Holy Father, in Jesus' name, I thank and praise You for Your goodness, grace, mercy, love, and truth. You are the God of miracles, the One for whom nothing is too hard or impossible. You are in absolute and total control over all that happens throughout Your creation. In fact, nothing happens without You causing it, allowing it, or permitting it to happen. Everything is sifted through Your just and loving hands.
God, You have every right to be angry with and bring Your wrath on people created by You who disobey, rebel, and try to thwart Your plans and purposes. You are not being narcissistic because You did not have to create anyone or anything. For You need nothing. There is perfect communion, fellowship, and love in the You, the One God in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). You do not need to be loved or worshiped by the works of Your hands. Before You created anything there was only You. You were not lonely, and You did not need anyone or anything. Everything that You need, You are. You are self-existent and self-sufficient.
You are the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Everything was created by You and for You. It is amazing to fathom that You created people in Your image and likeness so that we could know You, have intimate fellowship with You, and rule over creation under Your sovereign rule. We were not created to do our own thing and to go our own way. You gave us life and only by obeying You could we truly live life. To do or listen to anyone else is sin that leads to death. And that is what happened the day that Adam listened to his wife who was deceived by the serpent instead of obeying Your Words to him. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— (Romans 5:12)
Adam's sin plunged all of humanity into a sinful state of hostility against You and Your way. And when people gave into every evil inclination You wiped them out. Yet You were at work in the lineage of Seth to preserve a people that You would eventually bring a rescuer and deliverer through. O God who are we to tell You the Potter what Your obligation is to the clay. You have every right, since You alone are God, to make some vessels for glory and others for destruction if You so choose. For even in that You have shown mercy beyond the ability of our minds and hearts to comprehend. You did not have to create us and neither did You have to provide a way of salvation by sending Your Son Jesus into the earth. And this was not an afterthought but a plan that You devised before the creation of the world.
God, I ask You to have mercy on people who mock, belittle, and dismiss You as irrelevant and not real. How great is the blinding of the evil one when mere mortals will defy the eternal, immortal, and invisible God who created them out of dust and gives them the breath that they use to curse Your name. The fact that people are not struck down dead at their first idolatrous thought is a testimony to Your mercy and common grace. Not only are they allowed to live but You've allowed for some of them to have healthy bodies, worldly riches, sound minds, successful careers, and large platforms that they use to influence others with their ungodly and unrighteous lives. Yet there is a day of judgment coming unless they repent and believe on Jesus.
For You, Jesus, the eternal Son of God would leave the glory of heaven. You would come into this world where You experienced poverty, rejection, mocking, blasphemy, a broken and bruised body, being misunderstood and thought to be crazy, and a small platform when You are the chosen, anointed Messiah and King. The world hated You and killed You. Yet it was all a part of God's plan for the redemption of the world as You were raised bodily from the dead on the third day. To all those who believe on Your name there is life from the dead. You have been exalted to the highest place and given a name above every name. There is a day coming when every knee will bow, and tongue confess that You are Lord to the glory of God the Father.
God break me from desiring man's approval and worldly success. Because of who You are and what You have done for me in Jesus, help me to rejoice in the truth that I will be hated for my commitment to You. Prepare me for opposition and persecution. For blessed in the one who is persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Help me to fix my eyes on Jesus. Thank You that I am not alone for Jesus has promised to be with His followers until the end of the age. Amen!!!
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