Heavenly Father, I praise You for today. I praise You for the creation and for the opportunities You provide for me. I praise You for giving me the intelligence to learn, understand, and live life with some understanding. I praise You for life being a fluid, growing thing that keeps us moving towards heaven. I praise You most of all for salvation and for being Your temple, where Your Spirit dwells.
Holy Spirit, You inspired Paul to write to the Ephesians: Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called. With all humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another in love, be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace. [Ephesians 4:1-3, MEV] Help all of us who follow You to find a way to be civil and press to fulfill the desire You placed on us to build Your kingdom. I realize over many years we have designed denominations and streams of thought, which help meet the needs of different types of people. What we all need to do is not lose sight of the fact that we serve the same God; we all need salvation through Christ; we all depend on Your word as a way to grow in wisdom and understand who You are. Help us to allow for the differences while seeking to shed light on a world that is full of sin, hate, evil, darkness, and is very lost.
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, not be consumed or love 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. Because 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 can no longer 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 been 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]