This week’s prayer:
Almighty God,
you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life:
Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of this redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Wow, this week’s prayer is full of wonderful theology, focused on the work of Christ in our lives.
Jesus offers us forgiveness and redemption, and shows us what it means to live a holy life.
You might say it sums up what the Christian life is all about.
Christ’s gift of salvation is free, but often it takes special grace to receive the fruits of His work. Maybe we don’t believe we deserve to live free of regret or guilt or sin. Maybe we can’t believe that God loves us so completely and deeply. It’s hard to simply receive His love and compassion. Yet it’s there for us...just waiting for us to open our hearts to it.
We need His grace, too, to follow in His footsteps. Jesus walked in love and gentleness toward others—and listened for His Father’s voice in all He did. What would our lives look like if we did the same? How would it change our decisions, and affect our relationships?
Something tells me that miracles might happen.
This week, let’s focus our hearts on both receiving His grace, and living out His grace. It’s simple.....and it’s everything.
Blessings,
Rachel
