We don’t necessarily think of Lent—a season of reflection, prayer and often fasting—as a time to sing. Don’t we have to wait for all those “Alleluias” of Easter? No, we don’t. There are so many hymns of Lent that can carry us through this lovely, spiritually rich season. They can show us the true meaning of Lent. Here is musical inspiration for this transformative time. Try one of these beautiful Lent hymns:

1)  “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

What great reminder that God’s grace is there to carry us through whatever trials we face. The verse that always moves me the most:

Let thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to thee.

That powerful imagery of being chained to God’s own goodness pulling me back from my wanderings. May I be the Lord’s prisoner forever.

2)  “Forty Days and Forty Nights”

Just that title alone says “Lent.” We’re being called in this season to remember the Lord’s suffering and to share the journey with Jesus:

Shall not we your sorrow share
And from worldly joys abstain,
Fasting with unceasing prayer,
Strong with you to suffer pain?

Whatever fasting we undertake, whatever we decide to give up for Lent, we do it with prayer and grow stronger in the process as we face our own struggles.

3)  “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”

The lyrics are by the great American poet John Greenleaf Whittier, a Quaker of deep faith. He understood how necessary it is to turn to God, asking for forgiveness, for God to “reclothe us in our rightful mind.” Prayer is at the heart of that process. My favorite verse:

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease…
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

What a perfect prayer for Lent.

4)  “Take My Life, and Let it Be”

There’s an old saying (I remember seeing it posted in our choir room as a kid): “When you sing you pray twice.” The words of a Lent hymn, like this one, stick in your soul. If you just said the words, that’d be one thing. But singing them resonates with your heart, body and soul. Like Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). When I sing “Take my life…” the promise is rich and deep.

5)  “Be Still, My Soul”

Lent is a great time to practice contemplative prayer. Choose a time for day—first thing in the morning works best for me—when you can be quiet, be still, to listen to God. Our minds can be noisy with distractions. But when we give all those worries and concerns over to the Lord, we can be still:

Be still my soul thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Amen.

6)  “’Take Up, Thy Cross’ The Savior Said”

These words come straight from the Lord’s mouth: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). How wonderful to have a Lent hymn to help us claim that. Often sung in community. All the more powerful to make that pledge with others. That last verse:

Nor think till death to lay it down;
For only those who bear the cross
May hope to wear a golden crown.

The glory of it.

7)  “Amazing Grace”

Everybody’s favorite hymn. For good reason. During our Lenten journey, it feels especially appropriate, as we call on the free gift of grace that we’re all offered:

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come.
Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace that will lead me home.

Those toils that Jesus endured in the wilderness, that we honor at Lent, can only be endured through God’s grace. May it be with you.

READ MORE ABOUT THE LENTEN SEASON:

• Is Lent in the Bible?
• What Are the 5 Colors of Lent?
• 10 Ways to Observe a Green Lent
• Why Sundays Don’t Count During Lent
• 20 Lent Bible Verses for Reflection and Guidance
  

The post 7 Favorite Hymns for Lent appeared first on Guideposts.

Easter is a time of rebirth and a deep sense of hope. Use these powerful Easter Bible verses to guide you on this day as you reflect on the story of Jesus’ resurrection. How can you bring these Scriptures into your own life and feel the power of Jesus’ love on Easter and beyond?

READ MORE: 40 Beautiful Easter Quotes to Share

Popular Easter Bible Verses

1. Mark 16:8 – Be Amazed 

So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them. (Mark 16:8) 

What would your reaction be if you went to the place where they had buried your beloved Lord and discovered the body was no longer there? The best news in the world can be so startling that we can’t embrace it at first. So it was for Jesus’ first followers. Two millennia later, the message of the Resurrection still takes me by surprise. Before singing those “Hallelujahs” at church, I find myself catching my breath. Then I utter the refrain: “The Lord is risen indeed!” 

READ MORE: 10 Easter Traditions (Old and New)

2. 1 Peter 1:3 – Give Thanks

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3) 

I used to wonder why we praise God. Was God so insecure as to need all that affirma­tion? No—God loves our praise because it’s good for us, like telling a colleague what a great job they did or thanking a friend. Giving credit where credit is due. ’Tis the season of praise and exclamation points! Don’t hold back. Flowers, Easter baskets, colored eggs—they’re all ways to express our exuberance. To thank the Creator for his gift to us. 

READ MORE: 10 Acts of Kindness to Do for Easter

3. Luke 18:16 – Nurture Your Inner Child 

But Jesus called for them and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” (Luke 18:16) 

After we sing the last hymn at church, the kids dash outside for the egg hunt. The eggs and giant bunny are reminders of new life. The event mirrors the thrill of any seek-and-find spiritual journey. No matter your age, a youthful spirit is something Jesus valued. Nurture your inner child for the day.  

