Jesus Listens January 31

King of kings,
You are my Lord! I delight in relating to you as my Friend and the Lover of my soul. Yet I realize that you are also Lord of lords and King of kings sovereign over all. I can make some plans as I gaze into the day that stretches out before me, but I need to hold my plans tentatively- anticipating that You may have other ideas. The most important thing to determine is what You want me to do now.

Often waste time scanning the horizon of my lite, searching for things that have to be done sometime. Help me instead to concentrate on the task that is before me and on You- the One who never leaves my side. As I let everything else fade into the background, my mind becomes uncluttered- making room for You to occupy more and more of my thinking.

When I finish what I’m working on right now, I can ask You to show me what to do next. You guide me step by step as I walk along the path of Peace in trusting dependence on You. Thank You, Lord, for giving me strength and blessing me with Peace.
In Your exalted Name, Jesus, Amen.

“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and
King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. ”
Revelation 17:14

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”
Proverbs 19:21

“to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:79

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”
Psalm 29:11

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 30

Mighty Jesus,
All things are possible with You! These powerful words from Scripture light up my mind and encourage my heart. You are training me to live by faith, not by sight. So I refuse to be intimidated by the way things look at this moment.
I’m thankful for the sense of sight, a spectacular gift from You. But it’s easy for me to be so mesmerized by the visual stimulation around me that You fade into the background of my mind. Help me instead to focus primarily on You trusting in Your promises and trying to see things from Your perspective.

Teach me how to grow closer to lou, Lord Jesus. I delight in knowing You as my Savior and Friend, but I want to relate to You also as Almighty God. When You lived as a Man in this world, Your miraculous signs revealed Your Glory. I know that You continue to do miracles according to Your will and pur-poses. Please train me to align my will with Yours and to watch in hope for You to work.
In Your powertul Name, Amen.

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.””
Mark 10:27

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
John 2:11

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
Micah 7:7

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 29

Precious Savior,
I come to You, needing to find rest in Your Presence. I’m sure this day will bring difficulties, and I’ve been trying to think my way through the trials I will face. Less when I focus on anticipating what’s ahead of me, I lose sight of the fact that You are with me wherever I go-You will never leave me.

I confess that I’m much too prone to rehearse my troubles over and over in my mind. This causes me to experience painful problems many times. But I know I’m supposed to endure them only once–when they actually occur. Please help me to stop multiplying my suffering in this way. Instead of focusing on problems, I choose to come to You and relax in Your loving Presence. Lord, I ask You to strengthen me and prepare me for this day transforming my tear into confident trust!
In Your trustworthy Name, Jesus, Amen.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”
Matthew 11:28-30

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:5, 9

“For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling.”
Isaiah 30:15

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 28

Compassionate Jesus,
Help me remember how safe and secure I am in You. The Bible assures me that Your Presence with me is a fact-totally independent of my teelings. Because Your death on the cross covers all my sins, I know I am on my way to heaven. Nothing can prevent me from reaching that glorious destination! There I will see You face to Face, and my Joy will be off the charts!

I’m thankful that even in this world I am never separated from You. For now, though, I must be content with seeing You through eyes of faith. I delight in Your promise to walk with me till the end of time and onward into eternity.
Though Your continual Presence is guaranteed, simply knowing this truth doesn’t automatically change my emotions.

When I forget to focus on You, I’m vulnerable to tear, anxiety, loneliness, and other unwanted feelings. Yet I’ve found that awareness of Your Presence with me can dispel those painful feelings and replace them with Your Peace. Please train me in the discipline of walking attentively with You through each day.
In Your calming Name, Amen.

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out
of the Father’s hand.”
John 10:28-29

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
2 Corinthians 5:1

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”
Psalm 29:11

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 27

Generous God,
You are a God of both intricate detail and overflowing abundance. When I entrust the details of my life to You, I’m often surprised by how thoroughly You answer my petitions.
The biblical instruction to pray continually helps me feel free to bring You all my requests. And I’ve found that the more I pray-with a hopeful, watchful attitude -the more answers I receive. Best of all, my faith is strengthened as I see how precisely You respond to my specific prayers. I rejoice that You are infinite in all Your ways! Because abundance is at the very heart of who You are, I don’t need to fear that You will run out of resources. I can come to You in joyful expectation of receiving all I need- and sometimes much more.

I’m so grateful for the bountiful blessings You shower on me.
Even the hardships in my life can be viewed as Your blessings-they train me in perseverance, transtorming me and preparing me for heaven. So, I come to You with open hands and heart, ready to receive all that You have for me.
In Your great Name, Jesus, Amen.

“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow
of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the
river of your delights.”
Psalm 36:7-8

“I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.”
Psalm 132:15

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 26

O Lord,
You keep my lamp burning; You turn my darkness into Light.
Sometimes, when I am weary and burdened, I feel as if my lamp is about to go out. It’s flickering and sputtering-on the verge of running out of fuel. Whenever this happens, I need to cry out to You and draw near to You. As I rest in Your Presence, You remind me that You are the One who provides fuel for my lamp.

