Peter wrote this letter to help the church stand firm in the grace of God, particularly in the face of suffering. He reminds them of their identity: they are God’s chosen people, so they are like temporary foreign residents living outside of their true homeland.  Peter was calling them to live a holy life. Christ is distinct, separate, out of the ordinary, and He calls His followers to be like Him. The Biblical word “holy” describes the contemporary word “different”.  A holy person is not an odd person, but a different person. Being holy means that we live differently. It means that we love differently, and this love displays holiness. Love is the litmus test for Christians.

 

Day 1      1 Peter 1:1-12

Reflect: How do you see Peter’s past experiences and his relationship with Jesus reflected in these words? What do you learn about the Holy Spirit? About persecution?  

Apply:   In what ways does your hope for the future change your daily life? How have trials strengthened your faith? How does understanding your inheritance affect your life? 

Pray:     Father, thank You for being with me in my trials. What a comfort to know Your presence and the end result can be stronger faith. In Christ, I have all that I need for life and godliness.

   

Day 2      1 Peter 1:13-22

Reflect: How does this text reflect what Peter learned and experienced with Jesus? What is his key message? What does this passage teach us about God’s character? 

Apply:   What does it mean to our everyday lives that God’s plan is to make us holy? How would you describe a “holy” Christian life? In what ways do we trivialize Christ’s sacrifice? 

Pray:    Father, I want to be holy and have a life that is set apart unto You. Help me have patience and faithfulness for You to form my character. Help me develop the spiritual wisdom, that the world lacks and that I so need. 

                                                                 

Day 3     1 Peter 1:23-2:3

Reflect: Why do you think Peter chose to use the phrase “born again” and the analogy of growing up? How do we get rid of the things Peter mentions in v.1? 

Apply:   What do you crave (v.2)? What should you crave? What has most helped you to grow in faith? What would you say Peter is thinking about when he mentions the word of God?   

Pray:    Lord, fuel my hunger to know your Word more fully and to live it more completely. Thank you for giving me the source of truth that is reliable, stable, and enduring. 

 

Day 4      1 Peter 2:4-12

Reflect: How do you see Jesus’ influence on Peter? What kind of “spiritual sacrifices” do believers offer to God? In what way are we like living stones? 

Apply:   How does being chosen by God for a special task make you feel? In what way were you in darkness before you became a believer? How are you still at war with sinful desires? 

Pray:     Father, You penetrated the deepest, darkest places of my heart with the gentle light of Your truth. Thank You that my identity is defined by You alone. May I live in my true identity today.

 

Day 5       1 Peter 2:13-25

Reflect: What do you learn about Jesus, and how will it help you to become more like Him? What experiences in Peter’s life helped him to pen these words?

Apply:   How hard is it for you to walk in submission to God and other authority? Rate yourself on how well your life reflects the truth that by Jesus’ wounds you have been healed. 

Pray:    Lord, help me to abide in Christ, to submit to Your will, and to entrust my life into Your hands. Help me to not justify myself, but to patiently endure all that I am called upon to face in this life so that Christ’s life may be visible in me.

 

Put It Into Practice!

Week 7:  Set Apart

Note the times you tend to follow worldly ways, not God’s. Ask Him to help you grow in holiness.