Heavenly Father, I praise You for allowing the early Disciples to start churches to bring people together to encourage one another. I praise You for Your word and the examples we have from the testimonies of the people who served You throughout what we now know as the New Testament. Help me to live, speak, and trust fully in You and Your will.
Holy Spirit, Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, and what he said applies to us: Now I ask you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak in agreement and that there be no divisions among you. But be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. [1 Corinthians 1:10] I come before You today and ask that my church be united, in prayer, in service, in faith, and in giving. This way, we can advance Your kingdom here on the earth. Through this unity, we can witness the power of prayer to see healing, miracles, and wonders. This unity will help us grow, encourage, and become a useful tool for Christ in changing our community and our world around us.
Let us lay down our individual rights to see Your church truly be the bride it should be.
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]