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By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life. — Psalm 42:8 Thoughts on Today's Verse... I have always loved music. To this day, songs help unlock the part of me that is most open to God. Songs help me declare my love for him and offer my praise to him. But as the psalmist said so many centuries ago, and I find it is still true for me today: his song is with me at night, especially on those nights when sleep is hard to find and I need reassurance of his love. Even when I can't remember what I dreamed the previous night, I often awaken to a praise song that had been sung over me ( Zephaniah 3:17 ), with me, and by me in my sleep - "...at night his song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life ... the LORD [who] directs his love" to me! Video Commentary... ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer... O God of my life, thank you for music and song. Thank you for giving me so many good things to sing j...

I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. — Psalm 16:8 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Many things can trouble our lives, but none can shake us loose from the grip of God's grace as our hearts remain pointed at Jesus as our LORD and our hope remains focused on the LORD's return. If Jesus is our LORD, then all of life's greatest blessings lie ahead of us, and he will let nothing rob us of this coming glory! We have confidence as believers because each of us can say: I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. So, dear friend in Jesus, let's not just say it; let's passionately live it! My Prayer... Holy LORD, you are worthy of majesty, honor, and praise. I lift your name, O God, and place it above every name. As I look to the future, I want to honor you and journey with you, knowing you are with me. Since I believe you will never leave or forsake me ( Romans 8:37-39 ), I...

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. — 1 John 5:12 Thoughts on Today's Verse... This statement is both a reminder of God's glorious grace and also of our need to share that grace with others. Life is such a precious gift; it would be a shame and a deep loss for anyone we know and love to miss out on the gift of God's life. God gave us the gift of his Son so that in finding him, we too could share in his life, and share that life with others. As Jesus himself said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" ( John 14:6 ) "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent..." ( John 17:3 ). My Prayer... Father of all nations, please resurrect a desire in your people to spread your grace to every language, tribe, nation, and people ( Revelation 7:9-10 ). Empower us with your Spirit so that we will speak the Gospel ...

To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. — Philippians 1:21 Thoughts on Today's Verse... The truth is often as simple as it is sweet - if Jesus is our life, then our lives have no end. In faith, we shared with Jesus in his saving death, burial, and resurrection ( 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 ) through our baptism as we called on the name of the LORD to save us ( Colossians 2:12 ). Our lives - our eternal essence and identity - are hidden with Christ and will be fully revealed when we share with Jesus in his eternal glory ( Colossians 3:3-4 ). Death does not strip life from us, but ushers us into life in Jesus' very presence, where no power or event, not even death, can steal us from his grasp ( Romans 8:38-39 ). My Prayer... O Eternal God, thank you for sending Jesus to show us your love, and thank you for sending him again in the future. Jesus is our anchor in the storms of life and our light in our darkest nights, reminding us that you love us with an undying love. In the name of...

"Let him who boasts boast in the LORD." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. — 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 Thoughts on Today's Verse... We live in a world with skewed values, false promises, lust for notoriety, and desperation for fleeting fame. The real question for us, needs to be this: What can we boast in other than the steadfastness of the LORD's love, the incredible riches of the LORD's grace, the incomparable supply of the LORD's blessings, the sweetness of the LORD's people, the mercy of the LORD's plan for our salvation, the promise of the LORD's tomorrow, and the promise of the LORD Jesus' nearness ( Philippians 4:5 ; Romans 8:38-39 ; Hebrews 13:5-6 ) - who is with us and in us and for us? So, dear friend of Jesus, let's have our only boast be in the LORD because that is where everything else that matters in our lives can be found! My Prayer... LORD of majesty and mercy, every ...

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. — 2 Corinthians 7:1 Thoughts on Today's Verse... In a world so full of distractions and temptations, purity is difficult. Even more than difficult, the call to purity often goes forgotten and ignored ( 1 John 3:2-3 ). "Cheap grace" ( Jude 1:4 ) is sometimes substituted for Jesus' call to passionate, pure, and holy living. While we never want to give in to a works-righteousness approach to salvation, we must also remember that impurity through laziness, lack of commitment, or simple rebellion contaminates those claiming to be Christians and ruins our influence before the watching world. We are called to be at work perfecting holiness in our lives out of our reverence for God! My Prayer... Please purify my heart, my life, my body, and my influence, O God. May my words and my thoughts be blameless in your sig...