“Know His incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:19)
We are pulled in different directions, and hardly any of the popular notions we are tempted to entertain on a daily basis would have us following Jesus as God intends. But prayer is powerful. Through our wavering, the Holy Spirit translates, and God hears. In Christ, we have peace in knowing that when we lift our confusion into His hands, He will faithfully guide us and answer us.
Father, praise You for guiding us faithfully through this life. Fish live under the water, and though the wind chases the surface into a fury, schools of them swim peacefully under the surface. As the fish peacefully wait out the waves swimming under the water, we seek shelter under Your arms of pure love. Praise Jesus, who came to earth as a living reflection of Your love, to take us in His arms and show us how to weather the stormy seas of life.
Our great God, You are our rock. When our ship is tossed, we can throw anchor to the bottom and know that You will steady us. You will keep us from running aground as the storm passes through our lives without regard for the destruction left in the wake.
Christ came to earth and followed Your will wholeheartedly, never doubting and never straying. He knew what His purpose was in life. It’s not as obvious for us, Father, and we struggle to find our trajectory on the surface of this globe. The earth shifts rapidly and we race to keep up. Forgive us, Father, for chasing after our own ambitions, goals, and fortunes. We confess the motives of our heart that steer us off of the path You have planned for us… the purpose You have placed in us. Each of us have been blessed with a gift that lights us up. Whether it’s being kind, good at math, stringing words together, running fast, starting businesses, or building airplanes, the number of talents that You have knit into the body of Your church are as endless as the personality traits that harbor them.
Help us to know that we are on Your path for our lives. When we want to claim our achievements as our own, and our talents as abilities we’ve fostered and accomplished ourselves, by the power of Your Holy Spirit in us, remind us to hit our knees and raise our hands to You - Creator of all.
Thank You for the diversity in which You have equipped each of us, and help us each to grow closer to Your Son, Jesus, so that we may be able to experience the full glory of seeing the talents You have given us contribute to the growth of Your church and the steadfast planting and watering of the Gospel.
Jesus, take our hands and guide our feet. Bless our choices in education and profession. Guide our reactions through victory and defeat. May our hearts grow more like Yours each day, as we look around at the people You’ve placed in our lives to reach. Help us to love those people in Your honor, through our talents and gifts. Through the distractions of everyday life, allow us to hear Your call and follow You always.
Following the beginning of a God-planted dream is exciting and promising, but in the valleys of hard work that always follow, sometimes we lose our strength. In those moments when we are tempted to doubt Your call on our lives, or our ability to carry out the plans You’ve laid before us, strengthen us by Your Spirit. Stir in us Your spark. Help us to overcome the doubts, pressures, and hardships that will plague us as we trudge behind Jesus. Straighten us up to see all that we are in Your eyes, not that of the world’s.
You promise us that we will have trouble in this world. But You also give us the encouragement of Ephesians 1:19. From Paul, who authored this verse, You promise that we are equipped and ready tackled the day’s agenda. One day at a time, we lean toward the dream You planted. Paul suffered immensely while He lived out Your calling on his life. Because of what he endured, we know we can withstand this life, too. In Your time, on Your watch, in Your will, we will follow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Meg Bucher writes about everyday life within the love of Christ on her blog, http://sunnyand80.org. “Mom” is the most important calling on her life, next to encouraging others to seek Him first… authentically. A dance mom, occasional substitute teacher, and youth worship leader, she can often be found having some kind of an adventure in the small little lake town she resides in with her husband of ten years, two daughters, and their doodle-dog.
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