Praying in the Spirit
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Very few people have direct access to the leader of their nation. If you urgently needed to get your leader’s attention, you would be out of luck since most of you don’t have the personal relationship or the national importance to demand a meeting with an important leader. So I want you to reflect for a few minutes on what I hope you will see as an astonishing truth. Think of all the places you have visited or would like to visit. Think of the great variety of people who live in your world’s different locations and cultures. Think of the incredible sites and the dazzling array of earth’s beautiful wonders. Imagine the vastness of space and the glorious aggregation of planets into solar systems and galaxies. The One Who made this all, Who knows the intricacies of each person, Who knows and has named every star in every system, knows you. The One Who knows all the world’s wonders, both great and small, is always available to hear your words. This magnificent and holy Father understands every nuance of your emotions and grieves with every wound that is beyond your articulation. This gift of immediate access to the King of glory is always yours. This constant attentive care of the Creator of the universe is guaranteed to be yours. Why? Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit Who allows you to approach the Almighty Father as your “Abba” (Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 2:18). Paul describes this grace with these powerful words: We are weak and do not know how to pray, so the Spirit steps in and articulates prayers for us with groaning too profound for words. Don’t you know that He Who pursues and explores the human heart intimately knows the Spirit’s mind because He pleads to God for His saints to align their lives with the will of God? (Romans 8:26-27) So in the verses below Paul reminded the Christians of Asia Minor to “Pray in the Spirit.” What does that mean? Well, I would remind you of how I taught you to pray: Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this: Our Father in heaven, let Your name remain holy. Bring about Your kingdom. Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven. Give us each day that day’s bread — no more, no less. And forgive us our debts as we forgive those who owe us something. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. But let Your kingdom be, and let it be powerful and glorious forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13) As you pray in this way, the Holy Spirit is making your prayer more than the meaning of your words. So be intentional about praying in the Spirit. Ask your Gift of heaven’s grace to intercede for you. Recognize that the Holy Spirit empowers such prayers. Trust that all the deep nuances that you cannot articulate in your prayer will be heard. Know that your prayer will be brought into perfect alignment with the will of the Father. Don’t worry about perfect words; trust in the Spirit as your perfect Intercessor. Enter into your prayerful time as a young child who can cry out to the Abba Father with love, dependency, and intimacy. Don’t try to make your prayer impressive. Pray in the Spirit and know that your heartfelt thoughts, feelings, and words are heard! Verses to Live There are all sorts of things that are good to pray. However, I want you to focus on one key phrase: “pray in the power of the Holy Spirit”! But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. (Jude 1:20-21 NLT) Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God’s people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed. And please pray for me. Pray that truth will be with me before I even open my mouth. Ask the Spirit to guide me while I boldly defend the mystery that is the good news — for which I am an ambassador in chains — so pray that I can bravely pronounce the truth, as I should do. (Ephesians 6:18-20) Response in Prayer O Abba Father, I come to You knowing that the Holy Spirit is interceding for me now as I pray. I am so thankful to have the Holy Spirit living in me. I trust that the Spirit will empower me, transform me, and lead me. Today I am so thankful to know that I have access to Your heart at any time because of the Holy Spirit’s presence within me. I am so thankful that even when the words that I need don’t come, the Holy Spirit gives voice to my thoughts and emotions. For this gift, I thank You and praise You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2025, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – James 4:15
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” —James 4:15 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… While I like to have choices and must be responsible for my own decisions, I am genuinely thankful that the LORD allows me to submit my life to his will and entrust my future to him. The Father is at work in me to do his will (Philippians 2:13) and to work for my best good (Romans 8:28). So, I gladly acknowledge that my plans are subject to his will. I appreciate that my goals and successes are in the LORD’s hands. I have also found that what I often wanted in the immediate moment wasn’t the right decision. Pausing and seeking the LORD’s will has saved me from many impulsive or selfish decisions with undesired consequences. I gladly proclaim that what lies ahead for me can be summarized by one phrase I joyfully accept: “If the LORD wills!” My Prayer… Thank you, Abba Father, that my life and my future are in your hands. Forgive me for the times that my plans are too full of myself or not consciously dependent upon you. Thank you for rescuing me from the messes I have made because of my failed plans built around my own foolish arrogance and selfishness. Dear Father, I gladly place my plans, my life, and my future in submission to your will. In Jesus’ holy name, and by his power, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
