The tongue, a dangerous weapon?

We see, Father, that a fig tree does not bear olives. Are there times, Father, that we claim to be Your children and then openly sin against You and others? Father, we pray for fidelity, for consistency in our daily walk. Help us never be hypocritical, bringing shame to ourselves, when we deeply want to be as You, Jesus.

5 really important sentences…

Father, in 5 sentences, Paul teaches us the basics in the exercise of our faith. We are equipped by You to rejoice always, in good times and in bad times. It is Your Holy presence with us and in us that enables us to raise our eyes and hearts to You when everything around us seems to be a severe weight upon our shoulders.

Which is harder? Obeying God or loving your neighbor?

Father, You are love and we who say we love You must love others as well. It is not easy Father to love the person who would and does do us harm, yet, that is the command. We know that when we, in Your stregth, extend compassion or concern to someone that clearly does not “deserve” it, that it confounds them. We pray that circumstance leads to sorrow and that their disgust with their own actions, leads to repentance.

We are heirs of salvation…we are family!

Father, it is sometimes difficult to admit it, but we were all once strangers and foreigners to You. That was our condition before we learned of Your grace to us and of salvation from Jesus. But now we are citizens of heaven with all of the other saints, we are members of Your household. We are family!

Prophecy promised; prophecy fulfilled

While it was a mission of total victory for every man and woman, it was at the same time an act of passion and suffering. Jesus submitted to Your will, to go to the cross that enabling us to enter into Your presence, cleansed by the sacrificial body and blood of Jesus.