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MEDITATION:

Written by Joyce Meyer, a contemporary American Charismatic Christian author and speaker.  This is an excerpt from her book “My Time With God.”

God has brought us into harmony with Himself, and His desire is to work through us to do the same thing for the multitudes that are separated from Him and living in darkness. What a great privilege it is to bring people to God! Life lived out of harmony with God is a miserable life. It is one filled with sin, darkness, fear, anger, confusion, and never-ending disappointment. It is one lived without the awareness of God. I remember living a life like that, and I will be forever grateful for the new life that Jesus has provided for me. Let’s be thankful today that we’re aware of God and that we can come to Him without fear of rejection. Ask yourself: Are people being brought to God by my words and deeds? I pray that they are! We have an amazing opportunity to partner with God in the reconciliation of the lost people in this world. We are ambassadors for God, and as such, we represent Him in the earth today. God is making His appeal to the world through us. Working with and for God is the greatest privilege that anyone could ever have. Let the people around you see Christ shining through you today!

PRAYER:

Written by Cheryce Rampersad, contemporary Christian author and contributor to the ChristiansTT prayer website.

Almighty Father, Creator of the universe, I approach Your Heavenly Gates with a grateful heart. I bless Your Holy Name and submit the honor and praise that is due unto You.  Beautiful Lord, I was created in your image, fearfully and wonderfully made to be the light in this dark world. Father, please guide me in a plain path of righteousness according to Your will and glory. You are the Omnipotent Potter and I am the clay. Shape me, mold me, use me, and fill me each and every day to become more like Christ. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Today’s meditation is an excerpt from the Our Daily Bread Mountain Life devotional.

Living in harmony is not as easy as it looks. If we are honest, we like to have things go our own way. Living in harmony does not happen if our real goal is to get people to act the way we want them to act and, at the end of the day, to admit we were right all along (LOL). Our human tendency is to find fault with others, blaming them if harmony is not being achieved. Sadly, the blame game comes naturally to most of us…The blame game does not work because, in reality, the only person I can change is myself…Rather than putting the spotlight on others, let’s start by putting it on ourselves. I want all of us to rate ourselves in the following categories when it comes to our person. A 1 is a low score and a 10 is “we are living it to the max.” Your personal rating should come from how you are doing of late. (Note: if you give yourself all “10’s” then pray for honesty and re-take the test!) 1)  Keeping a sense of humor 2) Being patient 3) Being quick to forgive 4) Sharing how you really feel  5) Building others up  6) Being considerate 7) Overlooking minor offenses  8) Listening to others  9) Serving others in love, and 10) Being positive.

As we consider how we are doing, the goal is not to beat ourselves up in areas where we are struggling. Rather, we can come to God in prayer and ask Him for the grace to grow in these areas. If we slow down and listen, He will help us see specific ways we can change for the benefit of everyone. He may also ask us to ask a loved one for forgiveness if we have hurt them by not living in love in a certain area.

PRAYER:

Today’s prayer is a prayer from Nigeria.

God in heaven, you have helped my life to grow like a tree.  Now something has happened.  Satan, like a bird, has carried in one twig of his own choosing after another.  Before I knew it he had built a dwelling place and was living in it.  Tonight, my Father, I am throwing out both the bird and the nest. Amen

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MEDITATION:

Written by Jimmy Ray Lee, a contemporary American pastor.  This is an excerpt from his book “Stepping into Freedom.”

The only way we can walk with God is to agree with him. Agreeing with God and walking with God go hand in hand. Walking with God means being in harmony with him and his Word, the Bible. Two people cannot walk together unless they are in agreement. If they are not walking in harmony, they are not going in the same direction . . . their goals are different . . . friction grows . . . and communication deteriorates. This is true not only of a relationship between two people–it’s also true of our relationship with God. If we don’t agree with his promises and commands in the Bible, we won’t be moving in his direction. We will want our way, not his. And we will neglect prayer . . . our communication with him. The only way to live an overcoming life is to walk in harmony with our Lord, knowing that we cannot change ourselves. As we obey and trust him, he changes us.

PRAYER:

Written by Luci Shaw, a contemporary American writer of poetry and essays.

