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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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If any of you lack wisdom,

you should pray to God, who will give it to you;

because God gives generously and graciously to all.

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– James 1:5 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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The wisdom referred to here

views everything in the light of Christ crucified – the wisdom of the cross,

which is otherwise seen as foolishness

by those who are headed for destruction! (cf. 1 Cor 1:18)

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This is the wisdom

that enables us to be joyful in the midst of adversity and suffering,

because it allows us to see these things

as an opportunity to share in our Lord’s suffering.

When we find it difficult to view things in this light,

we need to ask God, in faith, to give us this wisdom.

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God gives generously and graciously.

He always listens to our requests,

and He answers them without humiliating us,

without reminding us of our unworthiness.

This should help us address the Lord with complete confidence,

without being inhibited by our shortcomings and sins.

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus,
I believe that You died on the Holy Cross for me,

and that You triumphed over death to give me new life.

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I thank You for Your Cross, O Lord,

which redeems my unworthiness

and guides me through life.

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I thank You for Your love, O Lord,

which You freely pour out on me,

because You are good

and Your mercy is forever.

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O most generous Lord,

grant me the wisdom that I need

to always be strong in my faith,

and to always have full and complete trust in Your love and goodness.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O good and merciful Lord,

thank You for Your wisdom, guidance, and love.

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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 16:7 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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It seems that keeping up appearances

is the most important objective in our lives today.

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We want people to evaluate us and appreciate us

by what we look like,

by what we seem to own,

by all kinds of outwardly ways and means

which we seem so keen to show off

so that we can be noticed and accepted

…or so we would like to think!

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We ourselves tend to rate, criticise and judge others in the same manner,

frequently pouring scorn – sometimes privately, sometimes publically –

on those who do not appear to meet our ideal;

who may come from a different social background;

who we may decide to disapprove of, for umpteen reasons.

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But as Christians, we should know better.

We should know that what matters most is what is in the heart.

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Jesus told the Pharisees of His day,

and He still tells us today, that

“the things that are considered of great value by people

are worth nothing in God’s sight.” (Lk 16:15)

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Jesus also warns us:

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.

For you will be treated as you treat others.

The standard you use in judging

is the standard by which you will be judged.” (Mt 7:1-2)

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PRAYER…

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My Lord Jesus,

You chose to be born in a humble manger,

rather than in a palace fit for a King.

You were never one for superficiality,

and it was Your unpretentious and loving demeanor

which, till today, leaves me in awe of You

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Because only You know what is in everybody’s heart,

grant O Lord, that I will always strive to love all others

in the manner You taught me

and as I love myself.

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When You look into my heart, Lord,

may it be worthy of Your love.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, make my heart worthy of Your love.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God.

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You will reap exactly what you plant.

If you plant in the field of your natural desires,

from it you will gather the harvest of death;

if you plant in the field of the Spirit,

from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life.

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So let us not become tired of doing good;

for if we do not give up,

the time will come when we will reap the harvest.

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– Galatians 6:7-9 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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There are some who live

as if the Lord were not going to ask them to render an account some day

– as if they could fool God, or deceive Him!

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QUOTE…

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“…to do good was to sow;

and when one sows, at first there is nothing but loss:

the sower divests himself of what he has

for the sake of what he hopes to gain.

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…we should not grow weary,

we should not give up doing good,

we should put our hope in God.”

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– St. John of Avila

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PRAYER…

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Lord God,

I so want to do You will.

I so want to act in obedience to Your commands.

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Lord, give me the strength, the determination, and all I need

to sow only what comes from You,

that I may reap in Your name,

and rejoice in the harvest to come.

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Lord, remove all my stubbornness,

my selfishness, my darkness,

and plant in me

the seed of love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

and make them grow in me

so I can serve You well.

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Help me to persevere in sowing Your word and Your love.

Let Your word live and be active in me.

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Direct me, Lord,

and use me.

Apart from You I can do nothing,

but with you, all things are possible!

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Lord, You are my hope,

and I so want to love You

and serve You, always.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord, my hope,

I so want to love You and serve You…always.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“No one puts new wine into old wineskins.

For the wine would burst the wineskins,

and the wine and the skins would both be lost.

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New wine calls for new wineskins.”

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– Mark 2:21 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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To gladly receive and adhere to Christ’s teaching,

we must be prepared to renew ourselves spiritually;

dispose of the old egocentric, weak and immoral self;

change our enslaving habits and attitudes;

and make every effort to become more like Christ, our mentor.

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The Spirit gladly gives new life to the humble and contrite heart,

in which the Word of Christ will then richly dwell,

and which can then look forward to everlasting salvation.

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On the other hand, claiming to accept Christ’s Gospel

while not being willing to completely change our old life,

reflects unrepentant pride

…and is spiritually self-destructive.

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PRAYER…

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Create in me a new heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

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Holy Spirit,

melt me,

mould me and change me,

fill me and use me.

Guide me and teach me,

take control,

and make me more like Jesus.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Spirit of God, change me, renew me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Patient endurance is what you need now,

so that you will continue to do God’s will.

Then you will receive all that He has promised.

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– Hebrews 10:36 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Here, “patient endurance” refers to two things

– the strength that enables us to stay loyal despite persecution;

and the confidence in God’s promise

which comes from a deep faith and the trust.

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Moved by the Holy Spirit,

the Christian therefore awaits the outcome of persecution loyally and cheerfully.

As St. Ignatius of Antioch says,

"It is our duty, particularly when the cause is God’s,

to accept trials of all kinds,

if we ourselves are to be accepted by Him."

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PRAYER…

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Holy Spirit,

my counsellor, my strength,

fill me with the patient endurance that I need

to be always faithful,

and to overcome my weaknesses, my selfishness,

and all temptation and trials.

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Holy Spirit,

mark me with the joy and peace that only You bring;

and instil in me true faith and trust,

that I may be made worthy of the promised life everlasting.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Holy Spirit, make me faithful and true.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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As Jesus walked along,

He saw a tax collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office.

Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

Levi got up and followed Him.

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– Mark 2:14 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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“Follow me.”

This is what Jesus is telling us…all the time, “Follow me.”

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He loves us,

He came to teach us the truth,

to lead us by example,

to die for us and save us.

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He came to guide us along the narrow path

– a path of love and hope

that leads to life everlasting in His glorious presence.

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We know who Jesus is;

we know what He represents.

He is calling us.

Now it is up to us, individually, to decide

whether to follow Him

…or not..

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PRAYER…

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Jesus, my Good Shepherd,

thank You for the grace of knowing You.

Thank You for Your great love for me.

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Jesus, I have heard You call,

asking me to follow You,

and here I am, O Lord.

Please hold my hand and lead me.

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I need You to guide me along the way;

to pick me up when I fall;

to encourage me when I falter;

to talk to me and teach me

as I feel Your love along the way.

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I need You, sweet Jesus, to fill me

with that joy and peace that only comes from being with You,

I need to hang on to You, Lord,

as I battle with the urges and temptations

that seek to remove my focus from You,

intent on dragging me away from You

and on making me lose my way.

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Here I am, Lord Jesus,

holding Your hand;

following You.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Here I am, Lord Jesus, holding You hand

and following You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I will sing for ever of Your love, O Lord.

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– Psalm 89:1 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Sing, earnest Christian, sing

…for the Lord our God is with us!

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Praise, grateful believer, praise

…because He is worthy, ever so worthy!

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Worship, humble disciple, worship

…for Christ is King and Lord of Lords!

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Proclaim, joyful follower, proclaim

…that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,

and that His love lasts for ever!

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PRAYER…

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O Lord, my God,

I could sing of Your love forever!

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Over the mountains and the sea
Your river runs with love for me,
and I will open up my heart
and let the Healer set me free.
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I’m happy to be in the truth
and I will daily lift my hands:
for I will always sing
of when Your love came down.
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I could sing of Your love forever!

I could sing of Your love forever!

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Forever, Jesus, forever!

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Today’s Prayer is from the lyrics of the song .

You can join in singing this heartfelt song of praise and worship by clicking .

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, I could sing of Your love forever!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

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– Galatians 5:16 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Be inspired by the Holy Spirit,

do not resist Him

but yield willingly to His suggestions; to His counsel.

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Make the Word, inspired by Him, your rule of behaviour,

and it will be a Lamp to your feet,

and a Light for your path.

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The Spirit will be Your Guide

to the Truth

and along the Way of holiness and righteousness

leading to the Land of Uprightness.

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The Holy Spirit helps us resist temptation

and strengthens our resolve to overcome selfish and corrupt instincts

that only seem to care about the initial glittering prospects,

while capriciously ignoring the pain, destruction and corruption

which our self-centered foolishness produces.

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PRAYER…

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Breathe into me, Holy Spirit,

that my thoughts may all be holy.

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Move in me, Holy Spirit,

that my work, too, may be holy.

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Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,

that I may love only what is holy.

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Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,

that I may defend all that is holy.

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Protect me, Holy Spirit,

that I may always be holy.

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Amen.

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[ Today’s Prayer is by St. Augustine]