Today I offer a prayer of encouragement for serving others. Since people are made in the image of God, when we serve our neighbors, we’re also serving God (in case we don’t clue in to this truth, God also commands us to love our neighbors, and love is a verb / action). I know humility isn’t our fleshly default, and self-sacrifice is counter-cultural to this world, but following Jesus requires this others-minded heart posture.
Father God, our Glorious Lord, You give us great teachings and examples of loving others through Jesus Your Son. Jesus our Savior, You came not to be served, but to serve, giving Yourself as a ransom for us all. You teach it is more blessed to give than to receive, and that we should work hard to help those in need. You have given us gifts, and tasked us with good stewardship of them, so we may serve each other and bring glory to our Father. You freed us from the bondage of sin – not so we could go on living in the flesh, but so we could love and serve one another in accordance with Your greatest commandment. Thank you for teaching that those of us who wish to be the first or the greatest, should become the last, and the humble servant of all. You promise that if we bring blessings to others we will be enriched, and when we water others we will be watered in return. For when Your people people are hungry and we feed them, when Your children are thirsty and we give them water, when they are naked and we clothe them, when they are sick and we take care of them, when they are immobilized and we visit them, we do those things as if we’re serving You directly. May we do these things in full alignment with You and Your church, and in full humility, thinking of others more and ourselves less, encouraging and building them up in Your name, so we may both share and experience the joy You have in store for us. May we let Your light shine in and through us before others, so they may see Your good within and give glory to You, our Lord God in Heaven, forever and ever, amen.
[Inspired by: Lk 6:38, Mt 20:28, Ac 20:35, 1 Pt 4:10-11, Gal 5:13-14, Mk 9:35, Mt 9:35, Pro 11:25, Mt 25:35-40, Php 2:1-4, Mt 5:16]
~ Conqueror in Training