A GOOD WAY TO END A YEAR

Clear the slate!  Clean up your life!  Re-establish your priorities!  Don't live your life being blown by the winds of culture, others, circumstances, or tradition!  Live your life with purpose! 

Traditions often become traditions because a value is present that contributes to the common good.

The Communion Ritual that has passed down from Catholicism, through Anglicanism, through Methodism, and is still available to the Church - even though most congregations ignore it - contains a prayer that we could all benefit from:

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all men, we confess that we have sinned, and we are deeply grieved as we remember the wickedness of our past lives.  We have sinned against You, Your holiness, and Your love, and we deserve only Your indignation and anger.

We sincerely repent, and we are genuinely sorry for all wrongdoing and every failure to do the things we should.  Our hearts are grieved, and we acknowledge that we are hopeless without Your grace.

Have mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father, for the sake of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for us.

Forgive us.

Cleanse us.

Give us strength to serve and please You in newness of life and to honor and praise Your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Praying this wonderful prayer with an open heart and with sincerity will clean your heart!

II Corinthians 13:5 (LB)
Check up on yourselves.  Are you really Christians?  Do you pass the test?  Do you feel Christ's presence and power more and more within you?  Or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually you aren't at all?

Our culture and our enemy robs you daily by making you think that you don't have time for the spiritual disciplines that can make you strong and keep you grounded.  It's Satan's lie!  You are the master of your fate! 

Find some time.  Make some time to reflect on this devotional.  It's a good way to end a year!