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Category Archives: Romans

Romans 12:14

03 May

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 

Romans 12:14

Dear God, I heard something interesting on the Slow Theology podcast yesterday. Well, I listened to a couple of podcasts, but I think it was this one. It might have been the Esau McCauley podcast. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. They were talking about social media and some of the dehumanization we’ve done on social media to each other. One of the speakers suggested that it be a rule that if you say anything negative about someone on social media that you make a commitment to pray earnestly for that person for one year. Now, this was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it was serious too. We need to see others as your dearly loved children. We need to see them with your eyes.

So what does that mean for me? I need to think about blessing some people more. I need to pray for them. It doesn’t mean I need to be buddies with them, but I do need to care for them and care about them. I need to be curious and not judgmental. I am sure someone who persecutes me wakes up in the morning thinking they are right and doing the right thing. Very few people wake up with evil intentions. So why are the doing what they are doing? There are politicians in our country and the world who frustrate me. Do I pray for them or do I curse them? Do I care about them and bless them, or do I ridicule and hate them? Is there a limit at which I can not care about them? Does that level exist.

Father, help the people who are running through my head right now. And help me. The more I pray for their deficiencies, the more I can see my own. The more I start to feel self-righteous, the more I feel your Holy Spirit’s conviction. So I pray that you heal them. I pray that they might be forces of your good in this world at whatever level of society they operate. I pray that you might use them for your will to come and be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give them their daily bread. Forgive them as they forgive others. Lead them not into temptation. Deliver them from evil. And I pray the same for me. Give me my daily bread today. Bring your will into the earth through my small life. Forgive me as I forgive others. Lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the kingdom, power, and glory are yours forever.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 3, 2025 in Romans

 

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Romans 14:6

23 Apr

6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 

Romans 14:6

Dear God, I was looking at the verses around Bible Gateway’s “verse of the day” today (Romans 14:11), and I came across this line from Paul in verse 6. I was convicted. More often than not, when I am eating I do not give thanks to you for the food. I completely take it for granted that any amount of food I want is accessible to me any time I want it. The same is true for other things in my life.

  • My wife is amazing. Even though I try to not take her for granted, I know I do. I know I’m not nearly as grateful to you for her as I should be.
  • My home is terrific. As I heard the thunderstorm roll through at three o’clock this morning, I smiled. I was grateful for the rain, but I had zero fears of how a storm would negatively impact me. I knew my house would keep me safe from anything up to and including hail. Tornadoes were unlikely, so I wasn’t worried about that. And while an unlikely lightning strike could burn my house down, I never even worried about that.
  • Right now, I have a job that is pretty secure. I mean, anything can happen, but we are financially stable, and I do not wake up worried about my paycheck or if enough money will come to me on payday.
  • My wife and children and I are all healthy. This is huge, and probably the most fragile part of my life. It’s the part that could go South the easiest. But here I am, not worrying about these things when I wake up in the morning. We are healthy and safe.

I could probably go on and on, but my lack of conscious gratitude to you for the food I eat and the air I am able to breathe today is terrible. I am ashamed of myself right now.

Father, thank you for my daily bread. Help me to appreciate every morsel of food or drink that comes into my body. Help me to appreciate a body that processes it for energy and then service for you. Help me to appreciate the people you put in my life. And when I say help me, I’m not saying I want you to take these things away from me. Frankly, I’m too selfish for that. But I guess what I’m saying is that I really do feel convicted I’m not more grateful for the amazing life you’ve given to me. Give me the wisdom to use it how you would have me use it for your glory.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 23, 2025 in Romans

 

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Romans 1:18-20

22 Apr

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Romans 1:18-20

Dear God, knowing you is complicated. So much of my knowledge is wholly dependent upon what others have taught me. If I had been born in Saudi Arabia, my mind would probably be more likely to see you through the lens of Islam. If I had been born in India, I would believe in multiple weird gods. If I had been born in Utah, I would probably believe in you through the lens of the LDS church. You get the idea. I have taken what I have been taught and done my best to test it and mature in it, but I have only walked down a road I was fortunate to have been started on by others.

