Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to think of the sufferings of this present time as nothing to compare with the glory that is to be revealed. We wait with eager longing for the revealing of Your sons. Please help us as we wait.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
This is a part of God’s will that most of us don’t like. God tells us that there will be trials (James 1:2). He also gives reasons why those trials will come. James 1 tells us that trials are for the sake of perfecting us. In 1 Peter 4:12-17, we are told that we will “rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.” Suffering as a believer has a purpose. That purpose points back to Jesus Christ.
When suffering comes, watch for God’s hand to be at work. Please remember if we have trusted in Christ we will see the beauty of His glory when we spend eternity with Him.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for having the greater good in mind. Please help us to look to You in our suffering. We need Your help to remember that eternity is our ultimate goal.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
In the Old Testament we learn about the temple Solomon built for God to dwell in. At Pentecost (in the book of Acts), the Holy Spirit came to dwell in people. 1 Corinthians reminds us that our physical bodies belong to God because of this.
Jesus’ example prayer can help us remember that God’s kingdom, including His residence of our physical bodies, is more important than our own desires. This should give us the desire to take care of our physical bodies to the best of our ability.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that our physical bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Please help us to live with that thought in mind.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
I think one of the hard parts of Jesus’ example prayer is “Your kingdom come”. I don’t think we realize how often we seek to build our own kingdom. 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 talks about having freedom for the sake of building others up. I fear that we want freedom for our own selfish purposes too often. The Bible repeatedly talks about using our freedom to build others up. In this passage we are told “all things are lawful, but not all things build up.”
We need to make choices that help build God’s kingdom. We do that by living in a way that draws people to the One we serve. We need to share that hope to those who have never heard and remind the ones who know Christ of how wonderful the eternal hope of God’s kingdom is.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us direction about how to use the freedom You allow. Please help us to be aware when our own selfishness takes over. Please help us to use our freedom for the sake of the gospel and do everything for Your honor and glory.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
As I continue to study Jesus’ example prayer, I find more rich truths about how to pray. When I think of all the ways to praise God, I should be humbled by the fact that a Holy God wants anything to do with me. God is perfect and does no wrong. He lovingly directs in the lives of those He calls children. I am in awe that God would want me.
I am thankful that God is approachable. However, I do want to go “boldly to the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16) with awe in who my God is.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You so much for being approachable. I praise You for choosing me to be one of Your children. I am in awe of who You are. I am thankful for Your loving direction. Please help me to show others what You have done.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about Jesus’ example prayer. A few years ago I did several blog posts on the different portions of that prayer. One of my areas of struggle is trying to think through today’s application of Jesus’ prayer. He didn’t want us to continually pray His prayer verbatim. So for a time I want to look at specific ways to praise God.
The first part of Jesus’ prayer says, “Our Father in Heaven, Holy is Your name.” God’s holiness is an amazing character trait. Today’s verse in Revelation talks about God’s worthiness. In this case we read about God being the reason for the existence of all things. God deserves “to receive glory and honor and power”. I want to praise God for His worth.
Dear Heavenly Father, You are worthy for more glory than I can give. Please accept my small voice of praise for being the reason we all “exist and were created”. Thank You for the examples and prompts for how to pray and praise You.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
We are told in Romans that we need to think of others first. Giving love, preference, being diligent. This passage definitely tells us to put others first, but in the middle of this passage we see the reason. Serving the Lord. While we should definitely put others first. It is ultimately for the sake of Christ.
I have found no better purpose in life than to serve God. I have fulfillment, hope in dark times, and a purpose greater than my desires. Praise the Lord!
Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to put others first for the sake of Christ. Thank You for giving direction about how we serve Christ and love others.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
Pleading in Prayer 