Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing Jesus as the bread of life. All of humanity needs to recognize the necessity of trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation from sins. Thank You that once we are saved we will always be saved. Please help those of us who have trusted in Jesus to share the good news with others. Please show the unsaved that they have a hunger for the bread of life so they can glorify Your name for all eternity.
I pray this in Jesus name.
God is so good.
Dear Heavenly Father, this commandment seems difficult. You love perfectly. You send us the blessings of sunsets and special times with friends. You also allow challenges like health issues and human conflict. All of those are a part of Your love. We often think of love as the positives of a hug, a special gift, or a positive interaction. Sometimes we need to have a tough conversation or show someone how they are wrong. We often don’t know what love really looks like in this situation. Please guide our study of Your Word to learn more about how You love so we can imitate that.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
Dear Heavenly Father, there is so much going on in the world around us. We need to stand firm in the faith You have given to us. We need maturity and strength to keep going. Please help us to be motivated by love. We need Your guidance to know how Your love should drive our behavior. We know Your Word is a powerful tool, please help us to read and study it to drive our maturing love.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
I want to keep working on praying passages of Scripture. I know that we need to keep biblical principle in mind when we pray, but God gives us words that we can say in talking to Him. This passage shares what the apostle Paul was praying for the Philippian believers. I want to pray the same thing for the believers I know.
Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to continue to learn Your word to increase our love for You and others. Please guide us in wisdom so we can make the best choices to honor You and be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
The Bible gives us instruction to put others first in several passages. In this passage we know that our love needs to be genuine, not fake. In this verse, we are told to put others before ourselves. Some translations tell us to try to outdo others in showing love. The point is not to have a contest, but to put others first. I know this can be challenging at times, but God offers help through His Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the help You give. We know we need You. Please help us to remember to go to You frequently for the help You offer.
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.
Christmas this year was bittersweet for me. I love the opportunity to spend time with family, but this year my 100 year old grandmother’s health declined. We spent some days sitting in her apartment and at her bedside. Watching loved ones fade is a hard thing to do. Hospice workers can tell you that dying is hard work.
For my grandmother to live 100 years is an amazing lifespan. And yet according to the Bible that is a fleeting or short amount of time. Knowing that life after death is for all eternity (also in the Bible) puts our lives here on a different scale. 100 years isn’t even a full drop in the bucket in comparison.
While watching my grandmother die was a hard thing to do, I am so thankful that she trusted in Jesus to save her from her sins. I am confident she is in heaven. I know without a doubt that my soul will be in heaven when my body dies. I think that we will have some fun conversations again some day.
If you haven’t trusted in Jesus Christ, I pray you will today. It doesn’t matter how long you live, death comes all to quickly. Please find out Who God truly is and accept His way. I truly believe you will find God’s way is worth it.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love of my precious grandmother. Thank You that Christ’s love is offered to all. Please guide those of us who have accepted Christ’s love to share the truth with others.
I pray this in Jesus’ name.
God is so good.
Pleading in Prayer 