1 Passage: Isaiah 40:21-26
1 Verse: Verse 25. "To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?" says the Holy One.
1 Prayer: Father, there truly is no one like You. There couldn't be. Forgive me if I try to put another in the place of honor and worship in which only You deserve to belong. You are unlike anything. You exceed everything. You equal nothing.
1 Passage: Psalm 103:19-22
1 Verse: Verse 22. Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; bless the LORD, O my soul!
1 Prayer: Father, may You have dominion where I am. May my life be Your domain, in which You rule as sovereign Lord and Master and King. Thank You for making me Your workmanship, so that I may display Your wonders. May You forever be honored and glorified by my soul as You deserve.
1 Passage: Psalm 103:15-18
1 Verse: Verse 15. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
1 Prayer: Father, I know the point of this passage is to establish a contrast between the temporality of our human physical life and the eternality of Your divine spiritual love and life. And I'm incredibly thankful that Your love is eternal, because it is on the basis of Your eternal love that I have been promised eternal life together with You. But this verse also makes me think about my day today. If all my days are like grass, what is one day? Very little. And yet, it is everything I have for now. And I want to make it all count for You, Father. I want to flourish. I'm not sure if my flower is in bloom, but I want to try to do something good with this day that You have made and given to me. You say You've prepared good works beforehand for me to walk in. Please help me walk in faith that that is so. Father, please help my faith to flourish to the benefit of others and especially to You.
1 Passage: Psalm 103:11-14
1 Verse: Verse 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for Your lovingkindness and compassion. You are better to me than I fully understand or faithfully express. Thank You for knowing me intimately and perfectly. I am grateful that You are mindful of my weakness and that You remember how I was made. It is only right for me to remember as well that You have made me. And You have made me for Yourself. You have removed my sins from me. Help me to do the same, and remove my sins from me -- as far as the east is from the west. The two cannot exist in the same place at the same time. Help me make it so for those sins that seem to so easily entangle me. And help me to show the same compassion to others made just like me -- created by You from the dust of the ground in order to be recipients of Your love and mercy.
1 Passage: Psalm 103:1-5
1 Verse: Verse 2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;
1 Prayer: Father, please forgive my forgetfulness.
1 Passage: Psalm 97:9-12
1 Verse: Verse 12. Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, and give thanks to His holy name.
1 Prayer: Thank You, Father, for making me one of Your righteous ones. Any righteousness I might claim comes only from You -- by grace, through faith in the name of Jesus. But that doesn't make it any less real or true. I am righteous in Your sight and the way You see it is the way it is. That makes me glad, because I could never get there on my own. Help me to be glad and grateful today as I walk in the awareness of my righteousness in You.
1 Passage: Psalm 93:1-5
1 Verse: Verse 4. More than the sounds of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty.
1 Prayer: The sound of many waters I hear this morning is more gentle than mighty, but it is a beautiful sound nonetheless. Thank You, Father, for waking us with thunder and again with softer rain. Your strength is majestic and mighty, and also generous and kind. You command Your clouds to withhold rain and to give it up again. Thank You for lessening our drought with showers of blessing.
