A Prayer for a Full Life of Faith
By Sharon Jaynes
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12, NIV).
When you take hold, grasp, and make your own all of what Jesus had already taken hold of for you, you begin to experience life to the full—the faith you’ve always longed for. If we would grasp and make our own what Jesus has already done for us, and what He has deposited in us, our lives would look very different than the tepid faith of the average churchgoer.
It’s not enough to know the promises of God, you’ve got to grab hold with all the firmness of the trapeze artist—release what is behind and take hold of what is ahead. That is the greatest show on earth. That is how the greatest faith on earth becomes a reality.
God’s promises are not automatic. We must move from knowing the promise, to believing the promise, to actually taking hold of the promise through obedient action in order to make them a reality in our lives. God told Joshua about the Promised Land, “I will give you every place where you set your foot” (Joshua 1:3). He and the Israelites had to “set their feet” to conquer the land; to grab hold of the promise that was theirs for the taking.
God’s power, provision, and purposes are for “whosoever will” (Mark 8:34 KJV). Will what? Will let go of all that holds you back from experiencing the abundant life of the adventurous faith and take hold of truth that makes it so.
Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, and to you and me: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, all that God has planned for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9). Another translations says: “What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]” (AMPC). Every one of those plans that God has prepared, made, and keeps ready requires us to let go of one thing and take hold of another. It was this truth that gave me the courage and confidence to leave the comfortable land of in-between—to let go of simply being a nice church girl and venture into the purpose God had planned for me all along.
Lord, I want to move forward and take hold of all that You have taken hold of for me, but sometimes I have trouble letting go. Help me to release all that hinders my spiritual growth and intimate relationship with You. I open my heart, my hands, and my eyes to all You have for me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Editor’s Note: Content taken from the Girlfriends in God devotional, “Take Hold of the Faith You Long For,” written by Sharon Jaynes. You can read that piece in full here. All rights reserved.
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