PRAYING TO KNOW AND DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING

In recovery  circles, one of the slogans we hear often to help a person find focus when life is challenging is this:  Just do the next right thing.

I was thinking about right actions as I read some verses in the Bible about “righteousness.”  In some Bible translations the word “justice” is used.  A righteous person is celebrated and encouraged with these words:

Ride on in majesty to victory for the defense of truth and justice! Your strength will win you great victories!  Psalm 45:4

You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.  Psalm 45:7

In order to know what the next right thing to do is we need to consult God’s Word often in order to know His will.  Then we have to pray and ask for guidance to know how to put His will into practice in the circumstances where we find ourselves. To be a person who does what is righteous is not an automatic thing.  Listen to these words: 

Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  1 Timothy 6:11

Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.  Ephesians 4:24

Loving God, we want to be people today who love what is right, seek after it, and let it shape our actions, our thoughts, our whole character.  It’s amazing to think that when we do that we are living like You, our righteous God.

You promise us joy when we are living in this way and we pray that in any ways we are struggling to find satisfaction and joy today that we will sit down with You and see if there are any ways that we are walking in our own path and neglecting what You have told us to do. 

We don’t want to make things complicated and neither do You.  Your heart is that we would have a clear and light path before us that is easy.  You told us to learn from You: 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

And so our prayer today is this:

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.  (Philippians 1:11 NLT)

Let’s have a great day as moment by moment we simply choose to do the next right thing.