Father, help me not to be anxious about perplexing matters before me, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, I want to present my requests to You so that Your peace which surpasses human understanding will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Keep my eyes on Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life because that is the way to You, our Heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Father, we know that it’s not the one who runs the swiftest, nor the one who runs for just a day, but the one who endures to the end that will be saved. Help us to remain steady, and consistent, being joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. We grow anxious and fearful regarding our loved ones who are not following in the ways of the Lord. We pray that they will submit their will to Yours, Lord, for it is the only certain hope for today and absolute hope for all eternity. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Father, You sent Jesus to be the Light of the world, and He now sends us out as redeemed messengers in the places where we live. Some of those places are very dark and we’re afraid to share the message of light and truth because we feel inadequate, unworthy, and unprepared to convey such a wondrous message. But in holding back we fail to introduce others to You whose searchlight from the Holy Spirit guides us into all truths, delivers us from the evil one, and sets our feet upon a firm rock. We know that it is not by our might or power that we are able to shine like stars in the universe, but it is through Your Spirit that we can lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Amen.

Father, when we begin our journey with You, we’re uncertain of all that lies ahead. We’re told in Scripture that if we are in Christ old things have passed away, and all things have become new. That’s because we now begin to align our thoughts and actions according to Scripture; we begin to see through the eyes of Christ; and we press on to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus so that we will receive our future eternal reward laid up for us already in heaven. Keep us steady, trusting, and faithful as we press on in the faith. Through Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.

Father, You make Your will known to us through the authority of the Holy Scriptures. And yet each day we are exposed to opinions and lifestyles that are a direct contrast to Your teaching through Scripture and the life of Jesus. It helps us deal with such conflict when we remember that though we must be in the world we are not to partake of the world’s ways. We recall the temptations of Jesus over the 40 days He spent in the wilderness fasting and praying. Matthew writes that it was Your Spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Was that to show us that even Jesus could be tempted by the evil one? Did Jesus go through this testing to show us how to resist the devil’s crafty lies by responding with Scripture? Was it to show us that being prayed up helps us to resist the evil one? Thank You for this inspiring and instructive Scripture passage that helps us in our own wilderness journeyings that are filled with baited traps along the way. We want to be prayed up and read up so that we will not give the devil a foothold in our lives. We want to be victorious through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.