Listen & Pray Before You Fall Sleep | The Best Peaceful Bedtime Prayers To Bless You

now I want to read you a few passages of scripture that should serve as a warning to all of us about pursuing ungodly sinful appetites Romans 1:4 says therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves a different translation says God also gave them up to uncleanness and the lusts of their hearts now if you read Romans 1: 26 the Bible says for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions for their women exchange natural relations for those that are contrary to Nature and then if you move on to Romans 1: 28-35 the Bible says and since they did not not see fit to acknowledge God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice they are full of Envy murder Strife deceit maliciousness they are gossips slanderers haters of God insolent huy boastful inventers of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them so on three occasions the Bible say says these four words God gave them up God gave them up in the lust of their hearts God gave them up to dishonorable passions God gave them up to a debased mind be warned that if you are persistent in entertaining that appetite for sin if you choose to reject God and you don't repent there consequences if you're consistent in feeding the appetite for ungodly things you're telling the Lord that you do not want him you don't desire to be with him so I encourage you Saints let us starve any and every desire that we have for sin let us have an appetite for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Alone now let's pray together father I come before you today giving you thanks and giving you glory and praise God you alone are worthy and as I come before you today Father I come with an open heart and an open mind God I ask that you look deep within me may you look at what my appetites are may you analyze what I yearn for and should you find anything unclean or immoral remove it Lord remove that which does not please you Lord Jesus should you find that I have an appetite for any kind of uncleanliness remove it Lord and God I ask that you would replace it with a Godly passion Ephesians 4: 1-3 I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace God Almighty I pray that you would give us pure and godly appetites Lord plant within us an insatiable desire to live a life that exhibits a Godly character Lord we want to live a life that has Integrity a life that expresses gratitude for the Salvation that you've given us Lord help us to for forsake self-righteousness help us to be free from addictions and any cravings for sin Lord You've not called us to impurity but you have called us to live in Holiness I read in your word where it says in John 7: 37-39 on the last day of the feast the great day Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive for as yet the spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified Lord we thirst for your living water we come to you Lord Jesus because only you can satisfy the needs that are in our hearts I pray that you'd give me an appetite to pray without ceasing I pray that you'd give me a strong and passionate desire to worship you in spirit and in truth Lord Jesus give me a heart that seeks to praise you despite my circumstances may I have eyes that see your goodness in every situation Lord and father I ask that you would help me to be a believer who is filled with the word may I only find nourishment and fulfillment in you King Jesus 1 Peter chap 2 veres 1-3 so put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good father I have truly tasted your goodness and I pray for myself along with each and every person under the sound of my voice that we may find our ultimate fulfillment in your presence and in your presence alone may we become uncomfortable when we are in situations or surroundings that are not pleasing to you when we begin to entertain things that do not Glory ify you God Holy Spirit I ask that you would make us uneasy and I ask that we would become sensitive to your leading Holy Spirit sensitive to your nudges able to sense you in a way that we know when there's something that's happening that's not pleasing to you that's not glorifying to you something that the enemy is trying to use to open adore in US father make us ever so sensitive to that may we find spiritual and emotional nourishment in your presence father and all that we do King Jesus let our appetite be to know you more to walk with you more to abide in you more let us be hungry for the one who's the bread of life let us thirst for the one who has Living Waters Lord I want to thank you for hearing this prayer may your name be blessed and honored forever more it's in Jesus name that we pray and we give you thanks amen Lord Jesus we thank you for your love and grace we thank you for the unmar favor that is Upon Our Lives we put our trust in you a God who never fails us father at this time we ask that you remove every crutch from our lives may we know you King Jesus to be enough remove everything that we lean on and Trust in so that All That Remains is you Lord help us to come to the knowledge and understanding that your great is indeed sufficient your power is indeed made perfect in our weakness through all the situations we Face may we come to know and to see that your love King Jesus is enough your grace is enough your word is enough your joy is enough and outside of you master we need no one one else and nothing else Psalm 103:8 says the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in Mercy so many things you have given us Lord that we do not deserve so many times you've forgiven us and shown us Mercy only for us to fall again but today Master we seek your forgiveness and repent we thank you because instead of fear you have given us a spirit of power love and a sound mind instead of sickness you have given us the assurance that by your stripes we are healed with all the times that we have sinned and fallen short you still call for us to repent and follow you and in addition to that your arms are still open your word in Matthew 11: 28 to 29 says come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls we did nothing to deserve this love yet you still offer it and so we thank you we are we're grateful and we appreciate your goodness Lord Jesus we do not deserve the protection you offer but you still give your angels charge over us to keep us safe in our going out and in our coming in and for that we say thank you Lord we certainly don't deserve the peace you've offered us but yet you still told us not to let our hearts be troubled because you are a God who supplies all of our needs our prayer Lord is that we may live in a way that honors you that pleases you thank you for your Amazing Grace a Grace that saves a a Grace That Forgives and shows us Mercy in your Amazing Grace we are safe we are secure and lack nothing because your grace is sufficient your word in second Peter 1 verse two says Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our lord I bless your name father for the grace and peace which you have multiplied in my life and over my family I am grateful for your love and grace which has transformed my life I only pray that my life will be an example a living testimony of your grace and mercy and favor you have made me an overcomer in this world you have given me Authority through the name of Jesus Christ Authority which enables me to defeat the Devil you Lord have made me more than a conqueror you have made me the head and not the tail you have placed me above and not beneath all of these wonderful things are undeserved but because you are a God who is rich in love mercy and Grace you have given me that which I do not deserve and I am grateful you King Jesus have given me the gift of eternal life because you love me enough to sacrifice your own life and hang on a cross so that I may be saved thank you for saving me thank you for pulling me out of a despairing pit and placing me on steady ground I thank you for making me in your image and in your likeness I ask that you stay with me and stay by my side always great is your faithfulness Master thank you for your Amazing Grace over my life in Jesus name I I pray [Music] amen Heavenly Father we thank you right now for another opportunity to praise you another opportunity to worship you another opportunity to fellowship with you in prayer and Lord as we come to you right now we come asking you to help us guard our hearts Lord fill our hearts with your word fill our hearts with your spirit help us to be vigilant against every force of evil and every cunning lie of man God help us to be in the world but not of it help us to be in this world but not love it Empower us to be a strong Godly influence in this world rather than for us to be influenced by this world Lord Jesus help us to be salt in this earth help us to be light in darkness your word says in Philippians 4:8 finally brothers and sisters whatever is true whatever is Noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things Lord I pray that I would not be like a sponge that absorbs all the filth of this world no Lord instead let me be like a mirror let me be like a mirror that reflects your goodness for everyone to see Let each of us be like mirrors that reflect your love Lord our prayer is that you would create clean Hearts within us renew a right Spirit within us give us the grace to make our ways pure before your sight whenever sinful desires start creeping in give us the strength King Jesus to resist the devil and father I pray that you would forgive me if at times I let things get into my heart that may end up hindering my walk with you and I know that these things they'd only destroy me physically spiritually emotionally if I continue to hold on to them so God I'm asking you to give me the awareness to recognize those things give me the strength to get rid of them Father I know that you've told me in your word to guard my heart and so Lord I ask that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and help me to be the gatekeeper of My Heart Lord help me to let nothing enter except what is Godly what is pure what is pleasing in your eyes your word says in James 4:8 draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you Sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded Lord give us hearts that seek only to be closer to you I know that from my heart flow the Springs of Life so help me to guard it with my life give me a hunger to open your word daily and to Simply soak in your lifegiving truth God may I be so filled with your spirit that I can no longer stand to be in the presence of anything contrary to your will 2 Timothy 2: 21 says therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable he will be a vessel for Honor hble use set apart as holy useful to the master of the house ready for every good work father thank you for setting me apart you've called me out of this wicked and evil generation and you've shown me the joy that comes with following and obeying you I Delight in you father and I pray that you would have mercy on me father I thank you for your your mercy and I thank you for giving me a fresh start I know that I fall short of the glory of God but I also know that there is no heart that is too damaged or too broken there's no heart that's too stained by sin that it can't be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb all glory be to Christ forever and ever in Jesus name amen now let us pray Holy Father thank you for giving me the capacity to see and appreciate the beauty of the Gospel Lord thank you for opening my eyes thank you for removing the scales from my eyes so that I can truly see the wonders of your glory and your grace open my eyes so that I can really see your Amazing Grace indeed I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I see and I am only able to see your goodness because you have opened my eyes and given me understanding father only you can see the realities of this world as they truly are only you are able to tell right from wrong with perfect perfect judgment Lord Jesus open my eyes and give me wisdom forgive me if my focus is on the wrong things help me not to waste my time and quarrel over minor things I pray that you would help me to see the greater picture Lord help us shift our Focus to the Glorious and true Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel in which there is no room for interpretation or debate as your word says there is one God and one mediator the person of Jesus Christ help us all to grasp that reality and to stand amazed in awe Lord you are all powerful and all knowing you see far beyond what I am humanly able to perceive you see every Dimension every point in time all at once so help me not to question what you have spoken to be true help me not to let doubts creep in and cloud my vision Lord remove the scales from my eyes help me to see clearly help me not to Cloud reality with my own interpretation or my own vision of the world let my world view be completely grounded in your word help me to walk by faith and not by sight expand my view from the Earthly to the Heavenly give me the ability to be able to see and recognize those who are wolves and sheep's clothing these people may appear trustworthy on the outside but they are only out to deceive father don't let me fall for any of their clever words give me the ability to see the devil's True Colors even as he masquerades like an angel of Light temptation is strong but God you are stronger help me to fasten tightly the belt of Truth so that none of Satan's lies make it into my heart God help me to see the spiritual reality ities that aren't apparent to me help me to see things the way you want me to and not just what my sinful heart wants to believe make the gospel beautiful in my sight and make Sin appear to me as the Abomination that it is I want to perceive this world in the same way you do Lord Jesus and so father rid me of my own desires my own lens CES my own preconceived biases and like Paul on the road to Damascus awaken in my heart a greater love for you in Jesus name I pray [Music] amen it is my personal belief that a strong believer in Christ is someone who has no crutches and when I say crutches I'm talking about everything apart from God that we put our hope in a crutch is anything that stops you from completely throwing yourself into the arms of God some people trust in the money that they've saved others trust in their own ability other people put more trust in the opinions of doctors and scientists over God the word of man has more weight in their hearts than the word of God but dear listener we need to remove every crutch in our lives we need to get to a place where we say either I stand completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't stand at all either I walk by faith completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't walk at all the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 but but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May rest on [Music] me God's grace is enough for you to stand strong God's grace is enough for your family and you can only find this out when you remove every crutch in your life and this knowledge of just how much God's grace is sufficient for you only comes when you reach a place where nothing else will do no one else will do and for sure nothing else will work only Jesus this should be our prayer Lord remove everything I am leaning on that's not you remove anything that using as a crutch and help me to see that you are enough your grace is sufficient enough only Jesus Christ should be the solid rock on which you stand on because all other ground is sinking sand when you remove every crutch from your life and you cling to Jesus you will find his word to be true Isaiah 40:29 it tells us that that he gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength if you put your trust in people they will fail you if you put your trust in material things they will fail you if you trust yourself if you trust in your abilities you will fail but some trust in horses some trust in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord Our God We Trust in the name that is above every other name and that is Jesus Christ and so if you'll remember only one thing from my message today remember this man will fail you people will fail you things will fail you money will fail you but Jesus Christ will never fail you for a moment I'd like for us to meditate on Psalm 31 in this Psalm we witness a range of emotions and experiences from Deep distress to unwavering trust just like in our own lives we move from season to season we go from a time of peace and joy to a time of Challenge and difficulty we go from a season where your faith is strong and sturdy to a season where your faith may be shaken and you just have to hold on I believe Psalm 31 shows us the reality of Life the psalm is