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Nothing can separate you from His Presence and His Peace, if you learn to trust in Him totally.

Trusting in Him is knowing that even in the trials of life, He makes good come out of evil…in His own perfect timing, according to His perfect plan for your life.
Romans 8:28– And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
God works in everything, not just in isolated incidents, for our good.This does not mean that all things that happen to us is good.  Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long range good.  Note that God is not working to make us “happy”  but to fulfill His purpose.  Note that this promise is not for everybody.  It can only be claimed by those who love God and are called by Him.  Such people have a new perspective , a new mind-set. They trust in God, not in worldly treasures, their security is in heaven, not on earth.

We grow our trust in Him through enduring and learning from trials that He sets before us.  We grow in His Spirit as we endure our trials and hardships.
Genesis 50:20– and Joseph replied to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.“
God brought good from all the evil things that his brothers and others did to him.  The experiences in Joseph’s life  taught him that God brings good from evil for those who trust Him.  Do you trust God enough to wait patiently for Him to bring good out of bad situations.  You can trust Him because, as Joseph learned , God can overrule people’s evil intentions to bring about His intended results.

The Lord helps you to learn to trust Him by watching over you and protecting you during life’s trials and disappointments…He helps you to recover and move on with a sense that better days are ahead, carrying with you the life lesson that He wanted you to learn.

As we learn to trust in the Lord more each day, we can enter the day without fear of what may happen to us; trusting in the Lord’s sovereignty over your life and that He is with you through-out the day, working good out of all that happens.
Psalm 23:4– Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

My Prayer For This Day:
Lord thank you for the trials that you have placed in my life in order to teach me your ways. They have been many, Lord, but they have never been more than I can bear. You have, in your wisdom, also given me many blessings that balanced against the trials. Lord, this process has opened my eyes to your Presence in my life and your Word has taught me the way you want me to live. Lord, with you by my side leading me to your glory,  I feel like I have come home to the father who loves me unconditionally. The loving relationship for which  I have searched, for so many years, has finally filled my heart with joy.

Focus On the Lord’s Unseen Presence…Not On the Seen Deceptions of the Broken World Around You.
Without the Lord’s Presence, you will never have peace or be secure in the fallen, broken world you live in.
2 Corinthians 4:18–So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

We cannot attain true peace and contentment (Joy in our hearts, regardless of our circumstances) through our own self-sufficiency.  The more we try to “do it on our own” , the more hollow and empty our heart becomes.  The more hollow our heart becomes, the more we intensify our search for happiness and peace of mind. (“Maybe the next thing–job, relationship, possession, or accomplishment will be the one that makes me “Happy”.)

By fixing our focus on the Lord and staying in His Presence, through continual prayer and the study of His Word, we are assured of His security (spiritually) and His refuge in times of trouble.
Isaiah 26:3–You will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

That continual contact with Him throughout the day will keep you centered…and He will help you prioritize the events of the day, helping to eliminate the chaos of your feeble attempts at controlling your life on your own.  

Don’t let fatigue, pain, or anxiety from unfair criticism force you off the job…Concentrate on the inner strength that comes from the Holy Spirit.  It is easy to lose heart and quit.  We all have faced problems in our relationships or in our work that have caused us to think about giving up.  When your mind goes there…Renew your commitment to serving the Lord.  Don’t forsake your eternal reward because of the intensity of today’s pain.  You very weakness enables the resurrection power of the Lord to strengthen you moment by moment. 
 Paul was in chains in a Roman prison; facing death…His followers thought he would be depressed and defeated..But, instead, he was full of Joy because as far as he was concerned he was in a win-win situation…If he was executed he would get to be with the Lord..If he was not, he would have all these Roman guards to talk to about the Good News of Jesus Christ.
So,  Focus on God’s perspective..not on the world’s chaos and turmoil–
2 Corinthians 4:16-18– That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

My Prayer for this day:
Lord, You are my strength and my shield. Thank you for teaching me the value of your plans for my life… And for your perspective on your world…not on the evil one’s world. Lord, I know true peace cannot be attained in this broken world. True peace can only be found in You and your promised Kingdom. Until then, peace on earth can only be found by staying focused on Your Presence, which is unseen.  Lord, be with me today, giving me Your strength, wisdom, and peace of mind as we walk today’s path to Your Glory.

The Lord is your top priority and the first love in your life.  Do everything in your daily life for your love of Him…That, in turn, pleases Him.

