Today's Verse - Psalm 51:12

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

—Psalm 51:12

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

In the face of sin and separation from God, grace is God's refreshing stream that restores our salvation - making it existentially real to us. In our struggles with suffering, grief, and loss, only God's grace and his Holy Spirit ministering to our spirits can help us find a sustaining and willing spirit. This ongoing joy of salvation comes only when we realize and accept the forgiveness, grace, restoration, and Spirit-inspired refreshment God has given us - in other words, we get to drink from the stream of grace as the Holy Spirit wells up within us with heaven's living water to refresh us (John 7:37-39). So we can say with confidence that God will restore to us the joy of our salvation, and he will grant us a willing spirit to sustain us!

My Prayer...

Holy and Righteous Father, I long for the outbreak of joy in your salvation as I see in the book of Acts. I pray that your Spirit leads us into another era of outreach, conversion, and celebration. I pray for wisdom to know and for eyes to see those around me who are most open to the Gospel - people with a willing spirit open to your salvation. I want to be a partner with you in your ongoing work of salvation, for I know that, as I do, I will get to experience again and again the joy of your salvation. And I will experience the Holy Spirit welling up within me as a useful vessel in your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, I offer myself to you as I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

—Psalm 37:4

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Rather than seeing this as a way to get our wish list granted, let's see it for what it really is - an invitation to seek a loving, dependent relationship with God above all other things and to find our delight in him. In finding him, in delighting in him, we will find our priorities properly aligned and our hearts tuned to desire what is really valuable and what he longs to give to us. Then we will see that what we have in him is our heart's greatest desire. This is not a promise to get all the stuff we want; it's a promise to find in God all that we need, and then we find our delight in what pleases him.

My Prayer...

Awesome and Gracious Father, we confess to you that too often our hearts are full of selfish desires. Today, however, we recognize, dear Father, that you are the one we most need, and your will is what our hearts most desire. Please kindle your Spirit in us so that we can see through any selfish deception that would rob us of having you first in our lives. Please forgive us for the times we were petty, selfish, and shallow. May we know you as much as possible, as mortals can know you, not so that we may have our selfish desires fulfilled, but so that you may be honored in what we seek, and we find our delight in what you bring. Because of your grace, and in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - Psalm 27:14

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

—Psalm 27:14

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

If there is anything we don’t like to do, it is to wait. Maybe that is why God is so interested in us learning to do it - to learn to prayerfully wait on him. There is something purifying about remaining strong in tough times and remaining faithful when ill winds blow. So God gives us times to wait on him to see whether our search is really about him or merely looking for an easy way out of our messes. I don't know about you, but I am going to wait on the LORD because that's where my future, my hope, and my strength will come from.

My Prayer...

Loving Father, I know you have waited patiently for me so many times - for me to show my faith, repent of my sins, grow in holiness, come to you in prayer, act more maturely, give to those who cannot return my grace and care, and you have waited on me for so many other things and in so many other times. Thank you! Thank you for waiting! Now please help me be strong and take heart as I wait for you to show me your way to handle my decisions, act to meet my needs, reveal your presence in my loneliness, and let me see your coming deliverance. I really do seek you with all my heart. So, dear Father, in Jesus' name, I wait and trust in you. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.