Mighty One, as the God who is with us, quench all doubt within us. Reassert yourself in us, in all your creative power and glory. As we remember how your Son gave up that authority to be born and to walk with us on earth, may our love and loyalty rise up to you, strong and certain, to reassure you that we are indeed your creatures. More — we are your sons and daughters. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Colin Smith, a contemporary American pastor.

Harmony, as all musicians know, is a pleasing arrangement of different parts. You get harmony when different notes are brought together in such a way that one note complements another. Harmony is not unison. You don’t get harmony by everyone playing the same note. Harmony does not mean everyone thinks the same nor does the same. And harmony is not discord. Discord is when notes are brought together in such a way that one note diminishes another. To live in harmony with one another is to live in such a way that you enrich and complement each other. Together you are more than any of you would be on your own. There is a display of beauty that comes from taking what is distinct and different and making it one. We see this in the nature of God. There is one God and he is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one in nature, in purpose, and in love. There is a beauty, a glory, a peace, a joy, a blessing, a harmony that we see in God and that flows from God. When God says, “Live in harmony with one another,” the “one another” are Christian brothers and sisters, redeemed by Christ, and brought together in the family of God. Here is a distinct calling that we have as Christians: Live in harmony. Is there anything that is more desperately needed in our world today than this? Our country is tired of polarization, division, and conflict over race and religion and money. The world desperately needs to see something different, and God says, “Let it be seen in the church!” Who are you struggling to live in harmony with?

PRAYER:

Written by Debbie McDaniel, a contemporary Christian writer.

Dear God, we ask that you fill us with your Spirit of love and unity among believers all across this nation. We ask for your help to set aside our differences and look to the greater cause, the cause of Christ. We ask that you would help us to truly live a life of love. We know that this is only possible through the power of your Spirit, so we pray for your Spirit to move across our land in fresh ways. Turn your people back to you. Draw others to come to know you. Thank you that you are always with us to give us great purpose and hope. We pray for our families, for every relationship most dear to us, that you would guard our time, and our lives together. We ask for your ability to quickly forgive hurts, for a renewed heart of compassion, for love and faithfulness to be evident in every decision and action.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Craig Denison, a contemporary Christian author and speaker. This is an excerpt from his daily devotional “First 15.”

Harmony in music is this beautiful, fleeting occurrence that most singers and musicians work their entire lives to continuously experience. It requires diligence, patience, humility, and unity between people pursuing the same goal of making beautiful music. And when musical harmony is achieved, it touches not only those singing or playing, but everyone listening as well. Living in harmony with one another in everyday life isn’t too different than musical harmony. For most of us it’s a target just as elusive and fleeting. But like musical harmony, it’s worth fighting for. Like musical harmony, it produces joy and life in those who pursue it and touches those around them. All throughout the New Testament, we find exhortations to live life in unified, harmonious community. Scripture is clear that unity in the body is foundational to the Christian life…harmony requires humility, grace, the pursuit of peace, not fighting for our own justice, and blessing those who hurt us. What would our communities, churches, and families look like if we all committed ourselves to these virtues? What would your relationships look like if you strived to obey these commands? God doesn’t ask you and me to pursue these virtues; he commands us. It is a command because God knows that pursuing a life lived in harmony with one another will lead us to the abundance of joy, peace, and purpose we are created to experience. As our good Father, he wants his children to experience the peace that can only come from living in harmony with one another.

PRAYER:

Written by Germaine Copeland, contemporary pastor and author.  This prayer is an excerpt from her book “Prayers that Avail Much.”

Holy Spirit, teach us how to agree (harmonize together, together make a symphony) — about anything and everything — so that whatever we ask will come to pass and be done for us by our Father in heaven.

We pray that as members of the Body of Christ we will live as becomes us — with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because we love one another. In the name of Jesus, we are eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.

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MEDITATION:

Written by A.W. Tozer (1897-1963), an American Christian pastor, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor. This is an excerpt from his devotional “Jesus, Our Man in Glory.”

These basic concepts — the mysteries of creation and God’s unity forever displayed in His works—are not new. They were believed by the great Christian souls and minds of the earlier centuries. One of the notable Scottish Moravian authors was James Montgomery. Out of his writing comes this beautiful poem expressing the unity he sensed in God’s creation:  “The glorious universe around, The heavens with all their train, Sun, moon and stars are firmly bound In one mysterious chain. The earth, the ocean, and the sky To form one world agree; Where all that walk or swim or fly Compose one family. God in creation must display His wisdom and His might; Where all His works with all His ways Harmoniously unite.”

