Jesus, teach me that when I work, my wages are not credited to me as a gift, but as an obligation. However, when I don’t work but trust God who justifies the wicked, my faith is credited as righteousness (Rom 4:4-5). Teach me this principle so I can know how to maintain a relationship with You.

Now when a man works: Jesus, before I came to God, my whole life was dependent on me working. If anything was going to get done, I was going to have to make it happen. But, help me realize that You are alive, I am not involved in a self-help religion. It isn’t what I can do for You, it is what You can do for me; I am involved in a relationship. Plus, I am involved in a relationship that requires supernatural help. Teach me that natural human effort isn’t going to bring the results I need for myself, other people, or God’s plan; it is going to take supernatural power.

Now when a man works, his wages are NOT credited to him as a gift: Jesus, for most of my life I have been trained that I have to earn a living, establish a source of income, earn my keep, and establish my worth. I have been taught to not like handouts, charity, or welfare; I typically get my worth and see my value in what I can produce for myself. Due to all my world training, gifts can be offensive to me; I can feel like a charity case. But, help me understand that this isn’t how my heavenly Father looks at me. Just like I would support a family, so does God. If I have members in my family who are too young to make a contribution to the family, I wouldn’t mind supporting them for free. I would do for my children things I wouldn’t do for anyone else. Show me that, that’s the way God is.

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation: Jesus, help me understand that God is never going to get into a place where He owes me something. He will never be obliged to do what I demand of Him. My knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are far below the intelligence of God. If He ever got into an obligated relationship with me, I would make foolish, infantile, and inferior demands on Him. Make it clear to me that my relationship with Him must be on the basis of gifts; or, I will try to gain the upper hand. Plus, I would never be able to work hard enough to afford the things of God.

However, to the man who does not work: Jesus, if I have children in my home, I may require that they clean their room. I may give them an allowance “because” they did some chores around the house. But, their “work” would be nothing in comparison to the rewards. All their clothing, food, housing, transportation, utilities, insurance, education, entertainment, and care would be MUCH MORE than the “work” they did. Teach me that there are some things my heavenly Father will require that I do; but, they are NOTHING in comparison to my rewards and His provisions.

However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked: Jesus, this is when I finally ended up in the prison of spiritual disease, habits, a bad lifestyle, and addictions. I had problems I had gotten myself into that I could not solve. It was like I was arrested and given “one phone call.” So, I cried out to You and You rescued me from all the penalties of sin. I was set free, brought home, given a new life, and empowered to live as a child of God. I went from wickedness to a life of only doing good to myself, other people, and God’s plan.

However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness: Jesus, help me understand that when I do spiritual work trying to get into a right relationship with God, my faith is in my own efforts. But, when I look to God for His power and provisions to BRING me into a right relationship with Him, my faith is in God. Help see that if my faith is invested in anything other than God, it is unacceptable to God. BUT, if I DO place my faith in God, MY faith is credited as righteousness.

Jesus, teach me that righteousness is only doing right and good things to myself, other people, and God’s plan. It is also NOT doing ANYTHING that is wrong, bad, or evil to myself, other people, or God’s plan. Since my faith was credited as righteousness, then all I had to do and all have to continue to do is believe that God and the Bible are telling me the truth. AND, when I prayed all the parts of Matthew 6:9-13 and obeyed Romans 10:8-10, I BELIEVED I was saved and justified; that made me a born again child of God. But, it was vital that I believed that new birth was true of me. When I did, faith was credited to me as righteousness.