Index:
O Mary, Bounce on Your Donkey (poem);
Daniel’s Prayer;
Repentance;
Visions from God:
Spiritual Growth and Psalm 119;
Verses and Prayers for Healing
Praise and Prophecy: Mary and Zechariah
Comfort Amid Uncertainty
Verses and Prayers from 1 John
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First, a poem, by way of warming up:
O Mary, Bounce on your Donkey
I didn’t send an angel to make an astonishing announcement.
Didn’t overshadow myself with the Holy Spirit.
Didn’t convince my betrothed I wasn’t unfaithful.
An angel did that, in a dream.
I just bounce along on the donkey.
I didn’t issue an edict that all the world should appear for a census.
Caesar August did that. Quirinius obeyed – governor now.
Didn’t order that we should all go to our hometown to register.
Came to register with Joseph, to our hometown.
My whole job – bounce along on the donkey.
I don’t know where we’re going to stay.
Joseph doesn’t look too happy about our prospects.
There’s not much I can do.
Didn’t make myself Jewish. Or even a young woman.
All I do is manage the labor pains – and bounce on the donkey.
Didn’t issue promises to Abraham, or rescue Isaac or wrestle
an angel with Jacob. Didn’t meet God in the desert like Moses.
The promises made were passed on to me; didn’t hear them for myself.
Took them to heart, I heard and believed. My receiving
but not my doing. What I do is bounce along on the donkey.
Wasn’t there when Isaiah counseled Hezekiah about the Assyrians.
Wasn’t there when the Babylonians took us off to exile. Daniel had
visions about the Son of Man. When we came back from exile, didn’t
rebuild Jerusalem. Alexander conquered the world and spread the Greek
language, Greek ideas across vast miles. I bounce one step at a time.
The Romans came and built roads, crushed enemies. Including us. They
instituted laws, harsh, efficient to impose them. They conquered peoples,
created vassal states, imposed the Pax Romana. At least we can travel
the roads safely. Didn’t do any of that. There was rebellion against Rome
and bloodshed. Wasn’t there. My job is to be pregnant riding on a donkey.
Perhaps when this child is born, I’ll sing a song. Perhaps when this child is born
we will be delivered out of the hands of the Romans. The angel made some
extravagant promises. I haven’t forgotten one. But now my sole duty and
only job, the one thing to do for this kicking son, for Joseph – for us and
for the Jews – for the whole world, is to bounce carefully on this donkey.
Someday your kicking son, now grown, a wedding guest, is going to say to you,
“Woman, why do you bother me? My time is not yet come.” Overheard.
And because you knew him well, you will give a surprising answer.
“Do whatever he tells you.” Whatever the servants thought, they did as they were told.
You did not debate your son. You understood, you knew the power he held.
Jesus had two more terse statements to make – one to you, and one to John.
“Woman, here is your son.” That will be on a day when a sword is piercing
your own heart as well. The depth of that piercing would fill many poems.
“Here is your mother.” In agony on the cross, Jesus spoke to his beloved disciple,
making one last disposition of love – ending a most memorable ride
on a donkey. One for you, and one for him. Yes, welcome into our home.
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Daniel’s Prayer
(prepared as a 10-minute Bible Study for PrayerWorks at Christ Community Church. If done in a group setting, suggest that people take turns reading the italicized portions.)
The prophet Daniel was deeply concerned about the Jewish people exiled in Babylon and so he prayed. Beginning in the middle of Daniel’s prayer, after he recited some history in his prayer in Dan. 9:15-19.:
Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.
An angel, Gabriel, comes to give an explanation to Daniel, while he was speaking, praying, confessing, and making his requests. Gabriel’s explanation starts by saying,
Seventy sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression,
to put an end to sin,
to atone for wickedness,
to bring in everlasting righteousness,
to seal up vision and prophecy and
to anoint the most holy.
Gabriel’s explanation has been the subject of much discussion and at times, differing interpretations. Daniel had questions.
I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked,
My lord, what will the outcome of all this be? Dan. 12:8.
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The prophet Habakkuk starts his book with some difficult questions.
How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ But you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Habakkuk waited patiently for his answer. Then he received an answer he did not expect, but understood well.
The Lord answered: “I am raising up the Babylonians, that bitter and hasty people, who sweep across the whole earth . . . guilty men, whose own strength is their god.” Hab: 1:6, 9.
