“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10).

The idea of the priesthood of all believers is not that anyone can do as they please, but that we, who were separated by sin, are now in relationship with the Lord.  We do not need rituals and sacrifices, but we do need to live in the goodness of the grace which is ours through Christ.  God has given us the power through Christ to become children of the Heavenly Father.  Come then and live in His grace.

Lord, You know where I am and all that I need.  You know the obstacles that are in the way.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of life that reflects Your presence in me.  Guide me in living the Christian life so that I may indeed grow in the likeness of Christ.  You have given me the promise of being one of Your people by faith through grace.  Teach me how to live in that promise.

Lord Jesus, You gave Your life in order that all who come through You might have life, liberty, and true purpose and meaning.  Guide me, Lord Jesus, so that I may forever live into the hope and promise You give.  Guide me this day and in Your mercy keep me close to You.  Help me, Lord Jesus, so that I may now and always walk the narrow path unto which You have placed me.  Lead on, dear Savior, in the way You know I need to go.  Amen.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

A priest is one with the ability to draw near to God.  The royal priesthood are the ones given power to become like Christ.  You have been given this promise through Christ.  In Him you have hope and in Him is true being.  Come then into the royal priesthood and give thanks to the One who is always good.  Live in the truth of His light and countenance and worship the One true God in spirit and truth.

Lord, help me understand more clearly the truth You have revealed once for all through the Good News of the Gospel.  Grant that I may gain wisdom and understanding and live into the life You promise.  Help me today and every day to learn more about what it means to love You and my neighbor.  Guide me in Your goodness so that these things would be true in me as You lead me through grace and in the hope and promise You give.

Lord Jesus, You have made possible the grace I need to walk in the light of Your countenance and grow to be like You.  Help me now, and as that day approaches when I shall stand before You face to face, to live in the goodness of Your mercy.  Teach me all that I need to know and fill me with Your presence and purpose in order that I may now and always walk with You.  Amen.

“[A]nd, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”  They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for” (1 Peter 2:8).

Many in this world do not like Jesus.  There are even those who attend a fellowship that seems to act as if they are the ones who are chiefly to be attended.  But then, we all sometimes have that problem.  The goal is to decrease that He may increase.  The Lord made us and we did not make Him.  The Lord is Lord of all.  Come then and follow the One who has saved you and keeps you.

Lord, it is so simple and I make it so complex.  You are the Savior.  You have come and You are the way of salvation.  You are the life.  It is You alone and not something to be figured out.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way You know I need to go.  Lead me according to what You know needs to happen and help me to stop trying to take the lead.  In You Lord there is all hope.  Help me rest in the hope You give.

Lord, You send those who, in Your name, bring words of encouragement.  Guide me to hear what You would have me hear and shut my ears from listening to the noise of this world.  In the truth You have revealed once for all, lead me today as You know I need to be led.  Continue to build my life upon You and help me to not leave the place where You have placed me.  Amen.

“Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:7)

We live in a time where everyone is supposed to be included.  Anyone who dares to say there are differences in people are cursed.  The Lord says there are two kinds of people.  There are those who will come into His love and those who will not.  Our faith is built upon Jesus.  If it is built upon anything else, it will fail.  Do not be deceived and do not depend upon yourself.

Lord, You have created everything, and You know how it works.  Too many, and that sometimes (often?) includes me, we look the other way and think ourselves able to do what needs to be done.  But that idea is blown apart with the simple title which is yours: Savior.  We need to be saved and You are the Savior.  Lead me, Lord, in the salvation You have prepared from the foundation of the earth.

Lord Jesus, You came to this earth and gave Your life as a ransom that we who build our lives upon You might be with You forever.  Guide me, dear Lord, so that I may live into this life You give by grace.  In Your mercy, help me to learn how to rely upon You more and more so that I may become more like You each day.  Lead me according to the Father’s will in order that I may rejoice in Your salvation.  Amen.