READ MORE: 10 Easter Eggs from Around the World

More Easter Bible Verses to Bring You Joy 

4. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

5. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (Luke 24:1-6) 

6. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11) 

7. Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. (Zechariah 10:1) 

8. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:34-35) 

9. Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. (James 5:7) 

10. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (1 Corinthians 15:20-21) 

11. I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. (John 11:25-26) 

12. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. (Hosea 6:3) 

13. I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12) 

14. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14: 1-4) 

15. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) 

16. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. (2 Timothy 1:9)  

17. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:15-16) 

18. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:25-26)

19. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 1:18-20) 

20. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) 

READ MORE ABOUT EASTER: 

• The Easter Story in 14 Bible Passages
• 5 Joyful Easter Devotions
• How to Pray in the Days After Easter
• The Message of Easter

For more inspiring stories, subscribe to Guideposts magazine.

The post 20 Easter Bible Verses to Celebrate and Reflect appeared first on Guideposts.

READ MORE: A Devotion for Holy Week

How to Pray During Holy Week

For followers of Jesus, Lent offers opportunities to pause and pray, as we approach the yearly remembrance of our Lord’s Passion—His suffering, death, burial, and Resurrection.

But even during this season of reflection and gratitude, it’s so easy to rush through days filled with work, errands, grocery shopping, school events, and more. We’d like to be more mindful and present as we approach Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, but how?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could somehow “pray our way to Calvary” in the final weeks before the most momentous days in our Christian calendar? We can. In fact, our Bibles already have a built-in tool that can help. It’s called “the Psalms of Ascent,” or “Pilgrim Songs.”

You may have noticed in some Bibles that Psalms 120-134 each bears a heading identifying it as “A Psalm of Ascent.” Those 15 psalms are a sort of “hymnal” within a hymnal. Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for one of the annual festivals sang these songs, in order, on their uphill journey, as they ascended. They may also have been sung by priests and worshipers ascending the steps to the Temple.

So, one way to make this year’s “journey to Calvary” more meaningful is to start the third Friday before Easter by praying (or, if you prefer, singing or chanting) Psalm 120—a prayer for God’s presence during a time of distress—at some point during the day. Then, simply pray or sing the next psalm each day, culminating in Psalm 134 on Maundy Thursday. It’s a short psalm of praise to God in His sanctuary on the day that marks the Last Supper before the betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus.

By following the ancient songbook, you can pray your way to Holy Week. You will arrive at Good Friday having prayed your way—day by day, step by step, psalm by psalm—to the cross of Jesus, where His loving sacrifice made forgiveness and redemption possible for all who look to Him in sincere faith.

21 Holy Week Prayers

However else you might observe Holy Week, prayers are always a good idea for such momentous moments. In many churches, there will be liturgical drama from the washing of feet to the stripping of an altar. How to pray during a week of both triumph and betrayal? Here are 21 suggested prayers for Holy Week to take you from Holy Monday to Resurrection Sunday and beyond.

Holy Week Prayers for Palm Sunday (Day 1)

1. Let me sing “Hosannas” with the crowd and wave my palms high, as I remember, Lord, just what kind of kingdom Your Son has promised to reign over. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

2. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9) Heavenly Father, today on Palm Sunday, as Holy Week begins, please guide me on my faith journey to deeply reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My heart is open, and I am ready to share His message of love, mercy and forgiveness with anyone in need and offer them hope and comfort. —Sabra Ciancanelli

READ MORE: Palm Sunday in the Bible: 15 Palm Sunday Scriptures

Holy Week Prayers for Holy Monday (Day 2)

3. Dear Lord, on this Holy Monday, I am thankful for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save us from our sins. As we begin Holy Week, I ask for Your guidance and strength to walk with Jesus. Help me to learn from His example of selflessness and love. Please comfort all who are suffering today. May they feel Your presence and experience Your healing. May they find hope in Your love. —Sabra Ciancanelli

4. Where am I going, Lord? Where am I headed? I have seen the Lord curse a fig tree and watch it wither and die. Let not my Spirit wilt in the same way. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

5. Lord Jesus, You entered the Jerusalem Temple to cleanse it of corruption and abuse. As this Holy Week commences, search and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of everlasting life. Amen. —Bob Hostetler (based on Psalm 139:23-24 WEB)

READ MORE: A Devotional for Monday of Holy Week

Holy Week Prayers for Holy Tuesday (Day 3)

6. Lord Jesus, it was on a Tuesday that you spoke out against abuse of power, collaboration with oppressors, misuse of authority. So today we pray, comforter of the abused, strengthen those burdened by corrupted rule or injustice; rescue the overwhelmed; be present to those who call on your name, to those we name on our lips, and in the silence of our hearts, those whose concerns are known only to you; Amen. —Bob Hostetler

7. May I be a true follower of Jesus. The temple has been cleansed of all its wrongdoing. I come to you, God, to cleanse my soul. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

Holy Week Prayers for Holy Wednesday (Day 4)

8. Lord Jesus, it was on this day that Judas Iscariot conspired to betray you. Remembering that, I pray the prayer of Augustine: “Lord Jesus, don’t let me lie when I say that I love you…and protect me today, for I could betray you.” Amen. —Bob Hostetler

9. Who would ever betray, You, Lord? Not I, not I. Let me pour the ointment of my love on all You call me to do and all those I am called to love. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

