Prayer Focus: Hearts of Servants
Central Scripture: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:3-5)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your willingness to lower Yourself to be with us. You could have kept Your distance and not become involved in our mess. You could have stayed at a distance appropriate for Your majesty and holiness. You could have left us to figure things out on our own. Instead, though, You put Your majesty aside to come and walk among us. You came in the person of Jesus to rescue us, and I thank You for not abandoning us in our sin.
Lord God, please cultivate in my family the same attitude as Jesus. Let my husband, my children, and me never think of ourselves as higher, better, or more important than anyone or anything. Rather than adopting the worldly attitude of selfish ambition and vanity, let us instead see others as better than we are.
Let us always be willing to become involved in things Jesus would be involved in. Help us to walk through life with the eyes and ears and attitudes of Jesus, seeing and hearing and seizing opportunities to love and serve. If it is somewhere You would be, let us be there, too. If it is a situation You would become involved with, let us put ourselves out there. If there is a person who You would gravitate toward, let us be with them, too.
Please help my husband and children to have the minds and hearts and attitudes of Christ. Let them never look to their own interests, but to the interests of others. Lord, help them to see the needs of other people as more important than their own needs, comfort, or desires. In every situation, let them be the ones looking out for the interests of the underdog…fighting for the rights of the victims…speaking up for the voiceless. Let them go to uncomfortable places and do uncomfortable things because their own comfort isn’t as important as ministering to others.
God, thank You for the example You set for us in Jesus. Thank You for not just asking us to do something, but also demonstrating how to do it. Thank You for Your Word, lighting the way and showing us just how to go about Christlike living. You are a good, good Father, and it is our joy to serve You.
Amen.