Daily Prayer: Day 197

From Simple Prayers, Day 197

I DRAW NEAR TO YOU, GOD

Lord, I give thanks for Your greatness, your goodness, and your love, and I now draw near to enjoy your presence.

You, the Lord, alone have declared
What is to come from the distant past.
There is no God apart from You,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none besides You.
You are God, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:21–22)

You are my hope, O Lord God;
You are my trust from my youth.
As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise You more and more. (Psalm 71:5, 14)

Take a moment to consider God’s awesome majesty and thank Him that He loves you and wants an intimate relationship with you.

THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE

I will not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14)

The Lord God promised to gather the children of Israel from the nations and bring them back from the countries where they were scattered. “And I will give them the land of Israel. They will return to it and remove all its detestable images and abominations. I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them, and I will remove the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances. They shall be My people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:17–20)

I LISTEN TO YOUR WORDS OF TRUTH

The works of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:19–23)

MY RESPONSE TO YOU, LORD

Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. (Proverbs 27:5)

Is this not the fast You have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the cords of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to share our food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter; when we see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from our own flesh? Then our light will break forth like the dawn, and our healing will quickly appear, and our righteousness will go before us; the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard. Then we will call, and the Lord will answer; we will cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” If we put away the yoke from our midst, the pointing of the finger and malicious talk, and if we extend our souls to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then our light will rise in the darkness, and our gloom will become like the noonday. (Isaiah 58:6–10)

Lord, I thank You for Your promise to regather Your people and to put a new spirit within them. I thank You for the fruit of the Spirit, and I ask that I would be concerned for social justice.