Daily Prayer - Practise what you preach

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

Practise what you preach. Not easy, is it?  Well we are not alone here.  The Apostle Paul writes:

For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

 

It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

 

I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

 

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.  (Romans 7:17-25, The Message paraphrase)

Thank God.  Indeed.

 

 

Grace and peace yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Father, we want to grow in the grace and knowledge imparted to us through the teachings of Jesus and Your faithful servants who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

 

We know this involves much more than simply reading the Scriptures, but it includes meditating and memorizing principles and portions of the inspired text.

 

It includes saying "no to ungodliness and worldly passions and living self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."

 

As our world continues the slide into decadence and self-indulgence, it means that we, with great intention, set our heart's desires on that which is pure and holy so that we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in whose name we pray.

 

Amen.

 

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/a-prayer-for-spiritual-growth-3/)

 

 

 

Bruce MacPherson

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

 

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