Category: bible

Baptism by fire


 

John the Baptist:
 
“I baptize you with water.
But one who is more powerful than I will come,
the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Luke 3:16 (NIV)

 

A prayer

God of grace and glory,
you call us with your voice of flame
to be your people, faithful and courageous.
As your beloved Son
embraced his mission in the waters of baptism,
inspire us with the fire of your Spirit
to join in his transforming work.
We ask this in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

~ from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers
 

From the blog

The Gift
a 12-part series of readings and prayer poems on the Holy Spirit originally published on the PRAYER MATTERS blog in the run-up to Pentecost in 2017
 

Path to forgiveness and healing


Print of Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son at retreat centre, De Spil

 

if my people,
who are called by my name,
will humble themselves
and pray
and seek my face
and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and I will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.

 

 
From the blog
Healing at a cost
Healed from the inside out
Theme: He heals the brokenhearted  [prayer sheet]
 

All my days and forever


Keeping a low profile: Dandelion verging on the tram rail  (Photo: Irene Bom)
 
 

Surely your goodness and love will follow me
      all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
      forever.

 

God, you are enough

Psalm 23 – a paraphrase

God,
You are enough for us;
      you give us rest in soft fields
            and beside whispering streams;
      you restore and renew us,
            and lead us into life-giving ways;

When death and evil come close to us,
      you carry us through,
            you protect and comfort us;
      when others seek to do us harm,
            your grace uplifts and provides for us
            in public view;
      you fill us with your strength
            and we enjoy overflowing abundance;

We have confidence that your goodness and compassion
            will fill our days,
      and we will stay immersed in your life and presence
            forever.
 
Amen.

 
~ written by John van de Laar, posted on sacradise.com
 

From the blog | More prayers by John van de Laar

In small ways
Theme: Still small voice  [prayer sheet]
Theme: Good shepherd  [prayer sheet]
 

Courage … with joy


Paper mosaic  (Photo: Irene Bom)

 

The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame, “for the joy set before him”. (Hebrews 12:1b-2)

 
John Chrysostom, a great fourth-century preacher in Constantinople, also speaks of joy in connection with our suffering for Christ’s sake:

“When we suffer anything for Christ’s sake, we should do so not only with courage, but even with joy. If we have to go hungry, let us be glad as if we were at a banquet. If we are insulted, let us be exalted as though we had been showered with praises. If we lose all we possess, let us consider ourselves the gainers. If we provide for the poor, let us regard ourselves as the recipients. Do not think of the painful effort involved, but of the sweetness of the reward; and above all, remember that your struggles are for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

A prayer

Transform our memory, Lord, so that whenever we encounter suffering for your sake, we will recall all the saints who have gone before us whose courage and faith brought us this far. Amen.

from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro, p. 193
 

Wait … strong, courageous, stubborn


 
 

Whatever befall, I know this for sure:
      I shall see the goodness of the Lord
            in the land of the living.
So wait for the Lord;
      be strong, be courageous, be stubborn;
      but wait for the Lord.

 
 
excerpt from Psalm 27
from The Lincoln Psalter by the poet, Gordon Jackson
 

From the blog
Change from the inside out
Grow how?
Big strong tree
 

Change … like little children

 
In  Matthew 18:3  Jesus said,

‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’

 
During a two-week stay at Dutch L’Abri last autumn, the subject of what it means to be like children came up in a lecture entitled, Hoping for the best but expecting the worst: Do you really want to live forever?

Here are some pointers our speaker, Arthur Metz, noted about children in his talk:

  • they are trusting because they don’t have many other options
  • they don’t overthink or become overly critical
  • they are in tune with the natural world
  • they don’t pretend to have all the answers and they’re curious – hence they keep asking ‘why? why?’
  • they trust their parents, even when the answer is ‘no’
  • they are good at living in the present, without major concern for the future or the past

 
 
A few days after the lecture, as I reflected on Matthew 19:13-15 and why Jesus was such a magnet for children, I was inspired to write verse 1 of this little song. Jesus’ invitation in Matt 11:28-30 was a perfect match and inspired verse 2.

I hope the song ministers to you, as it does to me.

