FAMILY PRAYER BOOK - SPIRIT OF ALL GOOD
John 21:15-25
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
It is our joy to believe that all things are ours if we are Christ's, for Christ is God's. May Christ dwell in us, the hope of glory, the assurance of immortality, a fountain of present blessing and a pledge of all needful aid. Without Christ we can do nothing; He is the Vine, we are the branches; He is the Shepherd, we are the flock; we live in Him, and without Him we cannot live.
Reveal Thy Son to us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we humbly pray Thee. We bless Thee for what we know of Him. He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor; He had nothing, yet He had all things; He had not where to lay His head, yet He was the Master of the universe, the Lord of creation. We recognize in Him the Alpha and the Omega ; the Ancient of days, and the Child born into the world for its redemption; a Root out of a dry ground, and yet the Plant of Renown. May we see Him in all the aspects of His character, until our growing wonder becomes lowliest worship, and our amazed imagination falls down prostrate before the Son of God.
We rejoice in the nearness of the living God ; may we accept His nearness as at once a comfort and a judgment. May we know that the fire which does not consume may become an unquenchable fire. May we never know Thine anger, O Thou whose frown is the death of the universe ; may we know Thy love, and see it, and feel it more and more ; and then when the spirit becomes tired of this body and must quit this crumbling tenement, may it fly away to the higher realizations, the wider, grander liberties.
Amen.
