Claire's Prayer

The word chosen in the Greek is ‘𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘪’ 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.  𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺.  𝘛𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦.Before the foundation of the world, the Father saw you amongst so many; He picked you out for Himself, and He called you by name!

Psalm 139 is an incredibly beautiful Psalm.  Verses 14-16 say this: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  The Great, Almighty God saw you before you were formed, and He fashioned your days, every single one of them, writing them in His book.  𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂!

Of course, there’s always a question, ‘Why did you choose me?” The obvious answer to that and the simplest is because He loves you.  He loves you and has a plan for you. But there is so much more than that!  “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15:16

You are chosen and appointed to bear fruit, fruit that will remain.  The Father has a plan for you to leave behind a legacy of change.  “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9. You cannot even begin to imagine the incredible plan God has for your life.  You cannot conceive of the wonders He has prepared for you!

In John 1, we read the story of Jesus ‘finding’ His disciples.  Verses 45-51 tell the story of how Nathanael became one of the twelve.  At first, Nathanael seemed a little irritated and unconvinced that anything good could come out of Nazareth, but in verse 48, Jesus says to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”  I saw you! He saw Nathanael long before Nathanael even knew about Jesus.  Chances are that Nathanael was sitting under the fig tree praying, as that is where many young rabbinic students would go to pray.  Chances are that he was even praying for a Messiah, as the hope of the coming of the Messiah was on everyone’s mind.  Students were taught, ‘he who, when he prays, does not pray for the coming of the Messiah, has not prayed at all!’ Nathanael knew when Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree,” that standing before him was the answer to his prayers, the Messiah, the coming King, the King of Israel!

So too does Jesus see You.  His gaze is kind, and His intentions are good as He looks at you and says, “I saw you; I chose you!”  He chose you long before you were born and saw you long before you had ever heard the beautiful name of Jesus.  Chosen.  You are chosen.

Reflections

1. What stirs in your heart and emotions to know that your choosing was not absolutely random but intentional, and even more than that, before the foundation of the world?
2. Have there been times in your  life when you struggled with the question, “Why would God choose me?”  How does Jesus’ assurance that you were chosen and appointed to bear lasting fruit speak into that area of insecurity?

• Like Nathanael praying under that fig tree, where has Jesus “seen” you in those places you thought were hidden, times of heartfelt prayer, anguish, disappointment, or those seasons of endless waiting—before you even recognized His faithfulness and work behind the scenes?  How does knowing that He saw you help you trust Him today?

Step-by-Step

Take time today to sit quietly with God and pray your own “fig tree prayer.”  Tell Him about areas where you feel unseen or small. Write down one way you sense Him saying, “I see you. I chose you.” Allow that truth to reshape your identity into one that is Chosen!

William Borden came from a life of incredible riches, anything that money could buy within his grasp.  The heir to a considerable family inheritance was given a trip around the world on his 16^th birthday.  While traveling around the world, William became increasingly burdened for the lost, and on his return home, he studied at Princeton University.  In the back of his Bible, he penned the words, “No reserves.”  Upon his graduation, his family pleaded with him to lead the family business. His response was that the mission field was far too important to him.  In his bible he then wrote, “No retreat.”  William travelled to Egypt on his way to become a missionary in China, and it was there that he contracted meningitis and died within three weeks.  His mother, finding his Bible, discovered the last words her son had penned in the back of it: “No regrets!”  This was a young man who had every earthly blessing available to him but realized that heavenly blessings were far more important. 

The problem with regret is that it causes you to look back, to be disappointed, or to feel that you have missed an opportunity.  Remember Lot’s wife?  She looked back, instead of looking towards a future in a land the LORD had promised, instead of obedience to the Father, regret made her look back.  Jesus mentions her in Luke 17:31-32: “On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.  Remember Lot’s wife!” 

Lot’s wife was so attached to her worldly blessings and riches that she couldn’t move forward into God’s promises.  For her, wealth and prosperity were more important than the host of spiritual blessings that awaited her.  And so she was turned to salt, frozen forever in a state of regret.

How I want to be like William Borden, or like Paul himself, who wrote Ephesians from his place in prison.  How I want to live a life of sacrifice where the pull of the comforts of the world doesn’t drag me in.  I confess, my flesh desires to live a life of comfort, and the constant battering of social media and advertising pulls me into wanting more. The cry of my heart is to focus on those heavenly blessings spoken about by Paul, to be able to live a life of “No regrets!”

Reflections

1. Are there areas in your life where you see the words “reserve,” “retreat,” or “regret” quietly shaping your own decisions?  What are the comforts or fears that  make it harder for you to fully obey God when He calls you to something new or different?
2. What are you often tempted to “look back” upon when God invites you to trust Him with your future?  Is it security, possessions, recognition, approval, or a way of life that feels much easier than stepping out?
3. If someone were to read about you and the story of your life, what would they see mattered the most to you? 