10. Gracious Lord Jesus, this day is traditionally called “Spy Wednesday,” because we remember how Judas Iscariot conspired with the religious authorities to betray and deliver You into their hands. Yet also on that day You were lovingly anointed with precious oil as an act of sincere worship. What highs and lows You endured for the sake of the purpose that was set before You: to suffer and die for our sake. Walk with me through the highs and lows of my life, reminding me that whatever troubles come my way, You are worthy of my trust and adoration. Amen. —Bob Hostetler

Holy Week Prayers for Maundy Thursday (Day 5)

11. Lord, on this Maundy Thursday (so named for the “mandate” You gave to your followers to love and serve each other), as I remember your last supper in the upper room, I pray, as Simon Peter did: Please wash, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head (John 13:9). —Bob Hostetler

12. Before I eat the supper of Your body and Your blood, I am prepared to wash the feet of all Your followers, and willingly let You wash my feet. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

13. Lord Jesus, I pray today with Peter, who recoiled when you stooped to wash his feet: “Lord, wash, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” And my heart. And my mind. And my life. Amen. —Bob Hostetler (based on John 13:9)

READ MORE: The Heart of Maundy Thursday

Holy Week Prayer for Good Friday (Day 6)

14. No Cherub’s heart or hand for us might ache,
No Seraph’s heart of fire had half sufficed:
Thine own were pierced and broken for our sake,
O Jesus Christ.

Therefore we love Thee with our faint good-will,
We crave to love Thee not as heretofore,
To love Thee much, to love Thee more, and still
More and yet more.

—Christina Rossetti

15. “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” I was there. I’m still there. The sorrow is so great it causes me to tremble. Is there any greater sorrow? Amen. —Rick Hamlin

16. Am I a stone, and not a sheep,

That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,

To number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss,

And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved

Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;

Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;

Not so the thief was moved;

Not so the Sun and Moon

Which hid their faces in a starless sky,

A horror of great darkness at broad noon–

I, only I.

Yet give not o’er,

But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;

Greater than Moses, turn and look once more

And smite a rock.

—Christina Rossetti

READ MORE: Why Good Friday Is So Important

Holy Week Prayers for Silent Saturday (Day 7)

17. Lord Jesus, Jesus, I await you. Be risen anew in my heart as the light of Easter dawns tomorrow. Amen. —Bob Hostetler

18. It is finished. All is silent. Jesus promised more…but I can’t even recollect those words. Stay close to me, Lord, as I suffer this loss. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

19. Lord Jesus, this day is called “Silent Saturday” in the memory of the Church, for on that day after Your crucifixion, Your body lay in the tomb while those who had loved and followed You spent the day filled with crushing grief, confusion, and doubt. So, Lord, remind me today that, however sad, confused, and doubtful I may feel, in my flesh, You are always at work, and Your plans for me are good. Amen. —Bob Hostetler

Holy Week Prayers for Easter Sunday (Day 8)

20. The tomb is empty, and at first, I didn’t even recognize my Lord. At last, I understand. Death is no more. I sing Hallelujah. The Lord is risen indeed. —Rick Hamlin

READ MORE: The Easter Story in 14 Bible Passages

21. It is only right, with all the powers of our heart and mind, to praise You, Father, and Your Only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ: Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension of loving-kindness toward us, Your servants, You gave up Your Son. Dear Jesus, You paid the debt of Adam for us to the Eternal Father by Your Blood poured forth in loving-kindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a Conqueror. You reconciled heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us. Your Resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your love! —Saint Gregory

You may choose to pray these to begin each day in this Holy Week. Or you may pray each prayer several times a day. How ever you utilize these Holy Week prayers, I hope they will enrich your walk with God and make this week truly holy.

READ MORE ABOUT HOLY WEEK:

• How The Miracles of Holy Week Fortified His Faith
• 4 Powerful Good Friday Devotions
• Good Friday Reflection: The Message of the Cross
• 10 Acts of Kindness to do for Easter

The post 21 Holy Week Prayers appeared first on Guideposts.

READ MORE: Wedding Day—How to Have the One You Want

10 Wedding Blessings and Prayers:

1. A Biblical Wedding Blessing

My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. —Song of Solomon 2:10-13

2. A Traditional Wedding Prayer

Most gracious God, we give You thanks for Your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us,
to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life.
We thank You, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of Your blessing upon this man and this woman. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.
Finally, in Your mercy, bring them to that table where Your saints feast for ever in Your heavenly home;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever. Amen. —Book of Common Prayer

READ MORE: How to Increase Joy in Marriage

3. The Corinthians Wedding Reading

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. —1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4. A Short Wedding Prayer

Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank you for this place in which we dwell, for the love that unites us, for the peace accorded us this day, for the hope with which we expect the morrow, for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies that make our lives delightful; for our friends in all parts of the earth. Amen. —Wedding Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson

5. A Wedding Bible Verse About Love

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. —1 John 4:16-19

READ MORE: 50 Best Bible Verses About Love and Devotion

6. A Short Wedding Blessing

May you each bring your best self to the other. May you each bring intelligence and commitment as well as faith to the task that is set before you. May you maintain enduring respect and trust. May all who follow your lives with interest and affection have cause often to rejoice, not only in your happiness, but also in your brave and generous living. —Unknown

