Heavenly Father, I praise You today for making me with a purpose, a will, and a desire to serve You. I praise You for giving me the talents You have given me and the training through experience and study to live and be used by You. I praise You for placing me in a family that believes in prayer and the grandmothers I have, who taught me the power of prayer and humility.
Holy Spirit, I want to be like Peter and bold in action and faith. I want to just step out of the boat without fear, to grab the hands of man and offer him healing through You. I want to be bold enough to go out of my comfort zone to witness as Peter did to Cornelius and his family. I want to stand for and with Jesus. I want to be so consumed by Your Spirit that people can’t explain what has occurred in my life. I want to pray in a way that things are changed or moved.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, has given us a new birth into the living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that does not fade away, kept in heaven just for me, I am protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this I greatly rejoice, even though now, if for a little while, I have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of my faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen, I still love and in whom, though I do not see Him now, I believe and I rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving as the result of my faith the salvation of my soul. [1 Peter 1:3-9]
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 being 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]