Reflection: Privilege: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

 Reading Questions

        1. What has been your harshest attack for following Jesus?

        2. Has it ever weakened or strengthened your relationship and commitment to His love? How?

        3. When have you seen suffering as a privilege? Why?

Share: What prayer words became your foundation when insulted for faith?

Privilege: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1 Peter: 4:14-16: "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are greatly blessed, because the Spirit of glory and power, who is the Spirit of God, rests upon you. Let none of you merit suffering as a murderer, or thief, or criminal, or as one who meddles in the affairs of others. If you suffer for being a Christian, don't consider it a disgrace but a privilege. Glorify God because you carry the Anointed One's name.  

Privilege

We need to keep our heart and soul and actions guided by His Spirit only--both within and without on all our activities.

We need to recognize the barriers and confusions that lead us to fear and self-absorption before they weaken our trust.

We need to recognize the freedom of His ability to turn us away from being sidetracked and allowing fear to break us.

We need to choose to live into His ongoing loving grace and presence.

Lord, whatever road we are walking please give us Your strength to keep to Your directions. Keep our words only on Your truth. Keep our thoughts and calmness only from You.

Your thoughts,

Share: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

                Share 

                How can it be that

                He trusts each one

                to bear gifts

                to reach out to others

                often beginning in struggle

                often ending in salvation

                He calls us to share

                His grace through mercy.

Psalm 89: 25: "I shall set his hand on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers."

                

Reflection: Serving: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

        1. What are some difficulties you have experienced in serving that have overwhelmed you with despair? 

        2. When or how do you bring your bewilderness to the Lord for guidance? Or give up?

        3. What gift are you most grateful to have been given regardless of times of struggle to stay on course?

Share: What is one suffering that the Lord turned into rejoicing for you?

Serving: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1 Peter 4:11-13: "For example, if you have a speaking gift, speak as though God were speaking His words through you. If you have the gift of serving, do it passionately with the strength God gives you so that in everything God alone will be glorified through Jesus Christ. For to Him belong the power and the glory forever through all the ages! Amen.

    Beloved friends, if life gets extremely difficult, with many tests, don't be bewildered as though something strong were overwhelming you. Instead, continue to rejoice, for you, in a measure, have shared in the sufferings of the Anointed One so that you can share in the revelation of His glory and celebrate with even greater gladness!

Serving

How often do we resist sharing the gifts He has given us with others: whether by ignorance or resistance?

Do we worry that we might try too harshly, or are not sure of the words, or feel inadequate to be a messenger?

Too often we see only barriers and difficulties and our weaknesses. Or we forget to ask Him first to cover our helplessness. And then trust our strength from the gifts given to offer as others did for us.

Lord, please keep our hearts and minds and words centered on Your guidance to speak through us as You call. To know when to act in faith. And to share our gifts of Your grace.

Your thoughts,

Tapestries: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

                Tapestries

                Grace poured out

                through beautiful

                tapestries

                multi-colored

                blended through

                colors and heart

                of each person

                born in His love.

                

                Redemption rainbow.

Psalm 89:24: "And My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted.

                

Reflection: Echo: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Question

        1. In what ways have you, or family members, been reviled because of heritage or color or speech.

        2. What gifts open up the beauty of ministry and compassion to any one?

        3. How does sharing our experiences give us new hope and strength to reach out to others?

Share: What do you consider to be the Lord's basic gift for you to share? Why?

Echo: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1 Peter 4:7-10: "Since we are approaching the end of all things, be intentional, purposeful, and self-controlled so that you can be given to prayer. Above all constantly echo God's intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins. Be compassionate to foreigners without complaining. Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many colored tapestry of God's grace.

Echo

How often do we muddle the gifts, or the intended use of them, to our means instead of God's purpose? Or need to be reminded to step into a call that is confirmed and not to be set aside until we have time away from our own plans?

Prayer--we are reminded. To be His stewards in His time and to His assignments.

How often do we stumble too far out of our comfort zone to open hearts and time to situations and strangers beyond our agendas or purpose or willingness to be stretched?

Prayer--we are led by the Spirit. To define and teach us through our stumbling and enter into multi-colored words and gifts and friendship and tapestries of grace filled love.

Holy Spirit, please forgive us when we muddle Your gifts and continue to confirm for us when and how to be faithful to Your call. To remember to pray for Your focus so we do not delay or resist Your beautiful diversity of heritage.

Your thoughts,

Choose: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

                Choose

                Choices to make

                each day sometimes

                each moment to

                cast away deceit and lies.

                Instead listen

                for truth's guidance

                for gift of faith

                inner heart life.

                Every day present

                choose to follow

                choose to be ready to

                every word given to share.

Psalm 89:23: "But I shall crush his adversaries before him; And strike those who hate him."

                

Reflection: Attack: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

 Reflection Questions

        1. What has been your worst experience of attack either physically or verbally?

        2. What consequences did it cause damage in your life: within or without?

        3.  How did the Lord's presence enable you to stay strong throughout?

Share: What word would you now give to someone you see being attacked by worldly corruption or hatred?

Attack: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1 Peter 4:4-6: "They marvel that you no longer rush to join them in the excesses of their corrupt lifestyles, and so they vilify you. But one day they will have to give an account to the one who is destined to judge the living and the dead. This is the reason the gospel was preached to the martyrs before they gave their lives. Even though they were judged by human standards, now they live in spirit by God's standards.

Attack

How often do we find ourselves following human standards without seeking the Lord's perspective?

If we calm for a moment, and seek His guidance, He will pull us away from false and empty pursuits.He will counsel us to recognize corrupt choices, and show us clarity to overcome our struggles.

He will keep us on the path He has invited us to follow and enable us to persevere into the plans He chooses. And give His words for us to absorb and heal.

Please keep us listening to Your nudges, Lord, whether they are difficult or not. Keep us doing Your work as You guide. Even if we only have the ability to do one thing each day--but it may be for You.

Your thoughts,

Lures: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

                Lures

                So easy to be 

                welcomed into

                an invitation

                at first just

                a curiosity then

                later wraps

                around our thoughts

                or desires

                pulling away from

                heart truths

                into flesh demands.

                Turn back to

                His grace

                waiting to heal

                begin a restored life.

Psalm 89:22: " 'The enemy will not deceive him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.' "

Reflection: Desires: 1 Peter: Prayers and Poetry

 Reflection Questions:

        1. What earthly lures first caught your attention? Did you follow?

        2. What enabled you to see with clarity the lies behind the desires?

        3. What armor did you receive from the Lord to resist or to turn away?

Share: How do you know when to put up a new barrier when needed?