PRAYING THE PROMISES OF GOD

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING POST IS BASED ON THE BOOK BY MARK CRESS ON DISCOVERING THE PROMISES OF GOD. IT HAS GREAT ARTWORK AND IS BEAUTIFULLY DONE. THE BOOK CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH LAMPHIER PRESS. YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE http://www.DiscoveringThePromises.org

I HAVE ADDED MY PRAYERS TO THE VERSES TO HELP ASSIST THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN THE PRACTICE OF PRAYING GOD’S PROMISES FOR THEMSELVES. THIS EXERCISE IS A BLESSING TO MY PERSONAL WALK WITH GOD AND MAYBE IT WILL BLESS YOU TOO.

COURAGE:

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

I know it could have been easy for Joshua to get so caught up with the huge task at hand that he could easily forget how big God is. As I reflect on this verse I am reminded of how one of our chaplains (Gerson Torrez) shared the story with me of how he used a trip to the mountains to teach his little child a lesson about God. When his child asked how big God was, my chaplain friend said that He was big like the mountain that was in front of them. His child soon noticed that the closer they got to the mountain the bigger the mountain became in his sight.

Dear Lord,
Let me get so close to you that I do not see anything but you in front of me. If I am to be all that you would have me to be then I must be “strong” not in my own strength, but in the strength of my LORD. Thank you Lord for reminding me of just how big you are and how big you need to be in my life
________________________________________________________________
1 Chronicles 28:20 (NKJV)
20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God–my God–will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Sometimes we forget that our heart is a muscle too, and even though it works all the time, we still need to exercise it, so that the muscle will work to maximum efficiency. The same is true for our “spiritual heart muscle” of our soul. It too must be exercised, and this is done by spending time alone with God, in His Word and prayer. God is my spritual encourager, and this is why I need to go to the “well of the water of the Word” (Eph 5:26) and refresh my soul. When I do this, and then out of gratitude thank the Lord for his encouragement, am I given the courage to “keep on keeping on for Christ.”

Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)
14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

The word “wait” here means, “a patient anticipation for God to intervene.” Strings Hebrew Word dictionary tells us that the word means to, “bind together by twisting.” These are such exciting things to think about as I ponder this verse.

Dear Lord, let my heart be so bound to you today that I patiently wait, with expectation that you are about to intervene. God, I know you can work in the lives of those to whom you send me and I believe you will work. The timing is yours but the harvest is sure, because you are “THE LORD OF THE HARVEST.”
________________________________________________________________
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)
6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Dear Lord,
As I read this verse, I am so comforted in knowing that you promise to go with me. I could never do any of the things you ask of me without knowing that you really will be there with me. I have experienced this over and over again, on many a day when I felt like I was “running on fumes’ and I have observed you working miracles before my eyes. Everytime one person responds to the gospel and receives Christ as their Lord and Savior I know you are “still moving mountains.”
________________________________________________________________
John 10:28-29 (NKJV)
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

Dear Lord,
I am so grateful that my salvation does not depend upon me and my abilities. I had no power to save myself the day you came into my life (Romans 5:6) and I have no power in and of myself to maintain, or keep it up. I know I am to be responsible to to READ YOUR WORD, PRAY THE WORD BACK TO YOU, and TO FELLOWSHIP with other believers in order to be strong, but the one thing I have experienced over and over again is when I want to quit on you, I always discover you working in such a way that it is obvious that YOU NEVER QUIT ON ME. Thank you Lord for this wonderful thought this morning. This makes me love you so much.
________________________________________________________________
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.

Dear Lord,
I need this reminder because I am so prone to do things out of duty if I am not careful. I need to bathe myself every morning in your love. If I don’t do this then I will find myself relying upon my own strength. When you tell me to be strong I know you are not saying that I should rely upon my own power or might. It is the exact opposite that I must do. I must be, “strong in the Lord, and the power of His might” if I am to have a successful journey today. I know Lord, my PUBLIC ministry to others will only be as good as MY PRIVATE worship with you. Oh, how I need you today Lord. Yesterdays “grace” was great for yesterday, but today I need the “new grace” and “fresh anointing” that only you can give.
________________________________________________________________
GRIEF:

Job 16:5 (NKJV)
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

Dear Lord,
I need to hear from you today because I need the kind of comfort for my own grief, and if when I am not experiencing grief I need to know what verses to share with those who are grieving. I know all your Word is inspired and profitable, but I need the right words for the occasion I am confronted with in my own life and the lives of those I meet. Help me Lord, and direct me to where I need to read in your Word today that I might have that which is appropriate for the time at hand.

Proverbs 15:23 (NETP) A person has joy in giving an appropriate answer, and a word at the right time – how good it is!
________________________________________________________________
John 16:22 (NKJV)
22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

Dear Lord, I know the sorrow is great right now for me, but there will come a time soon when I will experience total healing and will be with you and experience “fulness of joy” in your presence. I long for that time to come quickly, Lord Jesus.
________________________________________________________________
Psalm 119:143 (NKJV)
143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.

My Lord and My God, help me today in the midst of my pain to find hope in your Word and to delight in it knowing that this is where my true riches are.
________________________________________________________________
Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV)
22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

These words about “no more sorrow” are music to my ears Lord. I can understand why this becomes the very prayer of those who are suffering and longing to go home to be with you.
________________________________________________________________
Nehemiah 8:10b (NKJV)
10 … Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the insight that you give me in this verse. For so long I have read this verse as though it were saying, joy IN the Lord gives me strength, but I see now that my strength is the encouragement I get from knowing how much you delight in me. Knowing that I have your love and approval and acceptance because of who I am “in Christ” gives me the jet fuel to keep on keeping on.
________________________________________________________________
Lamentations 3:31-32 (NKJV)
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.

Lord, I thank you for your willingness to be compassionate, for this is a need that I have. I also thank you for your mercies and how they are renewed every day. I am calling on you as a very needy child of my King today Lord.
________________________________________________________________
WORRY & ANXIETY:

Matthew 6:25 (NKJV)
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Lord, I thank you that you comfort me here by telling me the very things that I should not worry about. Sometimes I need things spelled out clearly for me, and I need to be reminded of this as well. Today I am reminded that since you are in my life and you died on the cross to take care of the needs of my soul, then I surely can trust you for the temporal things of this life.
________________________________________________________________
Matthew 6:31-33 (NKJV)
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Dear Lord, I know worrying over the things you tell me not to worry about is a major distraction from being able to put you first in all that I do. “Not worrying” is good, but not enough. I must also put you first in my life and that is exactly what I want to do. I ask today Lord, for you to tug at my heart when I get distracted from this that I might quickly get back on the path that most honors and glorifies you.
________________________________________________________________
Matthew 10:19-20 (NKJV)
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Lord, I know this command is not an excuse not to study the Word, but is in fact all the more reason why I should. If I stay close to you and meditate daily in your Word then you will be with me and give me the words that I need when the time comes and I will not be caught off guard. Thank you Lord for your promise to do that.
________________________________________________________________
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Lord, I received “peace with God” the day I trusted Christ and was “justified.” Every day however, I need the “peace of God” because there are always things that can rob me of my peace if I let it happen. Sometimes it is circumstances, sometimes people, sometimes things, and sometimes worry. If I “cast all my cares upon you” and bring everything to you in prayer then I will be protected from those devices of the Devil that would rob me of this peace. Help me to be in such a practice of bringing all matters in my life to you in prayer that it would seem awkward and stange and convicting to me the moment I would do otherwise.
________________________________________________________________
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Bringing things to you in prayer truly is a matter of humility. It is pride in my life that keeps me from doing so. Help me Lord not to be proud, and therefore miss out on the best you have for me. I love you Lord, so help me to love what you love and hate what you hate. You hate pride, so help me to hate it in myself even more than in anyone else. I want to walk in humility today Lord, so I ask for your grace to work that in me for your glory.
________________________________________________________________
Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

This is a good reminder for me today Lord to not get so caught up with tomorrows duties and the many other duties that lie ahead, when today is all I can handle. In reality, I can’t even handle today without you either Lord, so help me to consider my life “a moment by moment walk with you.”
________________________________________________________________
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Dear Lord, this passage is the favorite verses of many Christians and it is one of my favorite too. Help me to meditate on it, and practice it daily. It truly is the key to a successful life on this earth. It gives me great hope and encouragement. Help me not to hoard this truth for myself, but to share it with others that may need the comfort and direction of it as well.
________________________________________________________________
HOPE:

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Lord, I thank you for showing me today that I am not only saved by grace, but I am also able to serve you by grace. If you could give me enough grace to save my soul from hell, then certainly I can trust you for what this days service should require of me. Much may come upon me today that could easily overwhelm me, but I know you will equip me for whatever you ask me to do by your amazing grace.
________________________________________________________________
Psalm 33:18 (NKJV)
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,

Lord, I can’t live one moment without you today, so by God’s grace I look to you for “mercy” in “hope” and out of “respect” for who you are. I need your “eyes” to be watching over me like a Shepherd watches over the sheep. It is comforting to know that you care that much for me Lord.
________________________________________________________________
Psalm 71:5 (NKJV)
5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.

