“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Posted on 12 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Do you not know

that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,

who is in you,

whom you have received from God?

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You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.

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– 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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What is the Spirit telling so many of us right in the middle of summer?

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Honour God with your bodies,

dress appropriately,

respect yourselves,

respect the Lord, your God

and never forget that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

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Wanting to look good and fashionable is understandable,

but dressing immodestly is something else.

It can lead others to sin

– to lust, and perhaps even beyond.

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We also mustn’t forget

that even though others may not fall into the sin we make attractive to them,

we will nevertheless still be guilty of promoting the evil.

Remember what Jesus tells us:

“There will always be temptations to sin,

but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!” (Lk 17:1)

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QUOTE…

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“God loves a modest Selfie.”

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– Anon

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, come live in me – take over!

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Psalm 46:10

Posted on 11 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“Be still, and know that I am God!”

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– Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)

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PRAYER…

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Be stilled my spirit in quiet and peace

Slow my pace in solace without cease.

Let my silence be deep and wide

So God might be allowed to creep inside.

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All noise and turmoil banished be

Leaving only God and me

To walk upon the waters of life

With nary a fear of drowning in strife.

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Be still, be still, be still and know

The God from whom all goodness flows.

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Amen.

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[*]

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, quieten my spirit, that I may know You better;

love You more; and do Your will.

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Matthew 14:23

Posted on 10 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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[Jesus]went up into the hills by Himself to pray.

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– Matthew 14:23 (NLT)

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REFLECTIONS ON PRAYER…

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Jesus leads by example.

If He, the Son of the living God, makes the time to pray,

and seeks places where He can pray profoundly,

then surely the least we can do is imitate Him!

…from the Catechism of the Catholic Church…

"Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." 1

But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will,

or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? 2

He who humbles himself will be exalted; 3humility is the foundation of prayer,

Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," 4

are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer.

"Man is a beggar before God." 5 [CCC2559]

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"If you knew the gift of God!" 6

The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water:

there, Christ comes to meet every human being.

It is He who first seeks us and asks us for a drink.

Jesus thirsts; His asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us.

Whether we realise it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours.

God thirsts that we may thirst for Him. 7 [CCC2560]

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"You would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 8

Paradoxically our prayer of petition is a response to the plea of the living God:

"They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters,

and hewn out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water!" 9

Prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of salvation

and also a response of love to the thirst of the only Son of God. 10 [CCC2561]

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1 St. John Damascene
2 Ps 130:1.
3 Cf. Lk 18:9-14.
4 Rom 8:26.
5 St. Augustine
6 Jn 4:10.
7 Cf. St. Augustine
8 Jn 4:10.
9 Jer 2:13.
10 Cf. Jn 7:37-39; 19:28; Isa 12:3; 51:1; Zech 12:10; 13:1.
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QUOTE…

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“The Lord tells us: ‘the first task in life is this: prayer.’

But not the prayer of words, like a parrot;

but the prayer, the heart: gazing on the Lord, hearing the Lord, asking the Lord […].”
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– Pope Francis

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, my God, I thirst for You, I need You, I love You!

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Matthew 16:24

Posted on 8 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“If any of you wants to be my follower,

you must turn from your selfish ways,

take up your cross,

and follow me.”

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– Matthew 16:24 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Following Jesus means taking the way of the cross

– and it leads to life!

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Jesus encourages us and insists that we embrace the crosses in our life,

thereby accepting sacrifice and suffering

as we follow His directions

to eternal life and joy in the place He has prepared for us.

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But selfishness, self-centeredness and pride

can persuade us to avoid carrying the cross at any cost,

even if it ultimately means not following Christ.

If we choose this way, it will lead us to death…to nothingness.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, I want to follow You.

Please help me carry my burdens,

and lead me along Your path to eternal life.

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Matthew 16:15-16

Posted on 8 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“What about you?” Jesus asked His disciples.

“Who do you say I am?”

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Simon Peter answered,

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

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– Matthew 16:15-16 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Imagine Jesus turn to you and asking,

“What about you?”

“Who do you say I am?”.

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Not an easy question for so many of us Christians to answer meaningfully,

especially if we don’t spend quality time with the Lord.

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Who is Jesus for me?

