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O Lord, I realize that my life is only a mist. I realize that it can be gone in a twinkling of an eye. In having this knowledge, I wonder, then, why so much emphasis is put on living in this world as if it will be everlasting on earth. I wonder why so many status symbols have evolved so that a person may become proud. I wonder why people search to do and have things that only put them in bondage. The spirit of the world captures a person so that he is living under its oppression. This oppression is so stealthy because the person hardly ever realizes that it exists. Because he is so caught up in living according to the standards of the world, he doesn’t realize that he is even trapped. The standards of the world are very seductive. Once they grab you, they don’t want to let go. They mesmerize the person with such magnitude so that the person does not realize what is actually happening.
I have realized that each status symbol derives its significance from the lust of the flesh and eyes, and the pride of life. I understand from Your Word that I must not be desirous of sin. Status symbols are sin.
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O Lord,
I have this great feeling of discontentment. I feel like I am totally dissatisfied with life. Although everything appears to be going well, I feel lousy. I feel like something was lost. I feel that I must seek You more because I don’t feel the closeness that I had before I left. I will pray more to seek my purpose with You. I dislike this feeling of discontentment. I am not finding joy in anything I do. Please help me. I am saved. The meaning is that I am saved now. If I were to die to this fleshly dwelling, I am saved from the wrath of the Lord that is associated with death. Therefore, I must realize the importance of the moment. I must not adjust my feelings to occurrences in the next hour, day, week or month. I must respond to the moment that is happening now. I must fully realize my present salvation.
Dear Lord,
As I go through these times of changes where it would be that so many things are going well for me, let me humble and recognize my vulnerability. Let me know that everything that happens to me is because of Your mercy towards me. Nothing is from my strength. I am a failure. You have provided everything for me. Let me realize my humble state: a man of flesh and blood with death-wrenching desires. As I go through, let me keep my eyes fixed on the course that is set, which is to uplift You to others. Let me never forget the purpose of what I do and will ever do. Although it can be easy to get wrapped up in the moment, let me put away the thoughts, feelings and desires of wanting to be somebody. Let me only focus on being Your disciple, having my heart, mind, soul and spirit on glorifying You in all of my existence. Let me be able to fulfill my obligations as a Christian. O Lord, You have brought me a long way in my walk in getting closer to You. I have changed in many ways. I feel at peace and I diligently seek You. You continue to bless me with so many things, especially those that are not material. I thank You for all this. I earnestly desire to walk according to The Way. However, as I continue to try, I continue to falter. Although the faltering is much smaller than what my faltering used to be, I feel that it is in greater magnitude. I’m afraid that if I falter at something, I am on my way to completely disregarding The Way.
Have mercy on me. I must not falter. I must hate faltering. I must do everything in my strength, mind, soul and heart not to falter. Faltering leads to destruction. O Lord, please give me strength to not falter. Please remove any stimuli that might cause me to falter and create situations that I can be unblemished. Please help me. I don’t want to fall short of the mark. O Lord, I have realized that if a person keeps his way according to Your precepts, You can and will give him beyond the measure that he thought for himself. The key is: keeping his way according to You.
O Lord, now that I have this realization, I want to be even more diligent and cautious over keeping my way according to Your Word. I have a fear and I want more fear of what would happen to me if I changed my way from Your Word. I have tasted Your excellence, dear Lord, and I do not want to in any way to depart from You. I will seek ways to stay close to You. I want to create more and more of a desire to hate every evil way. I desire to have total disdain for any form of evil. As I seek You, please give me wisdom to walk in the Way. Lord, the walk I have with You now is like walking in the clouds, or I guess it could be like Peter walking on the water to meet You. That is how I feel. I want to stay on top with You. I know that there is the reality that I could sink, but I will keep my eyes focused on You while trusting You to keep me safe. I know now that if I take my eyes from You and lose trust, I will sink. I want to get closer to You, putting on the Spirit’s fruit. Thank You for this knowledge and the yearning to make my way Yours. Have mercy on me. O Lord, I want even to become stronger in You. I want to be conscious of You 100% of the time. I want to know You even in my sleep and dreams. I do not want ever to have You out of my mind.
Please help me so that in every moment I am conscious of Your Spirit. In this way, I can do and improve in doing the things that are pleasing to You. I want to put away all things that are of the flesh. I want more of Your Spirit taking control of my life. The more I have of You means the less I have of myself. I have realized that there is no good for me in living under my desires. I need You not only for myself but also my family. O Lord, I have realized today how far You have brought me in my living as a Christian. You have changed destructive desires that I had. You have put in my heart the way to do pleasing things towards You. O Lord, it is only You who can perform this miracle in my life. Before, I was at the mercy of every whim and instinct present in my body. I thank You that You have come to my rescue.
Your truth is what I desire, Lord. I want to know You more and be in Your will. Help me, Lord, to put on the fruit of the Spirit. Help me to always be conscious of Your presence and Spirit within me. Let me not seek my own desires, thoughts, actions and impulses. Let me have You at the forefront of everything that I can possibly be involved with. I seek You to be the giver of life. I want to put off all things that are unlike You. I want to put on the cloak of salvation.
Thank You, Lord, for giving me a mind to want to seek You. Have mercy on me when I falter. Please, enlighten me in Your Word so I can know the way for my heart. Put away all erroneous deceptions from me. Let Your truth shine as the rising morning sun. I hope in You, Lord. I know that I need only to stay close to You. I shall not have a single worry or concern. It is great to have the peace that You provide. Let me be totally immersed in You. In fasting, Lord, I realize that I focus so less on temporal things and distractions. While I am not fasting, the potential is present to get caught up in very many distractions and weights. A conclusion gained from fasting is that an empty stomach keeps one more focused on the Lord. I perceive that this is the same with situations in my life: the fuller I am with the contents of day to day living, the less focus I have on the Lord. I must overcome this battle, or perhaps, this is my destiny. I have realized that I have very many flaws that keep me tangled with the works of the flesh. I resolve now to keep them in check, by prayer, fasting and congregating. In addition, I will seek to bear the fruit of the Spirit. I will not wait for the fruit to just appear as a result of putting away the deeds of the flesh. I will become actively involved in bearing it. I will pray and diligently seek to have the fruit manifested in my life.
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