Lord, I can say when I was young I called upon you, but as I look back over my life I must confess I have not done the best job looking daily to you in this way. I do want this day to be like that Lord. I want to keep trusting in you daily, and knowing that my Hope in you is not wishful thinking because the object of my faith cannot fail.

________________________________________________________________
Psalm 119:81 (NKJV)
81 My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.

There are times in my life when I feel as though I am in a pit and I cannot climb out. I need your help Lord, or I will be doomed. Just the moment when I am ready to give up, you come through and rescue me in a multitude of ways. Help me to learn from my past experiences to trust you going ahead and not be so prone to fret about life’s difficulties.

________________________________________________________________
Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I know the children of Isreal went through a lot of suffering and pain because of their rebellion toward you Lord, but you never gave up on them, and here you remind them of how things can be and will be when they turn back to you. I know this is a promise anyone can claim if they would repent and turn to you for help. You want what is best for us, but we must recognize that and come to you with a broken heart over our sins. Help me Lord to be broken over sin in my own life as much as I may be in the life of others.

________________________________________________________________
Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As I read this verse Lord, I am reminded that I cannot abide in a life of “joy” and “peace” and “hope” if I do not yield my life daily to the Holy Spirit’s control. Help me to do that today Lord, is my prayer. (see Romans 14:17)
________________________________________________________________
Psalm 146:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever,

Lord, Jacob was physically dead when David wrote this but He refers to you as the God “of” Jacob because you have never ceased to be His God even after physical death. What is true of Jacob is true of anyone who has placed their faith in God through Christ. Thank you Lord for this glorious hope.
________________________________________________________________
LOSS:

John 14:1-3 (NKJV)
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Lord, this was a difficult time for the disciples because they followed you for over three years and now you tell them you are leaving this world. It takes some time to process this kind of information. I thank you though that I can read it and benefit from these words of comfort because I can look back and see why the disciples did not need to “be troubled.” My problem is that when I receive some similar sort of news about my own health or someone else in my life that I really care about, I feel very “troubled” immediately. I know it is a very normal human reaction, but I am thankful that in the midst of my sorrow and pain I can see a bright ray of “hope in Christ.” As long as I know Christ as my Savior I have my HOPE founded in Reality. My REALITY is Christ, and everything else is at best a poor substitute.
________________________________________________________________
Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

As I read the last two chapters of the Bible I read about a great ending for those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A lot of difficult times may lie ahead for many in the years to come. We cannot be certain about what horrible events may take place in our lives that are completely beyond our control. But, one thing we know is that whatever we may encounter, God will be with us, and He will either deliver us from or deliver us through our trials and tribulations. There is no last chapter for those who know Christ, because the moment we finish our final chapter here, we begin a new one in heaven where the story of our lives will never end.

Most of what is stated in these two chapters describe heaven in terms of what will not be there. There are a lot of good things that will be there, but I am grateful too for what will not be there. In heaven, there will be “no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain.”

This verse of scripture on the surface appears to be an oxymoron. How can this make any sense? I think the context here indicates that the mourning is spiritual in nature. When we “mourn” over our sin, or truly feel sorry for how we have lived our lives in rebellion against God, and then we turn our lives over to the “reign” of Christ, then and only then can we be truly blessed.

I Thank you Lord, for the day you brought me to my senses in this matter of needing to be saved from sin. I have a long way to go in my journey yet, but I know what you “began in me” on that day, you are continnuing today (Philippians 1:6). When you show me the error of my ways it is because you love me and you have a much better plan for me than the one I may design for myself. is also true that when I mourn over the losses of life, you are their as “the God of all comfort,” (2 Cor 1:3-4) to comfort me in my sorrow. Thank you Lord for the comfort you bring to my life.

________________________________________________________________
Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.

This truly is an encouraging Word from you Lord, especially for those who are about to lose a loved one that is a Christian. This is true because you get to welcome home one of those who belong to you. This is also true because “death” is the last enemy for all of us, and because of what you did on the cross and your subsequent resurrection, “the stinger” of death is nullified. Death hurts us all in one way or another, but it will never get the best of a child of God. Praise the Lord!

________________________________________________________________
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NKJV)
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

It is true that your Word clearly teaches that there is a coming “wrath” yet to come upon the world (Rev 6:17). This coming wrath is first the period of time called, “the tribulation.” Then, in the end there is the punishment of “the lake of fire” or some just call it “hell.” Certianly, if we are going to believe in heaven, then how can we deny the horrible truth of hell. Help me to act like I really believe in hell enough to tell somebody today about Christ dear Lord. In this way I can best demonstrate my gratitude toward you for what you have done for me.

________________________________________________________________
Psalm 42:5 (NKJV)
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

David reminds himself several times in Psalms 42 and 43 that even though He experiences the very normal human emotion of getting discouraged, this is not the place where He has to reside forever. Grief takes time, but David knew God would see Him through it. Over time, a Christian can choose not to stay in this aweful place when thoughts are redirected toward real and lasting HOPE in God.

Dear Lord, help those who are grieving today, and allow them to have Hope “in Christ” in the midst of their storm.
________________________________________________________________
Psalm 55:22 (NKJV) Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)
24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Lord, help me to be a friend to those who are need of a friend today, but also I ask that you will give me the opportunity to tell them about “the friend of sinners” who will be a far better friend to them than I could ever be.

________________________________________________________________
Psalm 27:10 (NKJV)
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.

I am sad to say, this is the experience of some in this world. It is so sad to hear about a parent abandoning thier children, but this actually happens, and the emotional scars from this experience are deep and long term.

Dear Lord, I pray that those who have experienced this kind of pain, will find refuge in Jesus Christ today who will never leave or forsake them.
________________________________________________________________
Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Lord, help me to embrace this truth of your ever abiding presence in our life, and may you drill it deep within my heart so that I do not need to be reminded of it over and over again.
________________________________________________________________
PRAYING THE PROMISES OF GOD

COURAGE:

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Dear Lord,
Let me get so close to you that I do not see anything but you in front of me. If I am to be all that you would have me to be then I must be “strong” not in my own strength, but in the strength of my LORD. Thank you Lord for reminding me of just how big you are and how big you need to be in my life
___________________________________________________________
1 Chronicles 28:20 (NKJV)
20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God–my God–will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Dear Lord,
I know that David was not uttering mere words to Solomon that carried no weight. These words of encouragement from David, his father were coming from a man who had learned this great truth from his life experience of having walked with you. Help me Lord, to walk so close to you that when I share this truth with others I really am believable. After all Lord, I can only encourage others in the Lord, to the degree that I have experienced encouragement from you.
____________________________________________________________
Psalm 31:24 (NKJV)
24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.
Sometimes we forget that our heart is a muscle too, and even though it works all the time, we still need to exercise it, so that the muscle will work to maximum efficiency. The same is true for our “spiritual heart muscle” of our soul. It too must be exercised, and this is done by spending time alone with God, in His Word and prayer. God is my spritual encourager, and this is why I need to go to the “well of the water of the Word” (Eph 5:26) and refresh my soul. When I do this, and then out of gratitude thank the Lord for his encouragment, I am given the courage to “keep on keeping on for Christ.”

Dear Lord,
When I begin to exercise faith in you, as I trust in you, even in spite of how I may feel at the time, I become stronger in my walk with you. It is amazing Lord, how this works and wonderful to experience. This is why I need more time alone with you. How can I help anyone else if I don’t consider being with you my greatest priority.
____________________________________________________________
Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)
14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
The word “wait” here means, “a patient anticipation for God to intervene.” Stongs Hebrew Word dictionary tells us that the word means to, “bind together by twisting.” These are such exciting things to think about as I ponder this verse.

Dear Lord, let my heart be so bound to you today that I patiently wait, with expectation that you are about to intervene. God, I know you can work in the lives of those to whom you send me and I believe you will work. The timing is yours but the harvest is sure, because you are “THE LORD OF THE HARVEST.”
____________________________________________________________
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)
6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Dear Lord,
As I read this verse, I am so comforted in knowing that you promise to go with me. I could never do any of the things you ask of me without knowing that you really will be there with me. I have experienced this over and over again, on many a day when I felt like I was “running on fumes’ and I have observed you working miracles before my eyes. Everytime one person responds to the gospel and receives Christ as their Lord and Savior I know you are “still moving mountains.”
_____________________________________________________________
John 10:28-29 (NKJV)
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

Dear Lord,
I am so grateful that my salvation does not depend upon me and my abilities. I had no power to save myself the day you came into my life (Romans 5:6) and I have no power in and of myself to maintain, or keep it up. I know I am to be responsible to to READ YOUR WORD, PRAY THE WORD BACK TO YOU, and TO FELLOWSHIP with other believers in order to be strong, but the one thing I have experienced over and over again is when I want to quit on you, I always discover you working in such a way that it is obvious that YOU NEVER QUIT ON ME. Thank you Lord for this wonderful thought this morning. This makes me love you so much.
_____________________________________________________________
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.

Job 16:5 (NKJV)
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

Proverbs 15:23 (NETP) A person has joy in giving an appropriate answer, and a word at the right time – how good it is!
_____________________________________________________________
John 16:22 (NKJV)
22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

Dear Lord, I know the sorrow is great right now for me, but there will come a time soon when I will experience total healing and will be with you and experience “fulness of joy” in your presence. I long for that time to come quickly, Lord Jesus.
____________________________________________________________
Psalm 119:143 (NKJV)
143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.

My Lord and My God, help me today in the midst of my pain to find hope in your Word and to delight in it knowing that this is where my true riches are.
____________________________________________________________
Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV)
22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

These words about “no more sorrow” are music to my ears Lord. I can understand why this becomes the very prayer of those who are suffering and longing to go home to be with you.
____________________________________________________________
Nehemiah 8:10b (NKJV)
10 … Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the insight that you give me in this verse. For so long I have read this verse as though it were saying, joy IN the Lord gives me strength, but I see now that my strength is the encouragement I get from knowing how much you delight in me. Knowing that I have your love and approval and acceptance because of who I am “in Christ” gives me the jet fuel to keep on keeping on.
____________________________________________________________
Lamentations 3:31-32 (NKJV)
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.

Dear Lord, I know worrying over the things you tell me not to worry about is a major distraction from being able to put you first in all that I do. “Not worrying” is good, but not enough. I must also put you first in my life and that is exactly what I want to do. I ask today Lord, for you to tug at my heart when I get distracted from this that I might quickly get back on the path that most honors and glorifies you.
_____________________________________________________________
Matthew 10:19-20 (NKJV)
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

This is a good reminder for me today Lord to not get so caught up with tomorrows duties and the many other duties that lie ahead, when today is all I can handle. In reality, I can’t even handle today without You either Lord, so help me to consider my life “a moment by moment walk with You.”
______________________________________________________________
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Lord, I thank you for showing me today that I am not only saved by grace, but I am also able to serve you by grace. If you could give me enough grace to save my soul from hell, then certainly I can trust you for what this days service should require of me. Much may come upon me today that could easily overwhelm me, but I know you will equip me for whatever you ask me to do by your amazing grace.
______________________________________________________________
Psalm 33:18 (NKJV)
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,

_____________________________________________________________
Psalm 71:5 (NKJV)
5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.

______________________________________________________________
Psalm 119:81 (NKJV)
81 My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.

As I read this verse Lord, I am reminded that I cannot abide in a life of “joy” and “peace” and “hope” if I do not yield my life daily to the Holy Spirit’s control. Help me to do that today Lord, is my prayer.
________________________________________________________________
Psalm 146:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever,

Dear Lord,
Thank you for this “inexpressible gift” of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
________________________________________________________________
Matthew 5:4 (NKJV)
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
This verse of scripture on the surface appears to be an oxymoron. How can this make any sense. I think the context here indicates that the mourning is spiritual in nature. When we “mourn” over our sin, or truly feel sorry for how we have lived our lives in rebellion against God, and then we turn our lives over to the “reign” of Christ, then and only then can we be truly blessed.

I thank You Lord, for the day you brought me to my senses in this matter of needing to be saved from sin. I have a long way to go in my journey yet, but I know what you “began in me” on that day, you are continnuing today (Philippians 1:6). When you show me the error of my ways it is because you love me and you have a much better plan for me than the one I may design for myself. is also true that when I mourn over the losses of life, you are their as “the God of all comfort,” (2 Cor 1:3-4) to comfort me in my sorrow. Thank you Lord for the comfort you bring to my life.

________________________________________________________________
Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.

This truly is an encouraging Word from you Lord, especially for those who are about to lose a loved one that is a Christian. This is true because You get to welcome home one of those who belong to You. This is also true because “death” is the last enemy for all of us, and because of what you did on the cross and your subsequent resurrection, “the stinger” of death is nullified. Death hurts us all in one way or another, but it will never get the best of a child of God. Praise the Lord!

Help me Lord to act like I really believe in hell enough to tell somebody today about Christ dear Lord. In this way I can best demonstrate my gratitude toward You for what You have done for me.

________________________________________________________________

Psalm 27:10 (NKJV)
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.

It is sad to say, this is the experience of some in this world. It is so sad to hear about a parent abandoning thier children, but this actually happens, and the emotional scars from this experience are deep and long term. Dear Lord, I pray that those who have experienced this kind of pain, will find refuge in Jesus Christ today who will never leave or forsake them.
______________________________________________________________
Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

I think of the preacher who was visiting a dear Christian lady in the hospital. Wanting to comfort her he thought he would share a lesson from the Greek text of scripture on this verse. He said to her, “Did you know that in the Greek this actually reads, I WILL NEVER, NO NEVER, NO NEVER FORSAKE YOU…” The woman quickly responded to her pastor, “Well, you may need for God to tell you something three times before you get it, but one time is sufficient for me.”
Lord, help me to embrace this truth of your ever abiding presence in our life, and may you drill it deep within my heart so that I do not need to be reminded of it over and over again.
________________________________________________________________
Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Lord, how good it is to know as I go about the work you have called every Christian to, that you promise to be with me. Help me to be conscious of your presence today, so that I am energized and courageous to do what I know I would not have the strength to do without you. If I am not conscious of your presence and do not rely on your strength, I will “mess up royally.” I know that, because there have been days when I could say, “I have been there and done that.” I know as much as any other Christian that any “good thing” that comes out of my life, clearly came from you (James 1:17). When this happens, all I can say is, “To God be the Glory.” When I fail, all I can do is say, “Lord, forgive me, and I am grateful that you have always been willing to do so. Dear Lord, I thank you so much for your presence this very moment! Amen.
______________________________________________________________
1 Samuel 12:22 (NKJV)
22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.

Dear God, I am reminded of how you choose to love me before I ever had one thought about you. In fact, as I read your Word, I discover that you choose me before I was even born. This glorious truth is beyond human comprehension, but I am grateful that you opened my heart to it. Since you were pleased to do this, then I know you will be pleased to keep your loving hand upon me. Help me to “keep myself in the love of God” and to always be “looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 21).
______________________________________________________________
John 14:18 (NKJV)
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you that before you left this world you gave your disciples then and all believers today the encouragement and promise of the Holy Spirit to come and take up residence in the heart of every believer in Jesus Christ. This Holy Spirit, you said would be a Comforter out of the exact same mold as you. Because I have the Holy Spirit in me I always know you are present. Thank you Lord Jesus.
________________________________________________________________
Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear Lord, this whole chapter may be the most comforting to me in the entire Word of God. I am so grateful that I need not fear even death, because that cannot separate me from your love.
________________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV)
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Dear Lord, so many are going through a great deal of physical pain and heartache of one form or another. For some, it has gone on for what seems a very long time. Some are even at their wits end and they have thoughts of throwing in the towel, but I pray you will use this scripture to encourage them for this day. You promise that what is heavy now, is really light when compared to eternity. You promise what seems like such a long time now, in light of eternity with Christ will one day seem like a short time. Oh God, please minister to heart’s today through this verse, and may a prayer like this be prayed by many today. I am going to hang on to this promise today by your grace, dear Lord.
____________________________________________________________
LONLINESS:

Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)
24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Dear Lord, I ask that you will help me to be a friend to many people so that I can introduce them to the greatest friend of all. I really want to be able to tell them about “my friend” who has never ever let me down.

________________________________________________________________
Psalm 27:10 (NKJV)
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.

Lord, I know that there are those out there that have experienced exactly what this psalmist is saying. They have been forsakn by the very people who should have loved them most. I pray Lord that they will come to realize you are not that kind of parent. You are better than this earth’s greatest mother and you are more loving and kind than the world’s best dad. You are to us so much more than we can ever express in words, and I pray that you will remind every parent forsaken child that they will never be forsaken by God if they come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________
1 Samuel 12:22 (NKJV)
22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.

Dear Lord, I am so glad that it pleased you to make me one of your children. I know you made this choice even before I was born according to what your Word says. Since this is true it can always be said that, “we love him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).
________________________________________________________________
Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.

Dear Lord, I think this really is my favorite chapter in the whole Bible. Right here I am promised that not even death can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord. This is not only true for me, for anyone who has trusted Christ as their Savior can have this full assurance, since it is beyond your nature and character to ever lie (Titus 1:2).
____________________________________________________________
PEACE:

John 16:33 (NKJV)
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Dear Lord Jesus,
You began this great discourse with the comforting words, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (14:1), and now you conlude it with a final comforting verse. I know you were preparing your disciples to learn how to live and serve you with the “comfort of the Spirit” in your physical absence. These same words most certainly have comforted many a child of God down through the years. Sometimes we have relied upon somebody who was a very strong presence in our life, and they are about to go to be with the Lord, and comfort is found in this verse. There are many difficulties, trials and tribulations we all face in life but you promise us comfort and to equip us for whatever comes our way. Thank you for being an overcomer for me so that I can be an overcomer through you. I don’t have to live life as though I am just a cruel victom of circumstances. Our very circumstances are somehow ordainded of you Lord, so I know you will give me the grace I need when that times arrives. How many times have I thought I could not handle what another person is going through only to be reminded that they couldn’t either if it were not for your grace. Thank you Lord for this comfort.
________________________________________________________________
Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Dear God, I so love the encouragment you give me from these two verses. All I have to do as far as my part goes is keep my eyes on you, and keep trusting in you. The next thing I need to do is repeat the process tomorrow and then the next day, and finally each and every day of my life. This is where I gain the spiritual strength to be all I can be in Christ. When I get my eyes off you for some reason, I pray that you will gently jerk me back to where I need to be. At least I hope a gentle jerk is all it will take Lord, but I know you will do whatever it takes to get me to “yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness that you so desire from me.
________________________________________________________________
Isaiah 57:2 (NKJV)
2 He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.

Dear Lord, I really love the clarity of how this verse reads in the New Living Translation. In the NLT it reads, “For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. This is especially a great verse to read to a christian who has been faithful throughout their life before many people. Such a person has a great testimony and has left such a great legacy behind even if they don’t have one penny to leave as an inheritance to their family. I am grateful Lord, for those days that I get to tell someone like this just how much I appreciate their contribution to my life. Help me to leave behind that kind of legacy for my wife and family and friends, and not mess things up in the final leg of this spiritual race I am in.

________________________________________________________________
Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.

Dear God, I want to always keep the lines of communication open between me and you. I don’t wnat to ever be putting you “on hold.” You are awesome to leave me wth such wonderful guidance in your Word as to how you want me to live my life. Help me not to have a real pretty looking bible with no creases in the pages of it. I want my bible to be marked up all over with things underlined and notes in it etc. The way I look at it Lord, if my Bible is being marked up by me, it is because it is making its mark on me. Help me to love your Word more than I love anything else.
_____________________________________________________________

Romans 8:6 (NKJV)
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Dear Lord, in this chapter you show me that it is possible for a Christian to live in a “carnal” or fleshly way, but when a person walks in that manner they are acting more like they are not even a child of God at all. You also show me that this is a dangerous path for a christian, and not what is pleasing to God.

Oh Lord, I want to please you not so that you will love me more but because I know you already love me so much. Help me not to be carnally minded but ot be spiritually minded and stay close to Christ in my walk with you.
_______________________________________________________
Job 22:21 (NKJV)
21 “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you.

Dear Lord, I want to get more acquainted with you. In fact, I know this is the most important thing that any one of us on earth could do. I know that the first step to getting acquainted with you is to trust in your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I know this is true bccause Jesus said clearly in the gospels that, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” In fact, Jesus said that right after He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” I pray today Lord that if anyone I talk to today that is acquainted with God in some sort of generic way that you will lead me to show them the way to God the Father through Jesus Christ.
__________________________________________________________
WISDOM:

Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)
10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Lord, I know that you tell us over and over again in your Word to “fear” you. I especially like how this is worded in Proverbs 29:25 where it says, “the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” It is clear to me that “fearing” you is all about trusting in you with all of our heart. Since Christ is referred to in scripture as the ultimate display of “the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:30) and in Him are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3) then I want to make sure that building a relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ is the number one priority of my life. Only then will I truly be a wise person.
_______________________________________________________
James 1:5 (NKJV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Lord, I need wisdom and direction from you. I know I get most of that directly from your Word which you tell me is “profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction” (2 Timothy 3:16). I also have principle’s in your Word to govern my decision making. Along with that you give me the Holy Spirit who promises to “lead me and guide me in all truth” (John 16:13-14) in such a way that I am able to glorify you. In addition to that I have the wisdom of godly people you have placed in my life, that can help counsel me in your Word. This is especially helpful when I am too emotionally close to a particular situation where I “cannot see the forest for the trees.” It is in these instances that godly counselors are such a great help to me. You said, “they that walk with wise men shall be wise, but a compannion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). So, Lord, I thank you for the many ways you freely give to me and others the wisdom that we need in the various difficult situations life brings.
______________________________________________________
Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV)
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Lord, as I read this verse it reminds me of the Sermon on the Mount as taught by Jesus and how he closed that sermon out in Matthew 7. It reads like this in the Message translation.

Matthew 7:24-27 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit–but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. 26 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. 27 When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” 28 When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. 29 It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying–quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.

Dear heavenly Father, I pray that you will help me to always pursue Christ, with all my heart since getting wisdom is just getting more of Christ in my life. I pray that you will do that for me and that you will help me to do that for those you wish for me to mentor and disciple for the cause of Christ.
_______________________________________________________
Psalm 119:66 (NKJV)
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.

Dear Lord, I ask you to help me today to not just read the Bible, or memorize verses just to do it and then it be to know profit. I want these things to bring about change and transformation in me. If I believe something it will impact my behavior, so help me to really believe your Word and embrace it so that I will become more like Christ in how I live out my life for you.
________________________________________________________
Proverbs 12:1 (NKJV)
1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.

Lord, I don’t want to be a stupid person, so help me to take correction in my life as something healthy for me. You correct me through your Word first and foremost so that is where I would like to see the change come. Sometimes, however I am stubborn and a little clueless and therefore certain things may have to be spelled out more clearly to me by those who are my fellow believers in Christ. When this happens help me to receive their loving correction well, and not to take it as though are trying to attack me, when all they really want is to see more of Christ in me.
__________________________________________________________
Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NKJV)
26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Lord, I ask you to help me to live “the good life” in Christ because I know that is where real “wisdom” and “knowledge” and “joy” comes from. Everything else, no matter what it may be that does not have You in it, is just “vanity.” Those who chase after happiness and fulfillment in any other place than in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is always going to come up short. Help me to demonstrate that true “joy” in Jesus ,today Lord, so that others will seek after that which is real and lasting. and not some poor substitute of it.
________________________________________________________
FEAR:

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Dear Lord,
Sometimes we fear because an unexpected event has come into our life. Sometimes it is because we are up against something we have never faced before. Whatever it is we are fearful about, we don’t have to. It is really wasted energy and a distraction from our worship of you God. We need not fear because we are under the care of one who is all powerful, can never be taken by surprise, and really promises to always be at work on our behalf for our good and your glory. Thank you Lord for the firm grip you have on me, so I don’t ever have to be paralyzed by fear.
________________________________________________________
John 14:27 (NKJV)
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Dear Lord,
The peace that the world may give to me is so artificial and temporary at best, but your peace is real peace. I like the little slogan that says, “Know God, Know Peace, say No God and No peace.” I like that because it tells the story quite clearly. How many are in this world that have no relationship with God, through His Son Jesus Christ and the result is that they do not have that inward peace that Jesus promises to give right here. Also, Satan would love to put stumblingblocks of discouragement in our life to rob us of the enjoyment of God in our life right now. Dear Lord, help me to embrace the peace that Jesus wants me to soak in today, and let the peace sink deep into my heart and calm my troubled soul.
__________________________________________________________
Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV)
1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A song for Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

Oh, Mighty God, this is one of my favorite Psalms in all of scripture. What a comfort it brings to my soul. No wonder Martin Luther wrote the famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God” as he was contemplating this Psalm. You tell us every few verses to pause (selah) and reflect upon it. Help me to reflect upon the times that you tell me throughout it that “you are my refuge” and why you should always be my refuge. Once I see clearly in scripture your nature and character I have nothing ever to fear. Everything may fall apart all around me, but you will always be “my refuge and strength.”
_____________________________________________________
Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV)
6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Dear Father, in heaven, I want to thank you today that you remind me that if I “fear” and “trust” in you with all my heart I never have to fear anyone’s threats about what they think they can do to me. I am reminded of a story I heard about the evangelist, John R. Rice many years ago. It was said that he was grabbed by some gang members after preaching and threatened with a gun held to his head, and one of the gang members said, “you stop preaching this stuff you are talking about, or we will kill you.” The preacher looked back at his captor, and said, “You can’t threaten me with heaven.” Dear Lord, it is so true that the worst that man could do to me, would if successful only usher me immediately into the arms of my God.
_______________________________________________________
Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Here Lord, you remind me that there is something beyond death that all men should think about. We are all going to spend eternity somewhere. Some will spend it in hell, where they will face “everlasting punishment” because they said “no” to the gospel of Christ (2 Thess 1:7-9) and others will spend eternity with Christ (2 Cor 5:8) in heaven (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11). I pray that today you will give me the opportunity to point someone in the direction of Christ so that they can experience victory over both “death and hell” through Christ.
_____________________________________________________
1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Dear God, One might think that John would have said, “perfect faith” casts out fear, but that is not what he says here. This makes me think of the time when Peter got discouraged and went back to fishing shortly after he denied you Lord. When the two of you conversed later you did not say to Peter, “Simon, do you have faith in me?” What you asked him was, “Simon, do you love me…?” The whole dialogue was about love. I know from experience that when my faith has faltered and failed, deep down within my heart I still had love. I want to focus today on my love for you and more importantly your great love for me. When I think of how much you love me that is when all fear seems to be driven out of my life. That is what makes me then love you all the more.
______________________________________________________
Romans 8:15 (NKJV)
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Dear God, as I read this verse of scripture, it reminds me of how excited I was when my two children first said those words, “dadda!” I was elated to hear it. It made me dance all over the house and I told everybody I saw that day about it. Well, as I read this scripture I think you too are excited to hear from me in the same way. You never get tired of me coming to you and saying, “Pappa” or “Daddy” because that is exactly what “Abba” means. In fact, even before a child has any teeth to help him or her pronounce words they can say, “Abba” with their lips. Teeth are not needed for “Abba” and that is why from the first day I became your child I could begin to have conversation with you Lord. Oh, how this makes me excited to get to talk to you today, God.

