As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”
Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Stop and Consider
Can this kind of impetuousity ever square with mature Christianity? Under what conditions and situations do you find it called for? Yes. There are times that we need to just act based on what we see or know – life if someone is hurting or in trouble, or if we see God up ahead. Jesus came so that we might have joy and abundant life. We also need to be able to ENJOY life with Him.
What happens to those who lose (or never discover) their ability to cut loose with Jesus every now and then? They become legalistic, judgmental Pharisees who think anything and everything fun or pleasurable is sin. Unfortunately, a LOT of Christians fall into that category.
Praying God’s Word Today
Lord, You reached down from on high and took hold of me. You pulled me out of deep waters (Ps. 18:16). For this if nothing else, I dive headfirst today into the deep waters of worship. Yes, my enemy was too strong for me, confronting me in the day of my distress, but You were my support. You brought me out to a wide-open place and rescued me because You delighted in me (Ps. 18:17-19). What incredible, unthinkable grace! Receive today my unrestrained praise.
I will love You, O LORD, my strength. You are my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust. I will call upon You, for You are worthy to be praised. You will save me from my enemies. My cries will always be heard by You. You will light my lamp; You will enlighten my darkness. Your word is proven. Enlarge my path under me so that my feet do not slip. Arm me with strength for battle. Vindicate me by Your righteousness. Contend with those who contend with me. You are my avenger.
After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, ”We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
Stop and Consider
What do you typically do when time is hanging heavy, spiritually speaking – when you’re is that antsy, uncomfortable gap between asking for guidance and receiving directions? Worry, read the Bible, do things to help me relax – read, play games, watch fun shows, take a hot bath, play with my dog, spend time with my family, eat.
The disciples found themselves in this same kind of “what do we do now?” spiritual limbo. What do you make of their decision to go fishing? They went back to what was familiar – what gave them comfort and control. Something that they could just DO without having to think about it.
Praying God’s Word Today
Lord, the reason You have shown us such vivid proof of Your power is so we will know that You are God, that there is no other besides You (Deut. 4:35). Today I recognize and keep in mind that You are God in heaven above and on earth below. There is no other. So I will keep Your statutes and be faithful to Your commands (Deut. 4:39-40), resting in the knowledge of Your powerful reality until You show me the next path to take.
Show me Your ways. Teach me Your paths. Make my heart more like Yours. Help me to have thicker skin when it comes to people hurting my feelings or turning down my attempts to reach out to them. Help me to continue to pray for them even in the midst of my hurt. Help me to also be quick to forgive if they reach back out to me. I don’t want to be a grudge-holder. Help me to focus on You and Your will and do that is honoring to You. May Your words heal my hurts.
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the One they have pierced.”
Stop and Consider
What can you testify about Jesus, just from being near Him the last few days and weeks? Don’t answer quickly and generally. Be thoughtful. Be specific. He is the Creator of life and loves all of us. He made the ultimate sacrifice, setting aside power, comfort, and position so that we could have a chance a redemption. Whatever suffering I endure here on earth, it pales in comparison to what He subjected Himself to on my behalf.
What do you do when you can’t explain what Jesus is doing – like when He hasn’t stopped a tragedy, or when He’s not lifting another’s suffering? I think about how much we have fallen from what He intended us to be and how much it must pain Him to have to let us live with our choices. When I or someone I care about is experiencing a difficult time, I always gravitate to the Psalms and prayer God’s Word back to Him over the situation. I claim His promises, and trust that He will do what He says He will do.
Praying God’s Word Today
Thank You, Lord, for sending us Your Counselor – the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father. He testifies of You. And as a result, I too can testify to what I have seen and heard, because You have allowed me to be near You and to learn of You (John 15:26-27). Keep me close, Lord, and never stop teaching me more and more, that I may declare Your power and goodness as long as I live.
Your Word is living and active, and penetrates to the very depths of my soul (Heb. 4:12). Your Word is powerful and effective, and enables me to do mighty things that I could not do on my own. You have told us that Your Word will not return to You void – it will do what You have declared and accomplish what You want it to accomplish (Is. 55:11). Your Word is Jesus, and He has achieved the purpose for which He was sent. Your Word is fulfilled. We will win for He has already won.
Carrying His own cross, He went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified Him, and with Him two others – one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be the king of the Jews.”
