"Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

It is more difficult and it takes more guts to be gentle than it is to be tough and harsh.

Lord, help me to show compassion and kindness and gentleness.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105 

A foot lamp was just that ... an actual oil fueled lamp affixed to a person's feet.  This lamp allowed the person to see where they were going.  It helped them to avoid trouble.  It helped them to see where they were going.  The lamp helped identify the correct path.  We don't need a lamp on our feet these days.  We have better devises to light our way.  However, we still need help to find the correct path.  There is no better source of where we should go or which path to take than God's word.  Left or right.  Here or there.  Option A or Option B.  We can guess or use our own wisdom.  Or we can look to God and the Bible to direct our path.

Lord, help me to use You to light my path.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  Why, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-7

God knows sparrows.  God knows hairs.  God knows you.  God knows me.  More importantly, God cares about us and loves us.  We should care about and love Him.

Lord, thank you for not only knowing me but for also loving me and help me to know You more and love You more in return.

"This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go...We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us." Joshua 1:9, 16 

We often feel as if we are not prepared or that we are deficient in some area.  Then, over time, we come to realize, we are actually more prepared than we thought and we are not deficient at all.  Hopefully, we then realize that our preparedness and our ability comes from God.  And then comes the moment of truth:  Do we use that new found position of strength and power for our own purposes or do we make the tougher choice but the correct decision to use the gift of power and strength to serve Him and help others?

Lord, help me to use my position to help others and to serve You.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  Galatians 6:9

We typically reference perseverance in terms of working through hard times. We must also exercise perseverance when we are doing good.  Often times, we do good but we don't see the impact or result of our goodness.  This will then lull us into a false sense of confidence or even worse, a sense that our goodness is not worthy.  

Lord, help me to be good and to continue to be good, even if it isn't rewarded the way I expect.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16

​Most of our love is self serving.  We often say "I love you' in hopes that someone will return the gesture.  We show our "love" to others, in hopes that the act will be reciprocated.  We love others when it is convenient.  We love others when we know we will be loved in return.  We rarely love for the sake of loving someone.

Lord, help my love to look more like Your love. 

"From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part." Ephesians 4:16

No matter what the question may be, the answer is always ... Love.

Lord, help me to remember the one goal You have for us all in everything we do.

"I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13

This verse is probably used incorrectly more than it is used properly.  Most people read this verse as saying "because of Him" instead of the more accurate "through Him".  This verse does not give us a blank check that says "I can do anything".  This verse merely points out the truth that when we do things through Jesus (and only things that Jesus favors will be allowed to go through Him), then those things will be accomplished.  

Lord, help me to understand who You are and what You want and how you function so that I may be strengthened by You.

"The one who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe."  Proverbs 28:26

"Thinking outside the box" is a phrase that is typically used to describe creative ideas or innovative thinking.  Unfortunately, often times the only box we need to think outside of is our own brain.  God has given us a big brain, with the capacity to accomplish a lot, however, we were never meant to be completely independent of Him and the truth that God provides.

Lord, thank you for creating me to be a thinking being but help me to think more about following You and seeking Your wisdom.  

"For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12

​Some people are more talkative than others.  However, everyone has come to a point in their lives where they become "speechless" or "have no words".  It is not an issue of language but an issue of being lost in what to say.  God is always available and He has given us a Bible that has a lot of words in it and those words are always better than any we may try to conjure up.

Lord, help my life be full of Your Word and not my words.