Praying February...

Heavenly Father, sincere worship is one of the topics You spent time covering with Your children long ago. To this day, the Scriptures instruct me that I am to worship You not only with my whole heart and mind and soul, but in Spirit and in truth. I pray, help me have that deep connection with Your Holy Spirit that I can fulfill this command. Teach me what it means to be able to do this in a way that is authentic and with a sincere heart. Help me resist the temptation to hide behind rituals or think that the depth or sincerity of my worship has to do with a physical location. May I always have the reverence and humility that should accompany my worship because worship is more than outward; it is a lifestyle of surrender to You. It is a response to Your Word that dwells richly within me. As I learn to praise You in response to Your goodness towards me, and the more I treasure Your word in my heart the more my worship will be an overflow of my heart. 

I know You want more from me than surface, rote, and doing things for appearance; You created me and know I am capable of so much more, I am capable of worship that is heartfelt and sincere.

Help me release all cares, worries, and burdens that keep my spirit bound and hinder the fullness of worship. I pray, help me on my journey of cultivating authentic worship that is acceptable and pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen     

Inspiration for Today’s Prayer:

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, ad those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth—John 4:23-24  

Children, come and listen to me. I will teach you to worship the Lord. You must do these things to enjoy life and have many happy days—Psalm 34:11-12

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God—Colossians 3:16

God of Life and Hope of Tomorrow,

The Scriptures remind us that our days on earth are like grass and flowers: one moment they flourish and the next, they wither until they are completely gone. 

Like many other seasons in the church year, Lent reminds us—not only of our sinfulness and need or a Savior—but of our mortality; that we will not be around on earth forever. We are born, but all too soon we are saying goodbye to loved ones and friends. There is only so much time to accomplish the things You give us to do and be.

As we receive that smear of ashes either on our forehead or in the palm of our hand today may we be reminded that each day You grant us is a gift and that we should use it well; that we have no regrets in our tomorrow’s.

I pray, not only today, but each day, guide my thoughts, words, and actions so that they may reflect Your love in a world that so badly needs it. In times of challenge, help me find patience; and in moments of joy, deepen my gratitude.

May the richness of Lent be exactly what I need to experience a transformation of my heart, drawing me closer to Your presence and to the ways I can serve others in compassion and truth. 

May my places of drought turn into lush gardens. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen   

Going Deeper in the Word

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field, for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more—Psalm 103:15-16

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes—James 4:14

For dust you are, and to dust you shall return—Genesis 3:19

Heavenly Father,

The Scriptures instruct us that only fools are reckless and careless. I’ve learned through Your word and observed in my lifetime the outcome of fools isn’t good—even though they think they will come out on top. 

Father, I don’t desire to be a fool or reckless. I don’t want to be someone who disregards Your instruction or rejects Your wisdom. 

I’m also instructed through Your Word that the wise are cautious and turn away from evil. It’s my desire to be a wise person. I have learned it’s best and wise to turn away from evil and resist the devil’s temptations to do evil.   

I’ve also learned from Your Word that inviting the Holy Spirit to fill me and guide me is a wise prayer. With His guidance I will be able to make wise choices, be wise in my speech, make wise decisions to care for my body and life and in my relationships with others.   

Lord, through Your wise counsel and the power of observation, let me learn and apply godly, biblical wisdom to my life so I can prosper in every area of my life. I praise You Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. May I please You in all I do.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen  

Going Deeper in the Word

The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thoughts to his steps. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless—Proverbs 14:15-16

With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.—Job 12:13

How then does a man gain the essence of wisdom? We cross the threshold of true knowledge when we live in complete awe and adoration of God. Stubborn know-it-alls will never stop to do this, for they scorn true wisdom and knowledge—Proverbs 1:7

 Heavenly Father, You are our Sovereign Lord, the One in whom we can experience inner peace, strength of heart and wisdom. The One we can turn to, to find help, and will keep us encouraged on our journey home. 

Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who is with us day and night, through good times and hard times, never leaving our side for one moment. Because He is with us, we know we are not alone. He can be quietly present, and He can also make His presence known in ways there is no doubt He is standing right with us at that moment we need Him! 

Thank You for the patience He gives me. Better than anyone He knows we live in a world and environment where we want things to happen right away; everything is so real-time and instantaneous that it makes it hard to wait, Lord. In our mind we think our God is (too) slow, or worst yet, accuse You of being uncaring, or detached from our suffering. 

Forgive us, Father, that can never be true of You! You walk with us, You cry with us, You become angry when we are mistreated, You are always intervening, guarding and helping us.   

I pray for an extra measure of patience as I wait. In the moment I feel anxious and am tempted to take matters into my own hands I pray may the fruit of the Spirit’s patience fill me and control me. Help me to remember things such as “good things come to those who wait!” Truly, those who are willing to wait in and upon the Lord are never disappointed. 

May my soul be strengthened daily knowing and remembering that I am not abandoned nor forgotten. You are not like me who forgets You are working on something or gets distracted by other, more pressing matters, but You are steadfast and You will not quit working on my behalf until Your will and purposes are accomplished in my life. Surely, my health and peace come in waiting patiently.  

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Going Deeper in the Word  

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD—Lamentations 3:25-26

We wait for Yahweh; He is our help and shield. For our hearts rejoice in Him because we trust in His holy name—Psalm 38:15

God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not?—Psalm 62:5       

 Heavenly Father, this is the weekend so many will be observing and celebrating loving relationships. Married people, parents and children, dating couples, and those we have enjoyed long-time friend and companionship with. Over this weekend there will be exchanges of candy, cards with poetic sentiments, and many other gifts that express love.   

We are blessed to experience healthy, life-giving loving relationships during our earthly journey. We are blessed to have calendar days where we can stop and acknowledge those we appreciate and feel loving toward, but more than these beautiful earthly relationships we are blessed to have Your love with us, Your love that has sustained us down through the years and as old as the earth itself.

Thank You Father for Your love that is so great You sent Your only Son Jesus from heaven to give His own life so we could live with You eternally. Out of Your loving heart, You determined not even our sin and disobedience would separate us from Your love and presence and life. Your pure, immeasurable and unlimited, inexhaustible love has been the one thing that kept us out of the devil’s clutches and brought us back into the loving relationship You intended when You formed the first man and woman in the garden.

The Bible teaches us that love is central to Your nature and our relationships. Loving emphasizes patience, kindness and selflessness. We also learn there will be different kinds of love and there are the three characteristics of faith, hope, and love and Paul tells us that when everything else has ended it is love that will remain; love will always be the essential tie that binds Your heart to ours, ours to You and to one another.

Grant that we may become a more loving people and that our love will glorify You and honor You. Grant that we will daily commit our hearts to love and sharing love with others and that we will never fall into the trap of the world’s way of loving that only appears to be love.

We pray, Father, may we love one another as You have loved us and that our love tells others we belong to You. In Jesus, name we pray. Amen

Going Deeper in the Word

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life—John 3:16

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love—I John 4:7-8

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins—I Peter 4:8

  Holy Spirit, Source of Strength and Our Anchor,

You are the one who establishes me on solid ground and gives me firm footing. The One who, as the Scriptures say, “makes my feet like those of a deer able to stand on rocky, or unstable places”. 

It does not matter what kind of unsteadiness I am experiencing, whether the turmoil is from within or without. Anytime I call Your name and ask You to come and help me, You are here. 

I know the exact moment You arrive because I feel a calmness I did not have, my heart has peace it did not have, my soul is anchored, and an unexplainable strength and peace enters. My thoughts become and I can make a sound decisions and wise choices that bring life, not death. 

The difference of having You with me in my moment is like night and day. You shine the light where all was dark just moments before. You make me sure-footed, providing the grace, stability and agility I need to overcome obstacles and reach new heights in my faith. What a blessing when I hear Your voice whispering in my ear, “this is the way, walk in it.” 

