July 30, 2023 - Hebrews‬ ‭4:12

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 NLT

Lord, we thank you so much for the amazing gift of your Word. Help us to never take it for granted. It is not just a good book full of wise insight. It is part of you. It is alive and active. It breathes and has the power to change us. When we read and proclaim it, it literally changes our situations. Demons flee in terror when they hear it. Open our minds to understand the value, power, and authority it holds.

Lord, forgive us when we don’t honor your Word like we should. Forgive us when we allow apathy and laziness to keep us from digging in and learning it. We don’t want to be satisfied with just reading a few verses and calling it good, like it was just something to check off the list. We want to dig deep in your word, exploring it with you daily. We want your insight to understand what we are reading every time we read.

Lord, use your Word to expose what is in us that isn’t of you. Use it to change us to look more like you. It’s the nutrients that cause us to grow spiritually in you. Forgive us for when we only read it and take it in with our own understanding. Give us your insight to all we are reading and show us its secrets. Help it become more than just words, but a lifestyle that we live out in all we do.

Teach us how to use it as a weapon against our enemy. It truly is what causes him to flee from us. Just like a skilled swordsman must practice for hours to learn how to become an expert in his craft, we need to spend time in your word to truly use it effectively. Give us a hunger and thirst for your Word that we can’t ignore.

In Jesus name, amen.