Day 3: Increasing Measure
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).
Heavenly Father, You are God of fullness, completion, and abundance. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus is able to save completely (NKJV - to the uttermost) those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25).
Father, You give us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3) and You begin Your transforming work in our lives—assuring us that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
We are aware of the places of spiritual darkness, despair, and hopelessness from which You delivered us. We remember, not with guilt, or with conceit, but with humble gratitude, knowing that You remember our sins no more (Isaiah 43:25).
We were washed... sanctified... justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11). And we can say with Paul, "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10).
We have nothing of which to boast—for it is by grace [we] have been saved, through faith—and this is not from [ourselves], it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). We simply stand as testaments and witnesses of Your grace, mercy, and transforming power.
It is only by the power of Your Spirit in our lives that we can produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8)—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
So we pray that by the help of Your Holy Spirit, we would possess these qualities in increasing measure, and become effective and productive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in our witness of His ability to save to the uttermost.
May others look at our lives and see light in place of past darkness, healing in place of past hurt, hope in place of past despair. May they, too, be drawn to the power, and the radiance, and the glory of Your Son as they see in us the evidence of His grace.
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