‘Through the Power at Work in Us’
Note from Jesus Dear Disciples, I love My disciples to praise the Father! Look at Paul’s beautiful prayer in the verses below. He not only praises the Father, but he also asks for the Father’s help. In particular, this great church-planter and disciple-maker prays for the strengthening of the brothers and sisters he loves. He does not pray for generic strength, but for the Holy Spirit’s empowered strength: Father, out of Your honorable and glorious riches, strengthen Your people. Fill their souls with the power of Your Spirit… The result of this prayer for strength should make your hearts beat a little faster. While the glory for the great things that the Holy Spirit does will go to God, the people through whom the Spirit works will be folks just like you, My disciples. Notice something else that Paul prays: Now to the God Who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us… God can and will do “awe-inspiring things” and He will do “things greater than we could ask or imagine.” Now notice carefully how God will do these things: through the Holy Spirit, His “power that is at work in us”! So here are several things to ponder, and then take appropriate action: Pray frequently for God to strengthen specific brothers and sisters in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Pray regularly that their work inspired by the Spirit will bring God glory. Pray passionately that these brothers and sisters will be used by God to accomplish — and that they get to experience — many “awe-inspiring things” done through them by the Spirit. Paul prayed these things for the brothers and sisters who received his letter called Ephesians. You should pray these things regularly for each other. Imagine releasing the power that comes from Us — Father, Son, and Spirit — into the lives of people you love. Think about all the people in your spiritual family who need Our comfort, strength, and grace. I want you to invite the Holy Spirit to move mightily through you, your fellowship, your congregation, your home gatherings, and your small groups. Pray that you and your fellow Christians bring the Father glory and bring My grace to those around you. As you see this grace released, rejoice in the glory of Our grace and power for you! Verses to Live Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is full of great bursts of praise and prayer. Today’s verses are an example that comes in the middle of Paul’s letter. It is part of what holds the whole message of the letter together. I want you to read through this prayer several times. Take time to write it out in your own words. Now begin to pray it for specific people. Let them know that you are praying it for them. Then give thanks when you see the Spirit at work in them! So I [Paul] ask you not to become discouraged because I am jailed for speaking out on your behalf. In fact, my suffering is something that brings you glory. It is for this reason that I bow my knees before the Father, after Whom all families in heaven above and on earth below receive their names, and pray: Father, out of Your honorable and glorious riches, strengthen Your people. Fill their souls with the power of Your Spirit so that through faith the Anointed One will reside in their hearts. May love be the rich soil where their lives take root. May it be the bedrock where their lives are founded so that together with all of Your people they will have the power to understand that the love of the Anointed is infinitely long, wide, high, and deep, surpassing everything anyone previously experienced. God, may Your fullness flood through their entire beings. Now to the God Who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us, to Him be all glory in the church and in Jesus the Anointed from this generation to the next, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:13-21) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, please forgive me. I have spent too much time not expecting You to do any great things through me and others like me. I pray that as I read about the early church and the work of the Spirit over the next several weeks that You will help me to expect more. Help me to believe that the same Spirit Who empowered the early church will empower us today. Please strengthen us. Please strengthen me. Please strengthen those close to Me. Strengthen us with the power of Your Holy Spirit. Father, I do not pray this for us to receive glory, but so that others might believe and that You will receive the glory that is due You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2025, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Romans 8:35-37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. —Romans 8:35-37 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… More than conquerors! What a great phrase. Conquerors are what we are in Jesus. In fact, Paul says, “we are MORE than conquerors through him who loved us.” No hardship, enemy, physical