Stand Strong...

Lord, that I may bring honor and glory to Your Name through the things I do and say. That I may continually be growing my faith and my relationship with You. That I may always be obedient to You and be able to live up to Your expectations of my life by living out each of Your purposes. That I may always be demonstrating Your love through kind words and acts to other people, always remembering them in my prayers. To You my Lord and my God be the glory.

A prayer written during my Small Group study on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Be Devoted To One Another...

Romans 12:9-10 NIV
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

This is difficult to do, to honor others above myself is tough. Too often I find myself in prayers for me, leaving little room for other people. "Quit praying about yourself and spend your life for the sake of others as a bondservant of Jesus. That is the true meaning of broken bread and poured out wine." - Oswald Chambers, Utmost (7/15). Jesus wants me to pray for and serve other people. That is being a humble servant of my Lord Jesus Christ. My Love must be sincere, not done out of obligation, but as a true sense of desire for other people and for my Lord.

Help me Lord to sincerely love others above myself. To truely live out of desire to express Your love. That I may be devoted to my family, my friends, and other people in prayer and in service. To humbly put them above me in my actions and in my available time. To You my Lord be the glory.

No One But You...

Lord, that I may live a "life of salvation" in preparation for Your anticipated return. That I may live in ever deepening relationship with You, that I may serve other people with the talents and life You have given me, that I may continually express Jesus and His grace to other people. That my life might be a complete expression of worship and devotion to You my Lord, my Savior, my God.

Lord, that You will provide protection of my "life of salvation" when I put on the spiritual breastplate of faith and love which covers my spiritual vital organs of character and soul against the attacks of temptation leading to sin. And when I put on the helmet of hope in salvation may it protect my eyes leading to my vision of You God, my tongue to speak love, and my mind to be in continual, deepening relationship with You my Lord (see 1 Thessalonians 5:8). "In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You." (Oswald 7-11).

To You my Lord and my Savior  be all the glory.

...from my reflective prayer in the Small Group study of Thessalonians.

Abound in Love....

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 (SG Bible study)

Lord, protect me from the lust of the flesh and from sexual immorality. Help me to "abound in love" for my wife and to reflect on Prov 5:18,19 - "rejoice with the wife of your youth"

Help me Lord to "abound in love" for other people. To be kind, to listen to them, and to pray for them. To invite Your Spirit to my work place to help me execute this.

That I Lord may honor You in all that I say and all that I do. To You my Lord be the glory and the honor.