MEDITATION:
Written by Shilo Taylor, a contemporary youth pastor and Christian author. This is an excerpt from her book “A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ.”
Have you ever said, “It’s my life. I’m free to do whatever makes me happy?” After a while, whatever you choose to pursue—popularity, alcohol, relationships, living selfishly, or trying hard to be perfect—becomes something that controls you instead of you controlling it. Soon the choice doesn’t feel like a choice at all. Instead of being free, you’re a slave. Before we commit our lives to Jesus we are slaves to sin. Even if we try to be good, we still aren’t free. Freedom is an illusion. We are tangled up in our sin, and it is impossible to set ourselves free. When we commit our lives to Jesus, we are freed from our slavery. Only God brings real freedom. He frees us from everything we’ve been controlled by. Only God—who is absolutely perfect and all-powerful—can make us his children and save us.
Jesus forgives us. Jesus heals us. Jesus makes us whole. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see instant change. The more you know God, the more you will become the person God created you to be. He knows what your purpose is, what is best for you, what you are good at, and how your experiences will be used in the future. He will help you get past what holds you back. He will make you whole.
PRAYER:
Written by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) , a Patriarch of Alexandria whose Coptic Liturgy originated in the early Christian Egypt, forming the core of the historical Alexandrian Rite.
What blessing,
what praise,
what thanksgiving
can we give you, O God, lover of all?
For when we were in the darkness of death
and drowning in the depths of sin
you granted us freedom
and gave us this immortal and heavenly food,
and showed us the mystery kept secret for long ages.
Help us understand your supreme mercy
and the greatness of your goodness and Fatherly care for us. Amen.
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