You cannot serve two masters: Trying to please and impress people, while also trying to please the Lord, leads to a loss of focus on your top priority–Your love of God. Trying to please and impress people becomes a false idol.
Matthew 6:24–and the Lord said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Jesus said we can have only one master.  We live in a materialistic society , where many people serve money.  They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind.  Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters.  Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap, because “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1Tim.6:10)  Can you honestly  say that God, and not money, is your master?  Which one occupies more of your thoughts, time and efforts?

Do you have the knowledge of God without an enthusiastic love for God?  Both are necessary if we are to keep our love for God intense and untarnished.
Revelation 2:4– and the Son of Man said, “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

Making the Lord your top priority has many benefits, which include the blessings and grace He gives you in response to your love of Him and others around you…

But, for me, I have found that the joy of being in His Presence through out the day, is far greater than any other pleasure of the world.
Psalm 16:11–and David said “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

David’s heart was glad–He had found the secret to joy.  True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles.  Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances.  But joy is based on God’s Presence within us.  As we contemplate His daily Presence, we will find contentment.  As we understand the future He has planned for us, we will experience joy. Don’t base your life on circumstances, but on God and His Presence in your daily life. (Read all of Psalm 16 to truly understand the joys and benefits of a life lived in companionship with God.)
 

My Prayer for this day is:
Lord, thank you for drawing me close to you each morning and bathing me in Your Love that is always unconditional. Lord, for so many years, I was enslaved to trying to please people; looking for their unconditional acceptance and love. Lord, I see now that kind of true love can only be provided by you. Lord, I never found the love I was looking for, because I was looking in the wrong places (relationships, money, possessions, and status) and because of that, I walked many years with an empty, lonely heart. Lord, thank you for staying with me for all those years, waiting patiently for me to become aware of, and accept, your love for what it is…. unfailing and unconditional.

The Lord knows you are human and fallible…But, because of His unfailing love for us, He can turn your poor decisions and mistakes (and the lessons that you learn from them) into long term good.
Romans 8:28– And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

So don’t be so hard on yourself…Don’t get lost in the vicious cycle of regretting past decisions and mistakes.  

Revisiting and anguishing over mistakes and their consequences leads to frustration and depression, the evil one’s favorite tools for distracting you from focusing on the Lord’s Presence in your life.

You are human…Get over it… You have made mistakes and you will continue to make mistakes.

Thinking that you should not make mistakes is a symptom of pride.  The only person who never made a mistake was Jesus Christ.

By acknowledging our humanness and fallibility to the Lord we commit to dependence on Him, trusting Him to make good out of our failures.
Micah 7:7–As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

When we swallow our pride and acknowledge our mistakes to the Lord a wonderful thing happens!
He blesses us with humbleness and empathy for other people and their weaknesses.

My Prayer For This Day:
Lord, thank you for showing me and teaching me the futility of worry and anxiety  about the past AND the future.  Lord, you have taught me that, even though I have sinned and made  many poor decisions in the past, you are a forgiving  and loving God to those who believe in You, and who wait on you to bring good out of  even the worst mistakes.  Lord, I trust you will lead me by the hand through the trials of this day, and will teach me your ways on our path through this fallen and broken world.

Refresh and renew yourself with the Lord each morning.  Wake up with Him on your mind, instead of all the cares and worries that you really have no control over.  Turn your cares over to Him and let Him show you the way for the day….

He provides for the sparrows every day…They never go hungry…You have never seen a sparrow sitting on a tree branch having a nervous breakdown worrying about being able to eat for the day.  Are you not worth more than a bird to Him?
Matthew 6:26—Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

Part of the refreshing process is to review all the blessings He has given you in your life.  Thank Him and praise Him continually for these blessings to ensure a positive outlook on the upcoming day.
Psalm 29:2–Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

The world teaches us to pursue worldly things and hold onto them tightly.  The Lord teaches us to let go of our worldly ways and give, instead of taking.  The more that you give yourself to Him and to others, the more He refreshes us with unlimited joy in our formerly empty hearts.
1Peter:1:8–You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.  

My Prayer For The Day:
Lord thank you for setting me free from the ways of the world, through the truth of Your Word. Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit that has taken up residence in my heart, and is inspiring me follow You on a new path for my life, a path known only by You. Lord, I have faith in You to lead me to a path that you have always had planned for me.A path that we will follow together to Your glory. Lord, even though that path is unclear to me now, I have faith in you, that you will be with me… providing me with the strength, stamina, wisdom and peace of mind to do your will.
 

