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MEDITATION:

Written by Richard M. Gula, a contemporary Sulpician priest, teacher, and author. This is an excerpt from his book “To Walk Together Again.”

The disposition of hope is rooted in the fundamental biblical truth that all possibilities for life and its future are under the care and goodness of God. Reconciliation is a possibility for us because it begins with, and remains rooted in, God’s love for us. The good news of Christian faith is that God’s love is constant and undefeatable. This is most clearly evident in Jesus’ being raised from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus (the best of all possible futures) is our ultimate warrant for hope. We cannot engage in or experience it if we do not believe in God’s love for us as a constant, undefeatable love—that is to say, unless we believe in “amazing grace.” To accept God’s unconditional love for us is fundamental to the process of reconciliation in life and in sacrament.

PRAYER:

Written by Jane Holloway, the National Prayer Director of  the World Prayer Centre in Birmingham, England.

Father,

Thank you that in a world of despair, You are our Hope.

In a world of darkness, You are our Light.

In a world of sorrow, You are our joy.

Help us to share the Hope of our hearts with one another

Enable us to give Hope to others through Your work amongst us.

Use us to transform our nation and to spread Your Hope to every corner of this nation.

May our land flourish by the preaching of Your word and the praising of Your name.

In Jesus Name. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by James I. Packer (1926-2020), an English-born Canadian evangelical theologian, cleric and writer. This is an excerpt from his book “Hot Tub Religion.”

Every Christian’s life purpose must be to glorify God. This is the believer’s official calling. Everything we say and do, all our obedience to God’s commands, all our relationships with others, all the use we make of the gifts, talents, and opportunities that God gives us, all our enduring of adverse situations and human hostility, must be so managed as to give God honor and praise for his goodness to those on whom he sets his love. Equally important is the truth that every Christian’s full-time employment must be to please God. . . . Pleasing God in everything must be our goal. 

PRAYER:

Written by Debbie Przybylski, founder and director of Intercessors Arise International.

Lord, teach me to offer you a heart of thanksgiving and praise in all my daily experiences of life. Teach me to be joyful always, to pray continually and to give thanks in all my circumstances. I accept them as Your will for my life. I long to bring pleasure to Your heart daily. Break the power of the enemy in my life. Defeat Him through my sacrifice of praise. Change my outlook and attitude into one of joyful contentment with my present circumstances.

Jesus, I want to be like You who obeyed the Father without complaint. You embraced the chains of humanity when You walked this earth. Convict me whenever I complain or compare myself with others. Give me Your attitude of humility and thankful acceptance.

I want to be like the Apostle Paul who learned contentment in every circumstance. I choose to continually offer You a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that give praise to Your name. I long to bring a smile to Your face. Teach me the power of a thankful heart. I know that Your truth dwells in a thankful heart. “I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (Psalm 7:17-18:1). In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

MEDITATION:

Written by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), an English writer, professor, and lay theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “Letters to Malcolm.”

Our prayers for others flow more easily than those we offer on our own behalf. And it would be nice to accept your view that this just shows we are made to live by charity. I’m afraid, however, I detect two much less attractive reasons for the ease of my own intercessory prayers. One is that I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It’s so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him. And the other is like unto it. Suppose I pray that you may be given grace to withstand your besetting sin (short list of candidates for this post will be forwarded on demand). Well, all the work has to be done by God and you. If I pray against my own besetting sin, there will be work for me. One sometimes fights shy of admitting an act to be a sin for this very reason. 

PRAYER:

Written by Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), an Italian mystic.

My Jesus, I place all my sins before you. In my estimation they do not deserve pardon, but I ask you to close your eyes to my want of merit and open them to your infinite merit. Since you willed to die for my sins, grant me forgiveness for all of them. Thus, I may no longer feel the burden of my sins, a burden that oppresses me beyond measure.  Assist me, dear Jesus, for I desire to become good no matter what the cost. Take away, destroy, and utterly root out whatever you find in me that is contrary to your holy will. At the same time, dear Jesus, illumine me so that I may walk in your holy light.

MEDITATION:

Written by John Wesley (1703-1791), an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist, who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism.

Be serious and frequent in the examination of your heart and life…Every evening review your carriage through the day; what you have done or thought that was unbecoming your character; whether your heart has been instant upon religion and indifferent to the world? Have a special care of two portions of time, namely, morning and evening; the morning to forethink what you have to do, and the evening to examine whether you have done what you ought. Let every action have reference to your whole life, and not to a part only. Let all your subordinate ends be suitable to the great end of your living. Exercise yourself with godliness. 

