#holy spirit

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the time between Jesus’ death and resurrection. But, we do know it took place during the Passover celebration: a week-long holiday that commemorated when God freed the Israelites from slavery.

During the celebration, Jews would share a meal with each other and sacrifice perfect lambs at the temple before preparing to rest on the Sabbath. It was the day before the Sabbath that Jesus’ body was sealed inside the tomb.

Imagine being a disciple of Jesus while this happened. Not only has one of your closest friends just been wrongly killed, but you aren’t allowed to properly grieve his death until the day of rest is over.

What the disciples didn’t realize at the time was that the pain they were experiencing was part of a bigger story—a plan to redeem us all. God could see the resurrection coming, even though the disciples couldn’t.

Rest reminds us that God is Lord over every situation. And rest helps us refocus on what matters most: the One who promises to provide all we need. When we choose to be still in the middle of hardship, we choose to worship God.

So no matter what’s going on around you today, choose to rest in God—even if the world around you is choosing to worry. Nothing is impossible for Him.

Pray: Jesus, today, help me to rest in You. I know that You are greater than whatever’s going on around me. My hope is in You alone because You are my salvation. I believe that You have already answered the cries of my heart, even though I’m still waiting to see the answers. So today, I choose to fix my eyes on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Why have You forsaken me?”

Imagine you’re watching Jesus hang from the cross. The only way He can breathe is by pushing Himself up using the nails in His wrists and ankles. 

As the day draws to an end, He musters what little strength He has left to pull Himself up again so that He can cry out: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” 

If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ve all probably had moments where we’ve asked God, “Where are You in this? Why have You forsaken me?” 

How should we respond when we find ourselves in situations where we feel alone, anxious, or forsaken? 

The words Jesus spoke on the cross were actually taken from Psalm 22—a prophetic lament written by King David. In many ways, this Psalm is about Jesus, but it also provides us with three action steps we can follow when we feel alone: 

1. Be honest with God about how you’re feeling.

Relationships start with being real. So if you’re feeling forsaken by God, tell Him that. Ask God your questions, and prepare your heart to hear his answers. 

2. Give God glory anyway.

Our feelings don’t change the fact that God is worthy of being worshiped. In fact, it’s often through worship that we discover the cure for our worry. When we focus on who God is, our perspective eventually shifts—even if our situation doesn’t.

3. Remind God of his promises.

Throughout Psalm 22, David basically tells God, “I know who You are. And since You’re always true to character, deliver me like You’ve delivered Your people before me.” Reminding God of his promises is not only an act of faith, but it also helps us remember the faithfulness of God’s character. 

Ultimately, God’s faithfulness was personified when Jesus was crucified. Jesus willingly suffered alone on the cross so that we could experience eternal companionship with God. Jesus is the prophetic fulfillment of Psalm 22. And, because He endured separation from God, we never have to. 

Take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for you. 

Pray: Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from eternal separation from You. It’s because You willingly endured separation from Your Father that I never have to. Today, help me to pause and reflect on the magnitude of Your sacrifice, and to give You the glory You rightly deserve. No matter what I’m feeling, You are always worthy of my worship. So today, I choose to worship You. In Jesus’ name, Amen

The First person you need to convince is Yourself..

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas

“Obedience is better than sacrifice, but very often sacrifice ís the obedience.”

Need rest? Have you been trying to cope with your situation? Does it feel like you are drowning?

If so.. Come get rest.. I can personally testify how God gave me peace and rest in the mist of my storm..

My journey to Finland.. My life as a missionary just started..

HOMILY for Our Lady of Loreto

Isa 48:17-19; Ps 1; Mt 11:16-19

“Drop down dew from above, you heavens”. For many, these words from Isaiah, Rorate caeli desuper, which began our Entrance antiphon tonight, are one of the key phrases of the Advent season. In the Second Eucharistic Prayer we say: “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall”, and so the dew that is mentioned by Isaiah is likewise a reference to the descent of the Holy Spirit, to God’s grace falling from the heavens to soften the hardness of our hearts, and to bring refreshment and joy to our lives, just as dew upon the grass softens the cold earth and glitters beautifully in the morning sunlight.

Isaiah goes on: Having called down the Holy Spirit to descend like dew from the heavens, he says, “let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.” So, in the Holy Mass the Holy Spirit descends on the bread and wine, the fruit of the earth, and these become the Body and Blood of Christ the Saviour. The earth, therefore, is opened and brings forth a Saviour.

