Glorify Christ
“Thanks be to God!” or “Praise the Lord!” are the phrases of God in the Charismatic Renewal. Catholic prayers often end with the phrase, “. . . through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” People say that they receive Jesus as Lord, but is the Lord Jesus really your God? Through Baptism in the Holy Spirit the Catholic truth becomes a distinct reality for us. The Holy Spirit will help us in all of life’s experiences and facilitate our realization that Jesus is living and active in relationship with us when we receive Him as our Lord.
The Lord cares! God created heaven and earth, and observed that all things are possible, beautiful and good. He so loved the world that the sent his only Son:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God. (John 3: 16-21)
Jesus is the Lord! God takes care of you. He loves you. For many of us, God’s love and care seems too distant with God in heaven and his people on the ground. And so, God the Father sent Jesus into the world that we may see God in the flesh. He promised to always be with us. He is present for us in the Holy Eucharist –body and blood, soul and divinity.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be with you.
I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. . . . These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let your hearts not be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14: 15-17, 18, 26-28)
Many people have never heard of Jesus. Although He is God, the truth of it makes little or no sense to many around the world because the Gospel has not been announced to them and taught to them. We are fortunate for we have heard the truth of the Gospel. To us, the fact that Jesus is Lord is not a new truth. These teachings – this truth– needs to become a new reality and the single most important thing in our life. We must turn to the direction of God’s truth, focus on Jesus, and live every second in friendship and love with Jesus.
Do we really – I mean really! – believe the truth of Jesus? This truth captures the most significant event for humanity in the history of our world. This is not an extra-terrestrial flying down to earth in a space ship to spend thirty-three years with mankind and share the philosophy of the universe (which, incidentally, would have been life-changing news for humankind flashed around the world for all time). This truthis about the only begotten Son of God taking on human nature with his divine nature and telling us that the One who created all things loves us and wants us to be with Him in his heavenly kingdom for all eternity. All we have to do is love him and keep his commandments for the short time during which we inhabit these mortal bodies and take up space on the proving ground of the earth. If we reallybelieve this with our whole heart and soul, then what are we doing with our brief life here on earth when we are not focused on the truth of Jesus, His commandments, and keeping our “eye on the eternal prize?” All human endeavors short of this goal pale in insignificance. The “human condition”and the work of Satan pull at us constantly to sow the seeds of doubt, to nourish the urges for instant gratification, and to harvest a spirit of evilin a world filled with people who do not believe in God, do not glorify and love Him, and who have no hope of eternal life and no awareness of all the blessings that the Father showers upon them constantly. Pray for these people daily. And pray for yourself that you never lose sight of this single most significant event in human history. Does our belief in the truth of Jesus ebb and flow like the tides? Why is this? What would our life on earth be like if we really, really and truly believed in this truth, every moment of every day? [p.j.g.]
The truth of Jesus is not just an event to memorize and store in our memory. We have learned many different truths – some historical, some crucial, some of little significance. We learned that George Washington was the first president of the United States. We learned that Abraham and many brave soldiers preserved our nation and ended slavery. These are historical people who lived and contributed in the not too distant past. Is it possible to know Jesus as we have come to know Washington or Lincoln? We can know Jesus personally. When we desire to find God, He will come and reveal Himself to us. Because of His resurrection from the dead we received the right to God’s love. He is present for us and will care for us. Jesus is God, but we are not his slaves, but a brother and sister whom He loves. He is our way to eternal life with the Father.
Let your hearts not be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him. (John 14: 1-7)
Praise the Lord is more than a greeting! We need to know and believe that Jesus is God. By understanding our faith we will be lead to an experience of prayer. By faith you know about God. Through our religious experience we will really meet Jesus. Typically, it is not possible to really know a dead person. But Jesus is God. He was resurrected. And, He sent the Holy Spirit to us. Because of the Spirit we see and then know Jesus alive for all time. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said promised his apostles that he would not leave them as orphans, but will come to them, and they will see Him because Jesus lives, and they will live also (John: 14:18-19). The Holy Spirit works to enable us to see Jesus and remember all the things that Jesus has said to us in the Gospels (John 14: 26). When we see Jesus we will always know that He is God.
Because of God’s Grace we can always see Jesus. Believing– really believing – that Jesus is fully God is a gift from God so that we will see and experience Jesus in our lives. With grace we receive the wisdom and all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. How do we achieve this level of understanding and love? First, we must listen to and believe in the tenet of faith that Jesus is the Lord of life – our life. We cannot preach a living Jesus when we do not have this experience. Next, we must have the desire to have Jesus as our Lord. He is the Lord of the universe, but he comes to us in a personal way when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist.
