Wednesday February 5, 2025

On February 10, 2025 we are pausing our First 15 devotionals and encouraging everybody to download the Lectio 365 App to serve as our daily devotional time for the rest of 2025. We feel like this is the best way to fully embrace our year-long focus on prayer because of the unique format the Lectio 365 App provides. To download the app, simply search “Lectio 365” in your app store or scan the QR code below. You can also stop by our Connecting Point this weekend and a member of our staff can help download it to your device. If you are unable to use an app as a resource and would prefer to receive this devotional via email, send us an email here and we will connect with you.

Today is Wednesday, February 5, and this week we are praying through the words of The Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition.

I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You, or laid aside for You, exalted for You, or brought low for You. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine, and I am Yours. So be it. And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. (The Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8

The words of the Covenant Prayer lazer focus us on our relationship with Jesus Christ and put us in a posture to serve Him. We are moved to once again dedicate our whole selves to work for His kingdom in whatever way we are most needed.

Together we pray the words of the prayer, “Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low for You.” These words challenge me to the depths of my soul. They shake me from the inside out. They turn my thinking upside down. They force me to realign my understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. They drive me to my knees to wrestle with my motivations and hesitations.

Am I ready to say these words and mean them? The words linger upon my lips and tumble across the page, “Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low for You.” Oh, sure, I appreciate the idea of Jesus putting me to doing, employing me or exalting me, but, whoa, am I ready to allow Jesus to put me to suffering, lay me aside, or bring me low? Is that what I signed up for? That can’t be right.

A dull ache penetrates my heart. What does it mean then to follow Jesus? What does it mean to “lose my life for His sake?” Am I willing to surrender everything and trust Him with my life, my time, my future, my service, my all?

As the words of Philippians remind me. His divinity took on humanity. He made himself nothing. He took the posture of a servant or slave. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— death on a cross. Jesus gave up His life for my sake. Will I give my life for His sake? Jesus surrendered everything for me. Will I surrender everything to Him? Will I trust that in my surrender there is peace, there is purpose, there is fulfillment, there is meaning and there is great joy. Because He promises those who lose their life for His sake, will find it.

Ask: What might God be asking me to do that I would rather not do? What might God be preventing me from doing that I want to do?

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord Jesus, I surrender myself to You. I give my life to You. Whatever You have for me to do, Lord, put me to doing. However You want to employ my time, Lord, employ me. If You desire to lay aside my service to You for a season, then lay me aside. If life brings me suffering, Lord, I know You will be with me and give me strength. Whether I am exalted for You or brought low for You, keep my spirit humble and my heart faithful. I patiently wait for You to show me the next steps You have for me and the work You call me to do. Amen.

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