A LAMP TO MY FEET. A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Those who love me will keep my word,

and my Father will love them,

and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

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– John 14:23 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Keeping Jesus’ word

means being good and faithful in putting His word into practice;

it means never giving up

in seeking to live it sincerely, unstintingly,

fulfilling its every consequence

in the hidden and silent sacrifice of each day.

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Our basic attitude towards the Lord must be faithfulness.

In being faithful, we gladly accept His plan for us.

even though we will never completely understand how it will unfold.

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But faithfulness, for the Christian,

should mean consistency to live in accordance with what one believes;

and to adapt one’s own life accordingly,

without breaking between what one practises and what one believes.

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Duration is the most exacting test of faithfulness,

and duration comes from loyalty.

Loyalty for a day or two is easy,

but we are called to be persistently loyal.

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Am I consistent in my faithfulness to the Lord’s teachings?

Am I truly loyal to God?

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I need to persevere;

I must not give up;

I must keep on asking the Lord to heal me, change me, and renew me.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Come Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

come live in me,

take over, change me,

strengthen my faith and renew my soul.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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     …is a cry for help…

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Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
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I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
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I am weary with my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God.

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–   Psalm 69:1-3 (NRSV)

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     …and a humble prayer of hope. 

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My prayer is to You, O Lord.
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At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of Your steadfast love,

answer me.
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With Your faithful help

rescue me from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered […] from the deep waters.
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Do not let the flood sweep over me,
or the deep swallow me up,
or the Pit close its mouth over me.

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Answer me, O Lord,

for Your steadfast love is good;
according to Your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Do not hide Your face from Your servant,
for I am in distress – make haste to answer me.
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Draw near to me, redeem me,
set me free…

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…I am lowly and in pain;
let Your salvation, O God, protect me.

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–   Psalm 69:13-18, 29 (NRSV)

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TODAY’S REFLECTION…    

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     …is an expression of faith and trust.

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Praise the name of God with a song;
magnify Him with thanksgiving.
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[…] Let the oppressed see it and be glad;
you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
For the Lord hears the needy,
and does not despise His own that are in bonds.

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–   Psalm 69:30-33 (NRSV).

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…  

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At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of Your steadfast love,

answer me.

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–   Psalm 69:13 

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you;

search, and you will find;

knock, and the door will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives,

and everyone who searches finds,

and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

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– Luke 11:9-10 (NRSV)

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QUOTE…

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“Do you see the effectiveness of prayer when it is done properly?

Are you not convinced like me

that, if we do not obtain what we ask God for, it is because

we are not praying with faith,

with a heart pure enough,

with enough confidence,

or that we are not persevering in prayer the way we should?

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God has never refused nor will ever refuse anything

to those who ask for His graces in the way they should.

Prayer is the great recourse available to us to get out of sin,

to persevere in grace,

to move God’s heart

and to draw upon us all kinds of blessing from Heaven,

whether for the soul

or to meet our temporal needs.”

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– St. John Mary Vianney

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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I ask…I seek…and I knock at Your door, Lord Jesus.

I believe…I persevere…and I trust.

Lord, I accept Your will!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“… Forgive us our sins,
for we forgive everyone who does us wrong…”

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– Luke 11:4a (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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When asked by His disciples to teach them how to pray,

Jesus recited what we call “the Lord’s Prayer”, or the “Our Father”.

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In His prayer, Jesus emphasises

that when we seek God’s forgiveness for our wrongdoings,

we must have forgiven those who did us wrong.

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To expect God to forgive us

while insisting that we do not forgive others

goes squarely against what Jesus Himself instructed us to do

when He taught us:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

This is the greatest and the most important commandment.

The second most important commandment is like it:

“Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’” (Mat 22:37,39)

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Expecting God to forgive us

while insisting that we can not forgive others

is arrogance and hypocrisy at their worst.

