Where My Happiness is Found

1 Peter 4:12-13

Dear friends don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  Instead, be very glad - because these trials will make you partners with Christ in His suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing His glory when it is displayed to all the world.

1 Peter 4:12-13

Romans 6: 16

Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive His approval.

Romans 6:16

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Psalm 119:33-40

Teach me your decrees, O LORD;

I will keep them to the end.

Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;

I will put them into practice with all my heart.

Make me walk along the path of your commands, 

for that is where my happiness is found.

Give me an eagerness for your laws

rather than a love for money!

Turn my eyes from worthless things,

and give me life through your word.

Reassure me of your promise,

made to those who fear you.

Help me abandon my shameful ways;

for your regulations are good.

I long to obey your commandments!

Renew my life with your goodness.

Lord, this whole psalm is my prayer this morning. My happiness is truly found in walking in your ways. Help me to abandon my shameful ways! It seems that I am constantly forgetting to remember to turn and have a conversation with YOU instead of my sinful nature. Lord, I need you to imprint this on my heart and mind. Holy Spirit, you have permission to whack me over the head to get my attention to remind me of this. In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

My Heart is Deceitful

Song of Solomon 2:15

Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grave vines are all in blossom.

Song of Solomon 2:15

1 Peter 2:21-23

This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps. He never sinned, and He never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

1 Peter 2:21-23

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Psalm 119:29

Keep me from lying to myself:

give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.

Jeremiah 17:9

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

But I, the LORD, search all hearts

and examine secret motives.

I give all people their due rewards,

according to what their actions deserve.

Lord, I know that I cannot trust my own heart to tell me the truth. The only way to follow truth is to know and follow your Word. My sinful nature will lie or accuse me every single time, but you only ever tell me the truth. I praise you for that Lord.

Open My Eyes to See

Song of Solomon 2:15

Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grave vines are all in blossom.

Song of Solomon 2:15

1 Peter 2:21-23

This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps. He never sinned, and He never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

1 Peter 2:21-23

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Psalm 119:17-19

Be good to your servant,

that I may live and obey your word.

Open my eyes to see

the wonderful truths in your instructions.

I am only a foreigner in the land.

Don't hide your commandments from me!

Lord, I pray that you would open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. Teach me how to live and obey your word. Lord, I am a foreigner in this world, it is not my home. Your commands and truth are my roadmap to lead me home!

I praise you for giving me your word! Thank you Jesus for dying in my place so that I can have fellowship with both you and the Father.

Lord, today I pray that you would be with my mother-in-law as she goes in for this parathyroid surgery. Please guide the doctor's hands and help everything to go smoothly. I pray that her recovery will be quick and free of complications. In Jesus' sweet Name, Amen.  

I Wanna Be In The Light

Song of Solomon 2:15

Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grave vines are all in blossom.

Song of Solomon 2:15

1 Peter 2:21-23

This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps. He never sinned, and He never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

1 Peter 2:21-23

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

1 John 1:7

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Lord, I need your help to live in the light today. Help me to be a light to those living in darkness. Lord, you know how cruddy I'm feeling. Thank you that I was able to get antibiotics for my sinus infection yesterday. Please help them to work quickly to clear this mess up. Please don't let me get anyone else sick.

Thank you for helping my arm to continue to heal from the dog bite. Please help the lump under it to eventually go away and the numbness as well.

Lord, I need to get some work done today. Please help me to be able to focus on the task so that I can give my best even though I'm not feeling my best. I pray that YOU would direct my steps today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I Need Wisdom!

Song of Solomon 2:15

Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grave vines are all in blossom.

Song of Solomon 2:15

1 Peter 2:21-23

This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps. He never sinned, and He never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

1 Peter 2:21-23

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Acts 6:10

None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

Lord, I have that same Spirit in me! I also have access to this same wisdom. When I need wisdom, which is pretty much all the time, all I need to do is ask.

James 1:5

If any of you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

I don't need to be afraid to talk to others about you because I can trust the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say. The Spirit knows the heart of the other person and exactly what they need to hear anyway. 

Lord, I need your wisdom and your Spirit to guide me! Thank you that you don't rebuke me for asking. You WANT to give me wisdom and guidance. I praise your Holy Name!! In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.

You Train My Hands for War!

Song of Solomon 2:15

Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grave vines are all in blossom.

Song of Solomon 2:15

1 Peter 2:21-23

This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps. He never sinned, and He never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

1 Peter 2:21-23

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Psalm 144

Vs. 1-2

Praise the LORD, who is my rock.

He trains my hands for war

and gives my fingers skill for battle.

He is my loving ally and my fortress,

my tower of safety, my rescuer.

He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.

He makes the nations submit to me.

LORD, I praise you for you are training me for war! You are teaching me to journal, even though I struggle with doing it as consistently as I should. You are teaching me to cry out to you without holding back. You are teaching me to filter out the other voices, my enemies, and to run to you when I hear them. Lord, you don't just want to protect me, but you want to teach me to live in victory!

V. 11

Save me!

Rescue me from the power of my enemies.

Their mouths are full of lies;

they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

Lord, my enemies, my sinful nature and those other voices, are constantly lying to me. They say things to me that breed defeat, depression and death. Lord, I only want to listen to your voice because you only speak life and peace to me.

V. 15

Yes, joyful are those who live like this!

Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD.

AMEN!

Lord, I want to hear YOU

Song of Solomon 2:15

Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grave vines are all in blossom.

Song of Solomon 2:15

1 Peter 2:21-23

This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps. He never sinned, and He never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

1 Peter 2:21-23

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Psalm 143:8-12

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,

for I am trusting in you.

Show me where to walk,

for I give myself to you.

Rescue me from my enemies, LORD;

I run to you to hide me.

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward

on a firm footing.

For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life.

Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.

In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies

and destroy all my foes,

for I am your servant.

Lord, this is my prayer! I want to hear of your unfailing love each morning. I praise your name that you want to tell me of your unfailing love every day! All I have to do is open up my Bible and it is full of your unfailing love for me and the whole world.

Lord, I pray that you will show me where to walk. I do give myself to you. Lord, I know that you ache to have me listen to you so that you CAN show me where to walk. Psalm 81:13-14 But OH that My people would listen to me. Oh that they would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly I would then subdue their enemies! How soon my hands would be on their foes. 

You want to rescue me from my enemies. Lord, my main enemies are my sinful nature and all the other voices that try so hard to drown out your voice. They don't want me to hear from you. But Lord, I run to you to hide m. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit will lead me forward on firm footing.

For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life. These other voices only want to bring me death and destruction. I know that you will be faithful to bring me out of this distress. In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies! Help me to only listen to your voice. Please show me when I'm hearing any other voice but yours. I know that there will come a time when all these other voices will be silenced and destroyed forever. But until then, use them to train me to come running to you! I am your servant. In Jesus powerful name I pray! Amen.