Category: purpose in life

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. — Philippians 4:12-13

Life is full of ups and downs. So much of what we hold dear can be touched by death, disaster, and decay. What do we have that is certain? To whom can we turn for assurance? Where do we find the power to live victoriously in good times and bad? In the Lord who gives us strength!

LORD God, Father of all creation, I confess that my life and the circumstances in which I try to live it are beyond my ability to control. I thank you for being present to comfort, protect, guide, and empower me to face each situation with confidence and assurance. Because you are with me, O loving Shepherd, I know I will have all I need to live victoriously for you until the day I go to share with you in your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. — Romans 8:12-13 NLT

We have been given the power to overcome temptation and sin. Those of us with a past entrapment to sinful addictions, with current struggles, with sinfully rebellious co-workers and friends surrounding us, and with dysfunctional backgrounds don’t have to repeat the destructive patterns in which we’ve been entrapped. Jesus’ sacrifice for our sin makes us right with God. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead unleashes a new source of incomparably great power for us. The Holy Spirit who lives in us makes this power available to us. Escaping sin’s patterns, addictions, and influences is never easy. It is a daily battle to put to death these powers and influences (Colossians 3:5). Jesus described this battle as denying ourselves daily, following him, and losing our lives for his sake (Luke 9:23-24). We cannot live Jesus’ way on our own! But, when we surrender our wills to the leading of Jesus as Lord and follow the way of the Holy Spirit, we can find a new source of fresh power, the Holy Spirit. Let’s ask the Spirit to help us in our daily battle, and let’s open ourselves to the Spirit’s work in our lives. Ephesians 1:17-20, Ephesians 3:14-21, Ephesians 5:17-21, and Ephesians 6:17-18 give ways to invite the Spirit into our lives with power!

Father, thank you for this promise of the Spirit to bring us the power to live for you. Jesus, I praise you for your sacrifice. Holy Spirit, please lead and empower me to overcome the pull of sin and its addictive power in my life. In the name of the Lord Jesus and through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, I praise you for your grace, dear Father! Amen.

Pray in the Spirit at all times
and on every occasion.
Stay alert and be persistent
in your prayers for
all believers everywhere.
Ephesians 6:18 NLT

“Pray in the Spirit …!” Paul is asking believers to pray consciously recognizing that the Spirit given them when they came to Christ (Ephesians 1:13) gives them direct access to God. That access allows them to pray what is on their hearts (Ephesians 2:18; cf. Romans 8:26-27) and to ask for knowledge, power, and boldness for others (Ephesians 1:17; Ephesians 3:16; Ephesians 6:18-20). In other words, the Spirit lives inside us and empowers our prayers, interceding directly to the heart of God and enabling our prayers to have powerful results! Our prayers are so much more than the words we say. We pray, consciously, alertly, and persistently, speaking to the Creator of the universe, assured we are heard, knowing that God will respond with power and grace in the lives of those for whom we pray!

Father God,
thank you for your incredible
gift of the Holy Spirit
who makes my prayers
much more than my words.
Thank you that I can
pray in the Spirit,
speaking to you spirit to Spirit,
knowing that I am heard
and understood and that the Spirit
conforms my prayers to your will.
Thank you that such intentional praying
brings powerful blessings
for those for whom I pray.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

But you must remain faithful
to the things you have been taught.
You know they are true,
for you know you can trust
those who taught you.
You have been taught
the holy Scriptures from childhood,
and they have given you the wisdom
to receive the salvation that comes
by trusting in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful to teach us what is true
and to make us realize
what is wrong in our lives.
It corrects us when we are wrong
and teaches us to do what is right.
God uses it to prepare and equip
his people to do every good work.  
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT

I love Paul’s challenge to Timothy to be faithful to what he had been taught and to remember why he could trust what he had been taught. Paul reminded Timothy that Scripture can make us wise, give us faith, correct us, teach us, prepare us, and equip us in two important ways: First, through a Spirit-filled mentor or parent, and second, through the Scriptures themselves, which he describes as holy and inspired (God-breathed or Spirit-inspired). The Scriptures’ power lies in the words the Spirit inspired and the people who show the transforming influence of the Spirit at work in their lives. Why wouldn’t we be eager to let the “sword of the Spirit” (God’s word, Ephesians 6:17) be at work in our lives?

