Heavenly Father, I praise You for being a God who fights our battles instead of us fighting Yours. I praise You for strengthening us in our faith with Your word, Your Spirit, and Your encouragement. I praise You for being a God who wants a relationship with us and for us to have relationships that will build us and make us a united front against evil. Help me today to renew my mind, be a living sacrifice, bridling my tongue, drink from the well of living water, and take command of my day so that You can shake the evil from it.
Holy Spirit, You inspired Paul to write to the church of Ephesus, and for us many generations later, the following: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” [Ephesians 6:13] Help me to be as prepared as I can be daily to withstand the evil, the hate, the despair, the temptations, and anything else this world and Satan will use to defeat who I am in You. Let me know that ultimately, the battle, revenge, and my protection all rest with You. I will stand in the gap as an intercessor in prayer for my family, community, the lost, the hungry, the hurting, and those needing healing. I will serve You by assisting the least of these that Christ talked about while preaching to His disciples and followers. But when life gets complicated, hurtful, help me to stop fighting, stop arguing, and simply stand and allow You the glory and chance to intercede in life. As a child of the King, I give my life into Your hands to use and to direct as You see fit. As Isaiah told us Your thoughts and Your ways are much higher than mine so I defer to You when I am confused, lost, unsure, or attacked. I will wear my spiritual armor and do what I have been trained to do, but I will trust in You above all. For You are the conqueror of sin, of death, of all that is evil in this world. I seek only to stand and be accountable to You so that I can walk away from this earth knowing I did what You created me to do, but that in the end, my trust in You will be my pathway to eternal life.
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 or 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]