Category: finding peace

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.

But you must remain faithful
to the things you have been taught.
You know they are true,
for you know you can trust
those who taught you.
You have been taught
the holy Scriptures from childhood,
and they have given you the wisdom
to receive the salvation that comes
by trusting in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize
what is wrong in our lives.
It corrects us when we are wrong
and teaches us to do what is right.
God uses it to prepare and equip
his people to do every good work.  
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT

I love Paul’s challenge to Timothy to be faithful to what he had been taught and to remember why he could trust what he had been taught. Paul reminded Timothy that Scripture can make us wise, give us faith, correct us, teach us, prepare us, and equip us in two important ways: First, through a Spirit-filled mentor or parent, and second, through the Scriptures themselves, which he describes as holy and inspired (God-breathed or Spirit-inspired). The Scriptures’ power lies in the words the Spirit inspired and the people who show the transforming influence of the Spirit at work in their lives. Why wouldn’t we be eager to let the “sword of the Spirit” (God’s word, Ephesians 6:17) be at work in our lives?

Almighty God, thank you
for speaking to us in words.
As I place myself under the guidance
of the words of Scripture,
dear Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit
uses them to form me into a person
who is increasingly more
like Jesus each day.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, 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.

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Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17 NIV

The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and the Spirit helps us understand the will of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). God’s message of truth is much more than just the words of mere mortals; it is God’s will given by his Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:8). Scripture has its origins in the Spirit of God, even though it was proclaimed by human messengers (2 Peter 1:19-21). In other words, I must not neglect the Scriptures as the word of God. They must be allowed to teach, rebuke, correct, train, and equip me to live the life of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I must allow the Spirit to use God’s word to convict me and work on the attitudes of my heart as I am trained to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 4:12-13; Hebrews 5:11-14). Another important thing that catches my attention today is that I must “take” God’s word. I must intentionally choose to pick it up, use it, and depend upon it, inviting the Spirit to lead me in the way of God!

Holy God,
thank you for giving me
your word in Scripture.
Thank you for pouring
out your truth
through human messengers
inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for the work
of the Spirit to convict
and enlighten me
through your word.
As I seek your will
in your word,
I ask today that the Spirit
be active and lead me
in the way you
want me to go.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

Do not get drunk on wine,
which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another with psalms,
hymns and songs from the Spirit.
Sing and make music from
your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to
God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another
out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:18-21 NIV

When people are drunk, we say they are “under the influence.” When a person is a follower of Jesus, he or she should be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul lists five ways that we fill ourselves with the Spirit. Four we would normally identify with community worship — speaking to one another in song, singing, making music in our hearts, and giving thanks to God. Paul adds a fifth way to turn the Spirit loose in our lives: submitting to one another as part of our worship of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I have not wanted to do each of these things. However, in doing them with a genuine desire to honor the Lord, I find myself blessed and empowered in ways I would never have expected. We shouldn’t be surprised: The Bible tells us that when we do these things, God’s Spirit fills us!

Loving Father,
thank you for entering into me
through the Holy Spirit.
I am going to try to do all I can
to worship you with my words
and with my relationships,
trusting that you will empower
me with your Holy Spirit.
Please help me see your
presence and power in my life
as I do these things in today’s verses.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Against such things
there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

O precious Father, God Most High,
thank you for your patience,
grace, and forgiveness.
I want the Holy Spirit
to lead me and empower me
to grow in every way,
but especially so that I can be
more and more like Jesus in love,
joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control.
Thank you for hearing my prayer
offered in Jesus’ name.
Amen.