Heavenly Father, I praise You today for the bright sunshine and the warmth it brings. I praise You for seeing crops growing, animals milling about, and people outside, enjoying life. I praise You for Your word and the wisdom and guidance it brings. Help me to be more faithful in my reading and studying of Your word. Help me today to take command of my day and shake all the evil from it. Help me to pray continuously over my family for protection from evil and sin. Help me to pray for them to learn of and grasp salvation.
You inspired Peter to write: I exhort the elders who are among you, as one who is also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, take care of them, not by constraint, but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. Do not lord over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of glory that will not fade away. Likewise, you younger ones, submit
yourselves to the elders. Yes, all of you be submissive one to another and clothe yourselves with humility, because “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you. [1Peter 5:1-7] Holy Spirit, help me to encourage others and be a listener too. Guide me to not appear better or worse than my fellow believers. Help me to give wisdom when needed, but also to be willing to learn. Help me to come under the authority You place over me and to lead when You expect me to lead. Help my pride to only be in the foundation that I am Your child, and that I am part of a very large family. Help me to demonstrate humility, meekness, courage, boldness, and restraint. Guide my words and thoughts to be acceptable so that Your Spirit may reside in me, a living temple and sacrifice for the will of God.
For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen me
with power through His Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. And I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within me, to Him be glory, Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21