Butterflies. New - no longer old - 2 Corinthians 5V11-21

Our loving Father, your Son became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God.
He was estranged from you so that we might be reconciled.
He died so that we might live.
We are now ‘new creations’.
May we be controlled by the love of Christ for us
As we seek to be good ambassadors for you in the world.
Making your appeal through us – be reconciled to God
Amen.

Home - 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10

Our Father
Forgive us that we easily lose heart as we waste away.
Put our eyes on your inner renewal work in us rather than on our light and momentary afflictions.
Put our eyes on the eternal weight of glory
Put our eyes on what is unseen rather than seen.
Our Father we long for the tent of our bodies to be replaced by an eternal home when the mortal will be swallowed up by life.
Thank you that you have given us your Spirit as a guarantee.
Make us of good courage,
Walking by faith,
Longing to be home with you.
As we consider the day when we will appear before you.
Amen

Weep the conflict

We frayed; we fought. 
I wept, I cried…but not for you, but for my pride. 
I want; I want; my way today. 
And soon I lost. My friend; I cried.
O help me cry, for you my friend. 
My tears, for us. 
My heart, your soul. 
As Christ, he cried, for us, he died. 
Turns tears to joy. 
Reconciled!

by Geoff Gertzen

5 Tips to fight better - 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11

Father you always deal with us with sincerity and grace.
You have done what is best for us even when we have resisted you.
You have acted to spare us pain, always driven by your anguish and tears over our situation.
And you have overwhelmingly loved and forgiven us
May these things to be in us too
For your glory alone
Amen

Suffering?! Why?! - 2 Corinthians 1v1-11

 

Father
We hate suffering. We hate pain.
Thank you for the comfort of your presence
Thank you for the comfort given by your people.
Thank you for the hope of deliverance.
Thank you for the hope of resurrection.
Thank you that your Son experienced extreme suffering for us.
We pray that you would make us fully reliant on you.
Make us to seek you with all we are.
Make us to love you as the desire of our hearts.
Make us to know you as the craving of our souls.
Thank you for the expectation of resurrection from the dead and may we not fail to pray for the deliverance of those in suffering.
Amen

 

Lies we tell ourselves #3 -“I am what I feel; I am what others say about me” Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:1-10

Father forgive us that we define ourselves by our feelings
Forgive us that we care a great deal about what others say about us and little about what you say about us.
Turn our thoughts to your true diagnosis of us.
May we increasingly display the fruit of the Spirit
And live by the Spirit
Rejoicing in our identity as sons of God
Saved by grace
Seated in the throne room of heaven.
To your honour and glory alone.
Amen

The lies we tell ourselves #2 - I am what I have; I am what I do

Father
You are the owner of everything.
You have promised to care for us.
Forgive us for defining ourselves by what we have.
Instead may we see and seek our value in knowing you.
Enable us to sow treasure for heaven.
Forgive us for seeing our value in our activity.
May we seek our worth in being children of God,
Adopted,
Known by God,
And fellow heirs with Christ.
Amen