Context: 2 Timothy 1: 6-12
Focus: 2 Timothy 1: 6-7
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (sound mind).” 2 Timothy 1: 7
The gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome fear and to love unconditionally. But it takes self-discipline to focus on the truth rather than our circumstance. A sound mind that is not double-minded but confident concerning the…
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” —Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV)
“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” —Romans 8:26-28 (NLT)
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” —Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)
“A Prayer For Guidance” By YouVersion:
“Think about a decision you made recently. Maybe it was choosing what to wear for the day. Maybe it was figuring out whether or not to take a new job. Or maybe it was simply deciding to say “hello” to someone you didn’t know well. The average person makes thousands of decisions each day.
While our choices don’t carry equal weight, every choice we make contributes to the direction our lives take. The good news is—we don’t have to make decisions alone.
God’s Holy Spirit is with anyone who believes in Jesus, empowering them to live in a way that honors Him. So right now, think about a decision you need to make, and when you’re ready, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
A Prayer for Guidance: Holy Spirit, You know my heart. You understand my deepest wants and needs, and You know my every intention. You know me better than I know myself. There is nowhere I could run to escape Your presence, and nothing I could hide from You!
And that’s why, right now, I am asking You to give me Your divine wisdom and guidance.
I don’t always know what to pray for. My soul is weary and I am tired. I often worry about making the right decision—but I want to live a life that honors You.
Even though I may feel like I can’t move forward or see what’s ahead—You see me. And You know me. So please guide me. Show me the paths that lead to abundant life, and convict me when I am tempted to stray from You.
As You guide me, restore me. I will place my hope in You at all times because You know all things, and by You, my life is held together. You are my strength in times of need, and You have become my salvation.
So hold me close, Lord, and teach me to walk in a manner worthy of the calling You have given me. Direct my steps as You guard my life, because I want to glorify You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Every September, my friend Marc Hong, a professor at Louisville Seminary, hosts Psalmtember. He invites you to join in, too!
Think "Inktober," but in September and with a spiritual focus — and with any art form welcome, from drawing to poetry to photography and beyond. There's also no pressure to create something for every day — do as many or as few as you like.
Here's Marc's description of this artistic event:
Each year, I love to spend a month making art inspired by the Psalms. There are 30 days in September, meaning that I can evenly divide up the 150 Psalms into 5 sets of 30. So, if I do this for 5 years, I will have made art with all of the Psalms.
Join me! The prompt list is in the image [as well as below the readmore]. But other words may stand out to you! Or you may try to make art that represents the wholeness of the Psalm.
I encourage you to read the text of the whole Psalm each day, consider what emotions it stirs up in you, choose a medium that speaks to you, and make some art! Folks have painted, used ink, drawn with colored pencils, taken photographs, written haikus, and much more. Choose what stirs delight in you!
Tag your post with #psalmtember2023 so we can celebrate the Psalms through art together!
Marc and many others post on Facebook, but I'll be paying attention to the tag here on tumblr. If you create anything you'd like me to share on Facebook on your behalf, DM me.
1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
The άνάλαβος (analavos) is the distinctive garment of a monk or a nun tonsured into the highest grade of Orthodox monasticism, the Great Schema, and is adorned with the instruments of the Passion of Christ. It takes its name from the Greek αναλαμβάνω (“to take up”), serving as a constant reminder to the one who wears it that he or she must “take up his cross daily” (Luke 9:23). The ornately-plaited Crosses that cover the analavos, the polystavrion (πολυσταύριον, from πολύς, “many,” and σταυρός, “Cross”) — a name often, though less accurately, also applied to the analavos — reminds the monastic that he or she is “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).
With regard to each image on the analavos, the rooster represents “the cock [that] crowed” (Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:68 Luke 22:60; John 18:27) after Saint Peter had “denied thrice” His Master and Lord (John 13:38).
The pillar represents the column to which Pilate bound Christ “when he scourged Him” (Mark 15:15) “by Whose stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24).
The wreath garlanding the Cross represents the “crown of thorns” (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2) that “the soldiers platted” (John 19:2) and “put upon the head” (Matthew 27:29) of “God our King of old” (Psalm 73:13), Who freed man from having to contend against “thorns and thistles in the sweat of his brow” (Genesis 3:18-19).
The upright post and the traverse beam represent the stipes and the patibulum that formed “the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14), upon which “all day long He stretched forth His hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Isaiah 65:2; Romans 10:21).
The four spikes at the center of the Cross and the hammer beneath its base represent the “nails” (John 20:25) and hammer with which “they pierced” (Psalm 21:16; John 19:37) “His hands and His feet” (Luke 24:40). when they “lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32) Him Who “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us by nailing it to His Cross” (Colossians 2:14).
