Heavenly Father I am still after 40 years still learning Your word. I am still seeking wisdom, understanding, knowledge and discernment. I praise You for helping me over 40 years of salvation to have grown beyond just the milk of the word and now I can sink my teeth into the meat of it. I realize I am not as learned as many who understand the Greek and Hebrew words or have studied theology and doctrines, but I have read Your word all the way through over 5 times and studied not only many of the scriptures and people, but the history of the times.
Holy Spirit help me to heed the advice of Peter and “make every effort to add virtue to my faith; and to my virtue, knowledge and to my knowledge, self-control; and to my self-control, patient endurance; and to my patient endurance, godliness; and to my godliness, brotherly kindness, and to my brotherly kindness love. For I understand that by adding these to my life and they work through me and are lived out that my life will neither be useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [2Peter:5-8]
Holy Spirit with this as my goal in life help me lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles me. And run with endurance the race that is set before me. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, who for the joy that set before Him endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest I become weary and my heart gives up. Let me remember I am encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses. I want to run my race with the patience of a marathon runner, knowing full well that life is not a sprint, but a well measured run. Help me when I become winded and can’t see the end that I will continue to move one foot in front of the other until I gain my energy to push on. Help me to run with courage and with encouragement to others who run also. Teach me to number my days so that I will continue my pace until I reach heaven. [Hebrews 12:1-3]
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. For we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to pray, ….Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:14-21)