Journey from sorrow to praise it reflects the complexities of human emotion and it shows the transformative power of relying on God it teaches us the importance of entrusting Our Lives to God's care even when we're facing adversity and it reminds us of God's faithful protection and his unfailing love for us and so Psalm 31 veres 1- 24 verse 1 says oh Lord I have come to you for protection don't let me be disgraced save me for you do what is right in this verse the psalmist Begins by expressing his trust in God's protection and his righteousness he pleads for God to Shield him from shame and rescue him from any situation that threatens his well-being verse two turn your ear to listen to me rescue me quickly be my rock of protection a fortress where I will be safe the psalmist ask God to attentively hear his plea for help he seeks God's Swift intervention comparing him to a solid rock and a fortress where he can find Safety and Security verse three you are my rock and my Fortress for the honor of your name lead me out of this danger the psalmist reaffirms his Alliance on God's strength and protection he emphasizes that God's reputation and honor are at stake and he asked to be rescued from imminent danger for the sake of God's name verse four pull me from the trap my enemies set for me for I find protection in you alone the psalmist acknowledges the schemes of his enemies and he asks God to rescue him from their traps he emphasizes his exclusive Reliance on God for protection and safety verse five I entrust my spirit into your hand Rescue Me Lord for you are a faithful God here the psalmist places his life and well-being into God's care echoing Jesus's words on the cross he entrust himself to God's faithfulness and pleads for deliverance verse 6 I hate those who worship worthless Idols I trust in the Lord the psalmist expresses his disdain for those who worship idols or false Gods he contrasts this with his personal trust in the true Lord indicating his commitment to God's guidance and Care verse seven I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love for you have seen my troubles and you care about the anguish of my soul the psalmist shifts to a tone of gratitude and joy he rejoices in God's unwavering love and compassion acknowledging that God is aware of his troubles and deeply cares for his emotional well-being verse eight you have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place the psalmist Praises God for not allowing him to fall into the hands of his enemies he acknowledges God's intervention placing him in a secure and protected position verse 9 have mercy on me Lord for I am in distress tears blur my eyes my body and soul are withering away the psalmist humbly acknowledges his distress and sorrow he asks for God's mercy describing both the physical and emotional toll his troubles have taken on him verse 10 I am dying from grief my years are shortened by sadness sin has drained my strength I am wasting away from within the psalmist continues to describe his suffering he attributes his physical and emotional decline to grief and he acknowledges the toll that sin has taken on his well-being verse 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors even my friends are afraid to come near me when they see me on the street they run the other way the psalmist laments the social isolation he experiences his enemies neighbors and even friends treat him with contempt and fear avoiding him in public verse 12 I am ignored as if I were dead as if I were a broken pot the psalmist here Compares himself to an ignored and discarded object highlighting the extent of his isolation and the lack of regard he receives verse 13 I have heard the many rumors about me and I am surrounded by Terror my enemies conspire against me plotting to take my life the psalmist acknowledges the rumors and threats that surround him he describes the fear he faces due to the conspiracies and plots of his enemies who seek to harm him verse 14 but but I am trusting you oh Lord saying you are my God amidst his difficulties the psalmist declares his unwavering trust in God he affirms his relationship with God acknowledging him as his Lord and source of security verse 15 my future is in your hands rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly the psalmist entrust his future to God's control acknowledging God's sovereignty he pleads for deliverance from those who relentlessly pursue him verse 16 let your favor shine on your servant in your unfailing love rescue me the psalmist seeks God's favor and intervention he asked for God's love to manifest in his rescue highlighting God's St steadfast faithfulness verse 17 don't let me be disgraced O Lord for I call out to you for help let the wicked be disgraced let them lie silent in the grave the psalmist prays for protection from disgrace emphasizing his call for God's help he asked that the wicked face their own disgrace and silence in the face of God's judgment verse 18 silence their lying lips those proud and arrogant lips that accuse The Godly the psalmist pleads for God to silence the lies and accusations of the wicked he desires that those who falsely accuse The Godly be held accountable verse 19 How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you you lavish it on those who come to you for protection blessing them before the watching World here the psalmist shifts to a tone of confidence in God God's goodness he acknowledges the abundance of blessings that God bestows upon those who fear and trust him highlighting the impact of these blessings on a broader audience verse 20 you hide them in the shelter of your presence safe from those who conspire against them you shelter them in your presence far from accusing tongues the psalmist describes God's protective care he emphasizes that God hides and shelters his faithful ones from the schemes and accusations of their enemies verse 21 praise the Lord for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love he kept me safe when my city was under attack the psalmist shifts to a tone of praise and gratitude he acknowledges God's unfailing love and how God protected him when his city was threatened verse 22 in panic I cried out I am cut off from the Lord but you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help the psalmist reflects on a time of panic and doubt despite his feelings of being cut off he recognizes that God heard his cry for mercy and responded to his call for help verse 23 love the Lord all you Godly ones for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him but he harshly punishes The Arrogant the psalmist urges The Godly to love the Lord he emphasizes that God protects those who are loyal to him while dealing justly with the Arrogant verse 24 so be strong and courageous all you who put your hope in the Lord the psalmist concludes with a message of encouragement he urges those who place their hope in the Lord to be strong and courageous knowing that God is their source of strength and protection dear heavenly father words fail to express just how grateful we are for your goodness for your love and your mercy master your word tells us that you've chosen us you have called us to come out from the world and be separate you have called us to live lives that honor you lives that serve you and please you so father our prayer today is that you would help us give us the grace and the strength so that we would not be conformed to this world so that we would not be attached to the superficial values and the customs of this world but help us Lord to be transformed help us to be changed and renewed in our minds God we thank you for making us your own we hold on to your word in 1 Peter 2:9 where it says but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light thank you God for being a father to the fatherless thank you for being our load Bearer God if it had not been for you where would we be we praise you God because even in your majesty and your righteousness you still care for us you still forgive us time after time even though we fall time and time again God we thank you for such mercy and Lord we pray that the Holy Spirit would put the understanding in our hearts that we can never be victorious in this life if we are not in Christ Matthew 6:4 says no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mamon money possessions name status or whatever is valued more than the Lord Lord right now we declare that you alone are our one and only Master you are our leader indeed no one can serve two masters at once light and darkness do not mix and so father we choose to stand and follow the Light of Christ we commit to you Lord Jesus and our honest request is that the Holy Spirit would work within our hearts that he would work within our minds so that we will have the kind of commitment that says not my will Lord but your will is all important truly father it's not about my wants it's not about my feelings but it's all about you Lord Jesus Holy Spirit give us the kind of heart that's so committed to the Lord that it's willing to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires help us to carry our cross Lord Jesus your word in Matthew 5:6 says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled in you father I will be satisfied in you King Jesus I will be nourished by your goodness I glor glorify Your Name Lord Jesus be blessed be glorified father I thank you for hearing my prayer it's in the name of Jesus that we pray and we give you thanks amen and [Music] amen blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love notice something here Saints it's through Jesus Christ that we are chosen by God having predestined us to adoption as Sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made made us accepted in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace in him you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mamon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord the Bible says in Isaiah 53 verses 3-5 he was despised and rejected by mankind a man of suffering and familiar with pain like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised and we held him in low esteem surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by by God stricken by him and Afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed now I want to read you a few passages of scripture that should serve as a warning to all of us about pursuing ungodly sinful appetites Romans 1:4 says therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves a different translation says God also gave them up to uncleanness and the lusts of their hearts now if you read Romans 1: 26 the Bible says for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions for their women exchange natural relations for those that are contrary to Nature and then if you move on to Romans 1: 28-35 the Bible says in sense they did not see fit to acknowledge God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice they are full of Envy murder Strife deceit maliciousness they are gossips slanderers haters of God insolent haughty boastful inventors of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them so on three occasions the Bible says these four words God gave them up God gave them up in the lust of their hearts God gave them up to dishonorable passions God gave them up to a debased mind be warned that if you are persistent in entertaining that appetite for sin if you choose to reject God and you don't repent there are consequences if you're consistent in feeding the appetite for ungodly things you're telling the Lord that you do not want him you don't desire to be with him so I encourage you Saints let us starve any and every desire that we have for sin let us have an appetite for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Alone now let's pray together father I come before you today giving you thanks and giving you glory and praise God you alone are worthy and as I come before you today Father I come with an open heart and an open mind God I ask that you look deep within me may you look at what my appetites are may you analyze what I yearn for and should you find anything unclean or immoral remove it Lord remove that which does not please you Lord Jesus should you find that I have an appetite for any kind of uncleanliness remove it Lord and God I ask that you would replace it with a Godly passion Ephesians 4: 1-3 I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace God Almighty I pray that you would give us pure and godly appetites Lord plant within us an insatiable desire to live a life that exhibits a Godly character Lord we want to live a life that has Integrity a life that expresses gratitude for the Salvation that you've given us Lord help us to forsake self-righteousness help us to be free from addictions and any cravings for sin Lord You've not called us to impurity but you have called us to live in Holiness I read in your word where it says in John 7: 37 through 39 on the last day of the feast the great day Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive for as yet the spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified Lord we thirst for your living water we come to you Lord Jesus because only you can satisfy the needs that are in our hearts I pray that you give me an appetite to pray without ceasing I pray that you you'd give me a strong and passionate desire to worship you in spirit and in truth Lord Jesus give me a heart that seeks to praise you despite my circumstances may I have eyes that see your goodness in every situation Lord and father I ask that you would help me to be a believer who is filled with the word may I only find nourishment and fulfillment in you King Jesus First Peter chapter 2 veres 1-3 so put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good father I have truly tasted your goodness and I pray for myself along with each and every person under the sound of my voice that we may find our ultimate fulfillment in your presence and in your presence alone may we become uncomfortable when we are in situations or surroundings that are not pleasing to you when we begin to entertain things that do not glorify you God Holy Spirit I ask that you would make us uneasy and I ask that we would become sensitive to your leading Holy Spirit sensitive to your nudges able to sense you in a way that we know when there's something that's happening that's not pleasing to you that's not glorifying to you something that the enemy is trying to use to open a door in US father make us ever so sensitive to that may we find spiritual and emotional nourishment in your presence father and and all that we do King Jesus let our appetite be to know you more to walk with you more to abide in you more let us be hungry for the one who's the bread of life let us thirst for the one who has Living Waters Lord I want to thank you for hearing this prayer may your name be blessed and honored forever more more it's in Jesus name that we pray and we give you thanks amen Lord Jesus we thank you for your love and grace we thank you for the unmerited favor that is Upon Our Lives we put our trust in you a God who never fails us father at this time we ask that you remove every crutch from our lives may we know you King Jesus to be enough remove everything that we lean on and Trust in so that All That Remains is you Lord help us to come to the knowledge and understanding that your grace is indeed sufficient your power is indeed made perfect in our weakness through all the situations we Face may we come to to know and to see that your love King Jesus is enough your grace is enough your word is enough your joy is enough and outside of you master we need no one else and nothing else Psalm 103:8 says the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and about bounding in Mercy so many things you have given us Lord that we do not deserve so many times you've forgiven us and shown us Mercy only for us to fall again but today Master we seek your forgiveness and repent we thank you because instead of fear you have given us a spirit of power love and a sound mind instead of sickness you have given us the assurance that by your stripes we are healed with all the times that we have sinned and fallen short you still call for us to repent and follow you and in addition to that your arms are still open your word in Matthew 11: 28- 29 says come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls we did nothing to deserve this love yet you still offer it and so we thank you we are we're grateful and we appreciate your goodness Lord Jesus we do not deserve the protection you offer but you still give your angels charge over us to keep us safe in our going out and in our coming in and for that we say thank you Lord we certainly don't deserve the peace you've offered us but yet you still told us not to let our hearts be troubled because you are a God who supplies all of our needs our prayer Lord is that we may