A Prayer to Prepare Our Hearts to Serve Others
By Lynette Kittle
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” - Philippians 2:6-7
Many Christians look for places and ways to serve others, wanting to help the less fortunate and needy in the world, often finding opportunities in their own communities and close to home. Sadly, though, sometimes the same believers looking for ways to serve outside their homes are unwilling to serve within them, but serving at home is where the real test of the heart occurs. At home, it’s easy to see our family members as quite capable of taking care of themselves. Consequently, we often miss out on opportunities to serve them, not realizing how important it is to serve each other in our own homes.
Most of us often learn how to serve others by watching those close to us serve. As neighbors, friends, co-workers, family members, and especially as parents, we have countless opportunities to model serving one another and, in the process, to encourage and inspire others to serve each other.
Learning to Serve Others by Example
Growing up, my Dad served our family in so many ways, along with working full-time and providing for us. Often, he would make us special individual salads, bring home surprises for us, fix items for us, take us wherever we needed to go, and so much more--all ways of serving others that helped us experience and learn from his example in how to do the same. Even though he was the head of the household, served as pastor, and held important positions in the community, he didn’t see himself as above serving others. Even when we would be out at a restaurant, if he saw the servers were busy, he’d pick up the coffee pot and walk around filling up customers’ coffee cups. Fortunately, the eatery didn’t mind him helping out and appreciated his selfless assistance, even though, at times, as kids, we would try to hide, giggling and feeling embarrassed by his stepping in uninvited to serve.
Jesus, Our Example in How to Serve Others
Often, we as Christians overlook how Jesus came as our example in how to serve one another. Even though He was fully God and fully man, He didn’t use His divine nature as an excuse to avoid serving others on earth. As our example, Jesus served in complete obedience to the will of God, His Father. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). Jesus’ willingness to submit to God by serving us brought us Salvation. Matthew 20:28 explains how, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Like Isaiah 42:1 prophesied, “Here is My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.”
Let’s pray:
Dear Father,
Thank you for giving us Jesus, Your only Son, to fulfill Your will on earth. Because He came and emptied Himself out for us, coming in human form as a servant, we have Salvation and eternal life through His selfless obedience to You. Forgive us for the opportunities we’ve let slip by to serve others in obedience to Your Word. Cleanse us from self-centeredness, pride, and arrogance, and forgive us for the times we have sought to be served over serving You and each other. Soften our hearts, Lord, to be tender toward You and toward each other. Prepare our hearts and minds to be willing to serve one another, ready and available, even when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, or costly to us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/coffeekai
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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.
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