And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me seeshim who sent me. I have come as the light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me.” (John 12: 44-50)
What does this require? For Jesus to be the Lord of our life means that we voluntarily place our life under the guidance of the Lord. We shall no longer do what we want when such actions goes against what Jesus desires us to do. It is critical to find the will of God in all of our earthly endeavors through prayer, by listening to hear the voice of God, and by reading the Bible. If this is done, Jesus will take care of us completely. We will belong to Him, and He will not allow us to fall into the doubt planted by Satan. Jesus tells us in the Bible that he is powerful over all things.
Again Jesus spoke to them [the Pharisees], saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8: 12)
Jesus said to her [Martha upon witnessing the raising of Lazarus], “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She [Martha] said to him, “Yes Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” (John 11: 25-27)
Our faithful determination will generate positive results! The practice will always have flaws and imperfections (after all, we are all human). We will come to realize that there will be many times when we will not do what Jesus wants of us. It should always be our goal, however, to conform our thoughts and actions to His will. If we do this we will find that we will do better and better less out of fear of consequences than out of a desire to please God, to love God, and to bask in our love for him and His love for us. [“Love is not a feeling. Love is an action, an activity . . . Genuine love implies commitment and the exercise of wisdom. . . . Love as the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth. . . . True love is an act of will that often transcends ephemeral feelings of love or cathexis, it is correct to say, ‘Love is as love does’.” M. Scott Peck, M.D., The Road Less Traveled.] This is why Jesus said: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5: 48). Thus, we can – and will – make mistakes and not be perfect because of our “human condition” and the weak nature of a drowning man, but we must not choose the wrong target.
Our target – or goal – is God’s Grace! It is impossible for us to begin to approach God without grace beginning with our prayer and experience. We do not come to Jesus. He comes to us. Grace is the initial gift that the Holy Spirit floods us with at Baptism. If we want Jesus as our Lord, we must begin to pray to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. While this Baptism is not the sacrament, it is greatly related to the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, which arouse the gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit.
A great many insights will occur and many things will happen during the upcoming months. Some of these experiences will be larger than others. Please be generous. Seek and you will find. Surrender to Jesus the part of your life that may be damaged. Ask God throughout the day to be with you, for He is your God. Let us give Him our needs and our thanks. Ask for the grace to receive Christ and grow in true love of God. Group meetings will help us remain in the fire of the Holy Spirit and to have a friend close at hand to lift us up when we fall.
Bible Lesson Practice
Receive Jesus as Your God
Receive the Holy Spirit as did the apostles and accept Jesus as your Lord. Through the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles, we see these twelve men empowered by the Holy Spirit teach and explain and inspire those who listened.
The first six scripture readings are taken from the Acts of the Apostles. The last reading is a song of baptism to confess Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2: 5-11).
5Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, 6“who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (The Letter of Paul to the Philippians 2: 5-11)
When we choose Jesus as Lord of our life, we will live in the power of the Lord. We become princes and princesses of the Kingdom of Heaven. We are sharing in the power of God and grow in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Week / Day 1 - Acts of the Apostles 2: 15 - 36
Peter Addresses the Crowd
In this section Peter explains the Spirit of the Mass. He cites David’s prayer of trust in God and the love that Jesus has for humankind because of the grace of his Father.
15For these men [men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem] are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day; 16but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “17And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18yes, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19And I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20the sun shall be turned into darkness the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. 21And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which god did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know – 23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him: “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. 27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your Holy One see corruption. 28You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”
29“Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right Hand, 35till I make your enemies a stool for your feet.” Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Acts 2: 25-26 Look at the result of the reception of the Lord: peace, joy and hope.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the grace of peace, joy and hope that God has given to us.
Acts 2: 27 Jesus will never abandon us to the forces that destroy life.
Prayer: My Lord Jesus, we believe in your love and power and thank you for always being with us as we face the worldly temptations of the darkness.
Acts 2: 28 In contrast, Jesus will guide us on the right path.
Prayer: My dear Jesus, we hope that we will never do anything apart from your desires, and know that if we do this, you will lead us by the right road, though we may know nothing about it.
Acts 2: 29-31 David made a prophecy about God sending Jesus and the promise of the Holy Spirit. All of the elements of David’s prophecy came to pass.
Prayer: All loving Father, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by that same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolation.
Acts 2: 32 The risen Jesus can become our Lord.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please shower us with the grace to become bold witnesses to Your Truth here on earth.
Acts 2: 33 That which Jesus received from the Father, He pours down on us when we acknowledge Him as God.
