2 - Prayers that Grow Your Faith

Prayers that Grow Your Faith - Page 2

The purpose of prayer is to nurture a relationship with God.

Pray from your heart.

Lord Jesus, I follow You out of a glad heart. Your love makes me Your willing servant. Amen.

Father God, because I am always with You, my soul cannot be shaken. I am always with You (Psalm 73:23) because You put me with You. I never walk alone; You always encompass me with Your grace. Amen.

All praise to You my heavenly Father! You are God who is always active, You are never passive. I see You working in the world and especially in me. Amen.

Holy Father, my heart is joyful and at peace when it bristles with confidence that You are with me. To sense your presence is what life is all about. My heart passionately seeks You. Yet, there are times when my faith ebbs low, and I drift into a valley of despair. Such doubt alters the world for me in a dark way. I feel the dread of hopelessness, and myself dying. I hate that! Yet when I wait on You, my confidence returns. Without You I find no meaning for my life, and that thought pulls me back to You time and time again. I tell myself “I live by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).” I remind myself that Your faithfulness to me is not dependent on my feelings, but on the promises of Your word. Righteous Father, sustain me through the dark clouds of doubt and may the true light of your Son, Jesus Christ, revitalize my spirit. Keep me close to You always. Amen.

My Father God, If I have woken up this morning in a malaise, feeling dull, listless, confused, disorganized, and lacking motivation, let me rejoice in my present state of mind, for it is a blessing from Your hand O Father. In moments like this I experience what mindful separation from You is like. Let me not fret over this condition in me. Rather, let me see it for what it is, a transitory experience of what it is like to be without You. Let it remind me how greatly my soul needs You. In such a state it is You who are drawing me closer to Yourself. Turn my full attention to You now my beloved Father. How much more gladly my heart is filled with joy when You restore me, and I sense afresh Your presence in me and around me. Let life's problems bring about its perfect work in me, that my heart would always have confidence in You. Because my Savior has overcome the world I take heart in my tribulations. Amen.

Father God, help me not to forget the many times You have made me aware of your presence in my life— times when You were right there in front of me. Times when I felt your hand touching me. Times when the eyes of my heart were filled with the glorious light of the presence of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All those moments I keep treasured in my heart. Keep me from forgetting them. I do not want to forget ever! My soul seeks you constantly. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You are the faithful Son of God! May I never forget that my feelings, which vacillate, can never void the truth and reality of Your existence in me. Amen.

Father, You change me, not by my effort, but by Your Spirit living in my heart, and by Your power and control over all things outside of me (Romans 8:28). My self-effort alone fails every time, yet I have victory over sin because I choose You to control my heart. I put myself completely in Your hands. When I trust You, miracles happen. You are almighty and You can do anything in me and for me. I give my whole heart to You! I am dead to myself that You might fully indwell me. My effort needs Your empowerment. My effort is my first step in trusting You to keep my behavior righteous and sanctified. Strengthen me dear Father, by the motivation of Christ’s love for me! In Him, my heart desires to please You. Righteous Father, by the faith You have given me I am able to live pleasingly before You. Your help and protection are with me always! To You belongs all glory! Amen.

Father, You can defeat that which I cannot control. I am dependent on You for all my needs. Without Jesus Christ I can do nothing. Amen.

Lord, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You own me, I do not belong to myself. With Your blood You paid the full ransom for my soul, and so now and forever You are my Lord and Savior. Therefore, You have every right to own me! I rejoice that You are my Master. Keep me aware that every part of me belongs to You. By Your love and mercy empower me to always respond to Your will with steadfast obedience, for I so desire to please You. You are God whom I love and serve with a willing heart. Amen.

Father God, If there is any goodness or trait in me that is praiseworthy, may these qualities be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ, and not in any way elevates myself, my sinful pride, or my vainglory. Whatever I am, whatever I do, if there is any virtue in these, may they bring glory to Jesus Christ, and to Him alone. Amen.

Precious Jesus, I seek to live my life attracted to You first, above anyone or anything, You come first. You are irresistibly attractive to my soul! You are the light of life and I want to live in Your radiance. I want my life, in everything I do, to bring glory to You. You have the supremacy in every part and detail of my life. Without You first in my life I have no strength. You are the author of life and the perfecter of my faith. You bless me; and how glorious You are! Amen.

Father God, take complete control of my life and behavior. Have dominion over all that I do, say, or think. Let every thought I have and decision I make today be obedient to Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy Father, I resist temptation because I love You, not because I fear You. I relinquish control of myself over to You. I pray, stop worldly and impure thoughts, which enter my awareness, from influencing me. Amen.

