The LORD is Here to Help You

 

"For I hold you by your right hand—
    I, the LORD your God.
And I say to you,
    ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’"

 

—Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)

 

Sovereign LORD my God,

 

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone!  For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

So, help me to embrace whatever lies before me today, with the certain confidence that You are by my side—and with the understanding that my access to all that You are is only restricted by how willing I am to seek You out by faith.

 

Thank You for the compassionate love You show to me—that You comfort and keep me, holding fast to my right hand—so that in the times I stumble, You uphold me in Your strength and steady me, so that I don’t fall down completely.

 

Thank You for Your assurance to me that I have nothing to fear, because You are here to help me, to guide and direct me—no matter the situation or circumstance in which I may find myself—as You lead me forward down paths of righteousness, for love’s sake and for Your glory, in the fullness of Truth and Grace.

What a comfort and a joy to know that I am never alone!  For it is You who holds me by the right hand and tells me not to be afraid—You who reminds me that You are always here to help me!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Far Beyond Anything I Can Imagine!

 

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."

 

—Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)

 

Sovereign LORD,

 

How limited I am in my understanding—and yet, how gracious You are to show me things I could never come to understand on my own!

 

You are the Sovereign LORD—my infinitely powerful, infinitely present, infinitely wise, infinitely loving, Heavenly Father.  How foolish it would be for me to depend on my own understanding—when Your thoughts reach infinitely further than mine!

 

Help me understand that I cannot ever fully understand Your thoughts and Your ways, because of the finite limits of my mind. Remind me that my thinking can be distorted by an assault of the enemy’s lies, so that I might not forget how I am totally dependent on You to lead me into all Truth.

 

Draw me close and teach me to pursue a more personal and intimate relationship with You always—so I might learn to trust more completely in Your love for me and Your absolute knowledge of, and provision for, everything that I need to accomplish Your will and purpose for me.

How limited I am in my understanding—and yet, how gracious You are to show me things I could never come to understand on my own!

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Hearts of Those Around Me

 

Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can fully share its joy.

 

—Proverbs 14:10 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to remember that only You can fully know the depths of the hearts of the those around me—and help me to carefully consider that truth, and love them with all the love of Christ.

 

Teach me to look through eyes of compassion at each person I encounter, realizing that I do not fully know the particular experiences that have helped to shape them into the persons that they now are—whether for the good, or for the bad.

 

Don’t let me forget that each person’s heart carries its own bitterness and pain—each heart its own hurts, wounds and brokenness—which cry out, searching for healing wherever it might be found.  

 

Use me to help point the broken-hearted to Your Son, and our Savior, Jesus—the only One that can bring true healing to the broken—as I speak truth and grace, motivated by love, into their lives.

 

And help me also to rejoice with those whose hearts are rejoicing—though I can never fully share the joy that is uniquely theirs—in order that my own joy would be awakened within me, and my mouth would be filled with praise to You.

 

Help me to remember that only You can fully know the depths of the hearts of the those around me—and help me to carefully consider that truth, and love them with all the love of Christ.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

  

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

 

—John 14:1 (NLT)

 

 

Lord Jesus,

 

As we live our lives in this very troubled world, help us to remember Your instruction to us—help us never allow our hearts to be troubled.

 

Thank You for not only giving us this instruction, but also for empowering us to obey this instruction by showing us the pathway to an untroubled heart—that an untroubled heart trusts in God, and trusts in You.

 

Show us how our capacity to trust in You is dependent on the depth of our relationship with You—and that the depth of that relationship is determined by our understanding of who You are and of Your great love for us, which is revealed to us in Your Word.

 

Help us to realize that the more that we act on the Truth we find in Your Word, and put our trust in You, the more we give You the opportunity to show Yourself faithful to us, which in turn causes our trust to grow because of our experience of that faithfulness—so that we can travel this pathway to an untroubled heart.

 

As we live our lives in this very troubled world, help us to remember Your instruction to us—help us never allow our hearts to be troubled.

 

In Your beautiful and powerful name, I pray, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Search for Good, Find Favor

 

If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

 

—Proverbs 11:27 (NLT)

 

Good and Gracious Father,

 

Help me only search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

Remind me that there is good to be found all around me—when I search for it!  And help me to look for that good in every person I encounter and in each circumstance that I face.

 

Save me from every temptation to search for evil—and don’t let me walk away from Your sheltering protection. For I know that I will never find evil before it finds me—because it watches for every opportunity of catching me unprotected, that it might destroy me.

 

In everything, help me keep my eyes fixed on You—the Author of all things good—so that all my thoughts, words and actions will be filled with Your goodness and love, and I would bring honor to You.

 

Help me only search for that which is good—as You unfold this day before me—so that evil will not find me, but I will experience favor wherever You lead.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Take a New Grip!

 

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

 

—Hebrews 12:12-13 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

With each new challenge that comes, grant me the wisdom to renew my grip on Your plans for me, and the strength and courage to recommit myself to follow the straight path of obedience—so that those around me who have been spiritually weakened would not fall, but rather they find healing and strength to continue their journey with You.

 

When I find myself facing difficulties—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—help me take a new grip on the call You have placed on me. Help me to draw on the strength of Christ in me—and be obedient to the straight path that Your call requires.

 

Help me to push forward through those fears that would weaken my knees and undermine my effectiveness—as I courageously face the unknown in the confidence that I am not alone, because Your Spirit upholds me according to the power of Christ at work in me.

 

Help me to follow that straight path of willing obedience to You in all things, so that those who are weak and have been injured in this good fight of faith will see You at work—both in me and through me—and be encouraged, strengthened, healed and made whole again in You, for Your glory!

With each new challenge that comes, grant me the wisdom to renew my grip on Your plans for me, and the strength and courage to recommit myself to follow the straight path of obedience—so that those around me who have been spiritually weakened would not fall, but rather they find healing and strength to continue their journey with You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Be Still...Wait Patiently...Don't Worry

 

Be still in the presence of the LORD,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes.

 

—Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

 

Loving LORD,

 

Bring me into the stillness and peace of Your presence and help me wait patiently for You to act—as You work in me, through me, and all around me.  Don’t allow me to worry or fret over evil people, or their wicked schemes—but keep my eyes fixed on You.

 

Help me rest confidently in Your loving presence—far from the restless anxiousness that this life brings—content to be where You have me now, and assured that You never stop working, never stop unfolding Your perfect plan.

 

Help me not to get caught up in fretting over those who seem to be getting away with their evil schemes—who make a game of life and appear to be winning, as they play that game by their own set of rules and leave the truth behind to chase after lies.

 

Help me be still in Your presence and live out my life within the protection that Your instructions promise, without compromising the truth, knowing that as I trust You, You will set all things right—every hurt, every offense, every injustice—according to Your perfect timing, plan and purpose, and for Your greatest glory.

 

Bring me into the stillness and peace of Your presence and help me wait patiently for You to act—as You work in me, through me, and all around me.  Don’t allow me to worry or fret over evil people, or their wicked schemes—but keep my eyes fixed on You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.