A Living Sacrifice, Holy and Pleasing to God

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

—Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Merciful and Gracious God,

Help me truly worship You today—in grateful response to Your enduring mercy and abundant grace—by dying to myself and living for You alone.

Because of everything You have done for me, stir within my heart that desire to submit all that I am to You—humbly giving my life completely over to Your plans and purposes for me.

In light of the final atoning sacrifice of Your Son for my sin, help me to make the only sacrifice that is left to make—a living sacrifice of my life—by consciously and continually setting myself apart for Your use.

Help me to offer my true and proper worship to You in every moment of each new day, as You keep me mindful of Your mercy extended toward me—without which I would not have this privilege of life with You, forevermore.

Help me truly worship You today—in grateful response to Your enduring mercy and abundant grace—by dying to myself and living for You alone.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

To Be the Light of the World

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” 

—Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT) 

Heavenly Father,

In Your Word, You have called us (the followers of Jesus Christ) “the light of the world”—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden, like a lamp designed and purposed to give light to everyone in the house.  May the good deeds I do shine out for all to see—in such a way that You alone will get the praise!

Make me keenly aware that—if I am truly a follower of Jesus—the things I say and do cannot be hidden, but will be seen by those around me.  Let it be that the light that I am would be fueled by the power of the presence of Christ within me.

As “the light of the world,” help me to embrace the opportunity that You give me to give light to everyone around me—rather than foolishly try to hide the amazing goodness of the treasure that lives in me by Your Holy Spirit.

And may any words or acts of goodness I offer to others—any patience, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, or grace I give, any truth I gently offer—be motivated by the love of Christ and bring praise to You, and You alone.

In Your Word, You have called us (the followers of Jesus Christ) “the light of the world”—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden, like a lamp designed and purposed to give light to everyone in the house.  May the good deeds I do shine out for all to see—in such a way that You alone will get the praise!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The God Who Works for Those Who Wait for Him

For since the world began,

    no ear has heard

and no eye has seen a God like you,

    who works for those who wait for him! 

—Isaiah 64:4 (NLT)

Father God,

Teach me how to wait for You—and remind me that it is the most important thing that I have to do today!

There is no God like You.  Since the world began, You have been standing by, ready to work on behalf of anyone who would patiently wait for You—anyone who would take time to be quiet in Your presence, listen for Your voice to speak to them, and allow You to guide and direct their ways.

Help me to see that taking time to be quiet before You is the most important thing I can do today—so that You can show me the way that I should go and the things that You want me to do.

Help me to realize that if I fail to do this, that I will exhaust myself in busyness and in doing things in my own strength—by my own will—and in the end, I will neither accomplish that which You want me to do, nor will I be any closer to being who You want me to become.

Help me to understand that the difference my life makes in this world is determined much less by how much I do, and so much more by how closely my life reflects the light of Christ’s love in me, to those around me.

Let me live in the truth that the more I wait on You—trusting You to work in me, and through me, and all around me, according to Your perfect plan—the less difficult my life becomes, and the more peace and joy I will experience.

Teach me how to wait for You—and remind me that it is the most important thing that I have to do today!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.