Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for giving us the gift of free-will choice. You have made us in Your very own image, and You have also given us the freedom to choose the direction in life we desire to take. Some of us will choose the best way, which is the way of Christ, and some of us will not. Trusting You and being obedient to Your Word doesn’t mean that You will make our choices for us. You present us with the very best options for our existences. However, we must never forget that no matter the choice, greater responsibility and accountability will always accompany Your blessings.
In 1Peter 2:2-3 (NLT), You tell us, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” Receiving more blessings is a wonderful thing. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that You are a Rewarder to those that diligently seek You. So, it is clear that You love giving gifts to Your children, but Your greatest goal for each of us is that we will use this earth experience to grow in Christ.
You tell us in Romans 8:29 that you knew Your people in advance. Long before we entered our mother’s womb, You handpicked us to become the very image of Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son. This is Your Will for every person, to be like Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith, and it is in him that we live, move, and have our being.
All the blessings that You give us have a capacity for our spiritual growth contained within them. They are designed to boost us higher and take our faith to the next level. Stagnation is not an option for the believer. We can’t be the same people we were two years ago, two months ago, or two weeks ago. Your Word says that we must always grow and abound in the example of Christ. Our minds must be continually renewed, and our hearts must be continually changed into the mind and heart of Christ.
Sometimes choices can be overwhelming, because we don’t know what is best, but this is when we can totally lean on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He will guide us to the truth. Just as You allowed Adam and Eve to make an informed choice, You allow us to do the same. You never force us, because we are not robots. We are Your children, and You created us with the ability to make our own decisions because this was always part of Your plan.
You will walk with us, our hand in Your hand, all the while teaching us and helping us to be confident in our decisions and walk with You. It isn’t an immediate thing but a process that helps us grow into the men and women You want us to be. Thank You for giving us this time on earth to have a relationship with You and to walk through life in Christ. It is the highest honor we could ever hope to receive. Please continue to teach and be patient with us as we learn the lessons of spiritual maturity in Christ. Thank You for our precious and powerful Lord and Savior. Thank You for the extraordinary gift of Holy Spirit and thank You for all Your many blessings. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, 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.
“Learning Lessons of Spiritual Maturity”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. 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.