Jesus, help me accept that this is Peter speaking to me about how to serve You: 1 Pet 1:1-2 (NIV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Jesus, help me understand that, like Peter, it is normal for me to not start off winning against those things that my body, the world, or the devil send my way. But, like You did with Peter,You have a plan for me experiencing major victory.

Acts 2:40-42 (NIV) With many other words he (Peter) warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Jesus, teach me that these weren’t just people, they were hurting, suffering people who needed what You have to offer; Peter was able to give them the answer. Help me be able to give these types of people the answer.

Acts 4:4 (NIV) But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. Jesus, make it clear to me that with You training me, my issues and problems in life get handled and healed. Your supernatural power and provisions do what nothing else could have done for me. As I see what You and Your Word are capable of, let me see that this is what everyone needs. Help me look back at all the things I have tried so I will see that You are what I need to be sharing with others.

Acts 5:14 (NIV) Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. Jesus, help me understand that people tell their friends what You did for them; and, those people tell their friends. Teach me that the more I am blessed and helped by You, the more I have to share with those around me. It’s a win/win situation. As You bless me, it helps me become a blessing to other people. Show me that this is how Christianity has spread from You to me.

Peter said in 1 Peter 4:1 (NIV): Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. Jesus, You suffered for me so I could have an awesome life. When I use love to resist doing wrong, bad, and evil things, sometimes it causes me pain, sometimes it causes me inconvenience, sometimes it causes me the loss of a relationship, and sometimes it causes me to lose financial resources. But, empower me to do it anyway!

Peter said in 1 Peter 4:2 (NIV): As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. Jesus, help me realize that Peter was living this earthly life for evil human desires, when You found him. Peter then set me an example of using his love for You to resist these things. Through Your training, power, and relationship, Jesus, Peter was able to win over his body, the world, and the devil. Now he is encouraging me to resist through a love for You.

Peter said in 1 Peter 4:3 (NIV): For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery (excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures), lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. Jesus, I gave debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry and a lot of other things my best efforts. Help me see that whatever I tried in the things of sin didn’t work for me. Some of them gave me extreme pleasure; but, they addicted and enslaved me by taking away my life and my will.

Peter said in 1 Peter 4:4 (NIV): They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation (squandering all your benefits), and they heap abuse on you. Jesus, teach me that resistance through love consists of me not giving in to all the social pressures that come my way. Make it clear to me that love requires that I be different from the crowd. But the crowd sees people who are different as being critical and judgmental of their behavior and lifestyle. So, they try to get me to conform; help me NOT conform.

Peter said in 1 Peter 4:5 (NIV): But they will have to give account to Him Who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Jesus, keep assuring me that I am making the right decisions. But help me keep in mind that the rightness of my life and the wrongness of their life won’t be fully revealed until You judge the living and the dead. However, keep me aware of the fact that a lot of results, blessings, rewards, and successes will come to me now. Empower me to live according to the principles of the Bible so they will demonstrate the truth about how life should be lived.

Jesus, I thank You for giving me a look into the life-journey of Peter. I thank You for giving me a chance to walk with You through the highlights of his life. Help me see that even though there are tough times, You will make sure it all works out for my good. Teach me that this is the difference with the Christian and the unsaved. The unsaved person doesn’t have God making the difficulties of their life work for their good. Since they have decided to run their own life, that puts them in charge of all the issues that come their way.