Tag: Jesus Christ

Morning Prayer: Tuesday, 27 June – Acts 8:26-40 ~ Good News for a God-fearing Ethiopian

Morning Prayer

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

Opening Prayer

Draw me close, Holy Spirit, as I read the Scriptures and reflect on your Word. Let the word of faith be on my lips and in my heart, and let all other words slip away. May there be one voice I hear today — the voice of truth and grace. Amen.
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Reading: Acts 8:4-25 (NLT)

As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.
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Reflection and Prayer:

Lord God: Guide me by your Spirit to those you have already prepared to receive the Good News of your Son, Jesus Christ.

+ Give me courage to open a conversation with those I meet.
+ Give me discernment to understand the yearning of their hearts.
+ Give me wisdom to explain how Jesus can fulfill their deepest needs.
+ Give me clarity to invite them to begin a relationship with Jesus.

Lord God: Jesus is the vine and I am but one branch. Prune me as necessary; let his life flow in me and through me, that I may produce the good fruit of your Kingdom in his name – all for your glory.
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“Take Me To The River” – Desperation Band


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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 121 (NLT)

I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Morning Prayer: Monday, 26 June – Acts 8:4-25 ~ Good News for Samaria

Morning Prayer

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

Opening Prayer

Draw me close, Holy Spirit, as I read the Scriptures and reflect on your Word. Let the word of faith be on my lips and in my heart, and let all other words slip away. May there be one voice I hear today — the voice of truth and grace. Amen.
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Reading: Acts 8:4-25 (NLT)

But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.

But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”

“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”

After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.
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Reflection and Prayer:

God of grace and truth: as the summer begins to unfold with all my coming and going, use me as a bearer of the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever I go.

+ Give me his compassion for the distressed and troubled people I meet.

+ Give me his servant heart that I might put their interests before my own.

+ Give me his discernment that I might understand your will for each one of them.

+ Give me his Spirit that I might speak life and healing into their lives.

+ Give me his prayer discipline that I might remain in you and you in me.

Thank you, in advance, for the people I will meet this summer. Give me a willing spirit to say and do what you want said and done – all to your glory, and the advance of your Kingdom. Through Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Mediator” – Praise & Harmony Singers


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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 119:147-149 (NLT)

I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

3rd Sunday after Pentecost: 25 June – Matthew 10:26-33 ~ choose faith over fear

3rd Sunday after Pentecost

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

Opening Prayer

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Implant in my heart the love of your Name, increase in me true faith and life, nourish me with all goodness, and bring forth in me the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ my Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“God You are My God” – Desperation Band


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Reading: Matthew 10:26-33 (NLT)

“Don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
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Prayer:

Sovereign Lord: In these troubled times, fill my heart with strong love and firm faith, that I may choose to trust you in every circumstance – even when I’m afraid.

+ Deliver me from the fear of losing my security, my comfort, or my well-being.
+ Deliver me from the fear of losing my money, my friends, or even my family.
+ Deliver me from the fear of ridicule, of criticism, or the opinion of others.
+ Deliver me from the fear of uncertainty, of losing control, or the unknown.

Sovereign Lord: In these troubled times, fill my heart with strong love and firm faith, that I may confess my true convictions and bear witness to my faith.

+ Give me the faith to live confidently and freely as your beloved child.
+ Give me the faith to face problems, to address conflicts, and to live responsibly.
+ Give me the faith to live bravely, strengthened by your power at work within me.
+ Give me the faith to be a credible example of the transforming power of your love.

Sovereign Lord: In these troubled times, I place my trust in you – your reign and your justice – whether I understand what you are doing or not, through Jesus Christ my Lord, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Trust In You” – Lauren Daigle


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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 56:3, 12-13 (NLT)

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
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I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Morning Prayer: Saturday, 24 June – Acts 7:54-8:3 ~ Lord, forgive them

Morning Prayer

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

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, as I turn to your Word for me, may the Spirit of God rest upon me. Help me to be steadfast in my hearing, in my speaking, in my believing, and in my living. Amen.

Reading: Acts 7:54-8:3 (NLT)

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

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Reflection and Prayer:

Merciful God: Fill me with your Spirit and keep before me a vision of your heavenly glory, especially when faced with persecution or oppression, that I may trust you until my life’s end and forgive those who have sinned against me even as you have forgiven me. Through Jesus Christ my Savior, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Losing” – Tenth Avenue North


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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 118:19-21 (NLT)

Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Morning Prayer: Friday, 23 June – Acts 7:39-53 ~ heathen at heart and deaf to the truth

Morning Prayer

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

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, as I turn to your Word for me, may your Spirit rest upon me. Help me to be steadfast in my hearing, in my speaking, in my believing, and in my living. Amen.

Reading: Acts 7:39-53 (NLT)

“But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written,

‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, you carried your pagan gods—the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.’

“Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.

“David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who actually built it. However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,

‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build me such a resting place? Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’

“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
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Reflection and Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ: Make your home in my heart, that my life may be deeply rooted in your unfailing love for me. Fill me with your Spirit, that I may grow in faith and obedience and so experience the width, the length, the height and the depth of your great love for me. Give me fullness of life and power, that I may love and serve you and give voice to my praise. All glory and honor be to you, one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – forever. Amen.
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“”Listen To Our Hearts”” – Praise & Harmony

So listen to our hearts | Hear our spirits sing | A song of praise that flows | For those You have redeemed | We will use the words we know | To tell you what an awesome God You are | But words are not enough | To tell You of our love | So listen to our hearts

If words could fall like rain | From these lips of mine | And if I had a thousand years | I would still run out of time | So if You listen to my heart | Every beat will say | Thank you for the Life | Thank you for the Truth | Thank you for the Way
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Concluding Prayer – Psalm 95:6-10 (NLT)

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care.

If only you would listen to his voice today!

The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did. For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!