 
JESUS, WE COME AS LITTLE CHILDREN
by Irene Bom
 

Verse 1
Jesus, we come as little children
We see in you the Father’s heart
You make the time
You make us welcome
You draw us close
      into your loving arms

Verse 2
Jesus, we come bringing our burdens
We find in you the rest we need
Humble in heart
Ever so gentle
You bind our wounds
      and bless us with your peace
 

 
For more songs written at L’Abri in autumn 2021, click here.
 

Grow how?


 
 

There’s something peculiar about the English language: The word, grow, doesn’t always refer to a change of state for the better. Take, for example, the phrase, grow tired or weary, from this passage from Isaiah.

 

Do you not know?
      Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,
      the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,
      and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
      and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
      and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
      will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;
      they will run and not grow weary,
      they will walk and not be faint.

 

Praise God, He will not grow tired or weary. And praise God, He is in the business of helping the tired and weary who hope in Him so they might grow strong again.

 

 
From the blog
walk, run, soar
Amazing to consider
my help / your protector
 

All my longings


 

All my longings lie open before you, Lord:
      my sighing is not hidden from you.

 

A prayer

My God,
I pray that I may so know you and love you
that I may rejoice in you.
And if I may not do so fully in this life,
let me go steadily on
to the day when I come to fullness of life.
Meanwhile let my mind meditate on your eternal goodness,
let my tongue speak of it,
let my heart live it,
let my soul hunger for it,
and my whole being desire it,
until I enter into your joy.
 
by St Anselm (1033-1109)
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #85
 

From the blog
United by love
Not deserted
Holy moment beneath the stars
 

Considering considerate


 

James tells us the wisdom from heaven is – amongst other things – considerate (James 3:17).

 
Here’s a quote from a recent sermon I preached entitled Be wise in God’s eyes that references this verse:
 

What does genuine wisdom look like? James spells it out for us in v. 17: ‘the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.’

True wisdom, the wisdom that comes from heaven looks like Jesus: Pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

The more we let Jesus shape our lives, the wiser we will be. Pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

 

A prayer

Lord, help me to understand what it truly means to be considerate of others and put their needs above my own. May I recognize the little things I do that reveal I am thinking more of myself than of others. Help me to see the blessing that comes from putting others first.

May I see that everything I think doesn’t need to be said. May I understand that an affirmative smile is better than speaking my mind. Please give me insight into where others need to be lifted up and encouraged in you.

Putting others first means that I listen to others and hear what they say even if I don’t agree with them. If you would have me speak truth then enable me to do it with gentleness and compassion, not with antagonism and force. In all things, remind me to examine myself first to see if there is any wrong way in me.

Lord, teach me to keep my words few and my heart full of you. May my mind be aligned with your mind and may I see into the souls of others and know what you know. May I recognize that all people need you and may the words I speak to them reveal a little of who you are and all that you have done for us.

Lord, at the heart of putting others first is the dying to self. It isn’t important what I want and think. What is important is what you want and that should be at the forefront of my mind. Lord may my thoughts and words be considerate of others and pleasing to you. May I learn to speak as you speak and love as you love. May all that I do be done in your name and bring glory to you.

Amen

 
~ written by Marty Elwell, posted on www.ultimateoutcomes.org
 

Consider their splendour

 
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.” (Luke 12:27)
 

A prayer – for splendour restored

inspired by Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 146:5-10

For the speechless tongues of those oppressed
For weak hands, feeble knees, widowed, spirits
Made lame, we pray

For those orphaned from war, violence, fear
Parentless children, silent, stifled cries. For the
Hungry, we pray

For wives, beaten, abused, trampled, shot
Spirits abandoned, imprisoned by fear. For
Women, we pray

In the dry land of desert wilderness, parched
Stranded spirit, a deer that cannot leap. For the
Broken, we pray

Blessed are those whose help is God
Happy are those whose hope is God, for the
Good News, we pray

For the Good News of God, born human, who
Comes to live and love us, as us, be glad, rejoice,
Singing, we pray

For hope, like blooming flowers in a dusty desert
For hope, compassion bursting forth, be strong!
God is with us.
Amen.

 
~ written by Terri C. Pilarski, and posted on RevGalBlogPals. Originally published in a prayer resource for Sixteen Days of Prayer Advocating for the End of Domestic Violence, 2010.