God Finishes What He Begins
Your Nightly Prayer for Apr. 1, 2025
by Britt Mooney
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
"… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Have you ever started something and failed to finish it? Many artists and writers begin a book or story and never finish it. And they end up having several such projects. I’ve known many authors who have worked for decades on a book to never finish it.
We see the same in business, construction, and other industries. On a personal level, January is famous for people making resolutions, beginning things, and giving up by February. Execution is more difficult and valuable than creativity.
Thankfully, God isn’t like this. He’s not like us. He begins things and finishes them, all the way to the end.
Paul writes to the church in Philippi, and in the first few verses he expresses how he prays for them with joy from their first days of committing to the Gospel to his current day. His joy comes from his confidence in God’s work, not their ability. Paul recognizes their salvation and continued faith and growth flows from God’s power to both begin and finish what he started. God initiates salvation and brings it to completion. In this, God gets the glory he deserves. Jesus gives himself a name three times in Revelation, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Revelation 22:13). As the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, Alpha and Omega symbolize the complete work of Christ in the redemption of all creation and our salvation within the Father’s plan.
This gives us confidence and joy. For ourselves, to know our salvation doesn’t depend upon our ability. We can rest and trust in him to be faithful and keep his promises. For others, as well, we might see people fall away or struggle, but we can place our confidence and joy in God to begin and continue his work. And we pray toward that end for ourselves and others.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
We praise you as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. You finish all You start, Your Word never returns empty, and we thank You for faithfully completing the work of salvation in us and redeeming creation. Give us confidence to trust Your power, not our strength. Fill us with joy for ourselves and others as we remember You never abandon Your work. Help us trust You to keep Your promises.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Have you ever started a project and left it unfinished? What was it?
2. Thinking of how God will complete his salvation in you, how does that give you joy, peace, and hope?
3. Are there people in your life who have seemed to reject the faith they once had or stopped following God? How does this verse give you hope for them?
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Kinga Howard
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