Thank You Holy Spirit, Heavenly Friend for being my Anchor; the One who is gentle enough to cease my inner turmoil and powerful enough to impact and affect the external. For as long as I live, I will turn to You; I will testify to anyone where my source of strength and ability to be steady comes from. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen     

Going Deeper in the Word

He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights—Psalm 18:33 

We have this hope and anchor for the soul, firm and secure—Hebrews 6:19

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed u, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come—2 Corinthians 1:21-22 

 Holy Spirit, 

You are more than an unseen heavenly and supernatural presence with us and filling us, as the Scriptures reveal You are our guide through life. Isaiah wrote that whether we turn to the right or to the left we will hear a voice behind us saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isa. 30:21) Thank You for guiding us through this dark and chaotic world with Your perfect vision and insight, You even warn us of what is ahead so we can make wise decisions and step accordingly (John 16:13). 

You are our heavenly Helper and Teacher and Recaller. You assist us with our needs, giving us strength or wisdom or power. You teach us all things and help us recall (remember) all that is important. Whether it is something in the Scriptures, a promise from God we need to remember or where we last put our car keys, You bring to mind those things that are in the back of our mind or buried beneath the cares of this world that serve us for good and godly purposes (John 14:26).

You share the fruit and richness of Your character with us. Because You live inside us we have an abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and we have the powerful gift of self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)

Jesus reminds us You are the needful Spirit of Truth and will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). We can rely on You to speak the truth, show us the truth and reveal truth to us; this is a blessing over us that gives us a firm foundation to stand upon. 

You are a searcher of the heart; nothing is hidden from You. You search all things and know all things from motives of the heart to the things of God (I Cor. 2:10-11).

As a child of God I have the pleasure and privilege of being led by You (Romans 8:14). You enable me to keep in step with You so I don’t lag behind (Gal. 5:25). Thank You or all You do and bring to my life daily. Just as You bless me with Your heavenly presence, counsel, and strength I can in turn, bless others through my presence. With confidence of faith I ask for more of You my Friend! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Going Deeper in the Word

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come—John 16:13

In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God—I Corinthians 2:10-11

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God—Romans 8:14        

  Heavenly Father, 

I thank You for every gift of Your Holy Spirit; the fruit that grows and increases the longer He lives within me. Thank You for shaping my heart through Your Spirit to reflect Your love. Today, I lift my voice in praise for the beautiful fruit of gentleness. You, Lord are the perfect example of what it means to be tenderhearted. You are strong yet tender, mighty yet merciful. 

Because You have a tender, gentle side does not mean You cannot still be firm and strong. 

I pray, teach me to walk in that same spirit, to speak with kindness, to act with compassion and to carry peace into every place I go. Let my strength be clothed in humility, my words seasoned with grace and my hands ready to lift and support rather than to wound, break, or crush. I am not foolish or weak to be gentle and to be tender. 

Gentleness is neither counterproductive nor contradictory to having strength and being unmovable. You couple gentleness and strength; they are a powerful and attractive duo and spiritual coupling.  

Holy Spirit, people have gotten so used to being wounded or broken by the harshness of others they are surprised when someone does not use their weakness against them or tries to break or wound them. I pray, let Your gentleness in me be a light that draws others closer to You, so that in all I do, Your name is honored. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Going Deeper in the Word

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near—Philippians 4:5

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love—Ephesians 4:2

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience—Colossians 3:12   

  Holy Spirit, my Kind Friend and Companion, 

You are such a kind Person! It is the kindness of God that leads us to green pastures and quiet waters and restores our soul when we are weary. Your kind Spirit that provides a path to salvation through Jesus Christ the Son. 

When Jesus came to earth and lived among us, He was kind. It was His kind heart that healed the sick, made blind people see and lame people walk. In kindness He preached a good and refreshing word to the confused, so they could know He was the way, the truth and the light. 

