Daily Prayer

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

Do you find yourself working harder and harder and not getting ahead?  Or worse yet, falling behind?  Do you have less money left over to give to your church and other charitable organizations?  Perhaps you are looking at this equation the wrong way around.  God says the more we give, the more He will give to us.   In fact He CHALLENGES us to try to out-give Him:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,"" says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

(Malachi 3:10)

 

But He also says that if we are not willing to give, He will withhold His blessings: 

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD's house.'"

 

Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

 

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."  

(Haggai 1:2-6)

 

Personal experience tells me God is faithful with this promise (as He is with all His promises). Since we started putting aside the first portion of our income for God's work, regardless of what else had to be paid, He has stabalized our finances significantly.  There is not nearly as much "juggling" of funds as we had prior to making that decision.  In fact, we were able to increase our givings.

 

How about you?  Are you ready and willing to trust Him?

 

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

O merciful Creator,

whose hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature:

Make us, we beseech thee, ever thankful for thy loving providence;

and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give,

may be faithful stewards of thy bounty;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth,

one God, for ever and ever.

 

Amen.

 

(http://library.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=90&page=240)

 

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

 

Daily Prayer

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

What is your "peace meter" reading today?  Are you anxious?  Are you worried about a family member, a friend, or a relationship?  Is work stressing you out?  A serious health issue perhaps?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

Bring your burden to the foot of the Cross and lay it at the feet of the One who created You, and died for you, because He loves you.

 

 

Grace to you and peace be MULTIPLIED!

Bruce

 

O God who is greater than the most powerful forces in this world, enable us to be still & know that you are God.

 

O Lord who answers out of the whirlwind of everyday life, breathe in us your Holy Spirit to strengthen, comfort, & guide us in the midst of the storm.

 

O still, small voice, speak to us this hour, that we might become makers of your peace in our homes, in our communities, in our world.

 

We pray all this in the name of the One who calmed the raging sea.

 

Amen.

 

(http://rockhay.tripod.com/worship/prayers-etc/opening.htm)

 

 

Bruce MacPherson

macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821

 

You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material.

 

If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address.

 

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Daily Prayer

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

Last evening, Rosemary and I had the privilidge of attending a prescreening of a new movie from the folks who produced Facing the Giants and Fireproof.  These are both excellent movies and I recommend you rent, borrow, or buy them (notice I didn't say "steal"!).  Facing the Giants will challenge and encourage your faith.  Fireproof will challange you to look at your marriage in a whole new way and build it into something Godly.

 

The new movie is called Courageous and it is all about being the parent that God created us to be.  It primarily focuses on fathers, but there are lots of applications for mothers as well.  You will see a scene in the trailer where a group of guys are sitting around and one guy tells the main character "you have been a good enough father".  The reply is "I don't want to be a 'good enough' father".  I heard this and I thought about the idea we have been talking about the past few days - profaning God's name by having Him appear less powerful than He is.  As a parent, I have profaned God's name.  I have been far from the father I have been called to be.  Through prayer and studying scripture I hope to learn how to improve on that.  But learning is no good without putting it into practice.  "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  (Proverbs 51:10)

 

"Courageous" opens in theatres everywhere on September 30th.  If you are married, I recommend you attend as a couple.

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

Lord, we pray for the men who are fathers.

 

We pray that they will have the courage to accept all of the responsibilities that entails.

 

We pray they will stand up, face the challenges, and lead their families.

 

We pray they will love, teach, guide, discipline, disciple, respect and protect their sons and daughters.

 

We pray they will look for opportunities to speak into the lives of children around them who have no fathers.

 

We pray you will bless them in their efforts, and support them through the many trials they will face.

 

In the holy name of Your Son, Jesus, we pray.  AMEN.

 

 

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

 

Daily Prayer

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

The last thing we want to do is to profane the name of the Lord by the way we live (see yesterday's message and Ezekiel 36:19-23).  Instead, we want those around us to see that God has created a permanent, positive change in us.  It is never too late for that change to happen, but we cannot do it by our own will – it has to come from God.  And it will only come from God if we ask for it (and truly want it!).

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

May all I do today
begin with you, O Lord.
Plant dreams and hopes
within my soul,
revive my tired spirit:
be with me today.

May all I do today
continue with your help, O Lord.
Be at my side
and walk with me:
Be my support today.

May all I do today
reach far and wide, O Lord.
My thoughts, my work, my life:
make them blessings
for your kingdom;
let them go beyond today,
O God.

(http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/today.html)

 

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

 

Daily Prayer

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

Since Sunday I have been mulling over one of the points I heard preached in the sermon at our church.  It was based on this passage:

 

I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions. And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, 'These are the LORD's people, and yet they had to leave his land.' I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.

