Father, with my whole heart I have sought You and made You my Lord and Savior. I have turned my eyes away from worthless things so that my life is preserved here and now and for all eternity. And yet there is a tug of war that battles within me from time to time as I journey here below; the lure of that which satisfies the flesh vs. that which builds me up in the spirit. May Your grace bind my wandering heart so that during times of temptation I hold steady and resist the enemy who seeks to endanger and lead me astray. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Father, those whom You call You also equip to do that which we cannot do in ourselves. Some of us come up against extremely difficult odds, whether it’s due to our family history, physical limitations from birth, an accident, disease or aging. Any or all of these negatives have a way of consuming us and can contribute to a victim’s outlook. But You don’t victimize us, Father, You make us Victors as You give us helps along the way, provide caregivers who support and cheer us on. You perform small and big miracles within us to accomplish Your intended will for our lives. You assured a frightened Moses with these words, “I will be with you” and You assure our spirits with the very same message, “I will be with you” no matter how hard the test, how long it endures, or the timing of its appearance. Faithful God, You never change, but are always the same and we’re assured the victory just like Abraham, Moses, Job, Daniel and all the other common, ordinary people of the Bible who became heroes in our eyes. We walk in victory because You are the great I AM and You are with us. We love You and look to You in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Father, since we have been raised to new life with Christ Jesus, we set our sights on the joyous realities of our future home up in heaven. Focusing our attention and affection there cushions the painful realities we experience or see in other lives down here. We do not lose heart or allow sin to have dominion over us if we fix our eyes on Jesus, His promises, and our future home in heaven. We do not divert our attention to the world but devote our heart to You, dear Father, so that all will be well with our soul, even when trouble surrounds us. Many need that same hope today, so we must go to this world that is dying and tell of Your salvation to all who will hear this glorious message. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Father, we know that everyone who lives leaves a legacy. An obituary is a bird’s eye accounting of what they valued in life and often reveals what their children value as a result. We want to leave a legacy of love, the purest and highest kind of love, that can only be found in the Person of Jesus Christ, who laid down His life that we might be forgiven and enjoy eternal life. We want to remain steadfast in our Christian convictions so that we pass on that which makes a hopeful, positive, and eternal difference in one’s journey here below and up above. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Father, after the busyness of a work week, checking off our list of many obligations, coming here or going there and fulfilling our daily duties it is so fitting that we set aside a day where we consecrate our hearts for worship and fuel up spiritually for another week. You knew our need when You established the Ten Commandments that command us to remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. Temptations come from many sources that would squeeze out our holy obligation to worship with other believers on the Lord’s Day. Whether we are single or a family unit help us to establish the weekly pattern of gathering with other saints, to hear what You would have to say to us and to declare Your worthship in our worship. Like the Psalmist, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’”. Amen.