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, “They divided My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Stop and Consider
How do you imagine the fulfillment of this responsibility played itself out over the course of John and Mary’s remaining years? John would have taken Mary into his home and provided for her until her death. I am sure that he treated her especially well, as if she were his own mother. He probably enjoyed hearing her tell of stories from Jesus’ childhood as much as she enjoyed hearing him tell of all the miraculous things he witnessed Jesus do.
What responsibilities has the Lord placed upon you? And just as this one was between John and Mary, how are your responsibilities expressions of His care for you and others? My first and foremost responsibility is to my family – my husband and son. My number one job is to be a godly wife and mother, to care for my family’s needs by being financially responsible, emotionally available, and to have a servant’s heart so that the love of Christ is seen through me. My next responsibility is to my extended family and friends – my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am to be a loyal friend, a confidante, and an encourager. Everything else comes after those things. God has placed people in my life to help me grow so that I can then help someone else grow by being a positive influence in their lives.
This question is hard for most of us to answer, but think of it as a tribute to God and His gifting grace rather than self-promotion. What has He made “simply different” about you? And how can you use this to bring honor to Him? I learn easily. I am able to grasp things quickly and then perform tasks well based on what I have learned. I am intelligent and good with technology. I can use these gifts to assist others in their work and to do my work quickly and efficiently. I am using my grasp of technology and “gadgets” to serve in my church’s media ministry, and also to help other ministries and individuals increase their internet presence.
Praying God’s Word Today
I know, Lord, that You are able to make every grace overflow to me, so that in every way, always having everything I need, I may excel in every good work You have placed before me (2 Cor. 9:8). I stand today secure in both Your calling and Your equipping, trusting in Your Word, thankful that I can be complete in You (2 Tim. 3:17).
Let me not forget that I can do all things when you strengthen me (Phil. 4:13). Help me to lay aside everything that would distract me from following You – anger, irritation, hurt feelings, pride. Help me to also set a better example for my family. Help me to have a servant’s heart and attitude. I want to be a bearer of good fruit so that my life reflects You. Whatever I do, may I work at it with all my heart, as working for You, not for men, since I know that I will receive an inheritance from You as a reward. It is You I am serving, and no one else (Col. 3:23-24).
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Stop and Consider
How fitting that a garden was nearby the scene of such tragedy and loss. Besides the resurrection of Christ, what else have you seen grow up among the weeds of grief and despair? Hope, joy, forgiveness, humility, strength, compassion, love, renewal, graciousness, integrity, empathy, sympathy, commitment, perseverance, intestinal fortitude, patience, peace, kindness, gentleness, self-control.
What kind of cooperation is required from us if we are ever to experience tender shoots coming forth from the barren ground? We must be open to being broken up and dug into, just as soil must be tilled and broken in order to become fertile and bring forth life. We have to trust what God is working in our lives for our good, and not evil. The process may be painful, but if we persevere during our tests and trials, we will come forth as gold (Job 23:10).
Several people in my life, including me, have recently experienced – or are in the process of experiencing – significant personal trials. Lives have been shaken and rattled, but God will NOT let us fall. We are His (Isaiah 43:1). He will contend with those who contend with us (Ps. 35:1). No matter what happens to us in this life, WE WIN IN THE END. WE ARE HIS.
Praying God’s Word Today
Lord Jesus, You died and came to life for this: that You might rule over both the dead and the living (Rom. 14:9). And because we know that what we sow does not come to life unless it dies (1 Cor. 15:37), I give You every part of me today, knowing that even if death occurs, You have newness awaiting me.
You have promised us that those who die in You will rise at Your return (1 Thes. 4:16). We can do this because You crossed over from death to life first so that we may do the same (John 5:24). You are the First and the Last. You are the Living One; You were dead, but now You are alive forever and ever! You hold the keys of death and Hades. We do not need to fear (Rev. 1:17-18). My dad stepped into Your glory on this day four years ago. I cannot even begin to comprehend the wonders he has seen since that day. I praise You that I know EXACTLY where he is and look forward to the day when I see him again and we can praise You together.
Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”
When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Stop and Consider
Have you ever seen someone you consider to be a rock in unabashed anguish, virtually inconsolable, overwhelmed with sorrow? What impact did it have on you? No, I haven’t. Honestly, I don’t know that many people that I can call a “rock.” And I also think that we, as humans, tend to hide our sorrow from others or to turn away and not look at someone else’s sorrow out of discomfort.
