Father, Peter tells us a very important fact. We have been given a “living hope”. Yes, heaven awaits, but here we learn that our hope, made evident here and now, by our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior, is a present reality.
Are wisdom and prudence the greatest gifts?
Jesus, being wise and prudent would seem to be a very good thing. How is it that here You say that Your teachings are hidden from the wise and prudent and revealed to babes? We know the answer from Your word. Prudence and wisdom, of which Solomon had abundance, did not necessarily always lead to a closer walk with You.
Eat, drink, work, play…as unto the Lord.
Help us, today, to take care of the body you have given us and to be an effective witness, one that presents ourselves as a Temple of God. Give us, we pray, the self-discipline, buoyed by the power of the Holy Spirit to be as You Jesus, full of joy, humility and love.
So, how dangerous, in the eyes of God, is it to offend a child?
Jesus, Your love and protection of our children could not be made more clear. You have assigned an angel to each one and that angel comes from the presence of the Father, to comfort and counsel every child. We know from experience, Jesus, that our children are imperfect. But, it is not their perfect behavior that protects them; they reside in Your righteousness.
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Jesus, how could we attend church, give offerings, sing in the choir, and pray without You “knowing” us? The answer is in Your word. “Works” or the performance of duties, customs and rituals, if they could save us, would make the Act of the Cross, of zero importance.
Do we have access to “certainty” about eternal matters?
Jesus, You teach us that everything we see around us will pass away; all things will become new. You and Your angels will come and those who love You and whose lives have been encircled by Your righteousness will enter into eternal peace with You, forever.
In and of yourself, you cannot please God. He knew that!
The Holy Spirit is the gift You gave us. You did not leave us to our own resources. You told us that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things and help us to remember Your statements to us. You have told us that the Holy Spirit is the great Enabler, the Counselor and the Comforter.
Tests; inevitable, allowed by God and the path to renewed strength.
You put us in situations that cause us to exercise our spiritual strength and our powers of discernment. Help us, today to know that we need to rely on You if we intend for our actions please You.
I proclaim to know God. Does He truly know me, “intimately”?
Again we are taught that to “profess” to know You but to have impure thoughts and impure behaviors is not o.k. Help us, today, not to simply profess our faith, but to live our faith in complete obedience to Your word. Help us not to disqualify ourselves by misbehaving or worse yet, professing but not believing. We hear of dysfunctional families but You Father remove our stony hearts, replacing them with a new heart that is able to keep pace with Your perfect will, if we but seek You.
Love God. That’s easy. Love your imperfect neighbor, that is something else!
We humbly pray for more patience as we place our hopes and needs before You and as we extend Your love to others. It is much easier for us to “wait upon the Lord” knowing that Your will for us is what is best for us, even when we beg You to intervene in difficult circumstances, than to be patient with our neighbor.