Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6 NLT  I pray you'll immerse yourself in God's Word understanding that it has always proven true and serves as a faithful protective shield in your life. Reflect on how God has proven to you the truth of His Word. Likewise, reflect on how God has been your protective shield along the way. See the conditions for you must come to Him and you must not tamper with His Word. Examine yourself at this point. Do you reverently value and respect the Word of God? What is God saying to you about His Word today? What will you do when He rebukes you and exposes sin in your life?

  Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:108 NLT  I pray you'll deepen your devotion to the Lord Jesus through reading, mediating, memorizing, studying and obeying His holy Word. Accept the challenge to prayerfully read through Psalm 119 in its entirety. It will take you a little over 15 minutes to complete. Look for every time a variation of a word for the Word (law, instruction, decree etc.) occurs. May God give you a new appreciation and love for His Word. May God show you the true value of the Word for your own vibrant spiritual walk with Jesus. The longest chapter in the Bible goes through the Hebrew alphabet extolling the beauty, practicality, and power of the Word from A to Z (for us). Jesus is the Alpha and Omega (A to Z for us). Would you take another 15 minute challenge and go through our alphabet coming up with an adjective for each letter to praise Him for His Word? Is there any reason that's keeping you from reading, mediating, memo

  O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” 2 Chron 20:12 NLT I pray when faced with insurmountable odds and no sense of what to do that you'll be like Jehoshaphat who confessed our eyes are on You. The Lord showed him how to be victorious. The strategy was unconventional but one that ensured God's glory. The singers were put first in front of the battle lines, praising the Lord. The victory was a result of putting their eyes on the Lord, listening for His instructions and then, acting on what He said. Are your eyes on Jesus as you confess your need for His help? Will you hear His solution and strategy? Will you obey no matter what others may think? Are you praising God first?

  This is the route the Israelites followed as they marched out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress. These are the stages of their march, identified by the different places where they stopped along the way. Numbers 33:1-2 NLT I pray you'll take some time to ponder on the stages of your spiritual journey, the progress and the stops along the way. Thank God for His faithfulness, provisions and mercies. When you walk in obedience the Lord orders your steps and is with you every step of the way. When you stray from the way, the Lord lovingly disciplines you and reorients your life back to Him. What is God saying to during this current stage of the journey? How have you seen God's faithfulness, provision and mercies?

  Now may the God of peace--who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Heb. 13:20-21 NLT  I pray you'll make this your prayer this morning. Start by giving God the glory for He is your Peace, your Risen Lord Jesus, your Great Shepherd and your Ratifier of the eternal covenant through His blood. Next, praise Him for what He has promised to do through you. Will you ask Him to equip you with all you need for doing His will? Will you ask Him to produce in you, through the power of Jesus, every good thing you need for pleasing Him?

  Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. Acts 3:19-21 NLT  I pray you'll give thanks for how the Father did a redeeming work in your life, how Jesus Christ the Son of God gave His life for you and how the Holy Spirit brings times of refreshing to you. Repentance leads to times of refreshing. Restoration comes from God's presence. When the gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed it leads to a multiplication of disciples and churches. How is repentance and experiencing God's presence being reflected in you?

  Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. Jonah 3:1-3 NLT  I pray you'll thank God for His goodness and grace to give you another opportunity to hear His Word and obey Him (this time). Failure does not have to be final. He is the God of the first, second, etc. chances but don't presume upon Him. Obeying the first time will save you much heartache and grief. God calls you first to a life of intimacy which leads to a calling to cities in need of the gospel. Have you been disobedient and falsely believed God could never use you again? What place or peoples is He calling you to take the gospel to?

  A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty. Proverbs 28:19 NLT  I pray you'll not only think about the value of hard work as unto the Lord but ask the Lord to deliver you from chasing fantasies. Ponder on that word "fantasies" and seek to stay grounded in the reality of knowing and doing the will of God. God gives grace, saves us by marvelous grace and has preordained the good works for us to do for His glory and kingdom advance. What are the fantasies you are chasing right now? How are you putting yourself in a position to express your love for Him through your work?

  Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory! Psalm 118:19-21 NLT  I pray you'll enter into those gates and experience His presence, answered prayers, and victory. Thanks be to God for making you righteous and godly through Christ's finished work on the cross! Thanks be to God for answering your prayers! Thanks be to God for the victory in Jesus! Does this describe your level of intimacy with Christ? Will you enter in through those gates and draw near to Him?

  and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the Lord. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.” 2 Chronicles 19:6-7 NLT I pray you'll think carefully before pronouncing judgment and make pleasing the Lord your number one aim. Fear the Lord and judge with integrity. Be on guard against perverted justice, partiality and bribes. God expects His leaders to be holy and distinctive from the world's way of doing things. How are you doing in relation to this standard as a leader? What particular area needs to be addressed in your life?

  Then Moses said, “If you keep your word and arm yourselves for the Lord’s battles, and if your troops cross the Jordan and keep fighting until the Lord has driven out his enemies, then you may return when the Lord has conquered the land. You will have fulfilled your duty to the Lord and to the rest of the people of Israel. And the land on the east side of the Jordan will be your property from the Lord. But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:20-23 NLT  I pray you'll keep your word and obey all the instructions the Lord gives you. If you fail at this point, hear the warning that your sin will find you out. You can't hide your sin. What has God told you to do? How are you failing to keep your word?

   By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:20-22 NLT  I pray you'll thank Jesus our great High Priest who gave His life blood for our sins. By His death, He has opened a new and life-giving way to enter into His holy presence. Jesus cleanses and purifies us making it possible to enter into the most Holy Place. Will you think on His great once for all sacrifice that He made for you? Will you obey the call of "let us go" and enter right into His Most Holy Place?

  He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8 NLT  I pray you'll see how Jesus's Great Commission is also in Acts and the focus is on witnessing for Him in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's to be done here, there and everywhere. It's going to all nations. Don't miss how easily distracted they were by trying to figure out end times events. The task is unfinished and God has empowered us to fulfill His commission in the power of the Holy Spirit. How is your focus on Jesus and His Great Commission? What's distracting you?

  Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to rule over the mountains of Edom. And the Lord himself will be king!” Obadiah 1:21 NLT I pray you'll meditate on what it means to be rescued from your enemies and see the Lord Himself ruling as your King. The Edomites were a cruel enemy and this prophet's sermon is a pronouncement of God's judgment. The ending of this book in verse 21 puts a period on everything because God Himself is King. Is Jesus your King and how is that evident in your life?

  Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised. Proverbs 27:21 NLT  I pray you'll realize God the Father refines you through fire (life's trials and circumstances) and is at work to make you pure and holy like His Son Jesus. Don't miss an overlooked form of refining, and that's words of praise and affirmation directed at you Do you use them as a way to praise God and humbly deflect the glory away from yourself to Him. It's a test most fail. Are you using the words of praise as an opportunity to glorify God? Have you forgotten that apart from Christ you can do nothing of eternal value? How will be ready to glorify God when someone praises you today?

  The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die. O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains. I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people--in the house of the Lord in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! Psalm 116:15-19 NLT  I pray you'll remember those who are grieving the loss of a loved one and reassure them how God deeply loves and cares for those who are His. He welcomes them home as faithful servants. Let God know how thankful you are for His loving care and the freedom you have in Christ.

  Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15  NLT I pray you'll assess your current situation before God and obey the conditions God set forth in this promise. Take this personally and don't just think nationally or church. How will you humble yourself before God this morning? When you pray is it real and heartfelt before God? Will you consider for yourself what means to seek His face? Will you contritely turn from any sinful practice and thoughts? Will you learn this verse and live the truth on a daily basis?

  One day the Lord said to Moses, “Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters.” (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) Numbers 27:12-13 NLT  I pray you'll reflect on the seriousness of demonstrating God's holiness to those He has called you to shepherd. This might be a church or your own family. God has called you to lead with holiness. Are they seeing you relate to God as holy? How often are you showing others just how holy God is and what does that look like?