Letting My Light Shine

Heavenly Father I praise You for today. I praise You for Your forgiveness to us and the grace and mercy You display. I praise You for not only giving life but also for giving us purpose and hope.

Holy Spirit help me to follow Your example, walking in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. I understand that I must not even have a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For this I can be sure: NO immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. I will not let anyone deceive me with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, I will not partner with them. For once I was in darkness, but now I am light in the Lord. I will live as a child of light, (for my fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and I will learn and find what pleases You. I do not and will not have anything to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” I will be very careful how I live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. I refuse to be foolish; I will understand what Your will is. I will not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, I will be filled with Your Spirit, speaking, singing, and quoting Your word with other believers with Your Spirit within me and rejoicing. I will give You all glory, praise, and testimony of Your wonderful love and forgiveness. [Ephesians 5:1-20]

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters through Jesus in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:3-14