________________________________________________________
STRESS:

Matthew 11:28-29 (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the “rest” I found in you the day you showed me my sin and my need for a Savior. I cried out to you for mercy, grace and forgivness, and you came into my life that day. That day became the “first day of the rest of my life.” Now I get to celebrate two birthdays! Those who do not know you and die without you, will experience two deaths, but only one birth. They were born physically, but they will die physically and eternally as you point out in Revelation 20:11-16. This is so sad to know, Lord. Those however, who know you as Savior get to experience two births (John 3:1-8), but only one death (John 11:25-26). Until the day comes when you call me home to be with you I can experience “daily rest” as I “lean upon you” to guide my life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

___________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NKJV)
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed–
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Lord, I know that there are times when we go through a variety of trials and tribulations so that others will be able to see more of Christ in us. You tell us in scripture to “let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven.” So, if trials is what you ordain for me so that you can get more glory, then I just pray Lord that you will give me the grace I need to glorify you in that day.
__________________________________________________________
Psalm 16:8 (NKJV)
8 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Dear Lord, I cannot think of a more important priority for my life than reading your Word and praying to you in relation to what you share with me from the passages I am reading. I am only going to be strong in my walk with you to the degree that I pray and read your Word. It is like the church sign the other day that said, “Seven days with out prayer makes one weak.” The truth is Lord, I cannot afford to go one day without prayer. Like my Christian employer, Mark Cress often says, “The Christian life is a moment by moment walk with God.” Help me Lord not to ever lose sight of this priority.

___________________________________________________________
2 Samuel 22:7 (NKJV)
7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears.

Dear Lord, I know that stress, discontent and anxiety are going to enter into our life, because these are human emotions. I think we just need to know what to do about it when it enters in. The best thing that we can do according to this verse is immediately take matters of concern to you. After all, most stress in my life comes because I feel as though I have lost control of a particular situation. If I truly believe in you Lord, I will come to you, knowing you are Sovereign over all affairs in my life and therefore whatever you allow in my life is for some reason designed for my good and your glory.
__________________________________________________________
Exodus 33:14 (NKJV)
14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Lord, what you shared with Moses in this scripture you have shared numerous times throughout the rest of your Word. It seems this is something your people need to be constantly reminded of. I thank you that you do not grow weary of our “neediness.” I am glad you don’t mind “clingyness” because in reality that is what you want from us. When we get too clingy to other people in our life it may indicate that we really lack trust in you. I am glad for those who go to God for me, but I also know that I must go to you for myself. Lord, I thank you for your presence in my life now, and for the promise that you will always be present in my life and therefore I can “rest” in your Word, so that I will not be “restless” in the world.

__________________________________________________________
Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Lord, we are living in a world of much turmoil. Just the economic turmoil throughout the world is incredible. I know that I must not fret about such matters that I have no control over. I know that you alone can keep me safe. Help to look to you today Lord and not trust in anything or anyone other than you for my security in this world.
_________________________________________________________
Psalm 34:17-18 (NKJV)
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Lord, my biggest issue is not that you cannot help me because that is just not the case. My need is to be “broken” over my sin and the sin of others too. Help me to hate what you hate and love what you love, and to act accordingly. If I am proud in my heart and if we as a nation are that way too, then we cannot expect you to hear our cry.
________________________________________________________
WORK & FINANCE:

1 Timothy 6:6 (NKJV)
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

Dear Lord, we are living in a world today that seems to measure success in terms of how many possessions one has obtained. This thinking seems to have crept into the church too, where a persons spiritual worth is often measured by others based on personal wealth. I am grateful that you show me in the Word of God what really counts with you. My personal WORTH, has nothing to do with my personal WEALTH. I am not spiritual because of the CASH I have but because of the CHRIST I have. I want godliness to be the priority of my life Lord. When I get distracted, I ask for your help. I want my attitude to be like Paul’s who said, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7).
__________________________________________________________

Proverbs 13:7 (NKJV)
7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

Dear Lord,
This verse reminds me of two different churches in the book of Revelation. One was a poor church, but you said they were really rich. The other was a church that thought they were rich, but you said they were really poor. It is clear to me that if a person is so rich that they have everything but Christ, then they really have nothing. On the other hand, if you are very poor in this worlds goods but you have Christ in your life, then you are truly rich in what really counts. Thank you Lord that I am rich for having Christ in my life, because if I don’t have Christ I don’t have life at all (1 John 5:12).

Revelation 2:9 (NIV) I know your afflictions and your poverty-yet you are rich!

Revelation 3:17 (NIV) You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
__________________________________________________________
1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV)
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Dear Lord,
I know it is not a sin to be rich. In fact, there are some wonderful rich, yet godly people mentioned in the Bible. I also know how riches can easily distract a person from being a fully devoted follower of Christ. I think this is why you give so much instruction in your Word on the proper use of money. Lord, though I don’t consider myself rich, I am still to be a steward of what you have given me. Help me to never trust in my riches which I could lose quickly, but instead, help me to always consider my relationship with you my true riches.
______________________________________________________
Proverbs 14:23 (NKJV)
23 In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.

Dear Lord,
As a Christian in the work place, I am responsible to give an honest days work for an honest days pay. How can I possibly earn the right to share Christ with anybody if I spend a lot of the company time on personal talk. Help me to make a strong case for employers to want to hire Christians because Christians are known to be the best workers.
__________________________________________________________
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NKJV)
10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

Lord, I know from observing the lives of many people throughout the course of my life over the years that what the Ecclesiastes writher says is true. I have seen happy poor people and happy rich people, and I have seen miserable poor people and miserable rich people. Earthly riches just do not make a person happy, satisfied and fulfilled. The only answer to what is missing in the lives of the unfulfilled is Jesus Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount my Lord Jesus stated it quite clearly when He said, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:4). According to your Word, that righteousness is found in Jesus Christ. We are all spiritually born in debt, and the only way to get out of this enormous debt is to look to Christ.

Romans 10:8b-13 (MSG) The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. 9 Say the welcoming word to God–“Jesus is my Master”–embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. 10 With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” 11 Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this–heart and soul–will ever regret it.” 12 It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. 13 “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
_________________________________________________________
Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Dear Lord,
As I look at the context of this passage of scripture I realize that while it may apply to money issues it really goes even deeper than that. As I go about my day today, help me in these areas of judgment, condemnation and forgiveness. If I am harsh with others, that is likely what will be returned to me. My place is not to judge or condemn, for you are the Judge, and when your Son came into this world the first time you said He, “came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) That is where my heart is Lord. I want everyone to escape the judgment and find peace and rest in Jesus Christ. I actually expereinced this truth the other day when I was kind enough to share Christ with somebody and they emailed me back saying how thankful they now were that they have Christ in their life. That was a great example of this scripture truth. I received a kind word of thanks for the kindness of sharing the gospel with that person. Help me Lord to follow this advice today.
______________________________________________________________
Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Dear Lord,
I thank you for the instruction of this verse, because you are telling me that l should treat everybody the same that I talk to. I do this for no other reason than the fact that you tell me that how I treat them is an exercise of my devotion and worship of Christ. I am not being kind to someone necessarily because they deserve it. I am doing it because you deserve it. This is why I can go about my work “heartily” as you commanded me to. Help me to not leave my home each morning with a sour attitude, for if I do, I will not be obedient to your Word in this area. So, Holy Spirit, I ask you to fill me today with the love of the Lord Jesus on my heart, and love for the souls of men and women who may be without Christ.
_______________________________________________________
JOY:

Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

I have this friend who about a year ago went through a class called Community Chaplaincy. My friend has been excited ever since He completed this course. He loved and soaked up all the information he could to learn how to be a great chaplain. Tim is a natural though, when it comes to people. He never meets a stranger wherever he goes. He is a very complimentary guy and sincere when he says something nice about someone. One day, Tim asked me, “What day is it?” I responded by saying, “What do you mean? I don’t know!” He smiled and chuckled and said, “This is the day the Lord, hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” That has become Tim’s signature verse. He still had me caught off guard doing that same routine a few more times before I caught on and was finally able to give him the biblical answer. Every time he says this though he has this smile on his face and it always puts a smile on my face too. In fact, I couldn’t keep a straight face if I tried. Tim is a joy to be around, and I am so grateful for his reminder to me of how I should treat every day as a special day made by God. In light of our Lord’s resurrection, we should celebrate every day as a special day for us to enjoy while we fellowship with him and enjoy Him forever.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for my friend who constantly reminds me to enjoy this gift of today and not squander it on things that really don’t matter.
__________________________________________________________