Heavenly Father, Hallowed be Thy name. Let all the earth confess Jesus Christ as Redeemer and King over all creation. I praise You for all that You are. Fill me today with Your Holy Spirit. Reveal to me Your Son, Jesus Christ, in me. Make me aware of His presence in my heart. I am blessed because You are a forgiving and understanding God. You are patient with me, compassionate, merciful, gracious, and most of all You are a holy. And You alone are righteous. Everything about You is righteous. You are forever faithful! I lift my heart up to You in love and adoration. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You are the Shepherd of my soul. I am never alone, for You are always with me. I live my life by faith in You. You are in control of everything in my life and the world. You are good, and you love me. For these reasons, I lack nothing. Even in the darkest day of my life, You are with me. You are the Way that is leading me to Paradise. By Your love for me I fear no evil, now and forever. Amen.

O holy Father, in times when I find myself in the valley of despair, and You seem too distant to revive me, my only hope is to wait on You. And so, loving Father I wait for you. Do not linger, for my heart needs You. I hear Your silent whisper in my heart saying to me, “be patient, my child. I am mindful of your needs. My grace is always with you.” By Your whisper my heart is encouraged, and so I humbly say, “yes Father, I will wait patiently for You, for Your love is unfailing.” Amen.

O Lord, I believe at times when I feel Your absence is when You are in fact the closest to me. Your faithfulness always overrides my feelings of doubt. Amen.

Father, forgive me this day for everything I have done, said, or thought that was not pleasing to You. Amen.

Father, let my dying words be, “Lord Jesus into your hands I commend my spirit.” Amen.

Father, please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Keep me safe most of all from myself. Help me to start this day with the exhilaration that comes from loving and serving You. Revitalize me that I may serve you this day with renewed energy. Amen.

Righteous Father, Shape me into a humble person, someone who is patient and compassionate toward other people, someone who is not judgmental. Help me to teach those who are lost Your truths with gentleness and respect. And help me to be patient and humble when others criticize or judge me. Stop my pride from shutting my ears, and let me consider what I am hearing may be the truth, and more significantly that it may be You admonishing me. May my attitude be righteous. I pray let others see You in me. Amen.

Father, Let me continue to see sin through Your eyes and acknowledge it as evil. Help me to assess my thoughts, motives, and actions; and convict me of my sins that I am unaware of. And when I sin, through Your mercy and grace, lead me to repent, and confess to You my wrongdoing, and so receive Your forgiveness, which comes through Jesus Christ. Amen.

O righteous Father, thank You that when I stumble and fall into sin, that Your Holy Spirit makes me uncomfortable with my wrong doing. He convicts me; and my spirit is broken and my heart is contrite before You. In Your faithfulness, You bless me with the riches of Your kindness, forbearance, and patience, so that Your kindness leads me to repentance (Romans 2:4). In sorrow, I confess and repent. Use now my repentance to further my maturity in Christ, and let my heart rejoice in Your healing grace. Within myself I have no power to defeat temptation, but Christ in me does. Teach me to rely on Him when temptations come my way. I am assured, that having believed in Him that I have crossed over from death into eternal life (John 5:24), and as He promised, I shall never perish (John 10:28). Thank You for Your forgiveness and love. I press on in loving and serving You. Oh, the riches You have given me in Jesus Christ, my Savior, are limitless and exceedingly wonderful. Praise You holy Father, Your love, grace, and mercy endure forever. Amen.

Father God, You hate my sin, but You love me. And Your love for me is greater than all my sin. You will not allow my sin to stop You from changing me, nor loving me. Because You have redeemed me, I hate and detest my sin. I hate it because it keeps me from honoring You, You whom I love more than anything. I so desire to have the mind of Christ in me, to be obedient to You. I believe Father that by Your mercy and grace that You will establish me in my faith. When I fail You pull me back to Yourself. Your love for me is unfailing and leads me to repentance and confession of my sin. Inflect my heart with the shame it deserves, and make me contrite. By Your mercy and grace restore me to Yourself. I so earnestly want to be faithful to You. Help me, O Father, to be. Amen.

Father God, Concerning each person I gaze upon today make me aware that each one is Your business— Your concern. And cause me to love them as you have loved me. Amen.

Lord, I believe that when I am loving others that I am in fact loving You. I believe that me loving others is how You continue to bring Your light into the world. I am humbled that You would use me to carry the good news of your love, which comes through Jesus Christ, to others. You have motivated me by Your love and grace to love both the righteous and ungodly alike. I thank You that You have given me a heart that loves people. You created all of us. Each person I meet is a gift from You. Help me to be Your faithful servant. Amen.

Father, my heart is glad when I am with my brothers and sisters— those who are poor in spirit and meek. They cling to the cross of Christ, as I do. They are the ones You delight in, who know and love You. They are the ones You have called out of the darkness and into Your glorious light. When I reflect on what I used to be, I feel unworthy to be included with them. But by Your love and grace for me, which You revealed in Your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ, You have place me with them. I thank You for adding me to their number. And now I can stand in the congregation of those You redeemed, where my heart rejoices with theirs, filled with praises for You. When we assemble in Jesus’ name You are with us in the might and splendor of Your Holy Spirit. Let the atmosphere be filled with your Spirit among us. Bless all those You have redeemed— Your true church, the bride of Christ who worships You in spirit and in truth. Amen.

