Keeping on the theme of advent, today I offer a prayer of preparation. God spent 4000 years preparing His people for Jesus’ arrival, and God asks us to prepare our hearts for relationship with Him. We don’t need to ‘have it all together’, just be ready and willing for God to work in and through us.
Father God, our Glorious, Wise, and Magnificent Lord, You name is awesome and holy. Just as You prepared the way for Jesus to enter this world and pay the penalty for our sin, You ask us to prepare ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to You, which is a form of spiritual worship. Please transform and renew our minds so we may discern Your will, that which is good, acceptable and perfect. Please help us prepare our minds for action, be clear-headed, and set our hope fully on the grace that is given through Jesus. May we do our utmost to present ourselves to You and those who are approved, workers who do not need to be ashamed, rightly handling Your word of truth. May we stay awake at all times, praying for strength to escape the pitfalls of this world, for we do not know the hour of Jesus’ return and desire to one day stand before Him in Your presence. We know that the time we have on this earth is limited, so please awake us from spiritual slumber and teach about Jesus whose arrival is nearer now than when we first believed. May we be ready guardians of those arounds us, protecting them both in body and spirit. May we be watchful, standing firm in our faith, acting like mature Christ followers, and be strong for all those around us. We honor You Jesus in our hearts, being prepared to gently and respectfully witness to anyone who asks where our hope lies. For we are Your workmanship, crested in You Lord Jesus for good works, which God our Father prepared beforehand, so that we may obediently honor and glorify You, forever and ever, amen.
[Inspired by: Rm 12:1-2, 1 Pt 1:13, 2 Tim 2:15, Lk 21:36, Mt 24:44, Rm 13:11, Eze 38:7, 1 Cor 16:13, 1 Pt 3:15, Eph 2:10]
~ Conqueror in Training