Scripture Reading:

Psalm 121, Isaiah 62

Reflections of the Heart:

May the Lord bless you and protect you.  May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.  May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.  Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT)

Scriptural Prayer:

Faithful Father, we thank You for the Pastors and members in our Church Family. Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings upon our church, homes, and jobs. Thank You for Your amazing presence in our lives, both corporately and individually. Father, may Your glorious Name be praised! We exalt Your Name above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord; You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship You. We will give to You, Lord, the glory You deserve. We will bring our offering as we come into Your presence. We will worship You in all of Your holy splendor.

Exalted Father, let it be unto us according to Your Word. As a Church Family, we confess that as we come close to You, You will come close to us. We expect that all Your blessings will come upon us and overtake us because we are committed to obeying Your voice. We confess that our city and our country are blessed. Our children and the works of our hands are blessed. Wherever we go and whatever we do, we are blessed. We are refreshed by the autumn rains as well as the rains of spring. Lord, we declare into our lives that which was lost is restored and we will eat plenty and be satisfied. According to Your Word, we will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches. Instead of shame and dishonor, we will possess a double portion of honor. We will possess a double portion of prosperity in the land and everlasting joy will be ours. Lord, we always expect You to pour out Your Spirit upon us and show wonders in the heavens and on the earth. We declare that our marriages are blessed and holy, our families are whole and vibrant, and our bodies are healthy and strong.

What areas of your life appear to be lacking? Find God’s promises concerning those issues and declare them over your situations:

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Holy Spirit, as blessings begin to overtake us, remind us to be a blessing to others. Flood our hearts with light so that we can understand the confident hope that the Father has given us, His holy people, who are His rich and glorious inheritance. Help us to continue to grow spiritually as a Church Family. Remind us to always be thankful to God, our Father, and Jesus, our Brother. Help us understand that it is God who gives us the power to be successful so that the covenant He made with our ancestors will be confirmed. Lord, please help us to be faithful to the vision of our church and the steadfastness of Your Word.

Generous Father, please forgive us for the sins of disobedience, hypocrisy, selfish-ambitions, pride, gossip, and perversion. Forgive us where we have misappropriated Your blessings in the past. Forgive us for not studying Your Word like we should and neglecting our prayer life. Forgive us for depending on our own strength and intellect instead of Your supernatural power and authority. Forgive us for not operating in the fruit and gifts of Your Spirit. Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed). Holy Spirit, remind us all of those we need to forgive; and we will be quick to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals, say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)

Holy Spirit, help us all not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

Triumphant Lord, You are our stronghold. The heavens declare Your glory and the skies display Your craftsmanship. You are the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth. Lord, You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. You created all things and they exist because You created what You pleased. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture References for the Written Text: Nehemiah 9:5-6, I Chronicles 16:29, Luke 1:38, James 4:8, Deuteronomy 28:2-6, Isaiah 61:6-7, Deuteronomy 8:18, Matthew 6:13, Psalm 19:1, Revelation 4:11

Today, I will trust God to:

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© Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ©2020 Caldwell Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved — No reproduction of the material is permitted without the expressed permission of CMI.

Scripture Reading:

Daniel 6:25-27, Joshua 1:1-9

Reflections of the Heart:

God loves men and He wired them for success!  The enemy has been disrupting God’s preferred plans for our men through a strategy to steal, kill and destroy them.  Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams noted, “Life is not fair; we only get what we are willing to fight for!”  By praying for our men, boys and families we are positioned to “Fight to Win!”  God used a man to redeem humankind and He continues to empower men to work in His Kingdom!

Scriptural Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for our men in the Body of Christ.  We thank You for equipping them to take their rightful place in You. Thank You for empowering them to walk in Your power and authority. Thank You for the men who will join the Body of Christ and glorify Your Name. Thank You, God, for restoration, reconciliation and healing in our families and communities. Thank You, for giving our all things that pertain to life and Godliness. How majestic is Your Name in all the earth. Your glory is set above the heavens.  May Your glorious Name be praised; may it be exalted above all blessings and praise! You are great and most worthy of praise. No one can measure Your greatness. You are good to everyone.  You shower compassion upon all of Your creation. All of Your works will thank You, Lord, and we, Your faithful followers, will praise You.  We will tell of the glory of Your Kingdom and give examples of Your power.  