My Father who is in heaven, when I pray with other believers, whether with a few or with many, my heart rejoices to be there with them. Only by Your grace am I there with them. Their faith and devotion to You encourages me. The Lord Jesus is in our midst, and we are blessed. In awe we stand together before His holy Spirit. May our prayers resonate in unity to form a pleasing harmony of praise and supplication to You. We share the same hope, the same love, and the same salvation. Meld us together, by Your grace, to love one another. Keep us in perfect unity. Protect and guide us. Empower and motivate us to seek and love those in the world who are lost. We will proclaim the Gospel of Your love and forgiveness; and together, with You, we will go forth to make disciples of all nations. Amen.

Father God, I am compelled by the knowledge of Jesus Christ to see my life as a mission to bring glory to You. By this knowledge I know that life is all about living for You, and that there is nothing more important than this for my life. It makes sense that now my life belongs entirely to You. It must be, since You redeemed me to Yourself at a cost so great! You gave Your Son, Jesus Christ, to shed His precious blood to save me. By that knowledge, I am compelled to love and follow Him. O Father, let this not be an intention that merely flickers in my mind, as a thought only, and does not translate into active behavior that glorifies and pleases You! Make my regenerated life reveal Christ in me to the world around me. Encourage and motivate me more and more to love my Savior and to serve others. For I believe this is the mission You have willed for me, and for all who You have called to follow Your Son. Amen.

Loving Father, thank You for hearing me this morning. I pray, use me today to bring glory to Your name. Help me to remember that I live by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). If You wanted me to live by sight the world would not be as it is. And help me to be aware that faith by its very nature must be tested. And although at times it may seem that You are absent, despite how it seems to me, You are always with me. Your faithfulness to always be with me is Your promise (Hebrews 13:5). Cause me to see this day as my journey through life with You, a pilgrimage, and as I go through my motions this day make me aware of all that You will do before my eyes. I look forward with awe and expectation to see Your wondrous work in my life today. Never let me forget all Your blessings. Give me the strength today not to give into temptations. Prevent me from developing any pattern of life which is contrary to Your will. Help me to remember that when I am being tempted that it is my allegiance to You which is being tested. I do not want to fail You. Let every thought I have and decision I make today be obedient to Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Most especially, keep me mindful this day Father that You treasure my faith. Use me today, to tell another about You and Your great love. This is my prayer, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

O holy Father, impress upon me that the faith You have given me is a gift from You. Make me to cherish and value it above all that I have. That in truth, it comes from You, and it is not of my own device. It is what makes me significant and is a testimony of Your love for me. You have created billions upon billions of human souls, and mine is one in the sea of humanity. I ask You holy Father, does my life have value, and am I wanted? Does love mean being valued and wanted? How can such attention be focused on me amid so innumerable number of souls you have created? My mind cannot fathom this! Why would you look upon me when there are so many others? Why have You given me the faith that I have? When I consider how many people have ever lived and are alive today, I feel lost and insignificant. It seems like I am less than a drop of water in the ocean, even much less. But You have brought Your power into the world. The power that can do anything. The power that transforms everyone who believes. You have revealed Your love to the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To You, every life has value, and You desire every life to be saved. The faith You have given me, has called me out of the world, as it does to all who believe in Jesus Christ. I believe by the power of the Gospel that I am no longer lost, and along with all my believing brothers and sisters everywhere, that in Your eyes, because of Christ, You value us! You have redeemed us from a world that is lost and hostile to You. You have made us to be significant through faith in Jesus Christ, and this solely by Your mercy and grace. I thank you for giving my life to Him. Now and forever, my life is hidden with Him in You (Colossians 3:3). Use me every day to share the good news to those who are lost. Your love is unfailing and true. Hallelujah, Amen.

O Holy Father, I am forever grateful that You made me a gift that You have given to Your Son, Jesus Christ. I know that I am saved by my faith, but the thought that I am a gift You gave Him fills me with awe and reverence. It confirms that You value my life; and that my life has meaning and purpose in Your sight. I see nothing within myself, as to why You would make me such a gift. Yet, You have done this by Your sovereign will. Your mercy and grace abound toward me. How do I respond to such knowledge that I am the prize You give to Jesus Christ? The only rational response must be that it moves me to give my life as a living sacrifice to You (Romans 12:1). Therefore, I am no longer my own. Now and forever, I am my Savior’s possession (John 6:37, 39, 17:2, 6, 9, 24, Galatians 3:29). He is my Lord, He is my Master, and He is the King of my heart. And because He loves me, He has promised He would never drive me away (John 6:37). Therefore, I live to obey Him. Thank You for calling me to Him, and so now I am Yours and His forever. I stand profoundly grateful to You holy Father. My soul shall not stop telling the world of Your mercy, love, and grace. All glory and praise belong to You, now and forever. Amen.

My heavenly Father, I thank You for yesterday’s blessings. You are good and You care about me. Now, I rejoice that You made this new day for me. Let me live it in Your presence, and may all that I do this day be pleasing in Your sight. I trust that You will be active again in my life today. Make me aware of Your many blessings today. At the end of it, when I lay down to sleep, I will recount to You Your blessings, and my thankful heart will praise You. You are forever faithful to me and Your love is certain. Amen.

