Jesus, empower me to “do what it takes” to stand firm ... with the breastplate of righteousness in place (Eph 6:14). Help me remember and take advantage of the issue of righteousness I learned in the beatitudes. Teach me that the way to get the breastplate of righteousness on, keep it on, and make sure it is a high quality breastplate is to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Give me an intense desire to have a certain set of attitudes that You consider to be righteousness.

Jesus, Bless me by giving me a strong hunger and thirst for righteousness, and empowering me to be filled (Mat 5:6).

Jesus, I can’t be hungering and thirsting for the business, sports, and relationship principles of the world or I will already be satisfied and full of them. Help me have a righteousness that is Your way of life. It sees to it that my problems are being solved and my needs are being met. And, it is done by me seeing to it that EVERYONE’S needs are being met. Show me that, if I don’t put the breastplate of righteousness on, I will use people, walk over the top of people, cheat them, lie to them, take things that belong to them, and refuse to share with them.

Make righteousness be a lifestyle in me that puts people above things. Let me and the people around me become more important to me than making sure I possess the basic supplies for my physical needs. Put the breastplate of righteousness over my chest (the place where I feel compassion and concern). Teach me that when it is put on, it protects me from selfishness that fights my good feelings and good acts that care for people more than money and what it can buy.

Jesus, help me seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, so that all these THINGS will be given to me as well (Mat 6:33).

Jesus, “All these THINGS” is talking about the basic “necessities” of my life. It is talking about, my food, my clothing, and my lodging. This is a real challenge to some of my priorities. What I am going to wear, where I am going to sleep, and what I am going to eat can be a powerful driving force.

Whether I am in a country where there is an abundance or in a country where there is mostly poverty, these are things I consider to be necessities of life. At times they feel like they have to be my number one concern. However, this Scripture is telling me that putting You Kingdom and Your righteousness (caring for the needs of myself AND others) as my number one desire causes these things to be given to me THROUGH You. Help me, teach me, and empower me to put Your Kingdom and Your righteousness as my top priority.

Jesus, help me learn and cooperate with Your reason for speaking through the Bible, and coupling together the issues righteousness and the cares of life on this planet. Teach me that the breastplate of righteousness is put on or taken off based on which of these two things I am hungering and thirsting after.

Make it clear to me that how I go about getting my basic physical needs met is the big issue here. Keep me from going straight to the process of getting my needs met; help me go through You, Jesus. Help me allow You to take on the responsibility of seeing to it that my basic needs are met. Show me that if I skip You, I will start seeking the necessary money so I can buy the things I need. But, if I go through You, You will start transforming my goals and attitudes so I know what to do with money and things once I get them. Help me always go through You.

Jesus, I have to have money and things; but, the issue is, how do I go about getting them. Since my priorities and characteristics decide which system I use, help me not decide to go straight for the money I need to buy the things I need. Teach me that this system will cause me to end up serving money and leaving my breastplate of righteousness off. Show me that whether I want to, mean to, or not, I will find myself in a master/slave relationship with money. This will leave me unprotected by this piece of armor. Empower me to go through You to get my basic needs met. This will cause me to end up submitting to Your way of life. I believe that Your way will see to it that my basic needs are being met WHILE others are getting their basic needs met through me. Let this cause the breastplate of righteousness to be installed on me.

Jesus, since no one can serve two masters, either I will hate the one and love the other, or I will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Teach me that I cannot serve both God and Money. Empower me to not worry about my life, what I will eat or drink; or about my body, what I will wear. I accept Your truth that life is more important than food, and the body is more important than clothes (Mat 6:24-25).

Jesus, You consider my life and my body to be more important than food and clothes. So, let me go Your way and thereby empower me to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Now then, help me allow money and the other necessities of life to come through You. As this happens, I believe that You will help me to be able to identify with the problems and needs of others. I believe that my first priority won’t be me getting my needs met; You are causeing my priority to grow into a desire to make sure EVERYONE’S needs are met.

As I learn how to get all these things from You, keep it from being a confusing issue. Even though I have seen how the world gets their needs met, even though I have been taught that all I have to do is go out and get myself a job, help me learn Your better way. There have been times when I prayed first; but, then I went out and got myself a job. I assumed that all Christians do that. My question was, how else can it be done? Teach me how to do these things Your way so I can put on and keep on the breastplate of righteousness.