You are my Strength!

You are also my Light. As I keep turning toward You, the Glory of Your Presence shines on me. Your radiant beauty brightens my life and changes my perspective. When I turn away from Your brightness and look toward the darkness of the world, it’s easy for me to get discouraged. Yet even though there’s so much trouble in this broken world, I can always rejoice in You, Lord. You are the Light that shines on in the darkness. So I don’t need to be afraid, no matter how bleak things may look.
Rather than focusing on trouble, I want to trust You whole-heartedly. Help me to wait expectantly for You to transform my darkness into Light.
In Your bright, blessed Name, Jesus, Amen.

“For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.”
Psalm 18:28-29

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

“I love you, O LORD, my strength.”
Psalm 18:1

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 25

Glorious Jesus,
I want to follow You wherever You lead. Help me to chase after You wholeheartedly, with glad anticipation quickening my pace. Though I don’t know what lies ahead, You know-and that is enough! I believe that some of Your richest blessings are just around the bend: out of sight, but nonetheless very real.

To receive these precious gifts, I need to walk by faith, not by sight. I know this doesn’t mean closing my eyes to what is all around me. It means subordinating the visible world to You, the invisible Shepherd of my soul.

Sometimes You lead me up a high mountain with only Your hand to support me. The higher I climb, the more spectacular the view becomes and the more keenly I sense my separation from the world with all its problems. This frees me to experience more fully the joyous reality of Your brilliant Presence.

How I delight in spending these Glory-moments with You!
Eventually, You lead me down the mountain, back into community with other people. May the Light of Your Presence continue to shine on me and make me a blessing to others.
In Your majestic Name, Amen.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7

“Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”
Psalm 96:6

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.”
Psalm 36:9

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 24

My Savior-King,
Thank You for Your precious robe of righteousness that covers me from head to toe. The price You paid for this glorious garment was astronomical- Your own sacred blood. I realize I could never have purchased this royal robe, no matter how hard I worked. So I’m extremely grateful that Your righteousness is a free gift! If I forget this amazing truth, I feel ill at ease in my regal robe. Sometimes I even squirm under the velvety fabric as if it were made of scratchy sackcloth.

Lord, I long to trust You enough to remember my privileged position in Your kingdom and to relax in the luxuriant folds of my magnificent robe. I need to keep my eyes on You as I practice walking in this garment of salvation.

When my behavior is unfitting for a child of the King, it’s tempting to try to throw off my royal robe. Help me instead to throw off the unrighteous behavior! Then I’ll be able to feel at ease in this garment of grace, enjoying the gift You fashioned for me before the creation of the world. In Your regal Name, Jesus, Amen.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her
jewels.”
Isaiah 61:10

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21

“To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through
deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self,
created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22-24

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 23

My living Savior,
Your Word shows me that it’s possible for Your followers to be joyful and afraid at the same time. When an angel told the women who came to Your tomb that You had risen from the dead, they were afraid yet filled with Joy. So I don’t have to let fear keep me from experiencing the Joy of Your Presence. This pleasure is not a luxury reserved for times when my problems-and the crises in the world- seem under control. Your loving Presence is mine to enjoy today, tomorrow, and forever!

Lord, help me not to give in to joyless living by letting worries about the present or the future weigh me down. Instead, I need to remember that neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from Your Love.

I’m thankful that I can talk freely with You about my fears, expressing my thoughts and feelings candidly. As I relax in Your Presence and entrust all my concerns to You, please bless me with Your Joy-which no one can take away from me.
In Your delightful Name, Jesus, Amen.

“So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”
Matthew 28:8

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39

“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
John 16:22

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens January 22

Sovereign God,
I want to live in Your Presence more consistently -open to You and Your will for me. But when something interferes with my plans or desires, I tend to resent the interference. Instead of pushing down those resentful feelings, I need to increase my awareness of them- -letting them come all the way up to the surface. As I bring my negative feelings into the Light of Your Presence, You’re able to set me free from them.

The ultimate solution to my rebellious tendencies is submission to Your authority over me. Intellectually, I rejoice in Your sovereignty. Without it, the world would be a terrifying place. Yet when Your sovereign will encroaches on my little domain of control, I often react with telltale resentment.
Your Word teaches that the best response to losses or thwarted hopes is praise: The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Help me remember that all good things are gifts from You. Please train me to respond to my blessings with gratitude rather than feeling entitled to them. And prepare me to let go of anything You take from me-without letting go of Your hand!
In Your praiseworthy Name, Jesus, Amen.

“And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Psalm 139:24

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may
exalt you.”
1 Peter 5: 6

“And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.””
Job 1:21

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young