Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 05-08-24

After his resurrection and just prior to the Lord’s ascension into heaven, he gave his disciples the commission to preach the good news [he’s alive] to all creation (Mark 16:16). Jesus knew some people would believe and receive salvation in his divine love, but not all (Mark 16:17). Some people would reject the Truth, and prefer to live in the darkness of evil and hatred. Believers would be living in a world with unbelievers.

The Lord prepared his disciples, because he knew what they would be facing. He would no longer be with them physically; he would soon be dwelling with the Father in heaven as King. However, by the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus promises he will always be with his disciples spiritually which, in time, they learn makes them multiply in power as they witness. Christ performs powerful miracles through them to bring revelation of his life.

The first disciples—like us—received salvation by grace [G.R.A.C.E.= God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense] accepted through active faith in the love of Jesus. Now, every disciple is to continue to live by those same gifts as we go about witnessing to others the message of God’s love found in the Christ. Believers are given Christ’s righteous and loving power, so our lives testify to his presence within.

Let’s remember, Jesus was born as the holy and eternal living Word made human flesh; now, believers are human flesh being made holy by the living Word…one obedient step at a time! As a believer, you are a loving, faithful, and miracle carrying disciple being made in the image of Christ the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Take that knowledge with you, today, and share it with someone who needs to know their potential!

Mark 16:19-20 NLT
19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your miraculous love and the revelation of Truth we carry within. Please continue to shape us as we walk in obedience to your holy Word. We know as our character grows more Christlike, you will do even more miraculous works through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 05-07-24

This morning, it’s important we refresh our focus on agape [God’s binding and selfless love], because it is so easy to lose track of just how unconditional and self-giving God’s love is for us. God is always focused on the well-being [wholeness] of his children. According to 1 Corinthians 13, God’s love is “patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices when the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (vv. 4-7).

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” C.S. Lewis

Agape is the pivot point for balancing God’s amazing gifts of grace and faith to his children. Everything rests on divine love, because it never fails. Without receiving God’s love through Jesus, we don’t have grace (Ro 6:11). Without using faith, it is impossible to receive the love of God or please him (Heb 11:6). The need for obedience to God’s commands of love fill the Old Testament, but does the gift of grace with faith in Christ change the believer’s need to continue in obedience to God’s love commands?

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus sums up his Ten Commandments in this way: Love God wholeheartedly and love your neighbor like you love yourself (22:37-39). So, obedience to love is still our command. Grace—the power for living—is provided by Christ. He taught his disciples, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14:15-17). Therefore, we must put our faith into motion by believing in Christ’s love for us and the Spirit’s desire to help us.

Remember today, love is always the pivot point upon which to balance grace and faith. When we become irritable with difficult people, act rudely, prideful, or keep a score sheet for every wrong thing done to us, we diminish God’s love, as well as his gifts of grace and faith operating in our lives. When we choose to walk in love and refuse to allow ourselves to react unkindly, we defeat the enemy. Let’s win the battle, today!

1 John 5:1-6 NLT Faith in the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for reminding us about your pure love and how you are teaching us all the time through the Spirit to walk in it. Thank you for your love, grace, and faith. We need your strength and your wisdom to be victorious. So, please fill us with love today, Lord, and help us win the battle against evil. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 05-03-24

Creator God is the Living Word who leads believers through life. Depending on how long we have know Jesus, we can have many, many amazing experiential pictures of his love in action planted within our minds. According to Scripture, in the beginning the Lord spoke and there was Light and he became the very Light he created in order to open humanity up to a vast picture of his existence, the miraculous grace he offers for living, and to be an example of faith in action.

In our passage today, we can connect the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah with the New Testament gospel of Matthew, because Jesus begins to fulfill the prophet’s picture of Messiah perfectly as he sends his Word to heal a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath (12:9-21). Remember, in our lesson yesterday, God sent Messiah to capture Israel’s attention; to see and embrace his provision through the Son for salvation. Jesus is now the believer’s model of righteousness and the Helper desires to connect us in all the works of his pure love. We just keep on planting more experiential pictures of God’s love and goodness in our minds.

