Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Dear God,
I am ever thankful for Your love, as well for the faith You have given me to believe Your promises, for strength to move toward overcoming total self-absorption, and so fully comprehend how much my relationship with You is compromised by the time not spent with You, my God. I wish to surrender myself to You, for in my mind, if not my practice, I do believe that Your plan for me is always best, even if at the time I may not like the prospect, I can take heart, for the reality is, there is always strength from heaven available to teach lessons from life circumstances, to grow me as a Christian; heaven bound.
I now more fully appreciate that faith comes from the Holy Spirit, and not from my desire to have it. I believe You want to take me to a higher level of trust and love in You, which begets soul satisfaction, such as felt by any baby close to their loving parent. Today I humbly confess my sin of not fully trusting in You in all things. Though I may not seek some experiences and relationships that come my way as a Christian, I truly rejoice that I do not have to face them alone. Even though none of us seek hard or challenging times, I seem to need them to better find out deficiencies in my belief and faith, and yet at the same time, my heart is warmed by thankfulness as I have felt close You throughout.
I again I have realized that my hope for each day, my life and eternity, can only be satisfied in You. I am reminded of this again, as I read Hebrews 11 and all the people from scripture that Paul cites there, as having a living faith and hope in You. I have the hope and can have the living faith that will carry me to heaven when my life is over on this earth; for it is available to all of us, through my (our) relationship with You by the Holy Spirit. The people of faith examples given by Paul lift up our expectation that, all spiritual practice and growth is possible by faith in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11:39, 40 “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
I more clearly see that my life on earth, if rightly lived, is a training ground for heaven. Please take me and in your knowledge, love and care, and mould me so that I more clearly reflect Your image and attributes.
Amen