Seek God While He May Be Found | Inspirational Morning Prayers To Start Your Day

[Music] we all experience Nostalgia from time to time we've all taken out old photos reminiscing about the good old days as so many of us would call it but when does reminiscing become unhealthy Where's the Line between appreciating our past and longing for something we can never get back in Genesis we see the perfect yet tragic example of someone who crossed that line Genesis 19:1 17 says and as they brought them out one said Escape for your life do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley escape to the hills lest you be swept

away in this scene God was about to destroy the land of Sodom and Gomorrah due to the wickedness of its residents two angels of the Lord commanded lot and his family to flee and unfortunately many of us know how this story ends as they are fleeing Lot's wife looks back and immediately she is turned into a pillar of salt as at first this seems like a harsh punishment but Lot's wife was not punished for merely turning her head no she was punished for failing to trust God she was punished for longing for and holding on

to a sinful past God had provided a place of Refuge for Lot's wife along with a new life but she was too busy lamenting the loss of the life she was leaving behind this story shows us that if we are to follow God we must keep our eyes on him never looking back Luke 9 verse 62 says Jesus said to him no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God we can never make progress when we're constantly looking behind us we can't move forward in our

walk with God while our heads are turned and our gaze is fixated on the things of this world we cannot Advance toward the Kingdom of Heaven while we're still flirting with the sin we've left behind and the Bible is clear about this issue of longing for the past as Ecclesiastes 7:10 reads say not why were the former days is better than these for it is not from wisdom that you ask this sometimes we tend to romanticize the Past even if the past had many flaws we tend to overemphasize the good memories and convince ourselves that

we were happier back then as a result we become discontent with our current situation we become unable to fully enjoy the blessings that God has given us right here Here and Now Philippians 3: 13-14 say Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead now forgetting the past can be a scary thought but we take comfort in knowing there is something better ahead so move forward press on don't return to your sinful ways which destroy your mind

your body and your soul instead put all your energy into running this new race that God has set before you if your past has been marked by shame and Brokenness you can trust that God will redeem it all he is always doing something new in your life he is always making a way for us when we sit and reflect on the significant events that we've been through and those moments in our lives that we don't easily forget we can recognize how God has been with us every step of the way this is emphasized in Psalm

77: 11 to2 where the Bible reads I will remember the Deeds of the Lord yes I will remember your miracles of long ago I will consider all your works and meditate on all your Mighty Deeds this verse reminds us that God's work in the past it's worthy of our reflection and our meditation by focusing on God's faithfulness in the past we can actually gain confidence in his promises for the future as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 88: 28 and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those

who are called according to his purpose a Puritan preacher by the name of Thomas Watson once said remembering the mercies of God breeds gratitude in our hearts in addition to this remembering our past helps us to share Our Testimony with other people our personal testimonies they are powerful tools for evangelism and they can be used to inspire others to seek God as we reflect on what God has done in our lives we can share our experiences with others showing them how God has transformed us and guided us through our life's journey let us pray father

God thank you for your faithfulness throughout every part of my life though the seasons change though people change and even though relationships come and go you King Jesus you remain the same there has never been a day when you did not know me and love me and work all things for my good your word in Isaiah 43: 18-19 say remember not the former things nor consider the things of old behold I am doing a new thing now it Springs forth do you not perceive it I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in

the desert Lord do a new thing in my life do a new thing in our lives as your children you are a God who can make rivers in the desert and so you can speak life into any situation and father I thank you for bringing me out of my sinful past and giving me a better future thank you for helping me to move forward past every struggle and every mountain in my way God I thank you for all the Miracles that you have performed to get me to where I am today Lord I'm so grateful

for all that you've done in my past and I thank you for keeping me for protecting me even before I knew you thank you for loving me Lord God forgive me if ever I have longed for the past in my heart give give me the wisdom to know that these thoughts are not from you Lord you have broken sin's curse on me not so that I can go back to the way I was before but so that I can now walk in Freedom I pray Lord that whenever my mind wanders and begins to reminisce about

