Heavenly Father, I praise You for today and for Your Holy Spirit guiding me each day. I praise You for rest and sleep to reenergize me to face the day. I praise You for Your word and how it comforts me. Help me today to take command of my day and capture my thoughts so that I can shake all evil from them.
“You are trustworthy in all Your promises and faithful in all that You do.” [Psalm 145:13] I can not begin to explain the comfort this verse brings me. I have very few close friends, but the ones I do have, I would trust with my life. I have many acquaintances whom I enjoy being around at different times, but my closest friends and my wife are the ones I trust explicitly, and that gives me comfort and confidence to face life each day. Knowing I can trust You is what my hope and faith use as a foundation for my growth and being.
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 by the love for things on 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 can no longer 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]