7. A Short Bible Verse About Marriage

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. —Proverbs 3:3-4

8. A Wedding Dinner Blessing

May your love grow like a beautiful tree, sending roots deep and branches high, with new beauty every season of your life together. May you dare to dream dreams not yet dreamt. May you find constant reward and challenge as you pursue the ongoing adventure of learning who you are and where you want to go. May you always have a special sense of your mission in life together, and may you never tire of the endless possibilities of exploring your shared existence. —Unknown

9. An Irish Wedding Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. —Irish Blessing

10. A Wedding Blessing Quote

Lord, help us remember when we first met and the strong love that grew between us, to see the good within the other and find answers to all our problems. Help us to say the kind and loving thing and make us big enough to ask forgiveness of the other. We put our marriage into Your hands. Amen. —Norman Vincent Peale

10 Bible Verses for Wedding Blessings:

1. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. —Ephesians 4:2
2. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. —1 Thessalonians 5:11
3. Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. —Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
4. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. —Song of Solomon 6:3
5. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. —Hebrews 10:24
6. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. —Romans 12:10
7. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. —1 Corinthians 13:2
8. Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. —Proverbs 21:21
9. I found the one my heart loves. —Song of Solomon 3:4
10. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. —Colossians 3:14

READ MORE ABOUT WEDDINGS AND MARRIAGE:

• 5 Short Marriage Devotions
• 7 Ways to Improve Your Faith Habits in a New Marriage
• 6 Positive Habits for Your New Marriage

The post 10 Wedding Blessings and Prayers appeared first on Guideposts.

READ MORE: 16 Spring Activities for Couples, Families, Kids

1. Psalm 51:10 – A Clean Heart

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
It’s April and spring is in the air. Time to wash the windows. With the bottle of Windex I reach around and squirt the outside of our ancient casement windows. I grab a paper towel and wipe the drips quickly.

2. Psalm 51:7 – Wash Me

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)
I study my paper towel. How satisfying to see all the dirt I’ve cleaned off from the outside. A minor triumph on a day when I don’t feel I’ve accomplished much. At least this is something that got done.

3. Proverbs 20:9 – Pure

Who can say I have made my heart clean? I am pure from sin. (Proverbs 20:9)
Squirt, squirt. I attack the inside of the window now. I grab another paper towel and wipe the splotches of Windex. Think of how our view of the trees and bushes outside will improve when I’m done. It makes me wonder how many Bible verses about spring cleaning there are in Scripture.

READ MORE: 20 Bible Verses About Spring and New Life

4. Matthew 23:26 – Clean Inside First

Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup so that the outside of the cup will be clean too. (Matthew 23:26)
I look down at the paper towel. Here is a holy mystery of housecleaning: How is it that the inside of my windows are almost as dirty as the outside? What does it say about our general housekeeping? What does it say about us? There must be microscopic dirt that floats inside.

5. Romans 14:14 – Nothing Unclean

There is nothing unclean of itself but to him that sees anything unclean, to him it is unclean. (Romans 14:14)
Wow, the windows look fabulous. I can see right through them. I should have done this chore weeks ago. Maybe winter wouldn’t have seemed as dreary or dark if my windows had been clean.

6. 1 Corinthians 13:12 – See Through

For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
I put away the Windex and the roll of paper towels, feeling clean both inside and out. The work was purifying like prayer.

READ MORE: 10 Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Tips for Earth Day

The post 6 Best Bible Verses about Spring Cleaning appeared first on Guideposts.

This is the time of year when many people take on spring cleaning projects inside and outside their homes. But since we put so much time and effort into cleaning our worldly residence, shouldn’t we also do some spiritual spring cleaning?

READ MORE: 20 Bible Verses About Spring and New Life

What is a Spiritual Spring Cleaning?

A spiritual spring cleaning is when we take stock of our spiritual lives to clean out our hearts and souls. This can include our prayers, our relationship with God, our views on the world around us, how we treat others, our sense of purpose, or anything else that impacts your spiritual life.

If we desire clean hearts, we must start by asking for them. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” (Psalm 51:10). After we’ve prayed for guidance, we need to wade into the clutter and grime of our hearts—and let the cleaning begin!

Spiritual Spring Cleaning in 4 Steps

1. Scan for big problems you might have overlooked.

Take some time to think through the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2–17) in the Bible. Are there any you’re not living out fully? If you find you’re tripping over one of these, confess it—and ask God to sweep, or spiritually spring clean, your sin away.

READ MORE: 7 Spring Prayers for Hope and New Beginnings

2. Dust off your irritations.

Think of the things (or people) that annoy you regularly, and ask yourself if anything is going on in your own heart that contributes to the problem. To do your spiritual spring cleaning, let go of the negative things in your life and invite the positive ones in—like peace, hope, and love. And remember, “[love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5).