“For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  (1 Peter 2:6)

Do you trust the Lord?  This is the real question for us all.  The true answer in this age is that some have begun to trust Him, but we all hold back a little.  Do not hold back, but come fully into the life He gives you in faith.  Do not drive this life of faith but live it in His goodness and mercy.  The Living corner stone invites you to build your life upon Him.  He must be the finisher of your faith.

Lord, You know how I tug against You and want You to do what I want You to do.  I cannot build my life with You in it.  You must take charge and build my life with You as the foundation.  Guide me dear Lord Jesus to see through the anxiety of this age and my own self-interest.  Guide me to abandon the ways of the world in order that I may live into the life You give through faith.  Lead me now and always, Lord Jesus.

Lord Jesus, my Savior, You know how much I need what only You can give.  Take me out of the driver’s seat so that I may humbly walk with You leading the way.  In Your grace, guide me this day to do what is right and fitting.  Lead me to look to You and obey Your commandments.  You know what the Father asks.  Help me to listen to You and do what is pleasing in the Father’s eyes.  Amen.

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him –  you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

We come into faith as neurotic self-centered beings and the Lord must unwrap who we are from the behaviors born of sin.  He is the living stone and upon Him and Him only is our faith built.  We are placed together, one at a time, for the sake of His goodness to become what He will make of us.  Look to Him.  Look out and not in.  He will design and build His church of which you are a part.

Lord, I do come to You with selfish motives.  Guide me away from myself and into You.  Lead me according to Your purpose, for You are and must be the author and finisher of my faith.  According to the Father’s will, lead my steps so that in following You I become what You intend and not what I want.  I do not know what I want, but You know what I need.  Lead me according to Your grace.

Lord Jesus, Your statement to each of us at the beginning is the same, “Come, follow Me.”  Help me to do this simple thing and follow You.  You are the One who has created all things.  I am a part of Your plan, and I did not come up with a plan of which You are a part.  Help to always keep this straight and follow You in order that I may live by Your grace and not by the lies of this age.  Amen.

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,  now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

How important is good teaching and preaching?  You have heard it said that you are what you eat.  Too many will settle for the junk food of this age and not do the work to grow in Christ.  You were not called in timidity, but in the truth of Christ.  Come now and live into the life which is yours in Him and no longer tarry with the elemental things of this world.  Begin with milk and you will grow to eat the meat of the word.

Lord, You know where my self-assessment gets in the way.  You know where I need work.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way You know I need to go.  Help me to see that in You alone is there all hope.  I came into this world a new-born baby but help me leave this world with maturity in You.  Guide me as only You can and enable me to follow You in all Your ways.

Thank You Lord Jesus for preparing the way of salvation.  Lead me according to Your goodness to do what is right and helpful this day in the cause of growing in You.  According to Your will, lift me up and mature me so that I may grow into this salvation You have given me.  May I now and always be found walking in Your ways.  Thank You, Lord, for preparing the way before me that I need to go.  Amen.

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind” (1 Peter 2:1).

This simple sentence is enough work for two lifetimes.  The wicked one will stir you in the opposite direction wherever your weakness is.  When you are free of these things – completely free – then you will be close to perfect.  We all struggle with the self and the Lord wants to move us beyond the self that we might truly be free in Him.  Come then and walk in His promise and have true hope.

Lord, You know where I struggle.  You know where I hide and do not confess my sins in those places where I am in bondage.  Lead me to the place where I can see these things and then go to work on them.  You have given me all the grace I need; now help me do all that is needed knowing that You do all the hard work.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of everlasting life so that I may work at this with all my heart.

Lord Jesus, You went to the grave and rose again for the sake of us all.  We are called forth in You not to be as we were, but to become as we shall be.  Lead me, O Lord, in order that I may now and forever be guided in Your goodness and mercy to pursue these things with all my heart.  Take away the wickedness that remains and fill me with humility and willingness to serve You always.  Amen.