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Exsultet from the Easter Vigil

20 Apr

This is the Night,
When Christ broke the
Prison bars of death
And Rose victorious from
The underworld…
O Truly necessary sin of
Adam,
Destroyed completely by
The death of Christ!
O happy fault
That earned so great, so
Glorious a Redeemer!

Exsultet from the Easter Vigil

Dear God, this entry bring my journey with Sister Miriam and her Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation to an end. It has been good to have something to focus on the last six and a half weeks. Sometimes I’ve liked it. Sometimes I’ve wanted to do something else but stuck with it. Some days have been good and some days have been hard. Some days I’ve felt spiritually attacked and some days I’ve felt incredibly protected by you. The truth is, I was always protected by you.

Yesterday, my day of not adding sound like music, videos, or podcasts to my world, was harder than I thought it would be. In fact, it might have been the hardest day. Then I had something going wrong with work that was really frustrating me. In fact, it is still frustrating me this morning. But when I would start to get frustrated yesterday, I would try to remind myself of the devastation the disciples experienced on that Saturday 2,000 years ago. My day and my experience was nothing like theirs as they hid in a house, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives now that they had seemingly been suckered in by a false Messiah. Could Peter, James, and John show their faces back on the fishing docks again after that?

Then came the morning! The night turned into day. The stone was rolled away. Hope rose with the dawn. Then came the morning. Shadows vanished before the sun (Son?). Death had lost, and life had won, for morning had come. (“Then Came the Morning” by Gloria Gaither / Chris Christian / William Gaither)

So here I am this morning, dressed in a bright pink shirt and ready to celebrate something that I paid nothing for. Something I didn’t earn. It’s like when the university I graduated from won a national championship in basketball a few years ago. I celebrated even though I had nothing to do with it outside of a modest donation to the athletic department. The victory wasn’t mine, but it was. In this case, the victory is even bigger and will never end. That national championship team has been replaced by other teams, and other universities have won the championship since then. But Jesus, oh my Jesus, you won for forever. You turned history on its head. I get to celebrate the richest victory because you not only won, but because of your victory I get to sit here this morning and community with you, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

Father, thank you. I love you. I worship you. I celebrate you. Let this Easter be impactful for some of the people who are coming to church for the first time in 12 months. Or maybe even 12 years. Bring healing to relationships this morning. Bring people to yourself. Help those who have been running from you and others to stop, turn, and sink into your love and the love of those who are always there for them. I know a friend who is mourning the loss of her mother from Friday. Love her and comfort her as well. Make this an Easter of resurrection, hope, peace and comfort for her.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2025 in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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Matthew 27:59-61

19 Apr

59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

Matthew 27:59-61

Dear God, as I sit here on this Saturday morning before Easter, the word “hopeless” comes to mind. There are things in my life that bring me sorrow about which I feel hopeless. I’m tired. I’m defeated. I’ve tried multiple times and in multiple ways to remedy the sorrowful situation, but nothing seems to work. It feels hopeless.

I would imagine that is how Joseph and Nicodemus were feeling as they handled Jesus’s body that Friday night, making themselves unclean for the Passover. I would imagine that’s how the Marys and all of Jesus’s other followers/believers, whether close to him or believing in him from a distance, were feeling that Friday evening and Saturday. Hopeless. Asking themselves, “What does this mean? Where do we go from here?” while dealing with their simple grief of losing someone they loved so brutally. Rome was still in charge. Pilate had the power to kill him. Caiaphas and his crew had won. What now?

In today’s entry into Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, Sister Miriam…well, she says this:

An ancient homily on Holy Saturday captures it best: “What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled…Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow prisoner Eve from her pains, he who is God, and Adam’s son. The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his Cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.'”

