Living on Purpose Day 21 January 26

“Lord, I receive Your love. I confess my mistakes. Please forgive me. Please do not punish me in the way that I deserve. Please do give me Your love in the way that I do not deserve. I believe that Jesus is my way to salvation and ultimately Heaven. Lord, I choose to live for You. I give my life to You completely. Please help me to see You more clearly. Please help me to understand Your purpose in my life. Thank You for helping me grow stronger in this resolve.”

• Lord, I will seek your kingdom first and live on purpose. Matthew 6:33
• Lord, You are the most powerful one and all of this is for you. Your kingdom is eternal. Psalms 145:13
• You are able to do more than I could ask for or think of. Ephesians 3:20
• To You, O Lord, be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Ephesians 3:21
• Lord, I will love you with all I’ve got and I will love others (in the same way I take care of myself). Matthew 22:37-40
• Lord, I will be sober, aware, careful, and a good steward in all things, enduring hardships. I will work to share the Good News of Jesus with as many people as possible, to fulfill the work You’ve given me. 2 Timothy 4:5
• Lord, I will urge as many people as possible (people of all varieties) to become followers of Jesus, leading them to take next steps in following You. We will love each other, ever learning more about who You are and all that You’ve said. We will gather in small groups in homes and as a larger group in the church. Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 2:41-47

Lord, please help us become a church:

• Loving Jesus in a way that people talk about.
• Where people find salvation & healing in Jesus.
• Helping people find careers & peaceful homes.
• Where everyone can find a place that they fit.
• Serving the city with love that works.

That this should result in peaceful neighborhoods, crime reduction, employment & literacy increase, and a decrease of addictions. It would include a better-connected effort between existing churches, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and the business community.

Personal Change Day 20 January 25

“Lord, please help me receive Your forgiveness. Lord, I surrender every area of my life to you. Lord, please help me leave the past behind. Please help me, as I choose to forgive others. Lord, please help me see how You want my life to look. Help me have a clear picture of what growing closer to You looks like. Help me see how my life can change. Lord, please open my spiritual eyes to see the change that You desire.”

Let’s take a few minutes to write down a few topics to prayer over our personal lives. Reading Colossians 3, Philippians 4, or Ephesians 4 may help.

How could my life be different, for the better, to reflect the love of God and His plan?

What could be? What should be? By God’s grace, what will it be? What is that “preferred future” of God, for me?

What’s bothering you? What is the solution? What should be? Beginning to feel like a moral imperative? See a connection with what God is up to?

I believe God loves me. I believe that God knows what is best for me. God has a plan. By following God’s plan, I have the best plan of seeing the change (written above) become reality. With this change, people will see evidence that will draw them to Jesus.

“Lord please help me. Please bring change, miracles, and opportunities for me to take action. Lord please:

• Awaken my spiritual hunger
• See through the obstacles and not be distracted
• See Your guidance in my life
• Have the strength to resist sinful cravings
• Have the strength to seek You every day
• Help me plan specific next steps toward this change

My Work Day 19 January 24

“Lord, please help me see that You have created me with design. Help me see that You have given my life purpose. Help me see that You have created me for good works. Help me discover the vocation You have prepared me for. Help me see the work that You have given me to do today, as a gift. Help me see the work that I can do today as an opportunity to Thank You. Help me to do my best and give my all, for Your glory. Lord, please help me see that my time, energy, and money as resources that You have given me to be a steward of. They are not my own. They are Yours and that You have given them to me as a personal loan. Help me see that one day I will stand before You and give account for what I’ve done with my time, energy, and money. Today Oh Lord, I thank you by how I use these resources. May my work and money honor you oh God”

• Search me Oh God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24
• I will use my hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Ephesians 4:28
• I will treat my supervisors with respect, serving them sincerely as I would serve Jesus, not only when they’re watching. I will do the will of God with all of my heart, working with enthusiasm, as though I am working for Jesus and not for people. I remember that the Lord will reward me. Ephesians 6:5-8
• I will give with generosity at church, as unto the Lord, testing His principles, with a belief that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Malachi 3:10 Hebrews 11:6
• I will give my time, energy, and money with generosity. God will take care of me. Luke 6:38
• I will be hospitable to others without grumbling. I will be a good steward. 1 Peter 4:9-10
• I will serve others with a humble attitude, thankful for Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8
• I will let my conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. Philippians 1:27

My Health Day 18 January 23

“Lord, may my body and health honor You. May that way that I take care of my body show the world that I value what You have given me. Give me to make good decisions. Please help me to be in control of my body at all times. Lord, please search me and help me see where I’m not making the best decisions. Please forgive me for anything that I’m doing with my body that does not reflect my thankfulness for what you’ve given me. Please help me see how You would like me to put my body to good use.”

• By the stripes Jesus took in punishment for my sin, I am healed. 1 Peter 2:24
• I will not be wise in my own eyes; I will fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to my flesh, and strength to my bones. Proverbs 3:7-8
• I will prosper in all things and be in health, just as my soul prospers. 3 John 1:2
• My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in me and was given to me by God. My body does not belong to me, for God bought me at a high price (Jesus’ sacrifice). So I must honor God with my body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• I will exercise self-control, I will discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should, and bring it under control. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27

“Lord, please help me see what changes I can make today in how I use my body and take care of my health.”

Walk Protected Day 17 January 22

“Lord, please protect us from temptation. Don’t let us yield to it, but rescue us from the evil one. Please clothe us in the benefits of Your Good News, your armor.”

• I will overcome the enemy by the sacrifice of Jesus, by the word of my testimony, and by not loving my life more than You. Revelation 12:11
• I will put on the attributes of Jesus through a personal relationship with Him. Romans 13:14
• I will put on my new spiritual person. Colossians 3:10
• I will be sober and vigilant; because my enemy walks about, seeking to defeat me. I will resist him, steadfast in my faith, knowing that I am not alone. 1 Peter 5:8-9
• I will put on the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6:11
• The Belt of Truth – I will walk in truth.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness – I will guard my heart with all diligence.
• The Shoes of the Gospel – I am ready to walk in peace, to run with the good news.
• The Shield of Faith – I will defend against the enemy and walk where God wants me by seeing what God wants me to, believing in Him and agreeing with Him, and taking action.
• The Helmet of Salvation – I will bring every thought I have into submission to Jesus.
• The Sword of the Spirit – I will speak the inspired and revealed Word of God.
• The Cloak of Zeal Isaiah 59:17 – The Lord will transform my personality to be passionate about my life in Him.
• The Lord’s got my back “Rear Guard” Isaiah 58:8 – I believe that God’s got me covered.

“Lord, today I choose to be more focused on You than anything that may tempt me in this life. You are better. There is nothing in this life as good as You. Lord, today I commit to learning more about You. Lord, today I choose to walk in Your strength. Today I walk in the results, the benefits, of being saved by grace through faith in Jesus my Savior!”

Forgiveness Day 16 January 21

Search me O God in the area of forgiveness

Read Jesus in Matthew 18:15-35 Ephesians 4:32 Colossians 3:13

God’s Purpose: Remove Guilt & Restore Relationship

Forgive: to give up resentment of or claim to requital for, to grant relief from payment of, to cease to feel resentment against. Forgiving: allowing room for error or weakness.

God’s Forgiveness: a commitment to pardon graciously those who repent & believe so that they are reconciled to Him.

Repent – turn around in actions and attitude….to change behavior as a result of a complete change of thinking and attitude.

We’re saying, “I will not dwell on this incident, bring up this incident again and use it against you, talk to others about this incident, let this incident stand between us or hinder, our personal relationship.”

Why? “By making and keeping these promises, you can tear down the walls that stand between you and your offender. You promise not to dwell on or brood over the problem or to punish by holding the person at a distance. You clear the way for your relationship to develop unhindered by memories of past wrongs. This is exactly what God does for us, and it is what He calls us to do for others.”

Your Word Day 15 January 20

“Lord, please help me to grow closer to You by reading, digesting, memorizing, and putting to use Your Word. Please help me become more familiar with the Bible, honoring it as Your word to me.”

