Morning Prayer

Scripture: Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:1-2)

Michael Goheen likes to say that the people of God are a “so that” people. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing. God likes to spread the wealth. But we often stop short of thinking about how we can bless other people with how God has blessed us. And so we make ourselves out to be the end of the mission of God. But God’s mission through his people is bigger than any one person. Sure, we get a blessing. But we can’t forget that we get a blessing so that we can be a blessing to others.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the blessings that we have received in Jesus. Help us to break the shell of self-centeredness and to embrace the joys of participating in your mission, of taking the blessings we receive and asking how we can be a blessing to others. And, Lord, we know that we don’t always see clearly, even when we try hard to look. Please open our eyes to see—in accordance with your Word—how you mean to make us a blessing today. Amen.