Father, I think I want to sit in this silence today. As I’ve been praying, I’ve decided to not “play” anything today. No music. No podcasts. No YouTube videos or sports. I think I want this to be a real day of silence for me. I want to be alone with the Holy Spirit and my thoughts. I want to commune with you without distraction. I want to learn to love you just a little better today. And I want to learn to be at peace in the silence of my sorrow. The silence of my hopelessness. But I have an advantage on Joseph, Nicodemus, the Marys, and all the others. I know what’s about to happen tomorrow, and it gives me hope too.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 19, 2025 in Matthew, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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John 30b

18 Apr

Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 30b

Dear God, I normally rush into typing when I read the passage of the day, but I want to slow down this morning and really think about these three English words. I don’t know the Aramaic Jesus would have spoken, but the New Living Translation translators gave me the words, “It is finished.” In fact, I just looked up several translations, and all but The Message had those three words. For his part, Eugene Peterson wrote in The Message, “It is done…complete.” What are all of the implications of those words?

  • All of the triaging of the Old Testament sinning is finished. I heard someone describe the Old Testament as you responding to the sins of Israel. That was over now.
  • The separation of Jews and Gentiles was finished. We are all invited into your kingdom.
  • The path to reconciliation between all of us and yourself was finished.
  • Jesus’s earthly mission was finished.
  • The painful Passion was finished. Jesus was dreading it so much. Now, it was done. Finished. Oh, I’m so sorry he had to do that for me. I truly am sorry.

From Sister Miriam today in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation: “Good Friday. The great equalizer of human kind. Rich, poor, young, old, powerful, weak–all kneel before the Cross of Jesus Christ. There are no words. In the noisy chaos of Jerusalem, crowds, political struggles, and the lament of Calvary, a silence reigns midafternoon on that great and terrible day. What can be said as we gaze upon him? What can be said as we behold the Man, broken and bloodied?”

Father, the idea that I have come along on this earth 2,000 years after this moment is humbling. Honestly, my little American life in 2025 almost seems way too easy. I am humbled by Jesus. I am humbled by the generations and generations that have come before me. I am humbled by the people in my current world, even in my community, who suffer now. I am humbled, Father. I am simply humbled. Teach me to love you and love others.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 18, 2025 in John, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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Revelation 1:1-6

17 Apr

1 This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, 2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

4 This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia.

Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.

All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 1:1-6

Dear God, Sister Miriam focused on verse 6 this morning in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation. Quoting it here again: 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

When I read it, I remembered something I was thinking about yesterday. I can’t remember what spurred it, but I remember thinking about John the Baptist being called “the least in heaven,” and it reminded me of my own place in the created order. Living here on earth, we humans feel like we are so important because we are the most evolved life forms here. Our intellect has enabled us to change the world. No other animal or plan can do that. So we feel good about ourselves. We feel self-important. We feel like we are “all that.” And then I remember that, in the created order–of things seen and unseen–we are so small and insignificant. It’s just a fact. Some might hear this thought and be defensive or offended, but it’s reality.

So what makes this important? Well, even though we are these insignificant beings in the cosmos, the top of the food chain, the greatest being in the cosmos, the creator of the cosmos, is really interested in us. He really loves us. He really wants to love us, free us from our sin, forgive us, teach us, and draw our souls to himself beyond this earthly, physical life. I wish I could put a “mind-blown” emoji here.

Father, this in Maundy Thursday. To quote Sister Miriam from today’s entry, “This is the night that Jesus will be given over for our sins and begin his Passion. The mass that we celebrate on the evening of the Lord’s Supper is the last Mass that will be prayed before Easter Vigil. In this Mass, Jesus will offer bread and wine as his Body and Blood, and he will tell the disciples, ‘Do this in memory of me.'” This is my evidence that you love me. This is my evidence that you are capable of freeing me from my sin and enabling me to both walk in that freedom and offer it to others. Help me to know how to do both of those things today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2025 in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, Revelation

 

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Isaiah 50:4-5

16 Apr

4 The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
5 The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
    and I have listened.
    I have not rebelled or turned away.

