Living on Purpose

Day 21 Saturday January 28

“Lord, I receive Your love. I confess my mistakes. Please forgive me. Please do not punish me in the way that I deserve. Please do give me Your love in the way that I do not deserve. I believe that Jesus is my way to salvation and ultimately Heaven. Lord, I choose to live for You. I give my life to You completely. Please help me to see You more clearly. Please help me to understand Your purpose in my life. Thank You for helping me grow stronger in this resolve.”

• Lord, I will seek your kingdom first and live on purpose. Matthew 6:33
• Lord, You are the most powerful one and all of this is for you. Your kingdom is eternal. Psalms 145:13
• You are able to do more than I could ask for or think of. Ephesians 3:20
• To You, Oh Lord, be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Ephesians 3:21
• Lord, I will love you with all I’ve got and I will love others (in the same way I take care of myself). Matthew 22:37-40
• Lord, I will be sober, aware, careful, and a good steward in all things, enduring hardships. I will work to share the Good News of Jesus with as many people as possible, to fulfill the work You’ve given me. 2 Timothy 4:5
• Lord, I will urge as many people as possible (people of all varieties) to become followers of Jesus, leading them to take next steps in following You. We will love each other, ever learning more about who You are and all that You’ve said. We will gather in small groups in homes and as a larger group in the church. Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 2:41-47

Lord, please help us become a church:

• Loving Jesus in a way that people talk about.
• Where people find salvation & healing in Jesus.
• Helping people find careers & peaceful homes.
• Where everyone can find a place that they fit.
• Serving the city with love that works.

That this should result in peaceful neighborhoods, crime reduction, employment & literacy increase, and a decrease of addictions. It would include a better connected effort between existing churches, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and the business community.

Personal Change

Day 20 Friday January 27

“Lord, please help me receive Your forgiveness. Lord, I surrender every area of my life to you. Lord, please help me leave the past behind. Please help me, as I choose to forgive others. Lord, please help me see how You want my life to look. Help me have a clear picture of what growing closer to You looks like. Help me see how my life can change. Lord please open my spiritual eyes to see the change that You desire.”

Let’s take a few minutes to write down a few topics to prayer over our personal lives. Reading Colossians 3, Philippians 4, or Ephesians 4 may help.

How could my life be different, for the better, to reflect the love of God and His plan?

What could be? What should be? By God’s grace, what will it be? What is that “preferred future” of God, for me?

What’s bothering you? What is the solution? What should be? Beginning to feel like a moral imperative? See a connection with what God is up to?

I believe God loves me. I believe that God knows what is best for me. God has a plan. By following God’s plan, I have the best plan of seeing the change (written above) become reality. With this change, people will see evidence that will draw them to Jesus.

“Lord please help me. Please bring change, miracles, and opportunities for me to take action. Lord please:

• Awaken my spiritual hunger
• See through the obstacles and not be distracted
• See Your guidance in my life
• Have the strength to resist sinful cravings
• Have the strength to seek You every day
• Help me plan specific next steps toward this change

My Work

Day 19 Thursday January 26

“Lord, please help me see that You have created me with design. Help me see that You have given my life purpose. Help me see that You have created me for good works. Help me discover the vocation You have prepared me for. Help me see the work that You have given me to do today, as a gift. Help me see the work that I can do today as an opportunity to Thank You. Help me to do my best and give my all, for Your glory. Lord, please help me see that my time, energy, and money as resources that You have given me to be a steward of. They are not my own. They are Yours and that You have given them to me as a personal loan. Help me see that one day I will stand before You and give account for what I’ve done with my time, energy, and money. Today Oh Lord, I thank you by how I use these resources. May my work and money honor you oh God”

• Search me Oh God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24
• I will use my hands for god hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Ephesians 4:28
• I will treat my supervisors with respect, serving them sincerely as I would serve Jesus, not only when they’re watching. I will do the will of God with all of my heart, working with enthusiasm, as though I am working for Jesus and not for people. I remember that the Lord will reward me. Ephesians 6:5-8
• I will give with generosity at church, as unto the Lord, testing His principles, with a belief that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Malachi 3:10 Hebrews 11:6
• I will give my time, energy, and money with generosity. God will take care of me. Luke 6:38
• I will be hospitable to others without grumbling. I will be a good steward. 1 Peter 4:9-10
• I will serve others with a humble attitude, thankful for Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8

I will let my conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. Philippians 1:27

My Health

Day 18 Wednesday January 25

“Lord, may my body and health honor You. May that way that I take care of my body show the world that I value what You have given me. Give me to make good decisions. Please help me to be in control of my body at all times. Lord, please search me and help me see where I’m not making the best decisions. Please forgive me for anything that I’m doing with my body that does not reflect my thankfulness for what you’ve given me. Please help me see how You would like me to put my body to good use.”

