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(31 Days of Praise, Ruth Myer)
| Day 1 |
| My heart rejoices in You, Lord, for You are my strong shelter in times of trouble and danger and stress, my hiding place to whom I may continually resort... my Father who lovingly provides for me... my Shepherd who guides and protects me... my Champion who upholds my cause as His child and defends my highest interests... my Bridegroom who delights in me... my God who is mighty to save, who rests in His love for me and rejoices over me with singing, with shouts of joy. You are my inheritance, my share in life, the One who satisfies my longing soul and fills my hungry soul with goodness.
I praise You for Your love and Your wisdom. You are too wise to ever make a mistake, too loving to ever do anything unkind. You act on my behalf, accomplishing what concerns me and fulfilling Your purpose for me as I call on you. Thank You that You love me deeply and tenderly. You are compassionate and gracious, full of lovingkindness, ready to forgive, patiently considerate, and generous beyond imagining. You desire my love and rejoice to do good things for me. You delight to give me the desires of my heart as I delight myself in You. How precious is Your love to me, O God! I sing for joy as I take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"
PSALM 91:1-2
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| Day 2 |
| Thank You, Father, that You so loved the world that You gave Your one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ... that when the time had fully come, He wrapped Himself in human form, being born as a helpless baby in a poor family. Thank You that He walked here on Earth radiating the brightness of Your glory and flawlessly expressing Your nature... and so, through Him, people saw You in action, invovlved with them, available to meet their needs. Thank You that He focused Your almighty power into the lives of common people with deep needs, just like me... that He preached the gospel to the poor, proclaimed freedom to prisoners of sin and recovery of sight to the blind, and set free the oppressed victims of sin and Satan--the downtrodden, the lost, the hurting, the broken. Thank You for the way He rebuked the arrogant and looked with favor on the humble-minded, opening wide the door of His kingdom to those who were destitute and helpless in spirit. I delight in Your tender mercies, O my God, by which the Sunrise from on high has come to us!
Thank You that through the Gospels I can watch this beloved One walk among ordinary poeple. I can hear the gracious words that came from His lips. I can see His compassion and tenderness toward needy people, His anger at hypocrisy, His faithfulness, His intense love for His followers.
Fairest Lord Jesus! You alone are my heart's desire... my chief delight... my soul's glory, joy, and crown. Every advantage life can offer is like rubbish, compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing You. You are worthy, Lord--worthy to be thanked and praised and worshipped and adored.
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| Day 3 |
| I praise You that the Lord Jesus lived His life sinlessly, in total accord with reality, with no falseness, no self-deception, no dark secrets, nothing to regret, nothing to be ashamed of... that He proclaimed the truth, the one utterly reliable foundation for our thinking and living. Thank You that He delighted to do Your will... that He withdrew for time alone in Your presence... that He was attentive to Your voice and sensitive to Your working... that He lived in complete dependence on you, so that You in Him spoke those gracious and life-giving words and performed those mighty works.
Thank You that He demonstrated how I am to live and serve, completely depending on Him as my indwelling Lord, focusing on His life as He walked on Earth, and beholding His glory, "the glory of the one and only" who came from You, full of grace and truth. What a delight to know that as I focus on Him, You transform me into His image by Your Spirit within me. You work in me that which is pleasing in Your eyes. You strengthen my heart in every good work and every good word, so that more and more I honor Christ by the way I live.
But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2 CORINTHIANS 3:18
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| Day 4 |
| I love You, Father, because You first loved me and sent Your Son to atone for my sins. And I stand amazed that Jesus, who by nature had always been God, did not cling to His rights as Your equal... that He laid aside all His privileges, to be born as a human being... that He totally humbled Himself, submitting to the death of a common criminal, enduring infinite humiliation and pain... that on the cross You laid on Him the compressed weight of all my sin and guilt and shame, of all my griefs and sorrows, and He became sin for me, dying the death I deserved.
And how much I praise You that it was impossible for death to hold Him in its power...that You raised Him from the dead to be my Savior, to make me righteous in Your sight... that You highly exalted Him, giving Him a position infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power, or control, both natural and supernatural. Thank You that He is the Great High Priest... that He is able to save me completely, for He lives forever and prays for me, and for all of us who have come to You through Him. I glorify You, my Father, with gratefulness and joy.
And I bow at the feet of Him who was dead, and is now alive forever and ever. I exalt Him, I yield myself to Him, for He is worthy of the total response of my entire being: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
ACTS 2:24
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| Day 6 |
| I magnify You, my God, for Your absolute purity, holiness, and justice, as the Judge to whom all people must give account. I praise You that Your fairness is intertwined with everything You do... that when the time is ripe You will end all sin and injustice, all corruption, all immorality.. that You will right all wrongs and reward all loving service and suffering for Your sake.
Thank You that Your Son will return from heaven with a shout of triumph, that the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable... and in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall all be utterly changed. We shall see the radiance of His face and the glorious majesty of His power. It will be a breathtaking wonder and splendor unimaginable to all who believe! Thank you that "whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future" You have planned for us.
What a joy it is to know that the government will be on Christ's shoulders, and that there will be no end to the increase of His governement and peace... that His kingdom will be established with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom... a kingdom that cannot be shaken. You will never be voted out; no coup will ever dethrone You. For all eternity You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen!
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed....
