Jesus Listens February 28

Delightful Jesus,

Help me to walk in the Light of Your Presence- -acclaiming You, rejoicing in Your Name, and exulting in Your righteousness.

To acclaim You is to praise You in a strong and enthusiastic way, including shouts and applause. I rejoice in Your Name by delighting in all that You are my Savior and Shepherd, my Lord and my God, my Sovereign King, my Friend who loves me with unfailing Love.

I exult in Your righteousness by reveling in the wondrous truth that You gave this priceless, holy gift to me! Your perfect righteousness is already credited to my account even though I continue to battle sin in my life.

When I’m walking in Your glorious Light, Your blood cleanses me from all sin. As I seek to live near You, freely admitting I’m a sinner in need of forgiveness, Your radiant Presence purifies me. Moreover, this blessing of cleansing enables me to have fellowship with other believers.

Lord, I delight in walking in the Light with You enjoying Your bright, loving Presence.

In Your brilliant Name, Amen.

“Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭89‬:‭15‬-‭16‬

“Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭31‬:‭16‬

“the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭7

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 27

Lord Jesus,

You are my best Friend as well as my King. I want to walk hand in hand with You through my life. Please help me face whatever today brings-pleasures, hardships, adventures, disappointments-relying on You each step of the way. I know that nothing is wasted when it’s shared with You. You can bring a crown of beauty out of the ashes of lost dreams. You can glean Joy out of sorrow, Peace out of adversity. Only a Friend who is also the King of kings could accomplish this marvelous meta-morphosis. There is no other like You, Lord!

The friendship You offer me is practical and down-to-earth, yet it is saturated with heavenly Glory. Living in Your Presence involves living in two realms simultaneously the visible world and unseen, eternal reality. Thank You, Lord, for giving me the ability to stay conscious of You while walking along dusty, earthbound paths. As Your Word declares, I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

In Your awesome Name, Amen.

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬

“to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭3‬

“as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭14

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 26

Trustworthy Lord Jesus,

Please help me trust You enough to relax and enjoy Your Presence. I confess that I often live in a state of hypervigilance-feeling and acting as if I’m in the midst of an emergency. Your Word tells me that I am remarkably and wonderfully made. My body is carefully crafted to “gear up” when necessary and then “gear down” when the crisis is over. But because I live in a broken body and a broken world, I find it difficult to let down my guard and really relax.

I need to remember that You are continually with me and that You are worthy of all my confidence, all my trust. I can pour out my heart to You committing into Your sovereign care everything that’s troubling me.

Thank You for training me to trust in You with all my heart and mind. The more I lean on You in confident trust, the more fully I can enjoy Your Presence. As I relax in Your healing Light, You shine Peace into my mind and heart. While I spend time waiting with You, my awareness of Your Presence grows stronger and Your unfailing Love soaks into my inner being.

In Your holy, healing Name, Amen.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭14‬

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭62‬:‭8‬

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭52‬:‭8‬

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 25

My Savior-God,

Help me to rest deeply in You, forgetting about the worries of the world. May Your living Presence envelop me in Peace as I focus on You- Immanuel. I find comfort in Your eternal security, knowing that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Sometimes I live too much on the surface of life-focusing on ever-changing phenomena. If I consistently live this way, I eventually reach the point where I echo the sentiment of Solomon: “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

I’m learning that the way to instill meaning into my days is to live in collaboration with You. I need to begin each day alone with You so I can experience the reality of Your Presence. As I spend time focusing on You and Your Word, I ask You to open up the way before me step by step. When I arise from this peaceful time of communion and begin my journey through the day, I’m aware that You go with me. I hold on to Your hand in deliberate dependence on You – and You smooth out the path before me. Thank You, Jesus!

In Your strong, dependable Name, Jesus, Amen.

““Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬

“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 24

Beautiful Savior,

I long to comprehend the depth and breadth of Your Love that surpasses knowledge! I’ve seen that there’s an enormous difference between really knowing You and simply knowing about You. Instead of just knowing some facts about You, I want to enjoy the glorious experience of Your loving Presence. I realize that I need the help of Your Spirit strengthening me with Power in my inner being so I can grasp how wide and long and high and deep is Your Love for me.

You have been alive in my heart since the moment of my salvation. I’ve discovered that the more room I make for You in my inner being, the more You fill me with Your Love. You’ve been teaching me to expand this space in my heart by spending ample time with You and absorbing Your Word. I want to learn to stay in communication with You more and more-praying continually. These are joyful disciplines, and they keep me close to You.

Lord, I ask that Your Love may flow through me into the lives of other people. This makes Your Love in me complete.

In Your loving Name, Jesus, Amen.

