“For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. For this reason, we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:8-10

Dear Holy Spirit, Come and work in my heart. Come and stir in my hands and my life. Come and train me by your Word, shape me by your working, create me in Christ’s image. Throughout my entire life I am trained and training to do a better job at the work I do. I learn to think new thoughts. I learn to think about things differently. I learn to do things and approach things in different ways. I learn new skills. I gain new strength. But this training of body and mind is limited to my vocation and only to this life. O Spirit, come! Come and move in my heart and make it new and pure and holy. Wash my sins away and cleanse me of all my sins. Come and replace my heart of stone with a heart of flesh that I might be changed from the inside out. Then, move in all the parts of my body and mind so that my every thought is taken captive to the Word of God, so that my every motive moves out of love for God and others. O Spirit, train me to be godly and raise up in me a faith in Christ that endures to eternal life. Jesus, you live. Father, you live and rule. Spirit, you live and move in me. Train and strengthen me for a life of serving you and an eternity of living with you. Amen.

When we spend time in God’s Word and align our lives, our thinking and our feeling to God’s Word, God’s Spirit is training us to be godly.