a past where I was living in sin give me the strength to run from such thoughts Lord give me the courage to walk away from the things that try to entice me may I never turn back I don't want to turn back like Lot's wife did but God I want to keep pressing on with my eyes and my desires fixed on Jesus Lord give me the grace I need to move forward in my walk with you and to step into the calling that you've placed on my life all my efforts used to be in vain

but now God you have equipped me for every good work and for amazing things in your kingdom Jesus may your precious blood destroy any remaining ties that I have with my former life sever every CT of sin let not even a memory of those days remain in my mind instead help me to strive for Holiness help me to strive for continual growth help me to become more like you enduring all things for the joy that is set before me Lord I can't comprehend all that you've done from beginning to end but already I can see

the progress that you've made in my life and I am excited for all that you will continue to do father give me the freedom to develop and grow as a follower of Christ help me to run the race that is set before me keeping my eyes on the prize I ask all these things in Jesus name Amen in the Old Testament Hannah's story is one that offers hope in the middle of hopelessness it offers encouragement in the face of Despair Hannah was a barren woman she desperately longed for a son to the point where she

would weep continually and wouldn't eat for a long time even her husband noticed it and was very concerned for her one day in the bitterness of her soul she went to the temple and she prayed to the Lord weeping in anguish she brought her request to the Lord pouring her heart out to him and asking him to Grant her a male child she vowed that she would dedicate his whole life to serving the lord here is what the Bible says 1 Samuel 1: 10-16 in her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord weeping bitterly and

she made a vow saying Lord Almighty if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me and not forget your servant but but give her a son then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life and no razor will ever be used on his head as she kept on praying to the Lord Eli observed her mouth Hannah was praying in her heart and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard Eli thought she was drunk and said to her how long are you going to stay

drunk put away your wine not so my Lord Lord Hannah replied I am a woman who is deeply troubled I've not been drinking wine or beer I was pouring out my soul to the Lord do not take your servant for a wicked woman I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief I want you to notice Something In this passage of scripture we're told three times of just how distressed Hannah was in verse 10 we read in her deep anguish in verse 15 we read that she's a woman who is deeply troubled

and in verse 16 we read that she is praying out of great anguish and grief the first thing I want to point out to you is that sometimes in life things may seemingly fall apart it may look as though everything is crumbling your plans your hopes your dreams all of it may appear to be collapsing and naturally this is painful but what if that pain drives you to God how much more intense would your prayers be when life becomes painful how much more time would you spend praying and seeking God pain is what drove Hannah

to pray she prayed with so much intensity that others thought she was drunk and for them to think think that I imagine Hannah was praying so much that she didn't care who was around her she didn't care who might see her for her she just needed to hear from God because the pain had become too great for her to carry alone so from this perspective I want you to remember some things pain is not always bad it's unpleasant it's not enjoyable but at times it's the necessary thing because pain oh it gets our attention and

when you cannot deal with it then your attention shifts to God so perhaps things in your life are not falling apart but instead maybe God's calling you to him he wants you to come he wants you to seek him now when God answered Hannah's Prayer and gave her a son son in 1st Samuel 2: 1-10 Hannah prays again and I want to highlight a few verses in this prayer in verses 1 and two the Bible says then Hannah prayed my heart rejoices in the Lord the Lord has made me strong now I have an answer

for my enemies I Rejoice because you rescued me no one is holy like the Lord there is no one besides you there is no Rock like our God here Hannah is doing what we would all do when we receive a breakthrough she's rejoicing Hannah is praising God she fully acknowledges that God took her from a place of weakness to a place of strength she acknowledges that God's Mighty hand rescued her and then in Verses 4 to8 Hannah says this the bow of the mighty is now broken and those who stumbled are now strong those who