Montgomery’s use of the word harmoniously is impressive. It affirms that finally, when sin has been purged from God’s universe, everything in creation will be consummated with everything else. There will be universal cosmic harmony. We are only too aware that the universe as we know it is in discord. On every side sounds the raucous rattle of sin. But in that coming day sin will be purged away and all things that walk, creep, crawl, swim or fly will be found to comprise one family indeed.

PRAYER:

From the Mozarabic Breviary, also called the Visigothic Rite or the Hispanic Rite, is a liturgical rite of the Latin Church once used generally in the Iberian Peninsula (Hispania), in what is now Spain and Portugal.  Developed during Visigoth (Arian Christian) rule of the Iberian peninsula  in the 500s AD.

O God, you are peace eternal.

Your gift is peace.

You have taught us

that your children will be called peacemakers.

Pour out your peace into our souls

that all discord may vanish away,

and that we may forever love and seek

the things that bring your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Amy Carroll, a contemporary Christian author. This is an excerpt from her devotion “Being Right Doesn’t Mean I’m Righteous.”

God is filling me with a simple prayer: Lord, please make me completely righteous and not a bit self-righteous. The word righteous means, “acting in accord with divine and moral law, free from guilt or sin” according to Webster. But being righteous and looking righteous are two different things. Looking righteous is something I’ve mastered. I know how to follow the rules, play the game and fit into the church crowd. Maybe you’re like me and are wired to work hard to get things done “right.” I like to please my peers and check items off my to-do list. Often it wins me the approval I crave. I get pats on the back, and it all looks good on the outside. But on the inside — in the quiet moments — I can find myself exhausted. Defeated. Numb. Those feelings let me know I’ve crossed from being righteous through Christ into trying to earn righteousness myself. Sometimes my self-righteousness leaks out and reveals its ugliness through judgmental thoughts and attitudes towards others. That’s when I find myself looking down my nose at those struggling while thinking I have it together or snapping with impatience when someone delays my next task. … To maintain the right heart, God asks us to keep returning to our first love with Him. To rediscover the newness, lightness and joy we felt at first. He urges us to constantly rekindle passion for Him, which will deepen our love for Him and others. The beautiful part is God doesn’t call us to love without Him setting the ultimate example. His love is “wide and long and high and deep” (Ephesians 3:18, NIV), and it surpasses our thoughts and the works done in our own strength. Pursuing righteousness solely through good works is an empty endeavor, always leaving us impossibly short of the goal. Returning to our first love ensures full righteousness as we follow Jesus, for He is our righteousness… True righteousness creates more love for God and others. It’s a beautiful cycle, and it’s a goal that transforms us.

PRAYER:

John Chrysostom (AD 347-407), theologian and archbishop of Constantinople.

O my all-merciful God and Lord, Jesus Christ, full of pity: through Your great love You came down and became incarnate in order to save everyone. O Savior, I ask You to save me by Your grace! If You save anyone because of their works, that would not be grace but only reward of duty, but You are compassionate and full of mercy! You said, O my Christ, “Whoever believes in Me shall live and never die.” If then, faith in You saves the lost, then save me, O my God and Creator, for I believe. Let faith and not my unworthy works be counted to me, O my God, for You will find no works which could account me righteous. O Lord, from now on let me love You as intensely as I have loved sin, and work for You as hard as I once worked for the evil one. I promise that I will work to do Your will, my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all the days of my life and forevermore.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Dennis Fisher, a retired contemporary professor of evangelism.

I love playing the 5-string banjo. But it has one drawback. The fifth string will harmonize with only a limited number of simple chords. When other musicians want to play more complicated music, the banjoist has to adapt. He can lend marvelous melodic tones to a jam session only by making the right adjustments. Just as musicians adjust with their instruments, we as believers also need to make adjustments with our spiritual gifts if we want to harmonize with others to serve God. For instance, those who have the gift of teaching must coordinate with those who have the gift of organizing meetings and with those who make sure meeting rooms are set up and cleaned. All of us have spiritual gifts, and we must work together if God’s work is to get done. Think about your spiritual gifts. Now reflect on how you can dovetail their use with the gifts of other believers. When our talents are used in a complementary way, the result is harmony and glory to God.

