Heavenly Father, I praise You for today. I praise You for each day that I wake up, breathe and begin. I praise You for creating me and I praise You that I am made with a purpose. I praise You for teaching me through trials and that You also lead me up and over mountains. I praise You for the beauty I have witnessed in life, like my bride, my children being born, grandchildren being born, and also for letting me witness the ugly darkness of this world so that I crave heaven even more.
Holy Spirit help me to take to heart what You inspired Paul to write when he said, “In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and imposters will become worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” [2Timothy 3:12-17, CSB] Holy Spirit help me to remember all that I have learned, studied, and what I am learning from Your word, from Your appointed leaders, from fellow sojourners to apply and live a life that will not only be inspired by Your inspired word and wisdom, but will reflect and pour out onto others to lead them to You.
Holy Spirit I know because I serve You in a very broken evil world I will be viewed as different, naïve, backward, and dangerous. I know that I will be viewed as the enemy for the enemy has control of their lives. I pray that You will make me bold, strong, courageous but with humility, meekness, and with love. I know these three things will endure forever hope, faith, and love. Let me exhibit all three, hold onto all three, and grow in all three. I want what is everlasting.
But you, man [or woman] of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 1Timothy 6:11-16