“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

Do not be surprised.  If you are going to earnestly walk the path of salvation, you will be attacked.  The wicked one means it for your destruction.  The Lord will use it to grow in you that which He knows needs to be there.  The most important thing is to not be surprised when it happens.  This is also spoken of time and time again in Scripture.  You may not like it, but be encouraged, the Lord is with you.

Lord, You know the beginning from the end.  You know what is coming and You have prepared us.  Help me to enter the fiery ordeals of life as one prepared so that I may walk humbly in Your promise.  Help me to not waver, but walk boldly all the days of my life in the truth You have revealed through salvation.  Lord, good and bad times come, but You are forever.  Help me keep this in my mind always.

Dear Lord Jesus, Your ministry on earth was one continuous fiery ordeal.  I cannot look at You and say that You do not understand.  You do.  Help me dear Lord to live into the life You have given me, no matter what may come along the way.  You have said that if I endure, it will build character and the character will give me hope.  Lead me through every ordeal that my faith would be more sure.  Amen.

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).

The principle is simple, do what you do as if you are serving the Lord.  You are.  Jesus said, “when you do it for the least, you do it for Me.”  We are to adopt an attitude of being a willing servant of others.  We are to reach out of ourselves and truly love others as we would like to be loved.  If one looks at it simply, it makes a whole lot of sense.  It is what the Lord has been telling us all along.

The Lord created us to worship Him.  We do worship.  It is in our nature.  That is why we tap our toe to music.  He is the direction of our worship.  We should live into the life for which we were created.  God has provided all that we need.  Learn how to let go of yourself in order to become who the Lord will make you to be.  The journey is set before you.  Walk in the way of the Lord.

Lord Jesus, You have modeled the attitude we are to have.  You have told us how to do things.  It really is not that difficult, but I make it so by resisting the person You have made me to be.  Guide me Lord into the way of everlasting life so that I may live into this life to which You are calling me.  Guide me according to Your goodness to see more clearly and follow You in the steps You would have me take.  Amen.

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:9-10).

The call of stewardship is to serve others.  As the Lord served us, we are to serve one another.  Each according to the gifts the Lord has given them.  What then?  Only this, do not focus upon yourself, but look at what the Lord is asking you to do and then learn how to faithfully follow the Lord’s call.  We each have been given God’s grace and in that grace are called to serve one another.

Lord, this world encourages us to be selfish and think about ourselves before others.  You tell us to go outside of ourselves and do what is right according to the gifts we have been given.  Guide me Lord in the right way to live so that I may humbly do as You say.  Teach me how to be a faithful steward of the gifts You have given me in order that I may now and always walk according to Your call.

Lord Jesus, You who are God in the flesh, You have walked among us in ordinary guise.  You were humble and came to serve, even though You are worthy of all serving You.  In Your example, help me to live into the life for which You have redeemed me.  Guide me in Your grace to live faithfully as You impute Your righteousness into me.  Guide me dear Lord in the eternal way You have shown me.  Amen.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:5).

When we focus upon loving another, we begin to pay attention to who they are.  Ask others what they are thinking.  Do not assume that you know.  Who knows us but the Lord?  We do not even know ourselves truly, but the Lord knows us.  Come then and live into the life which trusts the Lord and learns humbly from Him how to love others.  God is love and He invites us into His love for all eternity.

Lord, there are many things about life that puzzle me, but I am able to understand the simplicity of loving my neighbor.  Guide me Lord in the way of love so that I would learn from You how to love more fully.  Teach me to go beyond myself and look to the other to see how I may help and serve them.  Lord, You know all that is needed for me to do these things.  Thank You for providing what is needed.

Dear Lord Jesus, You so loved us that You came down from heaven for all of those who would come through Your grace to be forever united in love with You.  Guide me dear Lord so that today I would pay attention to those around me and serve them.  Continue to teach me how to love as You love.  Guide me each step of the way to move in the upward calling of loving You and my neighbor.  Keep me in Your grace to enable me to move forward.  Amen.

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (1 Peter 4:7).

This is more true now than it was in Peter’s day.  Yes, from a worldly perspective that was long ago.  From the perspective of one who lives forever, it was not long at all.  At the end of this life, the next thing we will see is Jesus.  Let this keep you sober in your thinking and be on the alert knowing that this world is tossed about by the winds of constant and never changing unrealities.

Lord, open my eyes to see beyond the unclear ways of this world.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that in You alone is there all hope and an eternal future.  You have come so that I may have true life and have it abundantly.  In the truth, lead me so that I live life intentionally, with sobriety, and always alert.  Guard my heart and mind so that I may now and always abide humbly in You and the way You have set before me.

Guide me Lord Jesus in the way of everlasting life.  Help me to understand that in You alone is there hope and that without You, I will quickly fall back into the pattern of the old Adam.  The world screams for sensitivity and You call me into sensibility.  I cannot be all things to all people, but I can submit to You and become what You are making of me.  Lead me Lord to follow You now and always.  Amen.

