Category: finding peace

Religion that God
our Father accepts
as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans
and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from
being polluted by the world.
James 1:27 NIV

Martin Luther’s words of wisdom, “The authority of Scripture is greater than the comprehension of the whole of man’s reason” have a rightness often ignored in our present time. True religion is not all talk. We must live and love as Christ did. Caring for widows, orphans, and others that are forgotten and overlooked while we are keeping ourselves holy to God is what “Christ living” is all about. This is not just a concept or an ideal… it is the WORD.

Loving God,
give me eyes to see the
people that need your blessing.
Please lead me to the folks
in our church, our neighborhood,
and our work or school
that feel forgotten and overlooked.
Help me to not only see them,
but to include them so they can
know the love that you have for them!
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

Why do the wicked get away
with despising God?
They think,
“God will never
call us to account.”
But you see the trouble
and grief they cause.
You take note of it
and punish them.
The helpless put
their trust in you.
You defend the orphans.
Psalm 10:13-14 NLT

Just as God saw the plight of the Israelites in Egypt and heard their cries for help, he still sees and hears today. But now, he not only hears because he is omnipotent; he hears because of the intercession of his Son and our Savior, Jesus. Jesus has been here. Jesus has faced the specter of death and the pain of torture and ridicule. Jesus means God not only hears our cries for help; he also feels the agony with us. That is why he came. He is our assurance that God feels, cares, acts, and ultimately saves.

God, Father and Savior,
please be with those who
are bearing the incredible
weight of agony and pain.
Some of these I know
and pray for personally.
Others I do not know,
but they still need your
comfort, strength, and grace
to sustain them in their
days of agony and grief.
Please bless them with
clear evidence of your care.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV)

 

What determines our financial worth? Do we compute it in terms of dollars, or possessions, or investments? Paul reminded Timothy that ultimate gain, the gain of inestimable value, is really determined by a very simple formula: net worth = (godly character) X (contentment). What would happen if we recognized the truly wealthy as those who were godly in their character and contented with their blessings in life?

 

O LORD God,
the one from whom every blessing flows,
readjust my values from the greed
of this world to a holy set
of financial convictions.
Conform my character to the godliness
that Jesus demonstrated in his daily life.
Teach me the contentment that
can only be found in you.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

 

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall
into the heart of the sea.
Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV)

God is not only our protector; he is also our helper. Even when our world seems to be crashing around us, he is there. He will deliver us from death or deliver us through death. He will deliver us from evil or he will deliver us to overcome evil. Our task is to trust that in the midst of our earthquakes and tidal waves we are not alone or abandoned.

Holy God,
I pray for those today
who are in the middle
of life’s earthquakes.
You know those for
whom I am concerned.
You know I care about
their struggles which are
too big for me to mitigate
and too painful for me
to truly bring comfort.
I ask you now,
to bless them,
be with them,
and please
deliver them quickly.
You are our only true hope
and Jesus is our
only sure redeemer.
In the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ I pray.
Amen.

Therefore, as we have opportunity,
let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong
to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:10 NIV

We are to be a people who do good deeds! When God gives us the opportunity, let’s take it! Unlike those in the world looking to get ahead, to get even with someone, or to get out of difficult situations, let’s look for opportunities to do good!

Only you are truly good, Father,
but I pray that some of that
goodness may be seen in me
and in your Church
as we serve you today,
this week, and until the time
the Savior returns for us in glory.
Help us to be aware of
and to look for
the opportunities that you
give us to do good
to and for others.
In Jesus’ mighty name I pray.
Amen.

 

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend
your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:3-4  NIV

What we know about God is confined to our small brains, our limited experiences, our willingness to read about the great deeds of God in Scripture, and our hearing of his incredible work through the lives of older Christians. There is nothing quite like listening to older, grace-filled brothers and sisters in Christ who know our Lord and his power through worship, obedience, and experience. God will always have a witness to His wonder and grace. We have so much wonder to explore.

God Almighty, by your grace I call you Father.
Your majesty is beyond my ability
to comprehend and your power
is beyond my ability to grasp.
What I do know, dear Father,
and what I do understand, Almighty God,
brings me to my knees in humble adoration
and reverent appreciation.
Thank you for your love, your mercy,
and your grace that makes your majesty
approachable and my mortality redeemable.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

What we have received
is not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand
what God has freely given us.
1 Corinthians 2:12 NIV

We sometimes get frustrated when people outside of Christ do not seem to be able to understand the teaching of Scripture. However, we must not forget that there are two realities to the truth of Scripture that non-believers do not experience. First, the Holy Spirit, who inspired Scripture and uses Scripture to form us, also helps followers of Jesus understand the truth that God has given us. Second, the truth of Scriptures often becomes more understandable as we obey it. The Holy Spirit is at work helping us understand the Scriptures he inspired! Let’s never approach our time in Bible study without asking for the Holy Spirit to make God’s truth known to us!

Father God,
I thank you for blessing me
with your Holy Spirit.
I pray that as I open the Bible,
I will hear your voice
and understand your will.
I ask, dear Holy Spirit,
that you open my mind
and that you work on my heart
so that I understand and obey
the truths that the Father
has shared through Scripture.
In Jesus’ name,
I pray. Amen.

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol
your name for ever and ever.
Psalm 145:1-2 (NIV)

The way we praise God forever, the way we honor our pledge to give him glory for all the days of our life, is really pretty simple: we do it today. As long as we praise God today, the forever takes care of itself. So as you commit to lift high the name of God and praise him for all eternity, remember the place it starts: praise God today — not only in the things that you say, but also in the way that you live!

Mighty God and loving Father,
today I want to tell you how
marvelous and wonderful
I believe you to be.
You are righteous,
faithful, holy, and merciful.
You are tender, loving,
and yet magnificent in glory
and incomparable in strength.
You have redeemed me from my sin
and given me hope beyond my own death.
You have filled my life full of good people
and have promised me a home with you.
You, O God, are without peer
and without rival.
You are my King,
my awesome and majestic Father.
In Jesus’ name I praise you,
today and forever.
Amen.

Pray in the Spirit at all times
and on every occasion.
Stay alert and be persistent
in your prayers for
all believers everywhere.
Ephesians 6:18 NLT

“Pray in the Spirit …!” Paul is asking believers to pray consciously recognizing that the Spirit given them when they came to Christ (Ephesians 1:13) gives them direct access to God. That access allows them to pray what is on their hearts (Ephesians 2:18; cf. Romans 8:26-27) and to ask for knowledge, power, and boldness for others (Ephesians 1:17; Ephesians 3:16; Ephesians 6:18-20). In other words, the Spirit lives inside us and empowers our prayers, interceding directly to the heart of God and enabling our prayers to have powerful results! Our prayers are so much more than the words we say. We pray, consciously, alertly, and persistently, speaking to the Creator of the universe, assured we are heard, knowing that God will respond with power and grace in the lives of those for whom we pray!

Father God,
thank you for your incredible
gift of the Holy Spirit
who makes my prayers
much more than my words.
Thank you that I can
pray in the Spirit,
speaking to you spirit to Spirit,
knowing that I am heard
and understood and that the Spirit
conforms my prayers to your will.
Thank you that such intentional praying
brings powerful blessings
for those for whom I pray.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.