Jesus, You provide me in the gospel, a righteousness from God that is revealed in my life. It is a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith (Rom 1:17).” Teach me the full meaning of living righteously through faith. Give me the kind of righteousness that is me only doing good things for myself, other people, and God’s plan. Let it keep me from doing bad things to myself, others, and God’s plan. AND, let it keep me from being too busy to do good things for myself, other people, and God’s plan. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who TRUSTS in You will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who CALL on You (Rom 10:11-12). Empower me to call on You so I can trust You to take care of all my relational, emotional, financial, physical, and spiritual needs.

Jesus, if my faith, trust, reliance, and dependence is in You as my total supply, I will have time to help others. But, if my faith, trust, reliance, and dependence is in myself as my total supply, I will be too busy helping myself. Help me realize that this righteousness only becomes mine when I give the issues of my life over to You. Since righteousness is me only doing good things for myself, other people, and God’s plan, give me a daily source of supply that doesn’t require that I spend all of my time taking care of myself. Help me put my trust in the verse: The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who CALL on Him . And help me put my trust in the verse: Phil 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Jesus, protect me from being one of these others, who like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19).

• Since the “worries of this life” are problems, struggles, and difficulties that are happening to me and I try to solve them myself rather than joining You and working together with You, help me join You and work together with You.
• Since the “deceitfulness of wealth” is where I get my own job, start my own career, or spend all my time trying to make a living, get ahead, and pay my bills rather than allowing You to guide me and tell me what You want me to do, help me allow You to guide all my financial decisions.
• Since the “desires for other things” is where my attention is on seeking first the things of this world rather than doing this: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these THINGS will be given to you as well (Mat 6:33), empower me to apply Matthew 6:33 to my life and live according to it.

Jesus, teach me that making You the Lord of my life is making You my boss; You are in charge and I am not. If I say “Jesus is Lord” and You aren’t, help me check on my salvation. Since “the righteous WILL live by faith,” let my faith, trust, reliance, and dependence be in You; let the gospel have this effect on my life. AND, since it is having this effect on my life, let me have time to live a righteous life. And, let that be because I have the time to only do good things.

Jesus, it is by grace I have been saved, through faith--and this not from myself, it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8). You are providing me a life that transforms me into a person who involves myself in win/win situations. You have given me a power to tap into the provisions, resources, and supplies of God. You have transformed me into a person who doesn’t try to just use them for myself, they have become a river that flows into the lives of others.

Jesus, it is not by works, so that I can’t boast (Eph 2:9). This transformation and love for my neighbor as myself, comes to me as a gift. Keep me from trying to buy it, trade for it, steal it, or earn it. Turn me into this kind of person as a free gift. But, once I receive this gift, You expect me to make You the Lord of my life. Help me do that, so I can start helping others win at life right along with me.

Jesus, I am God’s workmanship, created in You to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do (Eph 2:10). Empower me to start doing these things that help me pass my final exam with You. Teach me all the principles in the whole event that is presented in Matthew 25:34-46. Let me look at the part where I pass my final exam.

Jesus, when You, the King, say to those on Your right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me (Mat 25:34-36),” empower me to be one of those people. Teach me how to do all these wonderful things for You. When You, the King, reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me (Mat 25:40),” make sure all of it is true of me, I pray.

Jesus, set me free from being a lake like the person in this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. Jesus, when You prosper me, prepare my heart for that blessing. When this man thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry,’ keep me from thinking like this. Help me see that Your prosperity came to me so I could be a blessing to others.

Jesus, when God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ help me not be a fool like this. Help me use Your prosperity to pass my final exam described in Matthew 25:34-46. Since this is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21), protect me from storing up things for myself rather than being rich toward God. Since this is what a lake looks like where things flow in but can’t flow out, make me a river.

Jesus, tell me the truth, build faith in me that no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for You and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).” Show me that all these things flow into me so they can flow out of me. Teach me that this is what a river looks like; the blessings and provisions of God flow into me and out of me into the lives of others. Let this happen to me: John 7:38 (AKJV) He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Jesus, teach me that these shoes of the gospel of peace are also made up of a compassion for the physical as well as the spiritual needs of others. Show me that sometimes the only message hurting-people can hear is a message of hope for their physical distress. Keep me from getting discouraged from trying to address all the physical hurts and needs around me because of their magnitude. Keep me from feeling like the disciples when You told them to feed the multitude. Keep me from feeling like the needs are too great, that I don’t have enough resources.

Get me ready for You to tell me, “You give them something to eat.” Keep me from saying to You, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat (Mark 6:37)?”

Teach me that the question isn’t, what can I do? The question is, what can You do? Teach me that this is why I am going to need to be prospered with a hundred times all these things. It isn’t so I can hoard them; it is so I can take care of the needy. Let this be a part of putting my shoes of the gospel of peace on.