23rd. August. 2021. Daily Devotion.
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon,
13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright, he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’ Psalm 92:12-15
All of us seek to avoid pain and find pleasures in this world. (Well, most of us; there are some Christians who “mortify their flesh” on purpose; but Christ, may I point out, never did this and never taught us to do it.) While we are alive, our humanity will still generate feelings of fear and pain, and it will still be unpleasant. But it is never the same; it does not have the same power over us. No matter how terrible the things of this world get, we know in our hearts that God will set it right. Our hope is proof positive against any tragedy the world can inflict upon us.
For the strong in Spirit, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel; there is a star in the darkest sky; there is a rainbow already waiting for the end of the most terrible storm. M. Barge.
Lord, when I must suffer in this world, let me always be filled with the certainty of hope. Amen.
Prayer of Ambrose of Milan
O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore you, a heart to delight in you, to follow and to enjoy you, for Christ’s sake. Amen, from a prayer by Ambrose of Milan, 388 A.D.
Prayer to Be Filled with Flowing Spirit
Oh heavenly Father, make me an empty vessel for your Spirit to fill. Purge me of the world, of pride and lust and greed and foolish wanderings of mind, that I may be prepared to hear your truth.
Let me pour myself out continuously all day long, so that you might refill me with your Spirit; for I know that the more I give away, the more I will have for myself. O Lord, I truly believe that you will keep me filled with all goodness as long as I am giving to others. Do not let me become blocked off from You, mighty Lord, by selfishness; keep me like a crystal brook, flowing always, less I become stagnant and fetid. Let me look to my outflow and trust to you for my inflow, today and always. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
An intercessory prayer
You call us to speak to you in prayer– even when the places we would usually go to are not available.
Help us to know you Spirit’s presence wherever we pray.
Today we especially pray for those who are living in fear – give them your strength.
For those who have not yet realised the urgency of the situation – protect them, and all of us from harm. Today I especially want to pray for …….
in the name of Jesus. Amen
