Zondervan - Jesus, I Need You: Devotions From Your Heart to His

TO:

FROM:

2014 by Zondervan

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NIRV are from The New International Readers Version. Copyright 1996, 1998 by Biblica.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover design: Connie Gabbert

Interior design: Mallory Perkins

ePub Edition January 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-35221-1

14 15 16 17 18 19 TIMS 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

Dear Jesus,

Sometimes I forget just how much I need You. How many times have You tried to tell me something, and I havent listened? I need to listen more. How often have You tried to show me something, but I havent seen? I need to open my eyes to every little blessing. I need to take time to look up at the sky and down at the earth and recognize the amazing work of the Fathers hands. I need to see into the hearts of others so I can sympathize and empathize with them and be a servant to them more often.

Dear Jesus, I need You. Every day, every minute, every second, I need You. Teach me to seek You more every day. Remind me that unless I take time to draw near to You, I will have trouble hearing Your voice and seeing what You want me to see. Jesus, when I read my Bible, reveal Yourself to me. Show me all the ways I need You. Fill up my heart, spare me from the worlds distractions, and help me focus on You.

I need You.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:19

We all need a Savior. We all need Jesus. Not only did He save us from our sins and provide our way to heaven, but Jesus wants to save us from anything that gets in the way of our relationship with Him. He wants to fill up your heart with His love. You need Him.

[Use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts, prayers, or even write your own letter to Jesus.]

Dear Jesus,

My thoughts are so scattered today. The anxiety that comes with too many things to do and getting them all done makes my mind spin out of control. Im having trouble reeling in my thoughts and organizing them so that I can think clearly and set a productive plan.

Lord, instead of concentrating on my work, Ive let what-ifs and if-onlies sneak into my head. What if I cant do this? or What if I cant get it done on time? If only I didnt have so much to do! If only I had someone to help me! But I do have Someone to help meJesus, I have You!

Why cant I remember to call on You first? You are always with me and ready to help. So help me now, Lord Jesus. Remove those what-ifs and if-onlies from my brain. Gather my thoughts like God gathers the four corners of the wind. Bring them all togetherorganized, ready, and clear.

Jesus, You are my Helper. Together, well get this done.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.2 Corinthians 10:5

When burdened with so much to do, your thoughts can become anxious and tangled. Thats when you need to lean on Jesus. He knows how to calm you, help you sort through all of the mismatched thoughts, and organize them to get the work done. Call on Him in your busiest times. He is ready and willing to help.

[Use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts, prayers, or even write your own letter to Jesus.]

Dear Jesus,

I have a confession to make. I feel afraid to entrust everything to You. I know that You love me and want only the best for me. Still, its so hard to give up total control of every aspect of my life. When I have trouble, Im eager to give You my problems. But when things are going well, Im not as quick to give my everything away.

My concern, Jesus, is not knowing. If I give you my everything, I want to know what You plan to do with it. Will You make big changes? You know that I dont do well with change. Will there be valleys along the way and mountains to climb?

I should just trust You. I want to trust You. Why is trust so hard? I pray, dear Jesus, that You will help me with this. Teach me that I neednt be afraid. Help me give You my everythingjust maybe not all at once. Take my hand and lead me gently, one step at a time.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Jeremiah 29:11

Handing over everything to God can be difficult, especially for those who have been hurt by someone they love. It is important to remember that God is perfect Love. Because He loved us, He gave us His everythingHis only Son. Jesus suffered for us so that we will have eternal life in heaven one day. Learn to trust Him. He loves you.

[Use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts, prayers, or even write your own letter to Jesus.]

Dear Jesus,

Why is self-control so difficult? Whether its about overeating, spending too much time on the computer, or losing my temper, I sometimes give in to temptation and do what I know is wrong.

I tell myself, Jesus was tempted, and He didnt give in. And then I remind myself that You are perfect, and Im not. Oh, how I wish I were perfect and didnt have to struggle with right and wrong.

Jesus, the only way to overcome temptation and maintain my self-control is to keep my eyes on You and remember Your example. You were prepared when Satan tempted You. You knew that tempting might happen, and You were ready. I need to be ready, like You. I need to be ready and face temptation with Your kind of strength, the strength that comes with trusting God. I need to arm myself with Scripture, like You did, so I can fight off those tempting thoughts. When I feel like giving in, I have to remember to stop and ask You to help me.

Jesus, You are always with me. You fill the gaps of my imperfection with Your perfection. Lord Jesus, I trust You. Lets work on this together.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.Hebrews 2:18

Temptation is all around us, but Jesus taught us how to overcome it by setting a perfect example. Read Matthew 4:111. You will see that Jesus was prepared; He stayed strong and used Gods Word to overcome the enemy. If youll put His example into practice, You can overcome temptation too.

[Use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts, prayers, or even write your own letter to Jesus.]

Dear Jesus,

Forgive me. I noticed today that Ive been giving You instructions when I pray. You know what I want, and You also know what I need. But when Ive prayed, Ive told You exactly how I think You should answer my prayer. Ive laid my plans before You and asked You to bless them, forgetting that prayer doesnt work that way.

Jesus, I am so used to being in control. Its my job to control things at home and at work to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Im sorry that Ive tried to control You.