Stopping Complacency

Heavenly Father I praise You for today. I praise You for creating me, the world, and all that is in it. I praise You for Your faith in me to seek You daily and to trust in You. I praise You for the gift of salvation that opens the door to a full relationship with You and citizenship into Your kingdom and heaven. I praise You for being a Father who does what is right for me and for all Your children. 

You, O God, demonstrate Your love towards us, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than, having now been justified by His Blood, I shall be saved from wrath through Him. [Romans 5:8&9] Holy Spirit help me never to take this for granted. I know I am not perfect and every day I continue to walk with You and learn to shed my sinful life and put on my redeemed life. Help me to not let the business of this world, my job, and life get in the way of losing sight of the gift I have been given and the nearness You desire of me. Help me to learn to listen, walk, and focus on what You desire of me. Then help me to do the same with my wife, my children, grandchildren, and then all the other things that come behind that. Help me to keep perspective and awareness of priorities and responsibilities. Let me always put You first and let no idles take hold or place in my life.  

Therefore, let me not sleep as others do. But let me be alert and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But let me, who is of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed me to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for me, so that whether I am awake or asleep, I will live together with Him. So, I will comfort myself, and edify my brothers and sisters. I will acknowledge those who labor around me, and/or are appointed over me in the Lord, and instruct me. I will esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among the members of the body of Christ. I have been exhorted, to warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, and be patient toward everyone. I will not render evil for evil to anyone. But always seek to do good to others. I will rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me. I will not quench the Spirit. Nor will I despise prophecies. I will examine all things. Firmly hold onto what is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil. May the very God of peace sanctify me completely. And I pray to God that my whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For I know that faithful is He who calls me, for He also will do it. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-24