St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“God’s grace is so much greater than our sin. Because of that grace, sin no longer reigns in our lives, resulting in spiritual death. Now grace reigns in us instead, because of God’s gift of acceptance that makes us able to receive the gift of eternal life, made possible through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

(Romans 5 v 20, 21 The Truth)

“Such hope does not end in disappointment because God has already filled our hearts with His love through His Holy Spirit whom He has given to live with us.” (Romans 5 v 5 The Truth)

Holy Spirit, You move upon us to cause us to desire what is holy, to think about what is holy, to act in all holiness, to give witness to holiness, to guard what is holy and keep intact all that is holy.

To accomplish all of this, You reveal to us the true love our Father holds out before us in the Person of Jesus, our Saviour, our righteous Brother, inviting us to be of right standing in our Father’s eyes.

How important holiness then becomes to us each and every day. Discipleship is a costly business, demanding much in the way of time, effort, commitment and resources used wisely.

Please help us with this, every aspect of life as we are called to live with a likeness to the Lord Jesus, no contradictions nor variations, no straying, nor disobeying!

This is important, for our Father promises “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you... and I will bring you back from your captivity...” (Jeremiah

29 v 12, 13)

In our case this is our captivity to satan, resolved only by our turning to Jesus, listening to and learning from Him according to the Spirit’s safeguarding power. The Spirit show us the illusions of pleasure and power.

Strengthen please, our longing for holiness, as the Lord Jesus has taken upon Himself the sickness of our sinfulness. Only He in You, by the mercy of God can make us whole in body, mind and spirit, as we pray and

persevere in seeking holiness for we believe in our redemption.

All praise ever be for the redemption won for us at the † of the Lord Jesus, as Holy Spirit, Lord, You reveal to us in fullest measure, thank You. Any and all of our goodness we attribute to You and the Lord Jesus’

impact, Your amazing influence as a Trinity as You work together with our Father.

We exalt the Lord Jesus as the truth in life, a truth to be entirely secure, trusted, relied upon and broadcast in hope, a secure hope we must speak of as we rely upon His way of life. Please maintain this for us.

We must realise that our eternal future is decided by our life here in God’s kingdom upon earth, how we approach this and live by its noble, worthy, godly principles.

When we are tested, as this surely will happen, Holy Spirit, Counsellor, please support us in the wisdom and truth of the Lord Jesus, that which He wills for You to reveal to us. We are the people of Pentecost,

responsible to the Lord Jesus.

How gracious holy love is! The love of the Lord God as offered by Jesus and made real to us by You, Holy Spirit. Lord, invite us to love others, to bring a decided hope into their daily existence, their days uplifted.

Grace gifts us talents, skills and resources to be used in Christian service, all for the glory of God, whilst we are nourished for this in the Holy Eucharist, partaking of the Bread of Life, which is Jesus.

It is grace, which lovingly, mercifully by means of our Saviour Brother accepting the † of punishment instead of us suffering, this is how we receive the cup of salvation, enabling us to look forwards to the joy of heaven, where we can sing praises forevermore.

Grace, as taught by You, brought by Your truth illuminating Spirit, this is how we come to know our Father’s love is for us personally, as discovered by our friendship with the Lord Jesus, making us blameless in

God’s sight.

“From the fullness of God’s grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1 v 16) in the Lord Jesus, the living Word which not only builds us up now, but gifts us an inheritance that will not fade away.

We are by grace, and the work You put into this, Holy Spirit, Adviser, chosen and blessed, being sanctified that God be glorified as we claim, “By God’s grace I am what I am and this is not without effect,” (based

on 1 Corinthians 15 v 10) all thanks to Jesus.

Holy Spirit, Informer, You reveal to us the truth that grace is a free gift coming from God, as won for us by the Lord Jesus at the †of His saving help. We are saved by grace.

You help us to realise that the grace of the Lord Jesus is sufficient for us, whatever the task, the challenge, the calling, the problems, the difficulty, the aim, the objective, as long as these are holy.

“God is able,” through You, Holy Spirit, Preacher, by means of the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace. “To make all grace abound to us, that in all things at all times, having all that we need, we can abound in

every good work.” (based on 2 Corinthians 9 v 8)

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments,” (Psalm 119 v 73) and the submission to be obedient, for I would

serve You well.

“Let my soul live” to broadcast Your fame “And it shall praise You,” all You are to us, mean to us, do for us.

“And let Your judgements help us. We have gone astray like lost sheep” (v 175, 176 changing the singular invocation to plural) but out of the mercy of Your love so steadfast and strong, we believe You will

rescue us.

Holy Spirit, grace Giver; please ever come to us through the risen, ascended and glorified Jesus and the will of our Father. Remain with us. Re-shape our life according to the likeness of the Lord Jesus.

Help us please, to realise and to say in all sincerity. “My beloved is Mine and I am His,” (Song of Songs 6 v 3) because You have made this possible, forging our way forwards in faith in spite of living in a secular

world often hostile to faith.

Our faith journey through life may well not be easy. Please remain with us, ever devoting us to Jesus as the source of all holiness that we may honour our Father. “Let no one who waits on You be ashamed” (Psalm

25 v 2) for You are ever our wise Counsellor. Thank You for all that You are to us. Amen.