Daily Devotion for May 17, 2021
One of the finest works of the genius who invented Renaissance art. Fittingly, it was painted as a fresco in a little Romanesque church, the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, one of a series of panels on the life of Christ.
Prayers
Scripture
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
If Christ carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders, I know my brothers and sisters that He will carry you. Glory be to God.
There is no mountain too tall He cannot move it.
And there is no storm too dark God cannot calm it.
There is no sorrow too deep He cannot soothe it.
And if He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders,
I know my brother that He will carry you.
And if He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders,
I know my sister that He will carry you.
He said, "Come unto Me all who are weary, and I will give you rest."
I know my brother and I know my sister,
That He, He’s going to carry you.
Oh yes, He will,
He’s going to carry you.
Music and Lyrics by Scott Wesley Brown
The Morning “Lorica” (Prayer) of Saint Patrick
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today through the strength of Heaven
the rays of the sun,
the radiance of the moon,
the splendor of fire,
the speed of lightening,
the swiftness of the wind,
the depth of the sea,
the stability of the earth
the firmness of rock.
I arise today through the power of God:
God’s might to comfort me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to lead me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s Heavenly Host to save me
from the snares of the devil,
from temptations to sin,
from all who wish me ill,
from near and afar,
alone and with others.
May Christ shield me today
against poison and fire,
against drowning and wounding,
so that I may fulfill my mission
and bear fruit in abundance.
Christ behind and before me,
Christ behind and above me,
Christ with me and in me,
Christ around and about me,
Christ on my right and on my left,
Christ when I lie down at night,
Christ when I rise in the morning,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone that speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Prayer for Freedom from Fear
O Lord, I beseech you to deliver me, and all of your children, from the fear of the unknown future; from fear of failure; from fear of poverty; from fear of bereavement; from fear of loneliness; from fear of sickness and pain; from fear of age; from fear of death. Help us, O Father, by your grace to love and fear only you, and fill our hearts with cheerful courage and loving trust in you; through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.
Meditation
“Before we pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray Him to empty us.”
~ D.L. Moody
Dedication
As I travel through the rest of my day, may the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
A Friend
Galatians 5:22-23 (Daily Prayer Bible)
Fruits of the Spirit - Faith (Galatians #85)
22-23 The Spirit, on the other hand, produces fruit: . . . faith . . . . In this, the Law and the Spirit agree, because the Law does not forbid such things.
DP Parallel Bible (3-Column) - Galatians 5
Notes on the Scripture
We might tend to just gloss over Paul’s assertion that faith is a fruit of the Spirit; it just sounds so natural. But when we think about it, it is actually startling.
How do we receive the Holy Spirit? Most people would think, to some degree, that we come to abide with the Spirit because we have faith in Christ. But really, the Bible tells us again and again that it is the other way around. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us our faith. True faith is an element of God’s grace, not something we accomplish by our merit. It surely is not wrong to try to have faith, for we are tempted in every way possible by the Clever One; but we must realize that we cannot have faith of ourselves. It is a gift given to us, by God’s grace.
The Greek word used for the Holy Spirit — Paraclete — has become known in English, especially by people who have studied the Bible for some time. The primary source of the term is Jesus’ discourse in John 14:16, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another [Paraclete], to be with you forever.”
Study of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit tends to center on the helping or comforting role He plays in our lives, but there is another aspect. The primary meaning, in fact, of the verb parakaleo is “to call to one’s side.” Moreover, the connotation is a very powerful calling to someone: “urging” or “exhorting.” And Paraclete, insofar as it refers to the verb from which it was formed, refers to one who calls powerfully, who urges or exhorts.
Thus we might infer that the Paraclete calls us. Most of us feel “called,” and this is not our imagination, for there is a voice, not our own, which is calling us to faith: the Holy Spirit. Such an interpretation fits Jesus’ words perfectly, for if the Holy Spirit is to be “another” who will stand in for Christ . . . well, who called people to faith in God, and more specifically to faith in Christ, more strongly than Christ Himself?
The concept of faith deriving from the Holy Spirit occurs several times, and (as stated above) is supported by the very word Paraclete used in John 14. In 1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul informs us that “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
It is the Holy Spirit who calls us to faith. If our faith seems weak and we want to strengthen it, we have a powerful Friend and Helper. In practical terms, the Spirit is God to us during our earthly lives. If we perceive God, it is through the Spirit. If we know Christ, it is through the Spirit.
So do not blame yourself if your faith seems to falter; but there is no need to accept weakness in your faith. Simply answer the call. You do not even have to dial the telephone; you only have to pick it up when it rings. Just say, “Yes.”
Comments (1)
Great message "drawing closer to us" Mason. I loved your devotion today.