So, if you are struggling today with a life experience that seems overwhelming, please allow your mind to embrace the vastness of God who is not limited by any created thing. If you are open to the righteous ministry of Christ in your behalf, he will guide you through what seems impossible to fix and he will make you and that mess a message you can share. We tend to think God’s faithfulness is only about all the blessings and certainly that is true; but, Christ is not limited like our minds, he knows things before they happen. Therefore, Christ is the Answer to bring healing, wholeness, and leads us to witness to his goodness even in the midst of overwhelming life experiences. He is the Lord of every need!

Isaiah 42:5-9 NLT
5
God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
    He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
    life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,

“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
    I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
    as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.

    You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
    releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

“I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not give my glory to anyone else,
    nor share my praise with carved idols.

Everything I prophesied has come true,
    and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for every fulfilled prophecy found in your Word. There are several more yet to be fulfilled, but we know they will happen just as you have spoken. Thank you for opening our spiritual eyes and liberating us from evil’s blinding work. We praise you for every picture Scripture paints of you, because otherwise our minds just can’t comprehend the magnitude of your presence, love, and grace. Be glorified! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 05-02-24

We must never forget God is the true Rescuer from the things that exile His people from His presence [our home]. The Lord rescued Israel from bondage—slavery to the oppressive governing of Egypt. He rescued Israel from exile [a forced journey] imposed by the governing Assyrians and the Babylonians. When God’s people were rescued, God was the Rescuer who came to bring his people back home under His righteous rule. But, let’s not forget it was Israel’s unfaithfulness [unbelief—lack of trust] that caused their exiled situation in the first place. God’s plan for Israel was to be an example to the nations as they lived by faith in Creator God—to be His worshipers.

What can we learn from things like the exile, bondage, and oppressive governing? Honestly, our biggest take away from reading Scripture should be the revelation of God’s stedfast faithfulness for His unfaithful creation. From the beginning of time, God was determined to be creation’s Rescuer by being humanity’s Redeemer. The Messiah was always the planned Way to salvation for Israel (a covenant people who let God’s holiness prevail). God chose to work through an unfaithful Israel to provide revelation and redemption for the nations of the world. For this reason, Israel has historically been in the spotlight, suffered greatly, and continues to suffer, today. Believers must pray for and support Israel, because when we do we are aligning with the plan of God to bring salvation through the Messiah or Christ to not only them, but to an unbelieving global world.

In our passage today, the prophet Isaiah is used by God as a mouthpiece of preparation to reveal to Israel [and to us] the Rescuer and Redeemer is coming to deliver His people from sin. Jesus is that Servant who was sent by the Father to be a Light [revelation] to guide the unbelieving nation of Israel back “home” to God’s presence. He is also the Savior who came as a Light so a lost and unbelieving world could find “home” (Luke 2:28:32; Acts 13:47; Acts 26:22-23).

In spite of the struggles, genuine believers are those who remain faithful in the strength of the Lord by obeying the Word and the Voice of God’s Spirit. We can never remain in God’s presence apart from Jesus, but let’s never forget Jesus is Lord! He takes sinful, unbelieving and selfish humanity who have been separated by sin from His presence, draws them by salvation near to His holiness, and works to transform unfaithful people into worshipers.

Isaiah 49:5-6 GNT
5
Before I was born, the Lord appointed me;
    he made me his servant to bring back his people,
    to bring back the scattered people of Israel.
The Lord gives me honor;
    he is the source of my strength.
6 (A)The Lord said to me,
“I have a greater task for you, my servant.
    Not only will you restore to greatness
    the people of Israel who have survived,
but I will also make you a light to the nations—
    so that all the world may be saved.”

