“[A]nd to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:6-7).

This parallels what Paul told the Romans.  We are to keep pressing on through all the difficulties that come our way.  The Lord will lead us on the journey for which the way is the love which He has given us so that love may be shared willingly and freely.  Marvel at the gift and walk upon the path the Lord has placed before you.  He knows what you need and is guiding you.

LORD, there are times where this is so hard to do.  Help me, I pray, to stay focused upon the tasks You have given me.  Guide me according to Your goodness and mercy to see that in You alone is there all hope.  You have given me this life of faith.  You have made this faith possible.  You are the One who loves me enough to pour Your Spirit into me so that I may humbly walk the path You have laid before me.

Guide me, dear Jesus, in all the footsteps I need to take so that I may walk this journey of self-control which emanates from love.  Help me through all the obstacles that will come my way that I not stumble and fall.  In Your goodness, hold me fast to the faith You have given me so that I may now and always walk the path You have set before me.  Lead me always in the way of everlasting life in order that I may love and be loved.  Amen.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5)

It is enough to seek to do what is pleasing to the Lord.  You do this not to gain, but because you have already gained and it is pleasing to the One who first loved you.  Do not be led by the way of this world, which is in constant competition between good and evil, but by the way of the cross in which you surrender all to the Lord.  Know that He who called you will give you goodness and through that goodness, will come knowledge and strength to stand firm.

Lord, in the confusion of this world I get caught up in the competition with which this world always seems to be engaged.  Guide me in the way of the cross in order that I would cease the competition and simply live as one who loves You and my neighbor.  Guide me, Lord, in Your way of life, that through Your grace, I would humbly live by the faith You have given me.  In You alone is the way of  true life.

Lord, You have come to set me free from the bondage of death that sin brings.  Guide me, dear Lord, to live according to Your goodness and mercy.  Help me to live in Your goodness and to be graceful and merciful to all whom I meet.  Lead me according to all that You shared with Your disciples so that I may apply the principles You have taught us and live according to them.  Lead me, my Savior, through all of my days.  Amen.

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4).

We may not know what we will become, but we do know that we shall be like Christ.  He poured Himself out for us.  Now He pours Himself into those who live in His power.  There is only One who is God, but in His love, He is making us like Him.  What a great mystery, but also what a great promise this is which has been given to us.  Come then and live into the promise of the Lord.  The world thrusts so many evil desires into us that satiate the flesh for a moment and only entice greater desire, none of which satisfy.  Your salvation breaks through that evil and sets us free.  Lord, take away all longings for the desires that are wicked and replace them with praise and thanksgiving.  Lead us in the right direction and cleanse the thoughts of our hearts of all the things that get in the way that we may dwell in Your house forever.

Jesus, prepare in me the kind of heart of one that receives what You are giving.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life that I may dwell with You forever.  In all that You have promised, help me hear and understand these promises so that I may stand firm in the faith You have given me.  Keep me in the way of true life.  Help me to be an example for others of this true life that they too may know the freedom You give.

Thank You, Lord God, for all Your goodness and the mercy shown through Your Son.  Guide me this day to walk humbly with You knowing that all things are in Your hands.  Remove from me the enticements that get in the way of our relationship.  Help me to desire the good things that come only from You.  Your promises are more precious than any other things in all of creation.  Help me to cling to them and never let go.  Amen.   

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

All power belongs to the LORD.  He has given us power through Christ.  What power?  Christ has conquered sin and death and gives us the power to become children of the Heavenly Father.  Come then and live in the spiritual power you have been given.  Know that in Him there is life, liberty, peace and joy.  Apart from Him there is no life, but in Him is all life.  Learn how to live as the Author of you created life to be lived.

All glory and goodness are Yours Lord.  You have given us the offer of salvation which takes us from where we were to where we need to be.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way of salvation.  Help me to understand that apart from You I can do nothing, but that with You all things are possible.  Only in the love You give can I find what is missing in me, knowing this has been caused by sin, but by Your power, You have given me the ability to be made new.

Lord Jesus, You said that You will make all things new.  Guide me in the way of the new life You are creating in order that I may be guided by Your goodness and mercy in the way of everlasting life.  Help me now and always to not compromise with this world, or sin, but be bold in living into the promise through the power that You give by faith through grace.  Lead me, Lord, in Your power.  Amen.

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).

What do you know of tomorrow?  We are limited in knowledge of unfolding events, but we can know the One through whom all events have been made possible.  Do not focus upon yourself, but upon the One who was, is, and shall be.  In one hundred years, what will all of this matter?  If you are in the Lord, then You know that all things are heading toward their culmination in Him.

Lord, I become troubled with the unfolding events of this world, but they will amount to nothing in eternity.  Guide me, Lord, to look to You, for only in You is there real being, true existence.  You have given me the knowledge of salvation for You are Salvation.  Lead me in the abundant life You give by grace so that I may abound in the knowledge of the truth and purpose of Your presence.  Grant me grace and peace.

Lord Jesus, You had to live in a human body for me.  You had to take up my cross for me.  You had to die for me.  You have given me knowledge of these things.  Help me to live in the truth of that knowledge You have revealed once for all time.  Guide me to be at peace with all others knowing that You have made peace for the world which the unrighteous cannot understand.  But those who are in You are given wisdom to understand.  Help me to live in that peace.  Amen.

