Devotion
Cries to God Are Heard
David Jacobs
Times of desperation come from time to time in life. Sometimes it's a school test, or it can be something as grave as waiting to hear the results of a surgery. Whatever it is, it can be overwhelming, and even those of us who struggle in our relationship with God can't help but cry out and call upon His mighty name.
When our hearts are filled with fear or dread or even anxious hope, crying out to God may feel like the only thing we can do, the only option on our plate. We are not alone in this. The Bible is filled with stories of people crying out to God in desperation and hopelessness.
There is one important truth that we must know about these cries, these outpourings of emotion, and that is that the Father hears them. He hears each and every one. God heard Moses' cry of anguish in Exodus 17 (3-7) and he heard His people's cry to deliver them in Judges 3 (9-11), and he hears you whenever you cry out in great need. In fact, He wants His children to cry out and call on His name when great burdens weigh on our hearts, and when we are unsure what to say to God, he sends His Holy Spirit to intercede the message of our hearts.
Prayer
It is important to know that there is a difference between our cries to God and our prayers. In prayer, we bring many things to the Father at once, emptying our hearts before His throne, listening to what He has to say to us. Our time of crying out to God comes when we are so overcome with emotion that we can't help call on him.
Devotion
Culpability
Frances Taylor
This is an interesting passage because, among other things, it talks about sin and who is considered guilty of sin. Paul is talking about how he has been forgiven, how God has been merciful to him because his actions were committed in unbelief. In order for sin to be committed, one needs to know he is committing it. No one can commit sin in retrospect. Sin is always a deliberate act. This can be hard for some to understand. Actions can be considered sinful, even though the person committing them may not be culpable. For example, lying is a sin. However, is the two year old hiding behind the curtains sinning when he or she claims not to have broken the vase? No, because the child has no understanding of the difference between truth and lie. Those who do not have a relationship with God, who do not know the commandments, who have never heard of Jesus, may commit sinful actions, but are not guilty of sin. This is what Paul claims is his situation. Paul ...
Morning Prayer
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth.
Inspiration
When the Lord sent his only Son, he sent also his word. For his body was this very word made flesh. Importantly this was not simply a manifestation of God's word, but also rather an 'animation' of it (meant here in the original Latin as 'animare' –'to instill with life or spirit'), an instance of God's love and divine grace in action, among us.
Prayer
Lord, I am grateful for your mercy in showing us your word made flesh so that we may be redeemed. Further, I am grateful to you for showing us your love and grace through your only begotten son. Let his body not have been torn and broken for no avail, but feed us now in the Eucharist. Let not his blood have...
