THANKFUL

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

We pray that our hearts desire is to please you, Lord God, and to submit to Your will in our lives. Your Word gives us road signs that point to what Your will is. But the wisdom from about is first and foremost pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy . . . (James 3:17).

As Your followers, we cannot implement this facet of Your will without the Holy Spirit’s help. Only by Your Spirit’s power can we be gracious to those who offend us. Help us show mercy to others as You have shown mercy to us. In this fallen world full of flawed people, we all have been there. Some betrayed our confidence, hoping to make others think they have the inside scoop. Other, living in their insecurities, spread lies about us. Or told half-truths in gossip sessions around the water cooler, dragging our reputations through the mud. Only Your Spirit enables us to show grace when the very fabric of our souls is being ripped apart.

What we are on the inside is revealed by such events. Our carnal nature demands we retaliate in equally hurtful measures, but Your will is to be gracious and let You take care of those offenders. I certainly do not want to be on the receiving end of Your vengeance. But You don’t expect us to be doormats either. Oh, no! We stand firm on our godly convictions. The truth will come out for all to see and the Lord will vindicate His own (Romans 12:19). Lord God, You will honor our faith as we wait on Your timing to make all things right.

Our hearts break watching the videos of the Cathedral of Notre Dame consumed in flames. Such a magnificent structure that took nearly two hundred years to construct, suddenly destroyed. But we’re reminded this majestic temple dedicated to You is not where You live. You live within each of Your followers, those who have placed their trust in Jesus for their salvation from their sin nature. This temple, where You live, can never be destroyed. Our bodies will decline and finally be laid in the grave, but our hearts will be with You forever.

Forgive our sins. Heal our nation. Begin a spiritual renewal in each of us.

You are a merciful Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Monday, April 15, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Today, Lord, may I fully submit myself to Your unfailing wisdom as Your Holy Spirit leads me to do Your will. Your wisdom is first and foremost pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating . . . (James 3:17).

As we follow Your leading to do Your will, give us discernment when we listen to the wisdom of others who have gone through similar circumstances. Some will give godly advice that we can rely on while some will make suggestions that Your Spirit will tell us to reject if it doesn’t agree with Your Word. We’re not an island. May we not be so prideful as not to accept offers of help from trusted sources. You’ve given us godly friends who will stand with us in difficulties or when major decisions are on the line.

Show me if I am rationalizing any sin that is keeping me from being fully submitted to you today. Help me order my life so that my desires are Your desires, Lord Jesus.

Forgive our sins. Unify us with Your Spirit. May we do Your will, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Friday, April 12, 2019

Good morning, Jesus

Show me Your will today, Lord, so that You direct my actions in ways that please You and shows others who You are. According to Your Word, the wisdom from You to know what Your will is for me first and foremost pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). Following Your will doesn’t require me to demand of others it’s “my way or the highway!” I don’t have to run roughshod over people or make unrealistic demands of others to implement Your will. That’s not from You. But may I remain humble to listen to the godly and practical input and counsel of others who cross my path, following Your command to show respect to one another (Romans 12:10), and so honor You as well, Lord Jesus. Help my self-control when obstacles to fulfilling Your will appear. And help me not go off the rails when things don’t develop as I desire or as quickly as I want them to. In Your timing, and in my impatience, Lord, open my spiritual eyes to see how You’re working all things for my good to accomplish Your will and develop more Christlike gentleness in me.

May Your gentleness be my strength, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Good Morning, Jesus.

Thank You, Lord, for not leaving us in the dark, wondering what You will is for us. You stated plainly in Your Word how to recognize Your will for our lives. But the wisdom from above is first and foremost pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere (James 3:17). Show us today, Lord, how we can peacefully be in Your will as we go about our daily routines.

Your Holy Spirit within me will confirm when I’m in Your will. Chaos may be floundering around me, but Your peace will keep anxiety in check. Your peace sustains me. If I must run over, harm or destroy others to gain what I desire, then I am far from doing Your will. You’re the God of peace. Or, if I get that unsettling gut inclination, I just don’t have a good feeling about this—this just doesn’t seem right, Your Holy Spirit is warning me to stop and reevaluate the situation. Thank You, Jesus, that as I stay close to You, Your Holy Spirit keeps me in Your will.

Living in Your peace, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Good afternoon, Jesus

Oh, Lord, often I find myself in a situation that’s above my paygrade and I’m scratching my head, wondering what Your will is in all this? Should I take that new position at work or wait for something else? What about that relationship that leaves me feeling unworthy and uneasy? How can I influence my child to make better choices? Lord Jesus, You knew I’d need guidelines to know what Your will is. Your half-brother James outlined in his New Testament book how I can know Your will in any situation. James 1:5 says if anyone [I] needs wisdom, ask God. He will not hold your [my] faults against you [me] but will give you [me] wisdom if you’re [I’m] sincere. You knew the devil offers the world’s view of wisdom, which could state Scriptures out of context, or ignores Your Word altogether. But James laid out plainly what I’m to search for to know Your will. Chapter 3, verse 17 the wisdom from above is first and foremost, pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

Today, may I follow Your Holy Spirit’s guidance in how Your will is pure. As You taught in Your prayer (Matthew 5:9–13), You will not lead me into temptation to sin. Therefore, if Your will is pure, then You’ll never ask me to go against Your Word. If I have to break or compromise Your Word or the Ten Commandments to get what I want, then that is not Your will. Period. End of discussion. May Your Holy Spirit show me new truths about Your Word daily.

