December 7
1 Peter 2
Spiritual sacrifice and personal holiness should be the Christian response to trials.
INSIGHT
A pilgrim is a wanderer. A sojourner is one who lives somewhere temporarily. Peter calls us pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We are no longer at home here; we are no longer a part of this world. Whatever we do should be evaluated in light of our true citizenship in heaven. As such, we live by the rules and values of heaven, not earth. Peter writes: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul"(v. 11). When we violate the principles of heaven, it is not only God and His honor that suffer - we suffer.
PRAYER
The Lord has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness and made us citizens of the kingdom of light for which we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. . . .
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works. . . .
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful,
And have forgotten the God who fathered you (Deuteronomy 32:18).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
(John 6:37)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
greater commitment to the Lord,
the work of specific Christian ministries,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"You are worthy . . .
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).
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