November 6, 2023 - Matthew‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭

“…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 ESV

Lord, you are so remarkable. The whole earth needs to hear of you. Everyone needs to experience how deep your love for them goes and how much your forgiveness covers. They need to feel the realness of your presence and know that you see them intimately. They need to see your holiness and righteousness. They need to understand that you are not some far away God who has it out for them, but a God that is close to them and wants to have a relationship with them.

Lord, we want our lives to shine for you. We want to reveal who you are to the world around us. When people look at our lives, we want to reflect you to them. Help our lights shine brightly. Help us not to allow fear to have us hide our light away when it might be uncomfortable to shine bright. Forgive us for the times that we have done this.

Holy Spirit, walk closely with us and speak clearly. Turn us into good representatives of you to the world around us. We might be the only you they will ever see. We want every action to be one that brings you glory. We want to be quick to ask for forgiveness when needed. If we represent you poorly to someone, help us have the courage to apologize to them. We want them to see Christians who are trying to walk in the light and represent you well. It isn’t easy. Father, give us the strength to walk this walk well. We never want our behavior to be the reason a person looks down on or turns away from you. Let us shine your glory brightly and light up the world around us in a beautiful way.

In Jesus name, amen.