[The Gospel Prayer]- The Gospel

   This next part of the series is on what JD Greear has named the Gospel Prayer. I want to note that in the text he clearly explained this is not any kind of incantation that will bring you favor with God, and it also not trying to replace the Lord's Prayer. He says, This prayer is simply a tool to help you train your mind in the patterns of the gospel. The point is not the prayer; the point is thinking in line with the gospel.

    With that said, it's a wonderful prayer. It's really helped me, and what I like about it, is that it's steps. For me, steps are very helpful.
    Now he goes in depth by chapter on these four parts, but I'm mentioning them now for familiarity reasons. Also, it's something great to have even if you hear it 100 times. The first part is something I've been quoting at the bottom of my posts. It's just so beautiful!

     The first two parts lead us inward, helping us to renew our minds in God's acceptance of us and the value of that acceptance to us.
     1. "In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less."

     2. "Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy."
 
     Part 3 of the prayers has us consider what responding to the grace of the gospel looks like. Understanding God's generosity toward us should lead us to radical generosity toward others.

   3. "As You have been to me, so I will be to others."

   Part 4 of the prayer helps us see our world through the lens of the gospel and moves us to audaious faith. If the cross really does reveal God's compassion for sinners and the resurrection reveals His power to save them, then our prayers on their behalf should be audacious and bold:
 
   4. "As I pray, I'll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection."

   Woah. How wonderful. When I first read this, it washed over me. Then I started to think about it, and now I'm still thinking about it. I'm concentrating on the first step right now, because I know that I really have to believe it move on. Believing may seem the easiest, but everyone has seeds of doubt. Until we crush those we cannot move on.
    JD Greear ended the chapter saying, "I've prayed this prayer every day now for the last few years. You know what? It's finally starting to sink in."
    It may take time, it is a process but in the end we will be filled with the joy of Jesus when we have faith in him. I encourage you to read the prayer and access how it applies to you. It really helped me.
 
    In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less. -JD Greear

~Hannah