Dear Lord,
As I exercise my gift to give back to a portion of the resources that you have given to me, help me to do so with great joy along with all other believers, knowing that my giving supports your Kingdom work. It is exctiing to think about the many souls that will come to Christ as a direct result of the dollars that are given to minstries that are all about reaching the lost for Christ. Thank you Lord for allowing me to do this because as David said in this chapter, it all belongs to you anyway.
_______________________________________________________
Psalm 51:12 (NKJV)
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Dear Lord,
When I get away from following you, I need to be restored back to you. This is why I need the fellowship of God’s people through attending a good church. I get to hear the Word of God expounded, and to interact in Bible study while at church and this helps me to stay grounded so that I will not lose my way and fall into sin. Also, I need daily “quiet time” with you Lord, so that every day I will stay focused on you and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in my life. David was a great man of faith. This is the same man, who as a boy, slew the giant Goliath, and killed bears and lions etc. In spite of all this, this great man fell into sin, by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and doing the wrong thing. If a great man like David could fall into sin, so can I. I therefore need to stay focused on you, therefore I ask that you will help me to do that Lord. I do however, want to thank you for the times when I have gotten off track that you have graciously restored me. We all sin still, even as Christian’s and therefore we need to daily come to you with confession of our sin, and you promise you will restore us. I know we do not lose our salvation when we sin, but we do lose our “joy” and I don’t want to lose even that. Thank you for the instruction of you Word today, my Lord, and my God.
Psalm 51:10-15 (msg) God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. 11 Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. 12 Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! 13 Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. 14 Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. 15 Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.
________________________________________________________
Luke 15:7 (NKJV)
7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Dear Lord, I often get asked if those who are in heaven get to see what is going on down here. To be honest, I don’t think they get in on very much of that. If they saw too much of what is going on here then it might make heaven a pretty sad place. There is one thing however, that I believe you at least let every one in heaven know about. That one thing is anytime a sinner comes to trust Christ as Savior. This is exciting to think about. I pray that you will help me today to be a partner in this rejoicing by being able to lead one of those sinners to Christ today. I am just like a postman delivering the mail when a person responds to the gospel. You do the saving, and I get to share “the life changing Good News of Jesus Christ.” I thank you Lord for the blessing of gettting to do this. Love you Lord.
_______________________________________________________
John 17:13 (NKJV)
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

Dear Lord Jesus, you became “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3) and your Word also says that you, “surely hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). Since this is true I don’t have to live in that sorrow to the point where I am wallowing in it. We all experience things that bring sorrow into our life, but because of my Lord and Savior you take the edge off of it, and allow me to experience your joy even in the midst of that sorrow. Before you left this earth you said to the disciples, “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” (John 15:11 AMP). Help me to live in that joy today, Lord Jesus.

Philippians 2:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Dear Lord,
If Paul could have all this, while in prison, when he wrote these words, then surely I can too. Help me to spread the joy of Jesus today and be an encouragement to others the way your Word has been to me this morning. Thanks again, my Lord and my God.
____________________________________________________________
James 1:2-3 (NKJV)
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Dear Lord,
It is much easier to praise you when things are going quite well, but not as easy when facing trials. It takes special grace from you to be this way, but I know it is important to my testimony before those who do not know Christ that I be this way. I know I need to allow trials to make me “better” and not “bitter.” l know, I need to ask when going through trials, not, “Why me?” but “Why not me?” I also need to ask not, “Why?” but, “What do you want me to get out of this and learn from this that I might grow in my faith and walk with you Lord?” Help me to have the grace to be this way the next time I go through something that really tests my faith.
that comes out of my life, clearly came from you (James 1:17). When this happens, all I can say is, “To God be the Glory.” When I fail, all I can do is say, “Lord, forgive me, and I am grateful that you have always been willing to do so. Dear Lord, I thank you so much for your presence this very moment! Amen.
________________________________________________________________________

1 Samuel 12:22 (NKJV)
22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
Dear God, I am reminded of how you choose to love me before I ever had one thought about you. In fact, as I read your Word, I discover that you choose me before I was even born. This glorious truth is beyond human comprehension, but I am grgrateful that you opened my heart to it. Since you were pleased to do this, then I know you will be pleased to keep your loving hand upon me. Help me to “keep myself in the love of God” and to always be “looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 21).
________________________________________________________________________

John 14:18 (NKJV)
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you that before you left this world you gave your disciples then and all believers today the encouragement and promise of the Holy Spirit to come and take up residence in the heart of every believer in Jesus Christ. This Holy Spirit, you said would be a Comforter out of the exact same mold as you. Because I have the Holy Spirit in me I always know you are present. Thank you Lord Jesus.
________________________________________________________________________
Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Dear Lord, this whole chapter may be the most comforting to me in the entire Word of God. I am so grateful that I need not fear even death, because that cannot separate me from your love.
________________________________________________________________________

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV)
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Dear Lord, so many are going through a great deal of physical pain and heartache of one form or another. For some, it has gone on for what seems a very long time. Some are even at their wits end and they have thoughts of throwing in the towel, but I pray you will use this scripture to encourage them for this day. You promise that what is heavy now, is really light when compared to eternity. You promise what seems like such a long time now, in light of eternity with Christ will one day seem like a short time. Oh God, please minister to heart’s today through this verse, and may a prayer like this be prayed by many today. I am going to hang on to this promise today by your grace, dear Lord.
________________________________________________________________________
LONLINESS:
Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)
24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Dear Lord, I ask that you will help me to be a friend to many people so that I can introduce them to the greatest friend of all. I really want to be able to tell them about “my friend” who has never ever let me down.

________________________________________________________________________
Psalm 27:10 (NKJV)
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.
Lord, I know that there are those out there that have experienced exactly what this psalmist is saying. They have been forsakn by the very people who should have loved them most. I pray Lord that they will come to realize you are not that kind of parent. You are better than this earth’s greatest mother and you are more loving and kind than the world’s best dad. You are to us so much more than we can ever express in words, and I pray that you will remind every parent forsaken child that they will never be forsaken by God if they come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
________________________________________________________________________
1 Samuel 12:22 (NKJV)
22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
Dear Lord, I am so glad that it pleased you to make me one of your children. I know you made this choice even before I was born according to what your Word says. Since this is true it can always be said that, “we love him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).
________________________________________________________________________

Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Dear Lord, I think this really is my favorite chapter in the whole Bible. Right here I am promised that not even death can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord. This is not only true for me, for anyone who has trusted Christ as their Savior can have this full assurance, since it is beyond your nature and character to ever lie (Titus 1:2).
________________________________________________________________________
PEACE:
John 16:33 (NKJV)
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Thank you Lord for teaching me how even in the midst of a lot of turmoil and dangers all around me that I am safe wherever I may be in this world just so long as I abide in your will. I remember telling me children when they were young that the safest place to be for a child of God is in your will. I told them that if they lived in the midst of war in some far off place, with bombs going off all around them that they would still be safer their than close to home and outside God’s will. Help me to embrace those words I handed down to my children, for I have great reason to believe they are still good for today.
________________________________________________________________________
Isaiah 26:3-4 (NKJV)
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
Dear God, I so love the encouragment you give me from these two verses. All I have to do as far as my part goes is keep my eyes on you, and keep trusting in you. The next thing I need to do is repeat the process tomorrow and then the next day, and finally each and every day of my life. This is where I gain the spiritual strength to be all I can be in Christ. When I get my eyes off you for some reason, I pray that you will gently jerk me back to where I need to be. At least I hope a gentle jerk is all it will take Lord, but I know you will do whatever it takes to get me to “yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness that you so desire from me.
_______________________________________________________________________

Isaiah 57:2 (NKJV)
2 He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.
Dear Lord, I really love the clarity of how this verse reads in the New Living Translation. In the NLT it reads, “For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. This is especially a great verse to read to a christian who has been faithful throughout their life before many people. Such a person has a great testimony and has left such a great legacy behind even if they don’t have one penny to leave as an inheritance to their family. I am grateful Lord, for those days that I get to tell someone like this just how much I appreciate their contribution to my life. Help me to leave behind that kind of legacy for my wife and family and friends, and not mess things up in the final leg of this spiritual race I am in.

________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.
Dear God, I want to always keep the lines of communication open between me and you. I don’t wnat to ever be putting you “on hold.” You are awesome to leave me wth such wonderful guidance in your Word as to how you want me to live my life. Help me not to have a real pretty looking bible with no creases in the pages of it. I want my bible to be marked up all over with things underlined and notes in it etc. The way I look at it Lord, if my Bible is being marked up by me, it is because it is making its mark on me. Help me to love your Word more than I love anything else.

Romans 8:6 (NKJV)
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Dear Lord, in this chapter you show me that it is possible for a Christian to live in a “carnal” or fleshly way, but when a person walks in that manner they are acting more like they are not even a child of God at all. You also show me that this is a dangerous path for a christian, and not what is pleasing to God. Dear Lord, I want to please you not so that you will love me more but because I know you already love me so much. Help me not to be carnally minded but ot be spiritually minded and stay close to Christ in my walk with you.

Job 22:21 (NKJV)
21 “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you.
Dear Lord, I want to get more acquainted with you. In fact, I know this is the most important thing that any one of us on earth could do. I know that the first step to getting acquainted with you is to trust in your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I know this is true bccause Jesus said clearly in the gospels that, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” In fact, Jesus said that right after He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” I pray today Lord that if anyone I talk to today that is acquainted with God in some sort of generic way that you will lead me to show them the way to God the Father through Jesus Christ.
WISDOM:
Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)
10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Lord, I know that you tell us over and over again in your Word to “fear” you. I especially like how this is worded in Proverbs 29:25 where it says, “the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” It is clear to me that “fearing” you is all about trusting in you with all of our heart. Since Christ is referred to in scripture as the ultimate display of “the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:30) and in Him are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3) then I want to make sure that building a relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ is the number one priority of my life. Only then will I truly be a wise person.