I think of people in my life now who have mental barriers in following you. Maybe it’s because they think you didn’t prevent a trauma or bad thing in their life. Maybe it’s because they have known “followers” of you who didn’t live like followers (probably the most common reason). Whatever the case may be, there is usually some kind of external force (Satan) pushing them away from you.

So when I look at the world and the way things are going, what gives me hope? It’s that all of us, every single one of us, has a need in our heart for you. And a lot of people will try to fill that hole with idols. I still try to do it when if feels like an idol will give me the immediate respite from stress, or just life in general, that I’m looking for. But I have a hunger for you. I have a need for you. I’m grateful that my hunger for you brings me back to you. I’m grateful that the world’s hunger for you ultimately brings us to you. That’s what gives me hope for the world.

Father, my wife and I just prayed together for our days. For our children. For the people we will encounter. Help us all to hunger for you, find you, partake of your body and your blood, eat well, and be satisfied in your presence. And help us to take you into the world to those who see the earth and the sky but don’t know its creator. Help us to introduce them to you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2025 in Romans

 

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Roman 10:5-13

09 Mar

5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say?

“The word is near you,
    in your mouth and in your heart”

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim), 9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:5-13

Dear God, I never get excited about reading Romans. I probably should. I guess it just seems so academic to me. It feels like he’s teaching a class, and I cannot just take bits and pieces here and there like I prefer to do. For example, today, Sister Miriam just has verse 11 as her verse of meditation from Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, but it’s really out of context without the verse around it. But then they are out of context without chapter 9. And when you go back to chapter 9, you realize it is a continuation from chapter 8. It’s just very verbose and almost cryptic. I’d rather someone like Paul, Peter, or John just beat me over the head with what they are saying instead of taking so many words to build the foundation and justification for their argument. Don’t get me wrong. I understand why they did it that way, and I think that way is right. It can just be hard for me to digest given how I tend to read scripture (which is probably wrong since these were mainly written as letters to groups of people or individuals).

So what is Sister Miriam trying to get me to focus on by just pulling out Romans 10:11?

On this first Sunday of Lent, we are led by the Spirit into the desert with Jesus…In the desert, things become very clear. We see our idols–the things we grasp at for salvation other than God. We see where we hide behind our fig leaves of self-righteousness and shame. We see where our sin has wreaked havoc in our lives and in the lives of others.

I had an email exchange with a friend whom I respect as a Godly man. He loves you. He is also very upset right now and some developments in the world. While we lament the same things, I feel like I am reminded time and again the last few years that there is a difference between despair and lament. As long as you are my God, I will not despair (except when I lose faith and I do, indeed, despair), but I will lament things that make me sad and concerned. And you use that lament to comfort me, motivate me, and draw me closer to yourself. If someone came along tomorrow and fixed everything that I am currently lamenting, I might be tempted to worship that person and turn my eyes from you. I might want to make them my idol. I like how Sister Miriam says, “In the desert, things become very clear. We see our idols.” Why does it often take a desert to reveal our idols? Maybe because we look to our idols to comfort us in the desert, and when they fail us (and they will always fail us eventually) we see them for what they are. Or at least you are trying to reveal them for what they are. We just have to be willing to let go of them and allow the Holy Spirit to help us see them as you see them.

Father, I know I still have idols I’m not aware of. My bank account and how much is in it is an idol. I’m sure it is. I know how I feel if I have different amounts in it. A lot makes me happier. Just a little makes me fearful. So it’s certainly in there somewhere. And I know there are other idols. I know I can look to see who is or isn’t in any given political office and make it an idol to get my person in that position one way or another. But that is fool-hearted. One I’ve talked to you about in the past is my interest or need for the U.S. military to be the strongest in the world so I will feel safe. But am I really safe? Do I need to be safe? My nice little neighborhood in my small town can be a place where I find refuge instead of finding my refuge in you. The examples are everywhere. I confess them to you this morning, in this desert place. Be glorified. You are my God.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 9, 2025 in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, Romans

 

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Joy to the World by John Piper – Advent Day 23

23 Dec

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:6-11

Dear God, friends with you? Really? I remember a friend of my dad’s who is gone now, but he used to establish mentoring relationships with young men, usually college-aged or older. He would say he wanted to be their friend. Frankly, we tried, but I didn’t care for him that much. I never felt like the friendship was equal or two-way. It didn’t fit my definition of friend.

