“Grace and peace be yours in abundance.” 1 Peter 1:2

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  2 Peter 1:2

I have recently been reading through 1 and 2 Peter.  I have just been captivated by Peter’s letters, mostly because of these opening comments.

I write many cards, notes, emails and facebook messages of encouragement.  I have filled page after page with many well wishes.  Very few of my words, if any, could compare to Peter’s wishes.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance!

Oh to experience that!  Can you just imagine?  What would it be like to live a life abundantly filled with grace and peace?

I wanted to take the time today, not to offer up what I have learned of grace or of peace; no definitions about abundance.  Today, I just want to pray Peter’s wishes for you from the depths of my heart and strength of my spirit.

Beloved and Gracious Lord, 

Oh how good, how great you are God!  You are amazing and awe-inspiring! 

Lord, I pray today Peter’s words.  May all who read this experience grace and peace in abundance. 

My dearest readers, Lord, they are such treasures to me.  They are such gifts and such encouragements to me.  I deeply long to bless each and every one of them.  But, Lord, I am so limited on my own.  Limited in strength, limited in time, limited in provision.  But You, Lord, You are limitless.  You are the Great Provider.  You are the Beginning and the End.  You are in every tiny detail and Overseer of the grand plan.  

God, please bless each person who is connected to my meager life with an abundance of grace and peace.  Whatever the circumstance they find themselves in.  Whatever challenges they face, whatever storms rage around them, grace and peace to them. 

When the finances seem to be at the last dime, please take our anxiety and give us peace. 

When we are dealing with difficult relationships, when we feel exhausted and unable to give out any more, take our frustrations and replace it with glorious grace.

When we are fearful of what the test results will show, when the pain swells in the darkness of the early morning hours, stealing our rest, take our weariness and give us peace.

When the choices of life overwhelm us and when we are unsure of where the next step is, those times when the world screams at us as we long to hear Your still small voice, take the noise and replace it with peace. 

When we criticize ourselves for our mistakes, errors of today and our blunders of years past, when they haunt us and when we replay the trauma of their consequences in our minds, replace it with Your grace soaked in love for who You made us to be.

May the grace and peace flow through Your living waters – refreshing, restoring and renewing us.  May its abundance wash over us with such power that we are brought to tears because there is no way we could have imagined something so awesome. 

May it all be for the Glory of Your Name and may it invoke deep praise and adoration of who You are. 

In Jesus’ amazing name, amen.