James 1:5 (NKJV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Lord, I need wisdom and direction from you. I know I get most of that directly from your Word which you tell me is “profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction” (2 Timothy 3:16). I also have principle’s in your Word to govern my decision making. Along with that you give me the Holy Spirit who promises to “lead me and guide me in all truth” (John 16:13-14) in such a way that I am able to glorify you. In addition to that I have the wisdom of godly people you have placed in my life, that can help counsel me in your Word. This is especially helpful when I am too emotionally close to a particular situation where I “cannot see the forest for the trees.” It is in these instances that godly counselors are such a great help to me. You said, “they that walk with wise men shall be wise, but a compannion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). So, Lord, I thank you for the many ways you freely give to me and others the wisdom that we need in the various difficult situations life brings.

Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV)
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Lord, as I read this verse it reminds me of the Sermon on the Mount as taught by Jesus and how he closed that sermon out in Matthew 7. It reads like this in the Message translation. Matthew 7:24-27 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit–but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. 26 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. 27 When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” 28 When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. 29 It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying–quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard. Dear heavenly Father, I pray that you will help me to always pursue Christ, with all my heart since getting wisdom is just getting more of Christ in my life. I pray that you will do that for me and that you will help me to do that for those you wish for me to mentor and disciple for the cause of Christ.

Psalm 119:66 (NKJV)
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.
Dear Lord, I ask you to help me today to not just read the Bible, or memorize verses just to do it and then it be to know profit. I want these things to bring about change and transformation in me. If I believe something it will impact my behavior, so help me to really believe your Word and embrace it so that I will become more like Christ in how I live out my life for you.

Proverbs 12:1 (NKJV)
1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.
Lord, I don’t want to be a stupid person, so help me to take correction in my life as something healthy for me. You correct me through your Word first and foremost so that is where I would like to see the change come. Sometimes, however I am stubborn and a little clueless and therefore certain things may have to be spelled out more clearly to me by those who are my fellow believers in Christ. When this happens help me to receive their loving correction well, and not to take it as though are trying to attack me, when all they really want is to see more of Christ in me.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NKJV)
26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Lord, I ask you to help me to live “the good life” in Christ because I know that is where real “wisdom” and “knowledge” and “joy” comes from. Everything else, no matter what it may be that does not have you in it, is just “vanity.” Those who chase after happiness and fulfillment in any other place than in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is always going to come up short. Help me to demonstrate that true “joy” in Jesus ,today Lord, so that others will seek after that which is real and lasting. and not some poor substitute of it.

FEAR:
Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Dear Lord,
Sometimes we fear because an unexpected event has come into our life. Sometimes it is because we are up against something we have never faced before. Whatever it is we are fearful about, we don’t have to. It is really wasted energy and a distraction from our worship of you God. We need not fear because we are under the care of one who is all powerful, can never be taken by surprise, and really promises to always be at work on our behalf for our good and your glory. Thank you Lord for the firm grip you have on me, so I don’t ever have to be paralyzed by fear.

John 14:27 (NKJV)
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Dear Lord,
The peace that the world may give to me is so artificial and temporary at best, but your peace is real peace. I like the little slogan that says, Know God, Know Peace, say No God and No peace.” I like that because it tells the story quite clearly. How many are in this world that have no relationship with God, through His Son Jesus Christ and the result is that they do not have that inward peace that Jesus promises to give right here. Also, Satan would love to put stumblingblocks of discouragement in our life to rob us of the enjoyment of God in our life right now. Dear Lord, help me to embrace the peace that Jesus wants me to soak in today, and let the peace sink deep into my heart and calm my troubled soul.

Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV)
1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A song for Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
Oh, Mighty God, this is one of my favorite Psalms in all of scripture. What a comfort it brings to my soul. No wonder Martin Luther wrote the famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God” as he was contemplating this Psalm. You tell us every few verses to pause (selah) and reflect upon it. Help me to reflect upon the times that you tell me throughout it that “you are my refuge” and why that you should always be my refuge. Once I see clearly in scripture your nature and character I have nothing ever to fear. Everything may fall apart all around me, but you will always be “my refuge and strength.”

Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV)
6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Dear Father, in heaven, I want to thank you today that you remind me that if I “fear” and “trust” in you with all my heart I never have to fear anyone’s threats about what they think they can do to me. I am reminded of a story I heard about the evangelist, John R. Rice many years ago. It was said that he was grabbed by some gang members after preaching and threatened with a gun held to his head, and one of the gang members said, “you stop preaching this stuff you are talking about, or we will kill you.” The preacher looked back at his captor, and said, “You can’t threaten me with heaven.” Dear Lord, it is so true that the worst that man could do to me, would if successful only usher me immediately into the arms of my God.

Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Here Lord, you remind me that there is something beyond death that all men should think about. We are all going to spend eternity somewhere. Some will spend it in hell, where they will face “everlasting punishment” because they said “no” to the gospel of Christ (2 Thess 1:7-9) and others will spend eternity with Christ (2 Cor 5:8) in heaven (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11). I pray that today you will give me the opportunity to point someone in the direction of Christ so that they can experience victory over both “death and hell” through Christ.

1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Dear God, One might think that John would have said, “perfect faith” casts out fear, but that is not what he says here. This makes me think of the time when Peter got discouraged and went back to fishing shortly after he denied you Lord. When the two of you conversed later you did not say to Peter, “Simon, do you have faith in me?” What you asked him was, “Simon, do you love me…?” The whole dialogue was about love. I know from experience that when my faith has faltered and failed, deep down within my heart I still had love. I want to focus today on my love for you and more importantly your great love for me. When I think of how much you love me that is when all fear seems to be driven out of my life. That is what makes me then love you all the more.

Romans 8:15 (NKJV)
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Dear God, as I read this verse of scripture, it reminds me of how excited I was when my two children first said those words, “dadda!” I was elated to hear it. It made me dance all over the house and I told everybody I saw that day about it. Well, as I read this scripture I think you too are excited to hear from me in the same way. You never get tired of me coming to you and saying, “Pappa” or “Daddy” because that is exactly what “Abba” means. In fact, even before a child has any teeth to help him or her pronounce words they can say, “Abba” with their lips. Teeth are not needed for “Abba” and that is why from the first day I became your child I could begin to have conversation with you Lord. Oh, how this makes me excited to get to talk to you today, God.

STRESS:
Matthew 11:28-29 (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the “rest” I found in you the day you showed me my sin and my need for a Savior. I cried out to you for mercy, grace and forgivness, and you came into my life that day. That day became the “first day of the rest of my life.” Now I get to celebrate two birthdays! Those who do not know you and die without you, will experience two deaths, but only one birth. They were born physically, but they will die physically and eternally as you point out in Revelation 20:11-16. This is so sad to know, Lord. Those however, who know you as Savior get to experience two births (John 3:1-8), but only one death (John 11:25-26). Until the day comes when you call me home to be with you I can experience “daily rest” as I “lean upon you” to guide my life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NKJV)
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed–
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
Lord, I know that there are times when we go through a variety of trials and tribulations so that others will be able to see more of Christ in us. You tell us in scripture to “let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven.” So, if trials is what you ordain for me so that you can get more glory, then I just pray Lord that you will give me the grace I need to glorify you in that day.

Psalm 16:8 (NKJV)
8 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Dear Lord, I cannot think of a more important priority for my life than reading your Word and praying to you in relation to what you share with me from the passages I am reading. I am only going to be strong in my walk with you to the degree that I pray and read your Word. It is like the church sign the other day that said, “Seven days with out prayer makes one weak.” The truth is Lord, I cannot afford to go one day without prayer. Like my Christian employer, Mark Cress often says, “The Christian life is a moment by moment walk with God.” Help me Lord not to ever lose sight of this priority.

2 Samuel 22:7 (NKJV)
7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears.
Dear Lord, I know that stress, discontent and anxiety are going to enter into our life, because these are human emotions. I think we just need to know what to do about it when it enters in. The best thing that we can do according to this verse is immediately take matters of concern to you. After all, most stress in my life comes because I feel as though I have lost control of a particular situation. If I truly believe in you Lord, I will come to you, knowing you are Sovereign over all affairs in my life and therefore whatever you allow in my life is for some reason designed for my good and your glory.

Exodus 33:14 (NKJV)
14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Lord, what you shared with Moses in this scripture you have shared numerous times throughout the rest of your Word. It seems this is something your people need to be constantly reminded of. I thank you that you do not grow weary of our “neediness.” I am glad you don’t mind “clingyness” because in reality that is what you want from us. When we get too clingy to other people in our life it may indicate that we really lack trust in you. I am glad for those who go to God for me, but I also know that I must go to you for myself. Lord, I thank you for your presence in my life now, and for the promise that you will always be present in my life and therefore I can “rest” in your Word, so that I will not be “restless” in the world.

