What would make Satan happy concerning you?

Father, You do know who has chosen to serve You. If we name Jesus as our Savior, You tell us to depart from iniquity, to stop sinning. Father, when we were young, youthful lusts pursued us but as we mature You tell us to pursue (chase after) righteousness, knowing that Satan will delight in our sins if we falter.

Do a 180°…does that mean a complete reversal?

Father, we know that the word repent means to turn in the other direction, to make a life-changing decision, to do a 180°. None of us can, in and of our own strength, declare our salvation. We are saved by Your grace and mercy and our faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, Lord and Savior.

Silent before God about your sin? A painful circumstance…

Father, when we stand before You, guilty of sin, we are truly blessed to have our sins forgiven. We know that in this life we have sinned against not only You but other people as well. We pray they are as generous in forgiving us as You have been. Father we too must forgive and forget the past sins of others. We must render to them the type of grace and mercy You have shown us.

How might I seek You? As one gasping for air…

If in a moment of gasping for Your air, Your mercy lies ahead of us, would it not be when the end seems near, when fear has taken hold of us? Do we need to wait Father for dire circumstances before we seek the refreshment of Your Holy Spirit? No, Father, it is frequently in times of despair that we turn our eyes to You. If we only look to You when we are in trouble, what pitiful Christians we would be.

How risky is it to deny God?

In these difficult times, help us realize that our commitment to You needs to be bold and consistent. Keep us from wavering as the world’s values, in terms of Your expectations, are in a steep decline. Given the profusion of sin, the gate to heaven may indeed be narrow.

Jesus, O’my God, etc.;praise or blasphemy?

Father, the enemy does blaspheme Your Holy name. Help us never speak Your name and the name of Jesus except reverently. Your hand is not shortened that it can not both heal and destroy. We seek the healing of our hearts and minds this day that we might say, do and think that which is acceptable in Your sight.

I will show you! Or should I?

Give us a peaceful, gentle and wise reaction when evil comes into our midst, not a vengeful, angry heart. We all have a little “I will show you” in our hearts, but since You are willing to forgive us, we know we must not be vengeful with others.

How could God possibly forgive me…my sins seem indelible

Father, here King David admits that his iniquities have overtaken him. Father, at times some of us feel the same; our iniquities weigh so heavily on us that we don’t know how You could possibly love us or forgive us. That is the miracle, Father, that makes life worth living. It is never about the present, with its moments of difficulty, but it is about the future. We know that is only true if we admit, as David did, that we need Your help.

Witness; you have to be kidding. I am not equipped to witness

Father, we never seem to feel that we have enough stuff. We strive to achieve and to make gains of every sort. Help us know that You will see us through the good times and the difficult times. Teach us to persevere in doing good, even when things seem stacked against us.