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Written by Thomas Kelly (1893-1941), an American Quaker educator and author. This is an excerpt from his book “The Eternal Promise.”

We are men of double personalities. We have slumbering demons within us. We all have also a dimly-formed Christ within us. We’ve been too ready to say that the demonic man within us is the natural and real man and that the Christ-man within us is the unnatural and the unreal self. But the case is that our surface potentialities are for selfishness and greed, for tooth and claw. But deep within, in the whispers of the heart, is the surging call of the Eternal Christ, hidden within us all. By an inner isthmus, we are connected with the mainland of the Eternal Love. Surface living has brought on the world’s tragedy. Deeper living leads us to the Eternal Christ, hidden in us all. Absolute loyalty to this inner Christ is the only hope of a new humanity. In the clamor and din of the day, the press of Eternity’s warm love still whispers in each of us, as our deepest selves, as our truest selves. Attend to the Eternal that He may recreate you and sow you deep into the furrows of the world’s suffering.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. [Colossians 3:15]

Written by the Lead Like Jesus Team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

God, thank You that I can come into Your presence. Thank you, Jesus, for opening the way to the Father, and thank You, Holy Spirit, for making my needs known moment-by-moment. Father. Work out Your will in and through me today, I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.   [Romans 8:26-27]

Written by Catherine Marshall (1914-1983), an American author. This is an excerpt from her book “Something More.”

The ‘how” of forgiveness is through knowing how to use our will – the rudder of our life. We are responsible for the set of this rudder; once we have willed a course of action. God will be responsible for our feelings if we will hand them over to Him. Otherwise, nothing we can do would change these feelings. When I put that conclusion alongside David du Plessis’ statement, “Forgiveness means, ‘the other person may be as wrong as wrong can be, but I’ll not be the judge,’” I saw that forgiveness is simply the decision of our wills to release a particular person, followed by verbalizing that to God. As for faith that such a non-emotional release would result in changes in the other person’s life I confess that we began with deficient faith. The process of releasing the ‘aughts’ seemed too simple, too pat. We were about to be shown that when we follow Jesus’ direction, the simplest ways are the most powerful.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  [Luke 6:37]

Written by Anne Graham Lotz, a contemporary evangelist and author. This is an excerpt from her book “Joy of My Heart.”

What is hindering you from being filled with the Holy Spirit? To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be under His moment-by-moment control. He has not been given to you so that you can keep Him confined to a particular area in your life. Let Him loose! He is Lord! The amount of power you experience to live a victorious, triumphant Christian life is directly proportional to the freedom you give the Spirit to be Lord of your life!

For we know, brothers and sistersloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.  [1 Thessalonians 1:4-5].

Written by the Lead Like Jesus Team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

Lord my God, Great I AM, Your love for me is transforming me from the inside out. Transform my heart so that I live and breathe the awareness of Your love today. Let my whole life be about you, I pray in the name of the One who lived only for You, amen.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  [2 Corinthians 3:18]

Written by Michelle Lazurek, a contemporary speaker and author.

Blessings held such high importance in the Old Testament. Fathers often blessed their first born sons in the hopes God brought them prosperity and a long, fruitful life. Blessings were intended to bring peace, protection, and joy to their children. God blessed many people around him… In society, it is rare for people to bless each other. We are known more for what we are against, rather than what we are for. If we are to be like Jesus, we need to be known as people who, when others are in our company, feel like they’re in the presence of Jesus. There are many types of blessings. The most common is that of verbal affirmation. People want to know that they are seen, appreciated, and special… Make people feel special when they’re in your company. Above all, love them. Although blessings are often verbal, a non-verbal blessing can be equally as effective. Identify a person’s love language and speak it well. Do a kind gesture as an act of service. Hug people and let them know you love them. Spend time with them, letting them know they’re special to you. The purpose of a blessing is to let another person know how much they are loved by God and by you.,, Allow every person to feel like they are in the presence of Jesus simply because they are in your presence. By loving others, you will find you are blessed equally in return. 

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26.

Written by J.D. Watt, a contemporary American pastor.

And this is the secret of transformation. As we receive His righteousness by faith, we can by faith release our sinfulness. As we receive His wholeness, we can release our brokenness. This is the miracle of grace. God is not holding back waiting on us to get rid of our sinfulness so He can come in and replace it with His righteousness. He stands at the door and knocks. He comes to give us His righteousness which displaces our sinfulness, empowering us to then release it.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. [Revelation 3:20]

Written by Michael Curry, a contemporary Bishop of the American Episcopal Church.

The late Dr. Martin Luther King once said “We must discover the power of love, the power, the redemptive power of love, and when we discover that we will be able to make of this old world a new world.”  Love is the only way. There’s power in love. Don’t underestimate it. Don’t even over-sentimentalize it. There’s power, power in love. If you don’t believe me, think about a time when you first fell in love. The whole world seemed to center around you and your beloved. Well, there’s power, power in love, not just in its romantic forms, but any form, any shape of love. We were made by a power of love and our lives were meant and are meant to be lived in that love. That’s why we are here. Ultimately the source of love is God himself. The source of all of our lives. There’s an old medieval poem that says, where true love is found, God himself is there. The New Testament says it this way, beloved, let us love one another because love is of God and those who love are born of God and know God, those who do not love do not know God, why? For God is love. There’s power in love. There’s power in love to help and heal when nothing else can. There’s power in love, to lift up and liberate when nothing else will. There’s power in love to show us the way to live.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.   [2 Timothy 1:7]

Written by Lucy Finn Borgo, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from her book “Faith Like a Child.”

Failure is part of learning. We don’t fault a child as they learn to eat; in fact we take pictures instead…But we adults see failure as a final mark of our efforts, rather than as part of the process. Our preoccupation with outcomes can become a compulsion. We can become so debilitated by perfectionism that we alienate ourselves from all risk and even joy. In our walk with God, failure offers us many gifts. Perfection doesn’t prepare; presence does. There is no learning without failure. What we understand about ourselves, God, and even others will always be a mystery. When we experience failure, we come up against that mystery. We are invited to remember that the depths cannot be plumbed or tamed.

There is a sure way for us to know that we belong to the truth. Even though our inner thoughts may condemn us with storms of guilt and constant reminders of our failures, we can know in our hearts that in His presence God Himself is greater than any accusation. He knows all things.      [1 John 3:19-20]

Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary communications director and writer.

I don’t think it’s going too far to call unforgiveness an act of idolatry. Because holding someone in contempt means sitting on God’s throne and saying I know better…Not forgiving others leads to bitterness. Bitterness is a hairball clogging the pipe of God’s life flowing into and through us, a chain that binds us, a distorted lens that blinds us. “We don’t forgive because people deserve it,” songwriter Jason Upton once declared in spontaneous worship, “we forgive so we can see again.” Forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer comes right after asking for daily bread. Maybe they’re linked. Maybe receiving and extending forgiveness is part of our daily sustenance. Bitterness devours; forgiveness feeds … It can be difficult to forgive and to receive forgiveness by ourselves. We need Christ in a sister or brother to hear our hurt and help us release our offender, and to hear our sins and help us release ourselves. A book could be filled with caveats and cautions: forgiveness doesn’t mean the offense is less severe; it doesn’t mean a relationship is always restored; it doesn’t mean being a victim or staying in abusive situations. You know this. Perhaps, like me, you just needed a reminder today of what forgiveness is. It is giving what you’ve been given: the bread of mercy.

Then leave your gift before the altar, go to your brother, repent and forgive one another, be reconciled, and then return to the altar to offer your gift to God. [Matthew 5:24]