Conduct towards outsiders

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of judgment. 1

You are the salt of the earth. 2 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 3 Always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame. 4

Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 5

Speak evil of no one, avoid quarrelling, be gentle, show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy. 6

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 7

 

1 1 Pet 2.11-12 2 Mt 5.13 3 Col 4.5-6 4 1 Pet 3.15-16 5 1 Th 4.11-12 6 Titus 3.2-5 7 Mt 5.14-16

Generosity

 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. 1 

You shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. 

You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 2

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 3

Be rich in good works, be generous and ready to share, 4 Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 5

If you pour yourself out for the hungry

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then shall your light rise in the darkness

and your gloom be as the noonday.

And the LORD will guide you continually

and satisfy your desire in scorched places

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters do not fail. 6

 

1 Prov 19.17 2 Deut 15.7-8,10 3 2Cor 9.7-8 4 1Tim 6.18 5 2Cor 9.6 6 Isa 58.10-11

Seek me and live

 God and Jesus says

 

The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 1 Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. 2

Turn to me and be saved. 3 Cease to do evil, learn to do good. 4 

I, I am he, who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. 5 Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 6

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 7 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 10

Seek me and live. 11

 

1 Matt 7.14 2 Jer 6.16 3 Isa 45.22 4 Isa 1.16-17 5 Isa 43.25 6 Isa 1.18 7 Jer 29.12-13 8 Jer 33.3 9 Matt 7.7-8 10 Jn 14.6 11 Am 5.4

 

My Purpose will Stand

 God says

 

I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ 1

“‘Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass. 2 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. 3 I am watching over my word to perform it. 4

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 5 

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. 6 I work, and who can turn it back?” 7 As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, 8

 

1 Isa 46.9-10 2 Isa 37.26 3 Isa 42.9 4 Jer 1.12 5 Isa 55.10-11 6 Isa 46.11 7 Isa 43.13 8 Isa 14.24

A Collective Prayer

You, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter, we are all the work of your hand. 1 All that we have accomplished you have done for us. 2 Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory. 3 We give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 4

LORD, we have often rebelled; we have sinned against you. 5 We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 6

Help us, God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. 7

LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. 8 Let the light of your face shine on us. 9 Establish the work of our hands for us. 10 May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you. 11

Amen! 12

 

1 Isa 64.8 2 Isa 26.12 3 Ps 115.1 4 1Chr 29.13 5 Jer 14.7 6 Dan 9.18 7 Ps 79.9 8 Isa 33.2 9 Ps 4.6 10 Ps 90.17 11 Ps 33.22 12 Ps 106.48

Redeemed

You shall remember that you were a slave and the Lord your God redeemed you. 1 God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, 2 to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, 3 the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 4

Do you not know that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price, 5 redeemed without money. 6 You were not  redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 7

You are a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 8

Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer. 9 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary 10

 

1 Deut 24.18 2 Gal 4.4-5 3 Titus 2.14 4 Ac 20.28 5 1Cor 6.19-20 6 Isa 52.3 7 1Pt 1.18-19 8 1Pt 2.9 9 Ruth 4.14 10 Ps 107.1-2

Prayer for healing

Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. 1 Days of affliction have taken hold of me. The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest. 2

For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forgot to eat my bread, I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop, my days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass. 3

O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days. 4 Oh restore me to health and make me live! 5

Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word, my soul clings to the dust; give me life! 6 Be gracious to me, O LORD, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises. 7 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. 8

 

1 Ps 6.2-3 2 Job 30.16-17 3 Ps 102.3-4,7,11 4 Ps 102.24 5 Is 38.16 6 Ps 119.17,25 7 Ps 9.13-14 8 Jer 17.14