A Prayer to Lean into Sanctification
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, NIV).
Read or Listen Below:
I am a mama of four precious boys, and each one is special to me. My second son recently turned eight years old, and one of my favorite things to do leading up to my son’s birthdays is to look through old photos of them and the memories we have shared. My heart swells when I see sweet memories pop up on Facebook on the day each one was born. As I reflect on these last several years as a mom, not only have I watched my boys grow up, but I can’t help but see how much the Lord has changed and grown me in the midst of motherhood, too.
According to the Bible, this process of change and growth in the Lord is called sanctification. The website Gotquestions.org brings clarity to this powerful spiritual process:
“The word sanctification is related to the word saint; both words have to do with holiness. To “sanctify” something is to set it apart for special use; to “sanctify” a person is to make him holy.”
Knowing how many times I have failed as a mother, I am thankful that, just as our regeneration when the Lord makes us born again, sanctification is a work of the Spirit in our hearts and lives. We partner with the Holy Spirit in the process of our sanctification, but God is the faithful One who does the deep work of transformation.
Paul’s final exhortation in his first letter to the church in Thessalonica reveals this beautiful truth to us as he proclaims:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, NIV).
God will sanctify us because He wants to see us conformed to the image of Christ. When we are saved, we are given Christ’s righteousness, and that will never change no matter what. Our position in Christ is forever fixed. Nothing can snatch us from His hand. We will never be perfect this side of heaven, which is why we rest in the finished work of the cross of Christ, but we should be walking in holiness little by little each passing day. One way this occurs in our lives is through studying the scriptures and other spiritual disciplines such as prayer, serving others, and consistent discipleship and evangelism. The Spirit of God guides us into all truth and convicts our hearts of sin. The more we study the Bible and exercise spiritual discipline, the more the Holy Spirit renews our minds.
This renewal of the mind helps us to think on eternal matters, and soon, worldly thinking and fleshly desires become less of a temptation for us the longer we walk with the Lord. Our behavior and attitude begin to change, and God gives us a desire to love, obey, and serve Him with fervor! This transformation is something I am so grateful to have experienced over the last eight years. I cannot wait to see what the next eight years (and beyond, Lord willing) have in store for me. May the God of peace continue to sanctify us through and through!
Let’s Pray:
Father God,
Thank You for saving me, setting me free, and continually sanctifying me. I know that I fail every day, but I lean into Your grace all the more. Your grace is sufficient for each day and is such a gift in my life. You are a God who transforms and purifies, so I ask that You help me renew my mind with Your Word so that I can know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of Yours and see my life conformed to the image of Your Son.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/palidachan
Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a homeschooling momma of four boys, while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com.
Related Resource: Establishing a Routine of Rest
For a long time, rest felt less like a gift and more like a guilty indulgence — something to be earned, something to feel vaguely ashamed of, something that productive, faithful people did not really need. In a world that measures worth by output, the idea of stopping feels dangerously close to falling behind.
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