Prayer: Father, we know no weapon formed against believers can prosper, because you hold all authority and power in your righteous Hand. Thank you for your saving work through the nation of Israel and thank you for bringing salvation to the gentiles so we can be the people who also allow you to prevail. We pray Messiah’s peace for Israel and the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 05-01-24

I truly had the most wonderful parents when it came to loving me and wanting the best for me. I realize this is not always the case for others and it saddens me when parents miss the opportunity to express God’s tender love for their children. My dad certainly had a tender heart, but he was strict when it came to discipline; he carried high expectations for us. Although he rarely said it, some times when I would ask why I couldn’t do something, he would answer, “Because I said so!” End of discussion.

In our passage today, John wants us to understand the power of obeying the words of Christ, because he is the One who opens the door and pulls back the veil to connect us to the Father who is omnipresent (present everywhere), and omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipotent (all-powerful). What a wonderful and powerful relational CONNECTION! Our heavenly Father, as loving and merciful as he is, says what he means and means what he says. When we honor God’s commands, we are demonstrating our love, respect, and trust in him. God is not double-minded like human beings. We know Christ, as our example, understood the powerful authority behind the words of our heavenly Father which could be translated, “Because I said so!”

I am praying for our hearts—the core of our beings—to be filled with God’s loving presence today, because when we are full we desire to remain in Christ and crave the peace he alone gives our lives. We can trust our Father, his Word, and our Helper.

John 14:18-31 NLT Jesus told his disciples, 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your promise to make your home in our hearts as we do what you say. And, thank you for the peace you give, because we need it more every day as we live in this fallen world. Holy Spirit, please continue to remind us of your word, and bring us the power we need so we can obey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 04-30-24

I enjoy my walks each day with our sweet little dog, Gracie. She explores everywhere we go with great tail-wagging passion. Even though I typically walk the same path with her, Gracie acts like there is always something new to smell and discover as we walk.

While I was out walking Sunday evening, I noticed a neighbor sitting outside alone. He was deep in thought as he stared up at a beautiful American flag flying majestically in his yard. As soon as I greeted him, a wonderful conversation about life, moral integrity, and concern for our country ensued. It was a great discovery for me as Gracie and I walked.

In our passage today, James teaches us about God’s wisdom; divine wisdom or applied Truth is essential if, as believers, we are going to manage our lives well. For this reason, Jesus has been made Wisdom for believers. We need godly wisdom for our physical health. We need godly wisdom for our emotional well-being. We need godly wisdom for our spiritual wholeness. The righteous fruit of wisdom which James mentions in our passage today, becomes evidence for the world that we follow Christ.

God does not ask us to agree with the world’s way of doing things; however, he does asks us to live in peace as much as possible while standing on the undefiled character and Cornerstone of Christ. The Apostle James encourages us to differentiate between worldly wisdom and divine wisdom: worldly wisdom is controlling and void of God’s influence whereas divine wisdom is void of evil and focuses solely on the abundant and liberating Life Christ offers.

James 3:17-18 AMP
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile]. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us ponder your divine wisdom, today. Through the work of the Spirit, please help us hold fast to godly wisdom, so we can produce the righteous fruit that comes with spiritual maturity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 04-19-24

All believers are called to do God’s work, but often as the Lord’s disciples and servants we just need some physical, emotional, and spiritual rest and refreshment. This is in addition to gathering to honor our Sabbath Rest—Jesus! Ministry is both challenging and rewarding; there are always needs to be met and messages of hope bathed in God’s love to be shared. We pour ourselves out as an offering of worship to the Lord.

For this reason, we need the Good Shepherd to lead us to a place of rest [nuakh—meaning to settle in], so we can receive and enjoy the restoration of our souls in the refreshing waters of the Spirit. We purposely pause to enjoy moments to be renewed as ordered by the Lord. We receive from our King and enjoy the tasty blessings from his Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Matthew 11:28-30). From this place of receiving we will start again. Our Shepherd always knows what we need when we need it; therefore, the Lord leads us into his blessings, so we will continue his work. Jesus came so that we might settle into him and enjoy the blessings of life found only under his rule! (John 10:10).