were wellfed are now starving and those who were starving are now full the childless woman now has seven children and the woman with many children wastes away the Lord gives both death and life he br brings some down to the grave but raises others up the Lord makes some poor and others Rich he brings some down and lifts others up he lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump he sets them among princes placing them in seats of Honor for all the Earth is the Lord's and he has set the

world in order now I believe that after Hannah had gone through her personal experience having been Barren having felt hopeless and distraught and then having God answer her prayer Hannah has come to the understanding that God is in control she says for all the Earth is the Lord's and he has set the world in order it takes maturity to understand that just because something unpleasant happens to you you it does not mean God has abandoned you it doesn't mean that he's no longer in control because if you're not careful you can go through life thinking

that just because you're a Christian you are entitled to feel no pain but dear friends all of us on Earth every one of us will face fiery trials but a mature believer a mature believer knows that God is in control all always and he may allow pain but he will not let it destroy you and so as we pray let us ask God for the grace to accept the challenges that come our way in this life and to still be able to maintain both our faith and our joy dear heavenly father you are a God

who guides the feet of your children you are a God who paves the way where there seems to be no way you can take something that's crooked and Lord you can make it straight you can bring hope to hopeless situations and so today dear father we declare that our trust is in you we stand on your word which says in Psalm 125 veres 1-2 those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved but abides forever as the mountain surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds his people from this time forth and

forever we trust in you Lord and we pray that our trust in you would never be broken that it'll never be shaken surround us Lord surround us with your presence surround our families our homes be with us always despite whatever comes God I pray that you would give us the grace to accept the reality that we will have to face fiery trials in this life but that does not mean that you have abandoned this when life is painful we trust you master to be a Healer when we feel that All Is Lost May the Holy

Spirit remind us that you are a god of restoration you are a God who brings that which is dead back to life in your word there is resurrection power in your word there is power to restore power to revive power to rejuvenate and Lord right now I pray that you would restore joy in our hearts regardless of our individual battles restore peace in our minds father your power is not diminished by any circumstances that we face help us to understand that it's not over until you say so and so father I place my trust and

My Hope in you because your word says in Isaiah 40:31 but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall Mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Lord Jesus when it looks like we're stuck in a valley that has no life when it seems like we're surrounded by a valley of dry bones help us to understand that your power is not restricted in any way even where there looks to be no life father not only can you renew our strength but

I'm grateful you can give us life your word can speak life into our situations therefore our hope is in you King Jesus you are always reliable Lord you are a good God who does not put his people to shame you are merciful and you're just you are a loving God a kind God the ultimate provider a way maker a deliverer and a Healer you've been all that to me you've proven yourself over and over in my life in every place where there was a need you were right there and for that God I give you

all the glory for that God I give you all the praise God I bless your holy name and I thank you for hearing my prayer Lord Jesus be glorified now and forever more we pray this prayer in Jesus name amen put God first in your life Place him at the very start of your day stay with him walk with him and talk with him during the day and most definitely end your day with God the theme Here is abiding in his presence he who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under

the shadow of the almighty to abide is to remain to remain in the presence of God to remain in prayer to abide is to continue to continue walking in a prayerful Spirit to continue walking by faith and not by sight to continue in God's presence he who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty meaning the person who takes a permanent residence in God shall remain shall continue to stay under the shadow of the almighty to be under the shadow of God is to be covered it's

to be protected by the almighty what can get to you if you're under God's Shadow what can bother you what can worry you what can play you if you're under the shadow of the almighty some would rather hide themselves in fortified bunkers some would run to the tallest and strongest building others would feel safer in their home with all the windows locked the doors bolted shut and the alarm on but I urge you to abide under the shadow of the almighty run to God run to Jesus in his shadow alone you find safety you find

security you find protection and preservation when you're feeling the full heat of the fire that comes with life's troubles run to God get on your knees remain in prayer continue in prayer stay in his presence abide under the shadow of the almighty when you have built your foundation on the solid rock that is Jesus Christ you are not shaken by the earthquakes of life you are not blown away by The Winds of life you are not taken under by the floods of life and this is all because God will never fail you he will never

let you down and so Saints let me encourage you let your foundation be Jesus Christ let your faith be in Jesus Christ let your reason for Joy your reason for Hope be because of Jesus Christ because truly I tell you when you stand on the solid rock that is Jesus Christ you will survive when the rain falls you'll survive when the floods come you won't be destroyed when the winds blow put your trust in God seek God seek his presence and most importantly seek to dwell in his presence so before we pray I urge you

to take just a few moments to reflect and look at your life what are you dwelling on do you dwell on the Whata IFS of this world what if I could do this what if I never did that do you dwell on the past do you dwell in worry or are you dwelling on that problem what is it that you're dwelling on today because if it isn't God Almighty if you're not dwelling in the secret place of the most high then friend I urge you to come to the Lord come to Jesus run and dwell

in his presence be found to have taken up permanent residence under the shadow of the almighty and so it is with this understanding that we should pray my dear heavenly father I pray for everyone under the sound of my voice may they be drawn to your presence may they be drawn to your secret place I pray that every man and woman of God who is listening right now will be covered protected secured defended shielded and hidden by your Shadow I pray in the name of Jesus that you are hidden from the sight of evil the

devil will not be able to lay a hand on you or on your family because you are protected by God Almighty may you find the Lord to be your safe place your peaceful Sanctuary may God's presence reside in your home in your hearts and Minds I pray for every son and daughter of God who is in agreement with me right now when the storm seems endless in your life may the good Lord grant you Supernatural strength even if the enemy tries to steal your joy may he fail and be crushed by the angel of the

Lord which encamps around all those who fear Him I pray for peaceful thoughts in your mind I pray for an overwhelming peace and divine joy to sit right at the center of your heart for anyone who is uneasy may the Lord calm your spirit I decree and declare that it is well with your soul it is well in your home and in your life it is well with you child of God May the Holy Spirit Grant you boldness and courage may you stand strong and firm in faith and I pray that you will not be

found to be fearful in any area of your life you won't be found to have any worry or anxiety in your life in Jesus name father we claim your word and say surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life I have victory in the name of Jesus victory over any mountains any Giants and I want to thank you for the power that I can access through your blood power that allows me to overcome daily to be blessed daily to wake up in your grace and mercies each day Lord we choose

to trust in you each day each hour each moment of my life you gave your life on the cross to set me free Psalms 91:2 says I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my Fortress my God in whom I trust I confess this to be true in your life in our lives as Believers in Jesus Christ God is our refuge indeed our hiding place we bless your name Lord we give you glory honor and praise your word says in Jeremiah 17:7 blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose

hope is in the Lord for he shall be like a tree planted By the Waters which spreads out its roots by the river and will not fear when heat comes but its Leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought nor will cease from yielding fruit I decree and declare God's word right now and say I am blessed because I trust in the Lord my hope is in the Lord when my trust is in you Lord Jesus your word says that I will be like a tree planted By the Waters

meaning I will not fear when heat comes I will not be anxious in the year of drought thank you for such a promise a promise that you will keep me sustain me and protect me from Heat that seeks to destroy me you will protect and sustain me from any drought that seeks to destroy me because you King Jesus are my one and only source so let the storm wind and rain come I will be sheltered by my savior let the thunder and lightning roar I am at peace and I will remain at peace because I

am covered by the almighty Lord I pray that each of my steps will be directed by you I submit to you I submit to your plans may your will be fulfilled in my life have mercy on me Lord Jesus hide Me In Your Shadow where there is love because in your love there is no fear there is no pain and sorrow your perfect love expels all that is negative and all that is draining it's in you that I trust and it's in you that I will continue to trust your word in Psalms 91 tells me

