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August 20, 2013

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God's Plan, Holy Spirit, Prayer

He Knows What We Need

At the same time, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words. The one who searches our hearts knows what the Spirit has in mind. The Spirit intercedes for God’s people the way God wants him to. [Romans 8:26-27 (GW)]

Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayers. Help me remember to pray the problem and not my version of the solution. Keep me mindful that not all difficulties will be resolved. May your Holy Spirit bring my prayers into harmony with your holy will, trusting that you alone know what is best.

 

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August 19, 2013

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Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

For the Children

We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through every kind of spiritual wisdom and insight. We ask this so that you will live the kind of lives that prove you belong to the Lord. Then you will want to please him in every way as you grow in producing every kind of good work by this knowledge about God. We ask him to strengthen you by his glorious might with all the power you need to patiently endure everything with joy. [Colossians 1:9-11 (GW)]

Let this be our prayer for the young people in our lives.

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August 18, 2013

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Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

Asking Advice

Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed. [Proverbs 15:22 (MSG)]

Usually, when I ask for advice, what I really want is someone to agree with me. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that the purpose of advice is not to tell me that I’m right but to warn me when I might be wrong. Open my mind so that I seek advice not to reinforce my ideas but rather as a way to be introduced to new ideas and better solutions.

 

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August 17, 2013

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Holy Spirit, Temptation & Sin

Sin is Waiting to Attack

You know that if you do what is right, I will accept you. But if you don’t, sin is ready to attack you. That sin will want to control you, but you must control it. [Genesis 4:7 (ERV)]

Disobedience, gossip, envy, pride, anger, greed, deceit, hatred, selfishness, jealousy, and the list goes on. Which sin, O Lord, is crouching at my door, just waiting for an opportunity to gain a foothold in my life? Father, let your Holy Spirit guard and guide me as I struggle to triumph over it.

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August 16, 2013

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Wisdom & Guidance

Ask for Wisdom

If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. [James 1:5 (GW)]

O Lord, sometimes it seems as if I have neither time nor ability enough to get everything accomplished that needs to be done. Make me a good steward of both the hours and tasks you have given me; show me how to put my good intentions into practice. Please give me the discernment to set priorities and wisdom and skill enough to know what to do and how to do it.

 

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August 15, 2013

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Faith & Hope, Prayer

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

You are my friends if you obey my commandments. I don’t call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. But I’ve called you friends because I’ve made known to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father. [John 15:14-15 (GW)]

Friends share, friends confide, and friends listen to one another. Do I listen to Jesus? Do I want to know what is on His heart or do I only want to tell Him what is on mine? Am I so busy talking to him that He can’t get a word in edgewise? It’s time to let my best friend speak; prayer should be a dialogue and not a monologue!

 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” [by Joseph M. Scriven]

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged –
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.