Can genuine strength and deep emotion dwell in the same person? How does seeing this in Jesus challenged your view of what steadiness and resiliency are made of? Yes, they can dwell in the same person. It is just extremely rare to find someone with both of those qualities. You don’t have to be a cold-hearted person to be strong and steady. At the same time, you can show genuine emotion and experience deep, intense feelings without being a basketcase all the time.
Praying God’s Word Today
Lord, Your people have long known the feeling of sorrow – like Jeremiah, who cried out in lament for Your suffering people: “My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in agony! Oh, the pain in my heart! I cannot be silent” (Jer. 4:19). I know life is serious, Lord. My enemies are vigorous and powerful. I am attacked for pursuing good. But I also know that You will never abandon me, my God. Do not be far from me. Hurry to help me, Lord, my Savior (Ps. 38:19-22), for my hope is in You. When I cry, I cry out to You.
You have promised to be with me and strengthen me when I obey You. I have seen how Satan uses people to attack those who are working for Your kingdom. Help me to not become cynical and hateful as a result of the hatefulness and evil of those who hate You. Let me pray for them and leave them to You. You are in control and will deal with them accordingly. Let me focus, instead, on my mission and not be distracted by them.
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
Stop and Consider
We want to believe the best in people. But at times we need to be discerning enough to say, “Something’s wrong.” What does the church need to do in situations like these? We need to prayerfully seek God’s guidance and have the courage to address the situation. It’s much easier to say than do, though. Especially if those acting contrary to how a follower of Christ should act are friends, family, or authority figures.
How are you protecting your heart and feet from walking the betrayer’s path? What can you do to help others keep their lives open and honest before the Lord? I need to spend more time meditating on God’s Word and guarding what goes into my head and comes out of my mouth. I can hold my tongue and live by example. I have learned over the course of the last year or so how deeply careless words spoken in irritation or out of plain meanness can wound others.
Praying God’s Word Today
Father, Your Word has warned us that men from among ourselves will rise up with deviant doctrines to lure Your disciples into following them (Acts 20:30). But Lord, our desire is that we would no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. Rather, speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Christ, who is the head (Eph. 4:14-15). Sanctify us by the truth; Your word is truth (John 17:17).
Help me to not replace my relationship with You by putting anything else in its place. Other things in life can play a large part in following You – a very important part – but all too often people make them their gods instead of You, and live their lives totally devoted to that idol. Help me to keep my priorities in the proper order, and to keep You in first place, followed by my family, then my church relationships, then everything else following that.
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray Me.”
His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them He meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask Him which one He means.”
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into Him.
“What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Stop and Consider
What kind of person is most likely to be “close” to Jesus? Does it require a certain temperament or disposition – a particular kind of upbringing or background? I think that the person most likely to be close to Jesus is the person who is willing to humble themselves and become a servant and seek after Him. The person who becomes like a little child, believing and trusting in Jesus at face value, not questioning or trying to figure everything out.
What are the best parts of being close to Him on a regular, ongoing basis? What do you miss most when you’re not? Closeness to Jesus brings out godly qualities – like the fruits of the Spirit. Distance invites Satan to enter in and rob us of our Christ-likeness. Personally, when I am praying and studying daily, I feel a huge sense of safety and security. My faith increases and I know with confidence that God is for me, not against me, and that He knows the plans He has for me. When I am not praying and studying daily, old thoughts of worry and doubt creep in and steal my joy and make me forget that I am His and that He fights for me daily.
Praying God’s Word Today
I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory (Ps. 63:2). And when on my bed, I think of You. I meditate on You during the night watches because You are my help; I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings. I follow close to You; Your right hand holds on to me (Ps. 63:6-8). In public, in private, my desire is to be close to You.
Renew a steadfast and right spirit within me. You are a shield around me. You bestow glory on me and lift up my head (Ps. 3:3). You are a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You (Ps. 9:9-10). Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long (Ps. 25:4-5). I want to draw near to You with a sincere heart in the full assurance of faith, having my heart sprinkled to cleanse me from a guilty conscience and having my body washed with pure water (Heb. 10:22).
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
Stop and Consider
How deeply do you believe that each day is another opportunity to be on mission with God, that He has tasks in mind for you today that are specifically ordained for your life? Over the past year, I have really felt this deeply. It hasn’t always taken the form that I expected, but I can look back over the last few years of my life and see how God has been at work in and through me. I am excited to see what things He has in store for me next.
