13th. August. 2021. Daily Devotion.
20 ‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – 23 I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.24 ‘Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. John 17:20-24
How simple is this beautiful message. Those of us who believe in Christ are one. Christ instructs us to love each other. And still people scorn, berate, imprison and murder each other over trivia. Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians have had great debates about whether it is correct to cross oneself left to right, or right to left. Catholics throughout Europe once robbed, burned, and murdered Protestants, and the Protestants returned the favour as soon as they could grab political power.
This is one matter in which we can easily follow Christ — no advanced theological degrees required: Love and pray for anyone who confesses Christ, even if you think they have a wrong philosophy or theology. Let us worship as the spirit moves us to worship, and let others do the same.
Praise to the Power of God
How great and how close art Thou in the powerful track of the storm! How mighty Thy right arm in the blinding flash of the lightning! How awesome Thy majesty! The voice of the Lord fills the fields, it speaks in the rustling of the trees. The voice of the Lord is in the thunder and the downpour. The voice of the Lord is heard above the waters. Praise be to Thee in the roar of mountains ablaze. Thou dost shake the earth like a garment; Thou dost pile up to the sky the waves of the sea. Praise be to Thee, bringing low the pride of man. Thou dost bring from his heart a cry of Penitence: Alleluia!
The dark storm clouds of life bring no terror to those in whose hearts Thy fire is burning brightly. Outside is the darkness of the whirlwind, the terror and howling of the storm, but in the heart, in the presence of Christ, there is light and peace, silence: Alleluia! Amen.by Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov (shortly before his death in a prison camp in 1940).
Meditation
“Let go of anger, and leave rage behind; Do not fret—it only causes harm.”~ Psalm 37:7-8
Almighty God, we pray for those touched by sorrow today, those who mourn the loss of a loved one, those who despair for the suffering, and those who weep in the watches of the night. O Lord have mercy.
We pray for those who fear, gripped by a sense of anxiety, choked by doubt and living in hopelessness, full of unanswered questions. O Lord draw near.
We pray for those who wrestle with their thoughts, who feel abandoned, who are living not just in physical but emotional and spiritual separation. O Lord, remind us of your unfailing love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
