A powerful passage from Titus

The Bible contains many specific prayers to help guide our own prayers. But the Bible also contains many passages that, while not technically prayers, are nonetheless very useful to meditate upon while praying. Paul authored many such passages.

Regarding Paul's letters, every person of faith should spend ample time reading Romans. And people of faith also should dive heavily into 1 Corinthians 15. But another wonderful expression of faith appears in the oft-overlooked letter to Titus.

First, in Titus 3:3 (NLT), Paul establishes our sinful nature,

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.

The next verse then begins an awe-inspiring four-verse passage (Titus 3:4-7, NLT),

But when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

Those verses provide a powerful synopsis of God's graceful plan. Write down (or print out) those verses, take them to a quite place, and spend some quiet moments reflecting upon them during prayer.