 

"Therefore say to the Israelites, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

 

Ezekiel 36:19-23

 

The point was this: How did the Israelites "profane" the Lord's name?  Was it by "using it in vain" (swearing)?  No.  They profaned His name by not living up to the covenant He had made with them.  They chose to do things "their way", and their sins piled higher and higher until, after repeatedly warning them, He finally sent them into exile in a foreign land.  And the people of that land assumed their God wasn't powerful enough to save them.  That is how they profaned His name.

 

So what about you and me?  Do the people around us see that our God is powerful?  Do they see how He has changed us?  Or do we still look like everyone else?  If they know we bear the "Christian" label but are still trapped by the worries and wants of this world, what does that tell them about our God?  And just to drive this point home, notice what the last line of this scripture says: He will prove Himself holy to the world … through us!

 

As I said, I have been mulling this over because I can see the issues this points to in my life.  How about you?

 

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Father, may I thirst for holiness more than I desire anything else on earth.

 

Father, make me holy in every aspect of my conduct, do in me what You must to do through me what You will.

 

Father, because of my relationship with Jesus, may I count everything as loss and live a new life-style.

 

Father, send the Spirit to take me to the cross and crucify me to the world. Give me a new life-style.

 

God of peace, make me "perfect in holiness." Preserve me "whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thes 5:23).

 

(http://www.presentationministries.com/brochures/BeHoly.asp)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Daily Prayer

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

This prayer is known as the "Te Deum" and is one of the oldest prayers of the Christian church.  It has an element of psalms and a wonderful profession of faith, very much like a creed.

 

Share a few minutes with God this morning while you lift this up to Him.

 

 

Grace and peace and joy be yours in abundance,

Bruce 

 

O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee.

 

To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers,

all the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!

 

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.

 

The glorious choir of the Apostles,

the wonderful company of Prophets,

the white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.

 

Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee:

the Father of infinite Majesty;

Thy adorable, true and only Son;

and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

 

O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

Thou, having taken it upon Thyself to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.

Thou overcame the sting of death and hast opened to believers the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

 

We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.

Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

 

Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance!

Govern them, and raise them up forever.

 

Every day we thank Thee.

And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever.

 

O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.

O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame.

 

(http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/worldPrayer3.html)

 

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Daily Prayer

Good Monday morning, my friends.

 

Sometimes the Holy Spirit can take a piece of familiar scripture can really open our eyes and hearts to what it says.  That happened to me yesterday when I read these words from Psalm 30:

 

Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His,
         And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
 For His anger is but for a moment,
         His favor is for life;
         Weeping may endure for a night,
         But joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:4-5)

 

When we sin, we are deserving of God's anger, and we should be weeping.  We do sin – all of us.  We may be redeemed sinners, but still sinners none the less.  (Not feeling that way? Then maybe you should read 1 John 1:8-10.)

 

Yes, our God has righteous anger when we sin.  But because of what Christ has done for us, His favour, his forgiveness, lasts for eternity!  Are you weeping over something or someone you have lost?  Are you weeping over your sin?  Then look up, look for the morning light, and the joy that dawn will bring.

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 

 

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his passions fail not. 

 

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

 

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in him. 

 

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 

 

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

 

(Lamentations 3:21-26)

 

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Daily Prayer

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

(I realize these "daily" prayers have been anything but daily lately, and I appoligize for that.  My mornings seem to slip away quickly these days, and afternoons are not any better.  I will continue to send these and will endeavour to be more reglular about it.)

 

Two pieces of scripture I have read in the last few days keep swirling around in my head.  They are:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

and

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:33)

It has been said that after the faith decision, everything else is about stewardship.  The question I ask myself is this: Am I being a good steward of all that has been given to me?  The purpose of the question is not to feel guilty and worry about it, but rather to seek God's wisdom (for he gives it freely to all who ask - James 1:5).  And His answer is that the more we seek Him and his righteousness, rather than the materialistic things of this world, the more peace and joy we will have (Matthew 7:33).

 

 

 

Grace and peace and joy be yours in abundance,

Bruce 

 

Lord, may we who have plenty
live simply
so that others may simply live.
Amen.

 

 

O God,
to those who have hunger, give bread,
and to us who have bread,
give the hunger for justice.  -- World Council of Churches

 

(http://www.prayingeachday.org/100Prayers.pdf)

 

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Daily Prayer

Good Monday afternoon, my friends.

 

The Sermon on the Mount is probably the greatest call for peace the world has ever known.  As followers of Christ we need to live it and breath it.  The prayer below is a prayer for peace.  May it be our prayer today and every day.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce 

 

To you, Creator of nature and humanity,

of truth and beauty, I pray:

 

Hear my voice,

for it is the voice

of the victims of all wars and violence

among individuals and nations.

 

Hear my voice,

for it is the voice

of all children who suffer and who will suffer

when people put their faith in weapons and war.

 

Hear my voice

when I beg you to instil

into the hearts of all human beings

the vision of peace,

the strength of justice

and the joy of fellowship.