“For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit” (1 Peter 4:6).

The law already judges us and finds us in need.  At just the right time, the Lord has come so that we may know that He paid the price we could not pay in order to live according to the law of the spirit.  Upon which will you depend?  Your ability which will end in failure, so trust in the Lord who has provided the only means to become what God has always desired?  Come then and live by the salvation you have been given in Christ.

You know where I follow myself while giving lip-service to You Lord.  Guide me away from myself and into You.  Help me understand more fully the truth of the Word You have placed in me.  Help me to live by the truth of the spirit knowing that this body of flesh is as good as dead.  Through all things, lead me in the way of everlasting life in order that I may now and always be with You.

Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of Your faithful.  Kindle in me the fire of Your love.  Send me as Your servant into the world that through my work in and by You, others may know of Your love.  Lead me to be honest, humble, and true to the call You have placed upon me.  Lead me as You know I need to be led.  Guide me as You know I need to be guided.  You are Lord and I desire to follow You where You lead.  Amen.

“But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).

Everyone will stand before the Lord.  This is not only hope for the faithful, but for those who do wrong, it should also bring fear for those who sin with no repentance.  We all shall stand before the Lord.  Take care to not accuse your brother before looking at your own sin.  There has always been too much self-righteousness and not enough humility.  Learn how to be humble and treat others as you would want to be treated.

Lord, You have given me the principles to follow, now help me to follow them.  Guide me in your goodness to put the best possible construct on things, but never to deny the truth.  Lead me to be gracious to others, but not to their detriment.  Help me look inwardly so that I may be honest with myself and others.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of everlasting life so that I may be like You.

Lord Jesus, without You the desire of my heart would be impossible.  You have come leading the way for all who will follow You in order that we may understand godliness.  Put in me Your righteousness and bless me with humility so that I may understand and know the way You have designed me to live.  Let me not live in fear, but in hope because of all that You have promised.  Amen.   

“They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you” (1 Peter 4:4).

Why are you so afraid of being rejected by those who reject the Lord?  This is a question the faithful need to ask themselves because this is one of our temptations.  We want others to like us.  When we choose to live in a godly way, we shall be ridiculed.  Do not join in reckless living, but live as the Lord teaches you to live.  Learn to expect others to revile you because you do not join in their sinfulness.

Lord, help me neither to be self-righteous, nor abandoned to the way of the world.  Teach me to walk in grace and mercy and to grant the same to others.  I need Your love to flow through me so that I would hold fast to what is right while also understanding that we all need grace.  Guide me Lord in the way of life that leads to eternity with You.  Help me through every temptation that comes my way.

Holy Spirit, You know the struggles that go on inside of me.  You know where I falter with temptation.  Help me to inwardly and outwardly look to You as the One who will guide me in how to live life and the attitude that I need to have.  Help me to not join in the way of the world, but to join with You in the way of eternity.  Guide me dear Lord and help me to always follow You.  Amen.

“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry” (1 Peter 4:3).

Look at the world.  What are they doing?  They are reacting to things they are told.  Up, down, all around, it is crazy.  Yet people go on and on thinking that this is okay.  Why do you participate in these things?  Why do you act as thought this is okay?  Look to the Lord and seek what is right while it can be found.  Know that in the Lord there is goodness and mercy.  Do not do the detestable things.

Lord, You know where I am tempted and give in to that temptation.  Guide me dear Lord to move beyond these things so that I would focus upon what is right and good.  Help me, I pray, to know that in You is all hope and goodness.  The world shall fail, but You are forever.  The way of the world leads to destruction.  Guide me Lord in the way of life so that I may be uplifted with You.

Dear Jesus, You walked through this world seeing the sins and faults of those around You.  You loved us enough to go to the cross in spite of this behavior.  Help me die to these things in order that I may rise each day to do what is right and good.  Lead me Lord in the way of everlasting life.  Guide me to not condemn others, for the law already does that, but to love them as You love me.  Amen.

“As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2).

This is a real dividing point and if one looks, can easily be seen.  What is the motivation of people?  Is it the Lord or something else?  The righteous of the Lord are seeking the will of the Father.  Others are seeking for themselves.  In this sense, the sins of the righteous do not count.  That is, although they may stumble, they are walking after the Lord who will rid them even of these sins which cause them to stumble.

What is the goal of your life and who is the one driving toward that goal.  Is it your self or some ideal, or is it the Lord?  We all are tempted to sin.  We all fall short.  But this goes beyond that to ask, “What is your goal?”  The Lord calls us to follow Him on the narrow path so that we would not falter, but live into the eternal life which is ours through Him.  Come then and seek the Lord while He may be found.

Lord Jesus, You have come in order that we may have life and have it abundantly.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life that You are the goal and the prize.  Help me to seek first Your righteousness knowing that then all else that is needed will be added.  Help me Lord so that I may walk the humble walk of a true disciple and set aside sinful ambitions.  Save me from myself in order to walk with You.  Amen.