O Loving Father, at times my mind reflects on my past sins. Oh, how I detest having committed them. Is that my pride? Do I think I was not capable of committing sin? From the day I was born, I was spiritually broken and the disease I inherited from my parents in the garden of Eden, has passed through their bloodline to me. This inherited disease is yet ever present in me. Because of Jesus Christ, I recognize it and detest it. Yet, You have redeemed me by Your grace through faith in Christ. And by that saving faith You have made me righteous— made me anew, as though I had never sinned. Of myself, I am empty, I can pay You back nothing. I am spiritually bankrupt. All I have is the measure of faith You have graciously given me. Only by Your mercy and grace can I stand before You justified— just as if I had never sinned. Still my sinful mind sees in me the shameful stains of my past sins. That sight in my mind disturbs my faith. It unsettles me. Oh Father, I praise You that You are the author of both life and forgiveness. You forgave all my sins by placing them on Your Son when He died on the cross to save me. His blood has washed them away (1 John 1:7). Yet, even now, having been redeemed, I see my faith faltering whenever I think that the stains of my past sins are still in me. Rather than being shameful with my past, let my awareness of those transgressions cause me to recognize the magnitude of Your love and forgiveness. And make me to rejoice in Your forgiveness which has removed both my sin and its stains. For certain, Your holy word assures me of this (Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 51:7, 103:12, 1 John 1:9, Revelation 7:14). Oh, the depths of your mercy, grace, and forgiveness are unsearchable and glorious. Truly Your grace is amazing grace! Hallelujah, amen.

Oh Lord, I pray, allow me to engage my spirit now more fully with You. I hold myself still and wait for Your Spirit to awaken me to Your presence. Descend on me and I am blessed. Oh, how I delight to be with You. I pray, give me a moment of heavenly communion with You now. I bring no requests or supplications. All earthly concerns are left outside of this sanctuary of intimacy with You. I only want to be with You and love You. I seek no other agenda. My soul is nourished when I am close to You. This moment is pure. Let not the tiniest speck of anything to do with this world contaminate my intimacy with You now. You subdue me by the power of Your holy presence, so that in this precious moment I lose awareness of myself. I am wholly focused on loving You. My faith in my Savior’s crucified body and His resurrection, is the only authority for my entrance into this blissful moment with You! My heart belongs to You. My mind has no words, it is my heart that speaks wordlessly to You, and with the ears of my faith, I hear Your voice. I am quiet in this moment; I hold still before Your majestic presence. Father be with me now. Amen.

Oh Father, what is life? For certain its meaning and purpose is found in faith that comes from Jesus Christ. Since all die, does anything any of us do on earth, which is done apart from Him matter? You are God almighty and You can do or make anything. What is there that people can do that You cannot do better? Nothing! You are the Creator of all things, and You control the life within every one of us! Surely You did not create me and redeem me for my own pleasures. If I follow the inclinations of my own heart, without Christ, it will certainly lead me nowhere. I am fearful, that if my life does not produce fruit for Your kingdom, all else that I do on earth will be burned up (John 15:2, 8, 16). I do not want to enter eternity empty handed. But rather, I want to come to You with a robust offering of good works motivated by my love and devotion to Jesus Christ. I cannot boast of my works, for without my Savior my works are empty of any merit. All praise and glory belong to Him! Enable me to serve Him well, for this alone is my purpose for life. Living life apart from serving Him is living a meaningless existence. I want my life to matter for my Savior’s sake. This attitude is a reproach to the world. But the world cannot defeat You, nor stop Your will. For You have destined each one to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Thank you for putting new life into me, and for delivering me from the coming judgment. Amen.

Father, forgive me for thinking heaven on earth should be now. Forgive me for wanting life to be absent of problems while alive on earth. In Your perfect wisdom, you brought Your kingdom down on earth, despite all the sufferings in the world. Yes, Your kingdom indeed is present here and now. By the obedience of Jesus Christ to die on the cross, and by His resurrection from the dead, You have put heaven in my heart. You have removed my fear of death. No matter what hardship befalls me, I am confident that You are in control of my life, and that You love me. I have stopped insisting that I should be exempt from the terrors of the curse brought on this world by sin. If I do not suffer in this life, what reason would I have to seek and find You. My natural inclination is to follow my own heart, but Your wisdom and grace have made suffering the stimulus that motivates me to look heavenward. Now, in Christ Jesus, my heart rejoices in You, no matter what my circumstances are. Your Kingdom is where the King is, and Jesus is the King. He reigns in my heart forever. The faith You graciously gave me has brought heaven down to where You willed it to be, which is in my heart! This is to Your glory Father. Your love abides in me forever. O praise Your holy name! Amen.

