Wanna talk? You need to listen...

Today I was preparing myself for my morning prayers (I use Pray As You Go as then basis of this time as well as some reflective Bible journaling). I was impressed immediately that the Holy Spirit was telling me to listen: listen very carefully.

So I did. While scripture was being read I listened. In the space following the scripture I listened and the two themes of 'mercy' and 'grace' came strongly to me. 

I prayed that I would now and show these qualities in the same measure as I have experienced them - which is massively.

Then I turned to @40acts to see what today task is and what the teaching is and there, in black and white, is the story of prayer working and the challenge to pray for others, to let them know, to seek out specific prayer subjects. 

When I meet with my work colleagues at around 9am we will be praying for each other and for several other people and situations in the absolute knowledge that we are doing the best thing in bringing them to God - anything we can do after that is simply being used by Him. 

Grace and Aggression

I was blown away by Lucado's statement that 'grace is aggressive forgiveness'. Grace is so often the quiet gift of God, the arms wrapped around the hardened heart and the stricken Spirit, the signpost that points the way to the father. 'Aggression' is not a word that I immediately connect with 'grace'.

Stop...aggression is not about violence, it's not about unruliness, or cursing language. It's about dealing with things in a demonstrable, distinctive way. It's about the manner, in this case, of forgiveness.

Grace is there for every sin, of every day, of every failing and fault, for every spoken expletive, every strike and fall, every guilt, every inappropriate word and action...

Gone.

The grace of aggressive forgiveness takes the heart of stone and wrings from it the drop of blood that proves life still beats within.