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.