Jesus never passed or overlooked someone who was downtrodden, pretending not to see them—but His kind heart and spirit always stopped and helped. Some saw Jesus’ kindness as weakness, but Jesus never let their misunderstanding keep Him from being who and what He was: our kind Savior and Friend. Even now, Jesus continues to show kindness toward us as He sits at the right hand of God, interceding for us.

I’m blessed Lord. Because You live in me, I have inherited Your kindness. When I am willing to practice kindness and let kindness be part of my character and attitude, it grows and increases; Your kindness has become one of my core values and allows me to be a true and pure reflection of who my God is. It’s one of the ways others know I have the Holy Spirit living in me. 

Beautiful Spirit, kindness may be sorely lacking in this world, I cannot help that others aren’t kind, but I can make sure I’m a kind person just as You are a kind Person Holy Spirit. Showing kindness to others is a testament to my faith and one of the ways I can glorify God. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Going Deeper in the Word

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience—Colossians 3:12

A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself—Proverbs 11:17

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you—Ephesians 4:32

  Holy Spirit, my Divine Source of unlimited, powerful, transformative peace,

When I nourish the gift of inner peace You place within me, clarity rises, my emotions settle, and resilience takes root. I understand what Paul meant when he spoke of “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, guarding my heart and mind.” 

When my inner world is calm, Holy Spirit, my decisions sharpen, my focus strengthens, and my creativity expands. I am not driven by external pressures but empowered by the inner equilibrium You provide through spiritual peace. Thank You for this awareness. Help me activate this gift daily so I may be fruitful, build connection, cultivate trust, and encourage cooperation wherever I go. 

Holy Spirit, I know who I am Holy Spirit. 

I receive my anointing of peace. 

I am a peacemaker. 

I am not a messy or chaotic person. 

I am someone who exudes peace, sows peace, and carries the transformative power of peace within me. As a peacemaker, I reap the harvest of righteousness, and empathy and wise communication. You have given me the ability to shift the atmosphere—from one of tension to trust, from aggression to understanding. The peace that flows from Your presence equips me to resolve conflicts and restore harmony.  

When I dress for my day, I will also put on the shoes of peace. I will walk in the spiritual strategy that leads to outcomes rooted in goodness and sustainability. 

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for helping me actively share my peace and become a walking, living expression of Your calming, healing presence—a person who brings positive change.  name I pray. Amen

Going Deeper in the Word

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all—2 Thessalonians 3:16

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God—Matthew 5:9

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body—Romans 12:18

  Holy Spirit my Supplier and Giver of Patience,

If we could get patience from a pill, or if patience could injected like one of semaglutide’s, we would do that. How easy patience could come to us, then! But unfortunately, that is not the way patience comes.

Sometimes we say Holy Spirit, patience only comes through trials and difficulties and having to wait on God, but that is not the way of patience either. Those are the times in our life we get to practice the patience You have so lovingly cultivated and nurtured as You abide within us. 

Thank You for the virtue of patience Holy Spirit. It is one of those fruit and characteristics that grows and fills us the more we ask to have more of You. Our patience increases as You increase in us. The more we are willing to resist and submit our free will and instead take on Your ways, the more we discover Your patience is taking root and taking over. 

Because You bring and share Your patience with us, we can be patient in affliction, patience while we wait on God, patient when we are being tested and tried. Taking on Your characteristic of patience means our journey can have an entirely different outcome than when we are impatient and going ahead of God. 

I pray, help me embrace patience so I can reflect the character of Christ and You, so I can grow closer to God and strengthen my relationship with Him and with others. I am thankful for all the opportunities that come where I can practice the patience You have sown into me; help me pass every test and be able to rejoice at the end knowing because I was patient I have received and can claim the victory. 

I love You Heavenly Friend. Thank You for Your patience with me as I am often slow to learn and slow to see the fruit You bring as an invaluable gift I should treasure and praise You for sharing with me.

