Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Rom. 1:1-7 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him and for His name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Understand:
“Grace and peace to you” was a customary greeting at the time Paul wrote the Book of Romans. For Paul, it was more than simply asking “How are you doing?” Grace was a gift from God and peace was a quality of life that flowed from God. These gifts are given to the Roman Christians who are “loved by God and called to be saints.” A saint is not a perfect person but a “holy one,” a person set apart by God for His purposes. They are holy because they are loved and have responded in faith to the gospel.
Apply:
Do you want peace? An absence of conflict? Peace at home? Peace at work? Peace in your own heart and head? We all do. Often this kind of peace is subjective in nature; dependent on our moods and perspective. What we need most is the objective peace of God in Jesus Christ. This is a peace we do not always “feel,” but we always have.
Perhaps you do not “feel” love for God or “feel” loved by God right now. What is most important for your life today is that you “believe” you are loved by God. That reality must shape your thinking and your choices today more than any other factor in your life.
*From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.