Righteous Father, by faith, we call all of our men saved, sanctified, and filled with Your Spirit. Your Word instructs that faith without works is dead, so we confess that our men work to develop and demonstrate their Christian faith daily.  Our men are priestly providers and protectors of their families.  They love the Lord with all of their hearts, minds and strength. They are great leaders, loving husbands and excellent fathers.  We confess that as they submit to Your Word; they are transformed by the renewing of their minds.  Lord, we decree that their belief systems and behavior patterns reflect Your righteousness in their personal and public lives.  We declare that the light of Jesus is reflected by their actions.  As they fellowship with one another; others will see their good works and glorify You, our Father in heaven.  Lord, we confess that Your favor surrounds our men like a shield.  

Holy Spirit, we ask that You touch the hearts of our church congregations to continue praying for our men.  Please empower us all to stand against society’s systems and structures that result in ten percent of all pre-school boys being suspended.  Father, studies show that ninety percent of all “behavioral problems” in public schools are linked to boys.  Please touch the hearts of fathers (and mothers) to teach their children Your Godly principles. Give us plans and strategies that will destroy these statistics and encourage our boys to succeed academically, socially and psychologically.  Give teachers and educators creative ways to reach our boys so that the dropout rate among African American and Latino boys will begin to decrease.  Holy Spirit, turn the hearts of our fathers back towards their children and their children’s hearts back towards them.  Show all our parents how to increase their son’s logical skills, linguistic skills, intra-personal skills, interpersonal skills, spatial skills, kinesthetic skills, and musical skills.  

Loving Father, forgive our men for sins of disobedience, selfishness, lying, pornography, fornication, adultery and for not accepting the responsibility for leadership within their families and the church.  Forgive our men for rebellion, selfishness and for accepting the negative labels placed on them by the world.  Lord, please help our men to forgive family members, friends and loved ones who have hurt or offended them.  Father, heal emotional wounds caused by these hurts.  Father, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed).  Holy Spirit, remind our men of those they need to forgive and help them to be quick to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that you may need to forgive.  As He reveals them, say, “I forgive name of person(s).”  Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)

Holy Spirit, help our men not to yield to temptation but deliver them from the evil one. 

Lord, we praise Your Name. Your Name alone is exalted. Your glory is high above the earth and heaven. You are worthy, Lord, to receive glory, honor and power. You created all things, by Your will they exist and were created. You are Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture References for the Written Text: Psalm 8:1, Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 145:3,9-11, II Peter 1:3, Psalm 136:1, Hebrews 11:1, James 2:17, Deuteronomy 6:5, Romans 12:2, Matthew 5:16, Psalm 5:12, Malachi 4:6, Matthew 6:13, Psalm 148:13, Revelation 4:11, Isaiah 9:6 

© Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ©2020 Caldwell Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved — No reproduction of the material is permitted without the expressed permission of CMI.

Scripture Reading:

II Samuel 22:47-51, James 3:1-12

Reflections of the Heart:

“We learned about honesty and integrity−that the truth matters… that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules… and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.”                   ~Michelle Obama

Scriptural Prayer:

Holy Father, we thank You for freedom of speech in the United States of America.  Thank You for allowing us to live in a society where we are free to exchange and express ideas. Thank You for revealing the technological knowledge that allows global communications. Father, You are the great and awesome God who keeps Your covenant of unfailing love with those who love You and obey Your commands.  Lord, You are our Master.  Every good thing we have comes from You.  You alone are our inheritance, the cup of our blessing. We bless You because You are the One who guides us, even at night our hearts instruct us. Father, we know that You are always with us, so we will not be shaken.  

Awesome Father, in these final days of the mayoral election, we take authority over the spirit of the airwaves.  We command Your Word, which we speak with boldness and faith, to interrupt the airwaves and destroy every word that is spoken by the media that does not align with Your will for this election and our city.  We decree that every attempt to misconstrue the Truth will be confused.  We cancel the assignments of division, confusion, anger, wrath, lying and deceit that are being unleashed through the various forms of mass media.  By faith, we declare that the heart of every station manager, editor, publisher, producer, reporter and writer will be pliable in Your hands.  We silence the demonic voices that give direction and influence to the hearts of leaders in the area of communications. We command those who have intentionally used their positions to stir up strife and confusion to turn from evil and do good. In Jesus’ Name, they will search for peace and work to maintain it.  As kings of the King and lords of the Lord, we understand that death and life are in the power of our tongues, so we declare that only the truth will prevail and all distortions and misrepresentations will be exposed and rendered powerless.

