Heavenly Father, I praise You for creating me with a mind to think, ponder, and grow from wisdom and knowledge. I also praise You for my heart, which allows me to feel, and have the Holy Spirit dwelling there as a guide and comforter. I praise You for Your word that teaches me how to live.
Holy Spirit, You inspired Paul to write: But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I, through the law, died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. [Galatians 2:17-21] There are days that I question whether I have truly died out to Christ as Paul told us to do with being a living sacrifice. I still battle at times with anger, pride, or trying to control how I live. Each day, I start with prayer and try to emulate the scriptures by dying to myself and allowing Christ to live through me. I wish I could honestly say that was always successful. I know Christ extends grace, mercy, and forgiveness, but I will continue to be frustrated with myself on days I do not truly let Christ live through me. I can only humbly approach the throne room through the Holy Spirit and continue to seek wisdom, grace, and continue to learn what it is to live righteously. God’s forgiveness is vast, and this brings me comfort. The knowledge that He is my creator and knows my inner workings and heart also helps.
Grace and peace will be multiplied to me through the wisdom and knowledge I gain and retain of God and of Jesus. He has given to me the ability to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness through this knowledge I am learning of Him and how He sees me and the world around me so that I can learn to strive for perfection and righteousness as seen in His own glory and excellence, and through this I am learning of the blessings and precious promises He has bestowed upon me for learning and knowing. This way I can abide and partake in being a child of His and to avoid and not be influenced by this world through lust, envy, pride, rebellion, or bitterness. I will make every effort to increase virtue in my faith and that virtue to the kind of knowledge that leads to self-control. This self-control will teach me patient endurance that I need to endure this evil world and the hate of godliness. From the virtue I add to my knowledge and endurance, I will learn to demonstrate and exhibit brotherly kindness and ultimately the love of God through every part of my being. All of this growing in the knowledge of God will lead to me being useful and fruitful as I fulfill the purpose God created me for and the drive of my will to serve God and help build the kingdom. I will not forget that for this reason I was cleansed from my sins by the blood of Christ, and I am a new creation that needs to grow and be productive while I continue to grow in wisdom and knowledge of God. This will help me know when doubt attacks that I am God’s child and that I am doing His will so that I do not stumble and fail.
For I know that God provides for me enough to live life fully and with a joy that can not be stolen and that one day I will enter into heaven, my eternal home. May Jesus be praised and glorified for my salvation. Amen. [2 Peter 1:2-11, paraphrased to align within me]