Gracious Father, hear now my prayer. Because I trust You, You always give me the answers to my desperate questions. Questions that I dare not ask with an accusatory attitude, for I fear You, and could never disrespect You. You are righteous and good, and You never change. And with this confidence I ask my questions. Why do You allow me to suffer? Why does the pain in my body persist? Why is there heartache for me at almost every turn of life? Why have the many I have prayed for that You would turn their hearts to Christ, still not want Him? Is my faith anemic? Is my heart un-cleansed? Are there still sins in me unconfessed, which are impediments to receiving your blessings? I seek You night and day. I pour my heart out to You. I have surrendered all of myself to You, and I am still waiting. How arrogant I must sound to ask You these questions. You know my love for You and You know my intention is to seek the peace that can only come from You. Now I understand. I heard Your silent voice gently stimulating me to ask myself new questions. If You immediately gave me everything I asked for, would my faith cease to have a purpose? Would I then take You for granted? Would I still diligently seek You in prayer? Would I begin to neglect my relationship with You? O God my Father, therefore, having pondered these questions, let me see You in my pain and afflictions. Is this not what kept my Savior on the cross when He was obedient to You? Was not His heart steadfast on You in His time of passion and agony? His faith in You has brought eternal victory to so many. Therefore, I know You are with me through my trials and tribulations. When my prayers seem to go unanswered and I still trust You, are You not glorified? Is not my trust in You Your treasure? I thank You that You have revealed to me the secret of faith, which is trusting You no matter what my circumstances may be. As my Savior taught, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). And so, Father, I see You blessing me in so many ways that I did not ask for. Your faithfulness to me abounds again and again. I live to love You no matter what. Let my joy come from knowing and serving You. Amen.

100

My Father, hear my lament. It is certain for every one of us born of a woman, that You want us to die. You have ordained temporal death for all of mankind. This is the tragedy of all life, that we must die in the body. It is the dread that drives the selfish motives of every one of us. This class judgment on us all is justified due to the nature we all inherited; inherited from the disobedience of our parents at the beginning, in Eden. But Father I want to live forever. I do not want to die! My soul cries out to You to save me. Did you make me to be a vapor that appears for a brief moment in time, and then evaporates into nothing? Is my life that meaningless? The breath in me is Yours. I know for certain that I will cross the great divide. Will I enter into light or darkness? But as Your word says, You are not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). For a while in my life, I made too much of this temporary existence. I failed to give attention to You, my Creator. Oh, how I disrespected You Father. In my soul I felt the emptiness that was there because it was missing You. In Your mercy and grace, You brought the word of salvation to my ears, and for the first time, with the eyes of my heart, I saw Your Son, Jesus Christ. Immediately I was attracted to Him, and my heart desired Him more than life itself! He made clear to me two things, the purpose of my life was to know You, and that knowing you through Him, I will live forever. Oh death, your sting for me has forever been removed. My Savior has defeated you! He is glorious, He is invincible, He is Lord of all, forever and ever. Amen.

101

Father, I believe temptation is a test of my allegiance to You. Help me to remember that when I am being tempted that my loyalty and commitment to You are in view. Testing, if it comes from You, is to prove my faith, and in no way is meant to harm me. If it comes from Satan, it is meant to accuse me of being wretched and unworthy. He seeks to destroy me and ridicule You because of my failure. When the temptation comes from within me, it does so because it is part of my inherited nature. When I fail and give in to the temptation, let the guilt, shame, and pain of my sin break my heart and make me truly contrite. No matter what the source of my temptation, when I give in to it, it is sin. Help me to return to You with haste. In Your mercy, You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ into the world to save me from all my sins. He is the way back to You. There is no other way (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). When I confess my sin, He is faithful and just to forgive me of my sin, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). You bestow your mercy and grace on all who call on Him. Your unfailing love is the source of my allegiance to You. My heart sings your praises forever! Amen.

102

Righteous Father, my sin brought me to You. Why does a sick man seek a doctor? Is it not his infirmity that motivates him? Father, I am not suggesting that sin can be justified. It is evil and must be judged, for You are holy. My sins have inflicted me with wounds. Deep wounds. Sin is my enemy. It is a disease, that if left uncured results in eternal death. But You have power over it. You turned it into a beacon of distress for me. You made it an alarm of warning. By Your mercy and grace, you caused me to hear the warning through the preaching of the Gospel. I wonder if I had no awareness of my sins would I have wanted You. That thought unsettles me, because having been redeemed by You, it disturbs me to think that I would ever be separated from You. I have tasted Your love, that it is good, it is what I desire more than life itself. Your Son, my Savior, is the Physician who has healed all my diseases. Yes, that which was against me, that which was contrary to me, ushered me to accepting Your salvation, which comes only through Jesus Christ. My prayer is that all those who are without You would recognize their sin and respond to its prompts to seek You, and be healed through the power of the Gospel. To you belongs all glory forever and ever. Amen.

