Heart Condition

The Lord’s Prayer, Take Two

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30)

As Christians, Jews and Muslims approach this season, we all need to get back to our Spiritual roots of peace and faith, and look to our common ancestor, Abraham.

All three religions have a common creed: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength; to obey Him in all we think, in all we say and all we do; and to honor and love Him first in all things.

Abraham was chosen by God because he was a fallible, but faithful, human who was obedient to God. He made mistakes, but he was repentant and sought God’s forgiveness. He loved God, and obeyed God’s commands even when he didn’t know what the future would bring.

I tend to reassess things every year around my birthday. This is the week I turn 63. In this season of All Saints Day (which we forget is November 1^st), Thanksgiving and Christmas (Chanukah and Ramadan for Jews and Muslims), what will we celebrate?

As a Christian, I look to biblical writers to help guide me. I look to the words of Jesus to measure my spiritual growth. I spend time with my Heavenly Father to make sure I practice daily my own discipleship. I thank God for the freedom He gave me that was so costly to Him.

The apostle Paul, who was a former Jewish teacher of Mosaic law, tells us that we ought to be living sacrifices to God because He has overfilled our hearts with such grace and mercy.

In simple terms, it’s called pay it forward. This season, as Christians, Jews and Muslims, if we can show just a small percent – a tithe, if you will – of God’s grace, mercy, love and forgiveness to others, we might just make a huge difference to one person.

Dear Father in Heaven, Lord and Creator of us all,

Let Your name be spoken with honor and respect,

Not with derision and cursing.

Even those who doubt Your existence,

Let them treat with dignity

Those who cherish You, praise You,

And know that You are worthy of worship.

 

Lord, Adonai, Allah, Jehovah, YHWH, The Great I AM, Jesus,

Let Your will be done, let hearts be opened, let seeds be planted,

Open ears to hear and eyes to see, that those who don’t know You,

Might know You and receive Your blessings, Your grace and mercy,

Your peace beyond all understanding.

Let us unite together for Your Name’s sake

In love for You and each other.

 

As we read Your living word,

Let us be lifted by it,

Renewed by it,

And let us be filled with the knowledge

That You are our

Daily bread and our

Living Water.

 

We acknowledge we are fallible human beings.

While we seek perfection,

We know attaining it is impossible,

Yet we strive to walk with You,

And ask forgiveness when we forget

Or walk away.

We plead for the courage to forgive others easily, willingly.

 

Please protect us from the temptations

We foolishly place in front of ourselves;

Remind us You have provided us with an exit door clearly marked.

Please protect us from enemies seen and unseen,

Anything or anyone that would dissuade us

From Your chosen path for us.

Lord, You are faithful, You are loving; You are with me always and will never leave me. I know this without hesitation, no matter the circumstances. Thank You for being my Father and my Savior.

Your loving daughter,

Susan

Tags: Abraham, Adonai, All Saints Day, Allah, blessings, Christianity, Christians, creator, dignity, Forgiveness, God, God the Father, grace, heaven, honor, Jehovah, Jesus, Jews, Lord, Lord's Prayer, love, mercy, Muslims, peace, respect, worship, YHWH