Sue O’Donnell. 13.09.20
“ ‘I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love’.” (John 15 v 9 NLT)
May the long day ahead
Be clearly Holy Spirit led, Lord Jesus.
We need this to be
If we are to remain in Your love,
As all too easily, self takes over.
We want to do what we want to do
When we want to do it, how we want to do it.
But this is not necessarily Your way, Lord,
For Your way is not always easy.
Instead it demands effort and sacrifice from us.
The Holy Spirit is the means by which
We escape the lure of the world, the flesh and the devil.
This life enhancing Spirit enables us when living prayerfully,
To share in Your divinity allowing this to rule over our humanity.
“For this reason, make every effort to add goodness to your faith and to add knowledge to your goodness, self-control to your knowledge, perseverance to your self-control and holiness to your perseverance. Add friendship for the brethren to your holiness and to that friendship add God’s love.”
(2 Peter 1 v 4-7 The Truth)
To do so means we will not fail You, Lord,
Will not be ineffective, nor unproductive
In the finest relationship known to mankind.
We must stand firm in faith’s calling
Having been elected to extend Your kingdom here.
The kingdom of heaven is Your people
Who prayerfully, Spirit blessed, become fully alive in You,
With all the resources of faith at our fingertips.
We have been made members of a family
Who, called to become holy, are Your works in progress.
We have the capacity to love, live fully
And forgive others their hurts because we are forgiven.
No longer do we live as victims of our selfish vindictive tendencies.
We are called to live to the glory of God’s mercy.
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6 v 20)
We have been made free by living through You, Lord Jesus.
This cost the highest price of Your life’s sacrifice.
Your loss at the † forever stands as our gain.
Firstly, we experience forgiveness, all thanks ever be.
Then we receive and respond to the call to become holy,
To serve the Lord God Almighty by who we are.
Wonderfully, “(S)he who is joined to You, Lord Jesus,
Is one in spirit with You.” (based on 1 Corinthians 6 v 17)
Our spirit has become one with Your Spirit, praise be!
The Holy Spirit dwells in us to equip and enhance our holiness,
As long as we strive to live in You and through You.
What an amazing grace to be set free from sin’s captivity.
The highest moral demands are placed upon us,
Because You live to accomplish holiness in all minds and hearts.
“Christ has set us free to live in freedom. So stand fast in that freedom and do not allow yourselves to be yoked again in slavery.” (Galatians 5 v 1 The Truth)
“Walk in the ways the Spirit leads you, and you will not gratify what your self-life desired. For the self-life desires what opposes the Spirit and the Spirit leads you in ways that involve denying that self-life.
These are two contradictory ways.” (Galatians 5 v 16, 17 The Truth)
“So if we live by the Spirit, let us keep ourselves in line with what the Spirit desires. Let us not become conceited, neither provoking nor envying one another,” (Colossians 5 v 25, 26 The Truth)
allowing the mercy we have received from God to flow through to each other by adhering as closely as is possible to that very Spirit of love who animates the Lord Jesus.
Let us turn injury into compassion and the hurt into prayerful intercession by calling on the Holy Spirit to help us. We have to fully believe we have become a “...people of hope, looking to the future positively.”
(Romans 5 v 4 The Truth)
And, all praise, all thanks, all glory ever be, “Such hope does not end in disappointment because God has already filled our hearts with His love through His Holy Spirit whom we have been given to live within us.” (v 5) Let us then pray to stand firm in our belief in the new life the Lord Jesus gifts us in the Spirit.
Dearest Father, by Your Son, through Your Spirit, let us consecrate each and every day to You prayerfully, asking for help, support and guidance at all times, our efforts being united with the Divine Heart of the Lord
Jesus’ holy love, blessing us to become a blessing.
“Blessed be God. Blessed be Your holy name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.” He is our Saviour Redeemer, the Good Shepherd. “Blessed be His most precious blood. Blessed be Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the altar,” the Holy Eucharist.
“Blessed be the Holy Spirit the Paraclete.” (The Divine Praises) Blessed be the Almighty Trinity driving the evil one far from us. Please help us praying.
“Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name” as Faith Gifter and Protector, “Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face ever more.
Remember His marvellous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgment of His mouth.” (Psalm 105 v 2-5) and never let us fail to pray, that we grow in faith, hope and love. Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
Key Themes
HOLY SPIRIT
BELIEF
