“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23

The author of this proverb, likely Solomon, was obviously not writing about our physical heart, but that part of our consciousness that controls our moral outlook, strongest feelings, and our passions. It is also the part of us that can be manipulated into false beliefs.

I think what the proverb is telling us is that our heart, this moral consciousness, must be controlled by our mind, our conscious decisions and disciplines, not the other way around. By guarding or hearts from manipulation we stay in control of our lives, and even better, we direct our passions to the noble pursuits God desires.

Dear Lord, we are each beautifully and wonderfully made, but unless we follow your design for ourselves, we can be misled away from your will. Help us guard our hearts so that we will use them to bring passion and energy to your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Today is Independence Day in the USA. Across the country we celebrate the freedom won by our ancestors and predecessors, and by the grace of God we have thrived as a nation.

Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,”

As we go about our celebrations, let us remember the words of George Washington our first President, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”

Dear Lord you have blessed not only Americans, but all mankind with through the amazing country that is the USA. Help us always remember to thank you for protecting and showering your favor on America. We ask your continued blessing on our country. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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I have written in the past about how each of us has a calling, a mission, that God has put us on. We go about our daily lives pursuing our occupations, responsibilities and hobbies, and if we keep God the priority in our life, he is directing us.

Proverbs 16:3 is a great passage to memorize and ties in with this concept. it says, “Commit your actions to the Lord , and your plans will succeed.”

When we say, “this is what I am trying to accomplish Lord, but let me do your will not mine,” we are committing our actions to the Lord. He promises our plan’s will succeed, which will ultimately be the plans he is using us to accomplish.

Dear Lord, Thank you for directing our activities toward success in the calling you have given us. Help us always begin our days and tasks by asking for your direction and guidance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Different denominations of Christians have different processes for confession, whether that is personally to a pastor or priest, or during the service as a group, or on one’s own. The important thing is that we confess our sins to God, ask for forgiveness, and relief from the temptations that pull us toward those sins. The more specific we can be when we confess, the better. Confessing to God is so much different than confessing our mistakes to other people. When we confess our sins to God, we can expect the weight of the guilt to be lifted, and to receive the peace of being forgiven.

The Living Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins”

Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” NIV

Dear Lord, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Help us remember for our own good to confess our sins to you, and carry-on with renewed peace to avoid them in the future. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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There is a popular business book called “One Thing” and the author’s main point is that in order to succeed we need to focus intently on one thing. If you are old enough to remember the Billy Crystal comedy movie, City Slickers, there was a tough old cowboy character “Curly” played by Jack Palance who had a famous scene where he said, holding up one finger, “the secret of life was one thing…., you have to find out what that one thing is for you.”

In the story of Mary and Martha recorded in Luke 10, Jesus came to visit sisters Mary and Martha, and while Jesus was there, Martha was busy with all the activities of hosting Jesus’ visit, but Mary sat and listened to Jesus teaching. This upset Martha who told Jesus it was not fair that Martha was working hard on all the arrangements while Mary sat listening to Jesus and not helping. Jesus’ answer was, Luke 10:42,43, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

There is only one thing we also need to be concerned with, and that is following Jesus. When we keep this in as our focus we stay on the right path.

Dear Lord, You have given us the incredible gift of Salvation through Jesus’ Christ. Help us remember that is the one thing that matters most. In His name we pray. Amen.

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