Living Limitless Love

A prayer journey for Lent

Holy Week focus by Major Gillian Miller

THE prayer journey through Lent has been all about the limitless love of God. It has helped us reflect on that love: what it’s like, how we can experience it more deeply, how it can transform our relationships and how it can ignite mission in our corps.

Now as we approach Holy Week we focus on the love of God revealed in the suffering and death of Jesus.

Take time to look up the Bible passages, reflect on the comments and make the prayers.

May the limitless love of God in Jesus be reflected in your own life.

PALMS, PRAISES AND PROPHECY

Palm Sunday Sunday 5 April

John 12:12–19

King Jesus, in our imaginations we join in waving palm branches and shouting praises as we remember your journey into Jerusalem. You are worthy of our adoration. We know that riding on a humble donkey was the fulfilment of prophecy. Thank you, Lord, for being obedient to your Father’s will.

PASSOVER, PROFIT AND PURITY

Monday 6 April

John 2:13–17

Lord, we humbly ask you to cleanse us from all our sin. We know we are often like those merchants who made profit in the Temple courts at the time of Passover. Purify our hearts today, we pray. Cleanse our souls and breathe holiness into our lives.

BETRAYAL

Tuesday 7 April

Matthew 26:14–16

Judas had walked closely with Jesus for three years, yet he still betrayed him and received a monetary reward for agreeing to hand over his Master to the authorities. As we consider Judas’s part in this Holy Week, pause and remember these words: ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us’ (Matthew 6:12 New Matthew Bible). This assures us that Jesus forgave Judas and he forgives you and me.

HOLY REST

Wednesday 8 April

Dear Jesus, help me to see the importance of resting in order to focus on the important decisions I need to make. As you faced the horror of what was to come, you found time to be quiet, to seek peace, strength and courage. Thank you for this example of holy rest.

MARKED OUT TO LOVE

Thursday 9 April

John 13:1–38

In the narrative of this Last Supper we have the beautiful commission to love one another – ‘As I have loved you, so you must love one another’ (v34). O Lord, when I think about your love for me, I am overwhelmed. Give me that same love for others that you have for me – that perfect, limitless love.

GOOD FRIDAY

Friday 10 April

John 18:28 to 19:37

Lord Jesus, today we remember again the events of your crucifixion. We try to imagine your agony as the nails pierced your hands and feet. Jesus, your suffering on the cross horrifies us and yet you willingly surrendered yourself to die for the sins of the world – for my sins. Thank you.

IN THE TOMB

Saturday 11 April

John 19:40

Jesus’ body lay in the tomb on the Sabbath day, prepared for burial. The disciples knew their Lord was gone from them as they had seen his body wrapped in linen, lying in the tomb. Lord, just like your disciples on that day, we can feel very far from you because we think you have left us. Thank you for your promise that you will never leave us or forsake us and we are never left on our own.

RESURRECTION

Easter Day Sunday 12 April

John 20:19–37

Today is the greatest day in history, the day when death was conquered and we celebrate that Jesus is alive! Imagine what it must have been like when the women found an empty tomb. Scripture tells us that ‘the other disciple... saw and believed’ (v8). As we look on the empty cross and see the empty tomb, we rejoice today that we too believe and can say with confidence, ‘Hallelujah! Christ is alive!’

This prayer journey for Lent appears in Prayer Matters and at facebook.com/groups/SA.prayer. networkUKI