Psalm 139:4 (God Knows Us)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners(FB). Guest Authors schedule. LIFE Minute radio.

"Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it all." ~ Psalm 139:4 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: It is so comforting to be around the presence of good friends. People who know you so well that you do not really even need to explain yourself, because they understand you. I find today's selected Psalm very comforting, because it reminds us that God is also a very good friend who understand us. God knows us intimately. He knows our desires, our thoughts, and our weaknesses. Not only does God know everything about us, but He also cares about us. He understands our side of the story without having to explain ourselves. He also knows what is best for us, because we are His creation; His children. This is why we need to place our faith in God and His all-encompassing knowledge. Lord, give me the courage to be intimate with You in prayer and have faith in Your knowledge. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Be intimate with God and make prayer a priority in your day.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, Vatican, Project Rachel.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Saint Achillas

Faith Quote: "In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.

* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Psalm 34:11 (deep knowing)

Let's welcome God every morning by reflecting on this short Living In Faith Exchange (LIFE) Group devotion (life-devotions.blogspot.com), which is based on Living Faith. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:17

Those who seek the Lord want for no good thing. Psalm 34:11 (full readings)

Living Faith snippets: "Several years ago I spent a day at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, established over 230 years ago by Blessed Junipero Serra, whose feast we celebrate today. Junipero and so many other friars had, as the psalmist's said, sought the Lord and come to know God's goodness. For them, this deep knowing outweighed the profound hardships of travel, hunger, loneliness and struggle. This deep knowing of the divine impelled Junipero and his brothers to keep on witnessing to the gospel, so that others could also find out for themselves just how good the Lord is." by Sr. Chris Koellhoffer

Rich's comments: Father, thank You for allowing me to know You through Your son Jesus Christ. May this deep knowledge of You prevent me from being shaken when I am in the midst of inner turmoil or outer conflict. May my heart remain steadfast trusting in You and Your overall plan for my life. I want to remain firmly grounded as I overcome the daily obstacles common to all who live on earth. Help me to learn the valuable lessons along the way as I press on toward the goal for which You have called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Let's challenge each other to joyfully live out the Good News.

* NEW: Have the courage to share your knowledge of Jesus with others.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, American Family Association, Priests for Life
* Let's never forget the horrific reality of abortion (images)...#1 cause of death in America. Let's courageously share ProLife Truth (John 14:6) to create social tension for exposing abortion's unjust peace...rebuilding a Culture of Life (Matt 5:16) and setting the unborn free!

Our Prayers: Those who pray together stay together. Fasting ideas in footnote below.
* Prayer to end abortion, abused children, chastity, peace, our enemies, our troops, depression/ despair, prisoners, ProLife politicians, illnesses/injuries, jobs, natural disasters, addictions, Carla Neal (Jonathan Barlow, Margaret Solms, Dan, Joe and Becky).

* NEW: Nana Suzie - a prayer of thanksgiving for each "good day" that JP experiences

Feast Day: Blessed Junipero Serra

Faith Quote: "Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith but they are afflictions, not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the passion of Christ." by C. S. Lewis

Through Christ our Lord,

Rich

Romans 12:12

* Prayer: Prayer connects us with God's will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. 'If you pray that God will move a mountain and He doesn’t, assume Christ wants you to climb it instead.'
* Fasting: Let's fast from things that take our eyes off Jesus (selfishness, bitterness, being so critical, impatience, gossip, excessive video games, etc) and take on things that fix our eyes on Jesus (selflessness, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, patience, understanding, caring, helping, listening).
* Defend the unborn: 'Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die' (Prov 24:11). 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jer 1:5). 'It is a great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish' (Blessed Mother Teresa).
* Evangelization: Let's make room for unbelievers (be a friend, make a friend, lead friend to Christ) and perpetual re-evangelization of self and those near us, by way of daily prayer (relationship) and following Christ's example of selfless love, mercy, and service.
Let's joyfully invite others to join our LIFE Group...Rich or Pat will gladly add them to the devotions distribution list (Mark 16:15)!