Presence and confidence

The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” ~ Exodus 33:14 (NLT)

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)

Lord,

THANKS: Thank you for making the trip with me. I feel so much more confident knowing that you are with me along my journey.

REGRETS: Even with the confidence that you give me, sometimes I am shy. I don't want to make mistakes and I'm afraid that I could really mess things up if I were to be too forward about my faith in you.

INTERCESSION: Correct that. Please give me vision to see how close you are, and how you will use whatever I do for your glory.

PURPOSE: I'm going to rest and relax in the knowledge of your guiding presence.

Amen.

Obey

We will obey the Lord and do everything he has commanded! ~ Exodus 24:7b (CEV)

Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. ~ Romans 12:11 (CEV)

Lord, you have done so much for us -- for me -- that I want to do everything you command. I want to follow your Spirit and serve you -- and you alone.  But what I do, and what I want to do, are often two different things. Strengthen me so that I can eagerly follow you and your plan. Amen.

God acts

The 19th Sunday after Pentecost

They sinned against me, but I will wash away that sin. They did evil and turned away from me, but I will forgive them. ~ Jeremiah 33:8 (NCV)

(Our Savior Jesus Christ) gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. ~ Titus 2:14 (NLT)

Lord:

THANKS: It seems that even though we don't attend to you or your plans, you still act on our behalf. You have forgiven us, saved us, and enlisted us to serve as partners in your work. I'm grateful.

REGRETS: But I'm not always consistent in my gratitude. And I'm not totally committed to the mission of doing good deeds -- unless I somehow get something more out of the deal. I'm still pretty self-focused.

INTERCESSION: Please don't give up on me.

PURPOSE: I want to live as a forgiven person dedicated to doing your good.

Amen.

Gtow

Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good. ~ Deuteronomy 8:5 (NLT)

Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Peter 3:18a (MSG)

Lord, thank you for caring so much that you are willing to put energy into training us. I'm not an easy person to train. I am easily distracted. It is a miracle that I grow at all in my understanding of you. But I am not surprised. You are in the business of pulling off miracles -- even miracles that involve training me to become a faithful follower of Jesus. That is my goal. Thank you for making it happen. Amen.