Tag: Prayer

Sins Forgiven

Luke 7:44-50

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”See the source image

The Bible has several references on the subject of Forgiveness. One of them being the above and I suppose one of the most common ones.

As humans for some of us the act of forgiveness is not easy, we can indeed find it very hard to forgive someone how has done wrong by us or upset us in some way.

Jesus speaks of a woman washing his feet with her tears and hair, he also mentions that she anointed his feet with ointment and because of this her sins were forgiven .

Let us learn to be as forgiving as humanly possible throughout the whole year. Forgiveness is not a something that comes easy to some people,  these people need to find that inner strength from the Lord.

God’s Spirit

Isaiah 61; 1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me.See the source image
Melt me, mould me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me

I remember this was one of the many prayer choruses I came to learn of by heart as a young adult and one that has spoke a lot to me in my Christian life . It’s a prayer chorus that kind of speaks for itself, a chorus of prayer and  repentance.

 

How to Worship

1 Corinthians 14 New International Version

Good Order in Worship

26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

34 Women[f] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.[g]

36 Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.[h]

39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

One of my favourite prayer choruses is ‘Prayer gently lifts me’ and the words to this simple chorus are displayed in the video

Sins Forgiven

Photo by Rodolfo Clix on Pexels.com

Luke 7:44-50

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The Bible has several references on the subject of Forgiveness. One of them being the above and I suppose one of the most common ones.

As humans for some of us the act of forgiveness is not easy, we can indeed find it very hard to forgive someone how has done wrong by us or upset us in some way.

Jesus speaks of a woman washing his feet with her tears and hair, he also mentions that she anointed his feet with ointment and because of this her sins were forgiven .

Let us learn to be as forgiving as humanly possible throughout the whole year. Forgiveness is not a something that comes easy to some people,  these people need to find that inner strength from the Lord.

God forgive me for my many sins
Ease my troubled mind place of peace within
Guide my feet so I can walk with Thee
And if I hurt someone along the way God please forgive me
If my hands can help a small child’s pain then let it be
And if my eyes can find a trouble heart then let them see
Guide my lips to say the words to help all those who fear
Let me show the lost and lonely that God’s love is near
God forgive me if I go astray
If things I do go wrong if I loose my way
I know I’ll find you in the darkest night
I’ll feel your love and I’ll see your guiding light
So if I go astray if I should loose my way
In every prayer I’ll say God please forgive me

Gethsemane

Gethsemane, Gethsemane,

Where Jesus knelt and prayed;

The soldiers came to capture Him,

By friends He was betrayed.

O Calvary, O Calvary,

Where Jesus bled and died;

For me He bore the taunts and jeers,

For me was crucified.

Dark sepulchre, dark sepulchre,

Where Jesus’ body lay;

But Satan’s powers He overcame

O glorious Easter Day.

O victory, O victory,

Christ died to make men whole.

He gave me life by giving His;

The ransom for my soul.

Faith – an incredible source of strength

Faith can be an incredible source of strength during tough times. Here are a few ways it can help:

  1. Providing Hope: Faith often nurtures a sense of hope, reminding individuals that difficult circumstances are temporary and that better days lie ahead.
  2. Offering Perspective: Belief in something greater can put challenges into a broader context, offering reassurance that there’s a purpose or plan even in hardship.
  3. Building Community: Faith often connects individuals to supportive communities, like congregations or groups, where they can find encouragement and understanding.
  4. Instilling Resilience: Trust in God, or a higher power, can inspire perseverance and courage, enabling people to face adversity with greater strength.
  5. Encouraging Reflection: Through prayer, meditation, or worship, faith encourages self-reflection and peace of mind, which can be grounding in chaotic times.

Sins Forgiven

Luke 7:44-50

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”Image result for Sins Firgiven

The Bible has several references on the subject of Forgiveness. One of them being the above and I suppose one of the most common ones.

As humans for some of us the act of forgiveness is not easy, we can indeed find it very hard to forgive someone how has done wrong by us or upset us in some way.

Jesus speaks of a woman washing his feet with her tears and hair, he also mentions that she anointed his feet with ointment and because of this her sins were forgiven .

Let us learn to be as forgiving as humanly possible throughout the whole year. Forgiveness is not a something that comes easy to some people,  these people need to find that inner strength from the Lord.

When we need Prayer

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When my heart was so broken that I could not pray,
When love wasn’t easy to see.
Someone was there, somebody cared,
Somebody prayed for me.

Somebody went to the throne of heaven,
Somebody lifted my name.
Bringing me into His holy presence,
Saying what I could not say.
Somebody showed me the face of His mercy,
When darkness was all I could see.
Somebody pleaded the Blood of Jesus,
Somebody prayed for me.

When the future looked hopeless and I’d given up,See the source image
When I had lost sight of my dreams
Somebody near, dried every tear,
Somebody prayed for me.

Somebody went to the throne of heaven,
Somebody lifted my name.
Bringing me into His holy presence,
Saying what I could not say.
Somebody showed me the face of His mercy,
When darkness was all I could see.
Somebody pleaded the Blood of Jesus,
Somebody prayed for me.

Somebody went to the throne of heaven,
Somebody lifted my name.
Bringing me into His holy presence,
Saying what I could not say.
Somebody showed me the face of His mercy,
When darkness was all I could see.
Somebody pleaded the Blood of Jesus,
Somebody prayed, Somebody prayed,
Somebody prayed, Somebody prayed,
Somebody prayed, Somebody prayed for me,
Somebody Prayed for me.

I picked this song because in the video you will see photos of the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York along with some other poor and caring photos.

It always amazes me how quick people come together to unite in time of disaster and grief in the video we see a soldier cradling a little girl, probably to comfort her and a London policeman sitting on steps talking to homeless person.

Holy Ground

Image result for Holy Ground

Exodus 3 New International Version 

Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

As I walked
Through the doors
I sensed his presence
And i knew
This was a place
Where love abounds
For this is a temple
The Jehovah God abides here
we are standing
In his presence
On holy ground

We are standing
On holy ground
And i know,
I know there are angels
All around
Let us praise,
Praise Jesus now
we are standing

On holy ground

In his presence
there is joy
Beyond all measure
And at his feet
peace of mind
Can still be found
If you have a need
I know he has the answer
reach out and claim it
For we are standing
On holy ground

We are standing
On holy ground
And i know,
I know there are angels
All around
Let us praise,
Praise Jesus now
we are standing

On holy ground

We are standing
On holy ground
And i know,
I know there are angels
All around
Let us praise,
Praise Jesus now
we are standing

On holy ground.

In his holy wonderful presence
He loves us in our hour of sorrow
He’s our hope, our hope for tomorrow
We are standing in his presence
In holy ground
Holy ground

Looking to Jesus

Romans 6:23 English Standard Version

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 25:31-46 English Standard Version

See the source image

The Final Judgment
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Two prayer choruses that we all sing in church ‘Open our eyes, Lord and Turn your eyes upon Jesus’ we need these choruses to help us reach out to him when we pray for guidance and help, when our faith has perhaps taken a knock as well.

Perhaps we may be a little depressed, what ever the reason we must remember the Lord is there for us in times of need.