that I will not fear the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness thank you for such protection Lord although undeserved you offer me this security I welcome you to do as you will Lord have your way in my life without without you I am lost and hopeless but with you I am loved protected forgiven and redeemed so I praise your name you are the king of kings and the Lord of lords the Alpha and Omega there is none like you in all the universe there

is no other healer besides you there is no other deliverer but you there's no other savior besides you I say You Are Holy and awesome Mighty and magnificent thank you for listening to this prayer in Jesus name I pray amen the Bible speaks clearly about the reality of spiritual warfare now you can bury your head in the sand and pretend like this doesn't exist but my friends let me tell you that the word of God would not mention spiritual warfare if it weren't a reality but rather than focusing on the enemy we face I want

us to focus on the weapons that we've been given Ephesians 6:10 to18 says finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil for for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic Powers over this present Darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil

day and having done all to stand firm stand therefore having fastened on the belt of Truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and as shoes for your feet having put on the Readiness given by the gospel of peace in all circumstances take up the shield of Faith with which you can extinguish all the Flaming darts of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that end keep alert with

all perseverance making supplication for all the saints I want you to notice something the belt of Truth the breastplate of righteousness feet fitted with the gospel of peace The Shield of Faith the helmet of salvation these are all defensive elements for our armor these are all meant to help us block the attacks of the enemy they are designed to secure us and ensure that no weapon from the enemy's Camp can cause serious damage to us the only offensive weapon that we do have is the sword of the spirit the word of God a word that

is living this is what we are to defeat the enemy with and so I want you to understand each of these individual elements that make up our armor now Jesus Christ said he is the way the truth and the life and we need to gir ourselves with this truth the devil is the father of Lies but with the belt of Truth on we will not fall victim to the enemy's deception we are to wear the breastplate of righteousness because it protects us from all of the enemy's unclean devices his sinful schemes with this on WE

pursue righteousness and turn away from sin on our feet we are to be fitted with the gospel of peace and I believe that this means we need to be rooted in God's gospel of Christ and then there's the shield of Faith this is what protects us from the arrows that the enemy throws arrows of discouragement arrows of depression low self-esteem now your head is somewhere that your enemy will attempt to attack frequently because if he can affect you in your mind he can affect your life and so the helmet of salvation is a must for

all believers and finally we are told to take up the sword of the spirit the sword of the spirit is God's word God's word is living and we can use his word to defeat the enemy we can speak God's word over our lives for protection and safety I urge you today to get to know the word of God for yourself get God's word within you read scripture as often as you can memorize Bible verses and medit at on them as often as you can because when you go through the many seasons of Life the ups

and downs of this life it's only what is in you that will sustain you and if the word of God is in you then you will survive you will make it by the grace of God and the power in his word now the reason why it's so vital for us to meditate on God's word is because we're told in Joshua 1:8 that keep this book of the law always on your lips meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it then you will be prosperous and successful

the word of God has an answer for us throughout every season of life and so we must be anchored in God's word and our prayers must be rooted in scripture and now let us pray Lord Jesus I thank you for the plan you have over my life may your will prevail may your plan and will for my life be the one that I follow Lord I know that the enemy also has a plan he has has a plan to steal kill and to destroy and father in the name of Jesus I break every plan from

the devil I refuse for him to have any influence over me or my family I speak the blood of Jesus Christ upon my future my family and my health I speak the blood of Jesus Christ on the works of my hands on my coming in and my going out I plead the blood of Jesus Christ upon everyone and everything attached and Associated to me the devil will not come in my life to wreak havoc in jesus' name no devil shall Prevail in my life no evil force or principality shall gain a foothold over me Holy

