God

The Influence of God’s Word in My Life

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Bible journaling by Sylvia S., photo by Ali.

 

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali, Bible Journaling: Sylvia S.

I come to You in Jesus’ Name, Heavenly Father, to thank You for the light that You give as I walk through dark areas of life. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” Psalm 119:105. “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” Psalm 19:8.

Father, empower me to comprehend the awesomeness of the fact that all Scripture is You speaking to me in written form. “All scripture is God-breathed” 2 Timothy 3:16.

Direct me to live my spiritual life in the same way as my physical life. Just as I can’t live without physical food each day, I need to have You give me a daily intake of Your Word and a time of quietness to hear from You. “Be still and know that I am your God” Psalm 46:10.

Show me how to mold my opinions and values around You and Your ways, not around the society that I live in. Thank you for putting in Your Word all the direction I need to be able to live a life of peace and joy. “Teach me your way O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” Psalm 86:11.

Father, thank you for allowing me to bring these praises and requests in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God’s Unchanging Love

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Photo taken in Hawaii.

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali
Loving and faithful Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ Name to thank you that every day I can rest on Your promise that You are never changing, always faithful, and loving. Despite my failures and shortcomings, Your love never wavers, falters or comes up short. Your assurance that You will never leave or forsake me brings great peace and joy in my life. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” 2 Timothy 2:13.
Lead me to comprehend and take seriously what it cost You for me to be able to have a wonderful love relationship with You. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.
Direct me not to use Your grace and mercy as a means to simply do as I wish or as an excuse to sin.  Rather, show me how to use it as a platform from which to extend Your hand to others. Teach me to trust in the same promise You gave Israel in Isaiah 43:2-3 when I go through difficult times. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Direct my experiences and actions to be an example for others to see how You demonstrate Your love and faithfulness.

I bring these thoughts in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Living Under God’s Vigilance

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Photo taken in Colorado.

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

Heavenly Father, I come to You in Your Son’s Name to thank you for the peace and comfort it gives me to know that You are everywhere present and that You see every situation in my life.

Even the events in my life that I do not understand are not a surprise to You. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3

Direct me to be conscious at all times of the fact that I am living in Your presence. Have this give me a growing desire to live in a way that is pleasing to You.

When the challenges of life come, show me how to get my focus off my problems and back on Jesus.

I invite You to be my defender and counselor. Remind me how You do not always immediately calm the storms in life, but that You are always willing to calm me as Your child in the midst of the storm. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…“ Isaiah 43:2-3.

Thank you that I can bring these requests to You in Jesus’ precious Name, Amen.

The Blessing of God’s Love

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Photo taken in Virginia.

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

Loving Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ Name as I see everything happening around me to thank You that Your love for me is unconditional and that nothing in all creation can separate me from Your love, revealed in Christ Jesus my Lord. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

It is such a blessing to know that the stronger my love relationship is with You, the easier it is for me to have a joyful love relationship with others.

Your Word expresses that obedience to Your instruction, as well as worship and praise, are ways for me to grow in my love relationship with You. “My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:8

Please develop in me a strong desire for sincere praise and worship, along with a willingness to be obedient to the instructions in Your Word.

I ask that Your love be greatly evident in my life in everything I say and do and that it will overflow from me to others and encourage them to want a relationship with Jesus as their Savior, for 1 John 4:8 says, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Thank you that Your great love does not have to be earned, but is a gift to be received.

With all my love, I bring these praises and requests to You in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God, the Leader Over All Situations

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Photo taken in Colorado.

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

All-wise Heavenly Father, I come in Jesus’ Name to thank you for the encouragement You give in Your Word for when I forget or ignore that You know the future and my every move. You have designed all situations to prosper me even before they happen. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29:11.

Forgive me for sometimes being utterly foolish by not giving control to You, the life-giver and master of every destiny, and for not looking to You for sustenance and guidance.

I ask You to take control of my life, the lives of my immediate family, and the lives of those who come to mind who are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I pray Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-12 for all of the people just mentioned. “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”

Thank you that I can come to You in Jesus’ Name to ask You to take hold of every facet of my life and transform me to be more Christ-like. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

A Thanksgiving Prayer

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Photo taken in Kansas.

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

A suggestion on how to use this prayer guide and fulfill the command in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for that is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you:”

After each topic, pause for a short time to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving and praise to God. Meditate on a few of these every day between now and Thanksgiving.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ Name to ask You to guide me to be a thankful person and to live in an attitude of prayer. Do not allow anything in my life to overpower Your many blessings:

  1. Thank you for my salvation… John 3:16
  2. Thank you for material provisions such as food and clothes… Philippians 4:19
  3. Thank you for the joy provided by the following loved ones in my family…
  4. Thank you for giving physical and emotional healing… Isaiah 53:5
  5. Thank you for my brothers and sisters in my church…
  6. Thank you for many answered prayers…
  7. Thank you for the wonder and beauty of Your creation… Genesis 1
  8. Thank you for the freedom we enjoy in our nation…
  9. Thank you for those who are defending our country as part of the military and the police…
  10. Thank you for those who are serving on the mission fields…
  11. Thank you for forgiveness… 1 John 1:9
  12. Thank you for the joyous times of praise and worship… Psalm 100
  13. Thank you for the armor of God… Ephesians 6:10-20

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 92:1

Lord, thank you for hearing this prayer in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Relying on God’s Wisdom

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Photo taken in Colorado.

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

All-Wise Heavenly Father, thank you that I can call upon You for Your unlimited wisdom and instruction when it comes to the way I should live my life. In Your Word are all the answers needed for every decision I have to make and it shows me how to avoid foolishness and ruin.

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.” Proverbs 2:1-3 (NLT)

I confess to You and ask for forgiveness for the times when I have acted on my own before inquiring for wisdom from You and Your Word and for when I blamed You when things didn’t turn out the way that I thought they should.

Direct me to increase my determination to live by Your Wisdom and be filled with Your Spirit of Wisdom so that I can discern Your will. Let my mouth speak Your Wisdom due to the righteousness You have instilled in me. “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3

Thank you for sending Your Son to represent Your power and wisdom to me so that I will never be in a place where You are unable to help me.

Allow me to experience all that You say in Your Word about wisdom so that Proverbs 3:13 is a reality in my life. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.”

I bring these praises and requests to You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

 

 

Giving Praise and Glory to God for His Goodness

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Photo taken in Florida.

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

Heavenly Father, I praise You for:

Blessing me with salvation and drawing me to Heaven and off the road of destruction which would have led to an eternal hell. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Promising to supply all of my needs in the present and in the future until my entrance into eternity in Heaven. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Knowing I am a child of Yours and I can draw from Your wisdom, which You give me generously, without finding fault with me. You have no limit to how many times I can come to You for help in finding what to do and what not to do in any situation. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

Father, I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunities You give me to become more spiritually mature, to love You more deeply, and to serve others. Thank you for the comfort of Your awesome promise in 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 right hand.”

Thank you for providing me with blessings and power through the practice of praise and for the positive effect that it has in my daily life.

I bring these praises to You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

God’s Holiness in the Believer’s Life

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Photo taken in Utah.

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

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for not only giving the command to be holy but that You have given me a way to fulfill that command. “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.“‘ 1 Peter 1:15-16

You have set me apart and made me holy because of my relationship with Jesus Christ, Who covered the gap between You, Heavenly Father, and me, a sinful human. I appreciate the fact that Your holiness purifies me and shows me how to continually be separated from all that is unholy.

Develop in me the connection between Your Holiness and my wholeness in life. Give me the courage to live a life that is different from the ways of the world and realize that the way I live in private and in public has an influence on what people think of the God I profess to serve.

Show me any hindrances that keep You from being able to develop Your Holiness in and through me, and enable me to reject whatever is not the best for me. May I experience the truth of Psalm 29:2 “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

I bring these requests to You, my Father in Heaven, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Hearing From God

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Photo taken in Colorado.

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

Lord, thank you that You are willing to listen to me, and even more important, that You want me to have the blessing of hearing from You. “Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.“‘

In the midst of all the competing voices in the world today, make it clear to me that most of what I hear from You will be from Your Holy Word, the Bible. As in the story in 1 Kings 19:9-13, most of the time You do not communicate with me in a loud and boisterous way, but by “a still small voice.”

Since You reveal Yourself in quietness and meekness, show me ways to be physically and mentally still so that I can hear You clearly. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” This being so, I open my heart and mind to You and ask You to direct me in discerning what needs to happen in my life through every situation.

Lord, as I listen, “show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4-5

I bring these thoughts in Jesus’ Name, Amen.