Something you can't forget about
18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Jesus, why am I still so fixed on what is of this world? I am such a hypocrite. My jokes and comments reveal what is in my mind. Lord, please help me to change. Help me to not notice the worldly but …
17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Paul was in prison and facing possible death. He was beaten, stoned, whipped and ship-wrecked. All that and he describes them as light and momentary troubles. Lord, the troubles in my life are so small compared to the sufferings of so many of Your servants. I am sorry I have ever …
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Renew me inwardly Holy Spirit. Renew me and change me. You have renewed me Holy Spirit, please keep changing me. My life was thrown into turmoil and I thought so many things were going to end in awful ways. In my fear I raced back to You, and …
15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Father, is my life bringing Your grace to others? If it is, show me and help me give you the thanksgiving and glory You so much deserve. I am so afraid I am hurting You more than helping. I do not live …
13It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”b With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.
“I believe therefore I have spoken.” Jesus, I speak so little for You. I have hidden my words …
10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It appears …
8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Lord, I do feel pressedand perplexed right now, and all of my own doing. I know I could be crushed into despair if it were not for You. I keep making choices that are not Yours, and You keep rescuing me. I feel like …
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
I am barely a clay jar! I am so week and faithless, and yet You are in me. Sometimes I don’t think I see a lot of Your power in my life, and yet I am here with You though many trials have tried to tear us …
6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”a made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Jesus, I want so bad for some people who are close to me to know and love You. I want to convince them with logical arguments and discussions. I am so frustrated that …
5For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
Jesus, clearly if Paul can be a servant to those he is hoping will come to You, I should be a servant also. I have people very close to me who do not want to acknowledge that they know You. In the world’s eyes, I rank ahead of them, but …