Isaiah 50:4-5

Dear God, these are beautiful words. They are words completely out of context and in the middle of a bunch of other words I totally don’t understand. And I don’t know if they have the same meaning in isolation that they do as part of the whole, but for this morning, being the words Sister Miriam has for me in Restored: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, they are beautiful words I want to sink into.

Why am I here? Well, it’s to comfort the weary. It’s to be your hands and feet to others. To be your ears. To speak your words of comfort and wisdom. My job is to be as tied into you as I can so that I can 1.) hear your Holy Spirit when he is nudging me to move and 2.) have your words or physical strength to do what you’re calling me to do. I need you to awaken me so that I might understand your will.

I need to listen to you as you speak to me. That’s a really hard one. I need to listen as you speak to me. Listening requires shutting up, and I have a hard time shutting up. I have a really hard time shutting up. I have a hard time turning off the other noise as distractions from you. Maybe that’s a spiritual attach that keeps me from hearing you on a consistent basis. I don’t know. But I need to listen as you speak to me.

Father, help me to not rebel and turn from your way. Help me to listen as yo speak to me. Help me to be aware of when you are calling me to act, and give me the courage to act–even if maybe the action required is for me to stop and pray for someone. Give me your words of comfort and wisdom for others. And help me to hear your words of wisdom and comfort for me through whomever it is you choose to send into my life with your words. I love you, Lord. I am here to worship, bow down, and say you are my God.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2025 in Isaiah

 

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John 13:36-37

15 Apr

36 Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?”

And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”

37 “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”

John 13:36-37

Dear God, Peter gets a bad rap when it comes to chickening out after Jesus was arrested. It’s true. After Jesus was arrested, Peter caved, but before the arrest, he was ready to go. He was wielding a sword. He was ready to go down swinging. He had been emotionally preparing himself for this. It was go time!

But how would it have helped Jesus if Peter had turned himself in after the arrest? Jesus was beyond saving at that point, and Peter knew it. I’m not saying what Peter did was right. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been ashamed of himself when he did it. I’m just saying I get it, and what he did is not, in my opinion, a mark of cowardice.

In Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, Sister Miriam concludes today’s entry with, “Jesus is so good to Peter and so attentive to his heart and the damage he did to himself by his own denial that Jesus will set up another scene by a charcoal fire, this one leading to a threefold affirmation of love and restoration (see John 21:9-19). Nothing is wasted on Jesus. Jesus uses everything in our lives to bring about restoration if we allow him to do so.” I like the image of “nothing wasted.” It reminds me of the prayer someone taught me years ago about making the pain count. Don’t let it be wasted.

Father, Jesus experienced unbelievable pain 2,000 years ago, but, oh, how you made it count! And there is a lot of pain in the world that is greater than the pain I experience. Please don’t let it be wasted. Make it count. The world is a big place. Bigger than I can fathom. And time is long. Longer than I can imagine. You are moving things in the world and nudging them here and there in ways that are way beyond my ability to comprehend. So I won’t try. I’ll just thank you, worship you, love you, and serve you. “Take my life, Lord. Let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.”

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 15, 2025 in John, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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Collect for Mass of the Day – April 14, 2025

14 Apr

Grant, we pray, Almighty God
That, though in our
Weakness we fail,
We may be revived through
The passion of your only
Begotten son.

Collect for Mass of the Day – April 14, 2025

Dear God, revive us again. That’s the verb I get from this phrase highlighted in Sister Miriam’s book Restored: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation. “Revive.”

I was reading a blog post this morning by Molly Wilcox, someone who “reconstructed” her faith through difficult times. Of course, I immediately thought about the phrase “deconstructing faith” that has become a lightning rod over the last few years. Some will tell you it’s dangerous. Some will tell you it’s essential. For my part, I like the idea of “reconstruction.” I built my faith when I was young and immature–both emotionally and spiritually. I’m still trying to mature even at the age of 55. Why wouldn’t I be consistently examining my beliefs and theology before you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

The biblical example I thought of this morning was Job. He entered the narrative of Job as a mature man with what he thought was a mature faith. You seemingly found no blame in him, although you did still have lessons for him to learn. And by the end of the book he went from a faith that saw you as a rewarder of good and punisher of bad to a faith that saw his life as a complete submission to whatever your plan was, regardless of what it cost him personally. Some would call what Job did “deconstruction.” I like the word “reconstruction” better.