live in a way that honors you that pleases you thank you for your Amazing Grace a Grace that saves a a Grace That Forgives and shows us Mercy in your Amazing Grace we are safe we are secure and lack nothing because your grace is sufficient your word in second Peter 1 verse 2 says Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our lord I bless your name father for the grace and peace which you have multiplied in my life and over my family I am grateful for your love and grace which has transformed my life I only pray that my life will be an example a living testimony of your grace and mercy and favor you have made me an overcomer in this world you have given me Authority through the name of Jesus Christ Authority which enables me to defeat the Devil you Lord have made me more than a conqueror you have made me the head and not the tail you have placed me above and not beneath all of these wonderful things are undeserved but because you are a God who is rich in love mercy and Grace you have given given me that which I do not deserve and I am grateful you King Jesus have given me the gift of eternal life because you love me enough to sacrifice your own life and hang on a cross so that I may be saved thank you for saving me thank you for pulling me out of a despairing pit and placing me on steady ground I thank you for making me in your image and in your your likeness I ask that you stay with me and stay by my side always great is your faithfulness Master thank you for your Amazing Grace over my life in Jesus name I pray [Music] amen Heavenly Father we thank you right now for another opportunity to praise you another opportunity to worship you another opportunity to fellowship with you in prayer and Lord as we come to you right now we come asking you to help us guard our hearts Lord fill our hearts with your word fill our hearts with your spirit help us to be vigilant against every force of evil and every cunning lie of man God help us to be in the world but not of it help us to be in this world but not love it Empower us to be a strong Godly influence in this world rather than for us to be influenced by this world Lord Jesus help us to be salt in this earth help us to be light and darkness your word says in Philippians 4:8 finally brothers and sisters whatever whatever is true whatever is Noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things Lord I pray that I would not be like a sponge that absorbs all the filth of this world no Lord instead let me be like a mirror let me be like a mirror that reflects your goodness for everyone to see Let each of us be like mirrors that reflect your love Lord our prayer is that you would create clean Hearts within us renew a right Spirit within us give us the grace to make our ways pure before your sight whenever sinful desires start creeping in give us the strength King Jesus to resist the devil and father I pray that you would forgive me if at times I let things get into my heart that may end up hindering my walk with you and I know that these things they'd only destroy me physically spiritually emotionally if I continue to hold on to them so God I'm asking you to give me the awareness to recognize those things give me the strength to get rid of them Father I know that you've told me in your word to guard my heart and so Lord I ask that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and help me to be the gatekeeper of My Heart Lord help me to let nothing enter except what is Godly what is pure what is pleasing in your eyes your word says in James 4:8 draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded Lord give us hearts that seek only to be closer to you I know that from my heart flow the Springs of Life so help me to guard it with my life give me a hunger to open your word daily and to Simply soak in your lifegiving truth God may I be so filled with your spirit that I can no longer stand to be in the presence of anything contrary to your will 2 Timothy 2 verse 21 says therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable he will be a vessel for honorable use set apart as holy useful to the master of the house ready for every good work father thank you for setting me apart you've called me out of this wicked and evil generation and you've shown me the joy that comes with following and obeying you I Delight in you father and I pray that you would have mercy on me father I thank you for your mercy and I thank you for giving me a fresh start I know that I fall short of the glory of God but I also know that there is no heart that is too damaged or too broken there's no heart that's too stained by sin that it can't be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb all glory be to Christ forever and ever in Jesus name amen now let us pray Holy Father thank you for giving me the capacity to see and appreciate the beauty of the Gospel Lord thank you for opening my eyes thank you for removing the scales from my eyes so that I can truly see the wonders of your glory and your grace open my eyes so that I can really see your Amazing Grace indeed I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I see and I am only able to see your goodness because you have opened my eyes and given me understanding father only you can see the realities of this world as they truly are only you are able to tell right from wrong with perfect judgment Lord Jesus open my eyes and give me wisdom forgive me if my focuses on the wrong things help me not to waste my time and quarrel over minor things I pray that you would help me to see the greater picture Lord help us shift our Focus to the Glorious and true Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel in which there is no room for misinterpretation or debate as your word says there is one God and one mediator the person of Jesus Christ help us all to grasp that reality and to stand amazed in a Lord you are all powerful and all knowing you see far beyond what I am humanly able to perceive you see every Dimension every point in time all at once so help me not to question what you have spoken to be true help me not to let doubts creep in and cloud my vision Lord remove the scales from my eyes help me to see clearly help me not to Cloud reality with my own interpretation or my own vision of the world let my world view be completely grounded in your word help me to walk by faith and not by sight expand my view from the Earthly to the Heavenly give me the ability to be able to see and recognize those who are wolves in sheep's clothing these people may appear trustworthy on the outside but they are only out to deceive father don't let me fall for any of their clever words give me the ability to see the devil's True Colors even as he masquerades like an angel of Light temptation is strong but God you are stronger help me to fasten tightly the belt of Truth so that none of Satan's lies make it into my heart God help me to see the spiritual realities that aren't apparent to me help me to see things the way you want me to and not just what my sinful heart wants to believe make the gospel beautiful beautiful in my sight and make Sin appear to me as the Abomination that it is I want to perceive this world in the same way you do Lord Jesus and so father rid me of my own desires my own lenses my own preconceived biases and like Paul on the road to Damascus awaken in my heart a greater love for you in Jesus name I pray amen it is my personal belief that a strong believer in Christ is someone who has no crutches and when I say crutches I'm talking about everything apart from God that we put our hope in a crutch is anything that stops you from completely throwing yourself into the arms of God some people trust in the that they've saved others trust in their own ability other people put more trust in the opinions of doctors and scientists over God the word of man has more weight in their hearts than the word of God but dear listener we need to remove every crutch in our lives we need to get to a place where we say either I stand completely trusting in in Jesus Christ or I don't stand at all either I walk by faith completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't walk at all the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May rest on me God's grace is enough for you to stand strong God's grace is enough for your family and you can only find this out when you remove every crutch in your life and this knowledge of just how much God's grace is sufficient for you only comes when you reach a place where nothing else will do no one else will do and for sure nothing else will work only Jesus this should be our prayer Lord remove everything I am leaning on that's not you remove anything that I'm using as a crutch and help me to see that you are enough your grace is sufficient enough only Jesus Christ should be the solid rock on which you stand on because all other ground is sinking sand when you remove every crutch from your life and you cling to Jesus you will find his word to be true Isaiah 40: 29 it tells us that he gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength if you put your trust in people they will fail you if you put your trust in material things they will fail you if you trust yourself if you trust in your abilities you will fail but some trust in horses some trust in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord Our God We Trust in the name that is above every other name and that is Jesus Christ and so if you'll remember only one thing from my message today remember this man will fail you people will fail you things will fail you money will fail you but Jesus Christ will never fail you for a moment I'd like for us to to meditate on Psalm 31 in this Psalm we witness a range of emotions and experiences from Deep distress to unwavering trust just like in our own lives we move from season to season we go from a time of peace and joy to a time of Challenge and difficulty we go from a season where your faith is strong and sturdy to a season where your faith may be shaken and you just have to hold on I believe Psalm 31 shows us the reality of Life the psalm is Journey from sorrow to praise it reflects the complexities of human emotion and it shows the transformative power of relying on God it teaches us the importance of entrusting Our Lives to God's care even when we're facing adversity and it reminds us of God's faithful protection and his unfailing love for us and so Psalm 31: 1- 24 verse 1 says oh Lord I have come to you for protection don't let me be disgraced save me for you do what is right in this verse the psalmist Begins by expressing his trust in God's protection and his righteousness he pleads for God to Shield him from shame and rescue him from any situation that threatens his well-being verse two turn your ear to listen to me rescue me quickly be my rock of protection a fortress where I will be safe the psalmist ask God to attentively hear his plea for help he seeks God's Swift intervention comparing him to a solid rock and a fortress where he can find Safety and Security verse three you are my rock and my Fortress for the honor of your name lead me out of this danger the psalmist reaffirms his Alliance on God's strength and protection he emphasizes that God's reputation and honor are at stake and he asked to be rescued from imminent danger for the sake of God's name verse four pull me from the trap my enemies set for me for I find protection in you alone the psalmist ackn anes the schemes of his enemies and he asks God to rescue him from their traps he emphasizes his exclusive Reliance on God for protection and safety verse five I entrust my spirit into your hand Rescue Me Lord for you are a faithful God here the psalmist places his life in wellbe into God's care echoing Jesus's words on the cross he entrusted himself to God's faithfulness and pleads for deliverance verse 6 I hate those who worship worthless Idols I trust in the Lord the psalmist expresses his disdain for those who worship idols or false gods he contrasts this with his personal trust in the true Lord indicating his commitment to God's guidance and Care verse seven I will be glad M and rejoice in your unfailing love for you have seen my troubles and you care about the anguish of my soul the psalmist shifts to a tone of gratitude and joy he rejoices in God's unwavering love and compassion acknowledging that God is aware of his troubles and deeply cares for his emotional well-being verse 8 you have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place place the psalmist Praises God for not allowing him to fall into the hands of his enemies he acknowledges God's intervention placing him in a secure and protected position verse 9 have mercy on me Lord for I am in distress tears blur my eyes my body and soul are withering away the psalmist humbly acknowledges his distress and sorrow he ask for God's mercy describing both the physical and emotional toll his troubles have taken on him verse 10 I am dying from grief my years are shortened by sadness sin has drained my strength I am wasting away from within the psalmist continues to describe his suffering he attributes his physical and emotional decline to grief and he acknowledg is the toll that sin has taken on his well-being verse 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors even my friends are afraid to come near me when they see me on the street they run the other way the psalmist laments the social isolation he experiences his enemies neighbors and even friends treat him with contempt and fear avoiding him in public verse 12 I am ignored as if I were dead as if I were a broken pot the psalmist here Compares himself to an ignored and discarded object highlighting the extent of his isolation and the lack of regard he receives verse 13 I have heard the many rumors about me and I am surrounded by Terror my enemies conspire against me plotting to take my my life the psalmist acknowledges the rumors and threats that surround him he describes the fear he faces due to the conspiracies and plots of his enemies who seek to harm him verse 14 but I am trusting you oh Lord saying you are my God amidst his difficulties the psalmist declares his unwavering trust in God he affirms his relationship with God acknowledging him as his Lord and source of security verse 15 my future is in your hands rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly the psalmist entrust his future to God's control acknowledging God's sovereignty he pleads for deliverance from those who relentlessly pursue him verse 16 let your favorite shine on your servant in your unfailing love rescue me the psalmist seeks God's favor and intervention he asks for God's love to manifest in his rescue highlighting God's steadfast faithfulness verse 17 don't let me be disgraced O Lord for I call out to you for help let the wicked be disgraced let them lie silent in the grave the psalmist prays for protection from disgrace emphasizing his call for God's help he ask that the wicked face their own disgrace and silence in the face of God's judgment Verse 18 silence their lying lips those proud and arrogant lips that accuse The Godly the psalmist pleads for God to silence the lies and accusations of the wicked he desires that those who falsely accuse The Godly be held accountable verse 19 How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you you lavish it on those who come to you for protection blessing them before the watching World here the psalmist shifts to a tone of confidence in God's goodness he acknowledges the abundance of blessings that God bestows upon those who fear and trust him highlighting the impact of these blessings on a broader audience verse 20 you hide them in the shelter of your presence safe from those who conspire against them you shelter them in your presence far from accusing tongues the psalmist describes God's protective care he emphasizes that God hides and shelters his faithful ones from the schemes and accusations of their enemies verse 21 praise the Lord for he has shown me the wonders of his unfaith failing love he kept me safe when my city was under attack the psalmist shifts to a tone of praising gratitude he acknowledges God's unfailing love and how God protected him when his city was threatened verse 22 in panic I cried out I am cut off from the Lord but you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help the psalmist reflects on a time of panic and doubt despite his feelings of being cut off he recognizes that God heard his cry for mercy and responded to his call for help verse 23 love the Lord all you Godly ones for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him but he harshly punishes The Arrogant the psalmus urges The Godly to love the Lord he emphasizes that God protects those who are loyal to him while dealing justly with the Arrogant verse 24 so be strong and courageous all you who put your hope in the Lord the psalmist concludes with a message