Reflection: Righteousness: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

        1. How do you personally process the word 'to love one another'? Especially with strangers or harsh relationships?

        2. How do you keep your heart open to words and purpose and truth and actions to determine truth from evil.

        3. How do you define His righteousness in order to recognize another's truth from phony lies?

Share: How has the Holy Spirit stepped in to protect you when being lied to?

Righteousness: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 3:11-12: " For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous." 

Righteousness

Lord, please keep our hearts open to Your words and purpose and truth and actions.

Only through Your righteousness can we become able to love one another as You see each of us.

And choose to live into honesty from our hearts with grace and kindness.

Each day--each week--each year may our hearts grow into Your integrity.

Only see others through the guidance as led by Your Spirit.

Your thoughts,

Seeds: 1 John 3: Prayers and Poetry

                Seeds

                Sin so deep

                an ongoing thread

                often not even recognized

                yet ongoingly rules our days.

                Seeds of righteousness

                embedded in our hearts removed

                when we accept Holy protection

                through born new forgiveness.

                Sin can be dissolved

                turned into grateful

                light abiding daily

                through heart and mind and choices.

                Seeds of love and redemption.

Psalm 107:10: "There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, Prisoners in misery and chains."

                

                

Reflection: Sinfulness: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

        1. Is it a surprise to hear that when we are born of God we will no longer practice sin? Why or why not?

        2. And that He will continue to teach us to let the sons go--even the deep embedded ones within us. Are we willing to learn even when we are under attack?

        3. What is your definition of His righteousness within us?

Share: What forgiveness and patience from sin has He given you that surprised you and changed your attitude towards yourself and to others?

Sinfulness: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 3:9-10: "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: any one who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother."

Sinfulness

Takes hold into our deepest soul.

Twists our hearts and thoughts and actions into lies. Into emptiness.

Tightens failures.

By His grace and mercy God restores. Teaches us how to sin no more. By His grace and love redeems us with honest righteousness. Day by day.

Turns our deepest souls into His seeds of eternal life.

Teaches us to recognize deceit and to refuse its lure.

Truth overcomes powerful lies and failures, offers a new path.

By His forgiveness and compassion and love shows us sin can be broken. Guides us into His blessings of virtue and Holy choices.

Your thoughts,

Deceives: 1st John: Prayers and Poetry

                Deceives 

                Sin often so

                Subtle that we do not

                See the deceit

                Sowing destroying consistently

                Seeds to bury within us.

                Our Lord ready to protect

                Ongoing attacks ready to

                Offer wholeness through

                Opens words and strength to

                Obey His choices as we listen.

Psalm 107:9: "For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good."

                

Reflection: Destroys: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

        1. When has a tiny act of sinfulness pulled you away into a deep circumstance? 

        2. Has something like that destroyed your ability to trust, or cause you to walk in fear?

        3. What word of truth broke those chains?

Share: How do you recognize, or protect yourself, against sin attacking you--even when it seems minor?

Destroys: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 3:7-8: "Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the work of the devil."

Destroys

Thank you, always now and forever, Lord, for Your ongoing protection to keep each one of us away from sin.

And the ongoing removing of the sin that is still inside us.

Please keep us listening and obeying Your words. Your choices. Your heart.

And through Your light may we grow up into wholeness as You heal.

Your thoughts,

Lawless: 1st John: Prayers and Poetry

                Lawless

                Lawless sin 

                an ongoing battleground

                except when we

                accept His merciful

                grace to abide in Him

                restoring our lives

                with His grace and mercy

                even when we falter

                again and again

                He continues to dissolve

                and protect and guide.

                On the cross.

                Love paid.

Psalm 107:8: "Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!"

Reflection: Sins: 1st John: Prayers and Poetry

 Reflection Questions

        1. He takes away our sins. How have you experienced that and now are able to let go?

        2. How did you reconcile this promise when we still fail?

        3. In what ways does this gift from Him cause you to act in mercy towards those who sin against you?

Share: How do you keep your soul listening so you can identify the sins that are still hiding within you?

Sins: 1st John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 3: 4-6: "Every one who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins;  no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him."

Sins

Lord, thank you for Your ongoing grace and mercy to give forgiveness and guidance every time we each still fail.

Please continue to dissolve the sins still hiding in us, and then our weaknesses when we fall into them.

Please keep our souls listening and following You alone, moment by moment.

Lord, may we only do what You choose for each of us to be  and to do as You lead.

Your thoughts,

Souls: 1st John: Prayers and Poetry

                Souls

                So ignorant of so

                many truths and actions

                stepping into dangers

                except His gift

                of grace and Holy Spirit

                enfold us into safety.

                His presence and

                honesty guides directions,

                warns and protects

                us from lies and evil then

                wraps our souls in His love.

Psalm 107:7: "He led them also by a straight way, To go to an inhabited city."

                

Reflection: Children: 1st John: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

        1. How difficult, or grateful, can we be to realize we are His children?

        2. His gifts to teach and guide and protect goes much deeper than our own parents could. Which sense do you need the most insight to walk? 

        3. How does this feel like a hint of His kingdom to come?

Share: How do you recognize His inner being is in you no matter how quiet?

Children: 1st John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 3:1-3: "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and  it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Children

As children, Lord, we are so ignorant of so many things.

Thank you for Your gift of the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us and protect us, until we can enter into Your kingdom.

As children, Lord, please keep teaching each of us to sense Your presence and direction, and recognize Your Holy Spirit--no matter how quiet.

Thank you for guiding our inner being and grow our souls to be completely in You.

Your thoughts,