READ Philippians 3
Our goal in life should be to forsake temporal things for the sake of the eternal.

INSIGHT
Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week - at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ.

PRAYER
Because the Lord knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway, we can praise Him with enthusiasm:
Lord, there is no one like you.  
You are great;
Your name is great in power.  
Who should not fear you,
King of the nations?  
It is what you deserve.
For among all the wise people of the nations
And among all their kingdoms,
There is no one like you
(Jeremiah 10:6-7, 10).

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And rescues them from all their troubles.  
The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
He saves those crushed in spirit  
(Psalm 34:17-18).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us, with inexpressible groanings (Romans 8:26).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• A stronger desire to be like Christ
• Churches all over the world
• Whatever else is on your heart

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17).

For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand (Ephesians 6:13).