Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.—Psalm 33:8 KJV
Living with the fear of God in your heart is a good thing. That may sound strange, but fear of God in the Bible means awe and respect. When you faithfully revere God, you always try to know His will and follow it.
Lord, I praise You! I long to be righteous and please You.
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.—Matthew 17:5-6 NIV
Can you imagine just how awesome this experience was to the disciples? This miraculous moment when God spoke must have given them the strength to persevere and start their ministries in the face of persecution. God’s Word can initiate the same powerful force within you.
Almighty God, thank You for working in my life.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”—Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Today meditate on the above verse. Release any fears and worries. Trust that God has plans for you. Ask Him to shine His grace and wisdom into your life so that you can follow the path He has prepared for you.
Heavenly Father, help me to trust what I cannot see; help me to always trust in You.
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”—Hebrews 13:6 NIV
You do not have to face your problems alone; you can turn to God, and He will help. Fill your mind with thoughts of Him and get in harmony with His will. Believe in the power of the verse above and know that with God as your helper there is nothing that you can’t overcome.
God, You are my Divine Helper. Fill my heart and mind with Your strength and courage.
But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”—Matthew 3:14 NIV
Have you ever argued with God? Shook your fist at an outcome or a situation? Made choices that have gone against His instructions? In the above Bible verse, after listening, John ultimately agreed to follow God. The next time you don’t agree with God’s instructions, instead of arguing—listen.
Thank You, Lord, for the wisdom of Your Word. I am open and ready to hear what You need to say to me.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.—Psalm 34:18 NIV
Ia a past hurt weighing on your heart? Turn to Scripture and prayer. Ask God to restore your spirit and fill you with peace. Reflect on the comforting truth that God loves you, always and forever, and that He can help you heal your sorrow.
Divine Physician, heal my broken heart. Comfort me in Your loving arms.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.—2 Timothy 1:6 NIV
This verse is a beautiful little pick-me-up. Fan into flame the gift of God! He wants you to remember and rekindle the unique and precious gifts that you have to offer the world. Renew that spark that He placed in your heart and become the person He is calling you to be.
Lord, renew, revive and rekindle the gifts You have placed inside me. I am ready to shine!
“…By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”—Genesis 3:19 NIV
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Traditionally, this time is devoted to preparing your heart for Easter and growing your relationship with Christ. It’s a time to practice self-discipline, to increase your prayer time and to commit to Bible study. What faith practice will you begin that will promote your spiritual growth?
Lord, as I start my Lenten journey, guide me through the wilderness of this world so that I may embrace the glorious message of new life.
That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.—Acts 17:27 ESV
Dry spells or moments when you doubt God’s presence are an important part of spiritual growth and developing your faith. God is always near. His work is intertwined in your life even when you don’t feel it. The secret to getting through a crisis of faith is to pray more. Reach out to God and know that He hears you.
God of Heaven, I am lost and overwhelmed. Bring peace to my heart and strengthen my spirit until I can feel the comfort of Your presence.
But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”—Luke 4:43 NIV
Have you found your passion? Theologian Fred Buchner wrote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” God has created a specific purpose for your life. If you are unsure of what that might be, ask Him to reveal it to you and then pursue it with all your heart.
Lord, I am ready to live passionately by fulfilling my purpose.
He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.”—Luke 9:3 NIV
In the above verse, Jesus is telling His disciples that all they need is Him. It’s easy to become distracted by your possessions, to hold on too tightly to what you own, or put too much energy and effort into wanting something that you think is the key to happiness. But Jesus’ directions are still true today—as long as you have Him in your life, you don’t need anything else.
Lord Jesus, I choose You above everything else. You are all I need.
The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.—Proverbs 13:9 (ESV)
Decide to face the day with a gentle and joyous heart. Make an effort to surround yourself with positive people and experiences. If you find yourself falling into negative patterns, pray and tell God you are ready to approach life with an upbeat attitude.
Dear Lord, help me to shine Your light so others look upon me and see the joy of a true believer.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly…—1 CORINTHIANS 9:26 (NIV)
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.—PROVERBS 12:25 (NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship.—Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.—Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.—Ephesians 5:15–16 (NIV)
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.—Colossians 3:23 (NIV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.—Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV)
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will do this.—Psalm 37:5 (NIV)
And he opened his mouth and taught them.—Matthew 5:2 (ESV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.—Romans 15:13 (NIV)
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.—Matthew 6:17–18 (NIV)
The Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.—Romans 8:26 (NIV)
We love because he first loved us.—1 John 4:19 (NIV)
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.—Revelation 22:13 (NIV)
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.—Luke 2:14 (NIV)
And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.—Luke 2:7 (NIV)
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.—1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV)
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”—Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.—John 15:12 (ESV)
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.—2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