Step-by-Step

Take some time to pray and write out your own three-phrase declaration—inspired by William Borden’s “No Reserves. No Retreat. No Regrets.”  Write it somewhere that is always before your eyes, in your Bible, your journal, or even the front of your phone, a daily reminder to not look back and live with “No Regrets.”

Chosen.

This is the very first gift Paul mentions, the one that is right at the top of a very meaningful list.  A blessing God has for you that is of the utmost importance, so important that God put it at the very beginning.  Chosen. Take a moment to let that sink in as the Holy Spirit whispers to you that you are chosen.  Chosen!  Chosen before the foundation of the world, before the Father had even spoken the world into existence.  Before night and day, before the sea and land, before the trees had even been created. Before all those things we read about in the beginning, God knew you!  God knew you, and He chose you.  Right at the point before anything began, God chose to spend eternity with you.  Doesn’t that blow your mind!  Thousands of years ago, God knew everything about you, and way back when time was commencing, He chose you!

Let’s read that portion of scripture again.  “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” Reading those words amazes me.  It’s a miracle, really.  God chose me?  Even knowing who I am and what I’ve done?  Astounding!  He chose me, and He chose you.  God has numbered every hair on your head. He knows when you sit down and when you stand up. He knows the words on your tongue before you speak them out. He knows you inside and out.  He. Chose. You.

I remember taking my beautiful daughter shopping for shoes.  We walked up and down the aisles looking at what seemed like a hundred pairs of shoes!  Some were only glanced at; some were picked up and examined before they were put back down.  There were heels that were too high, there were too many straps, or not enough.  Eventually, two or three pairs were tried on for size, and then one pair was chosen.  One pair was paid for and taken home.  When my girl chose those shoes, it was not a random act; a lot of time and thought went into it.

In the same way the Father chose you, it was not simply a random act, He didn’t spin a wheel and say “𝘖𝘩, 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 34!”  Thought went into it.  When He saw you, He knew you were perfect.  His Son, Jesus, paid the price for you, and you became His.  He chose you!

Reflections

1. What are the emotions that rise up within you when you let this incredible truth sink in: God chose you—before you had done anything to ‘make’ Him love you, even before the foundation of the world?
2. Are there areas in your life where you still live as though you are overlooked, not wanted, or not enough, rather than a daughter of the King who is fully chosen by God?
3. How might your identity, confidence, and the decisions you make day to day change if you regularly viewed yourself as being deliberately chosen and deeply known by your Father?

Step-By-Step

Today, and every morning this week, begin by speaking the truth of who you are out loud:

“I am chosen by God, hand-picked by Him, known completely, and loved unconditionally.”

Allow the truth of this to shape the way you see yourself and how you walk through each day—especially during moments of doubt, hesitation, or comparison.

Have you ever taken a look at the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List?  It is mind-numbing.  Just today, when I checked, Elon Musk had lost US$7.5 billion since yesterday!  He is the richest man in the world, coming in with a Net Worth of US$780.4 billion.  Coming in at number four is Jeff Bezos, of Amazon fame, with US$249 billion, and Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook, at number six, with US$231 billion!  Those numbers are staggering, and the list of billionaires is too.  I got tired of scrolling at 1,800 billionaires and gave up! 

The problem with this list is that it misses out on those who have true and absolutely staggering riches.  That’s us!  The adopted sons and daughters of The Great I Am.  Ephesians 3:8 tells us that we are heirs of “unfathomable riches of Christ.”  Translators have used the words inexplorable, inexhaustible, incalculable, and infinite to try to draw a comparison with unfathomable.  It really is just simply inexplicable.

Do you remember the parable of the man who found treasure in a field?  Jesus told this story to his disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”  Matthew 13:44.  This wise man knew that the treasure was of great value, and so he sold everything to obtain it.  The kingdom of heaven is that treasure, one of unfathomable worth and incomparable value.  It is more to be desired than precious gold or silver and, in fact, is worth everything, our very lives.

Did you see the joy?!  This treasure brought the man so much joy.  It is that same joy that comes when you give your life to Jesus, when you realise that you are chosen, adopted, a daughter of the King of Kings and the LORD of Lords.  Joy bubbling over at the eternal gifts that the Father has for you, poured out in abundance and without measure.  Joy, laughter, and the Kingdom of Heaven are found in Jesus Christ.  The one who gave it all and the one we give everything we have for.

