not to have anything to do with evil—to withdraw from it and keep away from it!

 

Because Christ has broken sin’s power over me—by the sacrifice of His life on the cross for my sin—I have been given the freedom to choose not to sin.

 

So, grant me the strength to walk with You in integrity and with purity of heart—always conscious that I am called to represent Christ to this dark and evil world—in my thoughts, with my words and by my actions.

 

And when I feel this world of evil crowding in on me, when I feel my peace being stolen from me, or when I am tempted to buy into the lies of darkness and join in its evilness, be for me a refuge from the storm, a strong tower—where I can run and where I am kept safe in every way.

 

Keep me from the temptation to try to see how close I can come to evil, and yet still not sin.  And let me also abstain from even the appearance of evil—from anything that might even look like it could be sin.

 

Help me consistently choose to move away from darkness and toward the Light of true holiness that can only be found in You.

Help me choose not to have anything to do with evil—to withdraw from it and keep away from it!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

What is Best for Me, The Way I Should Go

“I am the LORD your God,

who teaches you what is best for you, 

who directs you in the way your should go.”

—Isaiah 48:17b

 

 

O LORD, My God,

 

Thank You for being the One who teaches me what is best for me—the One who directs me in the way that I should go.

 

Keep me far from the arrogance of believing that I am the one who knows what is best for me—and in humility let me look to You and always trust You to teach me that which is best.

 

Don’t allow me to leave Your side—to wander off after my own desires, choosing my own path.  Let me instead walk each step of my journey with You—never trailing behind You, nor blindly running ahead of You.

 

Help me live according to Your Word and allow the Truth that it teaches to instruct me—so that I can learn what is best for me, as Your Spirit directs me in the way I should go.

 

Thank You for being the One who teaches me what is best for me—the One who directs me in the way that I should go.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Not Too Important to Help Someone

 

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.  If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

 

—Galatians 6: 2-3 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Keep me from getting so caught up in my own self-perceived importance that I fail to be obedient to Your call to share the burdens of those You place in my path.

 

Give me the heart to do the hard work of sharing the burdens of others—of lightening their load of care and helping them back to the peace and joy that You have called them to in Christ.

 

In willingly obedience, let me submit to the law of Christ—to be faithful to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and allow the love of Christ to reach through me, to love others as I have been so greatly loved.

 

Save me from the pride and arrogance that tempts me to think more of myself than I ought to think—when I know that any good in me comes from You alone, and can only be seen when I submit myself completely to Your plans and purposes for me.

Keep me from getting so caught up in my own self-perceived importance that I fail to be obedient to Your call to share the burdens of those You place in my path.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

My Most Essential Need

 

“Seek the LORD [search diligently for Him and long for Him as your most essential need] so that you may live….”

 

—Amos 5:6a (AMP)

 

LORD of Life,

 

Help me keep my relationship with You in its rightful place—as the most important thing in my life—so that I can truly live.

 

Give me a heart to seek after You—to search for You diligently—that I would know and better understand Your character and Your attributes, as You reveal them to me, in Your Word and by Your Spirit.

 

Within my understanding of who You are, help me also to discover who I am to You—along with Your expectations for how I should relate to You, and honor You with my life.

 

Be my deepest longing and help me to realize that You alone are my most essential need.  For in You I find everything I need for this life here on earth, as You prepare me for the life that is to come.

 

Help me keep my relationship with You in its rightful place—as the most important thing in my life—so that I can truly live.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Power to the Weak, Strength to the Powerless

 

He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.

 Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the LORD find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

 

—Isaiah 40:29-31 (NLT)

 

LORD of All Power and Strength,

 

When I feel weak and powerless, fill me with Your power and strength!  As I patiently wait for You, cause me to rise up high on wings like an eagle, and soar into Your wondrous presence—where I will find the strength I need for my journey forward with You.

 

You alone are the source of my strength!  When I am weak, You give me power to keep going!  When I feel powerless, You renew my strength by reminding me that You are all powerful!

 

Even the youngest and strongest of men grow weak and tired.  Only those who trust in You completely find that new strength—a strength that continually sustains them and doesn’t allow them to stumble and fall in exhaustion.

 

Only by Your power and strength, can we run toward You and not grow weary—walk with You through life and not faint!

 

When I feel weak and powerless, fill me with Your power and strength!  As I patiently wait for You, cause me to rise up high on wings like an eagle, and soar into Your wondrous presence—where I will find the strength I need for my journey forward with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.