“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours” (2 Peter 1:1)

There is only one church.  There is only one faith.  All are equally righteous in Christ.  All are equally unrighteous without Him.  Somehow, in our sinfulness, we forget that we all need what Christ alone has come to give.  That should humble us.  In humility, you know that no one is better or worse, only saved by the same blood of the lamb.  Come then and live into the life which is yours in Christ.  Give your all to the One who gave His all for you.

Lord, You know how I want to think that I am better than my sinful neighbor.  Guide me, dear Lord, to see that in You alone is there the only hope for of all ages.  Let me see that there are only two kinds of people, those who will receive Your righteousness and those who will not.  I do not know who will, You do, but I do know the Father desires that none would perish.  Lead me to humbly follow You always.

Lord Jesus, You have come from eternity and returned to eternity.  While walking this earth long ago, You taught us the things of the Father.  You were crucified for speaking truth.  Lord, no matter what this world does, help me to speak truth.  Give me eyes to see that all are precious in Your sight and that You have come so that as many as would repent and turn to You would have life everlasting.  Amen.

“She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.  Greet one another with a kiss of love.  Peace to all of you who are in Christ” (1 Peter 5:13-14).

Who is she who is in Babylon?  Is Peter’s son, Mark, the same one who took dictation for Simon Peter and wrote the Gospel?  Does it matter if we know the answer to these questions?  Live in the faith you have been given by our Lord and Savior and know that your hope is in Him and not in things you know.  There is peace for all of those who are in Christ.  Love one another as the Lord has commanded.

Lord, You have given us peace, but I confuse this as the cessation of hostilities.  This world is always hostile.  Your peace is based upon salvation, the gift of eternal life, and yet, in saying this, it truly is beyond all human understanding.  Help me to live in You and in that blessed assurance, the peace You give in the faith You give.  Guide me now and forever to know that You have given me the hope of all eternity.

Lord Jesus, You have done all that is needed so that I may now and forever be guided by You in the promise that comes from grace and mercy.  Continue to keep my heart and mind open to what You will teach me so that I may be guided by Your goodness to become like You.  Help me through all the hostilities of this world, knowing that Your peace is always with me in every circumstance.  Amen.

“With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it” (1 Peter 5:13).

We do not work alone.  No one is an island unto themselves.  Take care that you do not get caught up in the tangles of the wicked one, but also, do not go it alone.  First, the Lord must be the One who leads you.  Second, receive those whom He sends into your life to guard and guide you.  The Lord is your strength, and He is the One you need. He will help you throughout the day.  Abide in Him and He in you now and forever.

Lord, You have called us to walk humbly with You and with one another.  I forget that there are those around me who have made possible this faith I have by sharing it with me.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way of everlasting life so that I may now and forever be led by and be one of those who are faithful to You.  We of faith need each other.  Help me to appreciate this and be one who lives out this gift of grace faithfully.

Lord Jesus, You are always calling together the disciples who will live in the hope You give by Your grace.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way of the life You have given me so that I may now and forever be led by You into the hope of promise You have shown through Your death and resurrection.  Lord, thank You for providing all that is needed for this great gift to become what it shall be.  Amen.

“To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:11).

As if it could be any other way, but imagine, what if all the power and glory did not belong to the God of all peace?  You do not have to imagine.  It would be hell.  Wherever you see those who seek their own will, you see those who do not want to live in heaven.  Heaven is the place of peace where the God of all peace dwells in majesty.  Turn your heart to the Lord and learn to live in the truth He has revealed and learn to walk in all His ways in order that you may be conformed to the image of His Son.

Lord, how simple it all is when you step back and see things as they are and as they must be.  You are God and there is no other.  You will reign, as You must.  All honor and glory is yours.  Help me to live into this reality that, by grace, I would go through those times where I want my will to be done and reject this for Your will to be done.  Help me to see that only in You is there a true future basking in the glory of Your light and life.

Lord Jesus, the One through whom all things have their being, guide me now and forever in order that I would come humbly into the Father’s presence and live out His will.  Take me far from the place of pride and humble me to serve with a right heart.  Through all that happens around me, guide me in Your goodness and mercy now and forever.  Lead me, O Lord, and help me to follow You each step of the way.  Amen.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

The Lord is the author of our faith.  He leads us through the travails that come and the promise is that He will restore us and make us stronger.  No, we do not like it.  Jesus did not like the cross.  But going through what you must aids you to become what the Lord will make of you.  In Him alone is there hope, for without Him we would be (dare I say, shall be) crushed.  Do not lose heart but walk with the Lord and be transformed.

Lord, this world is rough and tough and eats people up all day long.  Help me to not depend upon the shifting sands of this world, but to stand upon You and Your Word which is my rock, the foundation, the cornerstone upon which all other things are built.  Continue to guide me and help me see that You are the One who has led, leads and will lead me in all goodness by Your grace.

Lord Jesus, in You alone is there hope.  You have given me all the grace I need so that I may walk in the newness of the life You give.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the grace You have given me, such that I do not waver, but hold fast to the truth You have revealed once for all.  In You, O Lord, is all the goodness I need.  In You is all hope which cannot be taken away.  In You is life, now and forever.  Keep me forever in You.  Amen.