Transgression: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

                Transgression 

                Lies, hatred, revenge

                condemnation, all only a

    

                few sins that can daily

                become unrighteousness

                pulling away from clarity

                and honesty into resentment

                to others forgetting we

                too commit these choices

                ourselves when we turn from 

                God's will and grace and mercy

                yet He will protect us

                from evil when we remember

                Love given by His death offers healing.

Psalm 107: 28: "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses."

Reflection: Unrighteousness: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading Questions

        1. When or how has sinfulness attacked you"

        2. Do you choose to return the revenge or walk away? How and why?

        3. What helps you to recognize hidden evil given by the Lord's guidance?

Share: How has the Lord erased a time of unrighteousness for you and restored you into healing?

Unrighteousness: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 5:16-18: "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask  and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him."

Unrighteousness

Lord, we each desperately need Your guidance and mercy. We need forgiveness daily as we too often sin without even recognizing the transgressions we allow.

Please teach us clarity and honesty within us and remind us when we forget, or do not see.

Keep us from the lies to ourselves and to others. Remove our hatred and condemnations toward others. And all any other wrong actions and attitudes that we still carry within us.

We ask for Your healing--daily.

Your thoughts,

Focus: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

                Focus

                Presence, guidance 

                desires, confidence

                direction, anticipation

                requests all

                open gifts

                from our Lord's

                kindness and protection

                as we walk daily

                as we choose to

                hear His will in faith.

Psalm 107:27: "They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, And were at their wits' end."

Reflection: Confidence: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

        1. How often do we have ongoing full confidence in our plans, and choices and relationships? Why or why not?

        2. How do you define confidence under the Lord's will? Is it different from our own expectations?

        3. How often do we ask Him first for conformation to be in His will and purpose?

Share: When have you asked and received a request as He led?

Confidence: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading:1st John 5:13-15: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

Confidence

Your gifts of presence and guidance and invitation to come to You in all things is beyond any measure we can understand.

Please keep our desires to be Your desires and that we will step into each one with awe and anticipation and focus.

Please edit our requests, Lord, so that each one is only as You choose and lead. We ask to walk with You everyday. And share with those around us.

Your thoughts,

Eternal: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

                Eternal

                Gift of light and 

                love a daily commitment

                He gives each one who

                accepts this blessing

                of eternal life to begin

                at the moment of belief.

                Never taken away or

                ignored or broken from

                Holy grace, Spirit present

                no matter how weak

                our trust or understanding

                eternal life and light provision.

Psalm 107:26: "They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depth; Their soul melted away in their misery."

Reflection: Commitment: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading Questions

        1. How can we define a witness that is true? Why?

        2. How do you confirm within yourself a belief of His grace when others try to break the truth?

        3. How does the promise of eternity add commitments for you now into daily life? 

Share: What brought your first step into belief and acceptance of His gift?

Commitment: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 5:10-12: "The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son. And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life."

Commitment

Lord,Your amazing gift of love eternal and life with You is such a powerful truth to comprehend. Especially in our many choices to not follow You with or without understanding.

Yet though we are still so far away to understand Your mercy we can hold to You Spirit as we learn. Following fully. Your Grace.

You do not let us go. So we can learn to walk step by step in trust and courage.

Please keep us in Your light and wisdom and be able to share this witness with others.

Your light one step at a time. Into eternity.

Your thoughts, 

Assurance: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

                Assurance

                Words, opportunities

                new information

                and discoveries always on

                interest and all curiosity. 

                Words, of directions

                bearing honest truth or

                sometimes hidden

                with lies to stumble us.

                Words from the Spirit's

                confirmation gives honesty

                and protection so we

                can step into blessed witness.

Psalm 107:25: "For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lived up the waves of the sea."

Reflection: Truth: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

        1. How often do you accept words as truth in all situations without asking for confirmation? Why or why not? 

        2. How have you experienced His specific directions that brought light into your circumstances? What changed your insight?

        3. How do you listen and obey now and follow in trust?

Share: What were your first steps to seek the Spirit's witness before accepting words that could be wrong for you? What does dissolve look like for your answers?

Truth: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: 1st John 5-7: "And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this that He has borne witness concerning His Son."

Truth

Thank-you Holy Spirit for continuing to guide us into truth, especially when there is so much falseness among us--including ourselves.

Please keep us listening and obeying Your words and directions only.

May anything else dissolve.

May we only see Your glimpses as You lead and follow in trust.

Your purpose only.

Your thoughts,

Faith: 1 John: Prayers and Poetry

                Faith

                On the surface victory

                may not be seen when

                chaos and difficulties rule.

                Only when we can remember

                He has overcome the world

                and covers each one of us with mercy.

                Ongoing grave His foundation

                given by  costly love

                holding us forever.

Psalm 107:24: "They have seen the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep."