Paul writes in Hebrews 4:16, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

I try to picture this situation in my mind’s eye; We, simple humans, boldly approaching Almighty God who made everything and has power over everything. How could that be appropriate? Yet just like an earthly father, who wants to provide for his family’s needs and help them be all they can be, God wants us to come to him with the confidence that He has mercy and grace beyond our understanding to help us.

Dear Lord, what a humbling and powerful confidence this gives us to know that we can come to you boldly and you will always be there with mercy and grace for us when we are in need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is interesting to look at different Bible translations of verses, to help bring out the meaning of the text.

I found that the God’s Word translation of Proverbs 14:14 brings relevance to what is a somewhat “matter of fact” verse in other translations. It says:

“A heart that turns from God becomes bored with its own ways, but a good person is satisfied with God’s ways.”

Isn’t it common to see someone searching for their way in life and rather than turning toward God, they turn away looking for life satisfaction in many things, only to be left feeling incomplete. In contrast, when we turn toward God looking for his will and ways and following, we find peace.

Dear Lord, as you said, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, help us turn toward you for fulfillment in life, and you will guide our steps. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I have heard it said that your life is like an echo, what you send out comes back to you, or like a mirror, a reflection of you.

Paul writes in his letter to Titus 1:15, “A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears.”

I imagine you have met both kinds of people, those that look for the best in everything, and have good positive attitudes, and those that see the negative and problems in every experience. How interesting that they both can be looking at the same situation and see such different pictures. The verse above from Paul’s letter to Titus tells us that the way people look at a situation is an indication of what is in their own heart and mind. How they look at things is as much a statement on themselves as it is a statement on the people or things about which they are commenting.

Dear Lord, help us be people of pure hearts and find the goodness and purity you have put in our world. Help us also be a positive influence on those with evil and untrusting hearts, that they might see your love through us and desire to change. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We all occasionally worry about something, but Paul tells us that there is an alternative to worry, prayer.

Paul writes in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

In my words, what he is saying is, when we have a concern, rather than worrying, we should ask God to solve it, then thank him for doing so. We should then carry on in the best way we know how, with trust that God will handle the situation. We may not know how He will handle it, but we can know that God has a reason for the way He is answering our prayer, and His ways are better than ours.

Dear Lord, help us remember to pray rather than worry. Help us also remember to include our thanks that you will handle our concern in your way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I think if you think about it, most of us have had an experience that was challenging or unpleasant, but because of that experience, we were lead into some new opportunity or positive situation, or avoided something even worse. Things like a traffic slowdown prevented us from being involved in an accident, or a minor medical issue that indicates something more serious early enough to resolve.

God talks about this type of situation in Isaiah 65:24, “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!”

God also tells us in Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” NIV

What a comfort it is to know that God cares about each of us, he knows our prayers before we even ask, and he is right there with us through life’s trials, our own trials, or those we love.

Dear Lord, We thank you that you have control over all of our lives. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Bring comfort and healing to those who face trials in their lives, so they may have your peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.