Heavenly Father I praise You for creating me in Your image and uniquely to the need of the purpose You have for me. I start today by claiming through Your power to take command of my morning and shake any evil out of it. I also give You honor, glory, and praise for today for You have allowed us another day to learn, live, and grow.
Holy Spirit You inspired Peter to write: submit yourselves to the elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and clothe yourselves with humility, because “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you. Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him firmly in the faith, knowing that your brotherhood experiences the same afflictions throughou the world. [1 Peter 5:5-9] Help me to be more like the people who have learned to keep lions at bay in cages or on ranges where they can not harm humans. Help me to be respectful, and wary but not afraid of my enemy which tries to make all of us stumble and fail. Help me to remember my God is greater and has eternal plans for that liar. Help me to listen to Your voice and promptings so that I stay the course and learn to live righteously and humbly. Help me to control my tongue, and thoughts, and to be wise in how I live among all people. For I am no greater or lesser than anyone else. I am a child of God, forgiven and marked for eternity with Him. All of us were made in God’s image, with different gifts, abilities, and purposes but all for the glory of God making us all equal when we view each other from the eternal point of view. Help me to have pride in serving God but not in who I am for as David wrote in the Psalms I am nothing, I am a worm. Only God has made me something and that is to glorify Him, not myself. I take comfort in this and learn to rely on Joy for my strength to face each day and to face all who come into the sphere of my day.
Let me continually offer the sacrifice of praise to You, oh God, that is, the fruit of my lips, giving thanks to Your name. Help me to not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices You are well pleased. I will do my best to obey those who rule over me and be submissive for they watch out for my soul, and they will give account for how they lead. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for me. For I am confident that I have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially am urged to do this. 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 me complete in every good work to do His will, working in me what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:14-21)