READ MORE: 25 Joyful Spring Quotes to Inspire You

3. Consider the clutter of your days.

What could you fling from your life that’s cluttering your relationship with God? One TV show a day? A tidbit of gossip when you get together with friends? An indulgence that might be cultivating a spirit of selfishness? Look to the small things. The Bible warns us that it’s “the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

4. Contemplate what’s lacking.

What we fail to do often depletes our spiritual health as much as what we do wrong. We want to be among those to whom Christ says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me’” (Matthew 25:35-36). As you do your spiritual spring cleaning, think of what more you can do in your life to help others and live with spiritual wellbeing.

READ MORE: 10 Acts of Kindness to do for Easter

Bible Verses about Spiritual Spring Cleaning

• Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
• Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)
• For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
• Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup so that the outside of the cup will be clean too. (Matthew 23:26)
• Who can say I have made my heart clean? I am pure from sin. (Proverbs 20:9)
• There is nothing unclean of itself but to him that sees anything unclean, to him it is unclean. (Romans 14:14)

READ MORE: How to Pray These Bible Verses for Spring Cleaning

God longs to purify you from your sins, to wash you and make your heart “whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7)…every season of the year. Take the steps to undergo a spiritual spring cleaning and it will benefit your life through the spring season and beyond.

The post 4 Steps for a Spiritual Spring Cleaning appeared first on Guideposts.

Connect to this season on an even deeper level by reading the Easter story in the Bible. Here are answers to some common questions, followed by the Biblical story told in 14 verses with stunning artwork.

READ MORE: 10 Acts of Kindness to do for Easter

What is the Easter Story?

The Easter story recounts Jesus’ resurrection three days after His crucifixion.

The Bible states how Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Shortly after, His apostle Judas agreed to betray Jesus and deliver Him to the chief priests for thirty silver pieces. After attending the last supper with His apostles and visiting the garden of Gethsemane to pray to God, Jesus was delivered to Pontius Pilate and sentenced to death. Jesus took His final steps walking through a crowd of angry people while carrying a cross. He was crucified, and with His last breath He committed himself to His father’s hands. Shortly after, Jesus’ body was returned to His followers, and He was buried in a tomb.

However, on the following Sunday, Jesus’ followers went to His tomb to find it open. Jesus’ body was not inside. They knew that Jesus had risen.

READ MORE: 10 Easter Eggs from Around the World

Is the word “Easter” in the Bible?

The word “Easter” is only found in the King James Bible version of the Old Testament, in Act 12:4, when King Herod captures Peter. The verse reads:

And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

The events of this verse took place well before Jesus’ crucifixion, so many biblical scholars, including the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archeology, believe this translation to be misleading. In every other translation of this verse, the word “Easter” is translated to “Passover.”

While the word is not found anywhere in many Bibles, the Easter story itself is still one of the most powerful stories of the New Testament.

READ MORE: 40 Beautiful Easter Quotes to Share

Where is the Easter Story in the Bible?

The Easter story is in the Bible, specifically the Book of Matthew, the Book of John, and the Book of Luke. These gospels take us through the story from Jesus entering Jerusalem to His resurrection on Easter Sunday. Jesus’ resurrection is also mentioned throughout the New Testament, from Philippians to Romans to Corinthians.

Below is the Easter story told through 14 Bible verses, followed by seven Bible verses that mention Jesus’ resurrection for further reading and reflection.

The Easter Story in 14 Bible Verses

1. Matthew 21:7-9 — Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted…

2. Matthew 26:14-16 — Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

3. Matthew 26:18 — The Last Supper

He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’”

4. Matthew 26:36 — The Garden of Gethsemane

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

5. Matthew 26:39 — Jesus Prays in the Garden

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

6. Matthew 27:1-2 — Jesus Delivered to Pilate

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

7. John 19:6 — The Trial of Jesus Before Pilate

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

8. Matthew 27:30-31 — Jesus’ Final Steps

They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

9. Mark 15:33 — Darkness Comes

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

10. Luke 23:46 — The Death of Jesus

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

11. Matthew 27:57-59 — Jesus’ Body

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth…

12. John 19:40-41 — Jesus is Buried

Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

13. Luke 24:1-6 — The Resurrection

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!

14. Matthew 28:8-10 — Jesus Appears

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

More of the Easter Story in the Bible

Here are five more Bible verses to reflect on that focus on the Easter story, specifically Jesus’ crucifixion when He died for our sins, and His resurrection. Bring these verses into your Easter prayers as you let the word of God guide you through this holy season.

• I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. —Philippians 3:10-11
• He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. —2 Timothy 1:9
• Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? —Romans 8:34-35
• But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. —1 Corinthians 15:20-21
• Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. —1 Timothy 1:15-16

READ MORE ABOUT EASTER:

• Bible Verses to Live By: Celebrate Easter Joy
• 6 Inspiring Easter Prayers
• 5 Joyful Easter Devotions
• The Message of Easter

The post The Easter Story in 14 Bible Passages appeared first on Guideposts.

Looking for a new way to celebrate Easter? Between busy schedules of egg hunts and baskets filled with candy, it can be hard to find the time to sit with God and feel gratitude for this holy season. Here are five Easter devotions to help you reflect on what this day is all about. Read them on your own before you say your Easter prayers, or gather the whole family to read them together before your Easter celebrations.

