O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your church. Grant that those things which we ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
I used to have a colleague on staff at the university who was a quiet and unassuming fellow. He worked on the physical plant services team. When the lightbulb went out, when a door was sticking, when there was a leak somewhere, you put in a request, and he showed up. He was not flashy or particularly dramatic. Small of stature, he was a very normal looking guy, I would put him in his 50’s.
One day in the late fall, our paths crossed while he was carrying a ladder across campus. We chatted and I asked him what he was doing that weekend. “Baking cookies,” was his reply. It was coming up on the holiday season, so this was not unexpected. It was the season for cookies. “Do you make a lot of cookies?” I asked. “Yeah, about 3,200 or more. It’s an all-day affair.” The look on my face must have told him that I needed to know more. He went on. “We bring them to fire and police stations, emergency rooms, and anywhere that does good. I want to say thank you and Merry Christmas.”
God is the author of all godliness. Is there something good in someone you know? Thank God for that. He is the author of such goodness. My friend’s cookie baking stood out because it was a feat of baking endurance to make that many cookies in a day. But your circles of family, friends, co-workers, and others probably includes many people who are doing good things, doing godly things. God is the author of all that, somehow. He often works in ways I do not understand. Pray for a little godliness of your own today. Trust that he will deliver on his promise and in response to your prayer.