Spirit help me to put on the belt of truth always so that I can recognize truth from deception I pray that I may always have on the breastplate of righteousness so that when the enemy tries to attack me with sin and impurity I will be strong and remain focused on my pursuit of Holiness help me and cover me holy spirit so that my heart may be made whole so that my heart may be made pure when the devil tries to attack my heart and mind I pray that he will have no no effect on me

because I have put on the breastplate of righteousness I pray that I may have a peaceful character Lord a peaceful personality let this peace be rooted in knowing that my savior my Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace I pray father that when the devil plots against me when he tries to attack me May the shield of Faith defend me I pray that my faith is and will be strong because it is anchored in your word because it's Anchored In Jesus Christ and not in any situation or circumstance on this Earth Lord Jesus I

know that the Battle of my mind is one of the key places that spiritual warfare is fought help me to renew my mind help me to develop a mind that is focused on you at all times give me all that I need to stand strong in this life help me to meditate on your word which is living and sharper than any two-edged Soul your word is truth and there is power in your word May the Holy Spirit constantly urge and convict me to meditate and study your saving word Lord I pray that in this battle

against the forces of evil may I never be found without the armor you have given me May I never be found naked and ill equipped for this fight before me but instead give me a wise mind and a faithful heart that is always ready to fight the enemy I thank you Lord for your might and strength I thank you for giving me the resources I need to overcome the devil and live victoriously in the name of Jesus I pray amen Psalm 1 veres 1-2 says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of

the wicked nor stands in the way of Sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers but his Delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night we all get to choose who we led into our lives we can surround our our eles with like-minded people with people who will build us up and encourage us to dwell richly in Christ or we can linger in the company of people who will lead us astray people who will take us far away from God's perfect will for our lives the choice

we make when it comes to the company we keep it can have serious consequences not just in the shortterm but in light of Eternity 2 Corinthians 6: 14 says do not be unequally yolked with unbelievers for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness or what Fellowship has light with Darkness this passage is often applied to the context of dating or marriage but it applies in a general sense to friendships as well we as Believers should be more careful about who we led into our Inner Circle that doesn't mean we can't have friendships with unbelievers but we

shouldn't allow ourselves to be yolked to be tied to be bound by them we can't allow them to hold us back from following the Lord because while we might share certain Hobbies or interests or life situations at the end of the day if we do not share the most important part of us our faith our trust in Jesus Christ then that's a relationship that we don't need to Main m 1 Corinthians 15:33 do not be deceived Bad Company ruins good morals no matter how good of a Christian you think you are no one is 100%

safe from the influence of evil if we're not careful we can allow ungodly people to hinder our own walk with Christ you know the devil can plant people in our lives who may seem genuine at first but are actually harmful to our relationship with God these people might end up discouraging us betraying us or even destroying us there are some people in this world who are simply hard to trust and I'm sure if you thought about it you could think of a few people who you don't trust people who have hurt you people who've stolen

en from you people who have lied to you and unfortunately I'm sure there are some people who have lied on you all of these people can be difficult to trust however what if I told you that there was one person who's harder to trust than any of those people well there is and the truth is this one person that's near enough impossible to trust is you and as odd as it may seem that's my message to you today never trust yourself your heart cannot be trusted outside of the transformational work of the Holy Spirit and

the Bible reminds us of this over and over again whenever it speaks of the state of our hearts Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately Wicked who can know it the world will tell you to trust your heart follow wherever your heart leads however that cannot be farther from the truth you'd be a fool to trust your sinful nature you see we can deceive ourselves by making excuses and compromising when it comes to sin we'll tell ourselves something like it's just a guilty pleasure or it's only a white lie we

tell a tiny lie to make our conscience feel at ease however a white lie is still a lie calling a sin a guilty pleasure doesn't hide the fact that it's still sin our Wicked Hearts can trick us over and over again the heart will say God will forgive me so it's okay if I do this little sin while it is true that in Christ we have forgiveness we should not try to take advantage of that forgiveness so then does that leave us hopeless without any help in the world no there certainly is hope that our