Habakkuk knew what that meant for Israel.
I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound;
Decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
Hab. 3:16
Habakkuk received a further, unexpected answer to his questions:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.
Hab. 3:17-19
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In his letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul had something to say about spiritual Judaism:
“To be a Jew is not just to look like a Jew, and circumcision is more than a physical operation. The real Jew is the one who is inwardly a Jew, and the real circumcision is in the heart – something not of the letter but of the Spirit. A Jew like that may not be praised by man, but he will be praised by God.” Rom. 2:28-29.
Paul also wrote about topics that involved having answers to our many questions to God. Rom. 11:32-33:
For God has imprisoned all men in disobedience,
so he could have mercy on them all.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!
For who can know the mind of the Lord?
Who has been his counselor?”
Three men were concerned about God’s will and had questions for God. Daniel didn’t fully understand his answer, even after an angel appeared to explain. Habakkuk understood the answer he received, but it wasn’t what he wanted or expected to hear. In fact it was all too clear – it was deeply disturbing. The Apostle Paul praised God for a divine wisdom and knowledge beyond anyone’s understanding and beyond any particular answers. Yet all of them – one who didn’t understand, one who did, and one who jumped past human understanding – were circumcised in the heart by the Spirit, Jews perhaps not to be praised by men, but to be praised by God.
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We worship and know Jesus, the One who holds, guides and directs the outcome of all our questions.
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. . . .
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
Rev. 6:1, 8:1.
Our prayers may have different answers – at least at times and for some time – but they go to the same God.
Rev. 19:11, 16.
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. . . .
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
We pray whether we have our immediate, sought-after answers or not – whether or not we like, or understand, the answers which do come. We are to be circumcised in our hearts by the Spirit and become inwardly as Jews, with the true, interior circumcision of faith, and trust in God. Then we have feet like a deer, for the heights.
Then we can be praised by God. And we have our answer to all questions because our Lord Jesus opens the 7th seal. He absolutely has, holds and directs the future – which is sure, because it is done.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. . . . It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
Amen, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev. 21:1, 6
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Repentance
David. Repentance restores our relationship with God. David’s relationship with God was broken after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. David’s prayer of repentance is a model we can all follow. He does not defend or excuse his conduct – he doesn’t wallow in guilt either. He looks to God, who can act in connection with his conduct, his conscience, his soul and his spirit.
Have mercy on me, O God,
According to your unfailing love;
According to your great compassion
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
Do not cast me from your presence
Or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
And grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
Whole burnt offerings to delight you;
Then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 51: 1-2, 11-12, 18-19. What is interesting is that an intensely personal prayer of David’s will end with a prayer to God about a city, about Jerusalem of the future, where there will righteous sacrifices, a symbol of our right relationship with God.
Jonah. The word of the Lord came to Jonah, and commanded him to go preach in Ninevah. But Jonah ran away from the Lord and found a ship for a distant place. A violent storm arose, so violently that the ship’s captain despaired, after throwing all the cargo overboard to try and save the ship. So he rebuked Jonah:
How can you sleep?
Get up and call on your god!
Maybe he will take notice of us,
And we will not perish.
The sailors knew that some curse had come upon them, and determined to cast lots to find out why.
“Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” This terrified them.
“What have you done?” they asked him. What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
Jonah acknowledged his sin, the beginning of his repentance. Actions have consequences.
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm.
I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
From inside the belly of the whale, Jonah’s prayer of repentance was heard.
“In my distress I called to the LORD,
And he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
And you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the deep,
Into the very heart of the seas,
and all the currents swirled about me;
All your waves and breakers have swept over me.
Jonah went to the great city of Ninevah and preached the message God gave him. The Ninevites believed Jonah and believed his message from God. They declared a fast and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Jonah was angry the city wasn’t destroyed. God had sent him a vine to protect him from the sun; then took the vine away. Jonah was angry about the vine. In fact, Jonah declared he was angry enough to die.
“But the Lord said, ‘You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”
Jonah 4:10-11. The message of God is never arrested because the compassion of God is never limited.
Nahum. What started with Jonah and his intensely personal flight from the word of the Lord, ended with a great city. Finally though, Nineveh fell away from repentance and the worship of the Lord. Nahum would deliver a final prophecy over Ninevah, completing the warning of the Lord.
Woe to the city of blood,
Full of lies,
Full of plunder,
Never without victims!
Nothing can heal your wound;
Your injury is fatal.
Everyone who hears the news about you
claps his hands at your fall,
for who has not felt,
your endless cruelty?
Nahum 3:1, 3:19.
The Seven Churches of Asia. In the New Testament, the Seven Churches in the province of Asia are called to repentance: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. They are real churches which existed then, but John’s message intends us to hear because they are also a symbol for all our churches, which exist now.
The seven Churches are commended for their strengths, encouraged in their trials, but also called to repentance for their shortcomings:
Ephesus: You have forsaken your first love.
Smyrna: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
Pergamum: Do not eat food sanctified to idols; do not commit sexual immorality.
Thyatira: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who misleads my servants.
Sardis: Strengthen what is about to die.
Philadelphia: I know you have a little strength.
Laodicea: You are lukewarm. I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Between Chapter 4 of Revelation and Chapter 20, there are a great many difficult conflicts, persecutions, tribulations which the Churches endure. At no point is a specific reference made to describe any of the churches repenting of their specific weaknesses. Yet they must persevere. And in their perseverance, they must overcome. Gog and Magog appear for the last battle of Armageddon:
The Camp of God’s People. They [Gog and Magog] marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. Rev. 20:9. Disconnected churches, each with its own problems, had become one camp, one city that God loves. How or when they repented isn’t stated. What we know is that they persevered.
As in David’s prayer of repentance, as for Jonah, what begins individually, or locally, ends with us joined together, the camp of God’s people.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. Rev: 21:2, 22-26.
Repentance, confession, thanksgiving, praise, are the bulls we sacrifice, the splendor we bring, coming into the great City of God.
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Visions from God
Our church (and our prayer group), as yours, might want to seek a new vision from God to carry out her ministries. The following visions from God are presented powerfully in the scriptures and can be a source of inspiration as we pray. There are other visions of, or from, God in the Bible; these seven were selected (three from the Old Testament, two from the Gospels, two from the New Testament) as exemplars. After reading the initial written prayer, prayers are open, as the Spirit leads. In our prayer group, we began with a song about the glory of God and ended with a song echoing Isaiah’s statement: ‘Here am I!’
Isaiah’s vision. Isaiah was in the temple when he saw his astonishing vision:
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
The whole earth is full of his glory.
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. . . .
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:1-3, 8
Prayer. We should pray that we will be as willing as Isaiah, and cry out to the Lord, ‘Here am I. Send me!’
Ezekiel’s vision. Ezekiel was among the exiles to Babylon, by the Kebar River, when the heavens were opened for him. Ezekiel saw deep and brilliant visions of God and the Glory of Israel, overwhelming in their power. His book captures the presentation of how God and his angels may be ‘other’ than we are. We will not see anything like it again until John’s visions recorded in Revelation. Ezekiel’s visions are particularly powerful, almost disturbing, certainly enough to cause us to feel a sense of godly fear. I have spread out the verses on this web page, as if they were poetry, to try to capture the immensity of Ezekiel’s vision and its impact. If we think we have God figured out, Ezekiel reminds us we have not.
I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north – an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light.
The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked four living creatures.
In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.
Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another. . . .
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. . . .
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn aside as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. . . .
Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice and awesome. . . .
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty.
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown.
Ezekiel 1:4-18, 22-28.
Prayer. Let us pray that we are filled with fire, that we follow the leading of the Spirit, without turning, following the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Daniel’s vision. Daniel had visions at night in Babylon which left him puzzled. But he continued to look, to seek God. Then he had this vision, which is well-known, one which was consciously in Jesus’ mind, who frequently referred to himself as the Son of Man.
Thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated, and the books were opened. . . .
There before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14.
Prayer: Let us pray that we worship God the Father, the Ancient of Days, God the Son, who was (and is) also the Son of Man, one of us, who comes on the clouds of heaven. Let us pray to be part of his everlasting dominion that does not pass away, and part of his kingdom, one that is never destroyed. Let us pray that our worship will set an example and be a model for others.
The vision of Jesus Transfigured. As part of his ministry, Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. Peter still doesn’t quite get the point in suggesting that Jesus is so important that he is the equal of Moses and Elijah, but his intentions are good, and Peter’s respect, reverence and piety are endearing.
Jesus’ face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased. Listen to him!
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up.” He said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
Matthew 17:2-8.
Prayer. Lord, we pray we might see you as you are. It is good to be in your presence, here in prayer. There is something so awesome in your divinity, when revealed, it causes us to fall to the ground, terrified. Come to us, Lord Jesus – touch us. Soothe our fears with your gentle instruction. When we look rightly, you are all we need.
The vision of the Ascension of Jesus. After Jesus suffering and resurrection, he showed himself to his disciples over a period of forty days. Jesus gave some final instructions to the disciples when they asked. The disciples were still thinking about Israel. Jesus’ answer moved their thinking into another plane.
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After he said this, he was taken up before the very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going. Suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee, “” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:3-11.
Prayer. Lord, we pray not to know times or dates, but to be your witnesses, from Jerusalem wherever that may be for us, close to home, to the far ends of the earth. You have given us convincing proofs of your life, and it is our life now, too. In your Spirit, we will prophesy, we will see visions, we will dream dreams, all of us who are your servants.
Paul. A man named Saul, a fierce enemy and persecutor of the Lord’s disciples, was on his way to Damascus with letters authorizing him to take Christians as prisoners to Jerusalem. On his way, near Damascus, he was confronted, overwhelmed, by a vision:
Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul – why do you persecute me?” “Who are you Lord?’ Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city. You will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.
Acts 9:2-8.
Later on, now taking the new name of Paul, to reflect his new identify as a disciple of Christ, Paul had another vision and revelation. This is a reminder that the fiercest enemies of the Gospel, the Church and the Word of God may be converted and become the most devoted of apostles, friends and advocates.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up into the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows. And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – was caught up to Paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.
2 Corinthians 12:1-4.
Prayer. Lord, grant us your light from heaven. We may have been blind once, but now by your grace we can see. Give us the command to ‘get up.’ Send us where you would. Tell us what we should do. When we do your will, Lord, we will be caught up into the third heaven. In your presence, we will be caught up into Paradise. Teach us inexpressible things, Lord, in accordance with your will.
John’s series of visions and revelations. The disciple John, a brother and companion in the suffering and the kingdom, now an old man imprisoned on the island Patmos, had a revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.
On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. . . .
I turned around to see about the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I was dead, and behold I am alive – for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hell.
Revelation 1:10-18.
The Apostle John had other visions, many visions.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. . .
Then the angel showed me the River of the water of life, as clear as a crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the Tree of Life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Prayer. Lord, your eyes blaze like fire. You hold stars in your hand and your words are the sharp words of Holy Scripture. Your face shines like the sun, brilliant. Grant us your grace, Lord, and we will show others the River of Life, the twelve crops of fruit of the Holy Spirit. The leaves which are for healing of the nations. Help us, Lord, to receive your visions and to do your will.
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Spiritual Growth and Psalm 119
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm and its topic is keeping the Law of God. But this psalm is about spiritual law, and spiritual law is different than natural law or laws which come from the government. When we pray, we are not in a courtroom – the idea is more like steps of a ladder. As we grow spiritually, we stand on one step and our growth allows us to ascend to the next step. There is no negativity in spiritual law – it helps us to grow and become free. So we ought to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1).
Psalm 119, in which each section begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, gives us steps in prayer for us to grow our interior spiritual lives. We take step by step in our prayer lives, so we learn our ‘spiritual abc’s’. For we “watch and pray” (Mat. 26:41). Our Lord Jesus “continued all night in prayer.” (Luke 6:12). “He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.” (Mat. 14:23). “He withdrew in the wilderness and prayed.” (Luke 6:12). This is a ‘round-robin’ for spiritual growth.
Aleph א
Psalm 119:1: Blessed are those whose ways are blameless
Who walk according to the Law of the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, we pray you might guide us into blameless ways. Guide our lives and our prayers so that we may walk according to your Law.
Beth ב
Psalm 119:10 I seek you with all my heart;
Do not let me stray from your commands.
Prayer: Lord, we pray that we would seek you with our whole heart. We pray that we would not stray from your commands.
Gimel ג
Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things in your law.
Prayer: Lord, we pray that you would open our eyes, that we may see. We pray that you would show us wonderful things in your Law.
Daleth ד
Psalm 119:32 I run in the path of your commands,
For you have broadened my understanding.
Prayer: Lord, we pray that we would run in the path of your commands. We pray that you will broaden our understanding.
He ה
Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
Preserve my life according to your word.
Prayer: Lord, we pray that you would turn our eyes away from worthless things. We pray that you would preserve our lives, according to your Word.
Waw ו
Psalm 119:45 I will walk about in freedom,
For I have sought out your instruction.
Prayer: Lord, we pray that we may seek out your instruction, so that we may walk about in freedom.
Zayin ז
Psalm 119:55 In the night, Lord, I remember your name,
That I may keep your law.
Prayer: Lord, in the night we remember your name. We remember, so that we may keep your law.
Heth ח
Psalm 119:58 I have sought your face with all my heart:
Be gracious to me according to your promise.
Prayer: Lord, we seek your face with all our hearts. Be gracious to us, according to your promise.
Teth ט
Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted
So that I might learn your decrees.
Prayer: Lord, it was good for us to be afflicted, even if it was difficult, so that we might learn your decrees.
Yodh י
Psalm 119:73 Your hands made me and formed me;
Give me understanding to learn your commands.
Prayer: Lord, your hands made us and formed us. Give us understanding to learn your commands.
Kaph כ
Psalm 119:83 Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do not forget your decrees.
Prayer: Lord, truly, we are like wineskins in the smoke. Even so, Lord, we do not forget your decrees.
Lamedh ל
Psalm 119:89 Your Word, Lord, is eternal;
It stands firm in the heavens.
Prayer: Lord, we know your Word is eternal. Your Word, Lord, stands firm in the heavens.
Mem מ
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Prayer: Lord, your words are so sweet to our taste! Your words, Lord, are sweeter than honey to our mouths!
Nun נ
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
A light on my path.
Prayer: Lord, your Word is a lamp for our feet. Your Word, Lord, is a light for our path.
Samech ס
Psalm 119:116 Sustain me, my God according to your promise, and I will live;
Do not let my hopes be dashed.
Prayer: Lord, sustain us, O Lord our God, according to your great promises, and we will live. Do not let our hopes be dashed!
Ayin ע
Psalm 119:124 Deal with your servant according to your love,
And teach me your decrees.
Prayer: Lord, we are your servants. Please deal with us according to your great love and teach us your decrees.
Pe פ
Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
Prayer: Lord, the unfolding of your words gives us light. Your words, Lord, give understanding to the simple.
Tsadhe צ
Psalm 119:140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
And your servant loves them.
Prayer: Lord, your promises to us have been thoroughly tested. Lord, we are your servants, and we love them.
Qoph ק
Psalm 119:147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
Prayer: Lord, we rise before dawn and cry out for your help. We have put our hopes in your Word.
Resh ר
Psalm 119:156 Your compassion, Lord, is great;
Preserve my life according to your laws.
Prayer: Lord, your compassion is very great. Preserve our lives, according to your laws.
Shin ש
Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love your law,
And nothing can make them stumble.
Prayer: Lord, send us that great peace which comes to those who love your law. Lord, in your peace, nothing will make us stumble.
Taw ת
Psalm 119:176 I have strayed like a lost sheep
Seek your servant,
For I have not forgotten your commands.
Prayer: Lord, we have all strayed like lost sheep. O Lord, come find us. We are your servants. O Lord, come find us, for we have not forgotten your commands.
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Verses and Prayers for Healing
Not long ago, Maria began a prayer which began “Lord, prayer is easy. You want us to pray.” This touched me because it confirmed something I was reading in a short book called Guidelines for Prayer, written by an Orthodox Christian, Father Matthew the Poor, head of a Coptic monastery in Egypt. He wrote:
True prayer, which gives you access to God and allows you to be in His company, is not a purely human act. For, more than anything else, it is a divine call to which you are merely responding. God is always ready to accept you back. He incessantly calls you: “I have stretched out My hands all day long.” (Isa. 65:2); “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28); “The one who comes to me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37). This is because God finds pleasure in your company, continuously – if ever possible!
We often pray for healing, for others and for ourselves. Our prayers should be easy to pray, offered humbly, boldly asking yet also accepting God’s will. So here are some Bible passages and verses for healing with some short following prayers for us to read, round-robin style:
(1) – –
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: ‘Go at one to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food. . . . So there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her family. . . Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. . . . ‘Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the Lord . . . The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. . . . Elijah picked him up and gave him to his mother and said, ‘Look your son is alive!’” 1 Kings 17:9-22.
Lord, we pray for life and healing for those in families which are close to us, where there are people who have provided for us and helped us out of the goodness of their hearts. We cry out to you, Lord, to touch and heal their loved ones now.
(2) – –
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the King of Aram . . . He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy . . . When Elisha heard . . . [he said] Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’ But Naaman went away angry . . . Naaman’s servants went to him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great things, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tell you, ‘Wash and be cleansed!’ So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” 2 Kings 5:1-14.
Lord, we pray for healing for those who come to us, from wherever they come, and as they do so, we pray they may be cleansed – as we are cleansed by the blood of Christ, and so also, according to your will, we pray they will be miraculously cleansed like Naaman.
(3) – –
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the man was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Matt. 8:1-4.
Lord, we pray for healing, rejoicing that you have told us that you are willing. We will be clean, Lord, when you make us clean, and cured, because you have cured us. We pray for your miraculous power, your healing hand and touch. We don’t understand why you told the man not to tell anyone, yet if that is your command, Lord, we will obey. But we will offer our gifts, as a testimony to your power and grace.
(4) – –
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.” The centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” . . . Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go!” It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. Matt. 8:5-9, 13.
Lord, we intercede in prayer for those we are close to, who may be suffering. We lift up in prayer these others, for whom we care so much, for your healing word of authority. Like the centurion, we are not worthy for you to come under our roof. But if you just say the word, Lord, those we care for will be healed. We are all under your authority, Lord. We seek for others your healing power.
(5) – –
When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He toucher her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. . . . He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases. Matt. 8:14-16.
Lord, our families are in need of your healing touch. And we pray, Lord, that as the fever leaves our family members because of your touch on their hand, they too will arise to wait on you. We all are ready, Lord, to rise up and wait on you.
(6) – –
Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up. Take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowed saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” Matt. 9:1-8.
Lord, in prayer we bring those in need to you. We know that dealing with sin is uppermost in your mind and you start there, by forgiving sins. We pray, Lord, because you have made prayer easy and you invite us to pray. We are filled with awe at your grace and power, Lord. Healing is impossible for us, but easy for you. You have an authority, Lord, that no one else duplicates. We bring the sick, the wounded, the paralyzed, the suffering to you, for your forgiving, healing Words of life.
(7) – –
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. Matt. 9:20-22.
Lord, we lift up those who have been suffering for long years. We lift up those in prayer who have illnesses that are deeply personal. We lift up those in prayer who have been subject to bleeding, physical bleeding or emotional bleeding. Our prayers are like the secret thoughts of this woman, Lord – we are so desperate, yet so hopeful. We are vulnerable. If only we touch your cloak, Lord, we will be healed. We take heart, Lord, from your words. We pray for the gift of faith, for ourselves and for others, so that all may be healed.
(8) – –
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When Jesus had gone indoors, the blind men came to him. He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” And their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.” Matt. 9:27-31.
Lord, we are all blind men, following you and calling out your name, in need of mercy. We pray for your healing power, believing that you have this power. We pray fervently that you will touch our eyes and allow us to see. We rejoice in the faith you give that we may receive your healing and the power of seeing which you have always intended for us. Restore us to health, Lord, we pray – for others, and for ourselves. We are still baffled, Lord, as to why you sometimes give a command for secrecy and at other times, a command to witness and declare your name and your grace. But we simply come in prayer, Lord, for your touch and your Word. Our duty, Lord, is not to solve riddles, but to obey your Word.
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Praise and Prophecy: Mary and Zechariah
The birth of Jesus gave rise to two famous declarations of praise. One from Mary, mother of Jesus, known as the Magnificat, and one from Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, when Zechariah regained his powers of speech. So in this study the declarations of Mary and Zechariah are divided into sections of a few verses, and then after each, there is a prayer for us in italics, so that we can join in their praise and in their wonder and joy. The declarations of each are found in the Gospel of Luke: Luke 1:46-55 (Mary); Luke 1:67-79 (Zechariah).
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
Prayer: Lord, help us to glorify you. Our spirits rejoice in you, our Savior. Our souls rejoice in you, O Lord. You have been mindful of our humble state – we are your servants. In your care, in your service, we are blessed. From generation to generation, we serve you in awe and wonder.
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For the Mighty One has done great things for me –
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
Prayer: You have done great things for us, Lord. You are holy and your name is holy. Your mercy has extended to us. We worship you, Lord; we have a godly fear of you. We will teach our children, we will teach the next generation, to fear and worship you. Your mercy extends to all who respect you.
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He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
Prayer: Lord, you have performed mighty deeds for us with your arm. We have seen it with our own eyes – you have scattered those who are proud in their thoughts. We have seen, Lord, that you have brought down those in high places – rulers and leaders from their thrones, even thrones they held for many years. We praise you Lord, for you have lifted up the humble. You have opened the prisons and freed the prisoners. Even those who do not know you, still, they do your will.
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He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Prayer: Lord, you feed the hungry with good things. You have fed us, Lord, when we hungered spiritually, and filled us with good things. You feed all who come to you. But you send the rich, those who claim not to know or need you – you send them away empty. Lord, you continue to help your servant Israel; you never forget your promises. Remember mercy, Lord – mercy for us, mercy for Israel, mercy for all who call on your name. Lord, remember your promises to Abraham, who trusted in you, and to all Abraham’s descendants, we, who live by faith.
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John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn[of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
Prayer: We praise you Lord, the God of Israel, because you have come to redeem us and make us your people. You have raised up Jesus, our horn of salvation, of the house and line of David. Because of Jesus, we are redeemed – we have been grafted in, we are your people. Your horn is a symbol of strength, upon which we rely.
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(As he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
Prayer: Lord, you have fulfilled your prophecies, issued long ago, by sending Jesus to be born in a stable, born in Bethlehem, born to be our Savior. You have anointed and sent us Jesus to save us from our enemies and all those who hate us. Lord, you have sent to us your only-begotten Son, Jesus, born into this, our world, a baby, before the beginning and always, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of Love.
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To show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
Prayer: Lord, you have shown mercy to us and our ancestors, those who brought us into this world and taught us. You have remembered your holy covenant, the promises you made to Abraham. We enter into your covenant. We have come into your promises by faith. We rejoice at the birth of Jesus; we wonder like the humble shepherds; we sing your praises, Lord, like the angels.
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To rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Prayer: Lord, you have rescued us from our chief enemies, sin and death. You have rescued us from failure and grief. You have delivered us from loneliness. Lord, you have enabled us to serve you without fear. Lord, you have made a way through Christ’s blood for us to be cleansed, to serve you in holiness and righteousness all our days.
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And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
Prayer: Lord, you have made us all prophets of the Most High, the anointed, the Christ child. You sent John the Baptist to prepare a way and now call on us to prepare a way for your return. You have made us to be like John the Baptist, preparing your way, announcing your kingdom. Lord, you have given us knowledge of our salvation, through the forgiveness of our sins.
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Because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Prayer: Lord, you have shown us tender mercies. You have sent Jesus, the rising sun, coming from heaven. Your grace now shines on us. We once lived in darkness. We once lived in the shadow of death. Lord, we praise you. You guide our feet into the paths of peace. Lord, we praise you greatly, with great joy. You have brought us into the light of life – the Life of your Son, Jesus Christ.
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Comfort Amid Uncertainty. To be read in turns.
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Prayer: Lord, we lift up our eyes to you. You are the source of our help. You have made everything, including us and all that we have. Our lives are in your hands. You love us, Lord, and we trust in you, as we lift up our prayers.
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3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
Prayer: Lord, you watch over us for our safety. You never fall asleep on your job. You watch over us, our families, our friends and community, our church and our nation, and all nations. As you watched over Israel you did not slumber or sleep over them. You do not slumber or sleep as you watch over us.
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5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
Prayer: Lord, you are the shade which cools us, the protection we need and seek. When we need it, Lord, you are the warmth which comforts us. Whether it is day or night, summer or winter, whether we are in the desert or the mountains, you care for us and watch over us for our protection.
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8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Prayer: Lord, we lift up our prayers for those we love, those we miss, those we want to be saved. You watch over us and you watch over all. You watch over us as we come and go, now and forevermore. Even amidst uncertainty, protection and safety are with you, Lord.
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2nd Corinthians ch. 4:
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
Prayer: Almighty God, our Father, you made the light shine out of darkness. You made your light to shine in our hearts. We rejoice and praise you, Almighty God in Heaven, that you have given us the knowledge of your Glory displayed in the loving face of Christ.
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But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Prayer: We confess, Lord, that we have your treasure, your light, in jars of clay, our physical bodies, jars of clay. We have limitations, we have shortcomings. But you have vested in us through Christ Jesus your all-surpassing power. For this, we praise and thank you, our Father in Heaven. We thank you for the promises made in Christ.
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8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Prayer: Indeed, Lord, we feel ourselves to be pressed, hard pressed on every side. We are confronted with uncertainty. But you have given us your light – we are not crushed. We may be perplexed about where to go, or what to do next. But we are not in despair -because we belong to you. We may be persecuted, but Lord, you never abandon us. Events may seem to strike at us, but you have given us life. Because of you Lord, we are never destroyed. We never give up hope.
Isaiah, ch. 59
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Prayer: Lord, we praise and thank you. You have made your Glory to rise upon us. Darkness may surround many peoples, but you have given us a share of your light and your glory. You have give us Christ, raised on the Cross, raised from death, ascended to Heaven, who rises upon us – and his glory appears over us.
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3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant,
your heart will throb and swell with joy.
Prayer: We rejoice, Lord, with great joy! We rejoice that all will be drawn to your light. We lift up our eyes, we look about with the eyes of faith and see that our children, our sons and are daughters, are coming to us. We are radiant with joy, Lord, our hearts throb and swell with joy, as we trust you to answer our prayers, calm our fears, comfort our anxieties, meet our needs and bless us with your everlasting love and grace.
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Verses and Prayers from 1 John
1 John 2:12, 14
I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
Prayer: Lord, you have made us your children and forgiven our sins. Father in Heaven, we know you, and you have made us strong. You have sent us the Word of God to live in us. We have interactions with the world that involve conflict. We pray you will give us the strength and the patience to overcome evil.
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1 John 2:20, 24-25
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.[
As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
Prayer: Holy Lord, you have given us an anointing and taught us the truth. Your truth is within us, your Living Word. Through your Word we have eternal life. We pray that others, such as our children, will come to receive your anointing. We pray they will know the truth and receive your promise, eternal life. Where reconciliation is needed, turn hearts toward peace. We pray for that reconciliation also, between parents and children, between spouses, between friends and neighbors.
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1 John 3:1, 2
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Prayer: Lord, we are your children. We do not know yet what we will be, but we know we will be like you. Yet now we are still part of this world, in jars of clay. We pray today for your healing. We pray for physical healing for those we love, those we know and those we intercede for in prayer. We pray for each of us in this group who have health concerns, and for our families. For all who need prayer for physical healing, we ask and pray for your healing hand and healing touch.
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1 John 3:18-20
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Prayer: Lord, teach us to love with actions and in truth. Teach us how to set our hearts at rest. We know, Father, that your grace is greater than our fears. We know, God, that your love is even greater than our hearts, and you know everything. We pray for a revival of our church and all churches. We pray for an awakening in our communities and all the communities in our nation. We pray that this revival, and this awakening, may be more than words or speeches, but will be powerful – powerful in action, powerful in truth, powerful in witness. We pray for this awakening in all the nations, for this revival everywhere.
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1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Prayer: Lord, you have converted and called us. In you, we are born again. Father, through Christ, you have made us overcomers. We pray now for the ministry of our church, Christ Community, and all the different ministries of our church. We pray for all of your churches, Lord, where your Word is preached and presented. We pray for our senior leadership, our pastors and staff, and all the ministries of this church and all the many volunteers. We pray for all the outreaches of our Church to those in need, to those who are hurting or vulnerable, that you would enable them to overcome the world by your Word, and to find your comfort and grace.
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1 John 4:7-9
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
Prayer: Lord, the world will know that we are your disciples as we love one another. We pray that we might show love especially to the youth who are ministered to in this church, to each class and age group, from infants to young adults. We especially pray for your love to be shown to middle and high schoolers, subject to so many distractions, misinformation and temptations. Help us to live through our Lord, Christ Jesus, so that we may be examples to our youth to live their lives also through Christ Jesus.
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1 John 4:10-12
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Prayer: Lord, we confess our sins – we need to be atoned for. We confess our weaknesses, our limitations. We confess we need your grace, your mercy, your forgiveness. We know that no one can ever see God in all God’s fullness; that is beyond our human eyeballs. Help us, Lord, to love one another. Then your love will be made complete in us.
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1 John 4:16-19
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
Prayer: Lord, you are love. When we live in you, we live in love. In your love, we have confidence on the day of judgment. We become like Jesus. There is no fear in your love, Lord. Through grace, there is no fear of punishment. Your perfect love drives out fear. We worship you, Lord, Almighty God and Father in Heaven. You are the one True God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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