Praising prayer for peace

Posted on by

God how I praise You. You are holy, kind, compassionate, gracious, loving, and merciful. Thank You that You love me with an everlasting love and have drawn me with loving-kindness (Jeremiah 31:3). You created my inmost being and knit me together in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13). You know the numbers of hair on my head and You have engraved me on the palms of Your hands (Luke 12:7, Isaiah 49:16).

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet Your unfailing love for me will not be shaken nor Your covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on me (Isaiah 54:10). You are with me and are mighty to save. You take great delight in me; You will quiet me with Your love and rejoice over me with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17). You will make known to me the path of life and in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11).

You, God, are gracious and righteous and full of compassion (Psalm 116:5).You take delight in me; and crown the humble with salvation (Psalm 149:4). In Your unfailing love You will lead me. In Your strength You will guide me to Your holy dwelling (Exodus 15:13). For Your eyes search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to You (2 Chronicles 16:9a).

You know the plans You have for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. When I call upon You and come and pray to You, You will listen to me. I will seek You and find You when I seek You with all my heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Before I call You will answer; while I am still speaking You will hear (Isaiah 65:24).

Your unfailing love is priceless and we find refuge in the shadow of Your wings. (Psalm 36:7) You are love (1 John 4:16). And Your perfect love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it’s not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Your love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Thank You, God, that “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast, that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character, because he trusts and takes refuge in You with hope and confident expectation.” For the Lord gives unyielding and impenetrable strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace (Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 29:11).

You so greatly loved and dearly prized the world, that You even gave Your One and only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him as Savior will not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus You invite, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with Me” (Revelation 3:20). You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through You (John 14:6). Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice in place of my sins so that I can be saved and have an abundant life. (John 10:10). Therefore, My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ and my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming’ (Psalm 27:8).

Thank You, Jesus that in You I have perfect peace and confidence. In the world there are tribulations, trials, distress, and frustration; but I can be of good cheer, take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted. For You have overcome the world, deprived it of power to harm me and have conquered it for us (John 16:33).

Jesus, thank You that You are with me always, remaining with me perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20b). You will give me rest. You will ease and relieve and refresh my soul. You give Your perfect peace. Therefore, I don’t need to let my heart be troubled, nor afraid. Your perfect peace will calm me in every circumstance and give me courage and strength for every challenge (Matthew 11:28, John 14:27).

Therefore, I don’t need to be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything, every circumstance and situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, I will continue to make my specific requests known to God. And the peace of God, that peace which reassures the heart, that peace, which transcends all understanding will stand guard over my heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Thank You, Jesus, that You sit at the right hand of God interceding for me. And nothing will separate me from Your love – not tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord (Romans 8:34-35, 38-39).

Therefore, “In peace and with a tranquil heart I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety and confident trust” (Psalm 4:8).Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant me His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Praise You, God. I bring this prayer to You in the name of Jesus Christ, Your precious Son and my Savior. Amen.

The post, Praising prayer for peace, first appeared on https://lisabuffaloe.com

 

Grumbling against God

Posted on by

In the book of Exodus we read how the Israelites were miraculously rescued by God from slavery with the Egyptians. Even though the Israelites witnessed plagues and judgement against the Egyptians, even though the Israelites walked on dry land through the Red Sea, saw the complete destruction of the Egyptian army, and even though God led the Israelites with a cloud by day and fire by night, and provided for their every need, they still grumbled and complained to Moses and Aaron.

Moses told them, your grumblings are not against us but against the Lord (Exodus 16:8).

Yikes!

Ray Pritchard wrote, “Do we understand that complaining is an attack on God’s sovereignty? Every time you complain about your circumstances, you are really saying, ‘If I were God, I would do things differently.’ The complainer has forgotten the first rule of the spiritual life: He’s God and we’re not.”

Oh my. How it must grieve the heart of God when we complain. After reading that verse and the quote by Ray, I found myself trying to be very careful, with my words and my thoughts.

Complaining and grumbling focuses on people, problems, and circumstances, instead of focusing on our almighty, loving God. There is more, much more, than what we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, or even imagine. God is loving and good, He is always in control, He is sovereign over all, He knows the plans and the future, and all things work together for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28).

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for complaining and grumbling. Thank You that You are sovereign and always in control. Thank You that there is a plan and purpose bigger, higher, and better than I can imagine. Please help me so that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart may be pleasing to You (Psalm 19:14).

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NKJV).

Therefore, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” “Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and [questioning and doubting [among yourselves], That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world (1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 2:14-15, AMPC).

The post, Grumbling against God, first appeared on https://lisabuffaloe.com