God help me to help others to walk with Jesus in the unforced rhythms of grace rather than crush them with unbearable religious demands to practice the disciplines through which they receive Your grace.

 

Matthew 23:4 (NLT)

They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

 

Matthew 11:29 (MSG)

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Lord please help me to be constantly diligent, intently engaged in, and attending constantly to prayer today.

 

Colossians 4:2

Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.

Jesus please help me to live wisely among those who do not follow You, speaking graciously and attractively and alert to take every opportunity to draw out and respond to their spiritual inquiries.

 

Colossians 4:5-6

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

God please help me to embrace the control of Your Spirit over my decisions and actions rather than the control of my sinful nature.

 

Romans 8:9

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

God please clear my eyes so I am able to see and take in Your sovereign Glory in everything I encounter today

 

Luke 11:34-36

The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter into your being. When your heart is open the light floods in. When your heart is hard and closed, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place. Open your heart and consider my words. Watch out that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation-light! If your spirit burns with light, fully illuminated with no trace of darkness, you will be a shining lamp, reflecting rays of truth by the way you live.”

Holy Spirit please help me to recognize every opportunity you give me to boldly share my faith today remembering that just because people disagree with me doesn’t necessarily mean that they will turn against me.

 

Acts 26:28-30

Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except fo06.01 Open the eyes of my heart to let in God's illuminating lightr these chains.”

Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

Lord please empower me today by Your Spirit to offer my every thought, word and action simply, honestly and genuinely to You as a response to Your love.

 

John 4:23

But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship.

Holy spirit please miraculously empower me to be a witness to tell people about Jesus today

 

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Heavenly Father help me to be so filled with Your Spirit today that I am able to submit myself to Your purpose by ranking myself under those You've given to lead toward that purpose

 

Ephesians 5:21

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Lord give me a heart that speaks in a way that brings refreshment instead of wounds

 

James 3:10-11

And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!  Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?

 

Colossians 3:19

Husbands, love your wives [be affectionate and sympathetic with them] and do not be harsh or bitter or resentful toward them.

Luke 10:20-21

But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

 

God please fill me with the joy of your Holy Spirit as I recognize that You work through me not because I am the most worthy but often because I am the least.

Luke 9:23-24

If any of you want to walk My path, you’re going to have to deny yourself. You’ll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued, healed, made whole and full.

 

Jesus help me to walk with You today on Your path by refusing to gratify my selfish cravings and gladly embracing the dangers and risks of loving others

 

Luke 9:10-11

Months later, the apostles returned from their ministry tour and told Jesus all the wonders and miracles they had witnessed. Jesus, wanting to be alone with the Twelve, quietly slipped away with them toward Bethsaida. But the crowds soon found out about it and took off after him. When they caught up with Jesus, he graciously welcomed them all, taught them more about God’s kingdom realm, and healed all who were sick

 

Jesus please give me the humility and discernment I need to gladly embrace the things that You have planned for me to do that contradict what I have planned for today.

Jesus please give me today enough humility, discernment and desire to learn that I am able to learn even from hypocrites.

 

Matthew 23:2-3

"The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer.

Lord as I read and study and meditate on the Scriptures help me to experience both Your word and Your power today.

 

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.

Lord please help me show kindness today without restraint or fear of ultimate loss because I recognize the promised rewards of doing so.

 

Proverbs 11:17

The merciful, kind, and generous man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him], but he who is cruel and callous [to the wants of others] brings on himself retribution.

Lord Jesus please give me a desire for You that is so intense that I am motivated more today by Your reward than people’s admiration.

 

Matthew 6:1

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

Lord please save me from doing what is right only out of duty. Help me instead to do what you command today, living in Holy Awe of Your glorious and terrible name.

 

Deuteronomy 28:58

If you don't diligently keep all the words of this Revelation written in this book, living in holy awe before This Name glorious and terrible, God, your God,

 

Lord please show me your glory today in a way that it causes me to respond with both joy and terror.

 

Leviticus 9:24-10:3

Fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.  Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord.

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,

‘I will display my holiness

through those who come near me.

I will display my glory

before all the people.’”

And Aaron was silent.

Jesus when someone challenges me, please help me to ask questions to better understand them and how to help them rather than giving answers immediately to defend myself.

 

Luke 10:25-29

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus help me to approach every person I encounter today with a heart of “How can I be a neighbor?” looking for a way to assist them rather than “Is this person my neighbor?” looking for a loophole that will release me from the sacrifice of helping them.

 

Luke 10:29,36-37

Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define 'neighbor'?"

What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.

Jesus said, "Go and do the same."

Jesus help me to recognize enough of Your infinite value today that my heart is irresistibly drawn in to be close to You.

 

Mark 7:6

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

Holy Spirit please help me to see the pain and trouble of others deeply enough today that I am moved to pray for them in a way that brings people into their lives that You can use to bring them relief

 

Matthew 9:36-38

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

 

 

distressed: g4660. σκύλλω skullō - To skin, flay, lacerate. In the NT used metaphorically, meaning to harass, trouble, weary,

 

dispirited: g4496. ῥίπτω rhiptō - to throw with a sudden motion, to jerk, cast forth”; “cast down,

 

Sheep without a shepherd - without someone to guide or protect or care for them

Lord help me dress myself in humility toward everyone I relate to today, trusting Your grace will get me farther than trusting my wit or ability

 

1 Peter 5:5

In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

Lord please help me to be alert and discerning to the direction and empowering of Your Spirit today so that I can be a conduit through which You give grace to others through my words

 

Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

 

g5485. χάρις charis: to rejoice. Grace, particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude. A favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor.

 

 

Lord please me to experience unity with those I am very different from because I have found and pursue a common goal with them that is more important than our differences.

 

Ephesians 4:17,22-23

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

...throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Jesus help me to abide in You today and in doing so to share in Your extreme joy.

Hebrews 1:9

“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;

Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You

With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”

Lord help me to contribute to maturity, unity and productivity today by always speaking the truth completely, in a way that always brings assistance to others, rather than getting my own way or getting something off my chest.

 

Ephesians 4:15-16

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Jesus please help me to pray for every person I interact with today, that they will experience for themselves Your love and the rich fullness of The Father’s Divine presence, knowing You are able to do even more than I could ask or think.

 

Ephesians 3:19-20

[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]

Lord help me to live today so fully satisfied with where and what you have brought me in You that I am free from the disquieting sense of needing anything further.

 

Philippians 4:11-13

Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

Lord please help me to walk in obedience with You today in a state of untroubled, undisturbed well-being because I have set my thoughts on things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

 

Philippians 4:8-9

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.