Holy Spirit, as I watch the news, show me how to pray for the candidates and our city:

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Holy Spirit, please open the eyes and ears of our citizens to hear, see, and understand the messages that are being communicated concerning the issues being raised in the mayoral elections. Please convict the hearts of the members of the media who intentionally cause strife and confusion in this nation, especially those who are believers. Expose hidden agendas, deceitful motives, wicked schemes, and subversive plots. Speak to the members of the media about being impartial in their reporting. Direct the public to not base their voting decisions on a thirty-second sound bite, but to research every candidate and seek Your will so they can make informed decisions. 

Loving Father, forgive the members of the media for allowing their personal feelings to color their professional duties.  Forgive station executives who have sold out their integrity for corporate greed and positioning.  Forgive the citizens of this nation whose ears are itching to believe untruths from both political parties.  Forgive those in our city who incite racism, hatred, anger, and violence and forgive the members of the media who pander to these individuals. Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that You have committed). Holy Spirit, remind the members of the media of those they need to forgive and help them to be quick to forgive.  As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that You may need to forgive. As He reveals them, say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in Your soul caused by unforgiveness.)

Holy Spirit, help the members of the media to not yield to temptation; but deliver them from the evil one. 

Almighty King, You are the great Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  You are the First and the Last; there is no other God.  You are the Creator who made all things.  You alone stretched out the heavens.  You alone are worthy of glory, honor, and power.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture References for the Written Text: Nehemiah 1:5, Psalm 16:2,5,7-8, Deuteronomy 10:16, Psalm 34:14, Proverbs 18:21, Romans 2:11, II Timothy 4:3, Matthew 6:13, Isaiah 44:6,24, Revelation 4:11

© Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ©2020 Caldwell Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved — No reproduction of the material is permitted without the expressed permission of CMI.

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 148, Psalm 19:1-6

Reflections of the Heart:

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” ~ John Muir

Scriptural Prayer:

Precious Father, thank You for allowing us to benefit from the beauty of all that Your hand has created. Thank You for our seas, forests, and skies. Thank You for all the beautiful and fragrant plants, and for the power and wonder of every animal. Thank You for the seasons and the rains that keep our earth reproducing. We will wake the dawn with our song. O Lord, our Lord, Your majestic Name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. When we look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place; what are mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You should care for them? The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to You. We are blessed to be the recipients of all the beauty that surrounds us and testifies of Your awesome glory. We will sing to You as long as we live. We will praise You until our last breath! May all our thoughts be pleasing to You, for we rejoice in You, Father.

Holy Father, we, the Body of Christ, decree that You have made us only a little lower than Yourself and crowned us with glory and honor. You have given us charge of everything You made. All things – flocks and herds, wild animals, birds, fish, and everything that swims in the ocean – is under our authority. But we will not boast in our authority, but in the fact that our names are registered in heaven. We confess that we will not defile the land that You have given us, but we will guard against wasting our natural resources. Lord, we will adopt better, cleaner practices and teach them to our children so that we can bless the earth for future generations. We will obey the laws of the land when we enjoy the outdoors, and we will not fail to give You glory for the beauty of all that You’ve created. It is our honor and privilege to care for all the creatures of the earth and we will respect and value all that Your hand has made.

Take a moment to reflect on all that you love about nature and praise God for it right now:

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Holy Spirit, keep us always aware of how we treat the Father’s creation. Help us to find the amazement we once had as children when we look at the awesome beauty of our world. Show us, once again, the simple joys of walking barefoot on a sandy beach, playing in the rain, and touching the cool earth with our hands. Remind us to share these joys with our children and to teach them to value all that the Father has made so that generations to come can benefit from these things, too. Help us to make the most of opportunities to experience sanctified times of solitude while enjoying the peacefulness of nature. Help us to keep the Lord’s commandments to preserve the earth and care for all that is in it. Teach us to regularly do our part to respect and protect all living creatures as an act of love and gratitude to our Heavenly Father.

