“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours” (2 Peter 1:1)

There is only one church.  There is only one faith.  All are equally righteous in Christ.  All are equally unrighteous without Him.  Somehow, in our sinfulness, we forget that we all need what Christ alone has come to give.  That should humble us.  In humility, you know that no one is better or worse, only saved by the same blood of the lamb.  Come then and live into the life which is yours in Christ.  Give your all to the One who gave His all for you.

Lord, You know how I want to think that I am better than my sinful neighbor.  Guide me, dear Lord, to see that in You alone is there the only hope for of all ages.  Let me see that there are only two kinds of people, those who will receive Your righteousness and those who will not.  I do not know who will, You do, but I do know the Father desires that none would perish.  Lead me to humbly follow You always.

Lord Jesus, You have come from eternity and returned to eternity.  While walking this earth long ago, You taught us the things of the Father.  You were crucified for speaking truth.  Lord, no matter what this world does, help me to speak truth.  Give me eyes to see that all are precious in Your sight and that You have come so that as many as would repent and turn to You would have life everlasting.  Amen.

“She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.  Greet one another with a kiss of love.  Peace to all of you who are in Christ” (1 Peter 5:13-14).

Who is she who is in Babylon?  Is Peter’s son, Mark, the same one who took dictation for Simon Peter and wrote the Gospel?  Does it matter if we know the answer to these questions?  Live in the faith you have been given by our Lord and Savior and know that your hope is in Him and not in things you know.  There is peace for all of those who are in Christ.  Love one another as the Lord has commanded.

Lord, You have given us peace, but I confuse this as the cessation of hostilities.  This world is always hostile.  Your peace is based upon salvation, the gift of eternal life, and yet, in saying this, it truly is beyond all human understanding.  Help me to live in You and in that blessed assurance, the peace You give in the faith You give.  Guide me now and forever to know that You have given me the hope of all eternity.

Lord Jesus, You have done all that is needed so that I may now and forever be guided by You in the promise that comes from grace and mercy.  Continue to keep my heart and mind open to what You will teach me so that I may be guided by Your goodness to become like You.  Help me through all the hostilities of this world, knowing that Your peace is always with me in every circumstance.  Amen.

“With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it” (1 Peter 5:13).

We do not work alone.  No one is an island unto themselves.  Take care that you do not get caught up in the tangles of the wicked one, but also, do not go it alone.  First, the Lord must be the One who leads you.  Second, receive those whom He sends into your life to guard and guide you.  The Lord is your strength, and He is the One you need. He will help you throughout the day.  Abide in Him and He in you now and forever.

Lord, You have called us to walk humbly with You and with one another.  I forget that there are those around me who have made possible this faith I have by sharing it with me.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way of everlasting life so that I may now and forever be led by and be one of those who are faithful to You.  We of faith need each other.  Help me to appreciate this and be one who lives out this gift of grace faithfully.

Lord Jesus, You are always calling together the disciples who will live in the hope You give by Your grace.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way of the life You have given me so that I may now and forever be led by You into the hope of promise You have shown through Your death and resurrection.  Lord, thank You for providing all that is needed for this great gift to become what it shall be.  Amen.

“To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:11).

As if it could be any other way, but imagine, what if all the power and glory did not belong to the God of all peace?  You do not have to imagine.  It would be hell.  Wherever you see those who seek their own will, you see those who do not want to live in heaven.  Heaven is the place of peace where the God of all peace dwells in majesty.  Turn your heart to the Lord and learn to live in the truth He has revealed and learn to walk in all His ways in order that you may be conformed to the image of His Son.

Lord, how simple it all is when you step back and see things as they are and as they must be.  You are God and there is no other.  You will reign, as You must.  All honor and glory is yours.  Help me to live into this reality that, by grace, I would go through those times where I want my will to be done and reject this for Your will to be done.  Help me to see that only in You is there a true future basking in the glory of Your light and life.

Lord Jesus, the One through whom all things have their being, guide me now and forever in order that I would come humbly into the Father’s presence and live out His will.  Take me far from the place of pride and humble me to serve with a right heart.  Through all that happens around me, guide me in Your goodness and mercy now and forever.  Lead me, O Lord, and help me to follow You each step of the way.  Amen.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

The Lord is the author of our faith.  He leads us through the travails that come and the promise is that He will restore us and make us stronger.  No, we do not like it.  Jesus did not like the cross.  But going through what you must aids you to become what the Lord will make of you.  In Him alone is there hope, for without Him we would be (dare I say, shall be) crushed.  Do not lose heart but walk with the Lord and be transformed.

Lord, this world is rough and tough and eats people up all day long.  Help me to not depend upon the shifting sands of this world, but to stand upon You and Your Word which is my rock, the foundation, the cornerstone upon which all other things are built.  Continue to guide me and help me see that You are the One who has led, leads and will lead me in all goodness by Your grace.