PRAYER:

Written by Emilie Griffin, a contemporary American author who writes about religious experience and spiritual life.

Dear God, my life is a maze of ordinary things: work, family, church, correspondence, bill-paying, filling out forms. Help me to see that in fulfilling my obligations I am serving you. Let me be open to the grace of the random encounter. Give me glimpses of  your reality in the middle of things. Let me recognize the Messiah, as Simeon did. And help me to live by your commandment of love, no matter what the cost. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), a Scottish Baptist evangelist and teacher who was aligned with the Holiness Movement.

What are you haunted by? You will say — “By nothing,” but we are all haunted by something, generally by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our experience. The Psalmist says we are to be haunted by God. The abiding consciousness of the life is to be God, not thinking about Him. The whole of our life inside and out is to be absolutely haunted by the presence of God. A child’s consciousness is so mother-haunted that although the child is not consciously thinking of its mother, yet when calamity arises, the relationship that abides is that of the mother. So we are to live and move and have our being in God, to look at everything in relation to God, because the abiding consciousness of God pushes itself to the front all the time. If we are haunted by God, nothing else can get in, no cares, no tribulation, no anxieties. We see now why Our Lord so emphasized the sin of worry. How can we dare be so utterly unbelieving when God is round about us? To be haunted by God is to have an effective barricade against all the onslaughts of the enemy. “His soul shall dwell at ease.” In tribulation, misunderstanding, slander, in the midst of all these things, if our life is hid with Christ in God, He will keep us at ease. We rob ourselves of the marvelous revelation of this abiding companionship of God. “God is our Refuge” — nothing can come through that shelter. 

PRAYER:

Written by Origen (c184-253), an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian

Jesus, my feet are dirty. Come even as a slave to me, pour water into your bowl, come and wash my feet. In asking such a thing I know I am overbold, but I dread what was threatened when you said to me, “If I do not wash your feet I have no fellowship with you.” Wash my feet then, because I long for your companionship.

MEDITATION:

Written by Martin Luther (1483-1546), a German professor of theology, priest, author, composer, Augustinian monk, and seminal figure in the Reformation.

The following statements are therefore true: “Good works do not make a good [person], but a good [person] does good works; evil works do not make a wicked [person], but a wicked [person] does evil works.” Consequently, it is always necessary that the substance or person…be good before there can be any good works, and that good works follow and proceed from the good person, as Christ also says, “A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (MT 7:18). It is clear that the fruits do not bear the tree and that the tree does not grow on the fruits, also that, on the contrary, the trees bear the fruits and the fruits grow on the trees. As it is necessary, therefore, that the trees exist before their fruits and the fruits do not make trees either good or bad, but rather as the trees are, so are the fruits they bear; so a [person] must first be good or wicked before he [or she] does a good or wicked work.  

PRAYER:

Written by Erwin Lutzer, a contemporary Christian speaker, broadcaster, and author.

Father, I pray that You might enable me to “abide in You;” that is, rest in Your provision and love. I pray that I might not only bear fruit, but much fruit for Your glory. May I not be a branch that is barren, a branch that is “thrown into the fire.” Help us to confess every sin that stands in the way of abiding in Your promises. Help us to simply be clean vessels that rest in Your spiritual resources and strength. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Micca Campbell, a contemporary Christian author and speaker.

Have you ever noticed how over-extending yourself tends to bring unwanted pressure into your life? Sometimes I think we busy ourselves in order to gain more, find acceptance among peers, land a better position, and gain riches of all kinds. Perhaps we live under the illusion that having such riches is what makes a person complete, content, and deliriously happy. Yet, when we discover that’s not the case, we’re left feeling empty and discontent. Contentment and security are not found in career titles or in the kind of car we own. The logo on our car only tells others what kind of car we drive — not who we are. True satisfaction, in its purest form, is found in the wealth of who God is and the riches He graciously lavishes upon us. Recently God’s been showing me that when I constantly want more than He has given me, it reflects a heart that is discontent. It’s like I’m telling God, “I’m not satisfied with what You have provided for me. I want more.” In wanting more, I place undo pressure on myself in an attempt to get what God hasn’t provided. Naturally, anxiety is the result when I focus on things other than God and His will for my life. The pressure to have more and do more can lead us down paths we never intended. In our attempt to fill the vacuum of our empty souls, we discover that external luxury is only a cheap substitution for spiritual wholeness. As our key verse points out, Paul knew the secret of finding contentment. “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Take note that Paul wrote these words in a high stress situation as he sat in jail awaiting a verdict for a crime he didn’t commit. I don’t know if I could find contentment if I were in his sandals. Finding contentment doesn’t mean we have to like our current situation, but it may require an appreciation for it. Let me explain. Paul learned that the fruit of contentment is developed when we are thankful for what God has provided whether we like it or not. That’s because peace isn’t the absence of pressure. It’s the presence of God and our attitude toward His provision in the midst of our stress. By expressing gratitude, Paul experienced richness of being, not having.  

PRAYER:

This prayer is based on a quote by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish author, poet, and minister.

Dear Lord, I would rather be what you chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been born in your thought, and then made by you, God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking. This is a prayer of contentment.

MEDITATION:

Written by Richard Foster, a contemporary theologian and author. This is excerpted from his book “Money, Sex, and Power.”

Power touches us all. We cannot get away from it even if we wanted to. All human relationships involve the use of power. Therefore, rather than seek to run from it or to deny that we use it, we would do well to discover the Christian meaning of power and learn how to use it for the good of others. All who follow Christ are called to the “ministry of power.” … When Martin Luther King, Jr., stood firm against America’s racism, millions were set free. When teachers unlock the joy of discovery in the minds of students, they are using the power of their position to liberate. When an older brother uses his superior status to build the self-esteem of younger siblings, he is using power to set them free. When the old destructive habit patterns of depression or fear are transformed by the power of God, the result is liberation….Of all people, spiritual people know the dangers of power. The temptations to abuse are everywhere. Yet we must not back away. Christ calls us to the ministry of power. He will give us the compassion and humility to fulfill our ministry. George Fox wrote, “Let all nations hear the word by sound or writing. Spare no place, spare not tongue nor pen; but be obedient to the Lord God and go through the work and be valiant for the Truth upon earth.” It is Christ who calls us; he will also empower us.  

PRAYER:

Written by Miles McPherson, a contemporary pastor, motivational speaker, and former NFL football player. He is the pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego

Lord, I ask that You empower me to live a life based on truth, not fear. Fill my heart with Your courage so I can move past fear and begin to love others like You do. Please show me when I’m operating out of fear so I can choose courageous honor instead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), an American abolitionist and author. She is best known as the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” This is an excerpt from a missionary’s booklet she contributed to, “How to Live On Christ.”

There is such a way of living with, or in Christ, that watchfulness, prayer, devotion, patience, gentleness, meekness, become so many sweet and spontaneous impulses, instead of labored acquisitions, alternately the subjects of hope and of despair; and this is true freedom. The very figure which Christ uses illustrates this idea; “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”  How does the branch bear fruit? Not by incessant effort for sunshine and air, not by vain struggles. . . . It simply abides in the vine, in silent and undisturbed union, and blossoms, and fruit appear as of spontaneous growth. How then shall a Christian bear fruit? By efforts and struggles to obtain that which is freely given? . . . No: there must be a full concentration of the thoughts and affections on Christ, a complete surrender of the whole being to Him, a constant looking to Him for grace.  

PRAYER:

Written by John Eldredge, a contemporary American author, counselor and lecturer on Christianity.

My dear Lord Jesus, I come to You now to be restored in You – to be renewed in You, to receive my life and Your love and all the grace and mercy I so desperately need from You this day. I honor You as my Sovereign, and I surrender every aspect and every dimension of my spirit, soul and body to You now, my heart, my mind, my will. I cover myself with the blood of Christ, spirit and soul, body and heart. And I ask Your Holy Spirit to restore me in You today, to renew me in You and to lead this time of prayer. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Anthony Robinson, a contemporary writer. This is an excerpt from his devotional book “This is How We Begin.”

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke conclude in quite different ways. In Matthew, the disciples are told, “Go and make disciples.” “Go.” In Luke, they are told to “Stay,” sit tight, wait in Jerusalem, stay put until you are clothed with power from on high. I don’t imagine that the band, The Clash, had the New Testament in mind when they sang, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” but they could have. Generally, I am more of a Matthew type than a Luke type. I prefer to go, to get on with it, to move, to do and to act. But there is a time for waiting. Waiting until the time is right. Waiting until some gift of power and grace, not our own, comes upon us to make it possible for us to do what cannot be done in our own strength alone. “Stay,” said Luke. “Wait.” But it’s not just waiting. It’s waiting for the Spirit, for a power not our own to come upon us, to clothe us. There are things that need doing in this world that are beyond our ability to accomplish solely by our own effort. God’s word, God’s incursion, God’s Spirit are required. “Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”  

PRAYER:

Written by Anthony Robinson, the author of today’s meditation

Veni Sancte Spiritus, come Holy Spirit, come. Teach me to wait and to pray. To wait for you, to call upon you, to be clothed by your power from on high. Amen.