Heavenly Father, I praise You for today. I praise You for keeping me humble and aware that I can not do this life without You in it. I praise You for my heritage and the Godly people You put in my life from a very early age, all the way until now. I praise You for helping me to learn what the word obey means, and now that I am a father, I get to see the picture from a different side. Help me today to take command of my day so that I can shake all evil from it.
Holy Spirit, thank you for teaching me as a child to come under my parents' authority and to honor my parents for rearing me to fear You without harming me. I know it has been well with me most of my life, and that I have made it almost to 60, so I have lived long on this earth. Help me to continue not to provoke my children to anger, but now that they are adults, to continue to give them advice instead of correction and discipline.
Holy Spirit, help me to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Putting on the whole armor of God that I may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For my fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [Ephesians 6:10-12]
Holy Spirit, You inspired Paul to write: Since I am raised with Christ, I will learn to desire those things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Help me to set my affection on things above, not be consumed or love for things on the earth. For I am dead, and my life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is my life, shall appear, then I also shall appear with Him in glory. Teach me to put to death the parts of my earthly nature: sexual immorality, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because I am learning these things, the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. I used to live that life with them. I must now put away all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language out of my mouth. I no longer can lie to others, for that was part of my old nature or way, because I am embracing the new nature to emulate Christ, who has and is becoming my all in all. Thank You for being my guide and prompter as I grow in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen. [Colossians 3:1-11, MEV and paraphrased by me]