Romans 1:16-17 - "Lord, I Need You"

The Lord had other plans for me as I was trying to fall asleep last night. He told me to pray for those with "broken hearts" so I started praying for...

• the wife who just lost a family member to a heroin overdose and has found out her husband is also addicted
• the husband/father who is desperate for a job
• the lady seeking a new job and getting frustrated to the closed doors
• the mother of the newborn who was born even though the doctors can't explain how let alone how she is still alive
• the single lady who is so lonely
• the man accused of a crime which has cost his job
• the lady awaiting test results
• the college student who is away from home in new surroundings, with new people and new circumstances
• the single Mom with her baby in the hospital
• the elderly woman who is feeling more feeble and alone

Some of these people are in relationship with the Lord while others are not. Some of their 'broken hearts' are caused from doing of their own while others are not. Some of them feel as if they have no hope in this world. The thing they all have in common is Jesus is there for them and desires them to draw near to Him. He desires His will for their life. The Lord woke me to a song Matt Maher sings this morning.

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

These words are what the Lord needs all of us to believe. We cannot do life on our own strength but instead must depend upon His. The only way to truly find His strength is to live in His will. The only way to truly know His will is to not only accept Jesus into our heart but to allow the Holy Spirit full reign in our lives. We must live a consecrated life for Him. It is then we will know His will by hearing and listening to His voice. Before my feet hit the floor this morning I prayed. During that time the Lord told me to read Romans 1. He is so amazing in the way He works when we allow Him. Verses sixteen and seventeen are the just of how we are to live while on this earth. It is only when we live by His example that we will spend eternity with Him. Matthew Henry writes:

In these verses the apostle opens the design of the whole epistle, in which he brings forward a charge of sinfulness against all flesh; declares the only method of deliverance from condemnation, by faith in the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ; and then builds upon it purity of heart, grateful obedience, and earnest desires to improve in all those Christian graces and tempers, which nothing but a lively faith in Christ can bring forth. God is a just and holy God, and we are guilty sinners. It is necessary that we have a righteousness to appear in before him: there is such a righteousness brought in by the Messiah, and made known in the gospel; a gracious method of acceptance, notwithstanding the guilt of our sins. It is the righteousness of Christ, who is God, coming from a satisfaction of infinite value. Faith is all in all, both in the beginning and progress of Christian life. It is not from faith to works, as if faith put us into a justified state, and then works kept us in it; but it is all along from faith to faith; it is faith pressing forward and gaining the victory over unbelief.

Woo hoo! Victory is what I have my eyes upon. I know I must keep my focus on Him in order to experience the type of faith Paul speaks of in Romans 1. I also know there is victory over sin that only comes through death to self and birth to being a new creation in Him. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for giving me the opportunity to pray for these ones who have 'broken hearts' and need Your presence so greatly. Thank You for the ones who already know You and for the ones who will come to know You. Thank You for loving with such a great love. Lord, I pray You will use me today to make a difference in someone's life. I pray You will fill me to overflowing so people will see and hear You through me. I pray for my friends who are traveling to have a safe trip. I pray for the things that need accomplished today to be completed easily. Boy, now I am starting to sound like a little kid with their Christmas list. "I want this and this and..." I'm sorry, Lord. Your will. Plain and simple. I pray Your will over my day. Whatever that means, wherever that leads. Thank You Jesus for being My Righteousness. Amen.