However, these words of the prophet aren’t principally about the Mass, but rather, first of all, about the Incarnation of Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven, God’s grace which is unseen but vivifying like the dew, saturates the earth of the Virgin Mary’s and makes her fruitful, so that her womb opens and brings forth the Saviour, Jesus Christ. People sometimes think that Christmas is the feast of the Incarnation, but of course this isn’t quite accurate. The Incarnation, the moment when Mary conceives by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, is more properly celebrated liturgically on the 25th of March. We tend to call that date the feast of the Annunciation but it can more accurately be called the feast of the Incarnation, and each time we pray the Angelus (as we do every evening before this Mass) we recall the moment of the Incarnation when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”.

But where did the Incarnation take place? Most people will say, in accordance with Scripture, in Nazareth, and indeed if we go to Nazareth we will find a great church built around the site of Mary’s house, the place where the Annunciation happened, along with a marble slab incised with these words: “Here the Word became flesh.” However, when I visited Nazareth, I was disappointed to find that only the foundations of this house and a few stones remained there. Likewise in 1061, following a vision, Richeldis had a copy of the Holy House of Nazareth built in Walsingham. But even there, nothing remains but the foundations. Where did the Holy House go? In the 13th-century, a noble family of Crusaders called the Angel family had the Holy House moved, stone by stone, to Italy for safekeeping. Because at that time the Holy Land was being conquered by Muslim armies who had been destroying the Christian shrines.

Today’s feast, therefore, which was extended to the whole Church by Pope Francis, is a commemoration of the Holy House of Mary which is now enshrined in Loreto, Italy. However, as the Collect of the Mass makes clear, we’re not commemorating a building but the great response of Mary who lived in that house: her humility was pleasing to God and her obedience was profitable for us, for it gained for us the Saviour. Indeed, through her Fiat, Mary herself became the Holy House within whom God dwelt for nine months. It is the manifestation of the Incarnate Word to the whole world, his birth and his glorious epiphanies that we will celebrate at Christmastide.

However, the greatest marvel of all is that this same Word becomes flesh here as well. For this same Saviour wills to become our food and drink in the Mass as, by the action of the same Holy Spirit descending upon the bread and wine on the altar, Christ becomes present – body, blood, soul, and divinity – in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, given to us so that we might each be opened to receive the Just One, the Saviour, God-with-us. Let us have the humility of Mary and follow her obedience to the Word so that God’s grace will open us up to become fruitful in works of goodness and justice and truth. Thus shall we Christians also be said to bring forth the Just One for our world today that stands ever more in need of his salvation.

Gospel LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Gospel MT 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.” 

When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

Gospel JN 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

GospelLK 1:26-38 

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Gospel Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Gospel Lk 4:14-22

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
   because he has anointed me
       to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
   and recovery of sight to the blind,
       to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

• Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Raymond of Peñafort, priest

Disclaimer: This post is long. I couldn’t make it any shorter–I tried. And it didn’t make sense to break up into a series. Apologies in advance. :) 

If you’ve been reading The Evangelista since its beginning last August, you’ve probably noticed a not-so-subtle shift in content, especially during these past few months. Lately, instead of outfit posts or personal shopper posts or “pinspiration” posts, I’ve been writing about emotional and psychological health,learning to trust in God’s love,paying attention to reality in dating relationships, and other such “serious” subjects. Not exactly typical fashion blog fare. When I started The Evangelista, I fully intended to keep my posts light and fun and pretty much only about style and shopping, but the Lord had other plans (as He so often does).

Some of you may have asked if this is just a temporary hiatus or a permanent change, so I thought a post was in order to explain just what the Lord has been doing in my heart regarding clothes and shopping for them, especially this past year.

As I’ve said before, this year has been a year of Revelation for me: God has revealed His love to me in a new way, and in so doing has revealed more of me to myself…if that makes sense. One of the major revelations was that I was holding certain elements of my life back from him because I didn’t trust in his love. The first area that I finally handed over to Him was my vocation and my desire for marriage. When that finally happened, I thought I was in the clear. Surely there wasn’t anything else I was trying to control in my life? (Ha.) Wrong. Slowly but surely, Jesus began to show me a sphere of life that I had never ever EVER surrendered to him, primarily out of fear but also out of sheer selfishness and vanity: my money and the way that I used it.

I’ve long thought it providential that God called me to be a teacher in part because the limits of my salary have kept me from buying as much as I would probably have bought had I been rolling in the dough. I grew up in a fairly wealthy family where I never lacked for anything that I really wanted; my parents didn’t satisfy our every whim by any means, but I always had more than enough cute clothes. I see now that for the majority of my life, I associated wealth with security and even–to a degree–with happiness. When I was an unhappy child and teenager, one of the surest ways to put a little pep in my step was a new dress or pair of shoes. Not surprisingly, this bled over into adulthood.

