identity.

this passage is ROCKING my world right now:

Ephesians 2:1-10

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For He raised us from the dead (we are ALIVE in Him!) along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

i am ALIVE in Christ. He is my identity. when i ask “who am i?” He says, “I AM THAT I AM.” i am not, He is. i strive to live this out in my life…and when i do, i am FREE. and i am His. and nothing else matters to me.

.the.prayer.

My Lord & Saviour:

You are my everything. I am constantly in awe of all You are and all You do. Thank You for Your incredible, matchless faithfulness and passionate love for me. Thank You for Your amazing plan that is more perfect that I ever knew to ask for. You pour out blessings on me, and my heart is overwhelmed with joy. I am speechless before You always. I long to know You more intimately so I may become a better reflection of You. I am committed to waiting on Your sovereign timing. I am Yours to be used for Your glory alone. I pray that You would take away my desire for anything that is not of You, but of me. I need more of You, and less of me. You are my everything; You are life itself. Speak to me, Father. I need to hear Your voice. I am confident in who You are and Your plans. There is nowhere else I’d rather be than in the center of Your will, no matter what it may be for my life. I surrender to You, my Saviour. Give me great passion for what I do, because it’s all for You. All glory, honor, and praise to You forever, LORD. Teach me new things. I am Yours. Help me fulfill all Your dreams for these days. You constantly shower me with unconditional, faithful, unfailing love, and I am so unworthy. There is none like You! You are my saving grace. You are my treasure. You are my Great Romance. Never let me go. I long to stay captivated by You forever. I live for You alone. I am a vessel for You. I pray that my life oozes You in every way possible. All things were created by and for You, the Creator. You are the only one I need. You are my forever King and mighty Saviour. You are the air I breathe. I pray that I will live in dedication to You in everything I say and do, LORD. You are my soul’s sufficiency. All to You I owe. You are marvelous beyond description. Thank You for ransoming me and saving a lost wretch like me. Bring me good news of Your encouragement. Precious Jesus: all to You I owe! You are my all-in-all. I am on my knees, singing, “Holy! You are holy!!!” You are sovereign and faithful to me. How could You be so good to me?! I am overwhelmed with Your grace and faithfulness. You bless my life with things I do not deserve. It is beyond my comprehension why You would choose to love me. But You love me. You gave Your life for me. That is incredible! My life is Yours. May Your praise always be on my lips. Give me strength. Give me passion and make me self-less. You pursue me. You are constant. You are strong. You are peace. May I never settle for anything less than Your calling on my life. I am wholly devoted to accomplishing all of Your plans for me here on this earth. I trust You. I cannot even come close to understanding why You would choose to bless and forgive me like You have and continue to do. Your love for me is more evident every day. I see you in a sunrise, in a sunset, in the clouds in the sky, in the birds in the air, in the wind….You are everywhere. You are light in darkness. I am overwhelmed by You. I am left speechless, face-down before You! Ignite a passion for things of You within my heart. I need to hear Your voice. I need Your joy. I need strength. I need You, my everything. Capture my heart completely – it is Yours forever. I need Your grace to reign in me. Give me hope. I need Your mercy. I am so confident in You. You have saved me and redeemed me mightily! Have Your will fulfilled in me everyday, LORD. I rejoice in You, for You are SO good to me. You’re all I’m living for – You’re my everything. Your beautiful creation reflects Your infinite glory. You work everything together for good. I am humbled by Your amazing grace and unfailing love for me. I mess up so often, and You are always there. I try so hard not to take Your goodness for granted, but I do more often than I’d like to admit. I am sorry. All glory is Yours. And everything happens because of You. Your character is indescribable. I sincerely humble all that I am and ever will be over to You alone. I want to be self-less and live a life worthy of Your calling more than anything in the world. I am really struggling to find joy and passion in my life right now… Give me wisdom, direction, vision, and courage to follow You whole-heartedly no matter what happens. I love You more than anything in this world. By Your wounds, we are healed. By Your death, I live. I am a symphony of chaos. Yet You love me.

I love You with my whole heart. And I am forever wholly Yours.

Help me fulfill all Your dreams for these days!

beginnings.

So. The LORD has been teaching me so very much lately. He constantly blows me away with His faithfulness to me and passion for His will to reign in my life. He has provided me with so many blessings. He has redeemed me, broken me, healed me, given me the greatest desires of my heart… none of which I deserve. He has brought people into my life that are so influential and amazing. He speaks to me through them so often. He has really been teaching me how to allow myself to be loved and to be pursued. Because I am worth fighting for. And He fights for me. His love for me is unending. His plan for me is too amazing for me to comprehend. And I can, in all honesty, say that I have surrendered completely to Him. He is so trustworthy. And He has done AMAZING things in my life and through me, and He’ll continue to do so until the day I am with Him. I am so excited about His plan for me. And for that, I will praise Him with my life, giving Him all the glory and honor, because it is Him in me. It has nothing to do with me. And there is nothing more I would wait for. And I wouldn’t wait for something knowing it’s in vain. I am fully confident in Him. And I am excited. But through this excitement, I am learning patience. And I’m learning that I don’t always know what is best for me…but He always does. So I have great peace within me as this new year is under way. And I am excited for what is in store.

How great is my God.

Psalm 143:8 “Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.”