The base upon which the Cross stands represents “the place, which is called 'Calvary' (Luke 23:33), or 'Golgotha', that is to say, the Place of the Skull” (Matthew 27:33), “where they crucified Him” (John 19:18) Who “wrought salvation in the midst of the earth” (Psalm 73:13).
The skull and crossbones represent “the first man Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45), who by tradition “returned unto the ground” (Genesis 3:19) at this very spot, the reason that this place of execution, “full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27) became the place where “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (I Corinthians 15:45).
The plaque on top of the Cross represents the titulus, the “title” (John 19:19-20), with “the superscription of His accusation” (Mark 15:26), which “Pilate wrote” (John 19:19) “and set up over His head” (Matthew 27:37); however, instead of “Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews” (John 19:19), which “was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew” (Luke 23:38), the three languages being an allusion to the Three Hypostases “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), this titulus reads, “The King of Glory” (Psalm 23:7-10), “for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:8).
The reed represents the “hyssop” (John 19:29) upon which was put “a sponge full of vinegar” (Mark 15:36), which was then “put to His mouth” (John 19:29) when in His “thirst they gave Him vinegar to drink” (Psalm 68:21), Him of Whom it was said that “all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).
The lance represents the “spear [that] pierced His side”; “and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34) from Him Who “took one of Adam's ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof" (Genesis 2:21) and Who “washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).
The plaque at the bottom of the Cross represents the suppedaneum of Christ, “His footstool” (Psalm 98:5), “the place where His feet have stood” (Psalm 131:7). It is slanted because, according to one tradition, at the moment when “Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit” (Mark 15:37), He allowed a violent death spasm to convulse His legs, dislodging His footrest in such a manner that one end pointed upwards, indicating that the soul of the penitent thief, Saint Dismas, “the one on His right hand” (Mark 15:27) would be “carried up into Heaven” (Luke 24:51), while the other end, pointed downwards, indicated that the soul of the impenitent thief, Gestas, “the other on His left” (Mark 15:27), would “be thrust down to Hell” (Luke 10:15), showing that all of us, “the evil and the good, the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), “are weighed in the balance” (Ecclesiasticus 21:25) of the Cross of Christ.
The ladder and the pincers beneath the base of the Cross represent the means of deposition by which Saint Joseph of Arimathea, “a rich man” (Matthew 27:57) who “begged for the body of Jesus” (Matthew 27:58; Luke 23:52), “took it down” (Luke 23:53), so that as in body He descended from the Cross, so in soul “He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9), “by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (I Peter 3:19).
Through these instruments, “the Cross of Christ” (I Corinthians 1:17: Galatians 6:12; Philippians 3:18) became the “Tree of Life” (Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24; Proverbs 3:18, 11:30; 13:12; 15:4; Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14), by which the Lord Jesus reified His words that, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD AND I BRING YOU BIBLE VERSES THAT REMIND ME OF THE OM CHARACTERS ✨✨✨✨✨✨
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Lucifer - Galatians 6:2
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Reminds me of Lulu because he tends to take on everyone's burdens as well as his own. He puts others before himself usually, and that's just mfmfmfmf <333
Mammon - Proverbs 18:24
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
You can't look me dead in the eyes and tell me that Mammon hasn't always been the first to help them whenever MC needed it, and without hesitation too. Bro is so babygirl 🤭💖
Leviathan - Isiah 43:4
"Because you are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you."
Sobbing everytime I read this verse.
These are the words Levi needs to hear because lil bro has a self-esteem the size of a molecule.
AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU NEED TO HEAR IT TOO 🔫🔫🔫
JESUS LOVES YOU, I LOVE YOU, WE ALL LOVE YOU ❤❤
Satan - James 3:17
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."
Allow me a little over-analysis time hehe:
So basically Satan can be regarded as "wisdom" since he's the brains of the bros, and he technically came from the Celestial Realm since he was created just before the bros fell (or as they fell).
Ik ik he was created wrathful and vengeful, but he wasn't techincally. That anger isn't his: it's Lucifer's and his dad's. Imagine Satan being like a pure, clean, blank slate that was corrupted within seconds of his creation with anger that wasn't his.
TEARS RN 😭😭😭😭
Asmodeus - 1 Peter 4:8
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."
I love this verse sm. Peter cooked, ate and left no crumbs.
Asmo loves the most out of the bros and it's so sweet <3
Beelzebub - Psalm 37:37
"Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace."
Beelie is generally (usually) the most calm out of the bros.