So when I read Paul saying that we are friends of yours, I wonder how that can be. Is it this kind of friendship this man wanted? A friendship where one person has all of the power and the other is just lucky to be in their orbit? I mean, I’m good with an image of you as God and worshipping you. I’m good with an image of you as omnipotent and omnipresent. I’m good with an image of you as infallible. But it’s hard to think you could be my friend.

But then I think about the evidence you’ve shown me and the world that you want to be our friend. First, you reach out to us at all. That’s amazing in and of itself. Second, you literally sacrificed a part of yourself for us. Third, you took the time to be with us in the flesh to relate to us and teach us. You cared for us. You wept over us. You love us. Fourth, you are here with me now to just love me where I am. No conditions of where I will be in the future. Just love me where I am. Your influence will mold me as we go along, to be sure. If I am the average of the five “people” or I guess entities I spend the most time with, and I am spending time like this with you then I suppose the more I spend time with you the more I will be like you. But you are taking me where I am. It’s remarkable.

Father, it is amazing that I am a friend to God. I am a friend to you. Holy Spirit, you are sitting with me now as I type this. That’s amazing. You are comforting me. Teaching me. Inspiring me. Interested in me. I hope my love in return is enough. Sometimes, I feel like that is all I have to offer. But I offer it freely, willingly, and joyfully. Thank you, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit–my Triune God.

I pray to the Father in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 23, 2024 in Advent 2024, Romans

 

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Romans 12:9-13:1

03 Nov

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with th

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 12:9-13:1

Dear God, the verse today was 13:1. I assume because we are closing in on the US election. It’s an interesting one. I’ve always thought it was interesting that Paul had this attitude since he committed a lot of civil disobedience to not the local church authority as well. He died for it. It made me want to go back and look at what he was talking about right before he said this. What was the context?

Wow, the way I have it above where I don’t do any paragraph breaks and just make it all part of one thought is fascinating. The whole tone becomes about just living out the fruits of your Spirit. Love others. Serve others. Obey the governing authorities. It’s all just part of me living out the two most important commands. It’s all just part of me living out Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount.

Father, help me to live out the Sermon on the Mount this week. That starts with me worshipping you. Then I will start loving others. Then I will start being a peacemaker and merciful. Then I will stop lusting and coveting. Then I will have faith that you will provide. I can go all of the way through the Sermon. But you get my point. I will find myself just living out the faith I have in you. And if worshipping you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving my neighbor as myself gets me into trouble (which it rarely will, but it might), then so be it. Help me to share this message with others in my very small sphere of influence this week as they start to get concerned about the election results, regardless of who their chosen candidates are. Basically, for what you’re calling me to do, the only thing that makes who the winner is matter is if I am in a position to love someone in my immediate sphere of influence who is directly affected by their policy as a result. Otherwise, I am simply called to both of these things. Oh, how I do, truly, love you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 3, 2024 in Romans

 

Romans 6:3-11

02 Nov

3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:3-11

Dear God, I’m praying this prayer on All Souls Day, November 2. I believe the Catholic Church created this as a day after All Saints Day to pray for the souls still in purgatory. Since I’m not so much a believer in purgatory, I want to use this time to pray for some specific friends who are mourning this year. I have one friend who lost a mother fairly suddenly on Thursday (two days ago). Then I have a friend who died very suddenly yesterday while grocery shopping. He leaves behind family and friends who are grieving. I have a friend who lost his wife this spring after a battle with cancer. And there are others. There are many others. But that is who is on my heart this morning. The souls who are with you now and the holes in hearts their deaths leave behind.