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If I don’t make time for Him

…to get to know Him and learn from Him through Scripture;

to listen to His voice;

to share my thoughts and feelings with Him;

for Him to help me look closely at myself;

to see what He wants from me;

to just be with Him and simply share some special quiet moments…

then I really don’t know Jesus

and whatever answer I may give Him,

He will know that it is not coming from the heart.

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Jesus knows exactly what’s in my heart.

Jesus knows if He is special and important for me,

and He knows my answer before I even begin to utter it.

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Who is Jesus for me?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, Son of the Living God,

have mercy on me, a sinner!

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Psalm 119:160

Posted on 6 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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All Your words are true;

all Your righteous laws are eternal.

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– Psalm 119:160 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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The more we embrace God’s word

and the closer we get to Jesus,

the more we get to realise that He is the Truth;

and the greater becomes our reassurance that His is the only Way.

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All who receive God’s Divine Word

in humility, faith and love,

and in obedience,

will realise that it is truth – the pure and absolute truth –

because it is only the “truth” that brings true peace to the heart.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Speak to me, Lord,

and grant me the grace to listen, to ponder, and to obey.

Lord, give me Your peace.

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Psalm 63:1

Posted on 6 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

Read the “Lamp” on-line – click on >> www.alamptomyfeet.org. Share the link with your family and friends.

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Matthew 15:14b

Posted on 5 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“If one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”

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– Matthew 15:14b (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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If the blind lead the blind,

both shall fall

into the pit of ignorance and error;

of irreverence, immorality and un-holiness;

of distress and despair;

of the ruin and destruction of their soul.

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If my faith in Christ is weak,

it must be because I do not know Him well

and a result of not having made time for Him.

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If I am blind to the True Light which enlightens us,

then I could easily find myself seeking counsel, help and advice

– sometimes without even realising it –

from friends or “professionals”

who are, consciously or otherwise, more blind then I am.

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Why do I, a baptised Christian,

seek solutions from sources that do not recognise Christ as Lord?

Why am I so ready to compromise and put aside my religious beliefs?

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It is either because

I have not really delved enough into the Truth

that has been with me since my Baptism,

or else it is simply because

the solution that Christ gives me is not the one I want to hear!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, come to my aid

and save me with Your Light and Truth!

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – Jeremiah 33:2-3

Posted on 4 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The Lord, who made the earth,

who formed it and set it in place,

spoke to me.

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He whose name is the Lord said,

“Call to me, and I will answer you;

I will tell you wonderful and marvellous things

that you know nothing about.”

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– Jeremiah 33:2-3 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord God Almighty

speaks to every one of us

– if only we would stop,

go to a quiet place,

give Him from our time,

and call out to Him who loves us so.

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When we humbly call upon the Lord,

He will rush to embrace us,

to quieten our restless soul,

and He will tell us all about ourselves;

all about Himself and His love for us;

all about His Kingdom.

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When we humbly call upon the Lord,

the eyes of our heart will be opened

and we will experience His great love;

learn about His bountiful mercy;

and enjoy the incredible peace that only He brings.

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He will help us see beyond ourselves

into what surpasses our understanding

yet fills us with indescribable hope and joy.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Here I am, Lord!

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“a Lamp to my feet. a Light for my path.” – 1 Samuel 16:7b

Posted on 3 August 2014 by Christ the King Prayer Group

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.

People judge by outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart.”

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– 1 Samuel 16:7b (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Keeping up appearances

is, unfortunately, what life is very much about

for so many these days,

and people-watching is the most popular pastime

especially for those who like to gossip.

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We tend to assess and judge others by their lifestyle;

by what we see from the outside,

and we believe that others judge us in exactly the same way.

So we tend to take great care of our outward appearance

…and forget or put aside what we are truly like inside.

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God, on the other hand, knows us…inside out.

With God, it is our internal lifestyle that matters;

it is what is in our heart.

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The next time I find myself judging others by their outward appearance,

I had better look at myself first

and at the mask I wear to appear to be what I am not.

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The next time I find myself judging others by their outward appearance,

I had better remember that God is looking at me

– right through my mask.

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Would God approve of the mask that I wear,

and of my lifestyle?

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Am I happy with what God sees in me;

with what only He knows about me?

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If not, what am I doing about it?

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QUOTE…

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“The things that are considered of great value by people

are worth nothing in God’s sight.”

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– Our Lord, Jesus Christ (Lk 16:15)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Come, Lord Jesus, right into the depths of my being.

Come and heal me, Lord.

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