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•A Prayer to Delight Yourself in the Lord•By Anthony Valente👉 "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Proverbs 37:4)I have to be honest. There are many things that bring me delight. The sound of a baby’s laugh. The gritty feeling of sand under my feet at a bright blue beach. A warm hug from one of my children. The words, “I love you Dad," as they flow from the lips of my children.The smell of fresh brownies, the sound of my favorite worship band, and seeing long-lost friends can create moments of intense joy. The truth is, I have mastered the art of finding happiness in everyday external pleasures. Yet, when I first read the words “Delight yourself in the Lord,” I was met with unexpected questions. What does it mean to find delight or extreme excitement as it concerns the Lord? If I can be honest, for many years, how I viewed the Lord at any given moment was based on my external circumstances. When things were going well, I was thrilled to brag about Him and tell others about His goodness. Yet, when things were more difficult and my expectations weren’t met, I wondered where the Lord was in this situation. Did He not see my peril or care about my struggles? In these moments, when I lost loved ones, when sickness struck my home, when friends were no longer friends, year after year, I made the choice to no longer delight.After years of choosing to have joy in the Lord, only when He was following my lead the Lord brought conviction. My ways were like a child who loved a parent only when it was convenient. As a single father this broke my heart as I realized the error of being a Christian who used God for his blessings but rejected Him when corrections or even trials arose. This is not delighting in the Lord. Today, my prayer for you is that you find your joy in the Lord. No matter what the situation looks like around you, you make the choice to run to Him. I have found over, and over that when we choose to love the Lord not for what He can do or is doing in our lives but for the essence of who He is, we can’t help but delight in Him. For, He is the one who gave us breath in our bodies. He is the one who knows our thoughts and who has a plan for our lives. He is the one who died for us that we may have eternal life. The Lord is a constant, our comfort, and though He is majestic enough to put the stars in the sky, He calls us friends. This, my friend should bring us unspeakable joy. May we delight in you all the days of our lives, in Jesus' name!Let’s pray.🙏 Lord, I thank You for who You are. I praise Your wonderful works. For You are the Creator of all, yet so intimately near. Forgive me for the times that I’ve made You an afterthought. Teach me to come to You with the humility and joy of a child. God, show me the times when I become more excited about worldly pleasures than following Your will. Father, I delight in You. Help me to never forget just how good You are. In Jesus' Name.AMEN 🙏 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.(John 15:7)Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.(Psalm 51:10)And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.(1 John 5:14-15)“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”(Psalm 46:10)Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.(1 Peter 1:8)The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.(Proverbs 29:25)You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.(John 15:16)My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.(Psalm 73:26)I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.(Psalm 16:18)And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.(Isaiah 30:21)He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.(Psalm 145:19)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)Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.(Psalm 119:105)Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.(Psalm 1:1-6)Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.(Psalm 16:1)You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.(Psalm 32:7)(pic verse)Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.(James 4:8)Artist 👨‍🎨 I Am With You Always - David Delfeld