Father, as we look upon the beauty of Your creation, we are overwhelmed at the breadth and depth of the universe and both humbled and overjoyed as we see our children, created in Your image, born. The purity of a child is a representation of Your perfect will for us. Give us the faith and purity of a child as we seek to be as You Jesus.
My sin grieves me. How can I be cleansed?
Most of us have not sought You with our whole heart because that would mean a level of pursuit to which we aspire and but have rarely achieved. We are told to “hunger and thirst for righteousness”, something we want to do. What holds us back from a total committment to You?
Darkness (sin) to light (righteous), an easy choice
Help us this day to put on the armor of Light, to yield to the illumination You are offering. What a precarious thing it is to walk in total darkness. We can visualize how difficult it would be to extend our hands and “feel” our way through each day. That is how You portray one who chooses to walk in sin, as one agreeing to walk in darkness.
I think I will just get through all this on my own…
Father, we seek to be obedient, to know Your will and to do it, this day. Strengthen us and teach us to look to You every moment of the day whether we are encountering stress or joy. We know You draw near to us as we draw near to You and that if we choose to walk away from You, we do so at our own peril.
Is there any reason God won’t listen to me?
What a wonderful truth – that Your mercy endures forever – for those that trust You. You extend Your loving hand, even when we were and are in sin. Father, we want to be more like Jesus and for sin to move farther and farther from us.
Jesus prayed “early” in the morning…Why?
We are encouraged to pray early, Father, just as Jesus did so many times in the Scriptures. Praying about everything all day is Your stated will, but setting aside time with You each morning gives us an opportunity to start the day right, seeking Your blessings and direction.
No blessings? Have you asked? Do it!
Father, James, the half-brother of Jesus, seems to be one of the more direct persons in proclaiming Your will for us. He speaks clearly and bluntly and always with a sense of urgency concerning our salvation. May we listen intently to the words You gave him.
Want to avoid persecution…keep quiet!
Help us this day to run the risk of
being persecuted as a result of our declared love for You.
God is Holy…how can I enter His presence?
Father, Just as You declared Jesus, as Your only begotten Son, You assure us that we can cry out as Jeremiah did, for Your help. We know Father that Jesus made it possible for us to come into Your presence, cleansed, and prepared to speak to You.
Is there any meaning to life aside from God’s will for you?
Father, if King David, a man after Your own heart, said, “teach me, lead me, revive me”, we surely want to look to his example and do the same. Our lives are so full of decision-making opportunities from very minor things to life-changing things, that we confess we need Your direction, Your counsel.