Gracious Father, no doubt, the cultural decay and the ensuing confusion and chaos have intensified, significantly battling for the hearts of your people. Your word has clearly warned that there will always be those who operate with mere natural instincts devoid of your Spirit who deceive in clever, subtle, and enticing ways. They exchange even things that are common sense for lies and deception. They exchange the truth about God for a lie and worship and serve created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.
Father, we cry out for wisdom! This battle for the heart and mind of those we love is certainly at full throttle all around us. Some outside of the church boldly engage in outright lies and blasphemy while others, even within your church, dangerously speak and promote that the Holy Scripture contains the word of God rather than stating it is the infallible Word of God. All of this is to control the narrative. They turn grace into a license to sin. And all this is to feed their own egos and to coerce others, while providing cover for their own unconscionable character and behavior.
Father, we pray, amid these increasing battles, that our hearts and minds would be firmly centered on Christ and his powerful word. May your truth, which leads to life, serve to enlighten, embolden, and guard us. Bless us with your presence, moment by moment. Saturate us with your consuming love. Overwhelm us with persevering patience as we await our ultimate blessing of eternal life. Remind us that at times like this, we are to persevere with purpose. Resolve in our minds that we are not called to change the world’s culture, but to establish Christ’s culture within his body, the church, and to serve as salt and light in a broken world.
Father, as your ambassadors, bless us with mercy for those confused with doubt. Where possible, use us as beacons of light to rescue many by speaking the truth in love and snatching them from destruction. Empower the light of Christ to flow through us into the darkness of this world, providing truth and hope. In all circumstances, through the power of Christ alone, we pray that all would see and experience our reverence and love for Christ and others.
In Christ,
Blessings!
Jude 1:17-23
17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.