21 Day Prayer
“…if there is any
virtue and if there is anything praise worthy, meditate on these things.” Phil. 4:8
Virtue can be defined as moral
excellence. In the first chapter of 2
Peter, verse 4, the apostle is writing about the “very great and precious promises” given to us by the Lord. Verse 5 lays out a foundational ladder for
the believer to grow in fruitfulness of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The ladder is described
as:faith; virtue; knowledge; self-control; perseverance; godliness; brotherly
kindness; and love. We note the second
building block is virtue, or this quality of moral excellence, which we are to
add to our faith. We are ascending a
ladder to grow closer in our relationship with the Lord, and to acquire,
develop and refine Christlikeness.
How do we have thoughts of
virtue? What is a virtuous thought and
what does it have to do with our walk?
Our Lord will lead us through the power of the Holy Spirit in our
thought patterns, so that they shift from anything destructive to
constructive. Thoughts of virtue are
building images in our minds of things that have an intrinsic value and worth. It is interesting to note that the word
“virtue” also has a connotation of healing power. In Luke 6:19(NKJV) it reads: “And the whole multitude sought to touch
Him: for there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all.” Thoughts of virtue are thoughts of obedience
to God, thoughts of trusting God, loving Him and honoring Him. They include
thoughts of worshiping and esteeming God.
From these thoughts our character is shaped and our conduct is based. Make it real in your life.
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