St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“If I wish to please God, I must do His will and not my own.” (St Alphonse de Liguor)

Come Holy Spirit, or we are faced with an impossibility,

As the clamour of self invariably takes over our thoughts.

We need You as Sanctifier to lead us to our Saviour,

The One born to us at Bethlehem,

A Child who caused many to wonder at life,

Its meaning, purpose and unfolding so as to know holiness.

Our Father made us with happiness in mind.

He made us able to find our way home to heaven.

But catastrophically our sinfulness spoiled this.

Our desires, motives and ambitions can be self-centred,

Not centred upon the general good of everybody.

“The human heart is most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17 v 9 NLT)

The Spirit of wisdom, so actively alive within Jesus

Can also, will, if asked, be alive in us.

Then instead of an attitude blaming others for faults,

‘Its their fault, they started it, they caused it,’

We start to look inwardly instead,

So as to count the cost of life running out of control.

The whole purpose of the Spirit of holiness

Is to direct our attention towards the Lord Jesus.

The Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, the Adviser,

Will guide us and guard us, that we discern the better part,

Right from wrong and the light of holiness shining out from sins’ darkness.

“Dear Sirs, What is wrong with the world? I am. Yours sincerely, G.K. Chesterton (A letter written to The Times newspaper)

“ ‘...forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And do not let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one’.” (Matthew 6 v 12, 13 NLT)

Dearest Father, how richly You bless us in knowing You and Your will for us through Your Son and Your Spirit of discernment.

Let us pray that “From Your glorious unlimited resources You will empower us with inner strength through Your Spirit.” (based on Ephesians 3 v 16 NLT)

“Then Christ will make His home in our hearts as we trust in Him. Our roots will grow down into Your love and keep us strong.” (based on v 17)

Thank You, we pray to praise You that we will “Have the power to understand, as all Your people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is.” (based on v 18)

Let us pray to “Experience the true love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then we will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You.” (based on v 19)

Let us pray to Your glory as through Your Spirit, You can accomplish infinitely more than we can imagine, dream of, or even ask for.

Let us pray that to the Lord God, the Almighty, be the goory in the church and in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit of power fully alive in us that we choose the better part, through all generations forever and ever. Amen.