I pray for my friends right now who are mourning. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) Please raise up people to comfort them. Show me my role in comforting them. Help them to know how to reach out to you during this difficult time. Comfort me in this loss as well. I really loved the man who died yesterday. He was much older than I am, but we were in Rotary together and had lunch one-on-one at least five times. Each one was always so long because we just truly enjoyed each other. I will surely miss him. I do, even now.

Father, I have a day to live today. I have family to love. I’ll be spending a lot of time with one family member in particular. Help me to love them. Help me to be what you need them to have. But let it start with my worship of you. Help me to remember that you are my God. Help me to recognize idols in my life and sink into your presence. Help me to be the man you are ultimately forming me to be.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 2, 2024 in Romans

 

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Romans 14:1-4 (Repeated)

16 Aug

14 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

Dear God, I want to look at these verses from yesterday again because I am having an important meeting today that these thoughts from Paul could influence.

You know that my wife is Catholic, and although I am not Catholic, we attend Catholic church together, participate in church activities almost as if I was Catholic. I’ve been all of the way through the Rite of Catholic Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and found that I couldn’t get myself close enough theologically to actually become Catholic. But I’ve happily attended for 13 years now, and I’ve actually grown quite accustomed to it. Outside of the obvious thing that I do not go forward for Eucharist, I dare say that anyone there would otherwise think I am Catholic.

So why am I bringing this up today? Well, one of the leaders of the church asked my wife and me to consider working with couples who are doing the premarital program–specifically the couples where one is Catholic and one isn’t. I suppose we are seen as a good example of a “mixed” marriage. But I am concerned about it. Basically, I think it is important for couples to worship together and serve the church together. I would overlook my theological differences with the church and consider being confirmed Catholic except that there are a couple of them that the church places paramount importance on, and if I do not believe these one or two things then they do not want me taking part in the sacraments. And I get and respect that. No problem. But if I am working with a couple that has a Catholic and then one who is either unchurched, nominally churched, or churched in another tradition, I don’t want my decision to not be confirmed Catholic to influence them.

I’m glad I’m doing this because I think I might have just had a thought. Holy Spirit, is that you? Perhaps I should just not talk theology, but encourage them to walk the path I have walked, which I think has been a good one. When my wife came to be nearly 14 years ago and told me she had visited a Catholic church for the first time and loved it, I was resistant. Then, as I felt more and more disconnected from her spiritually, a friend encouraged me to start going to church with her. Eventually, we went through RCIA together, and I now know more Catholic theology than a lot of cradle Catholics. What I found in that first year of that church was people who are truly lovers of you. They want to worship you. They want to serve you. I’ve sat in the balcony during a Christmas Eve service, looked down on the crowd, and thought about how much you loved them and me. And how much we love you. So while I couldn’t be confirmed, I certainly found no reason why I couldn’t worship with them and keep my differences in opinion to myself. Then, a couple of years ago, I listened to the Bible in a Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz. It was so good for me. Yes, he taught some Catholic doctrine throughout with which I disagreed, but nothing was beyond the types of disagreements Paul describes above. I’m not saying one of us has a less mature faith than the other. In fact, mine is probably less mature if we are measuring on a scale. But the act of worshipping with my wife, supporting her involvement in the music program and visitation ministry, and being involved in a couples group with six other couples has been very good for me. I think I have been a blessing to at least some of them as well. So maybe as I’m visiting with engaged couples of different Christian denominational faiths in the future I can just point them to my path without giving them a sense of my theological differences. Maybe I can point them to my support for my wife’s spiritual development under you as opposed to the places where I think I am smarter that 2,000 years of Catholic theology.