of encouragement he urges those who place their hope in the Lord to be strong and courageous knowing that God is their source of strength and protection dear heavenly father words fail to express just how grateful we are for your goodness for your love and your mercy master your word tells us that you've chosen us you have called us to come out from the world and be separate you have called us to live lives that honor you lives that serve you and please you so father our prayer today is that you would help us give us the grace and the strength so that we would not be conformed to this world so that we would not be attached to the superficial values and the customs of this world but help us Lord to be transformed help us to be changed and renewed in our minds God we thank you for making us your own we hold on to your word in 1 Peter 2:9 where it says but you are not like like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light thank you God for being a father to the fatherless thank you for being our load Bearer God if it had not been for you where where would we be we praise you God because even in your majesty and your righteousness you still care for us you still forgive us time after time even though we fall time and time again God we thank you for such mercy and Lord we pray that the Holy Spirit would put the understanding in our hearts that we can never be victorious in this life if we are not in Christ Matthew 6:4 says no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord Lord right now we declare that you alone are our one and only Master you are our leader indeed no one can serve two masters at once light and darkness do not mix and so father we choose to stand and follow the Light of Christ we commit to you Lord Jesus and our honest request is that the Holy Spirit would work within our hearts that he would work within our minds so that we will have the kind of commitment that says not my will Lord but your will is all in important truly father it's not about my wants it's not about my feelings but it's all about you Lord Jesus Holy Spirit give us the kind of heart that's so committed to the Lord that it's willing to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires help us to carry our cross Lord Jesus your word in Matthew 5:6 says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled in you father I will be satisfied in you King Jesus I will be nourished by your goodness I glorify Your Name Lord Jesus be blessed be glorified father I thank you for hearing my prayer it's in the name of Jesus that we pray and we give you thanks amen and [Music] amen blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love notice something here Saints it's through Jesus Christ that we are chosen by God having predestined us to adoption as Sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace in him you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his one wonderful light no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord the Bible says in Isaiah 53 veres 3-5 he was despised and rejected by mankind kind a man of suffering and familiar with pain like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised and we held him in low esteem surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God stricken by him and Afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed now I want to read you a few passages of scripture that should serve as a warning to all of us about pursuing ungodly sinful appetites Romans 1:4 says therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves a different translation says God also gave them up to uncleanness and the lusts of their hearts now if you read Romans 1: 26 the Bible says for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions for their women exchange natural relations for those that are contrary to Nature and then if you move on to Romans 1: 28-35 the Bible says and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice they are full of Envy murder Strife deceit maliciousness they are gossips slanderers haters of God insolent hauy boastful inventers of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them so on three occasions the Bible says these four words God gave them up God gave them up in the lust of their hearts God gave them up to dishonorable passions God gave them up to a debased mind be warned that if you are persistent and entertaining that appetite for sin if you choose to reject God and you don't repent there are consequences if you're consistent in feeding the appetite for ungodly things you're telling the Lord that you do not want him you don't desire to be with him so I encourage you Saints let us starve any and every desire that we have for sin Let Us have an appetite for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Alone now let's pray together father I come before you today giving you thanks and giving you glory and praise God you alone are worthy and as I come before you today Father I come with an open heart and an open mind God I ask that you'd look deep within me may you look at what my appetites are may you analyze what I yearn for and should you find anything unclean or immoral remove it Lord remove that which does not please you Lord Jesus should you find that I have an appetite for any kind of uncleanliness remove it Lord Lord and God I ask that you would replace it with a Godly passion Ephesians 4 veres 1-3 I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of Peace God Almighty I pray that you would give us pure and godly appetites Lord plant within us an insatiable desire to live a life that exhibits a Godly character Lord we want to live a life that has Integrity a life that expresses gratitude for the Salvation that you've given us Lord help us to forsake self-righteousness help us to be free from addictions and any cravings for sin Lord You've not called us to impurity but you have called us to live in Holiness I read in your word where it says in John 7: 37-39 on the last day of the feast the great day Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive for as yet the spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified Lord we thirst for your living water we come to you Lord Jesus because only you can satisfy the needs that are in our hearts I pray that you give me an appetite to pray without ceasing I pray that you'd give me a strong and passionate desire to worship you in spirit and in truth Lord Jesus give me a heart that seeks to praise you despite my circumstances may I have eyes that see your goodness in every situation Lord and father I ask that you would help me to be a believer who is filled with the word may I only find nourishment and fulfillment in you King Jesus first Peter chap 2 veres 1-3 so put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good father I have truly tasted your goodness and I pray for myself along with each and every person under the sound of my voice that we may find our ultimate fulfillment in your presence and in your presence alone may we become uncomfortable when we are in situations or surroundings that are not pleasing to you when we begin to enter Ain things that do not glorify you God Holy Spirit I ask that you would make us uneasy and ask that we would become sensitive to your leading Holy Spirit sensitive to your nudges able to sense you in a way that we know when there's something that's happening that's not pleasing to you that's not glorifying to you something that the enemy is trying to use to open a door in US father make us ever so sensitive to that may we find spiritual and emotional nourishment in your presence father and all that we do King Jesus let our appetite be to know you more to walk with you more to abide in you more let us be hungry for the one who's the bread of life let us thirst for the one who has Living Waters Lord I want to thank you for hearing this prayer may your name be blessed and honored forever more it's in Jesus name that we pray and we give you thanks amen Lord Jesus we thank you for your love and grace we thank you for the unmar favor that is Upon Our Lives we put our trust in you a God who never fails us father at this time we ask that you remove every crutch from our lives may we know you King Jesus to be enough remove everything that we lean on and Trust in so that All That Remains is you Lord help help us to come to the knowledge and understanding that your grace is indeed sufficient your power is indeed made perfect in our weakness through all the situations we Face may we come to know and to see that your love King Jesus is enough your grace is enough your word is enough your joy is enough and outside of you master we need no one else and nothing else Psalm 103:8 says the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in Mercy so many things you have given us Lord that we do not deserve so many times you've forgiven us and shown us Mercy only for us to fall again but today today Master we seek your forgiveness and repent we thank you because instead of fear you have given us a spirit of power love and a sound mind instead of sickness you have given us the assurance that by your stripes we are [Music] healed with all the times that we have sinned and fallen short you still call for us to repent and follow you you and in addition to that your arms are still open your word in Matthew 11: 28-29 says come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls we did nothing to deserve this love yet you still offer it and so we thank you we are we're grateful and we appreciate your goodness Lord Jesus we do not deserve the protection you offer but you still give your angels charge over us to keep us safe in our going out and in our coming in and for that we say thank you Lord we certainly don't deserve the peace you've offered us but yet you still told us not to let our hearts be troubled because you are a God who supplies all of our needs our prayer Lord is that we may live in a way that honors you that pleases you thank you for your Amazing Grace a Grace that saves a a Grace That Forgives and shows us Mercy in your Amazing Grace we are safe we are secure and lack nothing because your grace is sufficient your word in 2 Peter 1:2 says Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our lord I bless your name father for the grace and peace which you have multiplied in my life and over my family I am grateful for your love and grace which has transformed my life I only pray that my life will be an example a living testimony of your grace and mercy and favor you have made me an overcomer in this world you have given me Authority through the name of Jesus Christ Authority which enables me to defeat the Devil you Lord have made me more than a conqueror you have made me the head and not the tail you have placed me above and not beneath all of these wonderful things are undeserved but because you are a God who is rich in love mercy and Grace you have given me that which I do not deserve and I am grateful you King Jesus have given me the gift of eternal life because you love me enough to sacrifice your own life and hang on a cross so that I may be saved thank you for saving me thank you for pulling me out of a despairing pit and placing me on steady ground I thank you for making me in your image and in your likeness I ask that you stay with me and stay by my side always great is your faithfulness Master thank you for your Amazing Grace over my life in Jesus name I pray amen Heavenly Father we thank you right now for another opportunity to praise you another opportunity to worship you another opportunity to fellowship with you in prayer and Lord as we come to you right now we come asking you to help us guard our hearts Lord fill our hearts with your word fill our hearts with your spirit help us to be vigilant against every force of evil and every cunning lie of man God help us to be in the world but not of it help us to be in this world but not love it Empower us to be a strong Godly influence in this world rather than for us to be influenced by this world Lord Jesus help us to be salt in this earth help us to be light and darkness your word says in Philippians 4:8 finally brothers and sisters whatever is true whatever is Noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think of about such things Lord I pray that I would not be like a sponge that absorbs all the filth of this world no Lord instead let me be like a mirror let me be like a mirror that reflects your goodness for everyone to see Let each of us be like mirrors that reflect your love Lord our prayer is that you would create clean Hearts within us renew a right spirit within us give us the grace to make our ways pure before your sight whenever sinful desires start creeping in give us the strength King Jesus to resist the devil and father I pray that you would forgive me if at times I let things get into my heart that may end up hindering my walk with you and I know that these things they'd only destroy me physically spiritually emotionally if I continue to hold on to them so God I'm asking you to give me the awareness to recognize those things give me the strength to get rid of them Father I know that you've told me in your word to guard my heart and so Lord I ask that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and help me to be the gatekeeper of my heart Lord help me to let nothing enter except what is Godly what is pure what is pleasing in your eyes your word says in James 4:8 draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you Sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded Lord give us hearts that seek only to be closer to you I know that from my heart flow the Springs of Life so help me to guard it with my life give me a hunger to open your word daily and to Simply soak in your lifegiving truth God may I be so filled with your spirit that I can no longer stand to be in the presence of anything contrary to your will second Timothy 2 verse 21 says therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable he will be a vessel for honorable use set apart as holy useful to the master of the house ready for every good work father thank you for setting me apart you've called me out of this wicked and evil generation and you've shown me the joy that comes with following and obeying you I Delight in you father and I pray that you would have mercy on me father I thank you for your mercy and I thank you for giving me a fresh start I know that I fall short of the glory of God but I also know that there is no heart that is too damaged or too broken there's no heart that's too stained by sin that it can't be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb all glory be to Christ forever and ever in Jesus name amen now let us pray Holy Father thank you for giving me the capacity to see and appreciate the beauty of the Gospel Lord thank you for opening my eyes thank you for removing the scales from my eyes so that I can truly see the wonders of your glory and your grace open my eyes so that I can really see your Amazing Grace indeed I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I see and I am only able to see your goodness because you have opened my eyes and given me understanding father only you can see the realities of this world as they truly are only you are able to tell right from wrong with perfect judgment Lord Jesus open my eyes and give me wisdom forgive me if my focus is on the wrong things help me not to waste my time and quarrel over minor things I pray that you would help me to see the greater picture Lord help us shift our Focus to the Glorious and true Gospel of Jesus Christ the gospel in which there is no room for misinterpretation or debate as your word says there is one God and one mediator the person of Jesus Christ help us all to grasp that reality and to stand amazed in awe Lord you are all powerful and all knowing you see far beyond what I am am humanly able to perceive you see every Dimension every point in time all at once so help me not to question what you have spoken to be true help me not to let doubts creep in and cloud my vision Lord remove the scales from my eyes help me to see clearly help me not to Cloud reality with my own inter interpretation or my own vision of the world let my world view be completely grounded in your word help me to walk by faith and not by sight expand my view from the Earthly to the Heavenly give me the ability to be able to see and recognize those who are wolves and sheep's clothing these people may appear trustworthy on the outside but they are only out to deceive father don't let me fall for any of their clever words give me the ability to see the devil's True Colors even as he masquerades like an angel of Light temptation is strong but God you are stronger help me to fasten tightly the belt of Truth so that none of Satan's lies make it into my heart God help me to see the spiritual realities that aren't apparent to me help me to see things