Reflections:

1. What are the places in your life where you measure wealth and success by worldly standards rather than by the unfathomable riches you have in Christ?
2. Describe what it means to you that you are heir, a daughter, to the “unfathomable riches of Christ”?
3. If you absolutely and undoubtedly believe deep down in your heart of hearts that Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven are your greatest treasures, what might you joyfully let go of in order to pursue Christ more?

Step-By-Step

Take a short walk and ask the Lord to show you three “hidden treasures” along the way.
Each time you notice something beautiful or unexpected (a flower, a child’s laughter, a kind word, sunlight, a verse that comes to mind), whisper: “Thank You for the unfathomable riches of Christ.” Let the physical treasures remind you of the greater spiritual ones you carry every day. 

It’s a simple question, with a very simple answer.  Why does God bless you?  Simply because He’s your Father and for no other reason.  Not because you did something good and deserve a reward.  Because He’s your Abba Father and He loves you.  It’s that simple.

What exactly has our Father blessed us with? “Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” It is worth noting that these are spiritual blessings, not material ones.  These are blessings that will never wear out and have eternal value.  Charles Spurgeon says it like this, “Our thanks are due to God for all temporal blessings; they are more than we deserve. But our thanks ought to go to God in thunders of hallelujahs for spiritual blessings. A new heart is better than a new coat. To feed on Christ is better than to have the best earthly food. To be an heir of God is better than being the heir of the greatest nobleman. To have God for our portion is blessed, infinitely more blessed than to own broad acres of land. God hath blessed us with spiritual blessings. These are the rarest, the richest, the most enduring of all blessings; they are priceless in value.”  Rich, enduring blessings.  Priceless blessings.  The kind of blessing which, when received, will cause you to thank God with “thunders of hallelujahs,” and to praise him with a profusion of gratefulness.

We are blessed!  WE ARE BLESSED!  We can say that with absolute certainty, knowing deep inside that our Father has blessed us.  Did you notice that the passage was in the past tense? “Has blessed us with every spiritual blessing…” Our Father has already blessed us.  These are blessings that you have already been given.  You have been given a bounty of good and perfect gifts, but perhaps you have not unwrapped them!  You might not have accessed them yet.  These beautiful blessings that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus has given you need to be discovered, unwrapped, and opened!

Reflections

1. Do you ever find yourself trying to earn God’s blessings instead of simply resting in His incredible love as your Father?  In what ways can you receive His blessings as a beloved child?
2. Which spiritual blessings do you often overlook or take for granted?  In what way might your perspective change if you focus more on the eternal, spiritual riches rather than those temporary, material ones that will not last?
3. What unopened or even undiscovered spiritual gifts might God already have given you that I haven’t accessed yet?  What is it that might be holding you back?

Step-By-Step

Set aside ten minutes to pray through Ephesians 1:1–14, slowly, soaking it in and listening as you read.  Ask your Father to reveal a spiritual blessing that He has already given you that you need to unwrap. Then begin to thank Him with “thunders of hallelujahs.” 🙌

From the very beginning of Ephesians, we are reminded that we are blessed!  Blessed beyond measure.   Blessed with abundance.  Nothing held back.  Our Abba Father delights in blessing you!  Who does it say blesses us?  “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus.”  Your Father.  The Father who looks at you with love in His eyes and desires to give you everything.  The Father who wants to be with you more than anyone else!  The Father who did not spare His own son’s life because of His great, unfathomable love for you.

James 1:17 says: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

The Father has blessed you with good and perfect gifts.  He would never give you anything less; they will always be good gifts, never substandard, inferior, or having flaws.  Blessings flowing with abundance from our Father, “who does not change like shifting shadows.” Our Father who will always be constant, never changing, faithful.

Personally, I like people who are constant and consistent.  Those people you know will be happy to see you when you walk into a room.  Friends who will greet you with a smile, a hug, and an encouraging word, no matter what is going on in their lives.  People who aren’t consistent make me nervous.  “Will they say hello or ignore me?  Will they walk past and pretend I’m not there?  Will they be too busy for me and brush me off?” 

Our Father is always constant. He will not change. He will not be like the shadows, fluctuating and changing.  He WILL bless you and will not withhold His blessings and favor from you.  Always.  He will always smile at you when you enter the room; in fact, He thinks you light up the room!  He will always be pleased to see you and will never be too busy for you!  He will always bless you.  Always.

Reflections

1. In what way does it change the way you see God to visualize Him as a Father who constantly delights in blessing you?
2. What are the “good and perfect gifts” that you can identify in your life right now?  How might gratitude and thankfulness help you see the blessings you may have been overlooking?
3. What are the ways in which you have struggled to trust God’s consistency?  How does knowing He “does not change like shifting shadows” bring peace to your mind and heart today?

