If the Son Sets You Free

 

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

—John 8:34-36 (NLT)

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

Help me fully live every moment of this day in the freedom that was purchased by Christ, when He gave His life on the cross for mine.

Through Christ, and by Your Holy Spirit, You have called me out of my slavery to sin and have invited me to take my place of freedom as Your very own child—a chosen member of Your own family.

You have made true freedom possible for me—so that sin no longer has the power to make me its slave, by controlling me, manipulating me, clouding my mind, will and emotions, and dictating my every action.

The freedom You purchased for me is not freedom to do whatever I please, but freedom to choose to obey You, as an act of my love for You.

And You have poured out on me the blessings that flow from my obedience—joy, peace, provision, protection, power and purpose—as I fulfill Your plan for me, by serving You wholeheartedly.

May I live continually in that freedom, as I choose to seek You first—by searching out the Truth of Your Word, listening for Your Spirit to speak to my heart, and willingly submitting my life to You—so that You can change me more and more into the likeness of Christ, Himself.

Help me fully live every moment of this day in the freedom that was purchased by Christ, when He gave His life on the cross for mine.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God, The Source of Hope

 

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

—Romans 15:13 (NLT)

 

Gracious and Loving God,

Be my source of hope—and fill me completely with the joy and peace that comes when I put all of my trust in You.  By the power of Your Holy Spirit, cause that confident hope to overflow from deep within me—for Your glory, honor, and praise.

Let me forever place my hope in You.  May my continuing experience of Your patient goodness, loving kindness, and enduring faithfulness to me, give me cause to trust in You more and more—with every moment that passes.

And as I learn to trust You more completely, and give my every hurt and worry to You, fill me completely with Your joy and peace—so I am no longer disheartened or dismayed, no matter what circumstances I may face.

By the power of Your Holy Spirit at work within me, cause that confident hope that is mine, to overflow out of me to bless all those around me—as a testimony to Your great mercy, grace and love for us all.

Be my source of hope—and fill me completely with the joy and peace that comes when I put all of my trust in You.  By the power of Your Holy Spirit, cause that confident hope to overflow from deep within me—for Your glory, honor, and praise.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

And The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us

 

 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

—John 1:14 (NKJV)

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your perfect plan to send forth Your Word to become flesh—in the fragile form of a baby.  Thank You for sending Jesus to dwell among us—that mankind might see His Glory, be instructed in the uniqueness of all His ways, and experience the fullness of the grace and truth that He brought to us all, because of His great love for us!

Help me to be a good student of Your Word, that I might learn the lessons that Jesus came to teach us all—about who You are, and who we should be—and then faithfully apply them to my life, that Christ Jesus might more perfectly shine through me.

Help me to follow the example of Jesus in the way that I live my life in this world—that my life would stand out in its uniqueness, rather than blend in with the “norms” of this world’s thinking, and would draw others to Christ.

And help me to learn to live a life of sacrifice—in order to represent well the life of perfect sacrifice that Jesus came to live, so that I could be saved to eternal life with You.

Thank You for Your perfect plan to send forth Your Word to become flesh—in the fragile form of a baby.  Thank You for sending Jesus to dwell among us—that mankind might see His Glory, be instructed in the uniqueness of all His ways, and experience the fullness of the grace and truth that He brought to us all, because of His great love for us!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.