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•A Prayer to Follow God•By Anthony Valente👉 “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” (Psalm 37:5-6)There have been times when I made a commitment to something I did not want to do. I scowled and grumbled and looked for a way to get out of it. But there was no way out without violating my principles, and I needed to follow through. It became an opportunity to grow. One of my favorite Scripture passages, Proverbs 3:5-6 echoes Psalm 37:5-6. Both passages refer to committing our way to the Lord and trusting him.There are times when this feels impossible because, whether I like to admit it or not, sometimes I want my way more than I want God’s way. For instance, my way is the comfortable way. I’m not going to choose the rocky path when the smooth path lies before me. But I’ve learned that when I say yes to God, he may lead me along paths that go through valleys and over mountains. It means comfort may be swapped for the adventure of trusting God for the next bend in the road, rocky or smooth.When I choose the easy way of my own understanding, I miss out on deepening my trust in God’s character. He leads by telling us when to go and when to stay. He strengthens us by encouraging us to take the next step and then the next. He comforts us while simultaneously compelling us onward despite the difficult terrain.Psalm 37 is a set of instructions about godly wisdom and shows the proper godly attitude toward the hardships Christ's followers may face. Life holds difficulties and blessings. Both the hardships and successes in life give us an opportunity to deepen our reliance on the Lord. He helps us through the hard times and guides us to keep our successes in the proper perspective. Within this passage, we discover two actions that lead us closer to knowing God’s heart.First, we can choose a wholehearted commitment to the Lord. It’s tempting to withhold pieces of ourselves from him. We may have regrets which keep us from a whole-life commitment. Or we may have habits or perspectives which we withhold from God because we know he’ll want to refine them, and we don’t want to. Yet, we’re instructed and encouraged time and again to commit our whole selves to the Lord. Our whole-hearted commitment leads us to know God’s heart for us because we learn how gentle and kind he is with us.A whole-hearted yes to God creates opportunities to grow our trust in him. To trust him means we place our life in his hands even when we cannot see the outcome. Taking a risk to surrender every bit of our heart, including the parts we keep secreted away, brings us closer to receiving from him the care and concern we desperately want.Second, we can trust him with our hurts, offenses, and unforgiveness. He is not going to respond with a hammer when we bring them into his light. Instead, he helps us sort through the rubble to repair the broken pieces. Commitment and trust go hand in hand. We commit the secrets of our hearts to him and trust him for the healing process. The results reveal Jesus Christ’s righteousness in us, and we shine for him. Our world is wandering in the dark, and we have the light of the Gospel of Jesus shining through us to point the way to him. We can commit our ways to him, trust his heart, and watch him work through us.Let’s pray.✝️ Holy God,Only You can make sense of a journey that takes us through deep ravines and over steep mountain paths. I want the easy way, but without difficulties, I don’t learn to trust You more and more. Forgive me for wanting my idea of comfort over growing in my relationship with You. I choose to trust You with my journey. I choose to commit my ways to You and believe that You will make Your righteousness shine through me so the world may know You. Draw others to You through the way I live my life. Let Your light shine as I commit my life to You and trust You.In Jesus’ name,AMEN 🙏 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.(John 14:15)And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”(Luke 10:27)The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.(John 10:10)But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.(John 14:26)“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.(Matthew 5:38-39)Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.(Hebrews 13:8)Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?(1 Corinthians 3:16)Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.(Matthew 5:19)And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”(Acts 2:38-39)And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.(Romans 8:28)For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.(Jeremiah 29:11)Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.(Proverbs 25:26)Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.(Matthew 4:19-20)The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.(Psalm 28:7)Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.(1 Corinthians 11:1)Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6)(pic verse)Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,(Colossians 2:6)