disaster, not even death, can separate us from Jesus. Once our lives are joined to Jesus (Colossians 2:13-15), our future is tied to Jesus (Colossians 3:1-4). We are conquerors bound to share in our Savior’s conquering glory! My Prayer… Almighty God, I do not know how to thank you properly and fully. You have blessed me with a new identity and fresh confidence because of Jesus. So, dear Father, please accept my thanks for your gifts of grace, your indwelling Spirit within me, and your promises of heaven. Thank you for your love that has saved and remade me. Thank you for assuring me that I will never be alone no matter what I have to face. Most of all, dear LORD, thank you for your promise that nothing has the power to strip me from your love for me in Jesus. I thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The Power of the Resurrection in You
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, I want you to notice especially the words highlighted in bold in the verses below. The apostle Paul is praying for the Ephesian Christians and other believers in Asia Minor. They live in a place fascinated with spiritual power. Their world is filled with superstition. So Paul prays for them to understand the great power at work in them. Paul knew this power. You will see this power at work in the coming weeks as we journey through the book of Acts. I want you to notice: [T]he immeasurable greatness of his [the Father’s] power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead. Paul wanted these early believers to realize that the power behind My resurrection and behind the marvelous things that happened on the first Pentecost after My resurrection is at work in My people; I want you to realize this power is also at work in you. Paul emphasized that this power comes from the work and presence of the Holy Spirit in My people (Ephesians 3:14-21; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:17-18). I poured out the Holy Spirit on the disciples on that Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:32-39). I also poured out the Spirit on you when you were saved (Titus 3:3-7). I blessed you with power, more power than you could ever imagine. The power that raised My lifeless body from the dead is now at work in you (Ephesians 1:17-21). I long for you to believe this. I yearn for you to experience this power. The power of the resurrection is at work in you. So when you face trying times and when you feel as if you cannot endure any more trials, remember Who is at work within you. The Holy Spirit, Who raised Me from the dead, is at work in you. Remember when you have great opportunities, you are not alone in your efforts. The Holy Spirit is at work in you. When you face big decisions, you don’t need to make those decisions by yourself. The Holy Spirit is there with you and within you. When you worship with each other, and when you give your testimony to those who are lost, you are more than just you. The power of the Holy Spirit is there with you and within you to fill and empower and guide you. The Holy Spirit is not some figment of your imagination. The following verses were Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. Just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, the Spirit’s presence is My promise to you! Verses to Live Paul begins the book of Ephesians with a burst of prayerful praise and thanksgiving (Ephesians 1:3-14). He flows right into the following prayer for the believers in Asia Minor. In this prayer, Paul prays for them to realize the awesome power at work within all of My disciples: In him [Jesus] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him Who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:13-23 ESV) Response in Prayer O Father, thank You for the amazing power at work in my life and the lives of Your people. I pray that I can know and experience this power and presence that come from the Holy Spirit living in me and filling me. Please, dear Father, use the Spirit’s presence in me to conform me to Jesus, to empower me to holy living, and to use me to bless others and bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2025, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Romans 6:13
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. —Romans 6:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We come to today’s message after this past week of verses about being forgiven, purified, cleansed, and made holy. This long verse boils down to a very simple message: We are to glorify God through what we do with our bodies. We were dead in our sins, but God has made us alive through our participation with Jesus in his saving death, burial, and resurrection. How can we go back to the hideous sins that mastered us and led us to death? We shouldn’t! We mustn’t! And by God’s gracious help, we won’t. Our commitment to live for his glory and the power of the Holy Spirit will help us live for him and transform us with increasing glory to be like our Savior, Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, God of grace, please forgive me for the times in my past when I flirted with sin. I know how much you paid to redeem me from my sin. I know the power of Satan to use sin to entrap and enslave me. Bless me as I commit to living for you, with Jesus as my LORD, and the Spirit as your empowering presence within me. I ask for this grace, in Jesus’ name. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Spiritual Family!
