Well-intentioned people of faith rarely wake up in the morning and say, “I think I will ignore God today!” Yet, our days so often slip by without a single thought of God and the gifts we have received. Our busyness and self-centeredness become the “spirits of the world” that distract us from God.
God invites us into a spirit-filled life where we are called to slow down, pay attention and give thanks for the ordinary blessings that make up our extraordinary lives. That awareness and gratitude, and acting on the basis of our awareness and gratitude, must become the great work of our lives.
Thank you Steve and praise God for all of your comments today... it helps place my life in a different perspective... yes Donna, I am currently on the path to no longer falling for worldly idols. . The over shopping, fancy foods, fame, pride... I'm keeping life simple, doing God's work... my goals...I praise Him for giving me the Faith and helping me along this path
Thank you Steve for today’s devotional. These words also struck me today - “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.” We were traveling yesterday and only this morning saw on the TV the 7,000 anti-Israel protesters marching thru the streets of Manhattan, NY. The police could not stop them nor contain them. Make no mistake, this is the spirit of the world fermenting chaos and those who have been filled with the Spirit of Jesus must pray fervently and call on Jesus to restore peace and justice to our land and the whole world. Pray the Divine Chaplet every day with the words “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.” Christian’s must speak out with the words of the Spirit and ask our Creator and Redeemer to save this beautiful world that His word has given to us.
Jessu has left us His peace not of this world and gave us His Holy Spirit in John 14:26-27, "But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you. I leave My peace with you. I give My peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid!" In God's timing and plan, justice will be done in Ecclesiastes 3:17, "I said to myself, “God will judge godly and sinful people alike. He has a time for every act. He has a time to judge everything that is done.” Amen!!! No worries :-) Just pray expectantly ✝️
Thank you Ann. We know the truth concerning Israel because of the Holy Spirit within us. Satan is using the guise of our love for others and our sadness at seeing them suffer as a front - an excellent dupe strategy. The strategies you suggest are excellent. I will say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy today. For the most part. If there are large numbers of people doing ANYTHING it is a big indication of worldly values. BUT we have the power of God. He wants us to praise him, call on him, do according to his word for our own good. Alleluia!
Amen, Anne ✝️ Reminds me of what Jesus said in John 15:18-19, " “My disciples, does the world hate you? Remember that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you!"
The best part of being retired is being able to take each day slowly & have gratitude for everything. I love this quote by St. Padre Pio: "Every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray."
God hears you, Donna ✝️ Psalm 66:16-20, "Come and hear, all you who have respect for God. Let me tell you what He has done for me. I cried out to Him with my mouth. I praised Him with my tongue. If I had enjoyed having sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God has surely listened. He has heard my prayer. Give praise to God. He has accepted my prayer. He has not held back His love from me!" Amen!!!
Yes good quote. I need to rely on him as he wants me to, rather than relying on food, TV, shopping, drinking, the idols of the world. Going to these is so easy and promoted by the world. These are the things I have appetites for. Others have appetites for ego, fame, popularity, pride etc. I am coming to the conclusion that for me because of where my appetite has been for so long I may have to become the opposite quickly. Minimalist. Simplicity. Fewer distractions and choices. This is my path to freedom in Christ Jesus. Thanks for listening..
Thank you Steve for those words of inspiration and a reminder. Life can get in the way. We try so very hard to keep God our focus. Sometimes easier said than done. Blessings LFF, especially those needing an extra hand these days and may we all spread Gods love through all the world.
When it comes to praying, Jesus gave us examples in John 17, my favorite chapter for me to go and build my faith as the Holy Spirit continues to (PEG) prompt, explain and guide ✝️ *** Jesus knew we were, are and will be in the world, so He prayed for our protection from the world in John 17:15, “I (Jesus, God the Son) do not pray that You (God the Father) will take them out of the world. I pray that You will keep them safe from the evil one!” *** How? Be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so we can walk, led and live by the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:16, 18, 25, “So I say, live by the Holy Spirit’s power. Then you will not do what your desires controlled by sin want you to do… But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law… Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit!” *** The reality looks like this as Jesus has given us God’s Word (an offensive weapon - the sword, the Truth) in John 17:14, 16-17, “I have given them Your Word. The world has hated them. That’s because they are not part of the world any more than I am… They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to it. Use the Truth to make them holy. Your Word is Truth!” ******* The results of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, “ But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind!” Amen ♥️✝️♥️
Thank you Steve, I am taking with me, “God invites us into a spirit-filled life where we are called to slow down, pay attention and give thanks for the ordinary blessings that make up our extraordinary lives.” May we all be able to feel that today. Amen.
Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those experiencing natural disasters, and those in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, the Sudan, in addition to all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.
Well Steve, that devotion hit right to the core! I can't begin to count how many times I've accomplished something and thought I had a hand in its completion. I neither asked nor thanked God for helping me until later on with an 'oh, by the way' mention.
I smiled when I read the first sentence Steve, because reading LF is the first thing I do almost every morning. This is because I decided some time ago to put first things first, and prioritise connecting with God every day. At last I had promoted my relationship with God from an ideal to a value. I say almost every morning because as you so perfectly put it, the “spirits of the world” have an unwelcome determination to intrude. The best their intrusions achieve is to delay me from connecting, I feel unbalanced until I do so. NO TIME TO PRAY I got up early one morning And rushed right into the day; I had so much to accomplish That I didn’t take time to pray. Problems just tumbled about me, And heavier came each task,“Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered. He answered, “You didn’t ask.” I wanted to see joy and beauty, But the day toiled on gray and bleak; I wondered why God didn’t show me; He said, “But you didn’t seek.” I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock; God gently and lovingly chided, “My child you didn’t knock.” I woke up early this morning, And paused before entering the day; I had so much to accomplish. That I had to take time to pray. Author ~ Unknown
Thanks, Patrick. Loved this!
Patrick, Loved this. Thanks for sharing!
Reminds me of God’s Word in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. The door will be opened to the one who knocks.” and in 1 Corinthians 2:13, “That is what we speak about. We don’t use words taught to us by people. We use words taught to us by the Holy Spirit. We use the words taught by the Spirit to explain spiritual truths!”
Excellent sharing, Patrick! Thank you ♥️
Well said, Patrick. Been working on it myself.
Living Faith provides brief daily Catholic devotions based on one of the Mass readings of the day. Published new each quarter, these reflections are written by women and men from a variety of backgrounds - lay people as well as clergy and religious. Learn more.
Receive a free reflection for Sundays every week via email
About Living Faith Living Faith Foundation Ambassador Privacy Policy F.A.Q. Contact Us
© 2024 Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, lnc. All Rights Reserved.
I'm not going to go into too much detail, but I now thank God for not only the big but also the small things and even what some might consider mundane and irrelevant for God. On my walk this morning, while walking in the Spirit, thanking God for the big things: my life, health and family. The more minor things like the sun, clouds, and breeze. I even thanked him for suggesting moving the recliner in my room near a bedside table to create a unique space for prayer, meditation, and reflection. Some might consider that mundane or irrelevant, but knowing that we have God to thank for everything in our lives seems like God's divine suggestion that ultimately brought him the thanks and glory he deserves.