hearts can be changed Ezekiel 36:26 says I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you I will remove from you Your Heart of Stone and give you a heart of Flesh Ezekiel Was An Old Testament prophet and in this scripture he's telling the people of God that there will be a day when God will change their evil Wicked Hearts under a New Covenant at that point they had hearts of stone and think about it when you squeeze a stone it cannot be changed or molded no matter how hard you try

you cannot change change a stone with your bare hands however under the New Covenant the people of God will receive a heart of Flesh what God is telling his people is that there will be a new covenant in which God will give them new clean hearts hearts that are not evil and full of sin now those who trust forsake their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior they are purified you may find yourself constantly giving in to the evil desires of your mind and your heart and listen it may satisfy you for

a while but the truth is that satisfaction it will run out that satisfaction may run out on earth when you experience everything that you think you want but hear me God is calling you to him at this very moment he is not telling you to trust your heart as others will do but he's telling you to trust him now with all this in mind go with me to God In Prayer Lord Jesus open our eyes so that we can see the deceitfulness of our hearts your word in Proverbs 28:26 says he who trusts in his

own heart is a fool but whoever walks wisely will be delivered it's only through your spirit that we can truly walk in the light and practice all of the commands in your word father give us Godly wisdom wisdom that acknowledges that in this life we can achieve nothing without the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives we are blinded to the truth unless you open our eyes father give us the wisdom that acknowledges that our hearts are flawed as humans and our minds are corrupt so Lord we need you we need to be

washed by the blood of Jesus Christ and father help us to come to the understanding that we are lying to ourselves if we think we can overcome sin through through sheer willpower and determination we'd be lying to ourselves to think that we can put our trust in our finances or our abilities no Lord Jesus we need you in this life we need your power in our lives we need the power of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives and father it's clear beyond all reasonable doubt that we need you to sustain us we need you

to protect us and to fight for us because our strength is limited our abilities they're limited but you our father are Limitless you operate beyond the realm of the natural and dear father help us not to give any room to the devil help us not to give room to sin in our lives Holy Spirit we're asking you to convict our hearts should we even begin to entertain sin convict us to repentance should you find us beginning to compromise with sin remove the scales from our eyes and reveal to us the poison of sin Lord help

us to see sin for what it truly is Rebel Reon and Disobedience and I pray that that would not be in our character 1 John 1 ver8 says if we claim we have no sin we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth dear Lord help us to walk in the truth that is your word help us to see the truth that is in the gospel and that truth is what we need to repent and forsake our sinful ways we need to put aside selfish ambition and seek to serve our Heavenly Father God

may we come to the realization that we're nothing without you lord you're the one who orders our steps you're the one who knows our beginning and our end therefore Lord we commit our ways to you King Jesus we bow down and surrender to [Music] you Lord we bless your holy name and we thank you for hearing our prayer it's in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus that we pray [Music] amen we all experience Nostalgia from time to time we've all taken out old photos reminiscing about the good old days as so many of us

would call it but when does reminiscing become unhealthy where's the line between appreciating our past and longing for something we can never get back in Genesis we see the perfect yet tragic example of someone who crossed that line Genesis 19:17 says and as they brought them out out one said Escape for your life do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley escape to the hills lest you be swept away in this scene God was about to destroy the land of Sodom and Gomorrah due to the wickedness of its residence two angels of the

Lord commanded lot and his family to flee and unfortunately many of us know how this story ends as they are fleeing Lot's wife looks back and immediately she is turned into a pillar of salt at first this seems like a harsh punishment but Lot's wife was not punished for merely turning her head no she was punished for failing to trust God she was punished for longing for and holding on onto a sinful past God had provided a place of Refuge for Lot's wife along with a new life but she was too busy lamenting the loss

of the life she was leaving behind this story shows us that if we are to follow God we must keep our eyes on him never looking back Luke 9:62 says Jesus said to him no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God we can never make progress when we're constantly looking behind us we can't move forward in our walk with God while our heads are turned and our gaze is fixated on the things of this world we cannot Advance toward the Kingdom of Heaven while we're

