Good Friday

1 Peter 2:24

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Holy Week Prayer

Holy Week is such a wonderful time for us to take time to really focus on our relationship with our Lord and Savior who was crucified for us.

Isaiah 50:4-5

The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
    him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
    he awakens my ear
    to hear as those who are taught.
5 The Lord God has opened my ear,
    and I was not rebellious;
    I turned not backward.

These two verses provide us with words that can be a beautiful and powerful prayer for us to use during Holy Week. “As those who are taught” – in order to be taught, you have to be fully engaged. Learning doesn’t just happen. It requires us to be intentional. We have to listen to what is taught in such a way that we can do more than hear the words. We have to think about and process the information. May we be willing to be taught by the Lord this week.

“The Lord has opened my ear” – in order to learn things of a spiritual nature, you have to have your ears opened by the Lord. As followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit that dwells within us will help us to hear what the Lord has to say to us.

1 Kings 19:11-12

11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

The Lord was not in the wind, earthquake or fire; He was in the low whisper. In order to hear a low whisper, you have to be quiet and really be listening. How much time do you spend in quiet before the Lord? If we don’t allow ourselves to sit quietly before the Lord, we won’t know what He has to say to us. Make some time to sit quietly before the Lord during Holy Week and hear what He wants to speak to you.

“Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.” Allow yourself to spend time with the Lord every morning this week. If you wake up a little early, take advantage of that time. Instead of hitting the snooze button on your alarm, spend that time with the Lord. 

“The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.” When the Lord speaks to you, do not be rebellious or turn backwards. Many times the Lord speaks to us about our sinfulness. Allow Him to show you were you are not walking in His ways so you can seek His forgiveness and repent. Holy Week is the perfect time for us to ask the Lord to reveal our wretchedness to us in comparison to His holiness. If we allow Him to show us our sinfulness, we will more fully appreciate what Jesus did on Good Friday and be able to celebrate more fully on Easter Sunday.

• Photo by lamnee from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
• Scripture from http://www.biblegateway.com

Jesus Died for Me

 

 

 

• Picture by lamnee, freedigitalphotos.net

Today is Good Friday. I think it is easy for us to think about the sacrifice Jesus made for us by dying on the cross for the sins of the world and leave it at that. When we think His death was because of the sins of the world, we distance ourself from it. He did die for the forgiveness of the sins of the world, but He also died because of MY sins.

We do everything we can to justify, rationalize or minimize our sins in our own minds and the minds of others. In doing so, we minimize the ultimate sacrifice Jesus had to pay for us. In the eyes of Jesus, sin is sin, there are no “little” or “big” sins; only sin. The consequences of the sin may vary greatly, but all sin is sin.

I attended a Maundy Thursday service last night which included a dramatization of the last supper where several of the disciples talked about their sin. It really hit home for me how much I am like the disciples. I am impulsive like Peter and rush ahead with my plans, rather than waiting on the Lord’s. I have wanted to be number one like James and John. I have fallen asleep during my prayer time the way Peter, James and John did in the garden of Gethsemane.

Today spend sometime allowing yourself to reflect on your sin. Imagine Jesus not just dying on the cross for the sins of the world, but the things you have said and done. It will be a humbling experience and help you personalize the sacrifice Jesus made on your behalf. Remember, He died for My sins and He died for Your sins.