the way you want me to and not just what my sinful heart wants to believe make the gospel beautiful in my sight and make Sin appear to me as the Abomination that it is I want to perceive this world in the same way you do Lord Jesus and so father rid me of my own desires my own lenses my own preconceived biases and like Paul on the road to Damascus awaken in my heart a greater love for you in Jesus name I pray amen it is my personal belief that a strong believer in Christ is someone who has no crutches and when I say cres I'm talking about everything apart from God that we put our hope in a crutch is anything that stops you from completely throwing yourself into the arms of God some people trust in the money that they've saved others trust in their own ability other people put more trust in the opinions of doctors and scientists over God the word of man has more more weight in their hearts than the word of God but dear listener we need to remove every crutch in our lives we need to get to a place where we say either I stand completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't stand at all either I walk by faith completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't walk at all the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May rest on me God's grace is enough for you to stand strong God's grace is enough for your family and you you can only find this out when you remove every crutch in your life and this knowledge of just how much God's grace is sufficient for you only comes when you reach a place where nothing else will do no one else will do and for sure nothing else will work only Jesus this should be our prayer Lord remove everything I am leaning on that's not you remove anything that I'm using as a crutch and help me to see that you are enough your grace is sufficient enough only Jesus Christ should be the solid rock on which you stand on because all other ground is sinking sand when you remove every crutch from your life and you cling to Jesus you will find his word to be true Isaiah 40: 29 it tells us that he gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength if you put your trust in people they will fail you if you put your trust in material things they will fail you if you trust yourself if you trust in your abilities you will fail but but some trust in horses some trust in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord Our God We Trust in the name that is above every other name and that is Jesus Christ and so if you'll remember only one thing from my message today remember this man will fail you people will fail you things will fail you money will fail you but Jesus Christ will never fail you for a moment I'd like for us to meditate on Psalm 31 in this Psalm we witness a range of emotions and experiences from Deep distress to unwavering trust just like in our own lives we move from from season to season we go from a time of peace and joy to a time of Challenge and difficulty we go from a season where your faith is strong and sturdy to a season where your faith may be shaken and you just have to hold on I believe Psalm 31 shows us the reality of Life the psalm is Journey from sorrow to praise it reflects the complexities of human emotion and it shows the transformative power of relying on God it teaches us the importance of entrusting Our Lives to God's care even when we're facing adversity and it reminds us of God's faithful protection and his unfailing love for us and so Psalm 31: 1- 24 verse 1 says oh Lord I have come to you for protection don't let me be disgraced say leave me for you do what is right in this verse the psalmist Begins by expressing his trust in God's protection and his righteousness he pleads for God to Shield him from shame and rescue him from any situation that threatens his well-being verse two turn your ear to listen to me rescue me quickly be my rock of protection a fortress where I will be safe the psalmist asks God to attentively hear his plea for help he seeks God's Swift intervention comparing him to a solid rock and a fortress where he can find Safety and Security verse three you are my rock and my Fortress for the honor of your name lead me out of this danger the psalmist reaffirms his Alliance on God's strength and protection he emphasizes that God's rep ation and honor are at stake and he asked to be rescued from imminent danger for the sake of God's name verse 4 pull me from the trap my enemies set for me for I find protection in you alone the pist acknowledges the schemes of his enemies and he asks God to rescue him from their traps he emphasizes his exclusive Reliance on God for protection and safety verse five I entrust my spirit into your hand Rescue Me Lord for you are a faithful God here the psalmist places his life and well-being into God's care echoing Jesus's words on the cross he entrusts himself to God's faithfulness and pleads for deliverance verse 6 I hate those who worship worthless Idols I trust in the Lord the psalmist expresses his disdain for those who worship idols or false gods he contrasts this with his personal trust in the true Lord indicating his commitment to God's guidance and Care verse seven I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love for you have seen my troubles and you care about the anguish of my soul the psalmist shifts to a tone of gratitude and joy he re rejoices in God's unwavering love and compassion acknowledging that God is aware of his troubles and deeply cares for his emotional well-being verse 8 you have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place the psalmist Praises God for not allowing him to fall into the hands of his enemies he acknowledges God's intervention placing him in a secure and protected position verse 9 have mercy on me Lord for I am in distress tears blur my eyes my body and soul are withering away the psalmist humbly acknowledges his distress and sorrow he ask for God's mercy describing both the physical and emotional toll his troubles have taken on him verse 10 I dying from grief my years are shortened by sadness sin has drained my strength I am wasting away from within the psalmist continues to describe his suffering he attributes his physical and emotional decline to grief and he acknowledges the toll that sin has taken on his well-being verse 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors even my friends are are afraid to come near me when they see me on the street they run the other way the psalmist laments the social isolation he experiences his enemies neighbors and even friends treat him with contempt and fear avoiding him in public verse 12 I am ignored as if I were dead as if I were a broken pot the psalmist here Compares himself to an ignored and discarded object highlighting the extent of his isolation and the lack of regard he receives verse 13 I have heard the many rumors about me and I am surrounded by Terror my enemies conspire against me plotting to take my life the psalmist acknowledges the rumors and threats that surround him he describes the fear he faces due to the conspiracies and plots of his enemies who seek to harm him verse 14 but I am trusting you oh Lord saying you are my God amidst his difficulties the psalmist declares his unwavering trust in God he affirms his relationship with God acknowledging him as his Lord and source of security verse 15 my future is in your hands rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly the psalmist entrust his future to God's control acknowledging God's sovereignty he pleads for deliverance from those who relentlessly pursue him verse 16 let your favor shine on your servant in your unfailing love rescue me the psalmist seeks God's favor and intervention he asks for God's love to manifest and his rescue highlighting God's steadfast faithfulness verse 17 don't let me be disgraced O Lord for I call out to you for help let the wicked be disgraced let them lie silent in the grave the psalmist prays for protection from disgrace emphasizing his call for God's help he ask that the wicked face their own disgrace and silence in the face of God's judgment verse 18 silence their lying lips those proud and arrogant lips that accuse The Godly the psalmist pleads for God to silence the lies and accusations of the wicked he desires that those who falsely accuse The Godly be held accountable verse 19 How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you you lavish it on those who come to you for protection blessing them before the watching world here the psalmist shifts to a tone of confidence in God's goodness he acknowledges the abundance of blessings that God bestows upon those who fear and trust him highlighting the impact of these blessings on a broader audience verse 20 you hide them in the shelter of your presence safe from those who conspire against them you shelter them in your presence far from accusing tongues the psalmist describes God's protective care he emphasizes that God hides and shelters his faithful ones from the schemes and accusations of their enemies verse 21 praise the Lord for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love he kept me safe when my city was under attack the psalmist shifts to a tone of praise and gratitude he acknowledges God's unfailing love and how God protected him when his city was threatened verse 22 in panic I cried out I am cut off from the Lord but you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help the psalmist reflects on a time of panic and doubt despite his feelings of being cut off he recognizes that God heard his cry for mercy and responded to his call for help verse 23 love the Lord all you Godly ones for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him but he harshly punishes The Arrogant the psalmist urges The Godly to love the Lord he emphasizes that God protects those who are loyal to him while dealing justly with the Arrogant verse 24 so be strong and courageous all you who put your hope in the Lord the psalmist concludes cludes with a message of encouragement he urges those who place their hope in the Lord to be strong and courageous knowing that God is their source of strength and protection dear heavenly father words fail to express just how grateful we are for your goodness for your love and your mercy master your word tells us that you've chosen us you you have called us to come out from the world and be separate you have called us to live lives that honor you lives that serve you and please you so father our prayer today is that you would help us give us the grace and the strength so that we would not be conformed to this world so that we would not be attached to the superficial values and the customs of this world but help us Lord to be transformed help us to be changed and renewed in our minds God we thank you for making us your own we hold on to your word in 1 Peter 2:9 where it says but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light thank you God for being a father to the fatherless thank you for being our load Bearer God if it had not been for you where would we be we praise you God because even in your majesty and your righteousness you still care for us you still forgive us time after time even though we fall time and time again God we thank you for such mercy and Lord we pray that the Holy Spirit would put the understanding in our hearts that we can never be victorious in this life if we are not in Christ Matthew 6:4 says no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and man money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord Lord right now we declare that you alone are our one and only Master you are our leader indeed no one can serve two masters at once light and darkness do not mix and so father we choose to stand and follow the Light of Christ we commit MIT to you Lord Jesus and our honest request is that the Holy Spirit would work within our hearts that he would work within our minds so that we will have the kind of commitment that says not my will Lord but your will is all important truly father it's not about my wants it's not about my feelings but it's all about you Lord Jesus Holy Spirit give us the kind of heart heart that's so committed to the Lord that it's willing to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires help us to carry our cross Lord Jesus your word in Matthew 5:6 says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled in you father I will be satisfied in you King Jesus I will be ner by your goodness I glorify Your Name Lord Jesus be blessed be glorified father I thank you for hearing my prayer it's in the name of Jesus that we pray and we give you thanks amen and amen blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love notice something here Saints it's through Jesus Christ that we are chosen by God having predestined us to adoption as Sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace in him you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord the Bible says in Isaiah 53: 3-5 he was despised and rejected by mankind a man of suffering and familiar with pain like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised and we held him in low esteem surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God stricken by him and Afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed now I want to read you a few passages of scripture that should serve as a warning to all of us without pursuing ungodly sinful appetites Romans 1:4 says therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves a different translation says God also gave them up to uncleanness and the lusts of their hearts now if you read Romans 1: 26 the Bible says for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions for their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to Nature and then if you move on to Romans 1: 28-35 the Bible says in sense they did not see fit to acknowledge God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done they were filled filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice they are full of Envy murder Strife deceit maliciousness they are gossips slanderers haters of God insolent haughty boastful inventors of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them so on three occasions the Bible says these four words God gave them up God gave them up in the lust of their hearts God gave them up up to dishonorable passions God gave them up to a debased mind be warned that if you are persistent in entertaining that appetite for sin if you choose to reject God and you don't repent there are consequences if you're consistent in feeding the appetite for ungodly things you're telling the Lord that you do not want him you don't desire to be with him so I encourage you Saints let us starve any and every desire that we have for sin let us have an appetite for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Alone now let's pray together father I come before you today giving you thanks and giving you glory and praise God you alone are worthy and as I come before you today Father I come with an open heart and an open mind God I ask that youd look deep within me may you look at what my appetites are may you analyze what I yearn for and should you find anything unclean or immoral remove it Lord remove that which does not please you Lord Jesus should you find that I have an appetite for any kind of uncleanliness remove it Lord and God I ask that you would replace it with a Godly passion Ephesians 4: 1-3 I therefore prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace God Almighty I pray that you would give us pure and godly appetites Lord plant within us an insatiable desire to live a life that exhibits a Godly character Lord we want to live a life that has Integrity a life that expresses gratitude for the Salvation that you've given us Lord help us to forsake self-righteousness help us to be free from addictions and any cravings for sin Lord you you've not called us to impurity but you have called us to live in Holiness I read in your word where it says in John 7: 37-39 on the last day of the feast the great day Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive for as yet the spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified Lord we thirst for your living water we come to you Lord Jesus because only you can satisfy the needs that are in our hearts I pray that You' give me an appetite to pray without ceasing I pray that you'd give me a strong and passionate desire to worship you in spirit and in truth Lord Jesus give me a heart that seeks to praise you despite my circumstances may I have eyes that see your goodness in every situation Lord and father I ask that you would help me to be a believer who is filled with the word may I only find nourishment and fulfillment in you King Jesus 1 Peter chap 2 veres 1-3 so put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good father I have truly tasted your goodness and I pray for myself along with each and every