still flirting with the sin we've left behind and the Bible is clear about this issue of longing for the past as Ecclesiastes 7:10 reads say not why were the former days better than these for it is not from wisdom that you ask this sometimes we tend to romanticize the Past even if the past had many flaws we tend to overemphasize the good memories and convince ourselves that we were happier back then as a result we become discontent with our current situation we become unable to fully enjoy the blessings that God has given us right here

and now Philippians 3: 13-4 say Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead now forgetting the past can be a scary thought but we take comfort in knowing there is something better ahead so move forward press on don't return to your sinful ways which destroy your mind your body and your soul instead put all your energy into running this new race that God has set before you if your past has been marked by shame and Brokenness

you can trust that God will redeem it all he is always doing something new in your life he is always making a way for us when we sit and reflect on the significant events that we've been through and those moments in our lives that we don't easily forget we can recognize how God has been with us every step of the way this is emphasized in Psalm 77: 11-12 where the Bible reads I will remember the Deeds of the Lord yes I will remember your miracles of long ago I will consider all your works and meditate

on all your Mighty Deeds this verse reminds us that God's work in the past it's worthy of our reflection and our meditation by focusing on God's faithfulness in the past we can actually gain confidence and his promises for the future as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8: 28 and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose a Puritan preacher by the name of Thomas Watson once said remembering the mercies of God breeds gratitude in our hearts in addition to this

remembering our past helps us to share our testimony with other people our personal testimonies they are powerful tools for evangelism and they can be used to inspire others to seek God as we reflect on what God has done in our lives we can share our experiences with others showing them how God has transformed us and guided us through our life's journey let us pray father God thank you for your faithfulness throughout every part of my life though the seasons change though people change and even though relationships come and go you King Jesus you remain the

same there has never been a day when you did not know me and love me and work all things for my good your word in Isaiah 43: 18-9 say remember not the former things nor consider the things of old behold I am doing a new thing now it Springs forth do you not perceive it I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert Lord do a new thing in my life do a new thing in our lives as your children you are a God who can make rivers in the desert and

so you can speak life into any situation and father I thank you for bringing me out of my sinful past and giving me a better future thank you for helping me to move forward past every struggle and every mountain in my way God I thank you for all the Miracles that you have performed to get me to where I am today Lord I'm so grateful for all that you've done in my past and I thank you for keeping me for protecting me even before I knew you thank you for loving me Lord God forgive me

if ever I have longed for the past in my heart give me the wisdom to know that these thoughts are not from you Lord you have broken sin's curse on me not so that I can go back to the way I was before but so that I can now walk in Freedom I pray Lord that whenever my mind wanders and begins to reminisce about a past where I was living in sin give me the strength to run from such thoughts Lord give me the courage to walk away from the things that try to entice me

may I never turn back I don't want to turn back like Lot's wife did but God I want to keep pressing on with my eyes and my desires fixed on Jesus Lord give me the grace I need to move forward in my walk with you and to step into the calling that you've placed on my life all my efforts used to be in vain but now God you have equipped me for every good work and for amazing things in your kingdom Jesus may your precious blood destroy any remaining tie that I I have with my

former life sever every CT of sin let not even a memory of those days remain in my mind instead help me to strive for Holiness help me to strive for continual growth help me to become more like you enduring all things for the joy that is set before me Lord I can't comprehend all that you've done from beginning to end but already I can see the progress that you've made in my life and I am excited for all that you will continue to do father give me the freedom to develop and grow as a follower

of Christ help me to run the race that is set before me keeping my eyes on the prize I ask all these things in Jesus name amen Jesus said to him no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of [Music] God Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do for getting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead I will remember the Deeds of the Lord yes I will remember your miracles of long ago I will

consider all your works and meditate on all your Mighty deeds and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose remember not the former things nor consider the things of old behold I am doing a new thing now it Springs forth do you not perceive it I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert [Music]