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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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O God, You are my God, I watch for You from the dawn.

My soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You.

I came to Your sanctuary,

as one in a parched and waterless land,

so that I could see Your might and Your glory.

My lips will praise You, for Your mercy is better than life itself.

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Thus I will bless You throughout my life,

and raise my hands in prayer to Your name;

my soul will be filled as if by rich food,

and my mouth will sing Your praises and rejoice.

I will remember you as I lie in bed,

I will think of You in the morning,

for You have been my helper,

and I will take joy in the protection of Your wings.

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My soul clings to You; Your right hand raises me up.

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– Psalm 63:1-8 (TGP)

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PRAYER…

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O God, You are my God, I thirst for You, I long for You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Do not turn Your back on me.

Do not reject Your servant in anger.

You have always been my helper.

Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,

O God of my salvation!

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– Psalm 27:9 (NLT)

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The Lord will work out His plans for my life –
for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

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– Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

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Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.

Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust Him, and He will help you.

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– Psalm 37:4-5 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Plead with the Lord, in prayer;

call upon Him;

never give up seeking His help.

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Hope in the Lord

and believe in His great love.

Trust in Him totally,

knowing that His plan for you, although so difficult to discern and comprehend, is perfect!

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Have faith and persist with your supplications,

because you know that your Maker loves you

and that He is always with you and will never abandon you.

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus, how often I have wept or complained

because it seemed like You were not with me in my sorrows and sufferings!

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Help me to see clearly,

to look up toward heaven to recognise Your presence in all situations.

Help me to turn to You and find You,

for You never leave me nor abandon me.

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You care even more about me and my problems than I do.

You weep with me. You suffer with me.

And always You are working a plan for my benefit,

to make good come from everything that happens to me.

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Thank You, my Lord and my Teacher.

Amen.

[Today’s Prayer by Terry A. Modica – http://holyland.gnm.org%5D

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The word of the Lord is faithful

and all His works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

and fills the earth with His love.

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The Lord looks on those who revere Him,

on those who hope in His love,

to rescue their souls from death,

to keep them alive in famine.

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Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

The Lord is our help and our shield.

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May Your love be upon us, O Lord,

as we place all our hope in You.

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– Psalm 33:4-5,18-20,22 (TGP)

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REFLECTION…

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Thankful praise is the breath and language of holy joy – which is the heart and soul of praise.

God’s works are all done in truth and with love,

and it is so sad that this earth, which is so full of instances and proofs of God’s abundant goodness,

should be so economical with giving thanks to Him;

so empty of heartfelt praise to the Almighty Creator.

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The eyes of the Lord are, in fact, upon all of mankind;

but they are directed with special attention to those who revere Him and trust in Him.

They feel loved and secure because they know that God’s eyes are on them;

that He knows their needs;

that He sees their dangers;

that He has ample power to keep their souls alive

and to deliver and save them,

to guard and protect them,

and to bless and feed them with His Word of life and truth.

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True piety leads people to depend on the Lord;

to confidently look out for Him in every situation;

to faithfully rely on Him for all the needs of this life and for salvation in the life to come.

For them God is their Defender, their Protector, their Shield.

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Let us place all our hope in the Lord;

let us have an intense and burning desire for His grace;

let us be fully confident in His gracious love for us.

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Find your delight in the LORD,

who grants your heart’s desire.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in Him, and He will act,

and make your uprightness shine like the light,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:4-6)

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PRAYER…

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O Risen Lord, my help, my shield, thank You for Your amazing love

and may I always treasure it, delight in it, and place all my hope in it!

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TODAY’S WORD – a prayer of confidence in the Lord…

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Protect me, O God; I trust in You for safety.

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I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

all the good things I have come from You.”

You, Lord, are all I have,

and You give me all I need;

my future is in Your hands.

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I praise the Lord, because He guides me,

and in the night my conscience warns me.

I am always aware of the Lord’s presence;

He is near, and nothing can shake me.

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And so I am thankful and glad,

and I feel completely secure…

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You will show me the path that leads to life;

Your presence fills me with joy

and brings me pleasure forever.

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– Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-9,11 (GNT)

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Bless the Lord, my soul!

Lord God, how great You are,

clothed in majesty and glory,

wrapped in light as in a robe!

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– Psalm 104:1-2 (TGP)

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You that are righteous, be glad and rejoice

because of what the Lord has done.

You that obey Him, shout for joy!

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– Psalm 32:11 (GNT)

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May all who come to You

be glad and joyful.

May all who are thankful for Your salvation

always say, “How great is the Lord!”

