In Romans 6:13 I read, “Give yourselves completely to God, every part of you, for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes." (TLB)
Since God is multidimensional, I don’t want to make my prayers one-dimensional. There are actually five dimensions of my life that I can pray about. When I pray:
Look backward to the cross. It’s good to start my prayers with the cross, because it helps me have an attitude of gratitude. When I think about Jesus dying for me on the cross, it can remind me of how deeply God loves me, how costly sin is, and how completely I’m forgiven. “God paid a ransom to save you . . . he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18-19 TLB).
Look upward into the face of a loving Father. The way I see God will influence every area of my life, including whether or not my prayers are fruitful. If I only make one change to my prayers, start calling God “Father.” I’ll start to better understand just how much he loves me and how he works for my good. Romans 8:16-17 says, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs” (NLT).
Look inward to Jesus living within me. Jesus is in me, and I’m unconditionally accepted by God the Father. This gives me the freedom and courage to face up to my faults. Before I can get better, I have to admit what’s bad. “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups” (2 Corinthians 13:5 The Message).
Ask the Holy Spirit to use me. Instead of complaining about or judging the world, just say, “Holy Spirit, show me what’s wrong and how I can make a difference. Use me.” When I make myself available to God, he will use me for his good. The Bible says, “Give yourself completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes” (Romans 6:13 TLB).
Look forward to my future in faith. Parents love to hear their children talk about their dreams, and so does God! Tell him about my thoughts, ideas, and dreams. He is a good Father who is waiting for me to talk to him. “I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 GW).
In summary, I need to give myself completely to God, every part of me, for I am back from death and should want to be tools in the hands of God, for his good purposes. Since God is multidimensional, I shouldn’t make my prayers one-dimensional. There are actually five dimensions that I can pray about. When I pray: 1). Look backward to the cross. It’s good to start my prayers with the cross, it helps have an attitude of gratitude. Jesus dying for me on the cross, it can remind me of how deeply God loves me, how costly sin is, and how completely I’m forgiven. 2). Look upward into the face of a loving Father. The way I see God will influence every area of my life. Start calling God “Father.” I’ll start to better understand just how much he loves me and how he works for my good. 3). Look inward to Jesus living within me. Jesus is in me, and I’m unconditionally accepted by God the Father. This gives me the freedom and courage to face up to my faults. I have to admit what’s bad. 4). Ask the Holy Spirit to use me. Instead of complaining about or judging the world, say, “Holy Spirit, show me what’s wrong and how I can make a difference. Use me.” When I make myself available to God, he will use me for his good. 5). Look forward to my future in faith. Parents love to hear their children talk about their dreams, and so does God! Tell him about my thoughts, ideas, and dreams. He is a good Father who is waiting for me to talk to him.
To not let sin control the way I live, to not give in to its desires, I can do the following: 1) Identify
my personal weaknesses, 2) Recognize the things that tempt me, 3) Stay away from sources of temptation, 4) practice self-restraint, 5) consciously invest my time in good habits and service, and 6) lean on God's strength and grace. My skills, capabilities, and body can serve many purposes, good or bad. In sin, every part of my body is vulnerable. In Christ, every part can be an instrument for service. It is the one to whom I offer my service that makes the difference. I can be like a laser that can burn destructive holes in steel plates or do delicate cataract surgery. Will I give myself completely to God, asking him to put me to good use for his glory?
Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me.
Father, help bring to mind the 5 dimensions I can pray in: Looking backward to the cross, looking upward into your loving face, looking inward to Jesus living within me, asking the Holy Spirit to use me and looking forward to my future in faith. Also when it comes to temptations, I ask you Father for your help for me to stay away from the sources, practice self-restraint, lean on your strength instead of mine and my desires.
Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives (including my job.) I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.
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