Icicles Picture by Jerry Torres
The Holy Spirit inspired our blog.
Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
Emphasis mine, Alleluia Refrain, Mk 1:15
If you read the news or look at what is happening in our churches, I think it would be easy to believe satan that God is losing the battle to attract people to live in obedience to God the Father.
satan is winning!
We have gone through some dark times.
Consider that seventy percent of the Baptized Catholics are not active in the churches; this was reported by our Bishop in his annual report last year. Pew research revealed that sixty-eight percent of Catholics don’t believe Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist.
Our churches in Maine are not filled up, and there seems to be a movement to throw God under the bus.
I could go on and on, but this differs from what is happening throughout the country.
A year ago, the Holy Spirit encouraged me to include in our prayers prayers for a Revival, or as I believe we Catholics call it, a Renawel, to take over our country.
Well, we started, and we pray you will join us and pray for our country’s Renewal.
Our prayers are beginning to be answered, which we wanted to report on.
At first, satan told me what could one more prayer do. It was stupid to try to effect change; what can one or a few people hope to accomplish?
We reported in a prior blog about the Revival that was taking place on the Asbury College Campus, which was started by a few students getting together to pray.
Last Saturday, I watched Chanel WSAF in, I believe, Georgia, and they reported:
Five girls got together each week and prayed, encouraging two hundred students to join them, which caught the eye of local ministers who wanted to make this bigger.
They did; five thousand people packed the college arena, and a few asked to be baptized.
The meeting went to a pond at the campus, and joined by athletic coaches, over two hundred people were baptized.
I know some of you might think this isn’t a real Baptism. Where’s the instruction?
Read your Bible; Peter talked to the crowd after receiving the Holy Spirit and then baptized five thousand. Acts 4:4
The power of prayer.
Second example: I just read an article in Real Clear Politics.com in the Religion Section that reported that atheism is declining; it seems they have a problem.
At a convention of atheists, a woman got on the elevator and was accosted by a fellow atheist. She said she didn’t believe in casual sex. He said he did. He asked her what she based her judgment on. She, of course, couldn’t point to God and the Bible, so she realized she had a problem.
I read a book about this very problem Atheists have. Since they have thrown God out and welcomed satan, they have only their feelings to base their lifestyles on; what you think about a particular lifestyle doesn’t count; it’s only your thought. You have no basis for your thought.
She realized her problem and is starting a change in her life and others to accept God into her life.
Our point is, never let satan get you to believe that your one prayer doesn’t count.
It Does!
The Kingdom of God is truly at hand and is indeed growing.
We suggest three relationship-building prayers this quarter if you want to join and grow in Team Jesus.
- Weeeeeeeee, say this prayer every time you and God interact. For example, weeeeeee made a great meal, Weeeee played a good game of …, Weeeee didn’t handle this very well, etc.
- Thank you, Father; say this all day, every day, for all the Father is doing in your life. If something really good happens, say this multiple times with enthusiasm. When I was told my Basel Cell had disappeared, I said the Thank You prayer at least fifty times as I walked out of the doctor’s office.
- I’m Fantastic; anytime anyone asks how you are, tell them you are Fantastic. I believe you are who you say you are. You have every reason to be Fantastic and no reason not to be. If you can’t think of a reason to be Fantastic, thank God for the difficulty, and God will provide you with the reasons.
Sidebar:
Cumberland County Jail last week with two updates:
Three new men joined us, and when the old timers walked in, we asked them to tell us the “Nine.”
Two out of the three old times could, which was terrific because both for months didn’t make an effort to learn the “Nine,”
Rick said he had good news and couldn’t wait to tell us.
Rick had been told the five-year sentence he was looking at was reduced to one year in prison with four years on probation.
Was he pumped, as was I. He had learned the prayers we had asked him to learn, and as a result, his sentence was reduced.
Why,
Rick reflected the Joy and Peace he grew in after he learned all of our prayers, and Joy and Peace always wins the day.
Update: Rick was just told that the six months he served in the Cumberland County Jail will count towards his year, so he only has six months left to serve. Rich was filled with Joy.
Justin, who never made an effort to learn the prayers, knew the “Nine” this week and even said Long Suffering, in place of Patience, so he knew that I knew that he had the correct term and placement of the term in the proper order of the “Nine.”
We asked him if he saw a difference in his life, and he said, “he did.”
What was the difference, we asked? He said he had greater Patience and self-control.
We asked if he linked the change in his life to learning the “Nine, ” and Justin said, “He did.”
Update: Justin came to this week’s meeting in a hole. “Don’t ask me for the nine,” he said. Halfway through the session, he repeated the “Nine.” We credited him with coming to the meeting and being a part of the meeting. Justin met satan and gave his life back to the Holy Spirit.
The fight against satan for Justin and all of us goes on.
Because of their testimony, the three new men said they would learn the “Nine.” before we met next week and would also return to Bible Study next week.
John Kiernan and I left the meeting pumped. The Holy Spirit worked in all their lives at the meeting last Thursday.
Picture:
The icicles are great examples of the beauty in simplicity. As Elijah and others have experienced, sometimes the Lord is in a gentle whisper. Picture by Jerry Torres
Please keep Snapping!
Several people from foreign countries have asked for my email address, but I am still waiting to hear back. We decided to include my email for your convenience.
If you want a copy of the prayers we discussed, email me.
fprince101@gmail.com
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By sending your picture, you consent to allow us to reprint that picture in our next book, God Thoughts 2023, with your name and any comments in the Blog.
