A Prayer about Hope Setting

 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, and being sober-minded; set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 1:13)

We’ve come to the end of our week, brothers. Thanks for joining me and sharing the journey with you. To close out our week, here is another powerful Gospel-centered prayer from the pen of Pastor Scotty Smith:

 Heavenly Father, you won’t let us get away from thinking about your grace for even one minute, will you? And let me hasten to say thank you, thank you, thank you.

I praise you for the day you finally convinced the legalist and leper in me that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. I praise you for the ongoing schooling in the sufficiency of your grace for all the broken things in my life: broken relationships, broken health, broken promises, broken church . . . broken me.

And now I praise you for commanding me to set my hope on yet-to-be-received grace—the unleashed fullness, the unfettered wonder, the undiminished glory of your contra conditional love for us in Jesus. There is no God like you. There is no God so immeasurably generous with such ill-deserving people like me.

Help me to remember that this hope-setting command is just as much a command to be obeyed as “Do not lie, do not steal, and do not covet.” You are serious about where we set our hope. Father, you are so wise, for you know if we don’t intentionally and fully set our hope on your present and future grace, we’ll set it somewhere else: on saviors that cannot save, on people who are not God, on gospels that are not gospels, and on idols that will ultimately fail us.

Lord Jesus, I’ve never so looked forward to the day when you will be fully revealed—when the firstfruits of grace will give way to the full harvest of grace, your gathered bride and renewed world. Until that day, keep us engaged in your story of redemption and restoration. Where do we work for justice? Where do we show your mercy? How shall we walk humbly with our God?

Smith, Scotty (2011-09-01). Everyday Prayers for a Transformed Life: 365 Days to Gospel-Centered Faith (Kindle Locations 7943-7962). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Have a blessed weekend. I appreciate you! – Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick.

Team YOU: Ezekiel 3-4; Proverbs 16; Hebrews 11:20-40

Motivations: Let us also take up our positions to intercede for our leaders. God never intended that congregations would not participate in their leaders protection and inspiration. Your leadership reflects, at least in part, the answer to your prayers. Unprayed for pastors are vulnerable to the battle in unique ways. If you haven’t stood in intercession, perhaps you are, at least in part, a contributor to his stumbling. Francis Frangipane

Practice to Remember: Level 1:James 3:9-10; Level 2: James 3:7-12

Powered Up:  The sinner out of heart with self is nearest God in prayer. Oswald Chambers