“But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene” (2 Timothy 2:2:16-17a).

The point of using decent and reverent language is to teach us reverence.  The wicked one would have us use irreverent language to teach us irreverence.  Words themselves are powerful.  We are to love our neighbor such that we do not say things that will cause them to stumble.  We are to be guided by putting on the best possible construction.  Do not participate in the spreading of what is ungodly.

Lord, You have come that we may have a new, clean, and upright heart.  You have come that we may learn from You how to be respectful and reverent.  Lead me, O Lord, in living the way of life such that I would now and always be guided by You.  In Your grace and mercy, continue to grow in me the goodness of Your presence and purpose in my life.  Lead me according to that goodness to become like You.

Lord Jesus, You have given me the words of everlasting life.  Let me not defile them with irreverent words that will cause me to not give the best possible foot forward in proclaiming that I am Your follower.  Lead me in Your goodness to see that in You is all hope and an eternal future.  Guide me in that goodness to learn piety and practice my faith both in public and in private.  Amen.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

No matter the call you have in life, this is sage advice.  Live as one who serves the Lord where your actions are approved by Him: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Do not do things for sordid gain, but in order to grow in the likeness of Christ, for His glory, and the good of His kingdom.  You need never be ashamed of doing things the way the Lord would have you do them.  He is good and gracious and has already given you all the grace you need.

Lord, help me to realize that if I seek to please myself or other men I will never be satisfied.  Guide me in the way of goodness and mercy such that I may seek to please You alone.  Help me understand that in You is all hope and the future You have made my heart long for.  Guide me in Your love so that I may live into the hope You give, knowing that what I do is pleasing to You.

Lord Jesus, You taught us that You did nothing that was not directed by the Father.  Help me learn from You that I too would walk in the goodness You give and the mercy which is mine such that all I do is serving the Father.  Teach me how to do these things through the grace and mercy that You give.  Guide me now and always in the wisdom of being ethical and moral in all times and places.  Amen.

“Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Timothy 2:14).

How many fight over small things that, although important to some, are not the essence of what Christ establishes in grace.  Come then and do not be quarrelsome as some are.  You win some, you lose some.  Only the Lord is always right.  Those who believe in Him are saved.  Trust the Lord and let the rest fall behind.  Do not be ruined, nor ruin your hearers, but walk in the light.

Lord, You know those things that do no good.  Help me, Lord, to live into the life of faith You have given me.  Guide me in Your goodness so that I would not bog down with less important things but live each day in the fullness of Your grace.  Help me to remember these things as I walk through the day.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy always.

Lord Jesus, You know how difficult it is to navigate in this wicked age.  There are many who lay traps and play word games.  Help me to be humble but alert and neither fall for the traps, nor lay them myself.  Teach me, Lord, to be gracious as You are gracious.  Teach me to see the traps of the modern scribes and pharisees.  Guide me to learn from You what it means to be always faithful.  Amen.

“If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:11b-13).

Look carefully at what is being said.  It is all about relationship.  The Lord is calling us into Himself and we have great needs that only He can fulfill.  Walk then with the Lord and discover how good and gracious He is.  He will give us His faithfulness and teach us how to be like Him.  In Him is all life and through Him, He gives us that life.  Come then and rejoice as you walk with the Lord.

Lord, You know where I am, where I need to be, and where I do not endure and do not have faith.  Guide me, Lord, such that I would humbly walk with You always as You take away those things which are in the way.  Lead me, Lord, in faith and life and help me to always look to You as the One who will provide for all that needs to be done.  May I walk boldly in the truth of Your presence in my life.

Lord Jesus, help me so that no matter the circumstances, I would never deny You.  Guide me in the goodness of Your name and the power of the grace You have given me.  Through all things, lead me to not deny what You have shared with me, nor be unfaithful to the call You have given me.  Guide me this day and every day as I walk with You, dear Lord, in the truth of the salvation You have given me.  Amen.

“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  The saying is trustworthy” (2 Timothy 2:10-11a)

Endure for the sake of your brothers and sisters who have also been called in the grace of Christ.  Know that in Him there is hope and an eternal future.  The Lord has called you according to His purpose and in Him You will find all goodness and mercy.  The Lord is trustworthy and He will bring you to be with Him that where He is you may also be.  You have the promise; now live in the hope.

Lord, You have promised eternal life for those who believe.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way of everlasting life.  Teach me all that I need to know.  In Your goodness, lead me to witness in my life the truth of the Gospel which You have given me.  Guide me to know that in You is all hope and an eternal future.  Through Your grace I can do all things as You strengthen me.

Lord Jesus, You have come so that all who believe might have new life and have it abundantly.  Lead me in the way of everlasting life in order that I would now and forever be guided by You and strengthened in the way You have established once for all.  Teach me the way I need to go, Lord, and then give me the strength to accomplish all that You have given me to do.  In You I see the abundance of life.  Lead me to incorporate the fruits of the Spirit into the life before me.  Amen.

