Seeking Spiritual Satisfaction

Seeking Spiritual Satisfaction

Lord, help me to become more content with my current circumstances and I better accept my present relationships.

There is a desire deep inside of me to improve my life. So, God, guide my innermost orientation in order that my internal world will become ever more aligned to serve Your higher purposes. Please cause my whole heart and mind to be oriented to selflessly serve my small part in to Your Great Commission.

May I fully and completely trust and obey my Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, with every fiber of my being.

May my obedience to Your New Commandment to love one another be the overriding factor in my aspirations, choices and commitments.

May I gladly surrender my will to You, that I may know and do Your will both during my daily devotions, and especially during those time when my faith in You is tested.

May I look to You to take care of me and of those I love. For Your Word reveals that You are a good God, Who is gracious, kind and tenderhearted.

Sometimes I find myself pressed into thinking I am involved in a kind of rat race to get ahead in some imaginary competition. But while I tend to yield to this pressure to keep moving forward, may my progress always be guided by Your standards and directed at your pace. May I pause make time to notice how far You have brought me. May I express my appreciation to You in silent prayer often.

Internally, I have motivations to achieve, improve and excel. God, please do a deep work in my soul, so that I use these motivations for Your purposes. May my unseen drives not be abused to fuel my pride, please others or to hide my insecurities.

I have an abundance of goals, projects and tasks. I do my best to get them done. But there are always many things that are left undone. God, help me to optimize the uses of my time, energy and money each day. And at the end of the day, may I emotionally and mentally let go of what remains to be done. After doing all I could with what You gave me, may I then leave the final results up to You. For I declare that You have all power; and You work all things together for the good.

From my birth, I have grown up in a society that is saturated with materialism. O Lord, open my spiritual eyes to see there is much more to this life than just adding more stuff to my collection of things.

Everywhere I go there are advertisements. Thousands of signals try to convince me that happiness will infallibly result were I to simply buy their product or service. The overriding message is that the glass is always half empty. I should strive to acquire more and better stuff in hopes that maybe some day the glass will be completely full. That is an appealing lie that has deceived others and me. But, Lord, may You whisper to me that the glass is half full as well as half empty. Lead me to notice what I have and not get fixated on what I do not have. May I honor You with my faithful stewardship of what You have entrusted to me.

I confess a longing to acquire more and better possessions. But instead, grant me to simply relax and better appreciate what You have already provided. May I develop the healthy habit of thanking You for each blessing. Work greater measures of genuine gratitude into my soul .

God, You created me with five senses. I realize there are some foods that I especially enjoy eating. Thank You for the pleasure that comes when I eat those. Since  some of those foods are costly,  I cannot afford to eat them as often as I would like. Grant me to be genuinely grateful when You provide them; and grant me to savor each of the foods You provide.

Lord, I  admit that deep down inside I tend to compare myself to others. That has sometimes led to envy, jealousy and resentment. Lord, help me to stop entertaining these poisonous attitudes. Grant me to immediately cut off those thoughts and feelings that are not of Your love. Grant that I may  admire and respect others just the way they are. Grant me to remember that they, too, have both internal issues and external challenges; and they that they, too, are simply doing the best that they can. May their accomplishments, status, looks, and more, inspire me to aim higher and to focus better for Your glory.

Lord, help me make wise choices when there are several attractive options. On weekends and during the holidays, there can be more possibilities to enjoy entertainment alone or share fellowship with others than I am able to take advantage of. I am limited, since I can only be in one place at a time.  In choosing one option, I am saying no to the other options. Because this is not always easy, I ask you to enter my decision-making process and guide me in the paths that are right for me. Grant me to find the suitable balance between taking time out for my own recreation and entertainment; as well as going to be of service to others; as well as making important contacts that You might use later for Your glory.

Lord, I attend church services on Sundays. I am grateful for the blessings, insights and lessons that come to me during these times. Thank You for the refreshing fellowship. Please guide me throughout the week in carrying out my best intentions to apply what You are teaching me during these times.

God, You have revealed Yourself in the Bible as the Prince of Peace. You have often blessed me with peace of mind, even the the middle of the storms of my life. Grant me to anchor my hopes and expectations in Who You are. May the biblical testimonies of what You did throughout the centuries give me comfort and faith.

Even if I live to a very old age, that is not the end of the story. May You help me to keep in mind that I am just a pilgrim that is briefly passing through this earthly walk, my ultimate citizenship is in heaven.

Lord God,  have mercy on me; and grant me Your grace. Amen.

Brother John