1 CORINTHIANS 15:51
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| Day 7 |
| I glorify You for the Bible--that wonderful written revelation of You and Your plan. As snow and rain fall from the skies to meet our needs, so You have condensed Your thoughts--which are vastly higher than all human thoughts--into written-down form. I'm so grateful that you cared enough to communicate with us in this clear, unchanging,always-accessible way, so that Your thoughts are now available at all times to refresh and nourish and teach me... and that You are still a communicating God, speaking these words to me as I am attentive to You, as I read and meditate with a listening heart. What a privilege it is to store Your Word in my heart, where You can use it at any moment to bless me and guide me.. to keep me from sinning against You... and to be a storehouse of inspired words that the Spirit can bring to my mind to help others.
Thank You that in Your Word I can see Your face and hear Your voice. I can discover Your will and Your patterns for living and serving. I can develop deeper faith and confidence. Thank You that the Holy Spirit inspired Your Word and uses it to enlighten and guide me, and to change me more and more into Your image, from one degree of glory to another.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17
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| Day 8 |
| I give thanks to You, O Lord, and I stand in awe of You, for I am wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works! Thank You that You uniquely designed and created me, with the same care and precision You used in creating the universe... that You formed me in love exactly to Your specifications... that You embroidered me with great skill in my mother's womb.
I'm grateful that my looks, my abilities, and my personality are like a special picture frame in which You can portray Your grace and beauty, Your love, Your strength, Your faithfulness, to the praise of Your glory. I rejoice that You have gifted me for the special purposes You have in mind for my life. I thank You for Your loving wisdom in allowing the things that have influenced me throughout my life--the things that have prepared my heart to respond to You and live for Your glory. I might not have turned to You if things had been different!
It's wonderful to know that You are not the least bit dissatisfied with my inborn talents, intelligence, aptitudes, appearance, and personality, for Your hands have made and fashioned me. I am one of Your original masterpieces!
I worship and bow down; I kneel before You, my Maker.
For Thou didst form my inward parts;
Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Thy works,
And my soul knows it very well.
PSALM 139:13-14
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| Day 9 |
| I worship before You, dear Lord, as the all-wise Creator, the One who made heaven and earth and all that is in them, and saw that it was very good. I praise You for the honor of being made in your image, personally formed by You for Your glory, and gifted spiritually just as it has pleased You. Thank You for each strength and ability and desirable trait You have given me. Surely You have been good to me, O Lord!
Thank You that I can enjoy my strengths and gifts without pride or false modesty as I gve You the credit for them, praising You rather than congratulating myself. What do I have, that I did not receive from You?... All that I am and all that I have comes from You; it is all sustained by You... and I want it all to glorify You! Not to me, O Lord, not to me, but to Your name be the glory.
I specifically thank You for:
When I consider Thy heavens,
the work of Thy fingers,
The moon and the stars, which
Thou hast ordained;
What is man, that Thou dost take
thought of him?
Yet Thou hast made him a little
lower than God,
And dost crown him with glory
and majesty!
PSALM 8:3-5
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| Day 10 |
| I choose to thank You for my weaknesses, my infirmities, my inadequacies (physical, mental, emotional, relational)... for the ways I fall short of what people view as ideal... for my feelings of helplessness and inferiority, and even my pain and distresses. What a comfort it is to know that You understand the feeling of my weaknesses!... and that in Your infinite wisdom You have allowed these in my life so that they may contribute to Your high purposes for me.
I specifically thank You for:
Thank You that many a time my weaknesses cut through my pride and help me walk humbly with You... and then, as You've promised, You give me more grace--You help and bless and strengthen me. Thank You for all the ways I'm inadequate, for they prod me to trust in You and not in myself... and I'm grateful that my adequacy comes from You, the all-sufficient God who is enough!
Thank You that I can trust You to remove or change any of my weaknesses and handicaps and shortcomings the moment they are no longer needed for Your glory, and for my good, and for the good of other people... and that in the meantime, Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:10
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Day 28
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| I exult in the free, confident access You have provided, so that I can come into Your Presence for warm fellowship, for refreshment, for mercy when I've failed, for grace when I'm in need. What a joy to know that I can draw near to You at any moment, wherever I may be... that I can come boldly to Your throne of grace, assured of Your glad welcome--not because I'm worthy or because I've served You, but because You're a God of grace, a God of unmerited, unlimited favor--not little dribbles of favor reluctantly measured out, but overflowing, super-abundant favor. I'm so glad that You welcome me just as I am, simply because Jesus is my risen Savior, and I am alive with His life and righteous with His righteousness!
Thank You that I can praise and adore You and offer my requests in detail, with thanksgiving... that I can pour out my heart before You, being honest with You about my feelings and my mistakes and my sins. Thank You that when I turn to You as my Lord and confess my sins rather than hiding them or clinging to them, Your forgiveness is immediate and total... that I never need to fear that You will judge or condemn me.
Thank You that I can "be still" (cease striving, let go, relax) and know that You are God... that You are in control... and that I can restfully depend upon You and absorb Your strength and joy and peace. To think that You not only permit me to come before You, but You actually desire my fellowship, my worship, my prayers, and my eternal presence! Your desire is for me. "That You should allow Your creature to have fellowship with You is wonderful enough; but that You can desire it, that it gives You satisfaction and joy and pleasure, is almost too much for my understanding."* Thank You.
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