Is pride the most subtle of all sins?
Father, You require that we come to you in humility, not proud of ourselves. Help us Father to be joyful as we seek to serve without having our joy turn to self-serving pride.
Is knowing God too hard for me?
Father, as we seek to be like Jesus, we find we must know more and more of His words, His instruction and His desire for us. We seek His righteousness that our spirit might be revived by His Spirit. You have taught us that hearts need to be changed for renewal to be real. Lead us away from our instinctive, self serving desires, into a concern for s [...]
I have a secret…not really.
We know Father that temptation is delivered to us by Satan and that You permit the test. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit in us that we can over come that which Satan delivers, primarily targeting those who love You. We would estimate that Your joy comes from our victories and Your grief from our failures.
What do you treasure most in life?
We rejoice in Your precepts, laws and instruction and thank You for making our path to redemption very clear. We depend upon You for the strength to follow You. You lead us in paths of righteousness. Your will for our lives is not only made clear but you are the great Enabler, the Counselor, the Comforter.
Perfected but not perfect…what?
Being perfect is our goal and we know that is Your will for us. In the meantime, teach us and guide us, every moment to observe Your Presence. Your thoughts towards us exceed number. Help us to respond by drawing near to You knowing that as we do, You draw nearer to us.
How much of God’s word is hidden in your heart (and does it matter)?
Father, Our hearts rejoice when we know we are doing Your will and being perfectly obedient. On the other hand, when we disobey and turn from Your word and counsel we feel a burden that can only be relieved by confession and repentance. There is no teaching as rich and fruitful as Your word.
God will avenge? I can’t wait that long…
Father, it is so difficult not to seek revenge when we are offended. We instinctively react in an aggressive manner whether we know the offender or not. That Father is not Your way. You have told us not to hold a grudge about new or old offenses and to love others as ourselves. There is no way we can do that unless we are filled with Your Holy Spir [...]
Carved in stone? I thought it was all relative…
Jesus, we sometimes think of the Law as being something that Moses received, as a Jew, for the Jews, carved in stone a long time ago. We see that our entire culture more or less rejects large portions of that Law.
The bliss of peace…the angst of war
As we pursue peace with others we, according to Your word, actually edify and build up the other person. We, in fact, get the opposite of what anger would have yielded. Your way is always the best way.