Week 29 Day 4
I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:
Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you. It is yours. I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there. Speak to me during these moments. I commit them and myself to you.”
II. Prayer of Confession:
“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you. I confess my sin(s) of ______________. Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)
III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________. Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”
IV. Scripture Reflection
Read:
Philippians 1:27 CSB
Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you, that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel,
Reflect:
As followers of Jesus, we now have a dual citizenship. We’re citizens of an earthly nation and a heavenly Kingdom, with the latter taking precedence. Paul understood this well. He was a Roman citizen, with all of the rights and privileges that come with his citizenship. He recognized that, as a Christ-follower, he was a citizen of the kingdom of God, a kingdom that would never end and a kingdom that he owed his ultimate allegiance. He knew he was a citizen of Heaven, and God was at work. Paul’s single goal was to magnify Christ! He put Christ and the Gospel ahead of everything else, and he encourages us to do the same by standing firm in the spirit and contending together with other believers for the faith. We can never forget that being a citizen of Heaven carries a hefty price of which Christ Jesus paid in full. He is our King, the one we give our lives for, the one we long to see in His glory!
Respond
Take some time today and think about your citizenship of Heaven. Think about the privileges and responsibilities that go along with that citizenship. What does standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, and contending together for the faith look like for you? Then be still and ask God to speak to you.
V. Prayer for others:
Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others.
VI. Prayer of commitment:
“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself. Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.” (Luke 10:27)
This Month’s Scripture Memory:
Philippians 4:4-8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.