Step-By-Step

Today, write down three blessings or “good and perfect gifts” that have been given to you from your Father.  Thank Him for every one of them by name, and ask Him to help you live in the present with an awareness of His constant, unchanging love.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” Ephesians 1:3

It really is quite interesting to note that Paul mentions spiritual blessings over material blessings.  Why is that, you may wonder?  It’s simply because spiritual blessings last for all eternity, whereas all the blessings of this world will pass away.  Spiritual blessings are everlasting, life-changing, they change the way we see ourselves, give us security, and a sense of purpose.

Doesn’t this fly in the face of the belief that our blessings are on the earth, that we can name it and claim it, that we all deserve a Mercedes-Benz and an enormous house?  Our Abba Father is much more interested in your character than where you live.  C. S. Lewis puts it this way – “The Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have begun thinking less of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven, and you get earth thrown in; aim at earth, and you get neither.”

When we are focused on the LORD, when our eyes are fixed on Him, those spiritual blessings will overflow into your life, and God will provide for you every step of the way!  But we must seek The Giver and not the gift.

Joshua once had a promise given to him that was an extraordinary promise: “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.” Joshua 1:3. Just as the LORD had promised Moses, every single place where Joshua went, that the sole of his foot stepped on, was his!  It was already given to him.  Of course, there was a part Joshua had to play; he had to take a step, and then another one.  He had to put one foot in front of the other in order to claim the land.  In faith Joshua stepped out, and in faith we must step out too.

We must believe and trust the LORD when He says he will give us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We must allow our faith to rise up and, in obedience, accept those gifts.  Let’s not leave our gifts sitting on the shelf, unused and unwrapped.  Step by step, let’s accept all His gifts, His life-changing promises!

Reflections

1. When you think of being blessed by the Father, what do you picture first—material blessings or spiritual riches?  Does that reveal to you what you’re seeking most, and how can you change that moving forward?
2. Is there a “spiritual blessing in Christ” that you most need to unwrap right now (forgiveness, peace, identity as God’s child, wisdom, strength, hope, joy, purpose)—and is there something that keeps you from accepting that gift from your Father?
3. Is God inviting you to take that next faithful step like Joshua?  In what specific area of your life is that step, and what is God saying to you?

Step-by-Step

Write down a spiritual blessing that God has promised you in Christ with a scripture to accompany it, and then take one concrete “Joshua step” today.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2

Did you notice something really special?  Something that we just cannot afford to miss?  Our Father!  Our Father.  Not just anyone’s Father, not just Jesus’ Father, but our Father!  The very fact that He is my Father threatens to overwhelm.  The level of intimacy that this speaks of is deeply personal, and not just any Father but a perfect Father.  A Father that never disappoints, hurts, or frustrates, a Father that is ever present and always near, not distant or detached.

Do you remember learning The LORD’s prayer?  It starts with ‘Our Father!’  (Matthew 6:9) As Jesus introduced this new way of praying to His disciples, they would have been surprised.  Surprised at being ushered into the family, surprised at the thought of addressing the Great I Am as Abba Father.  Dearest Father.  Daddy.  It’s a little surprising to me, too, this wonderful invitation to be a part of the family of God.  A family that takes me as I am, encircles me, and beckons me to sit at the feet of our Abba Father.  I love how these two verses remind us that this is no earthly Father, but a Father in heaven.  A heavenly Father, one who is omnipresent.

Like two beautiful bookends, the beginning of The LORD’s prayer and the end start with Praise.  An absolutely appropriate way to begin any time of prayer.  “Hallowed by thy name!” May your name, Abba Father, always be glorified.  The word ‘hallowed’ means treated as holy, dedicated, consecrated, set apart, sanctified.  We praise You, Father, as You are a holy God. When we think of praising His name, we are giving praise to the nature and very character of God, His reputation, His goodness, His love.  That right there is the very essence of glorifying God’s name.  He is set apart, different from us, and as such, His name needs to be treated with reverence, never leaving our lips in any other way, respected.

Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Those who know your name, who know your character, who know your goodness, who deep down inside have experienced your love, they trust you.  We can know someone’s name and not ‘know’ them.  But we know the living God, Our Father, and so we trust Him.

As you begin your day, your time of prayer, as you sit at the feet of your Father today, start with Praise, glorify His name, worship your Abba Father – He is worthy of it all!

Reflections

1.  Do you truly approach God as YOUR Father, or do you still feel distant from Him, removed, and find He is easier to see as God and King rather than your Dad?
2. If God is truly your wonderful and totally perfect Father, what fears, burdens, or uncertainties are you still carrying that you haven’t fully placed into His fatherly care?
3. Where has your Abba Father proven His Father-heart toward you in a personal way?

Step-By-Step

As you start your morning, call God Abba, or My Father. Then stop and take a moment to let that sink in, allow your heart to settle in His presence as His beloved child.