Father, You provided David with supernatural courage, strength, and skill to defeat the boastful bully of a giant, Goliath. That huge sword was a reminder to David of your help in a time of great need. Remind us of past victories in our own personal lives and those of others to give us strength and faith as we face today’s battles. Nothing in ourselves will defeat the enemies we face, but “with God all things are possible.”

Father, we thank You that the grave is not the end for the believer, but simply the passage way into an eternal dwelling with You. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, but the lights of glory will welcome us into our eternal home where we will reunite with our dear loved ones who’ve gone before us. For those who’ve lost loved ones in the midst of their serving our country in some capacity we pray for their peace and comfort knowing that they too paid a price for our freedoms, comfort and safety. We pray for our persecuted brethren that Your Holy Spirit would be like a soothing salve, an anesthetic in the midst of their ongoing deprivation and abuse; that it would apply equally for their grieving family members. We pray for deliverance from their captivity and for their opportunity to share the gospel with cellmates, guards and others whom they interface with. We pray this through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Father, we know that we must do more than just read Your Word, but we must apply Your truths so that we and others see the work of Your Spirit in our lives. The Israelites looked to You for guidance in the cloud by day and the fire by night. They learned when to wait and when to walk. It is in the waiting times that we learn endurance and it is in the walking times that we learn to trust. There is much learning that takes place whether we are being still or whether we are on the “go”, that is, if our spirit is teachable. Whether we are moving forward or staying still our hope is in You all the day long. Amen.

Father, we make it our goal to find out what pleases You and, thereby, seek to do what is right in Your eyes. And yet we readily confess that far more times than we like to admit we have lived in vain conceit and sought after worldly pleasure. Since we know that You walk in the light we choose to walk in Your light shunning the darkness that accompanies our archenemy, the devil. We choose not to grow weary in well doing since we know that in due time we will reap a spiritual harvest if we do not give up. Help us to keep on keeping on in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

God of all wisdom, we ask for a discerning heart so that we walk circumspectly in Your way and effectively lead the people entrusted to our care. We need Your wisdom to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and error. So many live by opinion polls, current trends, and that which makes them acceptable to the world. But as we pray in the spirit and absorb Your Word into our hearts we will want to walk uprightly and do justly. It is a natural outflow of Your wisdom and Spirit that abides within us as we choose to walk in Your ways. Be our vision during the light of day and in the darkness of night; whether waking or sleeping we yield our all to You, Omniscient Father. Amen.

Father, there are so many luring paths one might take in this vast world, thinking they’re headed the right way, only to find the long roads lead to a dead end. As believers, we know that there is only one way to reconcile ourselves to You, our Father in heaven, and that is through Christ Jesus Your Son who declares, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. We cannot earn our salvation because You give it freely though it came at great cost. We choose to receive Your gift of salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. We are immensely grateful for Your love and generosity toward us through the merciful sacrifice of Your beloved Son, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Father, help me not to waste my time and energy in futile or wishful thinking. Instead I want to fix my thoughts upon the living hope I have in Jesus Christ my Lord. I anchor my soul in the bedrock of Your Holy Word so that when other viewpoints counter the truths prescribed in Your Word my anchor remains firm. When difficulties appear insurmountable remind me that I serve an extraordinary God who does not rely on natural solutions but works in the supernatural realm to meet each one of my needs. Your solutions to my problems are not subject to my scrutiny but rather I conform to Your leading and accept Your plan for my life. In doing so I am not tossed to and fro by wishful thinking but I am firmly grounded in the living hope of our resurrected Lord and Savior. It is in His name that we pray, Amen.

Father, help our ears to be alert, our eyes to be open, and our hearts to be perceptive as we follow in Your ways. May we be eager to hear Your teaching and apply it to our lives so that we may be found blameless before You and experience the joy You give to those who follow Your commands. When Your meaning is clear help us to seek no other meaning to satisfy our own desires or to change the clear meaning of Your message. Align our desires with Your own, that we might find genuine peace and wholehearted obedience as You bring spiritual healing to our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Father, it is of first importance to the Apostle Paul to declare that Jesus is risen from the dead and is alive forevermore. So it is also of first importance nearly 2000 years later for those of us who hold dear the sacred Scriptures to joyfully declare the miraculous news that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Jesus is the living One; He was dead but is alive forevermore! This factual knowledge and spiritual blessing helps to still my fears and reminds me that I serve a living, risen Christ who says to His followers, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever.” Because Jesus lives we live also!

Father, You have declared, through the words of Scripture, that there is no other name under heaven given unto men by which we must be saved. The apostles, full of the Holy Spirit, shared that message with the elders and chief priests, boldly asserting that it is by the name of Jesus Christ, that people are saved, healed, and delivered. Our singular focus must be on Jesus, whom You offered as the only way to have an eternal relationship with us. Thank You, God, that I am free thanks to Your marvelous grace, through the blood sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.