A Prayer to Live an Unfiltered Life - Your Daily Prayer - October 4
A Prayer to Live an Unfiltered Life
By Betsy St. Amant Haddox
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” - 1 Peter 3:3-4
We live in a filtered world. A world that no longer accepts reality and instead demands that women master the charade.
Thanks to Snapchat, women no longer even have to post a picture of their actual selves. With a few swipes they can suddenly become a woodland fairy with butterflies nestled in their hair, don a crown of flowers, or turn their features into an adorable puppy. There’s obviously nothing wrong with fairies and puppies. But why do you want to look like one? “It’s fun,” you said. “It’s silly. I’m just playing around.”
That’s fine too—if that’s true. But how many of women are telling the truth in those moments? I think deep down, if we really dig beneath the surface of the lighthearted “look at my silly post, I have polka-dotted ears and a button nose” we’ll realize that we’re hiding. We duck behind one mask after another, secretly wishing we could use these filters in real life and permanently hide.
The theme of 1 Peter 3:3-4 this verse is found in the phrase “your beauty should not come from”—meaning, don’t let your identity be your outward beauty. Don’t let those efforts or those items define you and your worth and become more important than the condition of your heart.
Trust me—this isn’t an overnight fix, ladies. It’s hard to retrain our hearts and shut up the lies of the enemy. But the effort is worth it. So let’s stop hiding. Let’s put down the mask and the excessive use of products that hide instead of enhance. Let’s stop playing the comparison game that’s a guaranteed lose-lose.
Let’s live unfiltered. Let's pray.
Lord, help me live an authentic life. Help me see where my true beauty and worth lie – in being a child of the Most High God. Help me have the unfading beauty of a gentle spirit. Thank you for valuing me so much that you sent Jesus to die for me. Thank you that you take what is broken and ugly in me – my sin – and wash me white as snow. Help me live to glorify you, not myself. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.
Editor’s Note: Portions of this devotional were taken from Betsy St Amant’s article, Living an Unfiltered Life in a Filtered World. You can read that piece here.
Photo credit: ©SalemDesign
Related Resource: Starting 2026 with Intention: Confidence, Diligence, and God’s Direction
As we begin a brand-new year, I want to help you slow down and listen for God’s invitation in your life. In this episode, we kick off our One Word 2026 series — a simple, prayerful way to reflect on where you’ve been and discern how God may be inviting you to grow in the year ahead.
I introduce the heart behind choosing a spiritual “one word,” not as a goal to achieve, but as a posture to receive. We explore two of the six words I’ll be offering this month — confidence and diligence — and look at how Scripture invites us to grow, not by relying on our own strength, but by trusting God’s faithfulness over time.
This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