Lord Jesus, in You alone is there hope.  You have given me all the grace I need so that I may walk in the newness of the life You give.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the grace You have given me, such that I do not waver, but hold fast to the truth You have revealed once for all.  In You, O Lord, is all the goodness I need.  In You is all hope which cannot be taken away.  In You is life, now and forever.  Keep me forever in You.  Amen.

“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:9).

To stand firm is an important principle in Scripture.  It is repeated over and over again.  If we know in whom we place our faith, it should be easy to stand firm.  You stand firm on the solid rock of Jesus, because to stand in any other place is to be blown over.  When you suffer, you are not alone.  Be guided by the solid rock that holds you in His hands and know that He will lead you through all difficulties.

Lord, I do falter.  I am shaken by the wind.  I know You are there, but the hot wind of the wicked one howls and I become confused.  Help me to have clarity and in every difficult time just stand firm knowing that You are with me and for me.  There is nothing I will experience that has not been experienced by someone else.  Help me to be comforted in the knowledge of the grace and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, You have suffered and know the difficulty there is when one lives in the truth.  You are truth and You have come so that we may have life and have it abundantly, but You did not promise that it would be easy in this world.  Help me remember to pray for others even when I am suffering.  At all times, help me to stand firm in You.  Amen.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We are under attack all day long.  Yes, so is everyone else.  There is much devilishness afoot.  Some of the worst of it comes with those who are listening to the wicked one and pretending they are doing good.  Be alert and do not be deceived.  The first step of being alert is to recognize that these are not some fairy tales, but lies being told to you and to live in awareness that we all are under constant attack.

Thank you, Lord, for this warning.  I too fall prey to the wicked one who seeks to lead me astray.  Help me to fear only You.  Guide me in Your goodness to seek You above all things.  Let me not fall prey to the constant temptations that come my way throughout the day.  Lord, teach me how to be on the alert so that I may be aware of all that happens around me and react appropriately.

Lord Jesus, I am unable to fathom how You walked through the heightened and constant attacks of the evil one and yet You remained humble and true to the Father.  Guide me to learn from You so that I too may walk amidst the flaming arrows of the wicked one and remain true to You.  Guide me now and forever to walk in the right way of truth, doing what is pleasing to the Father.  Amen.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Such simple words that speak to the reality that we are often anxious and proud.  The Lord is the One who has all power and all authority is from Him.  Why not turn to the One in whom all things have their being?  He cares for the sparrow that falls from the sky; and He cares for you.  Why do you fret as though you could change anything.  Why not just trust in the One in whom is all power?

Lord, I do not understand why I am on this merry-go-round of thinking that I have any power or authority.  I do not understand even why, in my mind, I insist that things must go the way I think they must go.  Help me, dear Lord, to move beyond myself so that I can live in the truth that You are the One who will cause things to happen as they will.  Help me to learn to live in Your will and trust in Your provision.

Lord Jesus, before You ascended to the Father, You said that all authority belongs to You.  That is easy to understand.  Help me to realize that it really does belong to You and that anything I do is in and under Your authority.  Guide me to learn from You how to be humble, caring for others as You have cared for me.  Lead me to live into the life of one who truly follows Your way.  Amen.

“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

It may not seem so at first, but the proud never come to anything.  In the end they fail.  The ones who are looked upon favorably over time are they who have been humbled.  And this is said not so that we would seek either a good or a bad life, but that only in humility do we find the way of Christ made more clear for our journey.

Almighty Father, You sent your only begotten Son to take our place, dying to sin in order that we may live unto eternal life.  He came not to be served, but to serve.  In Him we have our hope and our being.  Help Your people to see that the cure for pride is humility and the example of Christ is the way.  Help us to see clearly that only through the salvation You have prepared can we begin to see the truth of what You have revealed.

Lord Jesus, in humility, You walked the earth.  You have shown us how to be humble.  Lead me in the way of humility, teaching me what it means to be humble.  Lead me to become humble by not thinking only of myself, but live as You lead, doing what You give me to do.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life, living according to the promise given through Your life, death, and resurrection.  Amen.   

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).

The crown of glory is not a reward, for Jesus taught us that the best we can do is to simply be obedient.  The crown of glory is the eternal life He has won for us from the cross.  Pride is what has brought sin into the world, so do not think in these terms, but in humility know that your salvation is completely dependent upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  By and through Him alone is all hope.

LORD, You have called all who believe out of a downward spiral into an abyss to be united with Christ in order that the One who descended may ascend to show the way for us all.  Turn my eyes to Jesus and show me His glory, the glory of the only Begotten, and remind me that my hope is not in who I am, but in who You are.  Lead me in the way of everlasting life.

Lord Jesus, You have come in order that we may have life abundantly and live freely.  Help me to understand what this means.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that in You alone is all hope.  It was in You, through You and for You that all things were made.  Lead me in the right way, Lord, so that I may live into the hope and promise You give me through the salvation You have prepared before me.  Amen.