Message of 8-4-10
Published: Fri, 07/30/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
If you have to be reasoned into Christianity, some wise fellow can
reason you out of it! If you come to Christ by a flash of the Holy
Spirit so that by intuition you know that you are God's child, you
know it by the text but you also know it by the inner light, the
inner illumination of the Spirit, and no one can ever reason you
out of it.
- A. W. Tozer
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Jer 31:1-7; Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12ab, 13; Mt 15: 21-28
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
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SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
Jesus praises a Gentile woman for her faith and for her love. She
made the misery of her child her own and she was willing to suffer
rebuff in order to obtain healing for her loved one. She also had
indomitable persistence. Her faith grew in contact with the person
of Jesus. She began with a request and she ended on her knees in
worshipful prayer to the living God. No one who ever sought Jesus
with faith - whether Jew or Gentile - was refused his help. Do you
seek Jesus with expectant faith?
"Lord Jesus, your love and mercy knows no bounds. May I trust you
always and pursue you with indomitable persistence as this woman
did. Increase my faith in your saving power and deliver me from all
evil and harm."
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AT THE MASTER'S FEET
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
9. The moth thinks not of the burning and destructive power of the
flame, but fascinated by its brilliancy rushes into it and
perishes. So humans, regardless of the destructive and poisonous
power of sin, and feeling only its allurement, rushes in to their
eternal destruction. But My light rescues sinners from death, and
bestows upon them life and enduring happiness. Humans were so made
as to be capable of appropriating the precious gift of My true
light.
- Part 2, Section 1
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REVIEW OF DAY
- from, "Handbook for Spiritual Directees"
http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
Here is a practice used by many at the end of the day to see what
lessons can be learned and how God was present and active through
the day. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the
day for prayer and review of your day. A suggested format is
described below:.
1. Take a few moments of quiet. Breathe deeply. Ask God to help you
see yourself as you truly were during the day.
2. Look back over your day - not to see what you did wrong but to
honestly acknowledge what was going on with you and others.
* What happened? What did I do today?
* How did I feel? Why did I feel that way?
* Were my expectations and beliefs reasonable?
3. Affirm the healthy things you recognize.
4. Admit to yourself and God the unhealthy things. Ask God's
forgiveness, believe it is yours, then decide if you need to
apologize or make amends.
5. Use creative visualization to grow stronger. Honestly
acknowledge the troubling situations of the day. See and feel
yourself acting honestly and lovingly in these situations. Ask God
for the grace to help you act in this new way.
6. Close with simple awareness of the sights and sounds around you,
grateful for the good things in your life.
This process can be undertaken as a daily journal exercise or by
prayerfully reviewing your day in your own mind. I like to take a
walk before bedtime for examen. The important thing is to do it. It
is a discipline, to be sure, but a very important one.
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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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