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters, So many of My followers struggle in their lives of discipleship because each is trying to do everything by his or her own strength. The individualism so prevalent in many modern cultures has disconnected you from the way you were made. We — Father, Son, and Spirit — created you in our image (Genesis 1:26-27). You are hard-wired to belong in relationships. From the beginning, We proclaimed that it was not good for you to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Throughout the Scriptures you will find reminders about the importance of being genuine spiritual friends and family — brothers and sisters of each other brought into relationship by your love for your Father in heaven: Two are better than one because a good return comes when two work together. If one of them falls, the other can help him up. But who will help the pitiful person who falls down alone? In the same way, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm. But how will the one who sleeps alone stay warm against the night? And if one person is vulnerable to attack, two can drive the attacker away. As the saying goes, “A rope made of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) He [Jesus] called the twelve to Him and began to send them out in pairs. (Mark 6:7) The Lord then recruited and deployed 70 more disciples. He sent them ahead, in teams of two, to visit all the towns and settlements between them and Jerusalem. (Luke 10:1) For when two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) In the New Testament, the connections of My followers with each other are described in multiple ways. One description is that My followers are branches connected to each other through Me, the vine. In other places, believers who gather in fellowship in My name are described as various members of My body who need each other and complement each other. I also taught My disciples to see themselves as family, brothers and sisters connected to one another through their heavenly Father. I could give you even more examples of the communal nature of discipleship, but I hope you get the point. You are made to be in fellowship with other believers! You need each other to serve Me best and share Me with the world! You won’t make it if you try to live the life of discipleship on your own, alone. Even when you are cut off from other believers for a time because of illness, isolation, or even imprisonment, you need the prayers of those who love you to sustain you. Each of you has been given at least one spiritual gift to use as a part of the local body of believers so that together you can function as My bodily presence in your neighborhood and city (Romans 12:4-5). Some may be drawn to a big congregation with many people. Others may find their place in a small gathering of people in a home. What matters is that you live your life for Me in companionship with others. The verses below talk about the key elements of such a community, family, body, and fellowship. Seek this kind of community; don’t settle for watered-down versions of community where you can be anonymous and alone without spiritual support or accountability. You were made to be part of a real, vital, and thriving community of believers. Verses to Live I love you… I know you… I made you… I care about you… personally, uniquely, and distinctly. I also remind you that I enjoy the most intimate of communities as God — Father, Son, and Spirit. Before I was betrayed, My prayer for you was this: “Father, may they all be one as You are in Me and I am in You; may they be in Us, for by this unity the world will believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21) So I’m asking you to read the following description of true Christian unity — a family, a body, a community joined in life, worship, and service. Then become part of one if you are not already… or form one… but don’t try to do your life of discipleship alone! What you will find in the verses that follow is a description of genuine Christian community — people filled with the Holy Spirit, unified, and full of self-sacrificing generosity while maintaining their focus on prayer and on the apostles’ teaching on the gospel. I’m not sharing this so that you can know church history. I’m sharing this because the same Holy Spirit longs to fulfill your spiritual hunger by helping you be part of a community like the one you find here! [On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 people believed, repented, were baptized, and became part of My spiritual family.] The community continually committed themselves to learning what the apostles taught them, gathering for fellowship, breaking bread, and praying. Everyone felt a sense of awe because the apostles were doing many signs and wonders among them. There was an intense sense of togetherness among all who believed; they shared all their material possessions in trust. They sold any possessions and goods that did not benefit the community and used the money to help everyone in need. They were unified as they worshiped at the temple day after day. In homes, they broke bread and shared meals with glad and generous hearts. The new disciples praised God, and they enjoyed the goodwill of all the people of the city. Day after day the Lord added to their number everyone who was experiencing liberation. (Acts 2:42-47) Response in Prayer O Father, I have been hurt by people who claim to love You, to follow Jesus, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Because I carry these wounds and scars, I sometimes find it hard to invest myself fully
Today’s Verse – Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. —Psalm 103:12 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Let’s praise and thank God our Father. He doesn’t just forgive our sins; he removes them from us completely. Hallelujah! My Prayer… Loving and merciful Father and holy God, thank you for giving me the great gift of your unfathomable forgiveness. Now, dear LORD, please help me to pass it along to others as I seek to be a conduit of your grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The Apostles’ Teaching