person under the sound of my voice that we may find our ultimate fulfillment in your presence and in your presence alone may we become uncomfortable when we are in situations or surroundings that are not pleasing to you when we begin to entertain things that do not glorify you God Holy Spirit I ask that you would make us uneasy and ask that we would become sensitive to your leading Holy Spirit sensitive to your nudges able to sense you in a way that we know when there's something that's happening that's not pleasing to you that's not glorifying to you something that the enemy is trying to use to open a door in US father make us ever so sensitive to that may we find spiritual and emotional nourishment in your presence father and all that we do King Jesus let our appetite be to know you more to walk with you more to abide in you more let us be hungry for the one who's the bread of life let us thirst for the one who has Living Waters Lord I want to thank you for hearing this prayer may your name be blessed and honored forever more it's in Jesus name that we pray and we give you thanks amen Lord Jesus we thank you for your love and grace we thank you for the unmar favor that is Upon Our Lives we put our trust in you a God who never fails us father at this time we ask that you to remove every crutch from our lives may we know you King Jesus to be enough remove everything that we lean on and Trust in so that All That Remains is you Lord help us to come to the knowledge and understanding that your grace is indeed sufficient your power is indeed made perfect in our weakness through all the situations we Face may we come to know and to see that your love King Jesus is enough your grace is enough your word is enough your joy is enough and outside of you master we need no one else and nothing else Psalm 103:8 says the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in Mercy so many things you have given us Lord that we do not deserve so many times you've forgiven us and shown us Mercy only for us to fall again but today Master we seek your forgiveness and repent we thank you because instead of fear you have given us a spirit of power love and a sound mind instead of sickness you have given us the assurance that by your stripes we are [Music] healed with all the times that we have sinned and fallen short you still call for us to repent and follow you and in addition to that your arms are still open your word in Matthew 11: 28-29 says come to to me all you who labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls we did nothing to deserve this love yet you still offer it and so we thank you we are we're grateful and we appreciate your goodness Lord Jesus we do not deserve the protection you offer but you still give your angels charge over us to keep us safe in our going out and in our coming in and for that we say thank you Lord we certainly don't deserve the peace you've offered us but yet you still told us not to let our hearts be troubled because you are a God who supplies all of our needs our prayer Lord is that we may live in a way that honors you that pleases you thank you for your Amazing Grace a Grace that saves a a Grace That Forgives and shows us Mercy in your Amazing Grace we are safe we are secure and lack nothing because your grace is sufficient your word in 2 Peter 1:2 says Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our lord I bless your name father for the grace and peace which you have multiplied in my life and over my family I am grateful for your love and grace which has transformed my life I only pray that my life will be an example a living testimony of your grace and mercy and favor you have made me an overcomer in this world you have given me Authority through the name of Jesus Christ Authority which enables me to defeat the Devil you Lord have made me more than a conqueror you have made me the head and not the tail you have placed me above and not beneath all of these wonderful things are undeserved but because you are a God who is rich in love mercy and Grace you have given me that which I do not deserve and I am grateful you King Jesus have given me the gift of eternal life because you love me enough to sacrifice your own life and hang on a cross so that I may be saved thank you for saving me thank you for pulling me out of a despairing pit and placing me on steady ground I thank you for making me in your image and in your likeness I ask that you stay with me and stay by my side always great is your faithfulness Master thank you for your Amazing Grace over my life in Jesus name I pray amen Heavenly Father we thank you right now for another opportunity to praise you another opportunity to worship you another opportunity to fellowship with you in prayer and Lord as we come to you right now we come asking you to help us guard our hearts Lord fill our hearts with your word fill our hearts with your spirit help us to be vigilant against every force of evil and every cunning lie of man God help us to be in the world but not of it help us to be in this world but not love it Empower us to be a strong Godly influence in this world rather than for us to be influenced by this world Lord Jesus help us to be salt in this earth help us to be light in darkness your word says in Philippians 4: verse 8 finally brothers and sisters whatever is true whatever is Noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things Lord I pray that I would not be like a sponge that absorbs all the filth of this world no Lord instead let me be like a mirror let let me be like a mirror that reflects your goodness for everyone to see Let each of us be like mirrors that reflect your love Lord our prayer is that you would create clean Hearts within us renew a right Spirit within us give us the grace to make our ways pure before your sight whenever sinful desires start creeping in give us the strength King Jesus to resist the devil and father I pray that you would forgive me if at times I let things get into my heart that may end up hindering my walk with you and I know that these things they'd only destroy me physically spiritually emotionally if I continue to hold on to them so God I'm asking you to give me the awareness to recognize those things give me the strength to get rid of of them Father I know that you've told me in your word to guard my heart and so Lord I ask that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and help me to be the gatekeeper of My Heart Lord help me to let nothing enter except what is Godly what is pure what is pleasing in your eyes your word says in James 4:8 draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you Sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded Lord give us hearts that seek only to be closer to you I know that from my heart flow the Springs of Life so help me to guard it with my life give me a hunger to open your word daily and to Simply soak in your lifegiving truth God may I be so filled with your spirit that I can no longer stand to be in the presence of anything contrary to your will 2 Timothy 2: 21 says therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable he will be a vessel for honorable use set apart as holy useful to the master of the house ready for every good work father thank you for setting me apart you've called me out of this wicked and evil generation and you've shown me the joy that comes with following and obeying you I Delight in you father and I pray that you would have mercy on me father I thank you for your mercy and I thank you for giving me a fresh start I know that I fall short of the glory of God but I also know that there is no no heart that is too damaged or too broken there's no heart that's too stained by sin that it can't be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb all glory be to Christ forever and ever in Jesus name amen now let us pray Holy Father thank you for giving me the capacity to see and appreciate appreciate the beauty of the Gospel Lord thank you for opening my eyes thank you for removing the scales from my eyes so that I can truly see the wonders of your glory and your grace open my eyes so that I can really see your Amazing Grace indeed I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I I see and I am only able to see your goodness because you have opened my eyes and given me understanding father only you can see the realities of this world as they truly are only you are able to tell right from wrong with perfect judgment Lord Jesus open my eyes and give me wisdom forgive me if my focus is on the wrong things help me not to waste my time and quarrel over minor things I pray that you would help me to see the greater picture Lord help us shift our Focus to the Glorious and true Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel in which there is no room for misinterpretation or debate as your word says there is one God and one mediator the person of Jesus Christ help us all to grasp that reality and to stand amazed in all Lord you are all powerful and all knowing you see far beyond what I am humanly able to perceive you see every Dimension every point in time all at once so help me not to question what you have spoken to be true help me not to let doubts creep in and cloud my vision Lord remove the scales from my eyes help me to see clearly help me not to Cloud reality with my own interpretation or my own vision of the world let my world view be completely grounded in your word help me to walk by faith and not by sight expand my view from the Earthly to the Heavenly give me the ability to be able to see and recognize those who are wolves and sheep's clothing these people may appear trustworthy on the outside but they are only out to deceive father don't let me fall for any of their clever words give me the ability to see the devil's True Colors even as he masquerades like an angel of Light temptation is strong but God you are stronger help me to fasten tightly the belt of Truth so that none of Satan's lies make it into my heart God help me to see the spiritual realities that aren't apparent to me help me to see things the way you want me to and not just what my sinful heart wants to believe make the gospel beautiful in my sight and make Sin appear to me as the Abomination that it is I want to perceive this world in the same way you do Lord Jesus and so father rid me of my own desires my own lenses my own preconceived biases and like Paul on the road to Damascus awaken in my heart a greater love for you in Jesus name I pray [Music] amen it is my personal belief that a strong believer in Christ is someone who has no crutches and when I say crutches I'm talking about everything apart from God that we put our hope in a crutch is anything that stops you from completely throwing yourself into the arms of of God some people trust in the money that they've saved others trust in their own ability other people put more trust in the opinions of doctors and scientists over God the word of man has more weight in their hearts than the word of God but dear listener we need to remove every crutch in our lives we need to get to a place where we say either I stand completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't stand at all either I walk by faith completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't walk at all the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May rest on me God's grace is enough for you to stand strong God's grace is enough for your family and you can only find this out when you remove every crutch in your life and this knowledge of just how much God's grace is sufficient for you only comes when you reach a place where nothing else will do no one else will do and for sure nothing else will work only Jesus this should be our prayer Lord remove everything I am leaning on that's not you remove anything that I'm using as a crutch and help me to see that you are enough your grace is sufficient enough only Jesus Christ should be the solid rock on which you stand on because all other ground is sinking sand when you remove every crutch from your life and you cling to Jesus you will find his word to be true Isaiah 40: 29 it tells us that he gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength if if you put your trust in people they will fail you if you put your trust in material things they will fail you if you trust yourself if you trust in your abilities you will fail but some trust in horses some trust in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord Our God We Trust in the name that is above every other name and that is Jesus Christ and so if you'll remember only one thing from my message today remember this man will fail you people will fail you things will fail you money will fail you but Jesus Christ will never fail you for a moment I'd like for us to meditate on Psalm 31 in this Psalm we witness a range of emotions and experiences from Deep distress to unwavering trust just like in our own lives we move from season to season we go from a time of peace and joy to a time of Challenge and difficulty we go from a season where your faith is strong and sturdy to a season where your faith May be shaken and you just have to hold on I believe Psalm 31 shows us the reality of Life the psalmist Journey from sorrow to praise it reflects the complexities of human emotion and it shows the transformative power of relying on God it teaches us the importance of entrusting Our Lives to God's care even when we're facing adversity and it reminds us of God's faith ful protection and his unfailing love for us and so Psalm 31: 1-24 verse one says oh Lord I have come to you for protection don't let me be disgraced save me for you do what is right in this verse the psalmist Begins by expressing his trust in God's protection and his righteousness he pleads for God to Shield him from shame and rescue him from any situation that threatens his well-being verse two turn your ear to listen to me rescue me quickly be my rock of protection a fortress where I will be safe the psalmist ask God to attentively hear his plea for help he seeks God's Swift intervention comparing him to a solid rock and a fortress where he can find safety and security verse three you are my rock and my Fortress for the honor of your name lead me out of this danger the psalmist reaffirms his Alliance on God's strength and protection he emphasizes that God's reputation and honor are at stake and he asked to be rescued from imminent danger for the sake of God's name verse four pull me from the trap my enemies set for me for I find protection in you alone the psalmist acknowledges the schemes of his enemies and he asks God to rescue him from their traps he emphasizes his exclusive Reliance on God for protection and safety verse five I entrust my spirit into your hand Rescue Me Lord for you are a faithful God here the psalmist places his life and well-being into God's care echoing Jesus's words on the cross he entrusts himself to God's faithfulness and pleads for deliverance verse 6 I hate those who worship worthless Idols I trust in the Lord the psalmist expresses his disdain for those who worship idols or false gods he contrasts this with his personal trust in the true Lord indicating his commitment to God's guidance and care verse 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love for you have seen my troubles and you care about the anguish of my soul the psalmist shifts to a tone of gratitude and joy he rejoices in God's unwavering love and compassion acknowledging that God is aware of his troubles and deeply cares for his emotional well-being verse 8 you have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place the psalmist Praises God for not allowing him to fall into the hands of his enemies he acknowledges God's intervention placing him in a secure and protected position verse n have mercy on me Lord for I am in distress tears blur my eyes my body and soul are withering away the psalmist humbly acknowledges his distress and sorrow he asks for God's mercy describing both the physical and emotional toll his troubles have taken on him verse 10 I am dying from grief my years are shortened by sadness sin has drained my strength I am wasting away from within the psalmist continues to describe his suffering he attributes his physical and emotional decline to grief and he acknowledges the toll that sin has taken on his well-being verse 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors even my friends are afraid to come near me when they see me on the street they run the other way the psalmist laments the social isolation he experiences his enemies neighbors and even friends treat him with contempt attt and fear avoiding him in public verse 12 I am ignored as if I were dead as if I were a broken pot the psalmist here Compares himself to an ignored and discarded object highlighting the extent of his isolation and the lack of regard he receives verse 13 I have heard the many rumors about