St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“ ‘You must love the LORD your God and obey all His requirements, decrees, regulations and commands’.” (Deuteronomy 11 v 1 NLT)

To live a life of Christian faith

We have to accept God’s will for us,

That which is clearly set out by the Lord Jesus.

Then to fulfil our efforts,

Which at best remain incomplete.

We have to meet our efforts

Offered together with the merit of Christ Jesus,

He was born for this very purpose,

To live to fulfil God’s will, His plan for man,

Which was our rescue from satan’s clutches.

For our forgiveness, a perfect sacrifice,

That of a life lived fully honourably,

Had to be willingly, wholeheartedly offered.

Christ Jesus, God’s beloved, was able to do this.

We can therefore, ask for our efforts at fulfilling goodness,

To be aligned to Christ Jesus’ perfection.

Prayer of heartfelt worship is the method, the connection.

Pray to learn of God’s will initially.

Pray to develop the desire and resolve, Holy Spirit led,

To adhere to this strictly, daily.

Meaning it when you say ‘Your will be done, Father’,

Offering your time, efforts, skill, talents,

All to the good of another or others.

And if you meet with any measure of success,

Treasure this gratefully, praying to give thanks.

Christmas as a season of hope,

Should remain firmly bedded within us,

For we know our Saviour Christ Jesus was born for this.

We have seen the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph.

We have shared the happy fulfilment of expectation,

As proclaimed by Simeon, Anna and Zacharias,

Now it is our turn to spread the GOOD NEWS

Of the One born to us for our fulfilment,

Of our Father’s call to become holy, like He is.

And we have the encouragement of the Holy Spirit,

Enabling us to hear what the Lord Jesus says,

Then apply this to us personally.

“ ‘I AM the Vine and you are the branches on the Vine. Anyone who continues to live in Me and I in him (her) will be abundantly fruitful’.” (John 15 v 5 The Truth)

“ ‘...if you continue to live at one with Me and My words continue to live in you, you can ask for anything you want and it will be given to you’.” (John 15 v 7 The Truth)

This is where and how our efforts should be linked with the Lord Jesus’ actions and accomplishments, this all being perfect.

For then we are told “ ‘My Father will be glorified and honoured in your lives because you will bear much fruit and so demonstrate that you truly are My disciples’.” (John 15 v 8 The Truth)

Let us pray with all praise and thanksgiving that we are told this by the Lord Jesus for we “Will remain in His love if we obey what He has commanded us, in the same way that Jesus has remained in the

Father’s love by obeying what He commanded Jesus.” (based on John 15 v 10 The Truth)

And let us pray with rejoicing for the Lord Jesus assuring us that He has told us this for a specific purpose: “ ‘I want you to have within you the same joy that is in Me. I want you to be absolutely full of my joy’.”

(v 11) This is the joy of acceptance and fulfilment.

Yes let us pray, for Christmas is so special a season, gifting us every reason to hope, feel peace, and know what joy is. As holy love born in the Lord Jesus has secured our connection with the love of our Father in

heaven, and to ensure we have the means by which we can fulfil expectation and see the benefits, we are given the Holy Spirit, He who incarnated love for us.

Let us pray to daily be encouraged, strengthened, supported and equipped by the Holy Spirit, so as to fulfil our tasks well. For we have been honoured to be chosen to become a member of God’s family, brought fully alive by the power of holy love born in the Lord Jesus. Amen.