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Have you ever prayed for the fear of the Lord to be upon you? These are thoughts I have recorded during my daily Bible reading times. They are a record of God’s teaching to me, through his Word and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who dwells in every believer.
I’m so glad I’ve kept these journals for as I go back and re-read them, they re-teach me and remind me of lessons I might have otherwise forgotten. If you’ve never consistently kept a spiritual journal, I want to encourage you to do it. That means you have a structured reading plan in the Bible each day, and then you ask God to speak to you through his Word. Most days you’ll have something you want to write in your journal, and it truly will aid your spiritual growth.
Here’s what I wrote after reading 2 Chronicles 19:
2 Chronicles 19:7: “Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you…”
These were Jehoshaphat’s instructions to the judges in his land because they were not judging for man but for the Lord.
When a person is God’s representative, she is in a sacred place. James 3:1 tells us that we who teach will be judged by a higher standard. Therefore we—I—must “let the fear of the Lord be upon me.”
Lord, give me a fear of you as you have given me a place of responsibility and leadership. May I have a holy fear of you—a fear that reminds me of my responsibility to be pure, honest, open, without guile or pretense. A fear that causes me to live a holy life and never forget that I am accountable to you for how I use the position you have given me.
Teach me the balance of being love-driven and at the same time, “letting the fear of the Lord be upon me.” Verse nine in 2 Chronicles says, “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord.” Teach me how to serve you like this, Lord.
Many times I write my journal entries as a prayer to the Lord. This is a good prayer and one I need to pray often. Again, I encourage you to start a spiritual journal; you’ll be very glad you did.