How Precious Are Your Thoughts to Me

“How precious and weighty…are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them” (Ps 139:17 AMP)!
“…You did form my inward parts;
You did knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Ps 139:13 AMP).

“O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly]
and have known me….
You understand my thought afar off….
You are acquainted with all my ways….” (Ps 139:1-3 AMP).

“You drew near on the day I called to You; You said, Fear not” (Lam 3:57 AMP).

“You heard my voice…” (Lam 3:56 AMP). “O Lord,
You have pleaded the causes of my soul…” (Lam 3:58 AMP)

“If I ascend up into heaven,
You are there;
if I make my bed in…(the place of the dead), behold, You are there” (Ps 139:8 AMP).

O GOD, how precious and weighty
are Your thoughts toward me.
How vast is the sum of them (Ps 139:17).

O GOD, You know me!

Begging To Bring My Friends With Me

FATHER, You multiply mercy and peace and affection to those You dearly love. You set them apart and keep them for CHRIST (Jude 1-2). How I’d love to have ____ in CHRIST, growing in peace and love.

“DADDY, can I bring ____ with me? My enjoyment of Your glory—the blessings that You give me through CHRIST will not be so joyful if (he/she) can’t enjoy Your presence with me.”

I will only be completely happy at the “supper of the Lamb” if all my family and friends are around the table. DADDY, You are the only one who can give consent for them to come with me. To You, DADDY, I will beg and bagger (Luke 11:8) and wear You down (Luke 18:5) in hopes You will relent so they can come. I’m not one of Your constantly obedient children, but remember You have said that even

if I’m not a perfect child, if I persist You will answer me (Luke 11:8-10).

DADDY, remember You are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth, and…You forgive iniquity (Ex 34:6-7). I look at You and see no reason why You would not let ____ come with me. DADDY, I will continually beg and bagger You about this.

Scripture Memory to Encourage Believers

“…God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8 ESV).

FATHER, I pray that ____ be comforted by the following verses or that (he/she) show comfort to someone else with the following verses:

“…the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thes 3:3 ESV).

“…he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence” (Ps 91:3 ESV).

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Pet 4:12-13 ESV).

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,” (Col 1:11 ESV).

FATHER, You are able to do far more abundantly than all that ____ asks or thinks. You do this by working within (him/her)—by Your SPIRIT working deeply and gently within (him/her) (Eph 3:20). Grant ____ an abundant supply of riches in CHRIST JESUS (Phil 4:19).

The Overwhelming Scourge – Isaiah 28

FATHER, You cast down and trod underfoot the proud—the rich—anyone who thinks they can handle life themselves (Isa 28:1,3,4). When ____ approaches (his/her) situation with only (his/her) resources, standing alone and independent, (he/she) moves (himself/herself) further away from You. (His/Her) attitude toward You becomes harsh and cold—more harsh and more cold the longer (he/she) remains independent (ref#56, p988, [Isa 28:13]).

If ____ continues (his/her) independency and convinces (himself/herself) that any future destruction to (himself/herself) will not come to (him/her), please, FATHER, grace (him/her) with Your discipline (Isa 28:15). Mercy (him/her) with it; beat (him/her) down (Isa 28:18).

Make ____’s bed too short—(his/her) blanket too narrow to wrap (himself/herself) in (Isa 28:20). Your overwhelming destruction, FATHER, will seem strange. It is not what (he/she) expects of You (Isa 28:21). But, if (he/she) dare scoff, You will strengthen (his/her) bonds of suffering (Isa 28:22). FATHER, I plead, make (him/her) understand the overwhelming scourge of destruction is meant to draw (him/her) back to You.

And, I praise You that You do not continue forever Your discipline to Your children:

“Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? does he continually open and harrow his ground? When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows…”
(Isa 28:24-25 ESV).

You will not plow ____ ceaselessly (Isa 28:28). In Your anger, You remember mercy (Hab 3:2) so (he/she) may again sprout to display beautiful fruit. If ____’s independency drives (him/her) to experience Your overwhelming scourge, FATHER, I pray it break (his/her) harshness and coldness toward You.

Flesh Too Busy

FATHER, Richard Lovelace has labeled the world as our “corporate flesh” (ref#108, p86). The world’s a busy place—people actively doing what seems best in their own eyes—displeasing You, FATHER, whether they are displaying open rebellion toward You or simply ignoring You.

My “private flesh” is busy, too—busy ignoring You to the point of exhaustion. In attempting to please You my flesh can never work hard enough. The laws the Pharisees created for Sabbath observance is a good example of flesh too busy.

“…the Pharisees…hedged it (the Sabbath) with repressive regulations so as to avoid the possibility of breaking the Sabbath” (ref#56, p1464, [Luke 6:1]).

Paul accuses the Galatians of observing days, months, season and years all in an effort to train the flesh to please You (Gal 4:10).

When I find myself exhausted it is because I overextend myself— trying to perform beyond my capacity (ref# 101, p122). “Permit me not to labour at work which thou wilt not bless…” (ref#76, p134). Motivate me to obey Your voice, not my flesh. Motivate me to obey what I hear from You today—only today. You do not strap heavy burdens on my back—You do not require the hectic pace the world requires.

Refuting Strongholds in My Mind

“…the weapons of our warfare are not physical…but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,…we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God;…” (2 Cor 10:4-5 AMP)

FATHER, I desire to sit before You for the purpose of identifying my strongholds. A stronghold is a fortified place. In my mind I keep certain thoughts at the ready to be quickly acted upon because I can trust them to get me through life.

