Jesus, help me know when I have found a good church. Help me know if it is providing me with all of the opportunities of fellowship and friendship that I have seen in these studies. But, if I need to find some of these people outside the church I have picked, help me realize that, that is a good thing as well. Make it clear to me that I belong to a huge family of Christians all over the world. With the technology I have available to me, help me take advantage of having relationships through many sources. However, help me see that the most important thing is to be sure I have people I can sit down with and talk to face to face. Help me get Christian friends I can go do things together with.

Jesus, since no church is perfect, You may want me to associate with other Christians from other churches. Help me understand that Christianity isn’t exclusive to one church or group. Let me have one church that meets most of my spiritual needs. But, help me not just make it my only church. Just like I don’t shop at one store all the time, help me reach out to other people You want me to be with. I have one store that I shop at most of the time; but, that doesn’t mean I can’t shop at other ones when the need arises. Help me realize that with all my spiritual needs as well.

Jesus, help me see that the most important thing is for me to find the Christians that will help me grow and share the wonderful things of God. Help me use the information I am learning in these studies to help me decide who is best for me. Let these studies help me see what the Bible requires in a spiritual leader, a good Christian friend, and people that I can spend my time with investing in their spiritual needs.

Jesus, help me understand that I have a lot of spiritual needs and responsibilities. Show me that the main purpose of this study is to help me establish relationships with real people. Make it clear to me that these studies are vital for helping me in my relationship with You. But, I also need spiritual experiences with live people who can talk to me, fellowship with me, and be helped and blessed by me.

Jesus, help me realize that the things I am learning in all of these courses are to be applied to all the types of people out in the world. There are people who resist and attack me; these people help me learn how to handle persecution. They give me opportunities to stand firm in You. There are people who try to lure me into sin or time-consuming, useless activities. These people help me learn how to stay on track with You. There are people who study the Bible; but, they study those things that are just interesting and not spiritually growth-building.

Jesus, help me really understand the difference between Bible information that is interesting and information that is transforming. Help me see clearly that the Bible has information that deals with genealogies of family trees, it gives lists of things that will be happening just before You come, and it presents many things happening in the future. Help me see that it is important to know about them; but, they don’t lead me into the steps for spiritual growth. If I know about all these things but don’t do what it take to be spiritually ready for them, then I will have been distracted. In that case, I studied the Bible, but I didn’t major on those things You wanted me to use so I would be changed and prepared for them.