Jesus, You are the Light of the world. And because You reside in our hearts we are a reflection of Your holy light. The world we live in is dark and growing even darker as Satan’s sinister and deceitful schemes are being played out. Help us not to dismiss the darkness that is spreading lest the darkness overshadow us in time. Instead we ask You to empower us through the light of Your Holy Spirit to shine in a wicked and decadent society. We come against the darkness by speaking against wickedness in all forms. And, Lord, help us to be consistent not only in what we speak but the manner in which we live, for our actions often speak louder than our words. May the “fruit of the light consisting in all goodness, righteousness, and truth” be evident in all we do since we have “put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” It is in Your name, Jesus, that we pray. Amen.

Father, when Jesus gave His all as a sacrifice for our sins You made available to us the free gift of salvation that is for all eternity. We cannot pay for our forgiveness nor can we repay Jesus for His sacrifice for our sins. All we give in return is a heart surrendered to His plan for our lives here on earth that will be more fully experienced in the great beyond. May our hearts be set on things above where Christ is seated at Your right hand. Thank You for not giving us the wages we earned and sentencing us to death row, but instead You give us eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Father, You are the Great Provider who meets all our needs. There is nothing we lack when we commit our ways to You and ask You to provide for us. You know what we have need of before we ask it, but You are pleased that we bring it to You and acknowledge You to be the One who provides for all our natural, physical, and spiritual needs. When our hearts are secure, we will have no fear, for in the end we will look in triumph on our foes. That’s because we serve You, our faithful, caring, and generous God, who faithfully watches over us providing us with Your daily mercies. We thank You as we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Father of all wisdom, we who are children of the light, do not live as those in darkness. Instead You have shown us right from wrong, truth from error, and You have given us discernment to test the spirits to see that which is from You and that which is from the evil one. The foundations seem to be shaking as we are flooded with a tidal wave of twists and spins that seeks to confuse or demean the believer. We clothe ourselves daily with godly armor, both defensive and offensive weaponry since our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but rather the authorities from this world. Keep our souls untainted by the changing rhetoric and sliding standards from our decadent society as we stand against the spiritual forces of evil like the men of Issachar. Help us to walk boldly in the conviction power of the Holy Spirit today, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Father, we’re grateful for those throughout history who chose to be men and women of faith, whose hearts were fashioned in Your image, and who served Your purpose in their generation. We also want to serve Your purpose in our generation. Help us to stay steadfast and strong as we run this race set before us. Thankfully, in this race, we’re not in competition to be the only prizewinner. Instead we take hold of the hands of those who run with us and invite those on the sidelines to join us. We want to cross the finish line together so that we will all receive the grand prize of life eternal with You. May we never give up! Amen.

Father, there is no mountain we climb today where Your love, faithfulness, righteousness and justice will not prevail as we walk hand in hand with You. We are assured of this merciful blessing as we find sanctuary in the shadow of Your wings. It is Your protection and covering that helps us to process today’s events through an eternal prism with eyes of faith. You are our Refuge, our Strength, and our Covering keeping us safe and secure from all alarms as we walk in the shadow of Your Almighty wings. Thank You for this wonderful assurance. Amen.

Father, we’re reminded in the wise words of Solomon that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” You have made everything beautiful in its time and You set eternity in the hearts of people. None of us can fathom what You have done from beginning to end. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is a gift from You! What great fulfillment when we are productive people and do good works in Your name. May it bring honor to You, may it bless our family, and may it be a good model for those who follow. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Father God, You physically reign in a place invisible to my eyes while Your Holy Spirit with His invisible qualities is at work deep within my heart. Though I cannot see You I recognize Your masterful handiwork. Though I cannot touch You I feel Your divine presence. Only a God like You is great enough to mastermind the universe, yet small enough to live within my heart. Father, You have made Your wonders to be remembered and appreciated. You are gracious and compassionate; Your presence is seen and felt everywhere. I acknowledge You as the Creator of the universe and the Light of my life, for You are my Lord and Master from eternity past to all eternity future. Amen.

Father, we lift up in prayer our loved ones who have yet to bow their knees and confess with their tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord. We never give up believing that someday they will come to faith through Christ Jesus. At the same time we pray for ourselves that You would make us pliable and yielding to Your touch which can happen only as we open our hearts to You. We want to be like clay in the hand of the potter and receptive to Your Spirit’s working. The process can be painful as impurities are removed and reshaping goes against the gravity of our sin nature. But the end result makes us vessels fitting for Your honor, useful for Your kingdom, and exemplary as a believer to those we are praying for. We desire to glorify You today as our hearts are open to Your Spirit. Amen.

Father, we enjoy positive results and favorable comments when we do good. But there are many times that we do good or take a position, in accordance to the Bible, that results in our being ridiculed, mocked, leaving us conflicted within our emotions. Would You increase the importance of eternity in our hearts so that we don’t become weary of doing good and always expect reward here and now. Help us to remember, in many instances, the proper time that we reap a harvest will not be on this side but on the other side of eternity. Above all, remind us through Your Holy Spirit, that we choose to do good because it pleases You. May the fulfillment of pleasing You be of much greater importance than pleasing or impressing those among us. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.