A Short Night-time Prayer (2 Timothy 1:7)        

For God’s not given me a spirit of fear, 
But a spirit of love, 
and of power, and a sound mind,
To live each day and glorify his name. 

GROWING ROOTS         

Accepting Jesus (or "starting a relationship with Jesus" or "inviting Jesus into your life" or "becoming a Christian") is not the same thing as following Jesus. It's just the first step in a lifetime of steps.

Sadly, some people never move past accepting Jesus. They say "yes" to his forgiveness, enjoy the moment, and then set it aside. Maybe they think "following Jesus" is like following someone on social media, which is totally passive. All you need to do is click a link, swipe a screen, or confirm a request.

But following Jesus requires us to be actively and intentionally connected to him personally. We can't just check in now and then, or mute his updates or ignore the notifications. We need to make time to be with him, to listen to him, to learn about him, and to learn from him. 

In these verses, Paul writes: 

"Just as you have accepted Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught..."

Accepting is step one. Following is every step that comes after that.

Filling Our Minds With God's Love               

What happens when we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s love? Will standing beneath the downpour of his grace change the way we feel about others?

It’s not enough to keep the bad stuff out. We’ve got to let the good stuff in. It’s not enough to keep no list of wrongs. We need to cultivate a list of blessings. Paul says in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Thinking conveys the idea of pondering, studying, and focusing… allowing what is viewed to have an impact on us. You want to make a list? Then list his mercies. List the times God has forgiven you. Rather than store up the sour, store up the sweet!

By Max Lucado

 A Morning Prayer for Strength       

Lord, I am weary and don’t know when this “race” will end in my life. I feel like I’ve been running forever, trying to outrun this trial. Help me to stop trying to outrun my pain but rather run with endurance the race you have set before me. I know that because of you I am ultimately a victor over the trials in my life. I know that nothing in this world can separate me from your steadfast love. Please give me a measure of your love today; give me the strength to endure this trial. Thank you for your love for me that never ends! And thank you for the crown of joy that awaits me forever in your Kingdom! - Adrian Rogers,  Love Worth Finding