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!”  (2 Timothy 2:8-9)

What we are doing here is not just some narrative of a storyteller.  If that were so, then why bother.  The message of the Gospel is the Good News of God given once for all.  Do not be deceived, nor let what God has given you be taken from you.  Live the life He has given you and walk in His way of faith hope and love.  What adversity comes our way will come.  Jesus told us that we will suffer for the Gospel.  But the Word of God will never be overcome, so live into the life which comes through the Word made flesh.

Dear Lord, You know how hard it is to live in this world.  There are so many obstacles that get in the way of our sanctification.  Lead me, Lord, according to Your goodness in order that I may humbly walk in the truth of Your Word.  Guide me, Lord, to persevere with suffering if that is required.  Let me never forget the hope You give, that because Christ lives, I too shall live.  Guide me in the fulness of the truth You have revealed and help me stand firm in faith.

Lord Jesus, because You died on the cross for us and were resurrected, help me know that the hope within me that You have given is blessed assurance of salvation.  Paul said that he would know one thing and that is You, and You crucified.  That and the truth that You have risen from the dead.  O Lord, the mystery is great, but the truth is before me, and You have placed it in me.  Help me live into that truth so that now and forever I would humbly walk with You.  Amen.

“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Timothy 2:7).

We know that Mary pondered things in her heart.  Take this as instruction by example.  Scripture should be “inwardly digested”.  The Holy Spirit will bring to mind then those things you need to know.  Let Him guide you to fill your mind with Christ so that you will have what is needed as guidance.  His grace will grow in you what is necessary to become like Christ.

Lord, You know what the road ahead will bring.  Guide me to take in all that is needed that I may grow in faith.  Bring to remembrance those things that I need to ponder.  Guide me in all goodness so that I may now and always be led by Your Spirit, seeing through the wiles of the wicked one.  Grant that I gain understanding of these things and wisdom to practice them as I walk with You in the way of salvation.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who makes salvation possible.  By Your grace, help me to ponder the rights and wrongs I encounter.  Guide me in Your goodness to see through the wickedness of this age and to make choices that are good and right.  Lead me, O Lord, to humbly walk with You.  Teach me and help me to have a willing spirit to learn all things necessary.  Amen.

“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.  It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (2 Timothy 2:5-9).

Somehow or other the wicked one has convinced our culture that we all deserve whatever it is we think we deserve.  Yes, we have grace upon grace from Jesus, but this frees us to co-operate with the Holy Spirit in becoming like Christ.  Our salvation is assured, but we are not just toy soldiers who take what God is giving.  We are thinking beings who need to learn to love as we were first loved.   This is the work of sanctification.

Lord, You have laid out the ground rules.  The Ten Commandments have not changed and I still need to obey them.  Plus, I need to learn better how to love You and my neighbor.  There is plenty of work for me to do, Lord, so help me run the race of faith.  Keep me on the straight and narrow way and protect me from the lies of the wicked one so that I may win the prize of eternal life.

Lord Jesus, You have done all of the heavy lifting, but I must do my part.  Help me now and always to do what You give me to do.  Let me not think that others can do for me what You have given me to do.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of everlasting life.  Coach me in how to run the race and finish the course so that I may receive the crown of salvation.  And help me, Jesus, to keep the rules of the race so that I not disqualified.  Amen.

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

For those who have served in the military, there is no need for an explanation here.  You who have served, you know what this means.  Put it into action.  For those who have not, you are under new orders.  Your Lord, Jesus Christ, is now your commander.  There is no arguing allowed, only “Yes Sir.”  It is not like the civilian world where everyone argues.  Come then and learn what this means.

Lord, whether I have this worldly experience or not, it is still hard for me because I want to do things the way I want to do them.  Help me to learn that You alone must be in charge; I need to follow and You must lead.  This is good, right and salutary.  Help me see the good and give me strength to quell the rebellious voice in me that wants it another way.  You are the Lord and there is no other.  Lead me, Lord Jesus.

My Lord and Savior, You know all that is needed.  Guide me Lord in the way of life such that I may now and always be directed by You.  Keep me from those temptations that would lead me into any other way.  Help me see when I am tempted to disobey orders that I may be kept from it by You and learn from You obedience.  Guide me, Lord, so that it is You alone whom I follow.  Guide me now and forever in the way of obedience.  Amen.

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

We are not called to figure everything out or teach something that is new.  We are called in the grace of Christ to live into the reality of the grace which is ours through Christ.  Come then and live the call you have been given in your baptism and know that the grace of Christ is all that is needed to walk this life of faith you have been given.  Join the cloud of witnesses and live in faith.

Lord, I have often made life more difficult than it needs to be.  Guide me in the way of the Christ-life such that I might now and always live by Your provision.  Let me not listen to the world, but to Your Word which endures forever.  Guide me in the way of truth and help me to never err by chasing after the false things which tempt me that are of this world.  Strengthen me in Your grace and hold me close to the truth You have revealed.

Lord Jesus, You have the words of everlasting life.  Guide me in the way of truth so that I might now and for the rest of my life be guided by You and You alone.  Help me join my voice with those who have gone before and be a witness of the amazing grace which is mine through faith in You.  You have entrusted me with these things.  Help me to be faithful in living out the hope and promise You give me through grace.  Amen.