praying effectively: Responsibly Manage Resources (Gen.1)

(Genesis 1:26-31)  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:
- that we responsibly manage the resources He has given to us
- that we are fruitful and multiply

(Instead of just talking about what I should be praying about, I've decided to actually "just" pray!)

Today's prayer:

Lord, thank You so very much for the beauty You have created and given to us.  Thank You for the natural resources that You so generously supply.

I thank You that I do not have to worry about such things as global warming and natural disasters.  You hold the world in Your hands and oversee everything.  I trust that You can move in the hearts of those who can gain understanding and affect the bigger events and situations in this world.

Where it concerns me, help me to responsibly manage the resources around me.  And give me wisdom in knowing how to vote when opportunities arise concerning effectively protecting the earth's environment.

I'm so very grateful for how You bless us with Your provisions.  Guide us in using those to Your glory.  May we use everything efficiently and effectively while being resourceful, so as not to squander.

As for being fruitful and multiplying, guide me in being fruitful in my efforts to spread the gospel message to those around me.

Bless the missionaries that we support.  Supply them in everything that they need, so they are able to continue spreading Your light to the world around them.

Let Your love trickle out and overflow and multiply like crazy!   Amen.