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– Psalm 40:16 (GNT)

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PRAYER…

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How great You are, Lord!

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Thank You for Your resurrection

and Your promise of eternal life.

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Lord, help me to live in the joy and grace of Easter Sunday, every day.

Fill my heart till overflowing, with thankfulness for your sacrifice.

Give me eyes that look upon Your grace and rejoice in my salvation.

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How great You are, Lord!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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We wait in hope for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

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May Your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

even as we put our hope in You.

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– Psalm 33:20,22 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Today is the day we fall silent, sinking deeper into our prayers,

holding vigil through the night as we usher in the light of God.

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Today is Holy Saturday,

the day when Jesus’ friends awoke with swollen eyes and aching heads;

the day when Jesus’ followers asked in bewilderment,

“What happened yesterday?”

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Today is the day we wait.

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Today we deeply reflect on the way we have lived our lives so far,

reflecting on where and in what we have displeased the Lord,

as we begin to understand “what happened yesterday”

and why it happened.

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Today we wait in hope

for Him to redeem us,

to free us from our past,

to heal and change us,

to restore and renew us,

to bring us to a new place in our lives – closer to Him!

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PRAYER…

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Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Come, my Saviour, come.

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TODAY’S WORD…and prayer…

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Rise up, come to our help.
Redeem us for the sake of Your steadfast love.

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– Psalm 44:26 (NRSV)

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TODAY’S WORD…

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You have done many good things for me, Lord,

just as You promised.

I believe in Your commands;

now teach me good judgment and knowledge.

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I used to wander off until You disciplined me;

but now I closely follow Your Word.

You are good and do only good;

teach me Your decrees.

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– Psalm 119:65-68 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Aimlessness,

lack of spiritual direction,

the never ending spiral of worldly pursuits,

and then,

those terrible moments of crisis,

those humiliating situations,

that desperation…

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Those humble enough to admit their misdeeds and transgressions

and who then look at God for redemption and direction,

will come to realise that His Word is the guiding light of direction and truth.

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Humble contrition before God,

and the desire to listen to Him and to be guided by Him,

brings us to truly appreciate the priceless value of God’s Word,

what it has helped us out of,

and where it will lead us to.

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PRAYER…

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Lord, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge; teach me Your decrees.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I will praise God with a song;

I will proclaim His greatness by giving Him thanks.

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– Psalm 69:30 (GNT)

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All who find safety in You will rejoice;

they can always sing for joy.

Protect those who love You;

because of You they are truly happy.

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– Psalm 5:11 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Am I a believer?

Do I seek to follow the Lord’s commands and do His will?

Do I love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and strength?

If so, then surely my spirit is lifted up each time I call upon Him,

knowing that He is wonderfully present and listening to me!

Surely such faith prompts my spirit to burst into songs of joy and praise.

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God is pleased when we magnify Him with thanksgiving, with praise and with thanks,

also and especially when we are going through trials and suffering.

Praise and gratitude are genuine gifts from a heart that loves God no matter what,

and while it may take a very strong mental effort to think of singing in the midst of certain situations in life,

our love for the Lord should know no bounds

and so we must determinedly set ourselves free and gladly sing to our Almighty Creator.

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I don’t have to sing out loud…for the Lord hears what comes from deep inside

and it so pleases Him that we have a song in our hearts lifting up His holy name.

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A song of praise and thanks from the heart is the most beautiful prayer we can make to the Lord,

even as we implore His assistance.

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QUOTE…

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"He who sings prays twice.”

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– St. Augustine

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PRAYER…

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Come, O Holy Spirit, and fill my heart with song,

and let it burst with emotion into thanksgiving and praise for the One who loves me so!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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In You, O Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

incline Your ear to me and save me.

Be to me a rock of refuge,

a strong fortress, to save me,

for You are my rock and my fortress.

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– Psalm 71:1-3 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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There is a secure place

which is always open

to those who seek love and truth,

a place that has withstood the ravages of time

– that place, that fortress, that rock of the Lord,

where one can only find joy, peace and eternal promise.

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It requires effort and determination to get there,

but constantly calling upon the Lord will ensure that we do.

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PRAYER…

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My Lord God Almighty,

I acknowledge You as my Rock and my Fortress.

You are my Refuge – the Place I want to be.

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You are my Strength – all I need,

and I call out to You Lord,

to help me get through those dark moments of my life.

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Increase my faith, O God,

and reinforce my determination to trust in You

and to always follow Your way, Your truth, Your life.

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Lord, forgive me, help me, save me.

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Amen.

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