PRAYER:

From the Gelasian Sacramentary, a book of Christian liturgy, which is the oldest western liturgical book that has survived.  The book is linked to Pope Gelasius I. It was compiled near Paris around 750.

listen

kindle our souls by your Spirit,

that being filled with your divine gifts,

we may shine like blazing lamps

in the presence of your Son Christ at his coming; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Jill Briscoe, a retired contemporary professor of evangelism.  This is an excerpt from her work, “The Art of Getting Along.”

Harmony is concord or agreement. Another word for harmony is “peace”–and making peace is often very hard work.  Achieving harmony is hard, but being a peacekeeper once a truce is declared is even harder. It’s a spiritual art.  The testimony of a community of believers often hangs on the ability of its members to live in harmony and to keep the peace once it is made. Paul appeals to leaders and followers alike to be sensitive to the Spirit’s directives and to become ambassadors for unity. The art of “keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” in Ephesians 4:3, requires believers who are characterized by humility, persistence, and a passion for the body of Christ. We give God honor when we pursue harmony.  Sadly, other human beings are our biggest obstacles when it comes to practicing the spiritual art of harmony. Sometimes it seems as though the church would be a great place if we could get rid of the people! But how do we do church with people? How do we get everyone to love or even tolerate one another? How do we bring the Baptist and the Episcopalian together? The Methodist and the Presbyterian? The Lutheran and the Catholic? And how do we achieve harmony beyond the wall of the church in all creeds, classes, and groupings of people? Between Jews and Arabs, for instance? Between men and women? African-Americans and Caucasians? How do we respect each other’s traditions and cultures without reacting defensively and adopting a segregating mindset instead of an inclusionary one? Paul knew of only two ways: to ground all relationships in the one relationship all believers have with the Lord Jesus Christ, and to rely on the power of the one Spirit who lives in all believers to maintain unity… Discord within the body of Christ is a key reason why many people don’t go to church. As a follower of Christ, does the fact that our lack of unity drives people away from church bother you? It should. It bothered Paul, and he always tried to be part of the solution.

PRAYER:

Written by Scotty Smith, a contemporary American pastor.

Father, grant us grace and wisdom for our messiest of relationships, but also for the best of our relationships—for none of our relationships is beyond the reach or need of your grace. Help us to be the chief repenter in all of our relationships—the one most desirous of reconnecting, the quickest to humble ourselves, the one most bull-dogged committed to harmony. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ tender and triumphant name.

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MEDITATION:

Written by George Vink, a contemporary American pastor.

Wise believers acknowledge that when Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34), this was not simply a suggestion for getting along. So too, the Bible’s commands as to how we treat one another shouldn’t be considered optional. That’s not the nature of God’s commands. As Christ’s followers, we must remember how our relationship with God affects our relationships with each other. When we pray, “Our Father,” we acknowledge that we are part of a family that includes sisters and brothers. We’re called to live in harmony together. There are specific ways of doing so, such as honoring one another above ourselves, holding to what is good, praying faithfully, sharing with people in need, showing hospitality, and not being proud. When believers live in harmony, expressing their love for one another by sharing tears in times of sorrow and expanding their joy by celebrating together, they become appealing witnesses to their hope in Christ. When a coworker observes, “It’s amazing how you guys love each other,” the cause of Christ moves forward. Jesus taught this when he prayed that all believers “may be one” and “may be brought to complete unity. Then,” he said to the Father, “the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23).

PRAYER:

Written by Germaine Copeland, contemporary pastor and author.  This prayer is an excerpt from her book “Prayers that Avail Much.”

We commit, in the name of Jesus, and according to the power of God at work in us, to be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each the others] as brethren (of one household), compassionate and courteous — tenderhearted and humble-minded. We will never return evil for evil or insult for insult — scolding, tongue-lashing, berating; but, on the contrary, blessing — praying for their welfare, happiness and protection and truly pitying and loving one another. For we know that to this we have been called, that we may ourselves inherit a blessing [from God] — obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection. Amen.

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