God’s purpose for your life is that you would contribute more of His good and beauty in this world as you use the gifts He gave you.
God did not create you to be bored.
God did not create you to be passionless.
God did not create you to be purposeless.
And I believe we will be frustrated until we begin to live into the gifts he gave us. If there is anything that motivates me to just go ahead and do the things I’m passionate about and called to—even when I’m afraid— it’s this line from a prayer I wrote several years back.
“Don’t let me come to the end of my life and be filled with regret and sadness because I chose fear over faith.”
As I re-read this prayer, I can still hear a lot of fear and lack of self-confidence in it. But I just took all of that to God, and trusted that He desired my life to have meaning and purpose way more than I did. Like I said, He created us for that reason.
Maybe a prayer like this one is what you need to begin praying today. I don’t know. But let me encourage you in this:
It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you are in your station of life. As long as you are here, you are capable of bringing good into this world—even if for one person. Don’t look at your life as over while you are still breathing. Your God is bigger than any of your perceived weaknesses.
May you live the life you were made to live.
***************************
Flood over me, Holy Spirit.
Only you can fill the emptiness
and lack of contentment
in me.
Lead me, Holy Spirit,
to everything you have for me.
Fill me with passion.
Fill me with purpose.
Give me ministry that is led by
and infused with your
Holy Spirit.
I crave you, Lord.
I need you.
Clearly, without you I am
nothing.
I feel very "nothing" right now.
So I am crying out to you.
I want to make an impact
for you.
I want to be a conduit
of your Spirit.
I crave a passion for your word…
…an understanding of it
that I do not have.
I want to gain my sense of
importance only from you.
Cleanse me of pride.
Expand my territory.
Bless me, Lord, with your blessings…
with what you want for me.
Don’t let me be nothing.
Don’t let me be ineffective.
Don’t let me be absorbed into
the crowd—unless there you give me
purpose and passion and ministry.
Just…don’t let my life pass me by.
Don’t let me come to the end of my life
and be filled with regret and sadness
because I chose fear over faith.
Don’t let me make a name
for myself…
But let me make a name for you.
I want to be where you are, Lord.
Surround me with like-minded people—
people who want to seek you.
I need support.
I need prayer.
I need people to seek your
face with.
Oh, Lord, I need you.
We don’t even have a clue
how much we need you!
I see how little I am in and of
myself.
I’m glad I see it.
But don’t leave me here.
Let me be joined with you.
Let me be at work for you.
And let my life fulfill the purpose
you have for me.
Amen.
