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Two Things

There are many things that I have asked of God in my life: security, health, provision, success, ideas...the list could go on. And in many of those cases, God has answered my plea and given me what I have asked for. He has answered my prayer. He has heard my cry. Thanks be to God.

But all that I have asked of God, every little request up to the biggest of requests, while they are not necessarily wrong, there are many times that they are driven by my own selfishness. By my own needs.

In Proverbs 30, a saying of Agur is shared. Every time I read this, it hits home with me:

Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies from me;
give me neither poverty no riches,
but give me only my daily bread.

Proverbs 30:7-8, NIV

Two things. Two simple things that he asks of God.

God, help me to be a man of integrity. Help me to be trustworthy, dependable, to so display righteousness and the holiness of God in my life that people can't help but notice that there is something different about me. Help me to be loyal and to be faithful. Help me to be the best representation of you that I can possibly be while in this failing body. 

God, I'm not asking to be rich, but I am asking to not be poor. Let me just put it this way: give me what I need for today, God. That's all. I don't need to amass wealth so that I can retire early and start working my way through a list of life adventures. I don't need to live like no one else so that I can live like no one else. I just need to live. For Your glory. So give me what I need for today and help me to see what I have is a blessing and a tool that I can use to show your love to all of those around me. 

Two things: Help me to be a man of integrity and be content with my daily bread. 

Thank you, God, for showing me how to be a man of integrity and for giving me my daily bread. 

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