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God, Grant Me
COURAGE Class
of 2015
Devotional Prayers for Graduates Tina Krause
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Contents
SECTION 1 : Courage to Make Wise Choices . . . . . . . . . . . 9 SECTION 2 : Courage to Stand Strong in My Faith . . . . . . 19 SECTION 3 : Courage to Face My Fears. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 SECTION 4 : Courage to Speak the Truth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 SECTION 5 : Courage to Be a Godly Example. . . . . . . . . . 49 SECTION 6 : Courage to Commit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 SECTION 7 : Courage to Forgive and Receive Forgiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
SECTION 8 : Courage to Obey God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 SECTION 9 : Courage to Wait on the Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 SECTION 10 : Courage to Set Priorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 SECTION 11 : Courage to Overcome Temptation . . . . . . 109 SECTION 12 : Courage to Strive for Excellence . . . . . . . . . 119 SECTION 13 : Courage to Choose My Friends Wisely. . . . 129 SECTION 14 : Courage to Build a Solid Reputation. . . . . . 139 SECTION 15 : Courage to Lead and Be Led. . . . . . . . . . . . 149 SECTION 16 : Courage to Face Adversity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
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INTRODUCTION
What’s next for me? Will I achieve my goals? What challenges await me? Every graduate asks or ponders these same questions. Elation mixes with apprehension as you consider your future. The world is filled with possibility and promise, but venturing beyond your comfort zone is difficult, even scary at first. Facing the future takes courage! However, you don’t have to travel life’s journey alone. While graduation is a time for celebration, it’s also a time of contemplation and prayer. God desires for you to depend on Him going forward. When you do, He will empower you with the courage and faith you need, just when you need it. This book is designed to help you along life’s pathway with effective prayers of courage and commitment. Pray and place your trust in the Lord, graduate. After all, you may not know what the future holds, but rest assured that God holds your future.
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Section 1 COURAGE TO MAKE WISE CHOICES
FREE TO CHOOSE Choose good instead of evil! See that justice is done. Amos 5:15 cev
Lord, seemingly overnight I’m inundated with choices about my future. What’s the best career choice? Should I enter the military? What about my academic pursuits? What do I want to achieve spiritually, emotionally, financially, and physically? I know I’ve had choices all along, but life is different now. Graduating from school means that I have graduated into a whole new arena of life. Lord, thank You for giving me the freedom to choose. I choose righteousness over unrighteousness; goodness, mercy, and purity over evil thoughts and actions. I want to embrace whatever it is You have for my life. I choose to follow You and Your Word. Please help me make the right choices, in the months and years ahead, based on the plan You designed for me. Amen. 9
STUMPED In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6 kjv
Lord, sometimes I feel as if I’m right in sync with what I’m supposed to do and where I’m supposed to go. Other times, I’m stumped—lost in doubts and frustration. Provide me with a clear head and a wise heart to discern Your will. Remove the cobweb of emotions that clouds my thinking and often drowns out Your still, small voice. Please provide insight as I move forward into this new and exciting, yet uncertain, phase of life. Although I’m uncertain of what’s ahead, I know that as I seek You and Your will, I’m headed in the right direction. Remind me to take all things to You in prayer, confident that as I seek You, You will give me direction. Amen.
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GUIDE ME, LORD You guide me with your counsel. Psalm 73:24 niv
I’m about to start a new chapter in my life and I’m unsure of what lies ahead, Father. Although I have an idea, I won’t know until I arrive. I have so many decisions to make— too many choices at times. I never thought that I would admit that! Although I receive a lot of advice from family and friends, I need Your counsel most of all. You, Lord, know what’s best for me. Please give me the guidance and direction I need in the upcoming days, weeks, and years. Point me in the right direction, and place a check on my spirit whenever I step apart from what You would have me do or say. Surround me with godly influences that will deepen and maximize, not minimize, my relationship with You. I seek Your guidance now more than ever. When I wonder what I should do, remind me to never look around for advice, but to look up. Amen.
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I CHOOSE YOU Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. . . . If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful. On the other hand, you might choose to disobey the Lord and reject him. Deuteronomy 30:15–18 cev
Heavenly Father, the scriptures state that to choose life is to choose Christ and live successfully. You have given me a choice, and I choose to follow You, Lord. Remind me of this scripture in times of temptation, weakness, and doubt. Give me the courage to choose life in a world that accepts sinful living as the norm. I want to succeed in everything I do, but I know that it is only possible with Your abiding presence and guidance. When I fall, lift me up, Father; when I doubt, encourage me through Your Word; when I fail, forgive me. As I move forward in a new direction, help me to choose life in everything I do and say. Guide my ways and words, Lord. You have given me a choice, and I choose You! Amen.