me and I am surrounded by Terror my enemies conspire against me plotting to take my life the psalmist acknowledges the rumors and threats that surround him he describes the fear he faces due to the conspiracies and plots of his enemies who seek to harm him verse 14 but I am trusting you oh Lord saying you are my God amidst his difficulties the psalmist declares his unwavering trust in God he affirms his relationship with God acknowledging him as his Lord and source of security verse 15 my future is in your hands rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly the psalmist entrust his future to God's control acknowledging God's sovereignty he pleads for deliverance from those who relentlessly pursue him verse 16 let your favor shine on your servant in your unfailing love rescue me the psalmist seeks God's favor and intervention he asks for God's love to manifest in his rescue highlighting God's steadfast faithfulness verse 17 don't let me be disgraced O Lord for I call out to you for help let the wicked be dis dis graced let them lie silent in the grave the psalmist prays for protection from disgrace emphasizing his call for God's help he asked that the wicked face their own disgrace and silence in the face of God's judgment Verse 18 silence their lying lips those proud and arrogant lips that accuse The Godly the psalmist pleads for God to silence the lies and accusations of the wicked he desires that those who f ly accused The Godly be held accountable verse 19 How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you you lavish it on those who come to you for protection blessing them before the watching World here the psalmist shifts to a tone of confidence in God's goodness he acknowledges the abundance of blessings that God bestows upon those who fear and trust him highlighting the impact of these blessings on a broader audience verse 20 you hide them in the shelter of your presence safe from those who conspire against them you shelter them in your presence far from accusing tongues the psalmist describes God's protective care he emphasizes that God hides and shelters his faithful ones from the schemes and accusations of their enemies verse 21 praise the Lord for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love he kept me safe when my city was under attack the psalmist shifts to a tone of praise and gratitude he acknowledges God's unfailing love and how God protected him when his city was threatened verse 22 in panic I cried out I am cut off from the Lord but you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help the psalmist reflects on a time of panic and doubt despite his feelings of being cut off he recognizes that God heard his cry for mercy and responded to his call for help verse 23 love the Lord all you Godly ones for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him but he harshly punishes The Arrogant the psalmist urges The Godly to love the Lord he emphasizes that God protects those who are loyal to him while dealing justly with the Arrogant verse 24 so be strong and courageous all you who put your hope in the Lord the psalmist concludes with a message of encouragement he urges those who place their hope in the Lord to be strong and courageous knowing that God is their source of strength and protection dear heavenly father words fail to express just how grateful we are for your goodness for your love and your mercy master your word tells us that you've chosen us you have called us to come out from the world and be separate you have called us to live lives that honor you lives that serve you and please you so father our prayer today is that you would help us give us the grace and the strength so that we would not be conformed to this world so that we would not be attached to the superficial values and the customs of this world but help us Lord to be transformed help us to be changed and renewed in our minds God we thank you for making us your own we hold on to your word in 1 Peter 2 ver verse 9 where it says but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light thank you God for being a father to the fatherless thank you for being our load Bearer God if it had not been for you where would we be we praise you God because even in your majesty and your righteousness you still care for us you still forgive us time after time even though we fall time and time again God we thank you for such mercy and Lord we pray that the Holy Spirit would put the understanding in our hearts that we can never be victorious in this life if we are not in Christ Matthew 6:4 says no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord Lord right now we declare that you alone are our one and only only Master you are our leader indeed no one can serve two masters at once light and darkness do not mix and so father we choose to stand and follow the Light of Christ we commit to you Lord Jesus and our honest request is that the Holy Spirit would work within our hearts that he would work within our minds so that we will have the kind of commitment that says not my my will Lord but your will is all important truly father it's not about my wants it's not about my feelings but it's all about you Lord Jesus Holy Spirit give us the kind of heart that's so committed to the Lord that it's willing to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires help us to carry our cross Lord Jesus your word in Matthew 5:6 says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled in you father I will be satisfied in you King Jesus I will be nourished by your goodness I glorify Your Name Lord Jesus be blessed be glorified father I thank you for hearing my prayer it's in the name of Jesus Jesus that we pray and we give you thanks amen and [Music] amen blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love notice something here Saints it's through Jesus Christ that we are chosen by God having predestined us to adoption as Sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace in him you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord the Bible says in Isaiah 53: 3-5 he was despised and rejected by mankind a man of suffering and familiar with pain like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised and we held him in low esteem surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God stricken by him and Afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed now I want to read you a few passages of scripture that should serve as a warning to all of us about pursuing ungodly sinful appetites Romans 1:24 says therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves a different translation says God also gave them up to uncleanness and the lusts of their hearts now if you read Romans 1: 26 the Bible says for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions for their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to Nature and then if if you move on to Romans 1: 28-35 the Bible says and sense they did not see fit to acknowledge God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice they are full of Envy murder Strife deceit maliciousness they are gossips slanderers haters of God insolent haughty boastful inventors of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them so on three occasions the Bible says these four words God gave them up God gave them up in the lust of their hearts God gave them up to dishonorable passions God gave them up to a debased mind be warned that if you are persistent in entertaining that appetite for sin if you choose to reject God and you don't repent there are consequences if you're consistent in feeding the appetite for ungodly things you're telling the Lord that you do not want him you don't desire to be with him so I encourage you Saints let us starve any and every desire that we have for sin let us have an appetite for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Alone now let's pray together father I come before you today giving you thanks and giving you glory and praise God you alone are worthy and as I come before you today Father I come with an open heart and an open mind God I ask that you look deep within me may you look at what my appetites are may you analyze what I yearn for and should you find anything unclean or immoral remove it Lord remove that which does not please you Lord Jesus should you find that I have an appetite for any kind of uncleanliness remove it Lord and God I ask that you would replace it with a Godly passion Ephesians 4 veres 1-3 I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of Peace God Almighty I pray that you would give us pure and godly appetites Lord plant within us an insatiable desire to live a life that exhibits a Godly character Lord we want to live a life that has integrity a life that expresses gratitude for the Salvation that you've given us Lord help us to forsake self-righteousness help us to be free from addictions and any cravings for sin Lord You've not called us to impurity but you have called us to live in Holiness I read in your word where it says in John 7: 37-39 on the last day of the feast the great day Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive for as yet the spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified Lord we thirst for your living water we come to you Lord Jesus because only you can satisfy the needs that are in our hearts I pray that You' give me an appetite to pray without ceasing I pray that you'd give me a strong and passionate desire to worship you in spirit and in truth Lord Jesus give me a heart that seeks to praise you despite my circumstances may I have eyes that see your goodness in every situation Lord and father I ask that you would help me to be a believer who is filled with the word may I only find nourishment and fulfillment in you King Jesus 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 1 through3 so put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good father I have TR truly tasted your goodness and I pray for myself along with each and every person under the sound of my voice that we may find our ultimate fulfillment in your presence and in your presence alone may we become uncomfortable when we are in situations or surroundings that are not pleasing to you when we begin to entertain things that do not glorify you God Holy Spirit I ask that you would make us uneasy and ask that we would become sensitive to your leading Holy Spirit sensitive to your nudges able to sense you in a way that we know when there's something that's happening that's not pleasing to you that's not glorifying to you something that the enemy is trying to use to open a door in US father make us ever so sensitive to that may we find spiritual and emotional nourishment in your presence father and all that we do King Jesus let our appetite be to know you more to walk with you more to abide in you more let us be hungry for the one who's the bread of life let us thirst for the one who has Living Waters Lord I want to thank you for hearing this prayer may your name be blessed and honored forever more it's in Jesus name that we pray and we give you thanks amen Lord Jesus we thank you for your love and grace we thank you for the unmar favor that is Upon Our Lives we put our trust in you a God who never fails us father at this time we ask that you remove every crutch from our lives may we know you King Jesus to be enough remove everything that we lean on and Trust in so that All That Remains is you Lord help us to come to the knowledge and understanding that your grace is indeed sufficient your power is indeed made perfect in our weakness through all the situations we Face may we come to know and to see that your love King Jesus is enough your grace is enough your work word is enough your joy is enough and outside of you master we need no one else and nothing else Psalm 103:8 says the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in Mercy so many things you have given us Lord that we do not deserve so many times you've forgiven us and shown us Mercy only for us to fall again but today Master we seek your forgiveness and repent we thank you because instead of fear you have given us a spirit of power love and a sound mind instead of sickness you have given us the assurance that by your stripes we are healed with all the times that we have sinned and Fallen fall and short you still call for us to repent and follow you and in addition to that your arms are still open your word in Matthew 11: 28-29 says come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls we did nothing to deserve this love yet you still offer it and so we thank you we are we're grateful and we appreciate your goodness Lord Jesus we do not deserve the protection you offer but you still give your Angel's charge over us to keep us safe in our going out and in our coming in and for that we say thank you Lord we certainly don't deserve the peace you've offered us but yet you still told us not to let our hearts be troubled because you are a God who supplies all of our needs our prayer Lord is that we may live in a way that honors you that pleases you thank you for your Amazing Grace a Grace that saves a a great That Forgives and shows us Mercy in your Amazing Grace we are safe we are secure and lack nothing because your grace is sufficient your word in second Peter 1:2 says Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our lord I bless your name father for the grace and peace which you have multiplied in my life and over my family I am grateful for your Lov and Grace which has transformed my life I only pray that my life will be an example a living testimony of your grace and mercy and favor you have made me an overcomer in this world you have given me Authority through the name of Jesus Christ Authority which enables me to Def defeat the Devil you Lord have made me more than a conqueror you have made me the head and not the tail you have plac me above and not beneath all of these wonderful things are undeserved but because you are a God who is rich in love mercy and Grace you have given me that which I do not deserve and I am grateful you King Jesus have given me the gift of eternal life because you love me enough to sacrifice your own life and hang on a cross so that I may be saved thank you for saving me thank you for pulling me out of a despairing pit and placing me on steady ground I thank you for making me in your image and in your likeness I ask that you stay with me and stay by my side always great is your faithful Master thank you for your Amazing Grace over my life in Jesus name I pray amen Heavenly Father we thank you right now for another opportunity to praise you another opportunity to worship you another opportunity to fellowship with you in prayer and Lord as we come to you right now we come asking you to help us guard our hearts Lord fill our hearts with your word fill our hearts with your spirit help us to be vigilant against every force of evil and every cunning lie of man God help us to be in the world but not of it help us to be in this world but not love it empower us to be a strong Godly influence in this world rather than for us to be influenced by this world Lord Jesus help us to be salt in this earth help us to be light in darkness your word says in Philippians 4:8 finally brothers and sisters whatever is true whatever is Noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things Lord I pray that I would not be like a sponge that absorbs all the filth of this world no Lord instead let me be like a mirror let me be like a mirror that reflects your goodness for everyone to see Let each of us be like mirrors that reflect your love Lord our prayer is that you would create create clean Hearts within us renew a right Spirit within us give us the grace to make our ways pure before your sight whenever sinful desires start creeping in give us the strength King Jesus to resist the devil and father I pray that you would forgive me if at times I let things get into my heart that may end up hindering my walk with you and I know that these things they'd only destroy me physically spiritually emotionally if I continue to hold on to them so God I'm asking you to give me the awareness to recognize those things give me the strength to get rid of them Father I know that you've told me in your word to guard my heart and so Lord I ask that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and help help me to be the gatekeeper of My Heart Lord help me to let nothing enter except what is Godly what is pure what is pleasing in your eyes your word says in James 4:8 draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you Sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded Lord give us hearts that seek only to be closer to you I know that from my heart flow the Springs of Life so help me to guard it with my life give me a hunger to open your word daily and to Simply soak in your lifegiving truth God may I be so filled with your spirit that I can