Heavenly Father I praise You for a church that does Bible Studies, does worship, encourages each other, and prays for people. I praise You for a Pastor who wants to see spiritual growth, but is realistic about it. I praise You for today and for helping me get through my current college classes while working and doing other responsibilities.
Holy Spirit, I have lived my life wanting to be a living sacrifice, being a living temple, You can dwell in and constantly build and clean. I have lived trying to emulate the Psalmist by praying, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” [Psalm 19:14] I have continually sought You and do my best to abide within You. I know that I am fully armored spiritually and that the fruit of my spirit grows from the vine of Christ within. Yet, I continue to seek more and more of You. I want to know, understand, make wise decisions, and discern the needs and the warnings of what I should know are around me. I want to learn what righteousness is and then become it. I want to
learn to love people as You love them. I want to have a faith strong enough that my anxiety is placed in Your hands and I am comfortable with that. I want to have desires that align with You and Your word. Most of all, I want to feel alive again through You. I desire peace, joy, and patience.
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 by love for 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 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]