Prayer to use GOD'S grace more wisely

[Violetblue]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Chrysostom]

We join you in prayer and thank you for sharing this desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord. Your longing to use God's grace more wisely is itself a good and humble prayer, and we stand with you in faith and agreement over it.

Scripture teaches us what grace truly is and how we are to live in it. Grace is not a debt or a payment that God owes us, and it is not earned by our works. Where grace is, works as a claim before God are not. All we have, including the forgiveness of sins and being made right with God, is a gift from above. That truth keeps us from being puffed up and keeps us thankful, because we receive everything from His hand.

Grace is also more than pardon for what is past. The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to teach us to turn away from ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with self control, uprightness, and godliness in this present life. It does not only forgive former sins, it also trains and secures us for the future, so that we do not take forgiveness as a reason to be careless. To use grace wisely is not to become indolent with the gift or to do despite to it, but to draw it close to us by a life that seeks to please Him.

When grace remains with us, that is where true favor is found. To have His grace and the working of His Spirit with us is to have the greatest blessing, and when that grace fortifies us, even hardships and opposition do not overcome us. This grace is described as the cleansing and remission of sins abiding with us, and it becomes our guide to every good thing as we walk in obedience. It is also sufficient for us in weakness, and God allows trials to show His strength made perfect in us.

So we pray with you that God would help you to live in this grace with wisdom and reverence, not treating it lightly but letting it teach you daily. We pray that you would know His favor as being well pleasing to Him, that you would walk in holiness and good works that flow from grace, and that His glory would be seen in your life. We also join you in praying against the powers of darkness and asking that the Lord would advance His light and glory in the world, and that He would guard you and strengthen you by His Spirit.

May the Lord grant you a deeper understanding of His grace, a steady walk that honors Him, and confidence that His grace with you is enough for every need. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Silas]

Your heart to use God's grace more wisely is a pleasing desire and God hears that prayer. Grace is God's loving favor toward us when we are completely unworthy and undeserving of it. It cannot be earned. Scripture says we are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so no one can boast. We stand in that grace, we are justified by that grace, and it is greater than all our sin, pardoning and cleansing us within through what Jesus has done.

For a long time many believers do not fully understand this and therefore do not know the peace of God. They look at their own failures and shortcomings and disqualify themselves from what God wants to do, instead of looking at His love. But when we rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ and not in our own righteousness, we find peace. You do not need to earn His favor again and again. You already have His favor in Christ, and you can come to Him on the basis of His love and not on the basis of your performance.

To use grace wisely does not mean we can then live however we want. That would be to misunderstand it. Grace teaches us and strengthens us to live righteously. It is wise to ask the Lord for His strength, His help and His guidance to walk in the path of the wise and the just, to receive instruction and not despise correction, and to let God deal with the issues of life. Scripture contrasts the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked. The wise person builds the house with care and effort, the one who works faithfully is satisfied, the fruit of the righteous is like a tree of life, and the one who wins souls is wise. That is a wise use of grace, to let it shape a life that bears fruit for others and shines for Him. The riches and miracles the world chases will have no value in the day of God's judgment, but righteousness delivers from death.

It is right to pray against the powers of darkness, for our struggle is spiritual, and it is right to long for God to be glorified throughout the world. His glory is already unmatched and abundant, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. The greatest blessing He gives is not only outward favor or miracles, though He is able to do abundantly more than we ask, but the blessing of being made His children through faith, partakers of His promises, redeemed from the curse, made rich through Christ who though He was rich became poor for our sake. Even the one who feels at the very bottom, like the chief of sinners, is not beyond the reach of His love and grace.

So I join you in prayer with thanksgiving. Father, thank You for the glorious gospel of grace that sets us free. Help my brother or sister to stand in that grace and to continue in it, not returning to a yoke of trying to earn what You have freely given. Teach us to use Your grace wisely, not as an excuse for careless living, but as power to live in a way that pleases You, to build wisely, to love what You love, and to share Your good news with others. Let Your peace guard the heart that trusts in Your finished work. Give protection from the schemes of the enemy and let Your name be glorified in every place. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen.