Devotion
To Be Born Again
Frances Taylor
Baptism is an interesting sacrament among Christians, the only one that all Christian denominations accept as necessary if one is to be called a Christian. But there are questions about how and at what age, by whom, and under what circumstances should Baptism be administered. There are denominations that practice infant Baptism and those that require a person make a commitment of acceptance of Christ before it can be administered. For some, pouring water over the head is sufficient, for others, sprinkling water over the person, and still others claim that only baptism by immersion is valid. I'm not getting into a debate about this. What I consider more important is the question of how baptism makes a difference in a person's life. If we line up a group of adults containing those who have been baptized and those who have not, and watch them for a week or so, would the baptized stand out from the rest because of the quality of their lives? Would they be kinder, more forgiving, more compassionate, more concerned about the welfare of others? Would the joy of their faith be evident in their families? If there is no difference, then perhaps they have been baptized in water, but have never accepted the Holy Spirit into their lives.
Prayer
Lord, you have given us the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts through this sacrament of Baptism. Let us be open to the working of the Spirit so that others may recognize you in us. Amen.
Night Prayer
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Inspiration
Sin rules our lives until we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. When we invite Him into our lives, our old sinful heart dies, and God creates within us a new one, where sin no longer rules our life; God does! Our thoughts and actions begin to change because we no longer desire a sinful lifestyle. We joyfully devote our lives to serving Him and inviting others to understand His promise of salvation.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we are sinners born again and recreated to live according to Your will. We are grateful for Your love and the peace we experience by abolishing our old sinful self. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Satan Has Been Defeated
Frances Taylor
Salvation and power have come with Christ and Satan has been defeated. Sin and death have been conquered by the actions of one man, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, both human and divine who came into the world to bring the Good News of salvation by living, dying and rising for us. As Christians we claim to believe this but our actions sometimes deny it. Unfortunately, people seem to resurrect Satan all the time. We allow him to lead us away from God, forgetting the way to the Father that is love, and giving in to Satan's path of hatred, anger, pride, lust, chaos and destruction.
Satan, of course, doesn't present these as bad things, he makes them seem attractive. He presents sin as goods to be desired, as things to make us happy or give us pleasure. It can be hard to stay on the path that leads to God when the world seems to be crowding us and pushing us off of it. How easy it is to forget the sacrifice that bought our freedom! Which of us ...
Morning Prayer
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Inspiration
It is right for us to defer to others and to rejoice with others when they have cause to rejoice over some blessing in their life, instead of sorrowing before them over some problem in our life. It is right also to weep with those who weep, showing compassion and feeling for them in their grief instead of "dancing joyfully before those who mourn" as if insensitive to their sorrow.
Prayer
Give me a discerning spirit, Lord, to know when to rejoice and when to weep. Let me show concern for others and their situation and life events instead of just focusing only on my own. Let me show true compassion and genuine joy in the right way and time to others. Amen.
