God Sees Your Consistency - Your Nightly Prayer - May 10th

God Sees Your Consistency
Your Nightly Prayer
by Clarence Haynes Jr.

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58

SOMETHING TO PONDER

I remember attending a leadership conference, and the guest speaker was John Maxwell. If you are not familiar with his work, he has spent decades talking about leadership and leadership development. During his talk, he made a statement that still sticks with me. He said, “Consistency compounds.” What he meant by this is that there is something about being consistent in the little things that, over time, can produce the results you are looking for. If you are trying to lose weight, then losing one to two pounds every week does not seem like much until you do it over two to three months and suddenly you have lost twenty to thirty pounds. Saving for retirement may seem arduous, putting away a little from each paycheck until you look up and your savings have grown. Consistency is not always exciting, but it is what produces the results you are looking for.

Consistency in your service to the Lord
When you are serving the Lord, consistency can be challenging because you don’t always see the immediate fruit of your labor. If you are teaching children in Sunday School, you may plant a lot of seeds, but you may not see them sprout and come to fruition. Even in simply sharing the gospel with people, you may not get the immediate response you desire, and when this happens, you may get discouraged. That’s where consistency and this verse in Corinthians brings hope. Let me share with you the full verse for complete context.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Your labor and work for the Lord are not always about seeing results. Your labor for the Lord is about being obedient. The results belong to him, not to you. When you are serving, there is one simple question you must ask yourself. Am I doing what God told me to do? If the answer is yes, then keep doing it. You may not know the impact, nor receive applause from people for the work you do, but that is okay. Your labor is not in vain because God sees it, and one day he will reward you for a job well done. So stand firm and don’t be moved because what you do and your consistency in doing it matter.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Lord,
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Honestly, sometimes it gets hard because it feels thankless, or I don’t see the fruit from all my labor. I am asking you tonight for grace to shift my vision. Help me focus on the people I am serving, the reason I am serving, and most importantly, you, whom I am serving. With those things in mind, restore my joy in serving and help me do so consistently, remembering that each life matters, and even though I may not see the results, I can play an important role in their journey. Let this refresh me along the way as I continue doing what you have called me to do. I pray all this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. God does not reward you for the results of your service. God rewards you for your obedience in his service.
2. Since you cannot control the outcomes, focus on the input because that is within your control.
3. Consistency is not always exciting and does not always get cheers from the crowd. However, it is that consistency, often outside the public eye, that produces the results you desire.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Arzu Sendag

Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a dynamic speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club, dedicated to helping people live with purpose and clarity. In addition to his ministry work, Clarence has spent the last 13 years as a trusted financial educator, guiding thousands of people across the country—including employees at many Fortune 500 companies—toward lasting financial wellness. His unique ability to blend practical wisdom with spiritual insight equips people to thrive in every area of life.

He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.

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