Prayer: Almighty God and Father, we thank you for the many blessings You shower on us daily and for the wisdom to use Your grace to serve our fellow man here on earth.
Week / Day 2 - Acts of the Apostles 4: 23 - 30
The Believers Pray for Boldness
The Apostles regularly experience winning over people, even powerful leaders. Having been released from prison, they openly proclaim the power of the authority of Jesus.
23When they were released they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said,“Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25who by the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rge, and the peoples imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’ – 27for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4: 24 You can clearly see that the victory and success of the Apostles and indeed in our own lives is due to the power of God in our lives.
Prayer: My Lord Jesus, thank You for the courage and power to face and achieve victory over the powers of darkness in our daily lives.
Acts 4:25-26 Do you see the confusion and frustration resulting from the refusal to accept Jesus as Lord?
Prayer: Almighty and ever-living Father, please liberate us from the confusion, fear, and doubt sown in our lives by the prince of darkness.
Acts 4: 27 Do you see the nothingness of the world and the power of God to rise above the world.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for the wisdom to seek Your truth and Your will in our search to attain the glory of Your eternal kingdom in heaven.
Acts 4: 28 Did you catch that even if you try to go against God’s will that he has a plan to bring us back and make us successful.
Prayer: My loving Father, please provide us with the fortitude to surrender to Your will. Open our eyes that we may see You in our brothers and sisters. Open our hearts that we may love one another as You love us. And, open our minds to fully realize that here on earth, Your work will must truly be our own.
Acts 4: 29 Do you see Jesus is the true protection for us from those who intend to harm us? We must believe in the protection Jesus provides for us.
Prayer: Jesus You are our Lord. Please protect us from all those who intend to bring us harm, especially those who seek to snuff out Your truth which lights the path to everlasting life with You in Your heavenly kingdom.
Acts 4: 30 Do you believe that Jesus will work wonders with you?
Prayer: We give You thanks, Almighty God, for all the gifts You have given us. Keep our hearts open to Your love and grace so that we may always deserve to be called Your children.
At first the Apostles witnessed the interaction of Jesus with only the Jews. Gradually, they began to explain this mystery to the Gentiles. Even with the lack of understanding of what we now call the “Old Testament,” the Gentiles quickly received Jesus as Lord.
19Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. 20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. 22News of this came to the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; 24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. 25So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.
Acts 11: 19 Have you ever witnessed God taking the good out of evil? The persecution made news that spread far and wide.
Prayer: Father, we firmly believe that You do not do anything in vain. We abandon ourselves into Your hands; do with us as You will. Whatever You may do, we thank You. We are ready for all, we accept all. Let only Your will be done is us, and in all Your creatures. We wish no more than this, O Lord.
Acts 11: 20 The message for us and for the Greeks is the same. Jesus is Lord. That is the Gospel– the “good news.”
Prayer: Although we have often abandoned You, O Lord, You have never abandoned us. Your hand of love is always outstretched towards us, even when we stubbornly look the other way. Your gentle voice constantly calls us, even when we obstinately refuse to listen. When the sins in our soul are increasing, we lose the taste for virtuous things. Yet even at such moments, Lord, we know we are failing You and failing ourselves. O Lord, we enjoy Your friendship so much. Why is it not possible for us to think of You constantly?
Acts 11: 21 The hand of God is always with us when we believe and experience the conversion to him.
Prayer: Sweet Jesus, renew in us Your spirit. Lord, free us and make us one.
Acts 11: 22 We will get much help these days. Some people will help us on the basics of the tenets of our Catholic faith. Others, like Barnabas will bring encouragement.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we come together as a spiritual group to give You our hands to do Your work. We give You our feet to go Your way. We give You our tongues to speak Your words. We give You our minds that You may think in us. We give You our spirit that You may pray in us. Above all, we give You our heart that You may love in me Your Father and all mankind. We give You our whole selves that You may grow in us, so that it is You, Lord Jesus, who live and work and pray in us.
Acts 11: 23 Solid determination and persistence is required of us.
Prayer: O God, help us to pray and to concentrate our thoughts on You. We cannot do this alone. In us there is darkness, but with You there is light.
Prayer: Sweet Jesus, thank You for providing us with the spiritual community of kindred spirits who seek Your truth and to do share the good news with one another and with all mankind. Grant eternal life to all of us who do good works for the sake of Your name.
Acts 11: 25 After the initial instructions, we will need time to reflect.
Prayer: Almighty and ever-living Father, Your love gave us life, and Your care never fails. Your light illuminates the beauty of childhood, and Your presence is our comfort in the face of age. Thank You for all You have given to us, and remain with us and enlighten us so we may never fail to do Your will.