Almighty God, thank you
for speaking to us in words.
As I place myself under the guidance
of the words of Scripture,
dear Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit
uses them to form me into a person
who is increasingly more
like Jesus each day.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Against such things
there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

O precious Father, God Most High,
thank you for your patience,
grace, and forgiveness.
I want the Holy Spirit
to lead me and empower me
to grow in every way,
but especially so that I can be
more and more like Jesus in love,
joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control.
Thank you for hearing my prayer
offered in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

And do not bring sorrow
to God’s Holy Spirit
by the way you live.
Remember,
he has identified you as his own,
guaranteeing that you will be
saved on the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:30 NLT

Some other translations say “do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” Two truths scream to be heard. First, the way we live matters deeply to the Spirit! Second, we can actually oppose and wound the Spirit of God who lives in us. As Galatians 5:13-21 reminds us, feeding the fleshly, sinful side of ourselves puts us at war with the Spirit of God. Things like telling lies to each other, acting out our anger, stealing, sharing unwholesome talk among ourselves, living with rage and brawling, and slander are all activities that bring the Holy Spirit sorrow (Ephesians 4:25-32). Living under the influence of the Spirit empowers us to go beyond these bad qualities as we are conformed to be more and more like Jesus  2 Corinthians 3:18 and Galatians 5:22-26).

Father God,
I confess that I sometimes
ignore the impulse of the
Holy Spirit inside of me
and act in ways that are
inconsistent and hurtful to you.
I want to be like Jesus —
more and more under the
influence and control
of your Holy Spirit.
Please open my eyes to your will,
your presence, and your character
as the Spirit leads me.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. — Colossians 4:5-6

Jesus warned us that we would have to answer to God for every idle word we share with others (Matthew 12:36-37). In our time when social media echoes with mean-spirited, ugly, and divisive words, we must hear the Lord’s warning about choosing our words carefully. Paul challenged us to be even more vigilant about what we say and how we say it. The apostle emphasized how significant our influence is on those who don’t know Christ. We want to seize every opportunity to open the hearts of unbelievers to Jesus. When we are around those who are not Christians, we must show kindness, demonstrate care, and exercise control in the way we use our speech. The eternal destiny of those around may be resting on our conversations with them. Let’s season our speech with care. Let’s take advantage of every opportunity we have to open the hearts of others to grace of Jesus!

Holy and Righteous God, I know we break your heart when we, your people, wound and drive unbelievers away with thoughtless and insensitive talk and unkind posts on social media. Please help me, O God, as I seek to display a winsome attitude with all people, but especially toward those who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Use my life and my words to open people’s hearts to Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.   – Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

Precious Father, God Most High, thank you for your patience, grace, and forgiveness. I want the Holy Spirit to lead me and empower me to grow in every way, but especially so that I can be more and more like Jesus in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank you for hearing my prayer offered in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  — Proverbs 3:5-6

Everything that we know is subject to change without notice. Our values are tested in tough times and times of distress. It is vital to stay on course and move forward in the most difficult of circumstances. What do you use for your life’s compass? No matter how insightful, wise, experienced, or knowledgeable we may be, only God can guide our steps properly. God asks us to trust him and his wisdom even when we can’t immediately see the rationale behind it. He wants us to recognize his presence, guidance, and grace in all we do. As we trust and as we acknowledge his presence, we suddenly realize that our paths are a lot straighter and our destinations are a lot a closer.

Father in heaven, please give me courage to not lean on my own understanding. I know my thinking can be flawed and what I intend for good can blow up in my face. Please bless me with wisdom and insight as I seek to live for you in today’s confusing and immoral world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.