How does your response to the above question affect the way you approach your morning, your lunch hour, your free time at home or around town? I try to make sure to start each day off in prayer and Bible study. I have been more consciencious about doing this lately. I also try, when possible, to spend some quiet time at lunch, even if it is only for a few minutes. I need to be aware of balance in my life – to make sure that I have my priorities aligned properly. God should always come first, followed by family, then everything else after that. I also need to be aware of opportunities to positively impact and serve those around me, whether people I work with on a daily basis or someone I pass in a store and will never see again. As Beth says, “Christ’s appointments are never haphazard.”
Think of one or two particular situations that are present in your life right now. What “secrets” of God’s will and way are you learning as you go through these seasons of time? First, I am learning that my history is tied to my destiny. I have to embrace the things in my past that I might not necessarily be that proud of and allow God to work through them so I can be an effective worker in His kingdom. Second, I am learning that God doesn’t work on our time table. He might not necessarily give us what we think we need when we think we need it. We must learn to be patient and trust that He is good and wants our good as well. Third, I am learning that prayer will help us to find that patience we need in order to making it through our waiting period without going absolutely insane. Learning to pray God’s Word back to Him has dramatically, fundamentally, and forever changed the way I pray. I, quite honestly, didn’t know HOW to pray until just recently – and I’d been in church all my life! I’ve found out that it isn’t hard, and it really isn’t something that you have to “learn” how to do. God has given us His Word, and there is something somewhere in it that speaks to every experience we will face. Simply open the book, and make His Word your prayer. Isaiah 55:11 says, ”So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Second Timothy 2:11 tells us that, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannotdenyHimself.” I don’t think I am stretching it too far to that when we pray God’s promises for us back to Him, that He will hear us, because He cannot ignore the promises He had made. It might not necessarily happen tomorrow, but God WILL do what He has said He would do.
Praying God’s Word Today
Father, it gives me great encouragement to know that You are a friend to the upright, that You take us into Your confidence (Prov. 3:32). And that because of being rightly related with You through Jesus Christ, we can understand Your teaching if we truly want to know Your will (John 7:17).
You have told me to ask, and it will be given to me; seek, and I will find; knock, and it will be opened for me. (Matt. 7:7). You have given me permission to boldy approach Your throne of grace (Heb 4:6). Your face, LORD, I will seek (Ps. 27:8). If I will trust in You and delight myself in You, You will give me the desires of my heart. If I commit my life to You and trust in You, You will bring it to pass (Ps. 37:3-5). Before You formed me in the womb You knew me; before I was born You sanctified me (Jer. 1:5). O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer Your servant is praying before You day and night. Let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name (Neh. 1: 5-6, 11).
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to see him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” He asked.
They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
“We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Stop and Consider
Being very honest, where are the most telling pockets of immaturity in your life? In what areas does this “servant” and “slave” mentality have the hardest time getting through? Honestly, driving. I can’t stand it when people drive as if they own the road and put the lives of others at risk because they can’t get their lazy butts out of bed five minutes earlier. That gets me bent out of shape quicker than anything. That, and also when someone unfairly criticizes me, treats me like a second-class citizen, or treats me as if I were an idiot. That will straighten my spine quicker than anything.
Thinking of some of the most mature believers you know, what is it that sets them apart? Patience, graciousness, wisdom, humility, gentleness, soft-spokenness, kindness, always edifying others, empathetic, sympathetic, genuine, honest, possesses great integrity.
Praying God’s Word Today
Lord God, I know well what it’s like to be haughty in mind and spirit, to be known by You from afar (Ps. 138:6) when I could instead be living within the full experience of Your pleasure, adorned with Your salvation, celebrating and shouting for joy in Your presence (Ps. 149:4-5), enjoying all the benefits of nearness. Because of Your name, Lord, forgive my sin, for it is great (Ps. 25:11). Humble me that I may eat and be satisfied, seeking You, Lord, forever. (Ps. 22:26).
Let me do nothing through selfish ambition or conceit, but let me esteem others better than me. Let me look out not only for my own interests, but for the interests of others. Let me do all things without complaining and disputing, so that I may shine as a light in the world. Help me to have compassion on others, to love them and be tenderhearted and courteous, not returning evil for evil, but blessing so that I might be blessed.
