Heavenly Father, I praise You for today. I praise You for being a God and the Creator who knows me, my heart, my mind, and my deepest desires and secrets. I praise You for demonstrating mercy and grace and for the gift of salvation. I praise You for Your desire to have a relationship with Your creation, especially Your desire to have a relationship with me. Help me today to take command of my day, renew my thoughts, and be a living sacrifice and a living temple for You so that I can shake the evil from my day, think and see clearly and try to live righteously with Your Spirit within me, giving me wisdom and discernment.
Christ said to us: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33] I have faced trials, tribulations, and trouble in my life. I have known hurt, pain, and heartache, yet deep within me, I have peace I cannot explain or clearly describe to others. It dwells deep within who I am. I live with the knowledge that I will most likely die someday, and I have faced death on more than one occasion in my life so far. My peace comes probably from the realization that I have and will have life beyond this life. I will be made whole, and I will see Jesus one day. For me, that gives me peace and helps me understand how Christ overcame the world. He defeated death, took the keys from hell, and reigns to this day. This is truly no longer my home, and each day I grow more homesick for my real home that will be free of sin, evil, doubt, fear, chaos, and constant noise.
And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed “forever.” In Jesus’ name, Amen! [2Samuel 7:28&29]