January 11, 2026 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

Cheryl Zamora

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10–11, NIV — quoted in brief for context)

Paul’s words here are bold. He isn’t asking for a comfortable Christianity—he’s asking for a transforming one. His desire is not simply to know about Christ, but to know Him in a way that reshapes every part of his life.

“To know the power of His resurrection” – I believe is the power that lifts us out of old patterns, breathes hope into places that feel dead and reminds us that nothing in our lives is beyond God’s ability to renew. Resurrection power isn’t just for the end of time—it’s for today. It’s the strength to forgive, to persevere, to love when it’s hard, and to rise again after failure.

 “To share in His sufferings” – isn’t about seeking pain. It’s about letting God shape us through difficulty, trusting Him when obedience costs something and learning Christ’s heart through the things we endure. Suffering becomes a place of communion, not abandonment. It’s where Christ meets us most tenderly.

Our goal should be becoming like Him. Paul’s longing is transformation—being shaped into the likeness of Jesus so deeply that even death becomes a doorway, not a defeat.

Let us pray to the Lord to give us a heart like Paul’s—hungry to know God more deeply.  Pray for God to walk alongside us in every hardship, shaping us to reflect His character. May Jesus’ resurrection power renew what feels weak or worn in us. May we be more like Him in every season.