September 2 Prayer

September 2 Prayer
‘We are co-workers with God’

‘Ask yourselves: Is there jealousy among you? Do you compare yourselves with others? Do you quarrel like children and end up taking sides? If so, this proves that you are living your lives centered on yourselves, dominated by the mind-set of the flesh, and behaving like unbelievers.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Ouch, these are harsh words to hear from Paul to the people of Corinth. Do we relate or are we in denial that we too may live with inclinations of our fallen humanity to rule us in our thoughts and actions. Our egos and hurts get in the way of true growth in becoming spiritually mature believers.
We are called into spiritual maturity by recognizing our own failings and poverty of spirit.
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.’

We are the fieldworkers as well as the field, coworkers along with God to build his kingdom of love. This is our common purpose, to work together as one. It takes humility to be a field worker when you really want to be the field.
Pause here to reflect on what gets in the way or trips you up.

‘Lord, Jesus Christ , Son of God, have mercy on us, your church for we have not put you first in our thoughts and deeds. Thank you for your mercy!
Thank you for today that we get to begin again.
Give us the eyes to see the field that you have prepared for us to work in and those we are to work with.
May we have joy in serving others and putting them first before ourselves.
You delight in nurturing us where we need to be fed, you give us the spiritual food to eat.
Where we need to be affirmed you see us and say ‘well done, the kingdom of heaven is yours’.
We lay down all that gets in the way of seeing your grace and favor for others,
our egos, our hurts, our need to be recognized.
Take all of our hearts and make us one in your spirit, one in your love.

‘We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that our unity may this day be restored.
They’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
and they’ll know we are Christians by our love.’

May it be so, Lord.
Amen
DB