“Lord, restore me, renew me, revive me, refresh me” are interrelated themes that express our need and desire for God’s continued work in us. “Lord, restore me. Bring me back to my former relationship with you. Establish me once again with the closeness I used to feel with you.” That’s what David expressed: “Restore to…

How often we need a touch from God in our physical bodies! We face sicknesses, ailments, pains, diseases. We cry out in faith, “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed” (Jeremiah 17:14). Matthew tells us: “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a…

While Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became the target of a malicious rumor. Calmly he denied these false accusations. “These are things you have come up with in your head, and they are not true.” He refused to bow to pressure. Outwardly, Nehemiah was unwavering and steadfast. Inwardly, however, he realized that…

In our culture, the phrase “show me” is understood in several ways – show me the money, show me a picture, show me love, show me the way. I’d like to ask the question – what might we ask God to show us? Start here: “Show me the wonders of your great love” (Psalm 17:7)….

The prayer “Lord, save me” is easy to identify with. We need to be: • Saved from desperate circumstances – “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck” (Psalm 69:1). • Saved from difficult people – “Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood”…

An honest, heartfelt, and perhaps frequent prayer we pray is “Lord, help me.” We need God’s help in ordinary days: • God’s help in our minds – for clarity, insight, and discernment. • God’s help in our wills – for decisiveness, determination, and persistence. • God’s help in our emotions – for encouragement, assurance, and…

Making yourself available to God so that he can touch someone else through you is exciting. A “Lord, use me” prayer creates such adventures. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Imagine, you and I were created for…

When I take an honest soul check before God, I often notice again that I need cleansing from my sins: Things I’ve done or left undone. Things I’ve said intentionally or unintentionally. Things compared with God’s holiness that appear as glaring failures or as careless neglectfulness. Scripture tells me that my prayers will not be…

How often we realize we need more of God in our lives. God is present, of course. But his powerful reality within us is lacking. We may have allowed sins to dominate. Or neglected aligning ourselves with what God wants. Or allowed our relationship with God to grow cold. On the other hand, God may…

As a new day stands before me, I need God’s guidance. To pray “Lord, lead me” is to seek God’s leadership to direct me. It’s saying to the Lord: “I’ll go where you want me to go. I’ll do what you want me to do. I’ll say what you want me to say. Wherever you…