READ MORE: The Easter Story in 14 Bible Passages

1. An Easter Devotion: The Joy That Invades Our Hearts

by Elizabeth Sherrill

He is not here; for he has risen…—Matthew 28:6

Only a week had passed since that triumphant Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem—but what a difference in the little procession that set out now! No cheering crowds, no waving branches. Just a few silent women setting out in the gray dawn to perform the last sad rites at the tomb.

The day that changed human history was not a public occasion but a private one. The day when everlasting life broke into earthly time began not with celebration but with tears.

This is still the way Easter breaks into our lives—when we least expect it, when all seems lost. That’s when the stone rolls away and the angel speaks and “death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54)

If it seems too good to be true, this joy that invades our hearts, it seemed so on the first Easter morning too. Mary Magdalene could not believe what her eyes were telling her; she took Jesus to be a gardener at work early among the graves. Preoccupied with her loss, she barely glanced at the figure standing before her on the path. She had a mournful task to fulfill and—

“Mary.”

There in the first light of dawn, Mary stood still. That voice…that tone of loving involvement. This was the moment, the moment when Jesus called her by name, that Easter broke like the sunrise into her heart. It is how we recognize Him still. The risen Jesus calls us so personally, comes into our lives to individually, that with Mary Magdalene, we cry out in glad recognition.

READ MORE: 10 Easter Eggs from Around the World

And then we do what the women did on that first Easter Sunday. Dropping their spices and ointments, the burdens of their sad errand, they rushed to tell the others. They set the pattern, these women who were first at the empty tomb, the two-fold pattern of the Christian faith newborn that Easter morning. They met the living Jesus. And they brought the good news to those who grieved.

That’s always our role, when it’s Easter in our lives; to tell someone else that He is risen.

2. An Inspiring Easter Surprise

by Penney Schwab

For the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given. —2 Corinthians 1:11

It was a wonderful Easter. Morning worship at our son Patrick’s church in Texas featured an excellent choir and inspiring sermon. Our daughter-in-law Patricia prepared a veritable feast for dinner. After our traditional family egg hunt, my husband Don said, “We need to head home, so we can stop in Amarillo and get Penney’s Easter surprise.”

Read this inspirational family devotion for Easter and see what Penney’s husband had in store for their surprise. 

3. Easter Always Comes

by Marci Alborghetti

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him. —Psalm 62:8

“I saw a robin!” My mother’s voice on the phone had the singsong quality of smug victory. She might as well have added, “Na-na-na-na-na!” She likes to win this game.

Mom and I have an annual competition to see who can spot the year’s first robin. It means that the winter will, indeed, end, even when we’re convinced it’s going to go on forever. For both of us, it’s always been a long, gray crawl from Christmas to Easter. So the first robin is an important signpost, and even more so this year.

Read this heartwarming Easter devotion and learn how the sighting of a robin taught Marci an important Easter lesson. 

4. A Devotion About the Easter Miracle Deep Within

by Elizabeth Sherill

He is not here; he has risen! —Luke 24:6

“He is not here,” the angels told the little group of grieving women who came to the tomb that first Easter morning. “He has risen!” This is what angels, in their myriad shapes, tell us still, not only on this Easter, but every day.

For me, one of those angels is a handsome conifer, the only large tree in our yard. My husband John and I were new homeowners, not sure of how to care for the lawn and shrubs. But whatever our failures, the tree towered above them, drawing the eye away from weeds and bare spots. That’s why we were distressed when that fall some brown patches appeared among the dark green needles.

Read the rest of this beautiful devotion during your Easter celebrations and see how a conifer tree became an important Easter symbol. 

5. A Devotion for Easter Monday

by John Sherrill

I am with you always… —Matthew 28:20

It’s Monday, the day after Easter.  Yesterday, when the children and grandchildren left, my wife, Tib, and I went through the usual post-holiday letdown. We coped with it as we always do—cleaning up. I collected left-behind jelly beans before they could be trod into the rug, picked up a ball of colored foil where someone had missed a wastebasket, found a half-eaten chocolate rabbit under one of the kids’ beds.

Tib gathered the wicker baskets and carried them up to the attic, then got out the vacuum cleaner and attacked the escaped Easter grass.  How did the shiny green strands get so far from the bedrooms where we had unpacked the baskets?

Read this unique Easter devotion and learn how a post-Easter clean-up became a sign of Hope for this couple. 

READ MORE ABOUT EASTER:

• Bible Verses to Live By: Celebrate Easter Joy
• 40 Beautiful Easter Quotes to Share
• 10 Acts of Kindness to do for Easter
• The Message of Easter

The post 5 Joyful Easter Devotions appeared first on Guideposts.

I love that. I want my Easter celebration to endure. I want it to run deep. And I want to pray differently post-Easter this year. I want to pray “resurrection prayers.”