Paul and Barnabas turned completely to God because at times they were not accepted by their friends. Some of our friends may not accept our decision to turn to Jesus as Lord. Some may become jealous or angry. We need to remain happy and focused. We need to pray for courage in the Lord and in the end, some of them may also be transformed by God.
44The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God. 45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and reviled him. 46And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47For so the Lord has commanded us, saying: “I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, and that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.” 48And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49And the word of the Lord spread throughout all the region.
Acts 13: 44 “The whole city” can symbolize for us the sum total of our energy and time. Our determination to follow God is complete.
Prayer: Jesus my Lord, we give ourselves entirely to You in proof of our affection. We give You our eyes, our ears, our tongue, our heart, our whole being without reserve. Since we are Your own, keep us and guard us as we seek to share Your truth.
Acts 13: 45 Do not be surprised by the response from others to your actions because we are now acting in concert with God’s will.
Prayer: Thank You, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits and blessings which You have given to us, for all the pains and insults which You have born for us. O most merciful Redeemer, may we know You more clearly and keep this belief from being governed by external negative words and deeds from others or the doubts spread by the powers of darkness.
Acts 13: 46 Do not let negative criticism hinder us in anyway. Continue to walk without fear.
Prayer: Help us today to realize that You will be speaking to us through the events of the day, through people, through things, and through creation. Give us insight to see through the exterior of things to the interior truth. Give us Your spirit of discernment. O Lord, You know how busy we must be this day. If we forget You, do not forget us.
Acts 13: 47 Once, we only knew the truth of the Lord. Now we are allies with the Lord in His work.
Prayer: O Lord, You who said: “Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven,”grant, we beseech You, that in humility and simplicity of heart we may obtain salvation and reward everlasting in Your heavenly kingdom.
Acts 13: 48 Instead of fear, rejoice in the Lord and respond to the word of God.
Prayer: Lord God, whose we are and whom we serve, help us to glorify You this day, in all the thoughts of our hearts, in all the words of our lips, and in all the works of our hands, as becomes those who are Your servants, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer: Grant us, O Lord, eloquence, most gentle and wise, that for Your good gifts boldly share the Gospel and our own stories of how we met Jesus. Place in our mouths through the Holy Spirit, words of consolation, edification, and exhortation, that we may encourage the good to better things, and by word and example bring back to the threshold of your righteousness those who walk apart from You. May the words which You give to us be as keen darts and as burning arrows to penetrate the minds of those that hear, and inflame them with fear and love of You.
Week / Day 5 - Acts of the Apostles 19: 13 - 19
The Sons of Sceva
13Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? 16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17And this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and the fear fell on them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18Many also of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19And a number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted t he value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Acts 19: 13 Calling on the name of Jesus is not enough. We only share in His power when we build a relationship with Him as our Lord and Savior.
Prayer: We beg You, most loving Lord, to reveal Yourself to us, that knowing You we may desire You, that desiring You we may love You, that loving You we may ever hold You in our thoughts.
Acts 19: 14-15 When we receive Jesus as our Lord we form an intimate bond with Him. Prayer: Steer the ship of our lives, Lord, to Your quiet harbor, where we can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict. Show us the course we should take. Renew in us the gift of discernment, so that we can see the right direction we in which we should go. And give us the strength and courage to choose the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high, knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in Your name we shall find comfort and peace.
Acts 19: 16 We will not have the power to overcome evil, but we will win.
Prayer: Almighty Father, we will let nothing disturb us. We will let nothing frighten us. All things pass. Only You never change. Patience will achieve everything for us. Whoever rests in Your all-powerful arms lacks nothing.
Acts 19: 17 Our victory in the name of Jesus will spread a message and Jesus will be glorified.
Prayer: We praise You, O God. We acclaim You as the Lord. Everlasting Father, all the world bows down before You. All the angels sing Your praise, the hosts of heaven and all the angel powers, all the cherubim and seraphim call out to You in unending song: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God. Heaven and earth are filled with Your majesty and glory.” May Your mercy always be with us, Lord, for we have hope in You. In You, Lord, we put our trust.
Acts 19: 18 If we have been involved with the pagan power then sincerely confess these sins and give up those acts.
Prayer: Have mercy on us O Lord and forgive our sins. In Your compassion blot out our offenses. Wash us more and more from our guilt and cleanse us from our sins. Give us the joy of Your love and forgiveness.
Acts 19: 19 We have to clean our house more effectively. Remove everything that does not belong to the Lord.