Note from Jesus Dear Believer, Have you ever asked yourself questions like the following: Why is the Bible important? Is it really necessary? Do I have to read it? Do I have to obey it and live by its teachings? If so, you are not alone in having these questions. So before we go further into the New Testament story in the coming days, I wanted to give you some insights into the importance of the Scriptures. We will spend today and the next two days with this focus. Then we will rejoin the church in its earliest days in the book of Acts and journey through the rest of the New Testament. Before we do this, I AM reminding you of some of the reasons the Scriptures are important to your discipleship. Today we join those who began following Me on the day of Pentecost. When 3,000 believed the apostles’ message, repented and were baptized, I added them to My family, My church (Acts 2:40-47). So what would their new life together look like? How would all these people come together and form a real movement united around their faith in Me? The passage you find in the verses below gives you a glimpse of that new lifestyle. Luke, who wrote both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, helps you see four important commitments for their life together: “learning what the apostles taught them”, “gathering for fellowship”, “breaking bread”, and “praying”. He then explains these four commitments in more detail. Each of these things is important as you come together with other believers as a community of disciples. However, today I want to focus on the first commitment: “learning what the apostles taught.” I had promised My apostles that the Spirit of truth would remind them of the things that I had spoken to them (John 15:26-27; John 16:13-15). I gave them authority to teach, preach and cast out demons (Mark 3:13-15; Mark 6:7; Matthew 28:18-20; Galatians 2:7-9). This commission made their teaching authoritative, and something My disciples in every era need to receive as My authoritative message. One of the reasons I will take you through the New Testament during the remainder of this year is that I want to expose you to My authoritative truth shared through My witnesses, the apostles and also other witnesses. I want you to be like those early disciples and commit yourself to “learning what the apostles taught.” You won’t be alone in this journey. The Holy Spirit will be at work in you as you read these words of truth to help you understand them, be convicted by them, and apply them (John 16:8; John 16:13-15). The Holy Spirit will help you understand the spiritual truths given through His inspiration (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). So commit yourself, as the early believers did, to learning the apostles’ teaching given in the Scriptures! Verses to Live Here is Luke’s glimpse of the early believers and their Christian lifestyle. All of these qualities are essential and should be a part of your spiritual community and its lifestyle. Today, however, I want you to focus on the importance of the apostles’ teaching. The community [of believers] continually committed themselves to learning what the apostles taught them, gathering for fellowship, breaking bread, and praying. Everyone felt a sense of awe because the apostles were doing many signs and wonders among them. There was an intense sense of togetherness among all who believed; they shared all their material possessions in trust. They sold any possessions and goods that did not benefit the community and used the money to help everyone in need. They were unified as they worshiped at the temple day after day. In homes, they broke bread and shared meals with glad and generous hearts. The new disciples praised God, and they enjoyed the goodwill of all the people of the city. Day after day the Lord added to their number everyone who was experiencing liberation. (Acts 2:42-47) Response in Prayer Father, I thank You for Your word. I thank You for Your word given through Scripture. I thank You for Your word heard in the proclamation of the good news about Jesus. I thank You for Jesus, the living Word, Who is Your greatest message of all. Today, dear Father, I commit myself to be dedicated to listening to Jesus’ voice in the Scriptures. I pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to convict me, correct me, direct me, and mold me to be transformed daily to be like Jesus, in Whose name I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2025, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” —Jeremiah 29:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jeremiah was telling God’s people that 70 years after the devastation they were facing because of their rebellion and sins, God would deliver and restore them. Even though they had repeatedly abandoned God, he would not abandon them or his promises to them. He would be faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). In fact, God was planning and preparing a brighter future for them than they could imagine. This promise also reminds us that no matter how deep our own personal gloom feels, God does have wonderful plans for us that include giving us a prosperous hope and a glorious future. God will keep his promises to us. He will deliver and bless us. We have a vibrant hope and a bright future because of his faithfulness and our trust in his Son, Jesus, who delivers us from every foe and brings us into his presence with great joy (Jude 1:24). My Prayer… Give me faith, O LORD, during the times I’m weary, discouraged, and beaten down. Inspire me to trust in your great promises. Please give me courage, O LORD, when my faith wavers. Help me obey your word no matter how challenging it may seem or how discouraged I feel. Thank you for giving me a bright future in Jesus. Please help me live more consciously aware of this great gift. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.