So everyone escaped safely to shore.

When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.

I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.”

“The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,26‘Go and say to this people:When you hear what I say,you will not understand.When you see what I do,you will not comprehend.27For the hearts of these people are hardened,and their ears cannot hear,and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see,and their ears cannot hear,and their hearts cannot understand,and they cannot turn to meand let me heal them.’

The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 

Lord God my Father,

You are my hope and life, without you I am sinful and dead. Thank you for your Truth and Hope in my life. Keep doubt away from me and give me the understanding I can hold this day. My confidence rest in you alone.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. 

 I am sending you to the Gentiles 18to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

Lord God my Father,

Soften my heart so I may live completely for you. Allow you Love to cleanse me and use me as you wish in this world.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.

Lord God my Father,

Remove my distraction and place your work before me. Help me to surrender my sinful way to you and do your work only. Keep my heart close to you and away from me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

 I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message,

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

Lord God my Father,

Remove my sinful way and keep me in your power. Grant my desire to turn from my sinful way and be completely under your authority. May my actions reflect your Love only.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! 

Lord God my Father,

I pray for your peace to overwhelm my desire to think. There is so much darkness around me, keep me in your light, confident in your way and truth. Keep me in your path, not my own.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

Lord God my Father,

Keep me under your Truth, keep me confident in your Peace. Protect me from the lies of this world and keep my heart in check. Keep me in your Good promise to protect me from evil’s desire. You are the only authority for me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,8:38 Greek nor rulers. neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law9:32 Greek by works. instead of by trusting in him. 

Lord God my Father,

Your love is always with me, I need to choose to accept it wholly. Thank you for your steadfast Love that never leaves me. Quiet my heart to follow you only, allow your truth to soften my desire to follow only you.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. 

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Lord God my Father,

You are my deliverer, my freedom is in you. Protect me from the influence of the dark one and keep my understanding in your Love. Help me to live your hope alone. My life only comes from you.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.

Lord God my Father,

Thank you for your devine plan. Allow me to come closer to your nature and deliver me from my sinful nature. Allow your spirit in me to defeat my sinful way.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

And a person with a changed heart seeks praise2:29 Or receives praise. from God, not from people.

For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

Lord God my Father,

Thank you for your Truth, may I live under it and trust in the value you set for me. Thank you Lord for your unfailing Love.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen