Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your mercy, grace, understanding, and salvation. I praise You for creating me to be able to learn, grow, and slowly learn to apply wisdom in living the life You intended me to live. I praise You for being a God who sees my heart, not just my actions or hearing my words. You know all there is to know about me. Help me today to take command of my day, bridle my tongue, renew my mind, and be a living sacrifice for You so that I can have all the evil shaken out of my day and expose it for what it is.
The disciple John was inspired by You to write: Whoever says he remains in Him ought to walk as He walked. John also recorded Jesus saying: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may
abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” James wrote: Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. [1 John 2:6, MEV; John 14:12-14; John 14:16-17 NKJV, James 4:8] So, Holy Spirit I continue to ask that You will lead me in wisdom so that I can be the living sacrifice that Christ sought me to be, so I can be the living temple for You to dwell in me, so that I can live among the people of this world and still maintain my integrity and live as Christ would have me live. I still need to be reminded by You when I start to let man’s wisdom creep in, or my pride and emotions start to make a fool of me. Help me to draw closer to You so that I can hear You warn me when I wander off the path I am supposed to walk and how I am to walk it.
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 or love things on 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. Because I am learning 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]