Heavenly Father, I praise You for the salvation I have received when I was 16 and have been, as Paul wrote, working on it and with it since then. I praise You for being a God of mercy, grace, and most of all patience. I praise You for teaching me wisdom through Your word and from Your Holy Spirit. Help me today to take command of my day and shake all the evil from it.
Holy Spirit, I claim: In view of God’s mercy, I offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is my spiritual act of worship. I will not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind through meditation on Your Word and listening to Your Holy Spirit. Then I will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. I will try to: Let my light shine before people that they may see my good works and glorify You, my Father in Heaven. I will do my best to wear my spiritual armor and fight the right kind of battle that is only won through prayer, honesty, and faithfulness. I will do my best to: “work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the One working in me, both to will and to do His good pleasure. [Romans 12:1&2, Matthew 5:16, MEV; Philippians 2:12b-13] I will do as David wrote: Keeping the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart acceptable to God, my Redeemer and Rock. [Psalm 19:14]
Holy Spirit, You inspired Paul to write: Since I am raised with Christ, I will learn to desire those things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Help me to set my affection on things above, and not be consumed by my love for things on the earth. For I am dead, and my life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is my life, shall appear, then I also shall appear with Him in glory. Teach me to put to death the parts of my earthly nature: sexual immorality, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. I am learning that these things, the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. I used to live that life with them. I must now put away all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language out of my mouth. I no longer can lie to others
for that was part of my old nature or way, because I am embracing the new nature to emulate Christ, who has and is becoming my all in all. Thank You for being my guide and prompter as I grow in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen. [Colossians 3:1-11, MEV and paraphrased by me]