Father, all of this links to the verb “revive” because reconstruction done right does lead to revival. Life in you is full of new insights and realizations. Never let my heart grow so old or cold that it is defensive and unwilling to be examined for errancy, pride, and inflexibility. I want to know you. Teach me. Revive me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 14, 2025 in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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Matthew 21:1-11

13 Apr

21 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,
    ‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—
    riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!
    Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
    Praise God in highest heaven!”

10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Matthew 21:1-11

Dear God, a lot of the time I skip the explanations in the footnotes, but that is probably a mistake. There’s an important one today. For verse 9, right after “Praise God,” there is a footnote that says, “21:9a Greek Hosanna, an exclamation of praise that literally means “save now”; also in 21:9b, 15.” It’s the “save now” that caught my eye. It’s what I thought of when I first read this passage this morning. Of course, I’ve thought this before. The people that day were so ignorant. Not one of them, including the disciples, knew what was going on or about to happen. In fact, I’ll bet the disciples were getting pretty amped up too. “Yes, Jesus, save now! We’ve spent the last three years priming the pump. It’s go time!” They just didn’t know what they needed saving from.

How do we make that same mistake today. We pray to you to save our country. To give us power and influence. To give us provision including rain for our water and food (crops and livestock). We pray that you make us feel better about ourselves. That you make us happy. What we miss is that that’s not what you came for that day. Somehow, we still try to put you back on that donkey and get in line both ahead and behind you shouting, “Save now!” But we misidentify what we need saved from.

So what do I think I need saved from? Myself. My selfishness. My own agenda. My sin. My hate. My lust. My covetousness.

This is a deep thought for me. When I am critical of Christian Nationalists in our country, or any other country for that matter, what I think I’m critical of is that they are trying to put you on that donkey and join the crowd that day. Ready to follow you to personal glory and power.

That brings to mind your behavior after the resurrection. Okay, so, sure, leading in to the crucifixion, yes, that had to be what it was because we needed your death and resurrection to save us from our sins. But after the resurrection and our sin is paid for, that’s when it will be “go time,” right? When you rise again you’ll show yourself to Caiaphas, supplant him as the high priest of Israel and then work things so that Israel removes Roman rule. Surely that’s how this will work!

No. No, that’s not how it will work either. How it will work is you will selectively reveal yourself to a few hundred people. here and there. You will leave after 40 days, send your Holy Spirit, and then allow each of the original 11 (excluding Judas) to be, at a minimum, persecuted, and all but one of those 11 martyred.

Father, help me to identify today the areas of my heart that still cling to the error of Palm Sunday. The part of my heart that identifies “saving” as power instead of “saving” being redemption and reconciliation with you. I am a citizen of this world, but it is not my home. You are my home. I give you my praise and worship today not for what you are doing for me, but simply for who you are.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2025 in Matthew, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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John 11:45-54

12 Apr

45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. 46 But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”

49 Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! 50 You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

51 He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. 52 And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.

53 So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. 54 As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.

John 11:45-54

Dear God, I don’t know where Sister Miriam is going to go with this passage in today’s entry in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, but I had a thought as I read it. You made this plan Caiaphas-proof. Caiaphas was wrong. He thought Jesus was here to lead a revolution. He thought the people were stupid enough to follow him into a hopeless revolution. He thought he was protecting everyone. He thought he was doing the right thing.

