Devotion
Living Letters of Faith
Frances Taylor
Paul is calling these Corinthians "living epistles" or living letters filled with the Spirit of God. How does Christianity spread? In the early days of the church, Paul, Peter and the other apostles went from village to village from Jerusalem to Rome, to Greece and Asia Minor, to Ethiopia and beyond. They told the story of Jesus and the Good News of salvation. If it had ended there, we would not be Christians today. The witness of those converted to Christianity interested others enough to want to know more about this new faith. And so it continues today. Research has discovered that more people are drawn to a faith by the witness of the lives of people than by doctrine. Think about how you go about making friends. What draws you to a person? It can't be what you know about him or her because you just met. It is their smile, the way they welcome you? Whatever it is, you want to know more about them. It's the same with Jesus. Until we meet him, we aren't interested in learning about him. The best way to meet him is in the lives of those who follow him. Living epistles!
Prayer
Lord, let me be a living letter of faith to others. Help me to bring others to know you by the testimony of my life 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.