These thoughts, turned to action, have worked for me. They have kept me independent. That’s why I consider them a stronghold and keep them fortified. More than anything I don’t want to abandon them for other thoughts that might not work.

But, FATHER, I know that these stronghold thoughts set themselves against the true knowledge of You for they are my thoughts, doing life my way, not Your way. I do desire You transform me inwardly by a complete change of my mind (Rom 12:2) so I can take everyone of these stronghold thoughts and make them a prisoner capturing them and bringing them into obedience to CHRIST (2 Cor 10:5). By faith I know that I can do this with Your help. My part in this process is to be willing to give strongholds up.

Stronghold thoughts that float into my mind when I’m idle, like prideful ones that serve to build up my ego, I can refute by willfully thinking of something else. So, FATHER, I ask You to call to my attention these stronghold thoughts so I can destroy them by neglect.

Thoughts though, put into actions that get me through frightening phobias, I’m not so willing to give up. But, by obtaining Your strength through faith I can also eliminate these self-preserving, strongholds. You give me the ability to do it when I willfully turn the thoughts toward You, for when my attention is on You I cannot initiate my self-preserving defenses. For it is impossible for two opposing thoughts to exist together.

FATHER, I desire to think upon You. You are true, worthy of reverence, honorable and just. You are pure, lovely and lovable, kind and gracious. You are excellent and worthy of praise ( Phil 4:8). With thoughts on You I lose the desire to think about my self-preservation and comfort at all. Strongholds vanish!

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God:

The quickening of conscience by His holiness
The nourishment of mind with His truth
The purifying of imagination by His beauty

The opening of the heart to His love
The surrender of the will to His purpose” (ref#79, p156).

GOD is Love

FATHER, You are not loving;
but, You ARE love—all love.
Love is not one of Your attributes;
it is Your very essence (ref#83, p12).

But, You “thought” me into being.

In the rapture of Your own heart,

and so, here I am—

created in Your image (ref#83, p13).

I feel You to be near me

“amid the mysteries of providence, grace…

‘a Face like my face,’

and ‘a Hand like this hand,’” (ref#83, p12).

My heart thrills flying to Your throne room

to tell of Your love all day long (Ph 26:6-8).

I am content to praise You forever.

For You are love—ALL love.

The Love Between the FATHER And the SON

FATHER, before the foundations of the earth, You chose creatures to make Your own and wrote their names in Your book (Eph 1:4) (Rev 17:8). And throughout time You have been drawing them to Your Son for salvation (John 6:37).

We belonged to You first, then You gave us to JESUS (John 17:9). And then JESUS gave us back to You:

“Now…they know and understand that all You (FATHER) have given Me (JESUS) belongs to You [is really and truly Yours]” (John 17:7 AMP).

“Jesus…promised to work for us in such a way that the very love that the Father has for the Son would be the experience of our own hearts….The love the Father has for the Son is nothing but infinitely joyful admiration and fellowship….” (ref#94, p38-39).

FATHER, because I’m steeped in sin, my old nature, that cannot be regenerated, feels Your wrath and therefore thinks that You hate me and concludes JESUS came to save me from You. But You, Yourself love me (John 16:27). I am precious in Your eyes and honored and You love me (Isa 43:4). You demonstrate Your own love toward me by the coming of JESUS (Rom 5:8).

FATHER, You love me even as You love JESUS (John 17:23). I’m thrilled that the love You have bestowed upon JESUS, can be in me (John 17:26).

Prayer Facts:

“What do I lose when I have a praying life? Control. Independence. What do I gain? Friendship with God. A quiet heart. The living work of God in the hearts of those I love. The ability to roll back the tide of evil. Essentially, I lose my kingdom and get his. I move from being an independent player to a dependent lover. I move from being an orphan to a child of God” (ref#62, p125-126).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You keep guard over knowledge, and overthrow the words of the treacherous (Prov 22:12), I will wait for You.
Because all Your decrees and precepts are sure (fixed, established, and trustworthy) (Ps 111:7), I will wait for You.

Because Your works stand fast and are established forever and ever (Ps 111:8), I will wait for You.

GOD’s Word Is Nature-changing

FATHER, I thank You for Your Scriptures. And I thank You for providing the SPIRIT who guides me as I read.

I can easily fall back into reading with the mind of my flesh, using my natural “sense and reasons without the Holy Spirit…” (Rom 8:6 AMP). But by reading this way I’m only looking for information to help me. Without the SPIRIT to help, Your Word is external. It does not change me inside. It only gives me advice to act independently of You.

“God’s word,…is still living; it is instinct with energy; it is keener than any two-edged sword: that can but pierce flesh, but this finds its way to the dividing line between the animal life and the immortal spirit: it pierces the deepest recesses of our nature; it analyses the very emotions and purposes of the inmost heart” (ref#38, p229, [Heb 4:12]).

I praise You that Your Word “is a sifter of the reflections and conceptions of the heart” (ref#37, p519, [Heb 4:12]). Its energy seeks to get into and stay with me. It has the ability to stir me and work in me to a degree
that I can’t get away from it (ref#28, p83).

All thanks to You, FATHER, that Your Scriptures are able to instruct, reproof, and train me in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). Thank You that Your Word will never pass away (Matt 24:35). The HOLY SPIRIT brings life to me through the Word which grants life to me both now and forever (Rom 8:6). Thank You. AMEN!