Gifted For A Purpose

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well.  If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

--Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gifts that You have given me for doing certain things well.

Help me to be aware of the things that I do well, so that I can focus my energy there. 

Help me to understand that there are things that You have gifted me for—and there are things that You have chosen not to gift me for—according to Your design, so that I might share my gifts with others and allow them to share their gifts with me.

Help me to understand that because You gift each of us uniquely, I don’t have to become overwhelmed by trying to do everything, but I can concentrate my efforts on those things that You have put on the inside of me that I am good at doing.

Help me to remember that the gifts that You placed in me were placed there with a purpose—and that purpose was so that I would use those gifts, not for selfish personal gain, but rather so that I could use them in service to You by helping others.

Help me be aware of the opportunities that You put before me to serve others and willingly use what You have given me, not holding anything back.

Thank You for the gifts that You have given me for doing certain things well.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Healthy Self-Esteem

 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

--Romans 12:3 (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Help me to live with a healthy self-esteem—not overestimating myself nor thinking too little of myself—but rather judging myself in light of the faith that I have to operate in the gift that You have given to me.

I don’t want to be puffed up—thinking that I am something in myself.  I want to honestly and accurately evaluate myself, realizing that any good in me comes from You. 

I want to judge myself based on who I am in Christ, because without Him I can do little that is good, by eternal standards, while in His strength and power I can be of valuable and capable service to Him.

Help me escape the danger of judging my worth by the world’s standards—which leads me to think too much about how much I am worth in the eyes of others and causes me to miss discovering my true value in Your eyes.

I want to properly serve You by giving You credit for Your love, power and perfection at work in me in any good thing that I do, so that others might glorify You, rather than sing my praises and by doing so, lead me to be tempted to not judge my worth correctly.

Increase my faith to be able to operate in that place into which You have called me, gifted me, and equipped me, so that I might boldly serve You—remaining totally dependent on You and walking humbly before You.

Help me to live with a healthy self-esteem—not overestimating myself nor thinking too little of myself—but rather judging myself in light of the faith that I have to operate in the gift that You have given to me.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Love Like You Mean It

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

--Romans 12:9 (NLT)

Loving Lord,

Help me to love like You love, hate that which is evil and ungodly, and cling tightly to that which is good.

I don’t want to be a hypocrite, pretending to love others, but having my actions, or perhaps my failure to act, expose the true attitudes and intentions of my heart.

I want to love others truly and out of a pure heart—moved with the compassion of Christ into action on their behalf and motivated by the love of Jesus, alive in me.

I want to hate the evil and ungodliness I find in myself and that which I find in the world and—being disgusted by it—reject it, fight against it, or flee from it, clinging only to those things that are good and right—that is, those things that are from You, Lord.

Through Your Word, teach me Your love, so that I might walk more completely in it, loving others purely and truly at all times.

Help me to love like You love, hate that which is evil and ungodly, and cling tightly to that which is good.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Exact Purpose

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

--Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Dear Lord,

May this new day, on this journey that is my life, draw me ever closer to living out Your exact purpose for me.

I don’t want to be like the world…building idols in my heart and chasing after things that will one day fade away into nothing…allowing lust into my heart for things that don’t produce godliness…or lying, cheating, and abusing others, in order to claw my way into some meaningless existence.

I want to be transformed daily and continuously from the sin-filled person I am, into the man of God that You want me to be, until that wonderful day when I meet You face to face, in Heaven.

I know that in order for that to happen, I must allow Your Holy Spirit and Your Word to entirely renew my mind, will and emotions so that I can then discover, test out for myself, and prove to be good, pleasing and perfect, the individualized plan that is Your will for me.

May this new day, on this journey that is my life, draw me ever closer to living out Your exact purpose for me.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Following The Instructions

The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.

--Psalm 19:7 (NLT)

Dear Lord,

Thank You, for the perfect instruction manual You gave to me, that brings new life to my soul and shows me how even a simple man like me, can become wise.

Thank You, that Your instructions are perfect and pure—not corrupted in any way—full of only that which is good for me, and designed to equip me in every way, to every good work that You have planned for me.

Thank You, that Your instructions revive and refresh my mind, will, and emotions, with new strength, by bringing me back to myself—that is, to the recreated heart that You have made in me—back to You—that is, back to the close relationship that I must have with You in order to survive this world—and back to my responsibilities—as I walk out my Christian walk before You.

Thank You, that I can completely trust what You have decreed, because Your words represent Your righteousness, they endure throughout all the generations of man and beyond, and they fulfill their purpose, as long as I honor them in my life.

Thank You, that as simple-minded as I am, through Your words, You help me to grow in understanding and judgment and give me insight into Your ways and those things that are yet to come, if I will only remain willing to be taught.

Thank You, for the perfect instruction manual You gave to me, that brings new life to my soul and shows me how even a simple man like me, can become wise.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.