This time of advent, of waiting, of expectation, of praying for the Kingdom to come is not one of passivity. No, we are actively preparing for the arrival of the Kingdom of God on earth, for the second coming of Christ for all. We do this because he wants all to be saved and none to be lost (1 Timothy 2:4). This theme of Kingdom expectation (which has gone on much longer in this blog than I expected) can be traced throughout the Scriptures as we have seen over the last several weeks. It permeates the Old Testament. It threads its way through Jesus and his teachings and prayers. It turns up consistently in Paul's letters. This expectation, this hope, leads us not to sit back and watch, but to go forth and do. All will not be saved if each of us does not do our part. Some are preachers; some are preparers, some are pray-ers (Ephesians 4:11-12). We each have our assignment. The Kingdom of God depends on us. God is waiting too. For reflection: How well have I been fulfilling my assignment from God? Let us pray. Come, Holy Spirit. Fill my heart. Set it on fire for you. Renew me. Empower me every day to do what you expect. Renew the face of the earth.
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"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat . . . . The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest." So Isaiah describes (11:6-8) aspects of the coming Kingdom of God when animals will not harm people or even fight with each other. It will be a time of perfect peace when "(T)hey will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9). This time has not yet come. All creation is waiting for it though (Romans 8:19). The land, the plants, the animals and people are all waiting for the fullness of the Kingdom of God on earth to be revealed. Peace on earth doesn't just mean peace between people, but also peace between animals and people and peace between people and the earth. It means the reversal of the results of original sin (Genesis 3:14-19). For reflection: How can I contribute to peace on earth today? At work? At home? Let us pray. Jesus, there are people in my family who drive me crazy and I'll be seeing them soon. This year I would like things to be different. I would like to be an agent of peace in the family, instead of discord. How do I do that? Many people follow the blog and don't look at the rest of the website for Manna Prayer Ministries. Today I ask you to check out the full site for yourself and recommend it to others who might find it useful. On the home page there is a phone number for calls for in-person prayer. The phone is not covered quite 24/7, but close. All emails are answered with a prayer specific to the request. Also if you appreciate the blog or other aspects of Manna Prayer, I hope you will take a moment to make a donation.
Isaiah provides us with many images of the Kingdom of God. He pictures the Lord on a mountain laying out a feast of "rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines". Here the Lord will "destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations" (Isaiah 25:6-8). To me this is the veil of unbelief, the web of deceit that Satan, the father of lies and accuser of the brethren, weaves to keep people from entering the presence of the Lord. By his death, Jesus destroyed the veil that separated the people from the Holy of Holies so that all people could enter in (Luke 23:45; Hebrews 10:19-22). The presence of the Lord is not reserved for the "worthy few" because all have been made worthy by the blood of Jesus. For reflection: How can I make more time to enjoy the feast, to drink the wine of his presence? Let us pray. Today I enter into your presence, Lord. I drink you in. As Advent begins we continue to be immersed in images of the Kingdom of God on earth which mirrors the Kingdom of God in heaven. In Isaiah's vision of the last days (2:1-5), all nations come to the Lord's house for instruction. The Lord himself sits as judge between peoples. His objective is peace and life. "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again". Let us pray. Lord, I need your instruction in the ways of peace and life. So many things compete for my attention. Disorder and chaos surround me. Help me in the midst of the chaos to tune in to your thoughts. As I find my peace in you, allow me to spread that peace to others. I want to be an overcomer of chaos. |
AliceI started this website and blog on May 1, 2012. I am a Catholic who has been in ministry for many years. I first developed what I would call a close relationship with Jesus in the early 1970s. Ever since then I have been praying with people for healing and other needs. It is because I have seen so many of these prayers answered that I am so bold as to offer to pray for you individually through this website and phone line. Archives
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