Chapter 13 concludes the letter with a series of exhortations. It almost seems like the Book of Proverbs, each sentence is separate from the ones surrounding it. And any sentence could be food for today.
My heart landed on verses 20 & 21: May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. And within this run-on sentence, it was the closing thought that began my meditative wheels churning.
May the God of peace …work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I wondered if I was brave enough to pray that as my prayer. It is not a typical prayer. It is a prayer of complete surrender. “God work in me as You see fit. Do anything You like in my life.” It is not asking for daily bread or needs to be met. It is 100% God focused. God, I am clay in Your hands. Fashion me as You see fit. It is the kind of prayer that may undermine my comfortable life. It is the kind of prayer that may result in God asking me to give everything away to follow Him. It is the kind of prayer I need to pray and it is a touch frightening because I can think of many things, big and small, which God may ask me to sacrifice for His pleasure and will. But it is the kind of prayer that will bring glory to my Lord Jesus…
O Lord, hear my prayer…
O God, I ask you to work in me –refine me, change me, rebuke me, convict me- that my life would be pleasing to Jesus, so that the way I live will make an impact for Jesus and so that people will see in me someone who is surrendered to You. Lord, remove any play-acting and hypocrisy in me, renew my mind and transform me as You do so… I pray this in Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen.
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