Prayers Before the Resurrection

What do I mean by that? Think of it this way. Do you remember the prayers of Jesus’ first followers before His resurrection? Prayers such as:

• Peter’s “Never, Lord!” (Matthew 16:22 NIV)
• James and John’s petition, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory” (Mark 10:37 NIV)
• The disciples’ frantic cry in the storm, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:35 NIV)

Prayers After the Resurrection

To be fair, they were still learning and adjusting to the mind-boggling realities of who Jesus is and what life with Him is like. But after the resurrection things changed:

• They worshiped Him. (Matthew 28:9, 17)
• “They remembered his words.” (Luke 24:8 NIV)
• Their hearts burned within them. (Luke 24:32)
• Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28 NIV)
• Peter said, “You know all things; you know that I love you.” (John 21:17 NIV)
• Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60 NIV)
• The persecuted Jerusalem Christians prayed, “Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” (Acts 4:30 NIV)

Those are Eastertide prayers. They’re “great Lord’s Day” prayers. They are worshipful, passionate, faith-filled, forgiveness-drenched, and bold.

So, for this Eastertide, I’m asking God to help me pray like that to my Risen Lord. I will focus on worshiping and remembering His words until my heart burns within me. I will pray:

• “My Lord and my God!”
• “You know all things; you know that I love you.”
• “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
• “Enable your servant to speak your word with great boldness.” Amen.

Read More: How to Hold the Promise of Easter

The post How to Pray in the Days After Easter appeared first on Guideposts.

Read More: How to Pray Your Way to Holy Week

1)  Holy Monday

Lord Jesus, You entered the Jerusalem Temple to cleanse it of corruption and abuse. As this Holy Week commences, search and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of everlasting life. Amen. (Based on Psalm 139:23-24 WEB)

Read More: A Holy Week Journey from the Last Supper to Easter

2)  Holy Tuesday

Jesus, it was on a Tuesday that You spoke out against abuse of power, collaboration with oppressors, misuse of authority. So today I pray, Comforter of the abused, strengthen those burdened by corrupted rule or injustice; rescue the overwhelmed; be present to those who call on Your name, to those I know and name as well as those whose concerns are known only to You. Amen.

Read More: This Holy Week, The Promise of Hope

3)  Holy Wednesday

Gracious Lord Jesus, this day is traditionally called “Spy Wednesday,” because we remember how Judas Iscariot conspired with the religious authorities to betray and deliver You into their hands. Yet also on that day You were lovingly anointed with precious oil as an act of sincere worship. What highs and lows You endured for the sake of the purpose that was set before You: to suffer and die for our sake. Walk with me through the highs and lows of my life, reminding me that whatever troubles come my way, You are worthy of my trust and adoration. Amen.

Read More: 2 Words to Pray During Holy Week

4)  Maundy Thursday

Lord, on this Maundy Thursday (so named for the “mandate” You gave to your followers to love and serve each other), as I remember your last supper in the upper room, I pray, as Simon Peter did: Please wash, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head (John 13:9). And my heart. And my mind. And my life. Amen.

Read More: The Heart of Maundy Thursday

5)  Good Friday

No Cherub’s heart or hand for us might ache,
No Seraph’s heart of fire had half sufficed:
Thine own were pierced and broken for our sake,
O Jesus Christ.

Therefore we love Thee with our faint good-will,
We crave to love Thee not as heretofore,
To love Thee much, to love Thee more, and still
More and yet more.

(By Christina Rossetti)

Read More: Happy Holy Week—The Pain of Good Friday, the Joy of Easter

6)  Silent Saturday

Lord Jesus, this day is called “Silent Saturday” in the memory of the Church, for on that day after Your crucifixion, Your body lay in the tomb while those who had loved and followed You spent the day filled with crushing grief, confusion, and doubt. So, Lord, remind me today that, however sad, confused, and doubtful I may feel, in my flesh, You are always at work, and Your plans for me are good. Amen.

Read More: The Bible’s Only Holy Week Dream—What Does It Tell Us?

7)  Resurrection Sunday

It is only right, with all the powers of our heart and mind, to praise You, Father, and Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension of loving-kindness toward us, Your servants, You gave up Your Son. Dear Jesus, You paid the debt of Adam for us to the Eternal Father by Your blood poured forth in loving-kindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a conqueror. You reconciled heaven and earth. Our lives had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us. Your Resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence, and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your love! (Based on Saint Gregory the Great’s Easter prayer)

Read More: How to Pray in Light of the Resurrection

8)  Easter Monday

Lord Jesus, here on Easter Monday, let me not succumb to the lazy thought that Easter and Your resurrection are in my rear-view mirror, for you are alive evermore, and you are in me and with me today and tomorrow and forevermore. Let me live and walk, sleep and wake, eat and drink in the awareness of Your constant nowness. Amen.

I hope these prayers make your Holy Week a truly holy experience, in which you know the presence of the Risen Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Read More: How to Hold the Promise of Easter Forever

The post 8 Prayers for Holy Week appeared first on Guideposts.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Forgiveness. It’s hugely important to our faith. And it can also be hugely difficult. Do we tell ourselves, “Why should I forgive that person who did something wrong in the first place?” “Don’t values count? Isn’t moralistic behavior most important?”

