Prayer To Know And Live God's Plans and Purposes For Us In This Season
Sunday September 13, 2020
Plans and Purposes of God
We’re all getting back into a rhythm in this new season. Moving vans have settled down after lots of folks have shifted to different living space over the summer. Schools are back in session in most places. Families have made the decisions they feel comfortable with in terms of sending kids to school or homeschooling them. Many business and companies have also made adjustments with various combinations of in office-remote working. Things have settled somewhat into a new structure and routine even though it’s not quite “normal.” It’s what we’re working with for the next while, it seems, as long as things hold steady.
All of us are a little bit on edge as we watch case numbers of those made sick by the virus move upwards and the temperature tick downwards. Hours of daylight are less each day here in the Northern Hemisphere. We’re only a week or so away from the fall equinox. How did we get here so fast?
I’m reminded that, as we said yesterday, in changing times God’s love for us is consistent and His goodness is greater than the challenges we face in this season of the pandemic.
I think it’s also important that we not just focus on what we need to do to get through these tough times and put food on the table and a roof over our heads, but to quiet our hearts before God to get focused on what His good plans and purposes are for our lives.
In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
Colossians 1:16
We were made by God for God’s purposes and it’s only as we get to know God’s heart and plan for us and live into it that we experience the contentment and peace that takes us through the ups and downs of everyday life – during ordinary times or this choppy season of the pandemic.
So let’s pray about this shall we:
Heavenly Father, You created us to experience a wonderful relationship of love and blessing with You. No matter what else we know about this day, we are assured of that fact. As this wonderful verse reminds us:
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
We thank You that we belong, that You have given us power and authority to make good decisions on behalf of ourselves and those You put into our care. You’ve called us together as a people, a community, a family and even though that word “special” is so overworked and overused, we still want to hold onto how precious and unique we are to You, cherished by you today. It’s in the security and joy of that relationship that we can actually live today and so we give You thanks and praise.
We were such a wreck before we knew and experienced Your love – some of us just in our minds and hearts and others of us in our life circumstances. Regardless, it was pretty dark and You managed to call out through the darkness to us until we heard and allowed You to bring us into Your wonderful light. We want to live well there today and inform as many people as we come in contact with that this is their privilege and opportunity today – to be a chosen one living in the care of a God of unfailing love and goodness.
I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Job 42:2, Psalm 33:11
We’re also grateful God for the fact that as we enter into Your purposes and live there we know we can walk confidently into a bright future because nothing can keep Your purposes from coming to pass. So, we quiet our hearts and minds and ask You, Holy Spirit, to whisper God’s heart for us today into our soul. Help us to hear and recognize Your voice and hold on to the good things You tell us.
We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10
Thank You God for not only making plans and having purposes we can live into, but for giving us everything we need to do that today in Jesus. Help us to remember that we are Your masterpiece. Help us to believe your word about having good things for us to do today and get on doing them. They may be very different than what we thought we would be doing today – because of the pandemic or for other reasons – but they are good things – and good things that are not random and haphazard but good things that You planned FOR US long ago.
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