1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: his children shall have a place of refuge. Proverbs fourteen 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: twenty six. Dear God, we come to you in need 4 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: of your grace and mercy. We pray that you would 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: give us the confidence and boldness to live with courage 6 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: and trust that you are in control. Help us to 7 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: have faith in your will and plan for our lives. 8 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: Guide us down the path of righteousness, and guide us 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: through any trial or tribulation with grace and strength. Bless 10 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: us with the confidence to trust in you, for all 11 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: our days are in your hands. We cling to your 12 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: truth that you will never leave us nor forsake us, 13 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: and that by your grace and strength we can stand 14 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: firm in confidence. All glory to you alone in Jesus' name. Amen, 15 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining me in prayer. Stay tuned for 16 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: today's free podcast Meditative Prayers with Zach Clinton, where you 17 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: can draw close to God and find strength in him. 18 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 2: My friends, welcome to your meditative prayer on improving confidence. 19 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 2: To get the most out of your spiritual journey, use 20 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: pray dot com every day and make prayer a priority 21 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 2: in your life. Again. Our goal for today's meditative Prayer 22 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,559 Speaker 2: is all about improving your confidence. Let's be honest. Confidence 23 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: can seem complicate to acquire. So today, let's gather your 24 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: courage to step out and spend a moment with God. 25 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 2: I challenge you to close your eyes, maybe take a 26 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 2: deep breath in and then exhil out, taking captive every thought. 27 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 2: Let's now shift your focus unto God, for he is 28 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 2: waiting for you. Today we'll be meditating on Psalm chapter fourteen, 29 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: verse twenty six from the King James version. In the 30 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and his children 31 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: shall have a place of refuge. My friends, take a 32 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 2: moment just to pour out your adoration to God. Jesus, 33 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: I love you and praise your name. For you, Lord 34 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: are my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, 35 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 2: my strength in whom I shall trust, my shield and 36 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 2: the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. God. It is 37 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: you who arms me with the strength and makes my 38 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 2: way perfect. Father, I praise you, for you are the 39 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 2: everlasting God. You do not faint or grow weary. Your 40 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:19,119 Speaker 2: love and your kindness towards me will never cease. Confidence 41 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 2: comes from fearing God. Confidence is generally the opposite of fear. 42 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 2: But fear of God is the source of confidence. To 43 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 2: fear God is not to be scared of him, but 44 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 2: rather to love and obey him, To seek his presence 45 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 2: and his power, to keep his commandments and to cherish 46 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 2: his correction, To treasure his wisdom and to value his knowledge. 47 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: To meditate on his word day and night, to let 48 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: it catch fire in your heart. To yearn to know 49 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: him and to be known by him, To receive his 50 00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: unconditional love, and to love him with no restrictions, to 51 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 2: recklessly pursue him, To desire him above all others and 52 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 2: all else. Simply put, to fear God is to put 53 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: him first in your life. When you honor God, when 54 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 2: you make him your priority, he too honors you. He 55 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: fills you with his courage and his strength. He covers 56 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 2: you with his grace and his goodness. He empowers you 57 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 2: with his wisdom and knowledge. He pours his Holy Spirit 58 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: over you, He reveals truth to you. He envelopes you 59 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 2: with his love and with the very essence of his being. 60 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 2: Sometimes we forget this, and we forget to put God first. 61 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 2: Right now, this is your opportunity to rectify your situation. 62 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 2: So turn to Christ and confess your sins to him. 63 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 2: Ask him to cleanse you of iniquity and to purify 64 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 2: your heart. My friends, take just a few minutes now 65 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 2: to dwell on the blessings of God. Thank Jesus for 66 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: his instruction and guidance for helping you to navigate the 67 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: obstacles of this world. Thank Him for his divine wisdom 68 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: and knowledge which enable you to not only survive, but 69 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: to thrive in this life. Thank Him for the love 70 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 2: and care he continuously bestows upon you. And now think 71 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 2: of some past situations where you are filled with confusion 72 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 2: and frustration. Thank the Holy Spirit for being your comforter 73 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: during those hard times, for being your light in the darkness, 74 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 2: and for showing you the way. Thank God for being 75 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 2: your place of refuge. God is present and he is 76 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 2: listening to you. Jesus longs to bless you and to 77 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 2: fill your heart with his assurance. He knows the difficulties 78 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 2: and challenges that you face. As his child, you have 79 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 2: access to his throne room, So come before him and 80 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: ask for aid. Ask the Holy Spirit to imprint God's 81 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 2: words upon your heart to enable you to live out 82 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 2: the promises found in scripture. Ask him to help you 83 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 2: love the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, 84 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 2: and with all your strength. Ask Jesus to help you 85 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 2: be obedient to his word, to empower you to love 86 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 2: and know Him as you are loved and known by Him. Remember, 87 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 2: confidence comes from fearing God. To fear God is to 88 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 2: respect him, to love him, and to obey his word. 89 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 2: So choose this day to put your trust in God, 90 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 2: to boldly stand and trust in the promise of his word. 91 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 2: Allow His Holy Spirit to fill your heart, mind, and 92 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 2: soul with the truth of who He is. And open 93 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 2: yourself to the peace and assurance that God has prepared 94 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 2: for you. My friends, thank you for completing today's meditative 95 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 2: prayer on pray dot com. By incorporating this healthy habit 96 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 2: as a daily practice, you're making prayer a priority and 97 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 2: strengthening your walk with God. As always, my name is 98 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 2: Zack Clinton, Vice President of the American Association of Christian Counselors, 99 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 2: and we love being a part of your life.