Yesterday, we reflected on Psalm 23 from the Old Testament about placing our confident trust in the Shepherd’s rule. Today, in our New Testament passage, we see the work of the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. He knows how to keep his sheep together and guard them from wandering from God. He teaches about nuakh, because he knows how to help each one in his care to enjoy the refreshment of the soul. So, settle in and enjoy life as you follow the Shepherd who loves and nourishes the whole you!

Mark 6:30-34 NLT Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. 33 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for leading us to quiet places to enjoy the refreshing waters of Kingdom life. We require the rest you offer and all we need to do is follow you to the pastures you have ordered for refreshment and settle in. You truly are the Rewarder of those who diligently seek you. Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 04-17-24

You and I may receive many invitations during our lifetimes to things that seem important, but no invitation is more essential and life-changing than the invitation God sends asking us to come and feast at his table of righteousness. According to Scripture, Truth is a person—Jesus— and he has been made divine Wisdom for us. So, when we want the Truth that leads to Wisdom, it means we listen to the Spirit of God and allow him to teach us how to follow righteousness. To walk in Wisdom is to accept the Word of God as revealed and modeled by Jesus—the Righteous Branch.

Our passage today reminds me of a parable Jesus used to teach his disciples about an invitation to a banquet—the wedding supper of the Lamb (Luke 14:15-24; Rev. 19:6-9).

Wisdom is a precious gift from God; it is the food for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. The Kingdom of heaven comes with an invitation to join the King for a feast of wisdom. God offers it to those who want a greater understanding of life as it was designed by God for humanity.

Most invitations come with a request to R.S.V.P.—to respond if we are attending or not attending the event. Right now all of humanity is being invited to God’s banquet, it is our turn to R.S.V.P. The humble will leave foolishness and fleshly living behind; to come to the table of righteous and gain wisdom. In other words, to come to the Truth and be saved by his love and Wisdom. Have you R.S.V.P.’d?

Proverbs 9:1-6 AMP Wisdom’s Invitation

Wisdom has built her [spacious and sufficient] house;
She has hewn out and set up her seven pillars.


She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table.


She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the highest places of the city:


“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says,


“Come, eat my food
And drink the wine I have mixed [and accept my gifts].


“Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live,
And walk in the way of insight and understanding.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for seeking to help us, through your Word, to understand godly living. We desire to sit at your table and feast on your righteous character. Please make us in your image. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 04-16-24

There are five main Books of Psalms [Heb. tehilim; Gk. psalmos]; these writings are actually sung prayers of praise and part of the Hebrew writings [Ketuvim]. David wrote at least 73 of these musical prayers and as we read them we can recognize the alignment they reflect with many of the things that transpired throughout Israel’s history with God documented in the Torah. Therefore, these writings become life lessons.

Woven throughout all five Books, the psalmist occasionally found himself offering a sacrifice of praise or lament, because life was just so difficult and challenging for God’s people. We, too, learn how to praise God for his strength and power even in the midst of our worst trials; thanking him for his forgiveness, living with a spirit of gratitude for his goodness in the past, and growing in our obedience by trusting in his love to lead us successfully into the future. These Books lead us to the revelation the Word of God is the Light of our salvation!

The first Book of psalms [Chs. 1-41] is focused on praising God for his justice [righteousness], because humanity is depraved, needs to be rescued (forgiven and delivered), and must learn obedience to the will and word of God. In Book II [Chs. 42-72], the psalmist is focused on praising God for rescuing Israel [and us] from the many ways we self-slaughter or get ourselves enslaved to the things of the world, because we have disobeyed God’s word. In Book III [Chs. 73-89], the psalmist sings prayers of praise about God’s holiness and our need to enthrone him by honoring his word above all other things, because only the Lord can deliver and make us spiritually mature. In Book IV [Chs. 90-106], the psalmist sings about Israel’s [and ours] relationship to the other nations of the world as we serve God’s Kingdom and keep our main focus on the word or commands of the Lord. And lastly, Book V [Chs.107-150], is focused on praising God with great thanksgiving by living a life of worship to the Lord. From beginning to end the Books of Psalms leads us into prayers of praise and worship.

