For the love of God…

Beyond all question,
the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Why would Jesus do it? How did he do it? How was he “God with us” and still in “human flesh”? We cannot fully comprehend it, but he was! The Son of God was also Jesus of Nazareth, born and placed in a manger and crucified on a cross. But he was raised from the dead and shown to be God’s Son with power. He was seen by angels, both on earth after his resurrection and in heaven at the throne of God. He has been preached and believed on by people all over the world. The glory that he has he will one day show and share with us. Understanding godliness begins with Jesus!

Holy and marvelous God,
your plan to redeem and
save a sinner like me,
along with those like me
all around the world,
is incredible.
Your love that led you
to such sacrifice is
beyond comprehension.
I thank you for this
overwhelming grace.
I ask you to forgive
me of my sins.
Please empower me
with your Spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead
so the mystery of your godliness
may be seen in my life today,
in my family,
among my friends,
before my co-workers,
by those with whom I encounter,
and especially in the
presence of my enemies.
In Jesus’ mighty name I pray.
Amen.

A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.

My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
Psalm 71:8 (NIV)

Our mouths can be physically filled with wholesome food or junk food. We can also choose for our mouths to be filled with praise for God and his loving grace or our mouths can spew garbage. Our daily conversations can be about many things and speak to many different people about many different subjects. Or… we can choose to declare the greatness, majesty, and splendor of our heavenly Father all during our day. Why don’t we choose to praise God with our mouths and tell him of his greatness and let others know of his grace as we go about today’s activities?

Holy and marvelous Father,
you are God of all creation
and also God of all grace.
Thank you for your kindness
shared with me in Jesus.
Thank you for your powerful
victory over death when you
raised him from the dead.
Thank you for your patience
with me as I sometimes stumble,
but am always desiring to more
perfectly reflect the character of Jesus.
Please help me, O Lord,
to profess and to show my
love and admiration for you
all during this day. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.