If we are like this, we are challenging God

and consciously discounting

how serious and important it is that God pardons us our sins.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord God,

I come before You with a contrite heart.

Give me the strength and the spirit of humility to forgive others,

so that I may truly love You,

and that You may forgive me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

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– Psalm 63:1 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Being with the Lord is like this:

there are times

when we feel like that tree that grows on the bank of a glorious, flowing river;

and then there are times

when we feel like a dry bush in a desert where there’s not a drop of water in sight.

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Both situations can, however, can be of great spiritual significance.

Both can be instances of grace, of truth, of fulfilment.

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The first helps us realise how much God loves us

and how thankful we should be to Him;

the second helps us determine how deep our love for the Lord is;

realise how much we need Him;

and discover how lifeless our soul is without Him.

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Indeed, treasure all such moments.

Thirst for the Lord, always,

let your whole being long for Him,

even when it feels like you are in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My soul thirsts for You, O God,

my whole being longs for You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Trust in the Lord always,

for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

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– Isaiah 26:4 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Trust in the Lord always,

at all times,

in every state and condition,

in times of affliction, temptation, and darkness;

for He will be of loving support,

and in His own time deliver us from every trouble,

and cause all things to work together for our good.

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Trust in the Lord always,

for everything,

for all worldly blessings, and for all spiritual ones,

and for eternal life and happiness;

for He has them,

has promised them,

and will give them.

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The Lord God is the eternal Rock,

in Him is strength,

and this strength is everlasting;

it always continues in Him,

and is always to be had from Him;

He is the "eternal" God,

the refuge of His people.

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When we trust in God

we will not only find strength in Him,

but will also receive from Him that strength that will carry us through life

to that blessedness which is for ever.

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Let us then acknowledge the Lord in all we do,

let us praise Him with every breath that we take,

rely on Him in all our trials

and thank Him for all our blessings.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, my Rock,

I believe in You – increase my faith.

I trust in You – strengthen my trust.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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There is no need to worry;

but if there is anything you need, pray for it,

asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving,

and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand,

will guard your hearts

and your thoughts,

in Christ Jesus.

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– Philippians 4:6-7 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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The message is so clear,

for those of us who want to listen

…and who want to let God lead us through life.

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God is placing His hand on your shoulder – right now.

Trust in Him.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, I know You are near and will carry me through.

Thank You, Lord!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Hear, O Israel:

The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.

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You shall love the LORD your God

with all your heart,

and with all your soul,

and with all your might.

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Keep these words that I am commanding you today,

in your heart.

Recite them to your children

and talk about them when you are at home

and when you are away,

when you lie down

and when you rise.

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– Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (NRSV)

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PRAYER…

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LORD, You are my God,

You alone.

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Lord, I want to love You

with all my heart,

and with all my soul,

and with all my might

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Lord, let me keep Your words and Your commands in my heart.

Let me recite them to my children,

and talk about them when I am at home

and when I am away,

when I lie down

and when I rise.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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LORD, You are my God – You alone. Always!

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TODAY’S WORD…IS TODAY’S PRAYER

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O Lord, You have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.

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I can never escape from Your Spirit!
I can never get away from Your presence!
If I go up to heaven, You are there;
if I go down to the grave, You are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there Your hand will guide me,
and Your strength will support me.

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You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvellous — how well I know it.

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– Psalm 139:1-3,7-10,13-14 (NLT)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Truly I tell you,

unless you change and become like children,

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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– Matthew 18:3 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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When Jesus tells us to be like little children,

He is emphasising that we must change,

remove our misplaced pride and arrogance

…and become humble.

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A little child is not capable of hating anyone,

and is totally innocent of vice,

particularly pride – the worst vice of all.

A little child is simple, humble, and full of trust.

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QUOTE…

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“If you ask me what is the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ,

I shall reply: first humility, second humility and third humility"”

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– St. Augustine

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Save me from myself, Lord Jesus.

Hold my hand and guide me.

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