Encouragement

Prayer About Godly Encouragement vs. Discouragement (Based on 2 Chronicles 32:7-8)

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Photo taken in Nebraska.

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali

Encouraging Heavenly Father, I come in Jesus’ Name to thank You for being the great encourager for born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a blessing You give through Your Word, the Bible. Isaiah 41:10 “‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous righthand.”

Thank you for the encouragement I can receive from meditating on Your attributes. For example, it is a great blessing to know from Your Word, the Bible, that You are all-knowing. Nothing about me is a surprise to You. Psalm 139:1-4 “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.“

You are there when situations in my life seem large and looming. It does not matter what comes against me, You are far greater and more powerful. Like in King Hezekiah’s situation in 2 Chronicles 32:7, remind me often of what he told his people to encourage them that no matter the size of the army of their enemy against them, God was bigger and stronger. By remembering who God was, they were encouraged and found strength. Hezekiah said in 2 Chronicles 32:7-8a “‘Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’“

I ask You to show me daily how to gain encouragement from Your powerful words in the Bible, including Bible stories and events. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.   

P.S. These prayers will only work if you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. If you need help understanding God’s plan of salvation for you (the way to heaven), go to this page on our site: https://timewithourcreator.com/2016/06/02/salvation/

God’s Great Action of Love and Encouragement for His Children (Based on Psalm 103)

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Photo taken in Hawaii.

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali

Loving Heavenly Father, I come in Jesus’ Name to thank You for the love and encouragement You show to all of us who are born again believers in Jesus Christ. As I look at all that You have done and are doing, I see the awesome God You are. At times when I get concerned or discouraged, direct me to look at David’s list in this Psalm of what he praised God for, and encourage me to do the same to get my mind focused on You. Verses 3-6: “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” Verse 8a: “The LORD is merciful and gracious.” 

It is a blessing to receive all of what is expressed in these verses when I do not deserve any of it. Thank you for the promise in verse 10. “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.” What an encouragement it is to know that Your love for me is not based on my actions, but that You give grace for my shortcomings. I ask that You continue to give me more of an understanding of Your mercy and grace, and in turn, a respect for all that You are. Verse 17a: “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him.” The message in this Psalm shows that You have unlimited power over everything. Therefore, direct me to realize that You are sufficient to control all of my life if I am willing.   

In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Prayer on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 Characteristics for Living an Encouraging Life

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Photo taken in Colorado.

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali

Heavenly Father, I come before Your glorious throne today in Jesus’ Name to give You praise and thanks for the life You have offered me to live in a way encouraging to others. You have given me an opportunity to rid myself of my old, tattered, sinful ways and accept the perfection of Jesus Christ as my own.

It is not always easy to be an encouraging person, but thank you for Your instruction in the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22. This scripture gives me a beautiful picture of what life should look like in the Christian community. Lead me into patience and encouragement for those who are weak and fainthearted.

Verse 14: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” Give me a heart to not seek revenge, but rather to do good to others in love. Verse 15: “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”

Your Word has a lot to say about the work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life. Therefore, direct me to cooperate with Him in whatever He wants to accomplish in and through me. Zechariah 4:6b “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.’” Verse 19: “Do not quench the Spirit.”

Develop in me a sensitivity about how my life will affect those in my personal family as well as those in the Christian community. Direct me to fulfill the point raised in verse 22. “Abstain from the appearance of evil” (KJV).

In order to practice all that You have laid out in these verses, develop in me the attitude of verse 17, “pray without ceasing,” and verse 16, “rejoice always.”

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God’s 3 Steps for Encouragement from Him

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Photo taken in Colorado.

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali

Encouraging Heavenly Father, I come in the Name of Jesus to give You praise and thanks for the encouragement that comes through trusting in You. When all looks bleak and things are far from what I had expected or wanted, Your loving presence fills me with hope.

When I am in need of encouragement, direct me to do like David did in 1 Samuel 30:6. “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.“ 

First step: Remind me to look back at all the past victories over sin and darkness that have been accomplished in Jesus’ Name. There have been many events recorded in the Bible and in more current history where You stepped in and redeemed even the worst situations. This is true in my own personal life as well. John 16:33 “These things have I spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Second step: Remind me that I am under Your divine protection. You can command Your angels to provide protection from the forces of evil. Psalm 121:7-8 “The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.”

Third step: Remind me as a child of Yours of the many powerful attributes You as my loving father have in directing and watching over me. 1 Chronicles 29:11 “Yours O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all.”

I ask that I would continually see You more clearly and be in pursuit of developing my relationship with You until I ultimately see Jesus face to face. Amen.

Looking Back for Encouragement to go Forward

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Photo taken in Hawaii.

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali

Heavenly Father, I come in Jesus’ Name to thank You for the privilege of being able to look back in my life and see Your faithfulness in the good and difficult times. “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” Lamentations 3:22-23.

Direct me to recall Your goodness and work in all seasons of my life. Develop in me the mental attitude that “God certainly would not bring me this far in life and now all of a sudden drop me and not be interested in my future anymore.”

Thank you for the assurance about my future found in Psalm 23:6. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.”

Give me the courage and strength to realize that when the challenges and setbacks in life come, You will guide and lead me all the way through to the other side.

Since my responsibility is to call upon You and then trust and yield to Your leading, I ask that you direct my life to be exemplary of Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Thank you for allowing me to bring this prayer in Jesus’ precious Name, Amen.