Heavenly Father I praise You for the time I had this weekend with my wife. I praise You for the church family I am beginning to get to know and for the food of Your word given on Sunday. I praise You for answered prayer as Kayla that we prayed over has finally got a diagnosis and doctors that are helping her heal. She still has a long road and still needs prayer but now there is direction. I also praise You for the answered prayer for Mark and Liz. You have given them jobs and directions for now so that they can grow spiritually and protect their family and see it grow.
Holy Spirit I praise You for opening my eyes yesterday to a question I have often had. Why do people become so skeptical about the reality of You. Then the pastor yesterday gave me a keen insight. “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As My Father sent Me, even so I send you.’ When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.’ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail prints in His hands, and put my finger in the nail prints, and put my hand in His side, I will not believe.’ After eight days His disciples were again inside with the doors shut, and Thomas was with them.” Even though the ten disciples had seen Jesus, they still met in the room with the doors closed, were they still afraid? Were they trying to be secret? No, wonder Thomas did not believe them, what had really changed since the death of Christ?
Holy Spirit help people to see the change in my attitude, the way I live the work I do, the effort I put forth so that they can believe the words from my mouth. Help them to see You in every aspect of my life. Let them hear Your Spirit speaking through my lips. Help them to see Your love with whatever I may be doing at the time. Let them know that I am not only Your temple, but a living sacrifice for You each day I take a breath in this world. “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I have become as a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.” [1Cor. 13:1-2]
Holy Spirit teach me to love with Your love, to act with Your leading, to speak with Your words and Your intentions. Let me completely and abundantly removed from taking control of my life so that You can use me and shine love through me to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.