 

Hear my voice,

for I speak for the multitudes

in every country and in every period of history

who do not want war

and are ready to walk the road of peace.

 

Hear my voice

and grant insight and strength

so that we may always respond

to hatred with love,

to injustice with total dedication to justice,

to need with the sharing of self,

to war with peace.

 

O God, hear my voice,

and grant to the world your everlasting peace.

 

(Pope John Paul II at Hiroshima, Japan, 1981)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Daily Prayer

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

"Teach my heart this day where and how to find you."  That is the opening line of the prayer below.  Read it again and open your heart to Him.  "You have made me and re-made me."  Ain't that the truth.  We must always be open to how God wants to re-make us.

 

Have a great day.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

 

Prayer of St Anselm

 

O Lord my God.

Teach my heart this day

where and how to find you.

 

You have made me and re-made me,

and you have bestowed on me

all the good things I possess,

and still I do not know you.

 

I have not yet done

that for which I was made.

 

Teach me to seek you,

for I cannot seek you

unless you teach me,

or find you

unless you show yourself to me.

 

Let me seek you in my desire;

let me desire you in my seeking.

Let me find you by loving you;

let me love you when I find you.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Daily Prayer

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

Human nature is a funny thing.  The longer I am part of "the Church" the more tendancy I have to become confident in my own "righteousness".  I become like the pharisee in Luke 18:9-13:

   To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

   "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

Don't we all become a little like that sometimes?  We see someone on the street who is panhandling or muttering to themselves and we think "Thank God I'm not like them!"  Or we encounter someone who is arrogantly distainful about faith in God and we see ourselves as so much more enlightened, so much "better".

 

So what happens when I develop this righteous attitude?  Inevitibly, I fail; I sin.  And then I feel deep guilt and remorse and think that I am not worthy to be loved by God because, after all, God hates sin.  (And by extension He hates sinners.)  But why does God hate sin?  Is it because it "offends" Him?  I don't think so.  I think God hates sin because He knows so much better than we do how it hurts us.  He knows that when we sin we cause pain to ourselves and to others. He loves us too much to see us hurting.

 

We have to remember that the Church is NOT a place for "righteous people".  It is a place for redeemed sinners.  Yes we are redeemed, but we are still sinners.  And I (we?) need to continually remind myself of that.

 

(I will be away tomorrow and Monday so you won't likely see another message from me until at least Tuesday.  Have a wonderful weekend.)

 

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,

Bruce 

 

O Father,

 

Give us the humility which

realizes its ignorance, a

dmits its mistakes,

recognizes its need,

welcomes advice,

accepts rebuke.

 

Help us always to

praise rather than to criticize,

to sympathize rather than to discourage,

to build rather than to destroy,

and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst.

 

This we ask for thy name's sake.

 

William Barclay 

(http://www.ramshornstudio.com/humility.htm)

  

 

 

Bruce MacPherson

macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821

 

You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material.

 

If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address.

 

Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

 

 

 

Daily Prayer

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

If you are experiencing worry or anxiety today for any reason, lift this prayer and set your burdens down.

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Bruce

 

 

Lord Jesus,
you told your friends not to worry about the future.

You showed them how to have the attitude of simple trust that young children have,
so that they could place themselves into the caring hands of your Father.

And so I ask for the power of your Spirit that I may remain positive
throughout all that is ordinary in my daily life.

I know that your touch can change people and situations,
and so I ask you to join me in offering to our Father
not only the good things of this day but also the suffering and sacrifices
that I want to offer cheerfully and lovingly, and in a quiet and hidden way.

And so may any difficulties and frustration and pain of this day
be transformed in your presence for the benefit of other people.

 

Amen.

 

(http://www.prayingeachday.org/100Prayers.pdf)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

Daily Prayer

 

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

This morning as I searched for a prayer to share with you, I came across this simple, to the point plea:

 

O Lord,

you know how busy I must be this day.

 

If I forget you,

do not forget me.

 

Perhaps it was the circumstances in which it was written that makes it so interesting.  Purportedly it was written by one Sir Jacob Astley just before the Battle of Edgehill, 1642!

 

We may not be going to war today, at least not in the traditional sense, but it is so easy for us in our day to day lives to forget that God is there with us.  But He will never forget us.

 

It is best, however, to include God in all that we do – offer Him your day (and indeed your whole self) with the prayer below.

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

Lord Jesus,

I give you my hands to do your work.

I give you my feet to go your way.

I give you my eyes to see as you do.

I give you my tongue to speak your words.

I give you my mind that you may think in me.

I give you my spirit that you may pray in me.

Above all,

I give you my heart that you may love in me

your Father and all mankind.

I give you my whole self that you may grow in me,

so that it is you, Lord Jesus,

who live and work and pray in me. 

(http://www.prayingeachday.org/100Prayers.pdf)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.