My Majestic Redeemer, because You are morally perfect I believe You can help me live above my tendencies to compromise with this world. When I can focus on Your greatness, You empower me to overcome sin and become a reflection of Your goodness. I cannot excuse myself from not living up to Your standards because I am responsible for all my choices … good ones reaping rewards and bad ones reaping punishment. Rather than neglect You, I must recognize my sins for what they are … rebellion against You. I must choose to follow You rather than go my own way and fall into sin. Your promise of restoration encourages me if I stumble along the way. I must never follow You for the benefits I will receive, but because I love You. My relationship with You should not be built on what You can do for me but what I can do for You. It is my faith in You that brings me future victories.
If I want You to be my leader, I must be willing to follow You wherever You might lead. The road You ask me to travel will not always be comfortable. For it is the discomfort that the best is pulled from me. Nothing in my relationship with You comes cheaply … instead, everything comes with a price. My devotion must be more than just words, it must be my faith put into action. If You ask me to be the leader of others, I must be willing to take care of them in the same way that You take care of me. It may require the sacrifice of my personal pleasure, happiness, time, or money … but didn’t you have to sacrifice for my benefit? To become a real leader, I must be faithful and true to the things You have been teaching me. If I allow myself to be changed into Your image, I will lead a life that surpasses the best of anything I can conceive.
I believe that in Your faithfulness You will deliver on all Your promises. What I stress over is how will I deliver on all the promises I’ve made to You? I am confident enough in my relationship with You to know that You will restore me if I go astray so long as I accept responsibility for my sin, confess it and repent of it. To be prepared for my times of testing, I must keep my focus on You. If I listen intently for Your voice, I am sure You will give me hints of what is coming or at least fortify me to persevere through them. By whole-hearted worship of You, I will learn submissiveness and how to be holy as You are holy. I can never be victorious via my own understanding and strength. I need Yours to be successful. By paying attention to Your instructions, I will be able to undergo the changes necessary to lead a righteous life. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I John 5:4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.