May I keep Your Word pure in my life today as I walk with You, Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday April 9, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Good morning dear prayer friends.

May I submit to you today the writings of C. S. Lewis from his remarkable book Mere Christianity. As one of the great gospel apologists from last century, his wisdom in clarifying God’s Word is astounding. Please consider the following passage as it rings true today as it did waaaayyyyy back in the 1952.

“What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could be like God’s—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”

Lord God, may we find our worth in You. May we keep You on the throne of our heart and not continually try to set ourselves up to be what we were never intended to be. Only You can heal our soul and give us a life of significance.

Remain of our throne of our heart, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Monday, April 08, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord Jesus, because You were fully God and fully man, You know what we experience. You’ve seen how the enemy uses life’s stuff to beleaguer everyone. He’s especially brutal on Your followers. When burdens increase, unexpected responsibilities are dumped in our lap, or various daily routines demand more attention than we can give, our souls can be overwhelmed. Horatio Spafford, author of It is Well with My Soul, wrote this great hymn after losing his family at sea. His words “When sorrows like sea billows roll,” revealed the agony of his soul. The words from Psalm 46 echoed through his heart, Lord God, You are my refuge, You are my strength, my constant help in times of trouble. God the Father did not exempt You from these assaults either. In Your humanity, before You went to the cross, You prayed to the Father, my soul is overwhelmed by sorry, even to the point of death (Mark 14:33,34). Yes, Lord, even You, the Son of Man, felt overwhelmed living in this fallen world. That’s why we can run to You to find comfort whenever life’s stuff hits us. You know what we feel. ! To paraphrase Jennifer Rothschild, when life’s stuff overwhelms us, may Your peace overwhelm us.

Thank You for knowing what we go through and being our refuge, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Friday, April 5, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13).

Oh, Lord God Almighty! Because You are without beginning and without end, You hold the right to reign as You will over all Your creation. How You orchestrate nature and integrate human events reveals Your sovereignty. Your kingdom is pure righteousness and holiness, without end and without equal.

Your power is without limit. You raise earthly kingdoms and tear down earthly kingdoms. You change the destiny of nations. All creation, the order of the universe, the marvels of nature are held together by the power of Your Word (Colossians 1:13). But more important, only Your power can change the hearts of men (Ezekiel 36:26). Only Your power could resurrect Christ Jesus from the dead. And only You have the power to forgive sins! By Your power the power of sin is broken in the lives of Your followers (Romans 6:7). Our faith’s foundation rests not on an ideology or theory, but on Your power, Lord God.

What human words come close to describing Your glory? The ancient psalmist’s attempts seem so inadequate, yet we join them to declare Lord, our Lord! How majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory in the heavens (Psalm 8:1). The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky displays what his hands have made (Psalm 19:1). You make known Your mighty acts and glorious splendor of Your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful in all His words (Psalm 145:12–13).

Lord God, may our lives reflect Your Kingdom, Your power and Your glory in all we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wednesday, April 03, 2019

Good morning, Jesus

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one—Matthew 6:13

Temptations are nothing new. As new Christ-followers, after we place our trust in You, Lord Jesus, the devil never lets up tempting us. In fact, he increases his onslaught on our new-found faith, trying to create doubts about You. Even as we become more like You, the attacks do not decline in intensity. The devil knows quite well our weaknesses, but what a comfort to know that You too, Jesus, know our weaknesses. Temptations began in the Garden of Eden and have not ceased since. As You were faithful to deliver Adam and Eve from the evil one, Your faithfulness to deliver Your followers from temptations has not ceased either.

The devil was brutal to the new Christ-followers in ancient Corinth. As Your words encouraged their resolve to endure, they strengthen us as well today. You assure us, Lord, that the temptations we face are no different from what others experience. But we also acknowledge that in Your Love, You will not to allow us to be tempted more than we can stand, but with every temptation, You will show us a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Open our eyes to see our escape route. What the devil means for harm actually increases our faith. Your Word could not be clearer. When we submit ourselves to You, Lord God, we stand in Your authority to resist the devil and he will flee from us! (James 4:7).

Submitting to You, resisting the devil, and watching him leave the scene. In Your authority, Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one—Matthew 6: 13

Lord God, of course You do not lead us into temptation. That You would tempt us to sin is contrary to who You are. Because You are the holy God, sin cannot be tolerated. All sin must be punished, so You poured out Your holy wrath against sin on Your Son Jesus instead on us, who deserved this just punishment for our sins.

Oh, Lord, the devil relentlessly bombards our minds with thoughts that dishonor You and create doubts about our faith. Much to our shame, we often fall. But then Your Holy Spirit reminds us that if Satan tempted Jesus, the very Son of God, then know he will tempt us as well. We have a comfort to lean on when we are tempted. Jesus knows exactly how we feel and comes running to our aid when we call. He’s been there, done that. We’re reminded that the devil it the father of lies and everything he says is untrue. As the psalmist wrote, Lord, may I hide Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11).

Lord Jesus, when the devil tempts us, remind us who You are and what You’ve done so we can tell the devil he has no control over us.

Not falling for the devil’s lies, in Jesus’ name, Amen.