103

Father, I thank You that through the Gospel I have become dead to sin and to myself (Romans 6:11; Galatians 2:20). I have learned that I cannot take confidence in myself. I am not trustworthy apart from You. I am so prone to go astray. Whatever good I do, I do not do it in my own strength. I do not serve You as much as I may want. No, it is not I, it is Christ in me. It is He who controls me now, and does the good works through me. Help me not to hinder His will by giving heed to my self-interests and base desires. For His sake work in me to pay attention to the needs of others. Help me to keep the eyes of my heart focused on Him, and I shall be faithful to do Your will holy Father. All glory belongs to You. Amen.

104

Heavenly Father, the way of the world is disheartening to me. We are all lost, and some seek after power and riches. Those who do this are arrogant, and have no mindful reflection concerning their end. They seek to make a name for themselves, and to take control of the world. They force their opinions in the public square and devise plans to corral the masses. And they have no wisdom. They worship their own intellect. They have made themselves to be their god. They are idle worshipers of themselves. They are vapors, self-deceived, lacking virtue. They are in rebellion to the judgment that is coming. No human intelligence can usurp your sovereignty and will. You cast down every action and thought of humans that does not conform to Your will. You allow mankind to fester in their own vain imaginations. For there is no other truth except that which comes from You. Your revelation calls to those who are coming into Your Kingdom. You give them entrance by faith alone. And, I am one of them. We are your children. We are the meek, the poor in spirit, and pure in heart. Our strength comes from You alone, through Jesus Christ, our Savior. He is our wisdom from You, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). Keep the influential power of this world from blunting my faith. Energize me by Your word, Your word is truth. Remind me that I live by faith and not by sight. My loyalty is to my King, Jesus Christ. I trust Him, not this world which is perishing. I pray your blessing upon every soul that hears the Gospel, to the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen.

105

Father God, help me to live my life pleasingly before You. My spirit is willing, so much it is willing, but my flesh is pathetically weak. Do not allow my will to fail. Strengthen me in my spirit to be perfectly obedient to You. I hate my flesh. I feel like a victim, held hostage by it. It yearns to wander away from you. I struggle to deny it, but I find that I cannot contend with it by myself. Therefore, I cry out to You. Rescue me from myself. Let the power of Your word and the Holy Spirit keep me away from wrong doing. I desire more than anything to live pleasingly in your sight. As I live out my days on this earth, my flesh will not have victory over my soul. It cannot take me into hell. For You have given me a Savior, Your Son. Make me more and more like Him now and forever. Make my life a witness to the power of His Gospel. You are God who ransoms those who are lost and call on You. Hallelujah, amen.

106

My Father God, I praise You for all Your benefits. Living my life by faith in You, I can face the difficulties that life brings. When tribulation comes my way, make me instant to lean on You. For I find strength in You. For You, O God, care about me. You will not leave me to contend with problems alone. When I look to You, You are there. By my faith in You I see and understand the truth about the world I live in. The sun shines brightly in it, but it is a place of terrible darkness. The clarity of what may be seen with the eyes is in sharp focus, but in the spiritual sense the world is thick with darkness. But where are You? My eyes do not see you. Is that because You hide Yourself from the darkness? In Your love for the world, You pierced the darkness, by sending Your Son into it to be its Savior. Through Him You have revealed Yourself, and therefore I am able to perceive You with the eyes of my heart. You brought the light of truth to me through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By it I see You in sharpest focus, and it is glorious and life changing. All praise belongs to You and Jesus Christ, who reveals You. The darkness has no power to overcome Your light. Amen.

107

O Lord, there are so many difficulties in life, so many bad things happen every day. Sometimes life seems so dark and it discourages me. What is it that pulls me out of this darkness? There was a time when I wondered what is life, and why am I here? Why is there so much cruelty in the world? Why do I suffer, and the people I care about. Why do we have to die? Father, I see clearly before me, yet You are invisible. I see objects and their forms and colors. Bright and clear they are. I hear sounds. They are distinct in my ear. I sense smells and I can feel whatever my body touches. I have emotions. I see people. The world is so very vivid to my eyes, but because the world leaves the purpose of life to the imagination of each one of us, the vividness of life in the world is bleak darkness. But all those sentiments of mine are now in the past. Now I know for certain that the darkness is real, and the world is engulfed in it, intoxicated with it. It is a hedged-in place without any escape, a meaningless void without You. And I ask, what has pulled me out of this horror? Is it not my faith? Yes, it is my faith. Lord, I believe my faith is Your treasure. In Your wisdom You gave every one of us a measure of faith. But the darkness is a force that can evaporate my faith. It is exceedingly powerful and offers only one reward, which is eternal death. Where is the way out? I searched for it. All my heartache and suffering in the darkness caused me to seek You. It made me look up. Is darkness the test that is meant to prove my faith? Because You desire my trust and faith, You brought Your light into the world, the light that opened the eyes of my heart. Your light is the way out! I see the light in Jesus Christ, Your Divine Son. You made Him to be the Savior of my soul, and not only of mine, but of everyone who believes in Him. O Father, that He died for me makes me understand how precious my faith is to You. I see clearly through the darkness now. Is this wisdom that comes from You? I believe it is, and I am thankful. Your love pulled me into Your salvation. Without You I am nothing, I have nothing; but in Jesus Christ, You have blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. It all makes sense now. To You be all glory and honor forever and forever. Amen.

108

Oh Father, when I give in to temptation and sin, I am giving the Devil cause to point an accusing finger at You (Job 1:9-12). I am Your child and he ridicules You because of my failures. Oh Father, I apologize. I am sorry for hurting You. I have disappointed You, and I am contrite. You know my heart. You know I want to be loyal to You. Let my accuser see the blood of Your Son applied to my heart. Restore me and I shall be blameless. You are God almighty, sovereign, full of mercy and grace. When I seek You in prayer without regard to any other motive than to be close to You, You strengthen me. When I study the Scriptures to see Jesus Christ in every sentence, You strengthen me. Oh Father, with my whole heart I seek You. Temptations cannot defeat me! You are my shield and great reward. You are my Father forever. Amen.

109

Oh Lord of mercies, my heart hears Your call for me to come to You. You are the wellspring of forgiveness and Your supply is never ending. My blessedness is established through continually coming to You in prayer. You want me to nourish my soul by feeding it from the pasture of Your holy word. You know my heart belongs to You; and You know that I love You. Yet, against my better judgement, I am prone to wandering away from You. I am seduced by temptation and intoxicated by its power. I lose hold of myself. Where is the remedy to this horrid dilemma? You have sealed the answer in my heart. I hear You calling. I hear You say, “come to me again and again, and I will make you clean. Immerse yourself in prayer with Me and eat generously from My holy word. And most of all My child, do not fear to bring your broken and contrite heart to me. And, never forget, I care about you.” You are forever faithful Father to restore me to Yourself. Your love changes me. I thank You that by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ You are my Father. Amen.

110

O Father God, I want to live my life before You. I want to live in Your sight, where You see me constantly. I want to be with You, close to You. I want Your affection to surround me. How do I do this? How do I live my life, living it in Your presence? Tell me Father, for my soul wants You, it needs You. For You and You alone bring lasting joy and peace to my heart. My life is in You. Is this not why You created me? Set me further apart from the world today and closer to You. You are good to me. You never stop loving me! How is it that the world can deny You? I do not understand that. In Jesus Christ You are irresistible. You are life. You are everything my soul needs and passionately yearns for. I ask holy Father, help me to keep You in the focus of my attention all day long. I am Your child. Amen.

111

My loving Father, help me not to neglect You. Keep me mindful that of first importance in this day is my union with You. My life belongs to You. You made me and You redeemed me. The purpose of life is to live for You. So, Father, permeate everything I do today with the awareness of You. And through that awareness move me to love others for Your glory. In every step I take make me to first seek You and Your kingdom. Surely all I need will come from Your hand. Your love is unfailing. You fill my heart with joy overflowing. You are ever present and my work is to acknowledge that. And in this truth, I live. Help me not to tire, nor become idle. Make me to hold onto You tightly. You are the source of all blessings. Nourish my soul by feeding me from Your word. Strengthen my attachment to You through time spent alone with You in prayer. Equip me to go out and proclaim to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord! Amen.

112

O holy Father, I am beside myself. My soul is consumed with shame. My life has been buffeted by my transgressions. My sin has severed me away from You. I feel my soul suffocating. My sins are despicable to You. You are holy, righteous, and perfect. I am by nature and practice inclined to fall into temptation. Your Word accurately describes what I am. Yet, in love, Your hand graciously reaches out to restore me. You call to me to repent and receive Your unmerited mercy to forgive me. I returned to You, the only source of life and truth. I contemplate the power of Christ’s blood to cleanse me from all my transgressions. His precious blood has freed me from the power of sin. Because of His obedience to You, my sins no longer have power to condemn me. Oh Father, Your grace is amazing and glorious. By Your mercy, I live under your care and protection. I so desire to live every moment of my life pleasingly to You. I am Your child, whom You forever love. Amen.

113

Holy Father, forgive me for my trespass into sin. I do not hold fast to You with my faith. I am guilty. I walked away from You. I acted as if You did not exist. I allowed myself to be carried away by my own selfish desire. I have no excuse for my behavior. Before You, I am spiritually bankrupt. Of myself I have no means of making myself right in Your eyes. I hate and detest what I am without You. I am filled with shame. Yet, I am thankful for my shame, for it drives me back to You. So once more, I cry out to You for Your mercy. O gracious Father, please forgive me again. I do not take Your grace for granted. I confess, I am weak and feeble toward resisting my temptations. Your beloved Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ suffered and died to free me from what I have no power over. Only by His blood am I confident that I have been forgiven. Nothing else can restore me to You. It is Him I love and Him my heart seeks. I repent. I will continue in my struggle to deny myself and follow my Savior. Only by faith in the power of His shed blood and love for me do I find victory over sin. Amen.