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FIRST PRIORITY But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. Matthew 6:33 amp
Each day presents new challenges and opportunities, God. I’m excited about the possibilities ahead, yet overwhelmed at the same time. The decisions I make today will affect my life tomorrow, so I ask for Your divine intervention and active participation in my life. I want to place You first and foremost, before everything and everyone else. I desire for You to take highest priority. Father, may every decision I make be based on my one decision to follow You. Where I work, attend college, the decisions I make, and with whom I spend time are all secondary to my relationship with Christ. May all those decisions derive their source from You. Remind me to seek You daily above anything else I do. Amen.
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KEEP ME TEACHABLE Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. Proverbs 9:9 nasb
Lord, I realize that I have a lot to learn. As I move into the next phase of my life, I ask for the Holy Spirit to lead and teach me more of Your ways. It seems that I’m always learning. . .sometimes too much! Just when I think that I’ve mastered enough, the scriptures remind me that learning continues for a lifetime. Help me to make solid, wise, well-thought-out decisions absent of foolishness or foolhardiness. I know I’m bound to mess up and make mistakes, but that is a part of learning, too, isn’t it, Lord? Help me to take my blunders to You and learn from those mistakes. Instruct me daily as I venture into uncharted territory. If and when I should boast or think I know it all, return me to a place of humility. Father, teach me to be teachable. Amen.
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I NEED WISDOM If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. James 1:5 amp
How do I know I’m making the right decisions, Lord? Sometimes I question whether or not my decision is the right one; I waver back and forth in a desperate attempt to choose correctly. Yet You have assured me that whoever seeks wisdom will receive it. The scriptures assure me that the Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth. I depend on that now and in the days ahead. Thank You for dispensing Your wisdom freely; as freely as You give Your love. Both are gifts that I don’t deserve, yet You are eager to impart wisdom whenever I ask. Father, Your Word says that the Spirit will guide me into all truth. As I step out in a new direction, guide me and provide me with the wisdom I need exactly when I need it. Amen
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STRENGTH TO MAKE RIGHT CHOICES “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” Joshua 24:15 niv
Father, when the world tugs at me from every direction, give me the power to make the right choices. Whenever I am placed in positions of compromise, help me to stand strong in my faith. I know that learning to make right choices begins with choosing You as my Lord and Savior, but there are so many other decisions I must make daily. I know that I’ll miss the mark at times because I’m human; but assist me to hear Your voice above all others. Help me to silence my personal preconceived ideas or the bellowing voices of those around me. I know that even the advice of wellintentioned friends and family members can lead me astray. Help me to say no to sin and yes to You. I pray that the choices I make will please You, Lord. Lead me in any and all decision-making processes, and bless my efforts with Your grace. Amen.
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SOUND ADVICE Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left. Deuteronomy 17:11 niv
Dear Lord, throughout my lifetime I’ve received advice from a lot of people: my parents, teachers, my pastor, and family members. Now I must begin to make decisions for myself. That is liberating and frightening at the same time. Help me to adhere to the godly counsel I’ve received as I move forward in my life, education, and career. Remind me of those teachings whenever I need a hand up from a difficult situation or when I need encouragement during hard times. I trust You to help me remember and implement the sound advice and godly wisdom others have given me in recent years. Thank You for those people, and for giving me the assurance that I have the ability to make the right decision because of Your indwelling Spirit. Amen.
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WISE CHOICES I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Psalm 16:7–8 esv
Heavenly Father, what should I do? Where should I go from here? What lies ahead of me? These are all questions that bombard my thoughts. Sometimes I can’t wait for what comes next; other times, I cling to the security of what is familiar to me right now. The choices I make now will make a difference long term. Give me wisdom to make decisions that will bless, not curse, my life. Help me to seek counsel from mature Christians, yet not depend on them apart from You. Often the voices of the world and of others derail me from Your leading. Forgive me for those times when I’ve listened to others in place of You. Provide me with the discernment I need to make wise decisions, as I cautiously bathe each one in prayer. Amen.