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Lord, we are living in a world of much turmoil. Just the economic turmoil throughout the world is incredible. I know that I must not fret about such matters that I have no control over. I know that you alone can keep me safe. Help to look to you today Lord and not trust in anything or anyone other than you for my security in this world.

Psalm 34:17-18 (NKJV)
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Lord, my biggest issue is not that you cannot help me because that is just not the case. My need is to be “broken” over my sin and the sin of others too. Help me to hate what you hate and love what you love, and to act accordingly. If I am proud in my heart and if we as a nation are that way too, then we cannot expect you to hear our cry.

WORK & FINANCE:
1 Timothy 6:6 (NKJV)
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
Dear Lord, we are living in a world today that seems to measure success in terms of how many possessions one has obtained. This thinking seems to have crept into the church too, where a persons spiritual worth is often measured by others based on personal wealth. I am grateful that you show me in the Word of God what really counts with you. My personal WORTH, has nothing to do with my personal WEALTH. I am not spiritual because of the CASH I have but because of the CHRIST I have. I want godliness to be the priority of my life Lord. When I get distracted, I ask for your help. I want my attitude to be like Paul’s who said, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

Proverbs 13:7 (NKJV)
7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.
Dear Lord,
This verse reminds me of two different churches in the book of Revelation. One was a poor church, but you said they were really rich. The other was a church that thought they were rich, but you said they were really poor. It is clear to me that if a person is so rich that they have everything but Christ, then they really have nothing. On the other hand, if you are very poor in this worlds goods but you have Christ in your life, then you are truly rich in what really counts. Thank you Lord that I am rich for having Christ in my life, because if I don’t have Christ I don’t have life at all (1 John 5:12).
Revelation 2:9 (NIV) I know your afflictions and your poverty-yet you are rich!
Revelation 3:17 (NIV) You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV)
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Dear Lord,
I know it is not a sin to be rich. In fact, there are some wonderful rich, yet godly people mentioned in the Bible. I also know how riches can easily distract a person from being a fully devoted follower of Christ. I think this is why you give so much instruction in your Word on the proper use of money. Lord, though I don’t consider myself rich, I am still to be a steward of what you have given me. Help me to never trust in my riches which I could lose quickly, but instead, help me to always consider my relationship with you my true riches.

Proverbs 14:23 (NKJV)
23 In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
Dear Lord,
As a Christian in the work place, I am responsible to give an honest days work for an honest days pay. How can I possibly earn the right to share Christ with anybody if I spend a lot of the company time on personal talk. Help me to make a strong case for employers to want to hire Christians because Christians are known to be the best workers.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NKJV)
10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
Lord, I know from observing the lives of many people throughout the course of my life over the years that what the Ecclesiastes writher says is true. I have seen happy poor people and happy rich people, and I have seen miserable poor people and miserable rich people. Earthly riches just do not make a person happy, satisfied and fulfilled. The only answer to what is missing in the lives of the unfulfilled is Jesus Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount my Lord Jesus stated it quite clearly when He said, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:4). According to your Word, that righteousness is found in Jesus Christ. We are all spiritually born in debt, and the only way to get out of this enormous debt is to look to Christ.
Romans 10:8b-13 (MSG) The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. 9 Say the welcoming word to God–“Jesus is my Master”–embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. 10 With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” 11 Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this–heart and soul–will ever regret it.” 12 It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. 13 “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”

Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Dear Lord,
As I look at the context of this passage of scripture I realize that while it may apply to money issues it really goes even deeper than that. As I go about my day today, help me in these areas of judgment, condemnation and forgiveness. If I am harsh with others, that is likely what will be returned to me. My place is not to judge or condemn, for you are the Judge, and when your Son came into this world the first time you said He, “came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) That is where my heart is Lord. I want everyone to escape the judgment and find peace and rest in Jesus Christ. I actually expereinced this truth the other day when I was kind enough to share Christ with somebody and they emailed me back saying how thankful they now were that they have Christ in their life. That was a great example of this scripture truth. I received a kind word of thanks for the kindness of sharing the gospel with that person. Help me Lord to follow this advice today.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Dear Lord,
I thank you for the instruction of this verse, because you are telling me that l should treat everybody the same that I talk to. I do this for no other reason than the fact that you tell me that how I treat them is an exercise of my devotion and worship of Christ. I am not being kind to someone necessarily because they deserve it. I am doing it because you deserve it. This is why I can go about my work “heartily” as you commanded me to. Help me to not leave my home each morning with a sour attitude, for if I do, I will not be obedient to your Word in this area. So, Holy Spirit, I ask you to fill me today with the love of the Lord Jesus on my heart, and love for the souls of men and women who may be without Christ.

JOY:
Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
I have this friend who about a year ago went through a class called Community Chaplaincy. My friend has been excited ever since He completed this course. He loved and soaked up all the information he could to learn how to be a great chaplain. Tim is a natural though, when it comes to people. He never meets a stranger wherever he goes. He is a very complimentary guy and sincere when he says something nice about someone. One day, Tim asked me, “What day is it?” I responded by saying, “What do you mean? I don’t know!” He smiled and chuckled and said, “This is the day the Lord, hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” That has become Tim’s signature verse. He still had me caught off guard doing that same routine a few more times before I caught on and was finally able to give him the biblical answer. Every time he says this though he has this smile on his face and it always puts a smile on my face too. In fact, I couldn’t keep a straight face if I tried. Tim is a joy to be around, and I am so grateful for his reminder to me of how I should treat every day as a special day made by God. In light of our Lord’s resurrection, we should celebrate every day as a special day for us to enjoy while we fellowship with him and enjoy Him forever.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for my friend who constantly reminds me to enjoy this gift of today and not squander it on things that really don’t matter.

1 Chronicles 29:17 (NKJV)
17 I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You.
Dear Lord,
As I exercise my gift to give back to a portion of the resources that you have given to me, help me to do so with great joy along with all other believers, knowing that my giving supports your Kingdom work. It is exctiing to think about the many souls that will come to Christ as a direct result of the dollars that are given to minstries that are all about reaching the lost for Christ. Thank you Lord for allowing me to do this because as David said in this chapter, it all belongs to you anyway.

Psalm 51:12 (NKJV)
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Dear Lord,
When I get away from following you, I need to be restored back to you. This is why I need the fellowship of God’s people through attending a good church. I get to hear the Word of God expounded, and to interact in Bible study while at church and this helps me to stay grounded so that I will not lose my way and fall into sin. Also, I need daily “quiet time” with you Lord, so that every day I will stay focused on you and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in my life. David was a great man of faith. This is the same man, who as a boy, slew the giant Goliath, and killed bears and lions etc. In spite of all this, this great man fell into sin, by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and doing the wrong thing. If a great man like David could fall into sin, so can I. I therefore need to stay focused on you, therefore I ask that you will help me to do that Lord. I do however, want to thank you for the times when I have gotten off track that you have graciously restored me. We all sin still, even as Christian’s and therefore we need to daily come to you with confession of our sin, and you promise you will restore us. I know we do not lose our salvation when we sin, but we do lose our “joy” and I don’t want to lose even that. Thank you for the instruction of you Word today, my Lord, and my God.
Psalm 51:10-15 (msg) God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. 11 Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. 12 Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! 13 Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. 14 Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. 15 Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.

Luke 15:7 (NKJV)
7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Dear Lord, I often get asked if those who are in heaven get to see what is going on down here. To be honest, I don’t think they get in on very much of that. If they saw too much of what is going on here then it might make heaven a pretty sad place. There is one thing however, that I believe you at least let every one in heaven know about. That one thing is anytime a sinner comes to trust Christ as Savior. This is exciting to think about. I pray that you will help me today to be a partner in this rejoicing by being able to lead one of those sinners to Christ today. I am just like a postman delivering the mail when a person responds to the gospel. You do the saving, and I get to share “the life changing Good News of Jesus Christ.” I thank you Lord for the blessing of gettting to do this. Love you Lord.

John 17:13 (NKJV)
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

Dear Lord, one of the great benefits of knowing Christ as Savior is to experience, “a joy unspeakable and full of glory.” The Psalmist tells us that, “in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11). Because of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in every believer we can live in that fulness before we ever get to heaven. Dear Lord Jesus, you became “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3) and your Word also says that you, “surely hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). Since this is true I don’t have to live in that sorrow to the point where I am wallowing in it. We all experience things that bring sorrow into our life, but because of my Lord and Savior you take the edge off of it, and allow me to experience your joy even in the midst of that sorrow. Before you left this earth you said to the disciples, “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” (John 15:11 AMP). Help me to live in that joy today, Lord Jesus.

James 1:2-3 (NKJV)
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Dear Lord,
It is much easier to praise you when things are going quite well, but not as easy when facing trials. It takes special grace from you to be this way, but I know it is important to my testimony before those who do not know Christ that I be this way. I know I need to allow trials to make me “better” and not “bitter.” l know, I need to ask when going through trials, not, “Why me?” but “Why not me?” I also need to ask not, “Why?” but, “What do you want me to get out of this and learn from this that I might grow in my faith and walk with you Lord?” Help me to have the grace to be this way the next time I go through something that really tests my faith.

PRAYING THE PROMISES OF GOD

Share this: