Devotion
A Church at Peace
Frances Taylor
Peace is such a nice place to be. Interesting that the church was at peace and that more people were coming into the church during this time when this area of the world was in turmoil. Judea and Samaria were still under Roman rule, Christians were still being persecuted but the church was at peace. Makes you wonder what being at peace really means. When my children were young, I longed for peace! With 5 of them all around the same age, there were battles over who was wearing whose clothes, who was hogging the bathroom, who had taken the last piece of whatever! When I think back on this time, however, I know there was at the same time as the chaos a certain amount of peace. There was chaos but love. Just when you thought one of them would kill the other, there was a spirit of generosity that seemed to come out of nowhere. Peace lived in our hearts even if the world was spinning around us. I believe this is the peace of the early church. They had "died in Christ" so they were at peace in their hearts even though there was the threat of persecution. Today there are parts of the world where Christians cannot live in peace, where there is the very real threat of death for those who are known to be Christians. For those of us who are able to live in peace, I believe we have an obligation to pray for those in danger. May our prayer for peace continue until all Christians have peace.
Prayer
Loving God, may we never take peace for granted. Let us pray for those who live in danger and we ask that they may have peace in their hearts knowing that you are with them. Amen.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
