A Prayer to Be a Good Steward - Your Daily Prayer - June 20

A Prayer to Be a Good Steward
By Emily Rose Massey

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.^[e] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'"- Matthew 25:21 ESV 

The thought that one day we will stand before the throne of God and be judged for how we lived our lives here on earth is a sobering thought. As believers in Christ, we know our sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus on the cross, and we stand before the judgment seat forgiven. Tragically, the unbeliever will be held accountable for every sin they have committed against the thrice holy God and must suffer the consequences of their rebellion. Eternal torment under the wrath of God is their sentence, and the lake of fire will be their future home. 

Although the believer's sins are no longer counted against them, they are still held accountable for their action (or lack thereof) for God's Kingdom's sake. As children of God, we are to shine brightly and reflect Him to the world. We do that by living our lives with the sole purpose of glorifying the Father; Through our good deeds, men who don't even believe will glorify Him (Matthew 5:16). This life here on earth is a grace gift from God. It should be our joy to thank Him by stewarding every resource and talent we have been given well. In Matthew 25, Christ shares a parable that explains how our life on earth matters. Every deed is recognized, and our Master and King will reward us:

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'" Matthew 25:21 ESV

It's often difficult to keep an eternal perspective in the midst of the mundane of life. Still, every moment is an opportunity to glorify Christ and continue in gratefulness and joy, no matter the task. Our life is worship unto our God. Worship is ascribing worth to something or someone. It is what you devote your time, devotion, affection, finances, and heart to. If you allow yourself to reflect on this, you will know where everything in your life will go. 

Are you paying attention to where you are giving most of your life? If you worship anyone or anything besides God Almighty, the Bible calls those people or those things idols. And when it comes to God, He doesn't want you to give yourself away entirely to anything or anyone but Him. He's not egotistical or prideful. He loves us so much and wants us to see the world and people like He does. The more we behold our King, the more we become like Him and long to reflect Him to a lost and dying world, using our life: time, resources, talents, finances, and good works to point others to Him. The world needs the hope of Christ, and we are to be carriers of that message which sets the captives free and gives them eternal life in Christ alone. We want to be faithful, obedient servants to our King to see His Gospel and His Kingdom advance in the earth. Do you long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" Let's ask the Holy Spirit to ignite a passion in our hearts to become good stewards of this precious life we have been given, all for God's glory and name!

Let's pray:
Heavenly Father,

Thank You for allowing me to serve You with this gift of life You have given me. I am grateful for all the finances, time, talents, and passion I can use to glorify Your name and point others to You. Help me keep my mind fixed on eternal matters and say no to the world's entanglements. I want to be a faithful steward of the things I have been blessed with so that Your Kingdom can advance on the earth and others may come to know You as I do. Please give me the grace to live boldly for You and not take any moment for granted on this earth. I want to be wise with how I spend every day, making sure that everyone knows who I serve. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images / Dmytro Varavin

Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a stay-at-home momma while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written Word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com

Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.

Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith

Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going. 

Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.

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