Welcome the Lord into your first thoughts of the new day. By connecting with the Lord in our waking moments, we can avoid the tendency to think anxious thoughts about the events of the upcoming day.  
Psalm 5:3–Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
 
Our individual human nature drives our thought process as we wake in the early hours of our day. Thoughts such as “What if this happens…or, that happens…” can make us worry that we may not be able to handle the events of the day. We can feel alone and small.

 But if our first thought of the morning is “The Lord is with me…” you instantly make your day more manageable because you now have a partner to help you handle the situations of the day, as they occur.

Share your thoughts on the upcoming day with Him… ask Him for wisdom and strength in the areas that may be challenging for you…Ask Him to shine the light of His Love through you, so that others may be enveloped in His wonderful Presence.
 Psalm 63:1–O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

The secret of a close relationship with God is to pray to Him earnestly each morning. In the morning our minds are fresh and we can commit the whole day to the Lord. He then can walk with us through the day, sharing the burden, and giving us the energy and strength to face the challenges on the path ahead.
Philippians 4:13– For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

My prayer for this day: 
Lord, thank you for the revelation that you are the one that that I was meant to share my spiritual life with. The “You and I facing each day together” partnership that I had searched the world for, was not meant to be a partnership with another human, but was meant to be a partnership with you, for all eternity. All the years I spent trying to fill the void, that only you could fill, were spent looking for a human relationship that was never meant to fill the needs of my spirit. That would have been idolatry. Lord, only you can fill those needs. I thank you and praise you for your Holy Spirit that has opened my eyes to see that truth.

To know the Lord and His ways is to know that He is Good. The Holy Spirit encourages us to experience the Lord’s living Presence. He also promises that the more we live in His Presence, the more we are convinced of His goodness. 
Psalm 34:8–Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

In a world full of strife, knowing and having experienced the Lord’s goodness bolsters our faith in Him. Having unwavering faith in the Lord is essential so that we can stand strong in our belief in Him and His goodness when worldly adversity inevitably enters our life. 

The Lord works in ways that far exceeds our human ability to comprehend. His plans for us, as individuals, are woven into the fabric of his intricate tapestry of life, that only He can plan and construct. 

The more we try to fathom His ways, the more we are confounded by His complex design. That is why our faith in His goodness is important. Our faith in Him gives us comfort by knowing that He only wants goodness in our lives. 

So, rather than wasting time trying to understand God’s ways, and to make His plans and purposes conform to ours…We must instead strive to fit into His plans through our faith. Our faith in Him  enables us to spend fruit-producing time in His loving Presence, experiencing the glory and joy rooted in His goodness.  As we trust in Him daily, our faith grows, and we see more each day how good and kind He is. 

So all He initially wants us to do is to try Him…because He knows that if we do…we will like Him. 
Isaiah 55:8-9– “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

My Prayer for this Day:

Lord, thank You for being my refuge in these times of trial in my life. Thank You for Your wisdom as You teach me Your ways and Your will. Lord, I have many weaknesses… I thank You for the help that you and Your Holy Spirit are giving me in the fight to conquer those weaknesses, learn Your will, and to act on Your purpose for me. Lord, I know that You have a good plan for my life and that You will reveal it to me in Your perfect timing. Lord, thank You for Your love in these trying times.

(If you have a little extra time and your Bible is handy….Read Isaiah 55 in it’s entirety.  It is a wonderful invitation to the Lord’s Salvation.) 

Stay in the moment with the Lord. We were designed to live our lives one day at a time, one step at a time, one moment at a time.  The Lord has set a life path for us that sometimes is steep, rugged and possibly dangerous if we don’t stay focused on Him and His Will that leads us through each day. 

Our human nature has a tendency to focus on the past and to excessively plan for the future ….this can lead us to lose our focus on the present moment, which is the only slice of time we have any control over. And the present moment is where the Lord wants you to be with Him, focusing on Him and His constant Presence , as he leads us through the day… giving us the strength we need , through His grace, to handle each step of the way. That is how you build a successful day.

 Spending too much time reliving the past and worrying about the future will overload our frail human minds and create possible peril for the present tasks at hand…and the choices we must make in the present moment…
 Psalm 143:8– Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. 

The Lord wants us to live in the present with Him, moment by moment. He knows our human condition could not handle the big picture of our whole lives all at once. He makes His Presence available to us for only the present moment.  In that moment he is ready to:  equip us for the day, to refresh us in times of stress, and enable us to enjoy His company as we trust him to lead us and protect us wherever the day takes us.
Genesis 28:15— “What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

My Prayer for this Day….

