July 13, 2023 - Mark‬ ‭8:34-36

“Jesus had his disciples and the crowd gather around him. And he said to them: “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways. For if you let your life go for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, you will continually experience true life. But if you choose to keep your life for yourself, you will forfeit what you try to keep. For what use is it to gain all the wealth and power of this world, with everything it could offer you, at the cost of your own life?” Mark 8:34-36 TPT

Lord, we wish it wasn’t so hard to yield our will and flesh to follow you like this, but it truly is an honor to follow after you in this way. You laid aside so much to come to earth as a human. You chose to live within the confines of humanity so you could experience life like us. You took on all our sins and a punishment that you didn’t deserve. You died a horrible death for us. We can’t even begin to comprehend all that you sacrificed for our forgiveness and freedom. You have done so much for us. You deserve our everything. Help us be willing every day to surrender our own life - doing things our own way, giving into the desires of our flesh, following our own path/plans - to follow you. We want to live to glorify you. Help us to walk away from sin and the things that you tell us not to do. Even things that are not sinful, if you tell us to surrender them then we want to do so joyfully. Help us to know your voice and always walk in obedience to what you ask. Help us continually surrender to your ways. We want to live every second of our lives glorifying you. You are so worthy. So very worthy. It is all for you, Jesus, all for you.

In Jesus name, amen.