Father, guide me in this conversation today. Help me to submit to the authority of the church leader who runs this program. Help me to be humble. We all like to think that we are the mature one in our faith, but even the example Paul gives above with food is not clear cut. I can say that it is paramount and a dealbreaker if someone doesn’t believe in the deity of Jesus; his life, death, and resurrection as reconciliation with you; and the need to love you with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourself. If the Nicene Creed is a foundation for both, the rest is us working out our faith with fear and trembling before you. Help me to come one step closer to working out my faith before you today. And use my wife and me to be your blessing to others, including possibly couples at the beginning of their lives together.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 16, 2024 in Romans

 

Romans 14:1-4

15 Aug

14 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

Romans 14:1-4

Dear God, wow! How have I never paid attention to these verses before. I know I’ve read them. I know I’ve journaled on them and prayed to you about them. But now, today, this is quite something.

I’ve mentioned the book The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs. One of the things I’ve learned from it is that we have all, without exception, as Christians or even Jewish people, chosen what we want to follow from the Bible and what we refuse to. What we think applies to our lives today and what is out of date and applies only to the cultures from 2,000 to 6,000 years ago. I do it. Even the most “Authority-of-Scripture” Fundamentalist does it. Certainly the most liberal of Christians do it. So what is Paul giving us here as guidance?

Verse 4 seems to say it. If we are worshipping you then it is up to you to convict us of behavior. We are your servants, and no one else’s. And you have certainly convicted me of bad behavior, thoughts, actions, and attitudes before. The act of praying to you each day. The act of letting you channel my thoughts through these prayers, through listening to Christians I trust and let them convict me. In fact, I was listening to a sermon yesterday via podcast and was convicted of something I did 36 years ago to someone else. The pastor was talking about us making amends with the person we wronged. If I were to see that person or talk to that person, I don’t think I would have trouble apologizing to them for it. I am certainly sorry before you for it. But if I sought them out today, would I do more harm than good. Step 9 of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is “making amends,” but with the caveat that you shouldn’t do it if it would do harm. I don’t know if it would do harm or not. Guide me in that.

I think, for at least a little while, I want to check out what the Hawai’i Pidgin translation has to say for the passage I’m focusing on each day. In this case, here is its translation:

No Judge Yoa Brudda-Sista Guys

14 Wen get one guy dat trus God but he not strong inside yet, dass okay. But no go make argue bout wat he tinking. Jus let um hang out wit you guys. 2 Get some peopo, dey trus God, an dey shua dat dey can eat any kine, meat o watevas. Get odda peopo dat no stay strong fo trus God, an dey no eat meat, ony vegable kine stuff. 3 Eh! da guy dat eat any kine stuffs jalike meat an watevas, he betta not ack like he mo betta den da guy dat no eat meat. Same ting, dat guy dat no eat meat, he betta not go tell da guy dat eat meat, “Eh, az wrong fo you do dat, you know.” Cuz God wen let um come be his guy awready!

I love it. I think this just might be my new thing. What a breath of fresh air for seeing your Word through another, beautiful lens. I included the section heading as well because it was just too good.

Father, convict me where I need to be convicted. Direct me in repentance where I need to repent. Love others through me. I worship you. I praise you. I know I’ve drawn the lines of what I will and won’t do in the wrong places. Help me to, day by day, get closer to drawing the line that is the best for me to become the man you need me to be. For my sake and for your glory, oh, Lord.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 15, 2024 in Hawai'i Pidgin Translation, Romans

 

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Romans 12:1-2

01 Jul

12 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

Dear God, it’s verse 2 that caught my eye this morning: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. I think you’re transforming me into a new person. Well, let’s say this: I know I am being transformed into something new. I pray that it is you who is transforming me into your image.

There are times when I see myself transforming into something that surprises me. Something different even than what the church normally teaches I should be. Or I think about things in a way that the church says I should not think. In these instances, is the church the “world,” or am I?

Father, I really want to hear you clearly. I want to understand who you are. I want to see others with your eyes. I want to hear them with your ears. I want to know your heart for me and for them. I want to know who to help each person I know heal. Of course, I want to be healed as well. I feel like I am working through that slowly but surely. I guess, beyond anything, I just want people to be reconciled to you so that they can be at peace with themselves, their “enemies,” and you. Help me to introduce you to people in that way.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 1, 2024 in Romans

 
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