Tag: Celtic Daily Prayer

Morning Prayer: 06 October – Galatians 1:15-16 ~ the nature of my service

30 Days with Oswald Chambers: “My Utmost for His Highest”

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.

Listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into His peace.
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Galatians 1:15-16 NLT

Serve-Him

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.
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“My Utmost for His Highest” – 30 Day Reading Plan

Day 3: The Nature of My Service –

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul — “When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles . . . .”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.
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Prayer: Lord, Your Word comes so quietly and all-pervadingly…. Take me as Your servant, Lord, I offer You my love and devotion. Open my mind, my heart, and my spirit to the opportunities You give me to serve You in my everyday life… and give me the strength to follow through. I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“When It’s All Been Said and Done” – Robin Mark


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Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 05 October – Isaiah 6:8 ~ the nature of God’s call

30 Days with Oswald Chambers: “My Utmost for His Highest”

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.

Listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into His peace.
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Isaiah 6:8 NLT

send me tattoo

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
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“My Utmost for His Highest” – 30 Day Reading Plan

Day 2: The Nature of God’s Call –

When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls…. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. It is the threading of God’s voice directly to us over a certain concern, and it is useless to seek another person’s opinion of it. Our dealings over the call of God should be kept exclusively between ourselves and Him.

The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God. But when God brings me into the right relationship with Himself, I will be in the same condition Isaiah was. Isaiah was so attuned to God, because of the great crisis he had just endured, that the call of God penetrated his soul. The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.
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Prayer: “Let me hear Your voice” — that is my prayer. I am willing beyond all my expression to hear You, to perceive You, to be thrilled with Your presence. Humble me before Your presence, Lord, and speak – Your servant is listening….
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“Lord, Speak to Me”


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Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 03 October – Philippians 1:20 ~ my best for His glory

30 Days with Oswald Chambers: “My Utmost for His Highest”

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.

Listen for the voice of the Lord and enter into His peace.
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Philippians 1:20 NLT

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.
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“My Utmost for His Highest” – 30 Day Reading Plan

My Utmost for His Highest

Day 1: My Utmost for His Highest – “… I will never be ashamed….”

We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest — my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point.

An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point — He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only — my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.
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Prayer: Lord, the range of Your power, the touch of Your grace, the breathing of Your Spirit — how I long for these to bring me face to face with You. Forgive my tardiness; it takes me so long to awaken to some things. Transform my mind, my heart, and my will by the power of Your Word and Spirit so that I can give You my best today. I ask in Jesus’ name.
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“I Surrender” – Hillsong Live


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Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 02 October – Romans 16:25-27 ~ all glory to God

Reading through Romans

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.
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Romans 16:25-27 NLT

glory_god

Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
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Reflection: Romans 16:25-27 (John Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World)

Conclusion: The providence of God in the ministry of Paul (Romans 15:14–16:27)

Paul takes the Roman church into his confidence about the salient characteristics of his ministry… giving us insight into the outworking of God’s providence in his life and work.

Paul’s doxology (25-27)

Paul’s doxology is an eloquent and appropriate conclusion to his letter, for he takes up its four central themes, summarizes them and relates them to one another.

First, Paul writes of the power of God.

Romans begins and ends with a reference to the power of God through the gospel. If the gospel is God’s power to save, it is also God’s power to establish… i.e. to nurture new converts and strengthen young churches…. The vision conjured up by the doxology’s opening words is of God’s ability to establish the multi-ethnic church in Rome, of which Paul has been dreaming, and to strengthen its members in truth, holiness and unity.

Second, Paul writes of the gospel of Christ.

God’s secret, hitherto concealed but now revealed, is essentially Jesus Christ himself in his fullness, and in particular Christ for and in the Gentiles, so that Gentiles now have an equal share with Israel in God’s promise…. The mystery also includes good news for Jews as well as Gentiles, namely that one day ‘all Israel will be saved’. And it looks forward to the future glory, when God will bring all things together under one head, Christ. Thus the mystery begins, continues and ends with Christ.

Christ Anglican Church Carefree, AZ
Christ Anglican Church
Carefree, AZ

Third, Paul writes of the evangelization of the nations.

It is important to grasp that Paul is stating three truths about the mystery, which are summed up by the verbs hidden, revealed and made known. It is not just that the mystery was long concealed, but has now been revealed, namely through the life, death, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus. The third fact is that this good news must be, and is already being, made known throughout the world: made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him.

This scheme of the making known of the gospel through Scripture, by God’s command, unto obedience of faith, for all the nations, exactly corresponds to the letter’s opening, which refers to the gospel as being, among other things, according to the Scriptures, through the grace and apostleship given to Paul and others, unto obedience of faith, and for all the nations.

Fourth, Paul concludes in praise of God’s wisdom: to the only wise God be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

God’s wisdom is seen in Christ himself… above all in his cross which, though foolish to human beings, is the wisdom of God, in God’s decision to save the world not through its own wisdom but through the folly of the gospel, in the extraordinary phenomenon of the emerging multiracial, multicultural church; and in his purpose ultimately to unite everything under Christ.

God’s redeemed people will spend eternity ascribing to him ‘praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength’… i.e. they will worship him for his power and wisdom displayed in salvation.
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“Unto the Lamb” – Diana with Atlanta Chamber Choir


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Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 01 October – Romans 16:21-24 ~ additional messages

Reading through Romans

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.
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Romans 16:21-24 NLT

“Erastus, Olympus, Rhodion, Sosipater, Quartus and Tertius (Menologion of Basil II)” by Anonymous

Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.

I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.

Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.
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Reflection: Romans 16:21-24 (John Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World)

Conclusion: The providence of God in the ministry of Paul (Romans 15:14–16:27)

Paul takes the Roman church into his confidence about the salient characteristics of his ministry… giving us insight into the outworking of God’s providence in his life and work.

Paul’s messages (21-24)

Paul now passes on messages from eight named people, who are with him in Corinth. He begins with one extremely well-known name, followed by three apparently unknown ones.

His fellow worker, Timothy: if anybody deserved to be called Paul’s ‘fellow-worker’, that person was Timothy. For the last eight years Timothy had been Paul’s constant traveling companion and had undertaken several special missions at Paul’s request. The apostle evidently had a warm affection for his young assistant. Having led him to Christ, he regarded him as his son in the faith. He was now in Corinth, about to set sail for Jerusalem with the offering from the Greek churches.

His fellow countrymen: we cannot for certain identify any of them….

His scribe: to whom Paul has been dictating this letter, writes his own greeting….

The name Erastus in the inscription near the Corinth theater. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
The name Erastus in the inscription near the Corinth theater. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

His host in Corinth, Gaius: it would be natural to identify him with the Corinthian whom Paul had baptized. Some scholars have further suggested that his full Roman name was Gaius Titius Justus, in which case he had a large house next to the synagogue, into which he had welcomed Paul after the Jews had rejected his gospel. It is then understandable that Paul would again be his house guest, and that the church would also meet in his home.

Two further people: Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works… and our brother Quartus (nothing is known of him). Erastus, on the other hand, seems to have been a responsible local government official. Perhaps he was the aedile, the magistrate in charge of public works, whose name is still clearly legible in a first-century Latin inscription on a marble pavement close to the ruins of old Corinth.
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“We Are Called”

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Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen