Day 13 Focus: With God’s Wisdom, we are moved into Action.
Level 1: (5 Minutes) Each day the cue to breathe deeply is probably becoming a new habit. Today as you sit quietly reflect upon any actions you have felt inspired to carry out when God’s wisdom touches your heart.
Level 2: (10 minutes) Do Level 1. After Reading the scripture adaptation, take 5 minutes to discern what word or phrase catches your interest:
Adapted from I Peter 1:13-22. Dear Lord, I pray that You will gird my mind for action, help me to keep sober in spirit, help me to fix my hope completely on the grace brought to me through the revelation of what Jesus Christ has done for me...Give me the power not to be conformed to former wrong thoughts and acts done in my ignorance, but like the Holy One who calls me, become holy in ALL of my behavior, conducting myself with reverence during my time on earth, knowing that I was redeemed at a very high cost with the precious blood of Christ…Fill me with the knowledge and assurance that I have been born again with the imperishable seed through the living and abiding Word of God to carry out Your will and actions in a hurting world. I ask for all of this in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
Level 3: (15 minutes) After pausing to breathe and reading the Scripture prayer, take 5 minutes to write down what action this prayer might be prompting you to begin.
Level 4: (30-60 minutes) Approaching my 71st birthday, when I hear that Peter prayed to “become holy in ALL of his behavior, conducting himself with reverence during his time on earth,” I am encouraged. I remember all the times Peter got it wrong, but nevertheless persevered, and I know there is hope for me. Reverence is a word that we really need to explore in 2018. What do we revere these days? The life of The Reverend Billy Graham is being celebrated today. Not everyone agreed with him—but many people of all walks of life revered him. His career spanned a large breath of time and while many things changed during his life—one constant for him was maintaining his personal integrity and teaching that God loves everyone. Where other people of fame gave into many temptations that tarnished their work, Billy Graham embraced humility and avoided pitfalls by staying as close to God as he was before he rose to international prominence. Through friends I got to meet Reverend Graham a few years ago, and even though his presence was striking, his manner was warm and welcoming. He treated us all with reverence. He had just lost his wife, and he talked about her with a tenderness that touched our souls. I want to live out my days on this earth reverently. As I have been writing this study and reading your responses, the Holy Spirit is showing me that other people want this kind of reverence in their lives, too.
