Loving and Compassionate God, thank you for preserving Paul’s writing so that it is available to encourage me. You are my foundation. Jesus, you are the rock that is higher than I. You are the constant presence upon which I depend. You are the protector and lover of my soul. You are there when others fail me. You are there even if I fail you. You are my constancy and my hope. I lift my praises in your name above all names and in your matchless authority, according to the good and perfect will of the Father. Amen.
“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” (2 Timothy 4: 16-17 ESV)