Blessings

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. ~ Psalm 103:2 (NLT)

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer. ~ Ephesians 1:3 (GW)

KEY IDEA:

There is no end to the blessings that God has for us.

PRAYER:

Praise you God, from whom all blessings flow... And there is no end to the good things you have for us. Often I am preoccupied with myself and that blinds me to what you are doing for me. I need to be relieved of preconceived notions of what a blessing should look like. Such ideas are really limiting. I'm going to celebrate all the blessings that come my way through Christ Jesus, my Savior, and Lord. Amen.

The Lord is loyal

While he was in jail, the Lord was with Joseph and remained loyal to him. ~ Genesis 39:20b-21a (CEB)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. ~ John 1:5 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord stays true to his people, even in the darkest of times.

PRAYER:

Lord, I'm so grateful that I know that I can count on you -- even when I get in trouble -- and even if the trouble is of my own doing. Help me to quit worrying that I am going to be overcome by the darkness I encounter. Help me to trust you more fully and to take healthy risks because I know that you are right in the middle of it all with me. Or maybe I should say that I am with you. For you are already there ahead of me working out solutions to my problems even before I know that they are problems. I'm going to relax knowing that you are super loyal. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

For the best

The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! ~ Job 1:21b (NLT)

We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

God is working things out for the best.

PRAYER:

Lord God, it is so hard to see how all this pain and chaos is good. Sometimes the hurt is overwhelming and I let it consume me and the way I think. Help me to step back from it all long enough to start trusting you again. I know in my head that you are working things out for the best. Now my heart needs to start knowing. I'm moving that direction. Amen.

Depend on God's love

Your love is faithful, Lord, and even the clouds in the sky can depend on you. ~ Psalm 36:5 (CEV)

However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! ~ Ephesians 2:4-5 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:

God loves you, so depend on him.

PRAYER:

Gracious and kind God, your love is very great and you are very dependable. I, on the other hand, for no good reason, am flakey. I know that you can't depend on me and I need you to help me become more dependable. However, my flakiness does not turn you off and it doesn't stop your love from flowing my direction. Thank you, Jesus! I'm going to live in a way that I point others to your love and dependability. Amen.