Hope and trust

Lord of heavenly forces, those who trust in you are truly happy! ~ Psalm 84:12 (CEB)

And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God... ~ Romans 4:18a (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

Our trust in God is what makes life satisfying.

PRAYER:

Lord of the heavenly armies, you have it all at your command. Yet you still choose to involve humble people in your business. Thank you for including a nobody like me. That helps me to realize that I am somebody in your eyes. Still, I have doubts when things get hard. I don't trust you as much as I should. Help me to be like Abraham with an unending faith. I'm going to trust you, too. Amen.

Generous blessings

The Lord will open the storehouses of the skies where he keeps the rain, and he will send rain on your land at just the right times. He will make you successful in everything you do... ~ Deuteronomy 28:12a (CEV)

Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. ~ John 1:16 (GNT)

KEY IDEA:

There is no end to the blessings that God gives.

PRAYER:

Great and generous God, thank you for the blessings in my life. There are way more than I can count -- at least right now. However, even with all your resources and all your generosity, I don't always live with a mindset of abundance. I'm afraid that if you bless someone else that there will not be enough left for me. Save me from this terrible way of thinking. And help me to celebrate the blessings that you give to others. I know that you will continue to bless me with success because I am trusting you to do so. Amen.

Trust and obey

And he obeys all my laws and teachings. Such a man will live. His own father sinned, but this good man will not be put to death for the sins of his father. ~ Ezekiel 18:17b (CEV)

Live in this way, knowing that you were not liberated by perishable things like silver or gold from the empty lifestyle you inherited from your ancestors. Instead, you were liberated by the precious blood of Christ... ~ 1 Peter 1:18-19a

KEY IDEA:

We find freedom when we reject the generational baggage that we inherit and instead trust Christ.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for the freedom that comes through Christ. I admit that I have inherited a lot of shallow thinking and restrictive unbiblical ways of approaching life. My goals are way too much in line with the empty lifestyle of the world. Help me to see where I need to make changes and then please empower me to set a new course that involves obeying you. Amen.

Appreciate God's kindness and generosity

The Lord says: I will take pleasure in doing good things for them... ~ Jeremiah 32:41a (GNT)

Jesus says: I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture. ~ John 10:9 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord loves to do good things for his people -- those who find him through Jesus.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for your kindness and generosity. I don't give you enough credit for what you do. I think up ways to try to get you to do more for me. But you are already doing it all. Help me to see and appreciate all that you are doing for me. I know that my capabilities to see and understand are limited, but I am going to be happy knowing that you are kind and generous. Amen.