Dear Heavenly Father,
Many of us are struggling with low self-esteem, and it is causing us to indulge behaviors and attitudes that prevent our happiness and success. Some of us stay in relationships with men who are abusive and don’t honor us. Others of us have friends that take advantage and don’t truly appreciate who we are. And there are those that are in so much pain from prior heartaches and disappointments that they are constantly in fear; closing themselves off from everyone. When we don’t know our worth, we end up settling for relationships and situations with people that limit our value to only what we can do to please them. That is not the life You want for Your children.
You don’t want us to be selfish or puffed up about ourselves. You want us to be beacons of Your love and light. You created us to be spiritual beings, and this means that our hearts speak a language that isn’t always translated with words. When we walk into a room, people should have a sense that Your love is present simply because we are there. But when we don’t know Your love as fully as we can, we’re not activated in it.
In Romans 8:1, You tell us there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ. Condemnation is defined as a very strong disapproval. This is how some of us are feeling about our lives. You have approved us through Christ. It isn’t because of anything we deserved or could even earn. You approved us through Christ because of Your goodness, kindness, and mercy towards us. You’ve given us Your stamp of approval because through Christ You purchased us from the kingdom of darkness and made us Your very own. In Ephesians 2:10, You call us Your masterpieces. You’re our Creator, and You have made us capable of doing all the good things You’ve planned for us.
We should value ourselves because You value us. You gave Your only begotten Son so that we could exist and have a more than abundant life. You’ve given us specific instructions that help us become anchored in our worth without developing attitudes of arrogance and entitlement. In Romans 13:8 (NLT), You tell us, “8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.” Our purpose is to love ourselves through Jesus Christ. We should measure our worth by our willingness to live, give, and share like him. When we do this, we can do as You’ve commanded in Romans 13:10, which is to love other people as well as we love ourselves.
So Dear Heavenly Father, please open our eyes wider to Your love. Help us to love ourselves through the love of Christ so that we can love from a place of strength and not weakness; we can attract people and build relationships that help us to grow and thrive. As we let our roots grow down into Christ, please help us to know the truth and to walk in wisdom, so that we’re not a target for the manipulation of others. We desire to be a blessing to Your Kingdom, and we trust You to protect us. Thank You for allowing us to know the width, depth, and breadth of Your overwhelming peace, grace, mercy, and love. As we focus on You and not on our flaws, we can begin to enjoy the unique qualities You’ve woven into our beings and celebrate them as we seek to employ them for Your Kingdom.
Thank You for showing us Your love, strength, and power as we seek to grow in You and trust You with our whole hearts. Thank You for our Blessed Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. Let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Struggling with Low Self-esteem”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.