A prayer ...
I've been especially focusing my thoughts on the beatitudes in recent days. After the jump is a prayer that they inspired.
God, our Creator, thank you for the gift of Jesus. He walked among us embodying your creative and life-giving Word in his body, his life, his words, his deeds, his sufferings, his death, and his resurrection. When we see him loving the outcast, forgiving the sinner, confronting the hypocrite, and teaching the crowds a new way of life, we see your heart, your compassion, your mercy, your character. To know Jesus is to love him, and to love him is to know him, and to know and love him is to know and love you.
So help me, Lord, to be among your disciples who come to you to be taught.
Help me, Lord, to be among the poor in spirit, to see and know that your kingdom is my homeland even now ...
Help me, Lord, to be among those who mourn, to join you in your sadness for all that's wrong and broken in this world, and in joining you, to find true comfort.
Help me, Lord, to be among the meek, those who find strength in weakness and power in vulnerability, to never fear lack or want, because when I have your love, I have all the world.
Help me, Lord, to desire justice, rightness, goodness, fairness, cleanness, clearness, and integrity more than I hunger for food or thirst for water ... and so let me find the truest fulfillment and satisfaction.
Help me, Lord, to be among the merciful. Help me to be a true friend to those who are hated, misunderstood, rejected, excluded, disregarded ... just as you, God of Mercy, are. When others fail - when they fail me - help me show the same mercy you show to those who fail you ... including me.
Help me, Lord, to be among the pure in heart. May your pure light shine in my heart and dispel every shadow, every layer and fold that conceals or pretends. Since it is only the heart that sees you, remove from my heart everything that keeps me from seeing you.
Help me, Lord, to be among the makers of peace. Many build walls. Many sow fear and distrust. Many spread rumors. Many inflame conflict and profit from it. Help me to be even among them an agent and messenger of your peace and reconciliation, and so bear your family likeness, God of peace.
Help me, Lord, not to fear being among the persecuted, but rather, to rejoice in having the honor of standing for your restorative justice and rightness, so I will see that your kingdom is my homeland, even now.
Help me, Lord, to be among those who suffer wrong well and with grace. Help me not to resent it, not to fear it, not to seek to escape it. Instead, help me to find joy in it ... when others insult me, make my life more difficult, or falsely malign me because of you. Help me to see through the momentary, light trouble to the lasting and weighty reward, even now, for your kingdom comes by suffering rather than by making others suffer.
So help me, Lord, to be among your disciples who come to you to be taught. I am a limping, broken sinner and beginner, far from these realities, but this is where I want to go. In your mercy, lead me in this path. Amen.
(a meditation on Matthew 5:1-12)
Dankie dit beteken baie om na 'n lang moeilike dag deur die blog te gaan en versorg te word.
ReplyDeleteBertus
Ja, God se weg. Dankie.
ReplyDeleteI am a limping, broken sinner and beginner, far from these realities, but this is where I want to go. In your mercy, lead me in this path. Amen.
ReplyDeleteDit is ek
Hi Julle
ReplyDeleteMy naam is Etienne Marais en ek is 20 jaar oud. Ek is 'n weder gebore Christen en is baie lief vir Jesus. Ek was onlangs op Facebook daarvan vals beskuldig dat ek 'n agteraf satan aanbidder is. Ek wil he ons moet asseblief saam vir die man wat dit gedoen het se bekering bid en hou asseblief aan bid dat hy na Jesus toe sal draai?
Die man het ook onder my naam 'n fals profiel op Facebook geskep en onder my naam 'n liegstorie dat die sangeres Janita Claassen 'n seks vidio het versprei en gelieg oor hoe mal hy is oor die seks vidio.
Ek het ook e-posse gekry van 'n kamma kastige dominee wat ook gedink het ek lieg en ek dink dit is die man self wat gemaak het of hy die dominee is. Die e-posse het gekom van die volgende e-pos adres jollies@ananzi.co.za .
Ek het vir hom gese ek is 'n Christen maar hoe meer ek probeer het om hom te wys dat ek 'n Christen is hoe meer het hy gemaak asof ek die agteraf satan aanbidder is wat hy self is.
Ek wil vra bid asseblief vir hom dat die Heilige Gees hom sal oortuig dat wat hy gedoen het verkeerd was en dat hy Jesus sal vind? Ek het selfs al het hy my kwaad gemaak uit die goedheid van my hart vir hom verduidelik dat net God vrede kan gee en hy het hom ook nie aan dit gesteur nie.
Bid asseblief ernstig vir hierdie man dat hy Jesus sal vind?
Die man se naam is Stoffel Albertyn. Ek was tevore kwaad gemaak deur 'n ou wat onder 'n skuilnaam Duiwelsadvokaat Jonnie geskryf het en ek vermoed dat dit hy is wat onder daardie skuil naam geskryf het.
Ek het uit die goedheid van my hart vir hom verduidelik hoe gevaarlik satan is en dat die duiwel 'n leuenaar is. Ek het ook vir hom uit die goedheid van my hart verduidelik dat mens nie sonder Jesus in die hemel kan ingaan nie maar dit het my nie gehelp nie.
Hy het gese hy gaan al die skole in Gauteng teen my waarsku en sy liegstories op Christelike blaaie genaamd God is die antwoord, Huis van gebed, Lighuis van internet gebed en Vissers vir Jesus versprei.
Ek wil vra dat julle gemeente asseblief vir hom sal bid dat hy na Jesus toe sal draai?
Groete in Christus
Etienne Marais
ja,dit is rerig jammer dat n mens so kan redeneer.ek hoop vir sy part hy kom gou tot inkeer.ek het my ook heel onlang bekeer,ja,ek struikel nog baie,dis menslik,maar ek weet waar my krag en swakheid le.en onthou,die oordeel kom net aan God toe. Laurie Pieterse
ReplyDeleteWil net vir julle laat weet, hy het ons ook vertoorn, maar ons het 'n berig gekry op Vra dominee Pieter Jonnie of Duiwelsadvokaat is oorlede.
ReplyDelete