Day 16: WE MUST GROW
Father God, thank you for working in us, “to will and to act in order to fulfill Your good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). From forming our inward parts, as you wove us in our mothers’ wombs creating us to be fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:13-14), to growing our capacity as your disciples by making us your “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which You prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Please help us surrender completely to You, Father, so that You can grow our capacity beyond that of human works to powerful vessels of the Holy Spirit. Equip us Lord with everything good for doing Your will, and work in us what is pleasing to You, through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:21).
Challenging circumstances are opportunities to grow our capacity
Jesus our Teacher, as we walk through this life and face trials as You did, please help us carry a right attitude about them, seeing them as opportunities for growth and not inconveniences to our comfort. Help us to “consider it pure joy […] whenever we face trials of many kinds”, knowing “that the testing of our faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3). Help us Jesus to “let perseverance finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” to fulfill the great commission You gave us (vs. 4). As we walk through this year Jesus, please help us to keep our focus on You. Please help us to face each new challenge, be it unrest in our country and world, sickness, financial strain, family crises, relationship challenges, etc., with grace, truth, and iron faith. Please help us Jesus to ask God for wisdom in the face of every new challenge this year. Please give us the fortitude to ask with belief, to listen, and to wait patiently for the answer; to not doubt, so that we are not like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind (James 1:6).
Holy Spirit, our weaver of faith, please grow our faith powerfully this year. Please help us to rest our faith on the power of God and NOT on the wisdom of men (1 Corinthians 2:5). Help us to begin each day with the same request your apostles made, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). “God of hope, please fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that by Your power we may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13). Holy Spirit, please help us to share this hope with all of the people you place in our lives this year, walking in love and righteousness so that we may draw many to the love and salvation of Jesus Christ. We offer up these requests in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
