Praying to be holy

1 Peter 1:13-17

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

This passage is a call to holiness. Unfortunately holiness has gotten a bad rap over the years. We equate it with religious legalism and outdated fundamentalism. Nothing could be further from the truth! Being holy is being like God. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” Being holy means to be set apart from one thing and dedicated to a new thing. We are to be set apart from our old life of selfishness, independence and darkness. We are to be dedicated to our new life in Christ, a life of dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a life of walking in Jesus’ light. Peter exhorts us to do this with alert minds that are focused on the eternal reality of Christ’s coming revelation and on all the grace that is going to be brought to us in Christ. We are to be heavenly minded so that we can be earthly good! God’s desire for all believers is that in our daily lives and in the community of the Church, we pursue His holiness and live with God as our audience.

Prayer

1. Ask Jesus to show you the grace that is waiting for you in heaven. Surrender your whole life to live with an eternal perspective as a follower of Christ
2. Pray for your entire Church Body to live holy lives and to become more and more like Jesus
3. Pray that you go deeper in God’s Word, live out of Biblical convictions, walk more in step with the Spirit and manifest more of Jesus’ love in your everyday life
4. Pray that your Church is contagious with the gospel so that everyday someone in your community is influenced to turn from darkness, to be set apart for Christ, to seek to be holy as God is holy and to become a part of your growing Church
5. Pray that every member of Christ’s Church grows in holiness, in the fear of the Lord and in the hope of the grace we will receive when Christ returns
6. Pray that you live with eternal priorities, store up treasures in heaven and seek to do all you can to advance the Kingdom of God

Praying with you and for you,

Pastor JP