Father, You are exalted over all the nations and Your glory fills the heavens. You are great and greatly to be praised. There is no other One who sits enthroned in the heavens and yet whose Spirit hears the very sigh of my heart. You hear my prayer before it is even whispered on my lips. You know my need even before I am aware of it and yet Your greatness never keeps me at a distance. Instead You invite me to approach the throne of grace and have audience with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, both in seasons of rejoicing and in times of need. Thank You, Almighty One who exists from eternity to eternity. It is through Jesus that we approach You in prayer. Amen.

Father, I feel such deep gratitude when I consider how patient You are with my frequent shortcomings. You don’t toss me aside and move on to a more deserving person, but You continue to come alongside me and Your Word continues to renew my hope day by day. When I’m tempted to think that my spouse, my child, or my friend doesn’t deserve another chance I’m reminded of Your continual forbearance with me. May I be forgiving even as You continually forgive me. May Your divine grace bring the virtues of forgiveness, forbearance and love together in perfect unity so that Your peace dwells in my heart daily. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Father, we are grateful for the many believers who invested in our lives at the beginning of our spiritual journey and for those who presently spur us on to faithfulness, good works, and spiritual growth. Just as King Joash needed the example and teaching of a godly priest, we too, need the exemplary guidance of those whose walk with the Lord is mature, consistent and inspiring. Speak to our hearts if we are to provide guidance to one who is struggling along the way, one whose life is complicated by factors that can easily lead him to stray from the right path. We want to be useful in building and expanding Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Father, we thank you for the absolute truthfulness of your Word. We rely on Your promises in Scripture concerning our future eternal home. Help us as we deal with what Your Word says are “our light and momentary troubles” and to recognize that they are “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Today “we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Amen.

God, You are the only source of eternal life to whom I can cling. I am confident that You will be with me to the end of my life here on this earth. I am grateful for the many people who bring me support, encouragement and companionship from day to day. They are a source of joy as they enrich my life daily. But as I grow older I’m recognizing that nothing stays the same and much of what I came to rely on is no longer present. Losses of those people very dear to me and things once considered important mount up as I reflect upon the passing years. I find great comfort as I cling to the words of the 73rd Psalm, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none that I desire on earth beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Amen.

Father, we pray for our leaders that they will look to You for guidance and follow Your commands as recorded by the prophets long ago. We want to be a blessed nation and will be so if men and women in positions of authority live godly lives as commanded in Scripture, and those who follow respond in like manner. Help us to be faithful in doing our part. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Father, we thank You for sending Jesus and clothing Him in the garment of flesh. As He walked on earth so much was revealed about You, our Father, through the person of Your Son. To read the passage, “God is love” is doctrinal in nature, but to see Christ’s miracles and His compassion toward sinners we also see Your love in action. Certainly those who walked the earth during Christ’s ministry on earth are the only ones who personally knew Him. But we, along with the apostle Paul, know Him in whom we believe through surrendering our hearts, embracing the truths Jesus espoused, following His commands, producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, and by faithfully devoting ourselves to prayer as we learn to trust You wholeheartedly. Amen

Father, it is because of our sinful human condition that we spend so much time worrying about what others think and live our lives with their view in mind, instead of Yours. You who view our minds and hearts from inside out – You know that which motivates our actions, when others simply judge us by our actions. We lay out our hearts bare before You today and ask Your Spirit to reveal that which honors You and that which should be burned like chaff. Remove our pride and replace it with humility as we confess our need for cleansing. “More of You and less of me” is my prayer today. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Father, it is because of our sinful human condition that we spend so much time worrying about what others think and live our lives with their view in mind, instead of Yours. You who view our minds and hearts from inside out – You know that which motivates our actions, when others simply judge us by our actions. We lay out our hearts bare before You today and ask Your Spirit to reveal that which honors You and that which should be burned like chaff. Remove our pride and replace it with humility as we confess our need for cleansing. “More of You and less of me” is my prayer today. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Father, it is Your desire that we stay faithful to Your teachings. Scripture gives many examples of those who knew to do right, but chose to do wrong. The consequences of their wrong actions inflicted a great deal of loss, life-long regret and emotional pain, not only for themselves but often inflicting others as well. Help us to avoid the traps Satan has set for the believers by not only reading the Word, but applying its truth to our lives, and standing firm when the temptation to do wrong is ever before us. Help us *to control our own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know You. We pray for this in Jesus’ name. Amen.