“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
God has plans for our success, far beyond the many infamous quotes about it, and definitions of it, that litter social media. In the above verse from Jeremiah, the word “plans” in the original Hebrew translates to “thought, device, plan, purpose, invention.”All of those words give us a peak much farther into the plans that God has for us in this life. He has thought about us, thinks about us—individually! He has planned, purposed, invented, on our behalf, but for His glory. His plans for us are good, despite the wrong decisions we are apt and free to make, and the process of sanctification throughout our lives.
This world would have us define success in terms of wealth and the accumulation of things, status or promotion, or by what “makes us happy,” but God defines success in our lives by a different set of standards. He blesses us with worldly things, amazing accomplishments and wonderful experiences, all which we are to enjoy! Yet, we are prone to wrongly equate our success by comparison and competition. Envy and ungratefulness steal the joy of our success. The underlying definition of success in our lives, by God’s design, is peace. We are charged to take what He has blessed us with and turn to bless another in His honor, to hone our crafts and diligently pursue the Truth of His Word. All this is rewarded in His own way, standards, and time, here and for eternity, in our relationship with Him, others, and ourselves, regardless of the surrounding circumstances. Let’s pray for success today, His way.
Father,
Today we come to You in awe of the way You define success, the purpose You have planned for us, and the faith it takes to walk in that purpose.
Thank you for the blessings that abound in our lives. Help us to look at our lives through Your lens, without outside influence, in true appreciation for what You are doing in our small corner of the world, within the walls of our house, and with the gifts and talents that You have given us. We pray to be good stewards of our time, treasures and talents
Thank you for another day to fill our lungs with air and ponder the Truth of Your Word and Your love for us. Forgive us for taking that simple pleasure for granted. Adjust our perspective to align with Yours.
As we seek to be successful, guide us to Your definition over the push and pressure of what the world and our society deems it to be. Stir our hearts to sit in prayer and spend time with You each day before we walk out into the day. Arm our minds and guard our hearts with the Truth of Your Word. Help us to find our place to serve and reach out to others, whether in our careers, families, hobbies, or volunteer work.
Open our eyes that we may see success in the light of Your love. 1 Peter 4:8commands to love above all else. We pray, today, for Your vision for our success. Help us to be astute to the call on our hearts and the stirrings in our souls. Motivate us to do the next instruction You give, or continue doing the last one we remember. Allow us to hear Your voice above all others.
Success is so often defined individually, but we were not put here on earth alone. Relationships are important. You have placed people in our lives for a reason.
Create a generous and peaceable heart in us that looks to You first when making decisions life. Let us not accumulate people for what they can do for us or discount relationships because they are not filling us up. Instead, may we look to you to fill the cup of our success in every area of our lives: monetarily, relationally, health-wise, and in stewardship of our daily schedules. Help us to look outward with a servant heart, instead of what we can get out of life.
Bless us with hearts that have confidence in You, as Jeremiah 17:7 speaks of. Let us look to You for provision and relief of the frustration of comparison and failures. Regardless of where you have placed us in our communities, helps us to know, assuredly, that we are where we are for a reason—for Your reason. That may mean monetary wealth and worldwide fame. It may mean that no one knows who we are outside of our small little town. The beauty of Your heart is that no one person is more important or less loved than the next.
Help us to define success in terms of Your love, for You are love and You love us. That is our purpose on this earth, to spread the love, joy, and hope that is made possible for all to abide in, through the selfless sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, on the cross. Redefine success in our lives, Lord. Come like a flood.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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