In the name of Jesus who had perfect patience in all things. Amen

Going Deeper in the Word

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience—Colossians 3:12-13

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience—Galatians 5:22

Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be constant in prayer—Romans 12:12  

 Holy Spirit, my Peace-giver,

The longer we live together: You in me and I in You—the more Your beautiful essence of peace becomes mine. Your peace makes me like a sweet-smelling garden, a well-watered tree that does not wilt under heat, like a fruitful field that is lush and vibrant. 

The effect of Your righteousness living in me is peace—both internal and external and causes my own spirit to be quiet, calm, confident and trusting in God my Lord. I treasure your peace, Holy Spirit.

Thank You for the peace You sow into me that allows me to grow in grace and wait with expectation without agitation or frustration. Your peace is a shield all around and within me that buffets me from the enemy’s fiery arrows which are intended to sow anxiety and fretting in my spirit. When I have Your peace, I am not easily rattled, and I can take hold of the promises of God to make me a victor and experience abundance in my life and future.

Holy Spirit, my Friend, thank You for guiding and guarding by Your peace; Your peace is my protection and also my blessing. Because Your peace is mine, my heart beats steady and my mind is clear, my body is strong and my soul is anchored. I am safe in the storms and wise in my actions. Because I value Your Presence of Peace I am safe and my wellbeing is guaranteed. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen   

Going Deeper in the Word

‘till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. The LORD’s justice will dwell in h desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest—Isaiah 32:15-18

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:7

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid—John 14:27 

 Holy Spirit, my Friend and Guide through Life, the One who fills and promotes Joy in my being,

What remarkable and awe-inspiring ways You have about You heavenly Friend! You bring so many wonderful gifts and attributes with You when You come and make Your home in a believer’s heart. 

One of the biproducts of living with You daily and spending time in your presence is how Your nature of joy rubs off on me. Under Your ministry I learn that joy is more than happiness—which can come and go depending on my circumstances—but the joy You have and share with me is more like a deep-seated contentment that allows me to rejoice in God my Father and in earthly relationships. This deep-seated joy helps me not only rejoice in my own being but share with others. 

I’ve found, Holy Spirit, possessing the fruit of joy is one of the ways I am able to witness my faith in God and share my spiritual journey with those who don’t know Him or have a personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. They want to know how I can be “so joyful” when life is not going well, or when I am going through trials or facing challenges others might ordinarily collapse under. That becomes a natural opening for sharing the joy I have from God and Lord. 

While I’m grateful for moments and times where I am happy, I’m especially grateful and rejoice that I am blessed to experience the fruit of joy that not only uplifts me but is powerful enough to shift any atmosphere, impact the moods of others, and put a different slant on things. 

I ask for more of You Holy Spirit, and I pray that Your fruit of joy will increase in my being even more. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen  

Going Deeper in the Word

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand—Psalm 16:11

The joy of the Lord is your strength—Nehemiah 8:10

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete—John 15:11

Holy Spirit, my Heavenly Friend; the One who Fills and Empowers me to love,

The Scriptures teach me that love is more than an emotion. It goes beyond and is deeper than those warm, fuzzy feelings I can have for some. True and godly love is shown in my commitment to care for others and is a reflection of God’s love for me. I can therefore love those I have never met face to face and through a heart of love I can show care and concern for others in their time of need.   

When I allow You to fill my heart Holy Spirit, I can become a vessel of love that motivates me to treat others respectfully, have compassion, and be kind. Your love that flows into me can flow through me onto others. Living under the influence of Your love is powerful and transformational for me and others. 

Heavenly Friend, thank You for recognizing that loving is not easy and beyond human scope and capability. Without Your essence of love being knit into my being I am incapable of the kind of love the Father approves, I am incapable of overcoming the barriers that would keep me from loving with a godly love. Thank You for helping me love and for filling me with Your divine nature and fruit of love. 

Because You indwell me, I can overcome all temptations and barriers that would keep me from being the vessel of love I am ordained to be in this world. Because You are with me constantly, I am ready, capable, and willing to love even when I am tested and challenged. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Going Deeper in the Word of God:

We love because he first loved us—I John 4:19

Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity—Colossians 3:14

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud—I Corinthians 13:4