Isaiah 26: 3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Dear God,
I give thanks for a new day, and the improving ability to make the best of Your opportunities. I ask that You change my heart today and all days, so that I will learn lessons from the scriptures and the life experiences that come my way. I believe that it is possible no matter the circumstances, by the strength of the Spirit, I to be able to, “Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” Isaiah 26: 4. I have noted for myself and others along the way of life, there are trials and through them, the strength of my (our) faith and belief is revealed.
I give praise, for even though I may not always enjoy all the experiences that come my way, I have found that through Your strength, that I can count trials “all joy” James 1: 2.
I certainly know I need patience, throughout all areas of my life, and sadly patience was found wanting in me again this this morning. Please forgive me, and I will turn my eyes back upon Jesus, and accept His love and care. For I know this is the only answer to my needs, and especially in the time of trial, James 1:3 “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
Not in the Old or the New Testaments accounts, have You failed to love and support Your children throughout every experience of their lives, and when I stop to remember this, I am encouraged that You do this for me also.
Dear God,
Your own precious Son was treated very badly, persecuted and put to death, and then He left a world in which many of His followers were also persecuted or worse. For example, Peter, a disciple of Christ, who betrayed His Lord, at the time of the trial of Jesus, went on to be strong and courageous in his love and service for his Lord. I desire also to be strong and courageous in my love and service, for Jesus my Lord, in this different age and context. Peter has written (as have the other disciples) that as a follower of Christ, I can expect trials, and that they are good because my faith will be tested, to see if it is genuine, and thereby strengthened.
Today I ask that I be given the right understanding and attitude so with acceptance of trials, I can be fully grounded in my faith and dependence upon You. But also as Peter writes in 1 Peter 4: 13, these trials will be a way for me to share in the sufferings of Christ, my Saviour. In the strength of the Holy Spirit and faith in my Saviour, I can greatly rejoice in trials, 1 Peter 1: 6”In this You greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.”
I am so sorry Lord, that I have at times, not accepted some of the trials of life in a happy frame of mind, and have instead found that when I look to myself, the trials became totally sad times, causing me to became cast down in a way that did not bless me or others. At the times when I allowed myself to be lifted up, and trust In Your care, to teach and nourish me mentally and spiritually, I have found that I reached a new level of experience and spiritual understanding. I believe the writers and prophets of the Bible and all of us who learn to wholly trust in You, will come through in the end, as gold tried in the fire.
It will all be worth it one day when I and everyone from earth are with You in heaven and later the earth made new.
Amen