I wonder what would have happened if Caiaphas had gone to Jesus in the night like Nicodemus did back in John 3 and just asked him flat out, “Jesus, you’re obviously special. Please explain to me what you’re up to.” In retrospect, that’s what he should have done although that would have changed your plan. Yeah, everything worked the way it was supposed to. Maybe it was because Jesus had been so insulting of the Pharisees up to that point. Maybe Caiaphas’s heart was already hardened, much like Pharoah’s. Little did he know the Temple was already going to be destroyed in a few years. Nothing lasts forever.

In her writing for today, Sister Miriam is still talking about forgiveness, both accepting it and offering it to others. I still don’t quite understand how she links it to this passage except that Jesus’s real purpose was to offer forgiveness to us. But she has a line that made me think of Caiaphas: “We offer to Jesus our pain, agony, bitterness, and hardened hearts, and he takes our offering, brings it to his heart upon the Cross on which he hangs, and in return offers us mercy for the forgiveness of our own sins, healing from the sins others have committed against us, and the restoration of our lives.” Just the fact that I had mentioned Caiaphas’s hardened heart and she included “hardened hearts” in her writing made me curious about Caiaphas. What were his hurts? What were his fears? What needed forgiven in his life. Whom did he need to forgive?

Father, I am sorry. I have been arrogant. I have been judgmental. I have been harsh. I have been selfish and self-indulgent. Oh, my Jesus, as I sit here now, imagining you on the Cross, I am grateful. And I’m so sorry. I have no right to expect anything out of life, including the kindness of others to me. I already have it so much better than I deserve because you are with me. You love me. You forgive me. Thank you. Help me to release others from what I think they owe me and to simply live in the gratitude of what you’ve done for me and then offer that same gift from you to them.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 12, 2025 in John, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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John 6:60-71

11 Apr

60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

70 Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” 71 He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.

John 6:60-71

Dear God, in today’s reflection from Sister Miriam in Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, she focused on verses 63 and 68. What she quoted: “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.” “…You have the words of eternal life.” I copied all of the verses around these words because I think context is important, but the nugget she’s extracting from those 12 verses are the heart of the truth from this passage. Jesus was of you. Was you. Where else can I go?

As I think about forgiveness this week, both receiving it and giving it to others, I know I have work to do. How do I know? Because last night I had a dream I haven’t had in a while (at least that I remember) of really yelling at someone who has done things that have hurt me. I’ve talked to this person about it before, but they just don’t see it. And they continue to do it. This isn’t a person I can just remove from my life. They are an integral part of it. How do I move forward?

My wife sent me a link this morning from the Abiding Together Podcast as I was getting ready that happens to be a forgiveness meditation by Sister Miriam. She doesn’t know yet that I had this dream last night. We haven’t had a chance to talk yet this morning. But I foresee myself sitting with this meditation at some point today.

In the entry from today’s Restored reflection from Sister Miriam, she gives her steps in the meditation:

  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you whom you need to forgive. (It could be a family member, a friend, an abuser, or yourself.)
  2. Picture the person in front of you and pay attention to what you feel in your heart and body.
  3. Make an account of the debt they own you. (What did they take from you? How did they hurt you? It is okay to feel angry or nothing at all.)
  4. Imagine telling them what they did to hurt you and how it has affected you.
  5. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any identity lies you believe about yourself based on the incident.
  6. Renounce the identity lie: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce the like that I am not loved or cared for, that I have to perform to be loved, and so forth.”
  7. Announce the truth of your identity in Christ: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I announce the truth that I am see, that I am valuable, that I am loved, and so forth.”
  8. Bring the person with you to meet Jesus on the Cross at Calvary; look at his face of care and mercy.
  9. Ask Jesus to forgive the person.
  10. Ask Jesus to give you the grace to forgive the person.
  11. Pray a prayer of blessing for that person. Ask God to bless them and heal them on their journey.
  12. Ask Jesus to seal this forgiveness and heal the wounds in your life.
  13. Thank God for his healing mercy and grace.

Father, this will be one I have to do offline, but I’ll see you later this morning with this. I love you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2025 in John, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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