Heavenly Father, upon awakening this day and drawing our first conscious breath we acknowledge Your hand of blessing in our lives. Even as the rays of sunlight dissipate the vast darkness we’re reminded of Your victorious power that melts the clouds of despair replacing them with renewed hope. Enable us to look beyond the unwelcome, trivial frustrations of our day that lead to whining and complaining, instead of being joyful and thankful. We, with absolute intention, choose to rejoice and be glad as the blessings unfold throughout this day amidst the bothersome and undesirable circumstances of our present day. We must keep calm and carry on until hindsight reveals to us how You were orchestrating events in our life to help build character, patience, understanding, and growth in our faith walk. It’s all part of Your overall plan for our lives so we want our “hearts to unfold like flowers before You opening to the sun above, as we join the mighty chorus…ever singing, marching onward, victors in the midst of strife” for we serve a victorious Saviour. Amen.

Jesus, I consider the multitude of hymns based upon Your Holy Word reminding me that You are present in the midst of my personal troubles. Edward Mote describes those times when it seems You’re hidden from our grasp, “When darkness hides His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace.” Sometimes the darkness of our ongoing struggles casts a shadow over Almighty God who works on our behalf even when He seems to be hidden from our sight. I know, in my heart of hearts, that You don’t disregard my need, so I will trust You as I call upon Your name in prayer. I am confident that You hear my plea. I have assurance that You will strengthen me in my weariness and empower me in my weakness. So I’ll continue to look to You for all my needs this day. In Your name, Jesus, I commit those things that concern me so that I won’t let them eat at me and become the things that worry or trouble me. Amen.

Heavenly Father, it is only in following You that we can be a godly example of wholesome conversation, purpose-filled living, demonstrable love, overcoming faith and God-honoring purity. You know our failings are many and we so often fall short of being the perfect example we would like for those we love the most. So we make it our continued goal to point them to the only Perfect Example, Jesus Christ, God made manifest in the flesh, so that they have a vibrant, living relationship with Him. And, though we will always fall short, we continue to make it our goal to live in accordance with the Scripture and follow Christ’s example. It is in His name that we pray. Amen.

Father, we thank You that we’re part of Your overall plan to harvest souls into the kingdom of heaven. Open our eyes as we look at the field of souls ripe for harvest. Show us ways in which we can enlarge our circle of influence. What a joy it is to see believers grow in their faith as we diligently plant seeds of salvation and water them with truths from Your Holy Word and by our Christian testimony. Amen.

Father, we want to run the Christian race wholeheartedly testifying to the gospel of Your grace all the days of our life. We choose to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. It’s not the one who runs the swiftest, nor the one who runs for a day, but the one who endures to the end who shall be saved. We anxiously await the rapturous moment when we cross the finish line from mortality into immortality, from death unto life eternal, when we will hear Your wonderful commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”