Salutations and felicitations, O Lord! I praise and thank You for granting to us another wonderful day, another opportunity to be a reflection of Your ever-enduring love for mankind.
Today, You guided the pages to Titus 3 as I prayed. Aye, Lord God, I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, that we may each recall to mind that our focus is on You first and foremost. Your Word delivers instructions on how we are to live our lives in service to You, to illuminate this world with Your Light, so all can see truth from falsehoods. We are humbled by the aide memoire that we, too, were once rebellious and living in opposition to how You wanted us to live.
For as Titus 3 begins: "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all me. 3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to nvarious lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”
Each day Your sons and daughters strive to follow You more close, more loving, more obedient. Daily, challenges are presented; obstacles are placed before us with the objective to cause us to stumble. Strengthen us, I pray to You, O Lord, so we can remain steadfast in our walk with You. Allow Your Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak to the hearts of those who wish us ill. Guide us, so we can “…avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. (Titus 9)
When those in governmental authority dictate against Your word, provide us with the resolve to voice correction. And whether it is our neighbor, elected official, church leader, or even someone who claims You have chosen them… if they attempt to persuade us in the acceptance of falsehoods, lead us to “10 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”
More and more, the world shows opposition to You and Your Word. I pray, O Lord, that You continue to provide us with the means to bring healing and truth – Your truth – to those who do not accept You. Assist us as we seek to bring them into fellowship with You, for Your faithful love can adjust their attitudes and open their eyes to Your steadfast reality.
You know my concerns even as I do; and You always answer, sometimes immediately, sometimes later, but always in Your time and always according to Your will. Joyfully, I praise Your grace and constancy! I pray this in the beloved name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Day 26 -
(All Scripture references: NASB)