November 17, 2022 - Galatians 5:22-23
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
Lord, we want to live a life that is full of your fruit. Holy Spirit, we can work on living in these things, and try as we might, when we try in our own strength, we will fail again and again. We will get it right some time, but not as a lifestyle. You are the key. The more time we spend with you and in your presence, the more we will reflect you. The more you will purify us and remove the things in our lives that cause the opposite of these fruits to erupt out of us. Replace hatred and jealousy in our lives with your pure love. Teach us how to love like you love. Lord, you are love, so increase your presence in us so that your love overflows out of us everywhere we go.
Holy Spirit, fill us with your joy. Not something we have to force out, but something that naturally flows from our inner being. Give us your peace, even in the most chaotic and stressful times. In those times where the future is the most unsure, let us walk in the most beautiful hope-filled peace. Teach us how to be patient. You are unbelievably patient with us. You forgive and love us through so many mistakes. Give us your love that will help us be patient and kind with others like you are to us. Teach us how to patiently wait on you, for you are worth the wait. Place your kindness and goodness in us that come out even in the face of hatred and injustice towards us. Make us faithful in every area of our life like you are faithful to us. Teach us how to be gentle even in the face of anger. Teach us self-control. Be our strength that helps us control our emotions and desires, and not be led by them. Let everything about us reflect you to the world around us.
In Jesus name, amen.