“that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭19

“pray without ceasing,”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭17

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 23

My guiding God,

Help me to willingly follow Your lead- opening myself more fully to You and Your way for me. I don’t want to be so focused on getting my own way that I miss the things You have prepared for me. Instead, I choose to relax with You while You transform me by the renewing of my mind- -working Your newness into me. I need to be still in Your Presence, trusting You enough to let go of my expectations and demands.

Sometimes I obstruct the very things I desire by trying too hard to make them happen in my timing. Yet You know not only the desires of my heart but also the best way and time to reach those goals. So I’m learning to yield to Your will and timing. Rather than striving to be in control, I need to spend more time seeking Your Face-talking with You openly and resting in Your Presence. Once I’m feeling more refreshed, I can ask You to show me the way forward. I’m encouraged by Your words of promise: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you.”

In Your transforming Name, Jesus, Amen.

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 22

Dearest Jesus,

Thank You for leading me, step by step, through my life.

I ask You to guide me through this day as I hold Your hand in childlike dependence. My future looks uncertain and feels flimsy-_-even precarious. I know I need to walk by faith, not by sight, believing that You will open up the way before me.

Every time I affirm my trust in You, it’s as if I put a coin into Your faith-treasury. In this way, I prepare for days of trouble. I’m thankful that You keep safely in Your heart all the trust I invest in You -with interest compounded continuously. I’ve seen that the more I endeavor to trust You, the more You empower me to do so.

I need to practice trusting You during quiet days, when nothing much seems to be happening. Then, when storms come, my faith-balance will be sufficient to get me through those tough times. Please remind me to affirm my trust in You silently, in whispers, in shouts, in songs. This practice glorifies You and keeps me close to You, enjoying Your peaceful Presence.

In Your faithful Name, Amen.

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

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭56‬:‭3‬-‭4‬

“but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭20

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 21

Jesus, my Peace,

You are the Lord of Peace; You give Peace at all times and in every way. There is a deep, gaping hole within me that can be filled only by Your peaceful Presence. Before I knew You, I tried to fill that emptiness in many different ways or simply pretend it wasn’t there. Even now, I often fail to recognize the full extent of my need for Your Peace: at all times and in every situation. Moreover, You’ve been showing me that recognizing my neediness is only half the battle. The other half is to believe that You can–and will supply every need of mine.

Shortly before Your death, You promised Peace to Your disciples and to everyone who becomes Your follower. You made it clear that this is a gift, something You provide freely and lovingly. My part is just to receive this glorious gift admitting my longing for it as well as my need. Please help me to wait patiently and expectantly in Your Presence, eager to receive Your Peace in full measure. I can express my openness to this gift by lifting my hands and saying, “Jesus, I receive Your Peace.”

In Your comforting Name, Amen.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 20

My loving Lord,
Satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing Love, that I may sing for Joy and be glad all my days. I have sought satisfaction in a variety of ways, many of which were hurtful. I’ve discovered that even good things can fail to satisfy me if I elevate them above You. So, I come to You this morning with my emptiness and my longings. As I sit quietly in Your Presence, communing with You, I ask You to fill me up to the full with Your limitless Love. I delight in pondering how wide and long and high and deep is this vast ocean of blessing!

Finding my satisfaction in You above all else provides a firm foundation for my life. By building on this solid foundation, I can be joyful and confident as I go through my days. I know I will continue to encounter hardships because I live in such a terribly broken world. Yet I can count on You to guide me along my way as I cling to You in trusting dependence. Lord, You make my life meaningful and satisfying while I’m traveling toward my ultimate goal–the gates of Glory!
In Your glorious Name, Jesus, Amen.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. ”
Psalm 90:14

“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth.”
Ephesians 3:17-18

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13

“You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.”
Psalm 73:24

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young

Jesus Listens February 19

Redeeming Savior,

I rejoice in You- knowing that Your sacrifice on the cross absorbed all my guilt: past present, and future. There is no condemnation for those who belong to You!

My guilt-free status as Your child provides good reason to be joyful each day of my life. Ever since Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, the world has been under the bondage of sin. I’m so grateful that Your sacrificial death provided the solution to this terrible problem. The gospel really is the best news imaginable! You took my sin–You became sin for me and You gave me Your own perfect righteousness.

Please help me learn to fully enjoy my guilt-free status in Your kingdom. Through You, the law of the Spirit of life has set me free. I realize this is not an invitation to dive into a careless, sinful lifestyle. Instead, You enable me to live thankfully- celebrating the amazing privilege of belonging to You forever! It’s such a wondrous blessing to know who I really am: a beloved child of God. This is my true identity, and it makes every moment of my life meaningful.

In Your precious Name, Jesus, Amen.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬

“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

“He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”
‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭12‬

Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young