St Peters RC Church Hamilton

We must, must, must, learn of the love and mercy You offer us, dearest Father, in Your Son, by Your Spirit, if we are to become as You hope for, a people of the Word of life, the promise of life in all its blessed fullness.

 “For the word of God” whether written or spoken, “is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4 v 12)  

We study the Bible to learn of who Christ Jesus is, all He accomplishes for us to draw us closer to You, Father God. We learn of the power of holy love ever active and effective because of the Holy Spirit, and we find we want to share in this. 

The Bible calls us to faith, thank You. Faith invites us to pray and then we are being made ready to submit ourselves to Your judgment. All of this truth is taught us by Christ Jesus, the living Word, the way of life we must live by. 

Thank You that living by faith, we seek seriously to become holy, repenting when we fail, picking ourselves up at Your invitation, knowing we can start again because You are merciful and Christ Jesus has won forgiveness for us. 

We take our Brother as He is, the Messiah Saviour, Your offer of new life, “Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3 v 6) thank You for this.

I ask that safeguarded and guided by the Holy Spirit, we always allow the written word of sacred Scripture and the living Word of Christ Jesus to inform the intentions and decisions of both our heart and mind. 

As we have received the blessings of knowledge and understanding regarding what it means to be a believer in Christ Jesus, in living as a modern disciple, may our life be fully rooted in Him.  

“Let us hold fast our confession” (Hebrews 4 v 14) our belief in the Word of life being our personal Saviour, whose Spirit is released to us to help us pursue holiness in real earnest, steadfast in faith because we are confident in the result of prayer offered in the Saviour’s name.   

We thankfully “Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4 v 16) and we are never disappointed. O Father, how wonderful is the gift of faith in Christ Jesus.   

With a sound sense of the high destiny to which we are called, may we hold on to hope firmly as an anchor for our soul, tried, tested and not found wanting, not failing, “For He who promised is faithful,” (Hebrews 10 v 23) enabling us to be dutiful.  

May we daily concentrate on the purpose, pursuit and cause of holiness, no longer submitting to the ways of the world, the lure of the flesh, nor the temptations satan offers to waylay us and throw us off track. 

May the Holy Spirit enable our fullest attention to be given to Your Word Father God, whether written or living and manifest in Your Son. Our friendship with Christ Jesus must deepen and strengthen, please, “…

lest we drift away.” (Hebrews 1 v 1)  

This great salvation freely offered us, first announced by the Lord Jesus Himself, must not be ignored, forgotten, squandered, rebelled against. For this You confirmed “…by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gift of the Holy Spirit whenever You chose.” (based on Hebrews 2 v 4 NLT)     

We must daily call on the Holy Spirit of love, of new life, our Teacher, Counsellor, Adviser, especially with regard to all of faith’s principles and practices.

Thank You that it is by means of the impact of the Holy Spirit, the living Word of Christ Jesus becomes the foundation and maintenance of our thinking, understanding and following. We are blessed to be in receipt of the Spirt of Piety.  

Having learned by experience that the Lord Jesus is the great High Priest who rules over us, our guilty consciences cleansed by the spilling of His blood. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,” (Hebrews 10 v 25 NLT) for dearest Father we know we can trust You to keep Your promises to save and sanctify us.     

Let us then, out of love and respect for all You have done for us in Your Son, by Your Spirit, and all that You mean to us as Provider, Protector and Deliverer, “Think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” (v 24) 

In this way, it will show that we have been schooled correctly, our spiritual life affecting for the general well being, all that we think, purpose, decide, plan, act upon, striving after the holiness the Lord Jesus offers us and has won for us.

Father God, our right standing before You is established and for this we praise and thank You. The development of our holiness is up to us, to seek to be schooled and in so doing, to practice living in the way Christ Jesus teaches us, models for us, describes to us.  

How invaluable are the sacred Scriptures, thank You, as we encounter the powerful truth of holy love and mercy in all is most glorious outcome of Your rescue plan for man, our redemption, our renovation and restoration.

Christ Jesus, alive in us, sharing His holiness, the Spirit transforming us day by day as we pray, let us make good progress in claiming and belonging to the fullness promised us, the harmony and prosperity of holy love in all its glorious abundance. 

The God of all life is the Word of life, Your Son, the beloved, our Brother, the cherished, not forgetting the all powerful, dynamic Holy Spirit. To You all, the Almighty Trinity, be all glory and praise from us Your family, delighting to be schooled. Amen.