114

O holy Father, if I asked You what You have saved me from, my first guess would be that You saved me from my sins. But really Father, I think what You saved me from is something much greater than saving me from my sins. If I think You merely saved me from my sins, I do not understand. If I think You saved me from eternal death, I still do not understand. If I think You saved me from the horrors and enticements of this broken world, I still do not understand. Without You, it is not my sins that would perish in hell. What would perish is me. By seeking You with all my heart through Bible study and much prayer, I have come to understand now. The root purpose in Your salvation was to save me from me! You saved me from myself. I was my own worst enemy. You saved me from believing that I could live life without You. That one belief is the foundation of all my sins. It is what makes me selfish. I know for certain now that I cannot live without You! I am dependent on You for everything. You are my God, and I joyfully give up my independence to You. Once I realized how much I needed you, and that You saved me from myself, and all that it cost You to redeem me, I was held as in a vise, constrained by my Saviors love for me. Your love, which is fully manifested in Him, has transformed me, and brings glory to You! Thank You for saving me from me. Amen.

115

O heavenly Father, in the darkness of this world there is light. You exist! The darkness weighs heavy on my heart, as it brings into the world everything You hate— perversity, violence, and suffering. And these occur every day. If it were not for my relationship with You, I would lose heart. If it were not for You, I would still be following the ways of this world. But You O God, are full of compassion. In Your mercy You removed me from the world and brought me into the Kingdom of the Son of Your love, Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world. I thank You that You gave me eyes to see the light, and a heart to respond to it. I was blind, but now I see. I was lost, but now I am found. Cause me to have a burden for all those I know who are without Christ. Let me not tire of upholding them in prayer, for I desire that You would do for them that which You have done for me. Amen.

116

My compassionate Father, You are God who loves me constantly. Amid all the difficulties of life, You bless me with Your grace. The more I seek You and trust You, the more I see you working in my life. The faith I have is truly a gift from You, and I cherish it above anything there is. Faith is what keeps me from despairing at every turn in my life where there is trouble. But, without problems, I would have no reason to hope. I would have no cause to seek and to find You. I would not know what good is. I would not understand myself or my need for You. I would not know how great and glorious You are. I would be left to myself; and my soul would be poisoned by the toxic influence of this world that rejects You. I would not have the joy of meeting with You in prayer, nor would I know the encouragement that comes from reading Your holy word. Thank You for delivering me from the dominion of darkness that is in the world, and for bringing me into the Kingdom of the Son You love, Jesus Christ, in whom I have redemption and the forgiveness of my sins (Colossians 1:13-14). You have reconciled me by His sacrificial death on the cross, to present me holy in Your sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:22). Because of Him my soul is at peace despite the problems and oppression that this life brings. All glory to my Savior, now and forever. Amen.

117

Father God, let my love for Jesus Christ be demonstrated in how I live; how I resist temptations; how I think, and how I bring Your love to other people. O Father God, I seek Your strength to keep myself abiding in Christ. To keep me loving and adoring Him every moment of every day. Encourage me each day to make my life a living sacrifice, which brings glory to my Savior, and to the Gospel about Him. You know I am weak, but loving Him is what makes me strong. Looking to Him, I find my energy and motivation. Praise be to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

118

Father, life without you is death. I believe this with all my heart. You are so good to me! You give me blessings I do not deserve. You give them to me apart from my asking. How great You are! My heart is hidden in Christ in You. My soul is at peace because I love You and Jesus Christ, who is my Savior. Be with me again today. Be my strength in all that confronts me. May my thoughts and actions today be pleasing to You. Amen.

119

My holy Father, Your love towards me is unfailing. when I have committed a grievous sin, I make a mistake in how I go about clearing my conscience. Even after I have repented and confessed my sin to You, I become anxious for time to pass. My thought is that time heals all wounds; and I want it to heal my shame and guilt. Forgive me for relying on the passing of time to restore me— to be comfortable with myself. Is this not my sinful pride that moves me to think this way? I know You want me to believe how good You are to me. You want me to believe in Your forgiveness. The truth is, it is not time that heals me, O Father, it is You who heals me and makes me right. And You do it instantly, upon my confession to You with my repentance. It is You who changes me after I fail. You make me more and more like my Savior. Forgive me for not trusting the depth of Your forgiveness. Your love toward me is beyond measure. O Father God, You are compassionate to your wayward child. My heart belongs to You. I must always stay aware, that while in this physical body, I am always susceptible to giving in to my sinful temptations. Who will deliver me from myself? You, O Father are my help and my strength. It is You, who by Your mercy and grace delivers me. You are forever faithful to me. I love you, and I am committed to serving You forever. Amen.

120

O Father, make the central point of my life, and that which motivates and influences me in all I think and do, be the atonement of Jesus Christ. He is God, who came from heaven above into the world as a man. He is my Savior! I desire that every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him. Help me to continually abide in Him, for this is Your will. You have promised to keep me in perfect peace as my mind stays solidly on trusting Him (Isaiah 26:3). Power, love, and freedom, come from the knowledge of His cross. And let that knowledge be in my awareness every day, for it is the way to abiding faith. It is the guiding light that leads to eternal life. Amen.

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