O Gracious Lord, how I long to bask in the goodness and grace You have to give. For there is none like You … mighty in battle, yet tender and loving to me. Your ways guide me on a straight and narrow path that leads to a life of victory and eternal rest. I know that I cannot resist You and accomplish anything of significance with my life. I want Your help in learning how to subordinate my will to Yours with You as the Master and me as the servant. For all good things come from You and I can do little good on my own. I no longer want to walk independently from You. I want to be dependent on Your strength, wisdom and covering. Show me how to yield everything to You … no longer being over confident and haughty. Through the Holy Spirit, teach me how to overcome my flesh and follow Your leading. I know that my submission and obedience are the greatest gifts I can give to You as a sign of my love and devotion.
Following in Your footsteps requires sacrifice on my part. And sacrifice requires giving of my all, even when I don’t feel I have much to give. Surely You came to understand the meaning of sacrifice as You traveled the bloody road to Calvary. Help me learn how to deny myself as You did so unselfishly. Teach me to forget seeking what is best for me in order to look after what is best for others. That kind of service leads to maturity and fulfillment. I know that as I take my focus off of me and become more pliable … this will allow me to be led of the Spirit and, thereby, be more easily conformed to Your ways. As Your Word proclaims … I am formed in Your image … therefore, I can only feel complete when I lose sight of myself and focus on who I am in You. I can only receive what You have to give if I take on Your mission and become Your messenger.
Be generous to me, O Lord, so I in turn can be generous to others. For You have taught me that it is better to give than to receive. Help me in detaching myself from the things I have accumulated in my life because as I focus on them, I lose focus on You. Be my constant reminder that everything I have comes from You and is on loan. As generous as You’ve been to me, so must I be generous in my dealings with others. I never want to lose sight of Your truth that tells me that, by whatever measure I use to give, the same measure will be used to meet my needs. A key word that goes along with giving is “freely” because You give freely to me so I must be willing to do the same toward others. I must give liberally without remorse or regret or being stingy or miserly. Giving freely opens the doors of Your storehouse and allows me to attain the goals You have set for me. As You teach me how to follow You, I know I will find the pathway to victory and peace. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.