A prayer for you this week – And until the end of all things

My prayer for you comes from 1 Peter 4:7-10

Peter is writing to encourage the scattered Church, to those who have had a rough time due to persecution. But his words from the above scripture are just as relevant today as they were back then.

We have no idea the hour of Christ’s return, but it’s important that we learn to live with the eternal in mind. To work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, (Phil 2:12) and include our brothers and sisters in Christ in that process at the same time.

The sanctification journey is not all about us

My prayer for you is that you would

• Be self controlled and sober minded for the purpose of prayer. That you would pray at your best time, not in your left over time when you are to tired for anything else. And instead of shopping list prayers where not much thought is required, that you would instead intentionally meditate on the things and people you bring before God in prayer.
• More than anything, keep loving each other actively, because love covers over a multitude of sins. I pray that you would be known for the love that you show all believers that you come into contact with, especially towards those that get on your nerves!
• Show hospitality to one another without complaint. I pray that the way you welcome people into your space(not just your homes) would cause them to think about God and themselves differently. If you struggle with showing hospitality or think its not for you, I pray that you will have more of a desire to provide it.
• Use the gifts that God has given you, not for yourself, but to serve others. I pray that you would learn about the way that God has wired you when it comes to spiritual gifts, or encourage you to continue your journey of learning how you can contribute to the body of Christ through serving. If you need to ask those who know you well, what they see in you when it comes to this stuff then do it.

My hope is that you would consider these things that Peter has instructed, and if you already practice some of them, that you would encourage others to learn and practice as well. And that we would see how these things relate to our sanctification and to being salt and light to the world around us.