Lord, thank you for being here for me always… Being here for refuge, rest, and peace. Lord, the world spins out of control..much of the time it seems to be too busy for a tired soul to take a breath…. Lord, thank you for never being too busy to give me rest, or to listen to me, or to provide peace for a troubled and exhausted soul. Lord, I treasure your presence, and the rest it gives me from the trials of the day, and the rugged path ahead.

Follow the Good Shepherd– and He will keep you from being overwhelmed by the adversity you experience during the day. Everyday will have its problems, but by staying focused on the Lord, and His Love for you, He will make sure that your trials are not more than you can humanly bear alone. Do not lose heart and quit over problems of the moment. Call upon the resurrection power of Christ to renew your spirit. Just remember …He is there for you… always. (Matthew 28:20– And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.) 

Just like the shepherds in Jesus’ time, He goes ahead of you, on the path He has set for you this day, making sure that it is safe…. But if you do stumble or wander into the bushes during the day, He is right there to pick you up, or pull you from the bushes, soothe your fears and emotions, and get you back on track. 
(Psalm 23:1-4 KJV– The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters, He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me.) 

When the stresses and strains of your day( job, traffic, relationships, and the ever present obnoxious people) wear you down, don’t give in to the evil one and give up… Instead just think small, quick, calming thoughts of the Lord holding His hand out to you, preparing to pull you into the soothing refuge and peace of His arms to protect you from your adversity. 

Being aware of the Lord’s presence during times of trials enables you to connect with His Peace and His strength, so He can then do the heavy lifting for you, as you both work together, facing your problems head on, without fear, and that horrible sense of being alone in the storms of life. 
(2 Corinthians 4 verse 16-18– ¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.)

By relying on the Presence of your Good Shepherd, you can calmly walk through the day, knowing that you are not alone, and that He will help to handle whatever comes your way during the day.

The Lord is our only true security, not money, relationships, possessions, power or status…All those things can and will collapse and then we fall. Those with God are thus safe.  Those without God must always be cautious. But because God is our refuge, we can dare to be bold.

My prayer for this day: 

 Lord, thank you for being with me during this day’s journey through the trials and unexpected troubles that “just happen.” It is reassuring to know that You are ready at all times to provide strength, wisdom, and a mindset of peace, to even the most chaotic of situations. Lord, I ask of your Holy Spirit to teach me more, each day, on how to keep my mind focused on your Presence, and your Peace, in stressful situations that have, in the past, caused me to panic and give up. Lord, hold my hand tightly in these situations, and lead me in your Peace. Amen

Begin each day thanking the Lord for the blessings in your life. He rejoices when you come to him with the gift of Thanksgiving; letting him know that you are aware of Him and that you are reaching out to Him in dependence on him.
 
I spent many years wandering in the darkness of the World, not realizing that the Lord was with me ALWAYS…I woke up each morning dreading the day ahead with worries and anxieties already programmed into the day…
 Now I wake up each day, thanking the Lord for the fact that He was with me each day I was in the darkness, guiding me even though I was not aware of Him at the time…Then I thank Him…for the new day ahead…and the fact that we will walk it together, with Him holding my hand tightly, and my focus squarely on Him, discerning His will for the next moment of my life.
 
The Lord is busy each morning before you rise, preparing the day before you, and then announcing the day with His sunrise, chasing the darkness away, and proclaiming his dominion over all His creation. (Psalm 118:24 – This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.)
  
He eagerly waits for you to rise, looking forward to your coming to Him for the communion of His Spirit and yours. He has much in store for you this day. 
Your part, in this morning meeting of hearts, is to bring thanks to the Lord for all He has done for you in your life. A spirit full of Thanksgiving is all we have to offer the Lord, as He needs nothing.( Psalm 95:2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.) 

As we take stock each morning of all the wonderful blessings, lessons, and life experiences that He has lovingly given us throughout our lives, we can truly be thankful to Him for the fact that He cared so much for us, that He sacrificed His own Son so that we may gain His Righteousness and join Him eternally in Heaven. He, in return for your thankfulness, grants more blessings and grace to you for this new day, rejoicing in song for the communion of His Spirit and yours. (Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.) 

This morning I prayed this prayer to the Lord…
  
Lord, thank you for the glorious way that You and I start each morning. To be with You as the sun comes up with the birds singing outside, starts my day in a way that gives me a fulfilling joy in my heart… a joy that I never experienced in years past when I was walking in the darkness of the world. Lord, thank You for staying by my side in the darkness, and for Your patience with me as I walked through the world, unaware of Your Presence in my life. Lord, I praise You and I thank You for bringing me up out of the darkness, and into Your loving Light. Lord, I pray that as You work with me, renewing my mind, that I might reflect Your Light for others to see.