• Like newborns, we must crave pure spiritual milk so that we will grow into a full experience of salvation. We will cry out for this nourishment, now that we have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
• So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
• We cannot live by food alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
• Let these words be your weapons as you fight. 1 Timothy 1:18 (CEV)
• Many of the benefits of Scripture (and how we should relate to it) are listed in Psalms 119

“Lord, thank You for speaking to me through Your Word the Bible. Today I choose to read it with faith. Today I choose to read it and pray about it. Today and every day I choose to obey Your Word. Thank You, Lord, for this Treasure!”

Please take time to read the Bible today. Expand your reading. If this is a first, try starting with Psalm 23. If you usually read a few verses, try a longer chapter. If you usually read three chapters, try several. Find a verse that speaks to you and memorize it.

Blessed to be a blessing Day 14 January 19

“Lord, as I thank You for all that You have provided me, as I ask for Your will first in my life, I also ask that You would continue to provide for my basic needs. Beyond that, Lord I ask that You would bless me in the way that You blessed Abraham (that he would be ‘blessed to be a blessing’ to others Genesis 12:2).”

• I will trust You with all my heart. I will not rely on my understanding. In all my ways, I will acknowledge You and You will direct my paths. Proverbs 3:5-7
• I ask, in prayer, believing, and I know I will receive. Matthew 21:22
• As I diligently obey the voice of the Lord, all these blessings shall come upon me and overtake me. I will be blessed in the city, in the country, when I come in, and as I go out. The Lord will command a blessing on my savings and in all to which I set my hand, and He will bless me in the land which He is giving me. Deuteronomy 28:1-8
• God is able to make all grace abound toward me, that always saving all sufficiency in all things, I may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
• I will give and it will be given unto me, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured on me. With the same measure that I give, it will be measured back to me. Luke 6:38
• It is God who gives me the ability to earn a living, savings, and more than enough to give away, that He may establish His covenant with me. Deuteronomy 8:18

“Lord, I thank you for the way in which you have already provided for me. Please help me to be a good steward of all that you have given me. Help me be responsible. Help me make good decisions. Help me choose to be generous with my time, energy, and money in a way that is courageous and reflects my belief that You are my Provider.”

“Lord, please help me to be ‘blessed to be a blessing’ in my: personal life, family, business, church and relationships with others.”

Conversation Day 13 January 18

“Lord, please search me oh God in general, and search me in particular with regard to the quality of my conversation, my words, my heart, and what comes out of my mouth.”

• I will not use foul or abusive language. I will let everything I say be good and helpful so that my words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29
• I will be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. James 1:19
• Death and life are in the power of my tongue. Proverbs 18:21
• Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Psalms 141:3
• May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14

‘Lord, please forgive me for the times when I have said the wrong thing and the times when I have not said the right thing. Please forgive me for allowing my heart to be unhealthy. Please forgive me for allowing my heart to be anything other than worshipping You and overflowing with gratitude to You. Please forgive me for the times when my heart has overflowed with words that do not glorify You. Please help me to learn to control my tongue in a way that gives You thanks. Please help me learn how to control my words to speak life (faith statements) and not death (wrong perspective).”

Your Love Gives Day 12 January 17

“Lord please help me better understand the way that You love me and the way in which you want me to love others.”

Agape Love: a God kind of love that gives – to have a love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard. To love, to regard with affection, loving concern. Describes attitude of God to His Son and the human race. To convey His will to His children concerning their attitude one to another. To express the essential nature of God.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Philippians 2:1-11

“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my followers.” John 13:34-35

“God showed us how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” 1 John 4:7-12

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:16, 18

“Lord, today I receive Your love for me in all its purity, faithfulness, grace, and mercy. Please help me to grow in my understanding of just how deep and wide Your love for me is. Thank you! In response to Your love, I say Thank You, and I make a fresh commitment to show Your love to those whom you have placed in my life. Please help me to see others the way that You do! Help me see exactly what You want me to do, how to listen, what to say, and how to reflect Your love for them.”