Prayer: My Lord Jesus, save us from all uncleanness, keep our minds untainted, our hearts pure, and our bodies chaste. Help us always to serve You in perfect chastity and to discard all things of darkness
Paul repeats his basic teachings to the high priest. He is reminded of their way of life. Both preaching and his life confess Jesus as Lord. The fact of his receiving God is clearly demonstrated through his words and deeds.
17And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the Church. 18And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I live among you all the time from the first day I set foot in Asia, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which befell me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what shall befall me there; 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25And now, behold, I know that all you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will see my face no more. 27Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
Acts 20: 18 We can’t say Jesus is Lord until we first live according to His truth.
Prayer: Grant us Your grace, most merciful Jesus, that we may live our lives according to Your truth, that You will be with us, and continue with us to the end.
Acts 20: 20 We can’t dilute the message of God’s truth, which we must completely live according to the word of God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we desire in all things that Your will may be done, because it is Your will and Your truth, in the manner that You will, and for as long as You will.
Acts 20: 21 We must repent past and future actions according Jesus’ commandments. Prayer: My Lord Jesus, shower us with your graces that we may be ever upright and pure; modest in our thoughts, words and deeds; our conversations edifying; and our lives according to Your truth.
Acts 20: 22-23 Even though we do not know what will happen in the future, we must be convinced that the Holy Spirit is always prepared to be with us and show us the way.
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, help us to be fervent in good works; make us persevere in the service of God, and enable us to act on all occasions with goodness and kindness, charity and joy, with long-suffering, mildness and fidelity. Spirit of Holiness, by Your all powerful grace, preserve us from the misfortune of sin.
Acts 20: 24 Jesus must come first in our lives. The power and status of this world is but a passing fancy in a wisp of time. We must strive to focus on God’s Truth and His will for us here on earth.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the grace to make a difference in this world according to Your Truth. You counseled your apostles to “be clever as serpents and innocent as doves.” Let us retain innocence and simplicity in the midst of this complex world. Do not allow evil powers to seduce us with the complexities of the world’s problems, but give us strength to think clearly, speak freely, and act boldly in Your service. Give us the courage to show the dove in a world so full of serpents.
Acts 20: 25 Happiness will belong to us if we can say,“We never minimized the proclamation of the full intention of God.”
Prayer: Loving God, make our bodies healthy and agile, our minds sharp and clear, our hearts joyful and contented, and our souls faithful and loving so we may persist in regularly proclaiming the Your good news. Surround us with the company of people and angels who share our devotions to You. Above all, allow us to live in Your presence, for with You all fear is banished, and there is only harmony and peace.
The entire teachings of Jesus as Lord is published in its entirety and through a poetic song used in the rite of Christian Baptism. When receiving Jesus as Lord and to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, you need to remove all visible dark forces which are preventing and confining the power of God in us.
5Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, 6“who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Phil 2: 5 Baptism in the Holy Spirit changes our whole attitude.
Prayer: Jesus, our Lord, provide us with the grace to embrace positive change in our lives that bring us closer to You. Reveal to us the nothingness of this world, the greatness of Heaven, the shortness of time, and the length of eternity.
Phil 2: 6 We must not cling to the advantages we have in life or the power we possess.
Prayer: Loving Father, help us to obtain holiness of life by a sincere confession of our sins, by a devout reception of the Body of Christ, by continual recollection of mind, and by a pure intention of heart so that we may be emptied of all in ourselves that is not of Your truth and Your will
Phil 2: 7 We are called to “lift off” and“surrender” to God’s will.
Prayer: My Lord God, provide us with the grace to surrender to Your will. Assist us, that we may continually labor to overcome nature, to correspond with Your grace, to keep Your commandments, and to work out our salvation.
Prayer: Dear sweet Jesus, enlighten our understanding, inflame our will, purify our body, and sanctify our souls so we may know, proclaim, and model Your truth for all we serve.
Phil 2: 9 With loyalty to Jesus we will see high praise from God to lift us far more than we can do ourselves.
Prayer: My Lord God, we desire to sing Your praises every day and to consecrate all of our thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; that henceforth we may think of You, speak of You, constantly refer all our actions to Your greater glory, and suffer willingly whatever You shall appoint.
Phil 2: 10 Our greatest dignity is when we kneel in submission to Jesus.
Prayer: O my God, make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in afflictions, and humble in prosperity.
Phil 2: 11 Our daily gift to God is to proclaim Jesus as Lord.
Prayer: Almighty and loving Father, we believe in you; strengthen our faith. All of our hopes are in You; secure them. We love You with our whole heart; teach us to love You daily more and more. We are sorry that we have offended You; increase our sorrow for our sins and our hope of spending eternity in your heavenly kingdom.
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