Pray and Pursue Understanding

May my cry come before You, Lord; give me understanding according to Your word. – (Psalm 119:169, NIV) 

Please, Lord, hear my prayer and give me the understanding that comes from Your word. – (Psalm 119:169, CEV) 

Lord, listen to my prayer. It’s like a sacrifice I bring to You; I must have more revelation of Your word! – (Psalm 119:169, TPT) 

In this ever-changing world, there is tremendous comfort in knowing God, for He remains the same forever. No matter what goes on around us, He who dwells within us, is constant. The better we know God and understand His word, the greater we are prepared to navigate whatever comes our way. As we call out to God, pray, and read His word, He grants us greater understanding of how to see people and situations through His lens of love. May we constantly pursue the Lord in prayer, and invest time in His word so that we may live and love well, in ways that are pleasing to Him. 

O Lord, hear my cry, 

As I come to You; 

Grant understanding, 

So that I’ll love true. 

As I read Your word, 

Help me understand; 

How to apply it, 

And walk out Your plan. 

Please give me insight, 

To live and love well; 

So words aren’t needed, 

As loving acts tell. 

Tell of Your goodness, 

Display well, Your grace; 

Let all that we do, 

Show Your loving ways. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we cry out to You and invest time in Your word, You grant us insight and understanding so that we may be a clearer reflection of Your lavish love. Forgive us for the times that we have not sought You and have acted upon our own selfish tendencies. Teach us to seek You in all things for the insight and understanding that is needed to love well. Show us how to love all those whom we encounter, so that Your love may be evident through our every word and deed. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we cry out to You for understanding, and gain new revelation through Your word. Amen. 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. – 2 Timothy 2:23

Created for Good

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – (Ephesians 2:10, NIV) 

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things He had already planned for us to do. – (Ephesians 2:10, ERV) 

We have become His poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny He has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it! – (Ephesians 2:10, TPT) 

As God’s handiwork, His poetry, we have been created to do all things in love. If love is our motivation, the good will be evident in all that we do. This applies from simple things to great things, for all ought to be done in love. Each day, as we live and move and are being, the decisions we make ought to be determined through Christ’s lens of love. Will our words, thoughts and actions clearly reflect His heart for those around us? If so, then we are doing the good He has prepared for us. Often, it is the seemingly smallest of gestures, that have the greatest impact. When others see us, care for us, and act in a way that makes us feel known and that we matter, God’s heart is made tangible. God uses our willingness to bless others in the same way. May we go forth in the knowledge that we have been made the way that we are for a purpose, and as we do all things in love, good works will be done that fulfill His purpose in us, for us, and through us. 

We are created, 

God’s own works of art; 

Made to do good things, 

His love we impart. 

As we allow God, 

To love and to lead; 

We’re equipped to do, 

Loving acts, good deeds. 

So, rise each morning, 

Pursue the Lord’s best; 

For as we seek Him, 

His love is expressed. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have created us to do good and be the good that the world sees. Forgive us for the times that we have turned away from the good we knew we should have done. Help us to lean into You, so that we would constantly pursue You to lead us and equip us to love as You love. Show us how to do good wherever we are and with whomever we are with. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to do the good that You have created us to do. Amen. 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. – Psalm 34:14