Heavenly Father I give You honor, glory, and praise from my heart. I thank You for creating me and giving me purpose in living. I ask that You teach me, help me to take command of my morning, and help me renew my mind today as I do my best to pray unceasingly and meditate on Your word and Your will for my life. I will do my best to push through all that I face today and speak and act as a true son and representative of You as I do my part to bring Your Kingdom here.
Holy Spirit I have walked this earth for 58 years and I have seen and faced many things in my life and now and then I take a moment to question myself. Why do I believe? Why do I live the way I do? Why do I bother to pray or read Your words?
I do this to fulfill the command of Peter, the rock on which Christ started His church. Peter wrote to all of us being inspired by the Holy Spirit: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.” I also remember what You inspired Paul to write: “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the One working in you to will and do His good pleasure.” [1Peter 3:15&16, Philippians 2:12&13]
I have seen, lived, and know too much to not believe. To the very foundation of who I am as a person I know that God is real, He is my creator, and His word is true. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He desires a relationship with me and that my whole being desires to have that relationship with Him. As I have grown in wisdom and hard lessons learned since I turned my life over to Christ when I was 16, I do my best to live life as close as I can to what I feel God wants me to do, say, and respond. I am in no way perfect, smart, or as close to God as Enoch or many of the others who lived before me. I pray for multiple reasons: 1. I have seen what happens when I don’t pray. 2. It helps me to control my emotions and my thoughts. 3. I have seen God move in ways I have never imagined. 4. It is the only way I can have a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit because all relationships have as a foundation the ability to be honest and communicate for two to become one-minded. 5. I want to see what God is going to do next, whether it is changing me or changing the world around me. 6. I am compelled to lift others in prayer for this is why I was created in the first place.
Help me to adhere to what the Psalmist wrote and let this be my prayer each morning of my day: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens, He has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other nothing is hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold than much pure gold, they are sweeter than honey than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Amen. [Psalms 19]