Category: Righteousness

Pray the Bible

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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.

Obey the Authority

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I think this part of God’s will is often considered the same thing as suffering. Government overreach can be difficult to navigate. However, God tells us that we are to obey the government. The reason is to keep foolish people silent. Those who hate God want to silence those who seek to honor God. If we live appropriately, we will silence the critics. They will have nothing to say against us.

This can be hard to do, but is worth the effort. Those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ have help from God to obey. He gives the strength needed to do what is right.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing authority to punish the evil. Please help us to obey the authority even when it is hard. Please help us to remember that You have a purpose for our obedience. We need Your strength to obey.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Suffering

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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.

Be Filled

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Too many times we want details about God’s will. What job should I have? Whom should I marry? What car should I buy? The Bible doesn’t go into the detail we tend to want. God does give us principles to use when asking those questions. One of the principles is to be filled with the Spirit. When a person trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation from sin, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. The verb in this passage is passive. This isn’t something we do – although we can fight against the Holy Spirit’s work. Our passage today tells us that we need to walk in wisdom understanding God’s will.

This is one passage out of many that gives principles to follow when looking for God’s will. We need to keep searching Scripture to understand what God wants for our lives. Our decisions need to be driven by the work of the Holy Spirit, not our selfish desires. God’s way is always better.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us direction about Your will. Please help us to allow the work of the Holy Spirit so we can be wise. We need Your help.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Proper Freedom

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As I continue to write about the Kingdom of God, I have to talk about freedom. I am very thankful to live in the United States where I have great freedom. However, I have watched over the years as Americans – many times even Christians, take advantage of that freedom.

Today’s verse reminds us that we are not to use that freedom “for the flesh”. Our freedom is supposed to be used to serve others. We will need God’s help to use our freedom correctly.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminders in Your Word of how to use the freedom You give. Please help us to seek opportunities to serve others.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Work in the New Year

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As we get full swing into 2025, I want to remember that there is work to do. God tells us to be diligent. The Bible tells us how to be “approved to God”. We need to work towards that goal.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the instruction and encouragement You give us in Your Word. Please help us to obey what You have commanded. There is nothing better.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Don’t Lose the Meaning of Christmas

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Christmas seems to come and go so fast. There are so many things going on through December that time seems to fly.

My biggest concern with the busyness is that we will lose the point of Christmas. We all need salvation from sins. Jesus came to earth to be born as a baby, grow to be a man and die for our sins. When we trust in Jesus to save us from our sins, God becomes our stronghold. God will help us; He is our refuge. I hope these thoughts are in our minds all year long.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing salvation. Please help us to remember what You provided for us.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.