Forward Movement is an official, non-profit agency of the Episcopal Church whose mission is to create compelling content for Christian living. Since 1935 we have published the quarterly devotional Forward Day by Day, as well as pamphlets, booklets, and books that encourage and nourish people in their lives of prayer and faith.
FRIDAY, October 1 (Remigius of Rheims)
Hosea 10:1-15. It is time to seek the Lord.
“Only believe!” says the preacher, but his words require qualification. We are called to more than mental assent to God’s purposes. It is a mistake to think that God can bring us forgiveness, refine our nature, use us in the ongoing cause of the kingdom, if all we do is believe and passively wait. God calls us to active cooperation. The exhortation to the Israelites in today’s verse means they were expected to play a part in their own redemption.
The work of grace in us is ultimately of God. Yet that work cannot be accomplished unless we also make some effort to achieve it. Christians of earlier generations described prayer and meditation as devotional exercise—something requiring energy and effort. How easily may our prayer life be impoverished if we fail to make conscious endeavor to preserve and deepen it!
Author Olive Wyon wrote: “If we have allowed certain elements in our lives to get out of proportion, if we are using our intellectual abilities too little or too much, if we are having too much sleep or too little, if we are underfed or overfed, if we are sitting up too late at night, or allowing some recreation or interest to become too absorbing—all these apparently irrelevant things will affect our prayer life.” (1975)
PRAY for the Diocese of Ife East (Province of Ibadan, Nigeria)
Ps 102 * 107:1-32; Acts 21:37—22:16; Luke 6:12-26
View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com.
A Meditation for Pentecost
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