A Prayer of Resolution: To Follow Christ Each Day

This morning Prayer of Resolution invites us to follow in Jesus’s footsteps as we strive each day to live as good Christians being made worthy to share Eternal life with Him.

Adorable Jesus, my Savior and Master, model of all perfection, I resolve—and will try this day—to imitate Your example, to be like You, mild, humble, chaste, zealous, charitable, and resigned. I will redouble my efforts to see Your image in all those I meet and deal with this day, and to be as helpful to them as I would be to You. I resolve to avoid this day all those sins which I have committed heretofore and which I now sincerely desire to give up forever. Amen.

It is particularly important to note this prayer asks us to try to see our Lord’s face not just in the people we love but in everyone, even your cranky boss, gossipy co-workers, or irritable (or irritating) in-laws!

While this can be quite a challenge at times, Christ enjoined us to love, and pray for, our enemies (or at least be able to forgive them in our hearts), and to “love one another as I have loved you!” (John 13:34). He also said that whatever we do for the “least of my bretheren” we do for Him (Matt 25:40).

If following the suggestions in this Prayer of Resolution seems to be too big a task, remember that with God “all things are possible” (Matt 19:26, and Mark 9:22) if we approach Him with humility, faith, and a genuine desire to do His will. As long as we do our best to imitate our Lord, He’ll help us deal with our daily difficulties in a “resigned,” that is to say in this case gracious, fashion.

As Jesus said in the Gospels (Matt 11:28-30) “Come to me, all you who labor, and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke [the law of His love as found in His Commandments] upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek, and humble of heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” His grace can lighten our burdens as well if we ask for it humbly and sincerely in our prayers.

Several times in the Gospels, our Lord said to His apostles, disciples, and others, “Follow Me!” In this day and age when people look for “role models” to follow, is there any better one to have than our Savior, who gave His life not just out of love for all of us, but also for each of us, indeed, for you?