Lil homie so peaceful tho bc all he does is eat, work out, eat some more, love his bros, chill with MC, and eat again 😭
Belphegor - Matthew 5:4
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Homegirl is still mourning the loss of Lilith.
I guess you could say MC was the comfort? 👁👁
Diavolo - James 2:24
"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone."
AHFJKSJAKDJAK TO EVERY BELIEVER THAT SEES THIS, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!!!!!!
In relevance to Diavolo, it's more of him genuinely being a good person and not just in other demons' words.
Kind of 😭
Barbatos - Romans 12:12
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
And Barbatos is all of the above ✨
Except maybe the prayer one bc I don't think there's any distinct faiths in OM 💀
Luke - Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
I think this is just such a Luke thing to say, especially since he's young and can't do much 🥹
Simeon - 1 Corinthians 13:4
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."
ANOTHER FAV OF MINE 💖
I don't think I even need to explain why this reminds me of Simeon.
Solomon - Eccesliates 1:18
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief."
I present to you my favourite verse AND favourite book.
FUN FACT: King Solomon wrote Eccesliates, so these are the literal words of Solomon.
I guess not much more needs to be said as to why this reminds me of Solobro 💀
Thirteen - Psalm 41:7
"All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me."
Y'know I don't know much about Thirteen but I assume girl's got haters 😭
Raphael - Psalm 34:13-14
"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
Honestly I have no idea why this reminds me of him, it just does.
Mephistopheles - Romans 14:21
"It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble."
Homie loves his lil bro more than anything, so he would do just about anything for him.
Pretty sure brother in this verse means neighbour or friend but it's the same thing.
BONUS:
Little D - 1 Corinthians 13:1
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."
I HONESTLY JUST CACKLE EVERY TIME I READ THIS VERSE 😭😭😭
I'm pretty sure that Little D just wants to fit in with the rest of the squad though, so all of its yapping is with love 💖
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OKAY THERE'S MY LIST THINGY. IDK WHAT ELSE TO SAY. I'LL MAKE AN ARR ONE TOO BC WHY NOT.
Also why was half the words cutting off at the end of each line when I made them small text lol 💀
“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of Lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.” —Deuteronomy 10:17 (NLT)
“Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Therefore, people revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?”
—Job 37:22-24 (NIV)
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;” —Psalm 95:6 (NIV)
“Come, let’s shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! Let’s march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns!” —Psalm 95:1-2 (MSG)
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” —Psalm 100:1-5 (NIV)
There is no amount of worship too great to do justice to our Almighty, Awesome God. God is more amazing than we can ever understand. He is faithful and loving. He is our Rock and refuge in times of trouble.
“Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?” —Francis Chan
1 (Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.) I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
18 For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.
42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
44 Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
46 How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;
51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
"I've never understood why Christians complain when all they have to do is drop to their knees, clasp their hands together, and bend the Universe to their will."
Xians like to say “aThEiStS tHiNK gOd iS LiKe a gEnIe!!”
Mark 11:22-24
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Matthew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 21:21-22
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Luke 17:6
And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
John 14:12-14
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Psalm 37:4-5
Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
John 15:12 Jesus said, “This is My commandment: love each other just as I have loved you.”
2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Matthew 22:37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Psalm 92:14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.
Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.
May you allow the Lord to draw you closer to Him, into His inner courts, where you can cleanse your hands and feet, made dusty from all you have done and where you have been while ministering to others, so that you can turn and minister to Him as you worship Him in the beauty of His holiness. Ezekiel 40
May you realize, with humility-inspiring awe, that the holy God Who created the universe and cannot be contained, even in the heavens, chooses to dwell in fellowship with you, allowing His majesty to be clothed in flesh, just as His temple, built of enduring stone, was covered with wood into which was carved the enduring truth of His love and the abundant evidence of His mercy. Ezekiel 41
May you bring every desire to God, right or wrong, good or bad, and submit them to Him, accepting His response, not searching for other ways or sources; you will not shock the Lord, for He knows every thought and impulse you have, and He understands the ways of the flesh and knows the thoughts that come, unbidden, to mind, so give them to the One Who is strong enough to overcome them and compassionate enough to love you fully even as He knows you fully. James 4
May you remember that friendship with the world is hatred toward God, and to choose to be a friend of the world is to become an enemy of God. James 4
May you submit yourself to God, for He gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud, so when you resist the devil, he will flee, and when you draw near to God, He will come near to you. James 4
May you cleanse your hands from the residue of the sin you have left behind and purify your heart from the things of the world that divide your loyalty to God, letting tears of repentance for your previous choices, and sorrowful grieving for others' behavior bring you into the presence of God, for as you humble yourself before Him, He will lift you up. James 4
May you not speak against your brother or sister in Christ, for you will be speaking against God's law, which does not make you a doer of the law, but a judge of the law, and of the Lawgiver, the only One Who is able to save and to destroy. James 4
May you acknowledge the sovereignty of God in your plans, confessing by your words that He alone holds the future in His hands, submitting all that you are and everything that you plan unto the lordship of Christ Jesus Who is your Head and Master, and put aside all boasting and bragging which is based on your own resources and abilities, for to know the good you ought to do and not do it is sin. James 4
My child, I am sending you forth as a messenger to carry My tidings to all.
Spend time with Me, My dear one. Listen to My words and tune yourself to My heart. Quiet yourself, My precious one, from the activities and anxieties of what is around you. Know that, in truth, I hold all of your circumstances in My hand. Understand that you can rest in the peace which that realization creates in your heart.
You are to not simply speak of Me, My sent one, but you are to live for Me. Engage in all that occurs around you, encountering all that life brings. Respond through My Spirit, My caring one, walking out My Word.
For unless those who dwell in the world see My love in your life as you deal with the same things they deal with, how will they know the truth of My promises, and the strength of My compassion, and the reality of My victory?
May you enter the gates of righteousness when He opens them and give thanks to the Lord. Psalm 118
May you give thanks to the Lord for He has answered you and become your salvation, granting you the right to enter His gates with the righteous. Psalm 118
May you be glad and rejoice in the day that the Lord has made, considering it marvelous in your eyes the way that the Lord has made the stone, which the builders rejected, to become the capstone. Psalm 118
May you bless the Lord, for He saves you and grants you success, shining His light upon you as you bless Him. Psalm 118
May you give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever. Psalm 118
May you nurture the poor and the needy, encouraging them to flourish and bring forth a harvest of praise to the Lord. Proverbs 28:3
May you keep the law of love and resist the wicked. Proverbs 28:4
May you seek the Lord continually, for you will gain a full understanding of His justice. Proverbs 28:5
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
Only Creator, with wisdom profound, You mercifully order all things, and give that which is needed to all men: Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep, for they have placed their trust in You, our Maker and Fashioner, and our God.
Saturday is the day which the Church has set aside for the commemoration of faithful Orthodox Christians departed this life in the hope of resurrection to eternal life. Since the Divine Liturgy cannot be served on weekdays during Great Lent, the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of the Fast are appointed as Soul Saturdays when the departed are remembered at Liturgy.
In addition to the Liturgy, kollyva (wheat or rice cooked with honey and mixed with raisins, figs, nuts, sesame, etc.) is blessed in church on these Saturdays. The kollyva reminds us of the Lord’s words, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).The kollyva symbolizes the future resurrection of all the dead. As Saint Simeon of Thessalonica (September 15) says, man is also a seed which is planted in the ground after death, and will be raised up again by God’s power. Saint Paul also speaks of this (I Cor. 15:35-49).
It is customary to give alms in memory of the dead in addition to the prayers we offer for their souls. The angel who spoke to Cornelius testifies to the efficacy of almsgiving, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4).
Memorial services for the dead may be traced back to ancient times. Chapter 8 of the Apostolic Constitutions recommends memorial services with Psalms for the dead. It also contains a beautiful prayer for the departed, asking that their voluntary and involuntary sins be pardoned, that they be given rest with the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles in a place where sorrow, suffering, and sighing have fled away (Isaiah 35:10). Saint John Chrysostom mentions the service for the dead in one of his homilies on Philippians, and says that it was established by the Apostles. Saint Cyprian of Carthage (Letter 37) also speaks of our duty to remember the martyrs.
The holy Fathers also testify to the benefit of offering prayers, memorial services, Liturgies, and alms for the dead (Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Saint John of Damascus, etc.). Although both the righteous and those who have not repented and corrected themselves may receive benefit and consolation from the Church’s prayer, it has not been revealed to what extent the unrighteous can receive this solace. It is not possible, however, for the Church’s prayer to transfer a soul from a state of evil and condemnation to a state of holiness and blessedness. Saint Basil the Great points out that the time for repentance and forgiveness of sins is during the present life, while the future life is a time for righteous judgment and retribution (Moralia 1). Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Gregory the Theologian, and other patristic writers concur with Saint Basil’s statement.
By praying for others, we bring benefit to them, and also to ourselves, because “God is not so unjust as to forget your work and the love which you showed for His sake in serving the saints...” (Heb. 6:10).
[Text from OCA]
With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of Your servants, where there is neither sickness nor sorrow, and no more sighing, but life everlasting.