no longer stand to be in the presence of anything contrary to your will 2 Timothy 2 verse 21 says therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable he will be a vessel for honorable use set apart as holy useful to the master of the house ready for every good work father thank you for setting me apart you've called me out of this wicked and evil generation and you've shown me the joy that comes with following and obeying you I de Del light in you father and I pray that you would have mercy on me father I thank you for your mercy and I thank you for giving me a fresh start I know that I fall short of the glory of God but I also know that there is no heart that is too damaged or too broken there's no heart that's too stained by sin that it can't be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb all glory be be to Christ forever and ever in Jesus name amen now let us pray Holy Father thank you for giving me the capacity to see and appreciate the beauty of the Gospel Lord thank you for opening my eyes thank you for removing the scales from my eyes so that I can truly see the wonders of your glory and your grace open my eyes so that I can really see your Amazing Grace indeed I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I see and I am only able to see your goodness because you have opened my eyes and given me understanding father only you can see the realities of this world as they truly are only you are able to tell right from wrong with perfect judgment Lord Jesus open my eyes and give me wisdom forgive me if my focus is on the wrong things help me not to waste my time and quarrel over minor things I pray that you would help me to see the greater picture Lord help us shift our Focus to the Glorious and true Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel in which there is no room for misinterpretation or debate as your word says there is one God and one mediator the person of Jesus Christ help us all to grasp that reality and to stand amazed in a Lord you are all powerful and all knowing you see far beyond what I am humanly able to perceive you see every Dimension every point in time all at once so help me not to question what you have spoken to be true help me not to let doubts creep in and cloud my vision Lord remove the scales from my eyes help me to see clearly help me not to Cloud reality with my own interpretation or my own vision of the world let my world view be completely grounded in your word help me to walk by faith and not by sight expand my view from the Earthly to the Heavenly give me the ability to be able to see and recognize those who are wolves and sheep's clothing these people may appear trustworthy on the outside but they are only out to deceive father don't let me fall for any of their clever words give me the ability to see the devil's True Colors even as he masquerades like an angel of Light temptation is strong but God you are stronger help me to fasten tightly the belt of Truth so that none of Satan's lies make it into my heart God help me to see the spiritual realities that aren't apparent to me help me to see things the way you want me to and not just what my sinful heart wants to believe make the gospel beautiful in my sight and make Sin appear to me as the Abomination that it is I want to perceive this world in the same way you do Lord Jesus and so father rid me of my own desires my own lenses my own preconceived biases and like Paul on the road to Damascus awaken in my heart a greater love for you in Jesus name I pray amen it is my personal belief that a strong believer in Christ is someone who has no crutches and when I say crutches I'm talking about everything apart from God that we put our hope in a crutch is anything that stops you from completely throwing yourself into the arms of God some people trust in the money that they've saved others trust in their own ability other people put more trust in the opinions of doctors and scientists over God the word of man has more weight in their hearts than the word of God but dear listener we need to remove every crutch in our lives we need to get to a place where we say either I stand completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't stand at all either I walk by faith completely trusting in Jesus Christ or I don't walk at all the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May rest on [Music] me God's grace is enough for you to stand strong God's grace is enough for your family and you can only find this out when you remove every Crut in your life and this knowledge of just how much God's grace is sufficient for you only comes when you reach a place where nothing else will do no one else will do and for sure nothing else will work only Jesus this should be our prayer Lord remove everything I am leaning on that's not you remove anything that I'm using as a crutch and help me to see that you are enough your grace is sufficient enough only Jesus Christ should be the solid rock on which you stand on because all other ground is sinking sand when you remove every crutch from your life and you cling to Jesus you will find his word to be true Isaiah 40:29 it tells us that he gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength if you put your trust in people they will fail you if you put your trust in material things they will fail you if you trust yourself if you trust in your abilities you will fail but some trust in horses some trust in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord Our God We Trust in the name that is above every other name and that is Jesus Christ and so if you remember only one thing from my message today remember this man will fail you people will fail you things will fail you money will fail you but Jesus Christ will never fail you for a moment I'd like for us to meditate on Psalm 31 in this Psalm we witness a range of emotions and experiences from Deep distress to unwavering trust just like in our own lives we move from season to season we go from a time of peace and joy to a time of Challenge and difficulty we go from a season where your faith is strong and sturdy to a season where your faith may be shaken and you just have to hold on I believe Psalm 31 shows us the reality of Life the psalm is Journey from sorrow to praise it reflects the complexities of human emotion and it shows the transformative power of relying on God it teaches us the importance of entrusting Our Lives to God's care even when we're facing adversity and it reminds us of God's faithful protection and his unfailing love for us and so Psalm 31 veres 1- 24 verse 1 says oh Lord I have come to you for protection don't let me be disgraced save me for you do what is right in this verse the psalmist Begins by expressing his trust in God's protection and his righteousness he pleads for God to Shield him from shame and rescue him from any situation that threatens his well-being verse two turn your ear to listen to me rescue me quickly be my Rock of protection a fortress where I will be safe the psalmist ask God to attentively hear his plea for help he seeks God's Swift intervention comparing him to a solid rock and a fortress where he can find Safety and Security verse three you are my rock and my Fortress for the honor of your name lead me out of this danger the psalmist reaffirms his Alliance on God God's strength and protection he emphasizes that God's reputation and honor are at stake and he asked to be rescued from imminent danger for the sake of God's name verse four pull me from the trap my enemy set for me for I find protection in you alone the psalmist acknowledges the schemes of his enemies and he asks God to rescue him from their traps he emphasizes his exclusive Reliance on God for protection and safety verse 5 I entrust my spirit into your hand Rescue Me Lord for you are a faithful God here the psalmist places his life and well-being into God's care echoing Jesus's words on the cross he entrusts himself to God's faithfulness and pleads for deliverance verse 6 I hate those who worship worthless idols I trust in the Lord the psalmist expresses his disdain for those who worship idols or false gods he contrasts this with his personal trust in the true Lord indicating his commitment to God's guidance and Care verse seven I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love for you have seen my troubles and you care about the anguish of my soul the psalmist shifts to a tone of gratitude and joy he rejoices in God's unwavering love and compassion acknowledging that God is aware of his troubles and deeply cares for his emotional well-being verse 8 you have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place the psalmist Praises God for not allowing him to fall into the hands of his enemies he acknowledges God's intervention placing him in a secure and protected position verse 9 have mercy on me Lord for I am in distress tears blur my eyes my body and soul are withering away the psalmist humbly acknowledges his distress and sorrow he asks for God's mercy describing both the physical and emotional toll his troubles have taken on him verse 10 I am dying from grief my years are shortened by sadness sin has drained my strength I am wasting away from within the psalmist continues to describe his suffering he attributes his physical and emotional decline to grief and he acknowledges the toll that sin has taken on his well-being verse 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors even my friends are afraid to come near me when they see me on the street they run the other way the psalmist laments the social isolation he experiences his enemies neighbors and even friends treat him with contempt and fear avoiding him in public verse 12 I am ignored as if I were dead as if I were a broken pot the psalmist here compares himself to an ignored and discarded object highlighting the extent of his isolation and the lack of regard he receives verse 13 I have heard the many rumors about me and I am surrounded by Terror my enemies conspire against me plotting to take my life the psalmist acknowledges the rumors and threats that surround him he describes the fear he faces due to the conspiracies and plots of his enemies who seek to harm him verse 14 but I am trusting you oh Lord saying you are my God amidst his difficulties the psalmist declares his unwavering trust in God he affirms his relationship with God acknowledging him as his Lord and source of security verse 15 my future is in your hands rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly the psalmist entrust his future to God's control acknowledging God's sovereignty he pleads for deliverance from those who relentlessly pursue him verse 16 let your favor shine on your servant in your unfailing love rescue me the psalmist seeks God's favor and intervention he asked for God's love to manifest in his rescue highlighting God's steadfast faithfulness verse 17 don't let me be disgraced O Lord for I call out to you for help let the wicked be disgraced let them lie silent in the grave the psalmist prays for protection from disgrace emphasizing his call for God's help he asked that the wicked face their own disgrace and silence in the face of God's judgment Verse 18 silence their lying lips those proud and arrogant lips that accuse The Godly the psalmist pleads for God to silence the lies and accusations of the wicked he desires that those who falsely accuse The Godly be held accountable verse 19 How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you you lavish it on those who come to you for protection blessing them before the watching World here the psalmist shifts to a tone of confidence in God's goodness he acknowledges the abundance of blessings that God bestows upon those who fear and trust him highlighting the impact of these blessings on a broader audience verse 20 you hide them in the shelter of your presence safe from those who conspire against them you shelter them in your presence far from accusing tongues the psalmist describes God's protective care he emphasizes that God hides and shelters his faithful ones from the schemes and accusations of their enemies verse 21 praise the Lord for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love he kept me safe when my city was under attack the psalmist shifts to a tone of praise and gratitude he acknowledges God's unfailing love and how God protected him when his city was threatened verse 22 in panic I cried out I am cut off from the Lord but you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help the psalmist reflects on a time of panic and doubt despite his feelings of being cut off he recognizes that God heard his cry for mercy and and responded to his call for help verse 23 love the Lord all you Godly ones for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him but he harshly punishes The Arrogant the psalmist urges The Godly to love the Lord he emphasizes that God protects those who are loyal to him while dealing justly with the Arrogant verse 24 so be strong and courageous all you who put your hope in the Lord the psalmist concludes with a message of encouragement he urges those who place their hope in the Lord to be strong and courageous knowing that God is their source of strength and protection dear heavenly father words fail to express just how grateful we are for your goodness for your love and your mercy master your word tells us that you've chosen us you have called us to come out from the world and be separate you have called us to live lives that honor you lives that serve you and please you so father our prayer today is that you would help us give us the grace and the strength so that we would not be conformed to this world so that we would not be attached to the superficial value us and the customs of this world but help us Lord to be transformed help us to be changed and renewed in our minds God we thank you for making us your own we hold on to your word in 1 Peter 2:9 where it says but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light thank you God for being a father to the fatherless thank you for being our load Bearer God if it had not been for you where would we be we praise you God because even in your majesty and your righteousness you still care for us you still forgive us time after time even though we fall time and time again God we thank you for such mercy and Lord we pray that the Holy Spirit would put the understanding in our hearts that we can never be victorious in this life if we are not in Christ Matthew 6:4 says no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mamon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord Lord right now we declare that you alone are our one and only Master you are our leader indeed no one can serve two masters at once light and darkness do not mix and so father we choose to stand stand and follow the Light of Christ we commit to you Lord Jesus and our honest request is that the Holy Spirit would work within our hearts that he would work within our minds so that we will have the kind of commitment that says not my will Lord but your will is all important truly father it's not about my wants it's not about my feelings but it's all about you Lord Jesus Holy Spirit give us the kind of heart that's so committed to the Lord that it's willing to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires help us to carry our cross Lord Jesus your word in Matthew 5:6 says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled in you father I will be satisfied in you King Jesus I will be nourished by your goodness I glorify Your Name Lord Jesus be blessed be glorified father I thank you for hearing my prayer it's in the name of Jesus that we pray and we give you thanks amen and amen blessed be the God and Father of of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love notice something here Saints it's through Jesus Christ that we are chosen by God having predestined us to adoption as Sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace in him you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the the Holy Spirit of promise but you are not like that for you are a chosen people you are royal priests a holy nation God's very own possession as a result you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mamon money possessions Fame status or whatever is valued more than the Lord the Bible says in Isaiah 53 verses 3-5 he was despised and rejected by mankind a man of suffering and familiar with pain like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised and we held him in low esteem surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God stricken by him and Afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed for

Channel: Grace For Purpose Prayers

Views: 145,744

Keywords: Meditation, Christian, Sleep, Relaxation, Godly, Meditate, Abide, Peaceful, Scriptures, Bible Talkdown, Sermon

Id: 7LfgM10bEPc

Length: 226min 27sec (13587 seconds)

Published: Sat May 25 2024