Father God, forgive us for our sins against nature. Forgive us when we flippantly complain about the weather. Forgive us for being lazy and refusing to participate in recycling and conservation efforts. Forgive us for being critical of those who have been appointed to lead the charge in promoting a return to conservatory practices. Forgive us for overlooking and trampling underfoot even the most delicate flower. Forgive us for failing to teach our children the importance of showing appreciation and giving thanks for everything thing the earth offers to sustain us. Forgive us for borrowing from their future with our selfish greed.  Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed). Holy Spirit, remind us all of those we need to forgive; and we will be quick to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals, say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)

Holy Spirit, help us all not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

Sovereign Lord, You made the earth by the power of Your Word and preserve it by Your Wisdom.  With Your own understanding You stretched out the heavens.  When You speak in the thunder, You announce that the heavens are filled with water.  You cause the clouds to rise over the earth.  You send the lightning with the rain and release the wind from Your storehouses.  Holy, holy, holy are You the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; the whole earth is filled with Your glory!  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Scripture References for the Written Text: Psalm 8:3-4, Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 104:33-34, Psalm 8:5-8, Luke 10:20, Numbers 35:34, Genesis 2:15, Matthew 6:13, Jeremiah 51:15-16, Isaiah 6:3

© Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ©2020 Caldwell Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved — No reproduction of the material is permitted without the expressed permission of CMI.

Scripture Reading:

Psalms 101; Psalms 15; Matthew 22:36-40

Reflections of the Heart:

While God’s Word commands us to love our neighbor, Scripture doesn’t really answer directly the question “Who is my neighbor?” other than Jesus’ reply of “the one who showed him mercy” in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. There are many examples of “bad neighbors” and “good neighbors” in our own lives. Ponder this: Those in one’s household are family members and those outside the home are neighbors. Jesus said, “Anyone who does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.” Could it be that all outside our “family” – the body of Christ – are our neighbors, regardless of whether or not they live in close proximity to us?

Scriptural Prayer:

Almighty Father, thank You for loving us despite how we sometimes act or think.  Thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with Your love, so that we may share love with others.  Thank You for helping us to be more loving and compassionate towards others. Lord, we come before You clapping our hands and shouting joyful praise to You.  You are the great King of all the earth.  You subdue the nations before us and put our enemies under our feet. Our hearts are confident in You, Father.  Because of this confidence, we will sing Your praises. We will wake the dawn with our song, Lord, among all the people.  We will sing Your praises among the nations for Your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Glorious Father, as Your dear children, we commit to loving You with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds. This is the greatest and most important commandment of all. In the same Spirit, we also commit to loving our neighbors as ourselves. We confess that the Holy Spirit fills and controls us as we commit to doing Your will. We decree that we will be patient and kind instead of acting jealous, boastful, proud or rude.  We will not demand our own way, but we will be considerate of others and their opinions.  We will not be irritable or keep a record of being wronged.  But we will be joyful and quick to forgive. We commit to living a righteous life. We will be patient and will not return evil with evil.  We will let our light shine so that people will see our good works and glorify You, our Father.

How will you show your love for God and for your neighbor by your actions?

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Holy Spirit, show us how to truly love the Father with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength.  Reveal to us those habits, mindsets and attitudes that prevent us from being truly surrendered to the Father.  Help us to not deceive ourselves by thinking we are walking in love while using our tongues to curse those who have been made in the Father’s image. In this world where we are told to put ourselves first, help us to truly put the Father first in our lives, and to esteem others better than ourselves.

Exalted Father, we ask Your forgiveness for our sins.  Forgive us for being irreverent and apathetic towards You. Forgive us for murmuring and complaining and not showing our love and appreciation for all that You do for us.  Forgive us for being impatient with our neighbor. Forgive us for picking and choosing to whom we will show love.  Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed). Holy Spirit, remind us all of those we need to forgive; and we will be quick to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals, say, “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)

Holy Spirit, help us all not to yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

Eternal Lord, You are God alone.  You created the heavens and the earth; You put everything in its place.  You made the world to be lived in, not a place of empty chaos.  You are the Lord and there is no other.  You only speak what is true and declare only what is right.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture References for the Written Text: Romans 5:5, Psalm 47:1-3, Psalm 57:7-10, Matthew 22:37-39, I Corinthians 13:4, I Peter 3:9, Matthew 5:16, Mark 12:30, James 3:9, Philippians 2:3, Matthew 6:13, Isaiah 45:18-19

© Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ©2020 Caldwell Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved — No reproduction of the material is permitted without the expressed permission of CMI.