So, the entirety of these prayerful writings help all of us remain devoted to God as we praise the Lord each day. Believers are people who are forgiven, redeemed, obedient, loving, and grateful! Being loved by God is the greatest blessing and knowing whatever we face in life the Lord has promised to be with us. We can find comfort in knowing God loves us and he is the One in control; he will bring his strength to deliver, protect, and sustain us according to his word. So, let every living thing sing praises to the Lord!

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heaven!

Praise him for his mighty works;
    praise his unequaled greatness!

Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
    praise him with the lyre and harp!

Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
    praise him with strings and flutes!

Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for always being there for us and helping us see our spiritual journey in this world can only be successfully lived as we connect to you. Life and death are placed before us all the time; help us to choose life so we can enjoy the blessings! We praise you today for being our Shepherd, Encourager, Comforter, and Friend. In Jesus’ name we pray and praise! Amen.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 04-12-24

In our present culture, we seem to be fixated on words like inclusiveness, because we are afraid to exclude anyone for any reason or even keep a person accountable for a crime, a lack of skill, diligence, or motivation on a job. We are hesitant to temporarily hold children back in school even when they cannot yet demonstrate a proper level of learning, because we are more focused on their self-esteem and feelings than helping them cope with small failures and learning through hard work and sacrifice they are able to achieve more! Let’s remember, we [human beings] are made wonderfully complex; the workmanship of Almighty God (Ps 139:14).
Yesterday, I saw a report of how Mattel has designed a new version of Scrabble—a 75 y/o competitive spelling board game—that is more inclusive for Gen Z. The new name is called “Scrabble Together” and in the game everyone wins, because each player is offered helper cards, team advantage, and a simple scoring system. The release of this new game will begin tomorrow in Europe on April 13th to celebrate National Scrabble Day. No criticism from me, but really?

Every human being needs to find the “Pathway” to unity; however, we also need help to grow emotionally stronger through obstacles, spiritually wiser through temptation, and gain more knowledge through study each day. Of course, believers know Jesus is that Pathway, and although we are all invited to enter his Kingdom, each one of us must work out our salvation in the Spirit. It is, by the way, hard work that requires endurance and perseverance through failure. We need to be able to learn from the Spirit what is true and fight our flesh in order to follow righteousness. If all we do is cater to our flesh and think we will enjoy the fruits of heaven, we have believed a lie.

There is a term call “the gospel of universalism” which is the theology that all human souls will be saved and reconciled to God. But, Jesus referred to himself as the “Door” or “Gate” through whom people must enter salvation (John 10:9). So, God himself demonstrates spiritual exclusion for those who refuse to bow to Christ the Living Word of God to enter the Kingdom through the Great Door of salvation. Are we going to rewrite God’s Word to make it more inclusive?

This week in our lessons, the Apostle John has warned us about the lies of the Antichrist, as well as about false spiritual teachers who do not groom God’s family to live in the righteousness of Christ. False teachers pander to human weakness, rather than focus on God’s power to redeem. When John says we do not need anyone to teach us, he does not mean we do not need higher education, spiritual training, or position ourselves to learn from other believers. He means every believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit who bears witness when we hear the truth that is taught or shared by others. We don’t need to be led astray by lies, we can follow the Truth as long as we stay connected him!

1 John 2:26-28 NLT
26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship [connected] to Christ.

Living as Children of God
28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the lessons you have brought forward for us, today. We pray for our hearts to love and respect others. We pray for our minds to desire to learn and grow from you. We pray for healthy emotions and courage to learn from our mistakes and failures and grow in righteousness and endurance. We pray for the Holy Spirit to make us aware of lies and lead us into the Truth. We want to remain connected, Lord, so we reach out our hands to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.