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•A Prayer for New Mercies This Morning•By Anthony Valente👉 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)Every day I need them.More than I need food, water, church, or to hang out with friends, I need the Lord’s mercies.Here is the truth: I often miss the mark. I get hung up on words, behave in ways that are displeasing, and do not always love others the way I should. The funny thing is, from the outside looking in, I qualify as a “good Christian.” Going to church weekly, reading my Bible, and seeking to be kind to those I meet, I desire to do what is right. Yet, in those secret moments, like many others, I struggle with fear, shame, and a host of qualities that don’t reflect my Father in heaven.Like all who have come before me and will come after me, I struggle with sin and need daily repentance. Yet, the Lord chooses to love me past my disqualifications and mistakes. So much so, that every morning He extends his mercy to me and it's His good pleasure to do so.Yet, you and I aren’t the first to feel like we don’t quite measure up. The Apostle Paul found himself in a struggle between right and wrong. In Romans 7:15, he says, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Yes, even the person responsible for writing half of the New Testament was in desperate need of a forgiving God! He was transparent about his shortcomings and knew it was by Christ alone that he could ever overcome them.We serve a holy and perfect God. The truth is, He has every right to turn His eyes away from us. However, His love is steadfast, immovable, and never changing towards us. As described in Romans 8:39, no height, depth, or circumstance could ever separate us from this unending love.It's out of His unconditional love that He can say, “I offer you another chance.” Every single day, He does so. We simply can’t outrun His love and the accompanying mercy. Our job is to receive them.Unfortunately, many of us struggle to receive God’s mercies. We become stuck between our spiritual desire to do what’s right and our fleshly desire to satisfy ourselves. We convince ourselves that our struggles with sin disqualify us from God’s love.The shame of our situation (past or current) leaves us defeated and unable to genuinely enjoy the benefits of being a child of God. All the while, the Lord wants to remind us that He died for us before we ever dishonored God.God’s mercy and love were never affected by the depravity of the sinner; it was always backed by the truth of His Word. Truly, the one He has set free from sin, shame, and guilt, is free INDEED! His mercy is anew for you, if you choose to receive it.Let’s pray for that mercy today.🙏 Lord, I thank You for Your steadfast love, for Your mercy toward us that is renewed for us each morning, no matter the sins of yesterday. Thank You for choosing to love me more than I could ever love myself. I praise You for Your goodness and faithfulness towards me. Even when I don’t deserve it, You show Your kindness towards me relentlessly.Lord, forgive me for yesterday’s sins and shortcomings. I grieve over anything I have done that makes a mockery of Your merciful love. I give myself completely over to You. Lord, I ask that You show me when I’m operating out of shame and guilt. I ask that You forgive me for the times I’ve rejected Your mercy towards me and have chosen to walk in shame. I receive Your new mercies over my life right now.Thank You, God, that I can walk forward today confident in Your love for me. I am free from the bondage and stain of sin! Thank You for Your steadfast love that never ceases and for Your mercies that never come to an end.In Jesus’ Name, AMEN 🙏 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.(Psalm 86:15)Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!(Micah 7:18-19)For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.(Psalm 30:5)The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.(2 Peter 3:9)Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.(Colossians 3:12-13)If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.(Acts 3:19)Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.(Psalm 23:6)Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.(Hebrews 4:16)You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.(Psalm 86:5)Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(Luke 6:36-37)But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—(Ephesians 2:4-5)Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.(1 Peter 1:3)The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?(Psalm 118:6)Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!(Luke 15:4-7)(pic verse)Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.(1 Corinthians 15:54-57)Artist 👨‍🎨 I Am With You Always - David Delfeld