Friday Devotion and Prayer. April 14, 2023
“Turn Your Work into Worship”
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” – Romans 12:1
Like Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief”. I often treat my daily tasks as an interruption rather than a holy opportunity to worship God. But what would it feel like to intentionally remind ourselves before we set about our daily tasks that this is our worship? I wonder what we might notice if we looked for how God may be using our work to teach and talk to others about His love.
We get overwhelmed and frustrated with work because we live in a fallen world. But let’s not stay there. Let’s let our frustration serve as a reminder that our daily lives matter in eternity. Our whole life serves as a reminder to the world of all that God has done for us. What if God really does use all things to work together for our good and His purposes even the dirty dishes piled in the sink (Romans 8:28). Let’s not miss out on this, thinking we would be of better use elsewhere. As we look at another day full of tasks, may we view the duties as opportunities to present ourselves as an acceptable living sacrifice to God, who deserves our worship.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for not wasting anything. You really are using all things for our good and your glory. You use our everyday acts as opportunities to build up and edify the body of Christ and point others to you (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We so easily fall prey to the lie that the things that take up our days don’t matter to you. But Lord, they do! We are living sacrifices meant to produce a pleasing aroma to those around us of your triumphal procession (2 Corinthians 2:14). And we get to do that by completing our to-do lists as offerings to you.
God, forgive us when we forget. Lord, we will forget. We allow our feelings to lead us to despise these opportunities, which will feel like chores rather than divine opportunities or answers to prayer. Thank you for being patient and forgiving us when we do this, God. Remind us through your Spirit, and through the encouragement and example of others, that what we do matters to you. God, teach us how to live this out in our everyday lives. Let our lives be holy and set apart and acceptable to you. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