• By the stripes Jesus took in punishment for my sin, I am healed. 1 Peter 2:24
• I will not be wise in my own eyes; I will fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to my flesh, and strength to my bones. Proverbs 3:7-8
• I will prosper in all things and be in health, just as my soul prospers. 3 John 1:2
• My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in me and was given to me by God. My body does not belong to me, for God bought me with a high price (Jesus’ sacrifice). So I must honor God with my body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• I will exercise self-control, I will discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should, and bring it under control. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27

“Lord, please help me see what changes I can make today in how I use my body and take care of my health.”

Walk Protected

Day 17 Tuesday January 24

“Lord, please protect us from temptation. Don’t let us yield to it, but rescue us from the evil one. Please clothe us in the benefits of Your Good News, your armor.”

• I will overcome the enemy by the sacrifice of Jesus, by the word of my testimony, and by not loving my life more than You. Revelation 12:11
• I will put on the attributes of Jesus through a personal relationship with Him. Romans 13:14
• I will put on my new spiritual person. Colossians 3:10
• I will be sober and vigilant; because my enemy walks about, seeking to defeat me. I will resist him, steadfast in my faith, knowing that I am not alone. 1 Peter 5:8-9
• I will put on the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6:11
• The Belt of Truth – I will walk in truth.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness – I will guard my heart with all diligence.
• The Shoes of the Gospel – I am ready to walk in peace, to run with the good news.
• The Shield of Faith – I will defend against the enemy and walk where God wants me by seeing what God wants me to, believing in Him and agreeing with Him, and taking action.
• The Helmet of Salvation – I will bring every thought I have into submission to Jesus.
• The Sword of the Spirit – I will speak the inspired and revealed Word of God.
• The Cloak of Zeal Isaiah 59:17 – The Lord will transform my personality to be passionate about my life in Him.
• The Lord’s got my back “Rear Guard” Isaiah 58:8 – I believe that God’s got me covered.

“Lord, today I choose to be more focused on You than anything that may tempt me in this life. You are better. There is nothing in this life as good as You. Lord, today I commit to learn more about You. Lord, today I choose to walk in Your strength. Today I walk in the results, the benefits, of being saved by grace through faith in Jesus my Savior!”

Forgiveness

Day 16 Monday January 23

Search me O God in the area of forgiveness

Read Jesus in Matthew 18:15-35 Ephesians 4:32 Colossians 3:13

God’s Purpose: Remove Guilt & Restore Relationship

Forgive: to give up resentment of or claim to requital for, to grant relief from payment of, to cease to feel resentment against. Forgiving: allowing room for error or weakness.

God’s Forgiveness: a commitment to pardon graciously those who repent & believe so that they are reconciled to Him.

Repent – turn around in actions and attitude….to change behavior as a result of a complete change of thinking and attitude.

We’re saying, “I will not dwell on this incident, bring up this incident again and use it against you, talk to others about this incident, let this incident stand between us or hinder, our personal relationship.”

Why? “By making and keeping these promises, you can tear down the walls that stand between you and your offender. You promise not to dwell on or brood over the problem or to punish by holding the person at a distance. You clear the way for your relationship to develop unhindered by memories of past wrongs. This is exactly what God does for us, and it is what He calls us to do for others.”

Your Word

Day 15 Sunday January 22

“Lord, please help me to grow closer to You by reading, digesting, memorizing, and putting to use Your Word. Please help me become more familiar with the Bible, honoring it as Your word to me.”

• Like newborns we must crave pure spiritual milk so that we will grow into a full experience of salvation. We will cry out for this nourishment, now that we have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
• So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
• We cannot live by food alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
• Let these words be your weapons as you fight. 1 Timothy 1:18 (CEV)
• Many of the benefits of Scripture (and how we should relate to it) are listed in Psalms 119

“Lord, thank You for speaking to me through Your Word the Bible. Today I choose to read it with faith. Today I choose to read it and pray about it. Today and every day I choose to obey Your Word. Thank You Lord for this Treasure!”

Please take time to read the Bible today. Expand your reading. If this is a first, try starting with Psalm 23. If you usually read a few verses, try a longer chapter. If you usually read three chapters, try several. Find a verse that speaks to you and memorize it.