But then we turn to Jesus and see how He asked His own killers, those who crucified Him and those who demanded His Crucifixion, to be forgiven. Making that prayer on the cross while He was dying. One of His last requests of God.

If Jesus could do that, at one of the worst and saddest moments of His life, aren’t we being asked to do the same?

Forgiveness. It’s hard, and it’s absolutely necessary to function as a compassionate, loving, caring human being.

A Crucial Passage in the Lord’s Prayer

Think about those times you’ve been felt called to forgiveness. You can’t really skip over it. After all, it’s a crucial passage of the prayer Jesus taught us, the Lord’s Prayer. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Whether you use the word “debts” and “debtors” or “trespasses” and “trespass against us,” it’s part of our faith.

As that prayer makes clear, it’s quid pro quo. If we’re going to ask God’s forgiveness for what we have done wrong, then we’d better be willing to forgive others for how they have wronged us. Look again to Jesus’s example on the cross.

I know that I’m more prone to cast quick judgments on those who have wronged me. I want to shout it out. Make sure God noticed. “Look, God, what that jerk did to me?” “Can you believe, God, how awful that person has behaved?” “Have you seen how manipulative and darn-right evil that guy is, Lord. Isn’t it appalling?”

As if God hasn’t noticed. As if God didn’t see. As if God doesn’t care or isn’t concerned.

Doing Due Diligence

But pointing out someone else’s errors, someone else’s flaws, can be a quick way of not confronting our own. I know that the person at church—yes, at church—who bothers me the most is actually a lot like me.

Rather than confront my flaws, I project and throw them all on him. Calling him out rather than doing due diligence on my spiritual self.

Every Sunday at church we say the Lord’s Prayer, together, and we also make a prayer of confession. It is essential to the functioning of our faith community. It is essential to our own spiritual growth. Perhaps it is the most essential thing.

Inevitably we have to turn to Jesus as a model.

The Narrative of the Crucifixion

Jesus is God among us in human form. And in that very form He suffered dreadfully. He came to earth to show us how to live. To give us a prayer like the Lord’s Prayer that can ground us in faith. One so short and succinct it takes less than a minute. And takes a lifetime to do.

When we look at the narrative of the Crucifixion, we can hear Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane for this suffering to be taken from Him. He doesn’t want to undergo that terribly painful and humiliating torture of the Crucifixion. “Father,” He prays, “if you are willing, remove this cup from me…”

But then He follows it with sublime acceptance. “Yet, not my will, but Yours be done.”

He has to follow God even in this.

Following God Means Forgiving

And following God means forgiving others, even His killers, because the message that Jesus brought to the world was one of love. Love for all. Love even for our enemies.

The world can be a bitterly conflicting places, full of strife and wrong-doing, but if we are ever to re-make it in God’s image, we need to bring love into all places. Not just those congenial settings like home with our loved ones, but the nightmarish settings, too. Like the Crucifixion.

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” That transforming power is right there. Indeed, we sometimes don’t even know what wrongs we are committing.

Isn’t it freeing to realize that forgiveness is right at hand? Even then. Especially then.

Read More About Forgiveness

• Set Free by Forgiveness
• Forgive Like God Forgives
• 3 Ways to Pray for the Power to Forgive
• The Cost of Not Forgiving Others
• The Healing Power of Forgiveness

The post Luke 23:34—A Closer Look at Forgiveness appeared first on Guideposts.

In my earlier years, the day was filled with doom and gloom. As I grew in my faith so did my understanding of the message of the cross. Here is a Good Friday reflection to guide you through this holy day.

READ MORE: Why Is Good Friday So Important?

Good Friday Reflection

On Good Friday, the words of Apostle Paul become real to me, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Crucifixion was an exceedingly common in antiquity. The Romans conventionalized it as a form of state punishment. For many the death of Jesus on the cross is a mystery; for others madness. For me, the cross expresses the power of an amazing love.

We know from history that in Jesus’ time there were many claiming to be the Messiah but only one wasn’t forgotten…. the One who changed the course of history. On Good Friday the cross of shame, defeat and failure was transformed into a symbol of victory.

READ MORE: 8 Prayers for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday

What could compel Jesus to give his life, be tortured and humiliated on the cross? Love. In the Bible, we read the words of Jesus in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” He thought of us above all else, so that we would experience the power of love through forgiveness, the abundant life and external life. The cross of death became the gift of life!

What could compel Jesus to give his life, be tortured and humiliated on the cross? Love.

Today I still miss my childhood Good Friday services and reflection, but no matter where I am, the message of the cross remains the same…God loves us. What does the cross mean to you? Do you have any childhood memories of a Good Friday service? Share your story with us in the comments field below.

Lord, thank you for your amazing love expressed through Christ on the cross. May we experience the power of Your love in our lives.

READ MORE ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY AND HOLY WEEK REFLECTIONS:

• 16 Holy Week Prayers
• A Devotion for Holy Week
• 4 Powerful Good Friday Devotions
• How The Miracles of Holy Week Fortified His Faith

The post Good Friday Reflection: The Message of the Cross appeared first on Guideposts.