Let us begin this day in the Word and in Prayer:
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:3 NIV)
But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely. (Psalm 59:16-17 NIV)
Father God,
Thank you for the gift of this good day. Thank you for our rest, our food, our warm homes, our families, the provision you give us, and the purposes you have for each of our lives. Thank you for the ways in which you are calling us by Holy Spirit to become more like you; give us courage to go where you call us to go, no matter what. As we begin this day, we pray that you would help us to hear and see you in each moment of it. Hold us in the palms of your hands when we are struggling or overwhelmed. Provide encouragement, friendship, financial resources, wisdom and direction, peace that passes understanding – whatever we need for this day. We put on the full armor of God so we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes. We put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We pray your protection over our bodies, minds, souls, spirits, immune systems, properties, livelihoods, and relationships and we pray your provision, protection, blessing and favor upon our families. Give us more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control as we grow more and more in Holy Spirit. We pray all this in the strong name of Christ, Amen.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV)
(adapted from April 8, 2022 post)