Heavenly Father I praise You for making each individual different and with different talents and gifts. I praise You for every lesson I have had to learn even if it caused me great pain. I do not mean that I enjoyed them, just that I got through them. I know that my character, my existence of the person I am, is completely predicated and dependent upon the way You made me and how I have survived each and every trouble, disaster, tribulation, problem, and experience that has been in my past and my current life right now.
Holy Spirit I continue to daily ask that You help me to be a living sacrifice so that I can know Your will for today. I still need to renew my mind by meditating on Your word, listening to Your Spirit, worshiping with others, singing and testifying, and being very aware of the words that I choose to say. I need to speak life into the people who I speak to, not gossip, not hatred, not a prideful word, nor words that crush the heart or break a person down.
Holy Spirit help me to be fervent in prayer, constantly in awareness of the heavenly realm around me. Let me see people with Your eyes so that I see, souls going to heaven or hell, so that I can see needs so that I become aware of their value instead of searching for ways to be better than them or to judge them. Help me to be like the Samaritan that did not see a person of a different race, or a person who would not normally associate with them, but saw a person broken, hurt, destroyed, and in need of healing. Let me not be judged by others because of the stereotype of a hypocrite that most so-called “Christians” earn but be known as a true follower of the “Way”.
Holy Spirit help me to not let walls stand in my way because society dictates it to be that way. Help me to truly demonstrate love and respect for all people, no matter how far they have strayed from you or how far I perceive them to have strayed. Help me to be so different that people can’t me in a box just like they could not put You in a box. Help me to have healthy conversations as I did with the man who was gay that was in my hospital room two years ago when I was septic. We talked about You and my brothers and sisters for hours. He could not believe that I did not judge him. I had to keep explaining to him that I did not agree with his choice of lifestyle but that I still respected Him as Your creation and that I did not disqualify talking to him just because we were different. Help me to always be honest, but to always put love first. I know who You are and what You love, I know that sin will separate people from Your love, but I also know my job is to love them like the Samaritan not judge them like the Sadducees and Pharisees did to You.
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore, I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (Romans 16:17-20)