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Section 2 COURAGE TO STAND STRONG IN MY FAITH
SHINE THROUGH ME “I [Jesus] have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46 nlt
Father, I want to fit in. Sometimes my desire to do so causes my faith to weaken. I know that it takes courage to stand strong amid darkness. When I go to church it is easy to live for You; but I don’t live in church, I live in the world around me. I need Your help and strength to stand up for Christ in my daily life. Jesus, You came to bring light into the darkness. Wherever You went, You cast a light into the lives of those You encountered. Please cause that same light to shine through me. Give me the courage to stand strong in my faith even if everyone else chooses darkness. I trust You, Lord. Your Word tells me that I am Your child, a beacon of God’s eternal glory. I embrace You with my whole heart and choose to allow Your light to shine through me. Amen.
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WALK WITH ME “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Mark 5:36 nlt
Father, I don’t know what the future holds, but You do. Help me to cleave to Your Word and ways as I move forward in this world. Keep my heart in check as I go through the many transitions and changes I’m about to make. Lord, I know I have nothing to fear because I’m not walking alone. When I’m tempted to do wrong, empower me to make the right choices; when I’m overwhelmed with decisions, give me wisdom; when I’m confused and lack faith, strengthen me through the Holy Spirit and Your Holy Word. Help me to surrender to You unafraid and stand strong against my fears and apprehensions. Thank You, Lord; my trust is in You so I have nothing to fear. Amen.
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I NEED ASSURANCE That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9 kjv
Lord, thank You for salvation through Christ. Whenever I waver in my faith and question if I truly belong to You, remind me that salvation comes through faith, not good works. I know that my faith isn’t based on feelings or emotions, but on the Word of God. In times of doubt, give me Your inner peace and assurance to know that You love me and that I belong to You. Remind me of Your promises and how salvation is a gift—not something that I must earn on my own. Father, sometimes I question Your love. Forgive me for doubting You or my faith. Whenever I question Your forgiveness or love, help me to remember the scriptures and Your unchanged promises. I am worthy because I am forgiven and You have washed me clean, not because of what I do or don’t do. Whenever my thinking becomes clouded, remind me of that, Lord. Amen.
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CONFIDENT FAITH Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 nlt
Faith believes first; then it sees. Strengthen my faith, Lord. Turn my doubts into dreams. Give me confident faith to believe what I don’t see right now—to trust even when heaven seems silent. I am leery about a lot of things, but I am confident in Your Word. It assures me that You have given every believer equal amounts of faith, or a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). I realize that how I use the faith You provide lies in my court. Seemingly overnight, so many things are up to me now; but growing in Christ is more important than anything else. I choose to trust You, Lord, no matter what. Help my faith to grow as I turn to You for direction and strength. Thank You for helping me see beyond the natural realm to perceive the spiritual blessings You have in store for me just ahead. Amen.
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FIRM FAITH Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 nlt
Lord, at times I feel my faith slip like a bar of soap through a fisted hand. I struggle to get a firm grip, only to lose control. You, God, never lose control so help me to surrender my grip to You as I cleave tightly to Your hand. Every situation presents opportunities for faith. Remind me to be on guard and take advantage of those occasions so that I don’t allow the enemy to gain a stronghold in my life. Empower me to stand firm, courageous, and strong as I grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Equip me to face each trial with patience and wisdom as I venture out into this world. As I mature in age, help me to also gain spiritual maturity to obtain a firm faith grounded on Your Word. Amen.
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FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.” Mark 11:22–23 nasb
Move mountains? Sometimes I struggle just to scale tiny molehills! At those times, I wonder if I’ll ever be successful or become the person You intended. Yet according to this verse You empowered me with mountain-moving faith. So why is it so hard to believe sometimes? I pray the same prayers repeatedly without apparent answers. Yet I still must believe. Forgive my unbelief, Father, and instill in me the gift of faith to believe for the unreachable or impossible. Help me to remember that with You, I can move the mountains of fear, unbelief, intimidation, insecurity, and sin. As I seek You, I ask that You bless each step I take with the kind of faith that actually does move mountains. Amen.
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I SEEK YOUR WISDOM Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5 nkjv
Heavenly Father, I’m learning that Your wisdom differs greatly from mine. What makes sense to me most of the time is foolishness to You (1 Corinthians 1:27). Just when I think I have a handle on some truth You prove me wrong. So I humble myself before You, Lord, and submit to Your supreme authority. I’m learning and I desire for You to continue to teach me. Help me to see the world through Your eyes of wisdom and truth. Establish me and help me to grow spiritually and emotionally. Your power and wisdom are higher than the wisest person could ever comprehend or the most powerful person could exceed in strength. Help me to depend on Your wisdom, not my own. Amen.
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