 When I became a teacher seven (!) years ago and got lots of compliments from my students on my cute clothes, I justified filling my closet with more and more stuff, all the while not saving any money and tithing the bare minimum. After all, I rationalized, I HAD to look cute or my students wouldn’t pay attention to me! My focus was on quantity, not quality, and on being able to wear something different every day, and on being the “best dressed” at school, among my friends, etc. Of course I NEVER would have said that out loud, or even thought about it consciously, but now I realize that this is what I was doing. And it was out of insecurity: I was living as if I didn’t have anything else to offer to my students and friends and potential suitors but my fashion sense.

He does dress better than I do…what would I bring to the relationship? 

Fast forward about a decade to last August. When I started The Evangelista, I was no longer an insecure post-graduate in her early twenties, but I still had some very bad shopping habits and a consumeristic mentality that needed to be broken. As you can imagine, starting a style blog didn’t really help in the short term. I put a lot of (completely unnecessary) pressure on myself to keep up (insofar as my teacher’s salary would let me) with secular style bloggers in terms of having new clothes on a regular basis. I signed up for emails from countless stores, checked Pinterest with almost obsessive consistency, and read dozens of style blogs a day. All of this simply fueled my consumeristic tendencies, and I was shopping more than I ever had before. Each time one of those boxes full of goodies arrived in the mail, I got that same old feeling of security and pleasure.

In March of this year, something happened. Or rather, a lot of things happened at once (as is usually the case when we’re talking about Divine Providence). I’ll only name the two most important. First,Pope Franciswaselected as the 266th successor of St. Peter.My undying loyalty to Papa Benny notwithstanding, Francis immediately won my heart and my allegiance as his spiritual daughter and, true to form, I read everything he wrote or said or whispered. And he said (and continues to say) a LOT of things about being poor. And about being a good steward of one’s money. And about living simply. And, because he’s the Pope, I listened (note: Pope Benedict said the same things, but for some reason it has been harder for me to ignore Francis…probably because my heart was ripe for this conversion).

Wait a second, you might be thinking, Jesus said a lot of things about being detached from material things and selling what you have and giving it to the poor–why wasn’t that enough for you?! Great question. It should have been. But I’m weak, as are we all, and thankfully Jesus knew that when he appointed Peter to be the rock upon whom He would build his Church and through whom He would continue to “feed his sheep” when He was no longer on earth. Francis is the successor of Peter, so he reminds us of what Jesus taught while placing it within the context of the place and time in which we live, in such a way that makes it more difficult for me to rationalize my way into a different interpretation of Jesus’ words that gets me off the hook. All of this is to say: Pope Francis’ election was the beginning of the end of my shopping addiction.

The second big thing that happened is that the Holy Spirit convicted me in a profound way that I couldn’t ignore. It was Corpus Christi Sunday and I was praying before Mass, meditating simultaneously on Pope Francis’ witness and the really cute skirt I had just purchased, when suddenly I was filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt. Guilt for all of the money I’d wasted on myself, on things I didn’t need–money that I could/should have spent on others whom I love or on the poor or given to the Church. Guilt about the conditions of the workers who made my clothes and the fact that I had been blithely participating in a wildly consumeristic culture–and encouraging others to do so!

Being the sanguine I am, this kind of conviction rarely happens, so when it does, I pay attention. The worst part was, I knew that I had known ALL of this on a deep level for a long time but had been ignoring my conscience.  It was horrible. I felt sick. Fortunately, one of my favorite priests was available for Confession immediately following Mass. I left the Sacrament feeling so free. Free to use my money and my material gifts for God’s greater glory, not simply for my pleasure. Free fromthe hold that, unbeknownst to me, my incessant need for “stuff” had on my life.

Here I am wearing the Dress of the Summer. I’ve worn it at least once a week for three months. It’s been wonderful.

As soon as I got home that afternoon, being the choleric that I am, I went through my closet and filled five, count ‘em five, garbage bags full of clothes, shoes, and accessories. A few days later, I drove them to a local crisis pregnancy center, and the look on the volunteer’s face when she saw everything only served to deepen that sense of freedom.

Since then (that was the end of May), I’ve removed myself from all retail email lists, unfollowed quite a few folks on Pinterest, deleted all but three style blogs from my Feedly, and haven’t shopped. At all. And the craziest thing is that I don’t miss it. I haven’t even had the desire to shop. (If any of my good friends or family members who know me well are reading this, you know that this is a HUGE deal.)

This outfit will definitely be on repeat this fall. 

I recognize that this is a major period of grace in my life and that once fall rolls around, I will miss shopping a bit more than I do currently, but for now I am enjoying the freedom that comes with not worrying about buying anything new because I already have everything I need.I have all of the basics for a professional wardrobe, have plenty of outerwear and casual clothing, and that is AFTER getting rid of five bags of clothing. When I need something new, I’ll buy it, but in the future I’m going to try to stick to the following shopping “rules”: 

1) I will pray for three days before purchasing any item of clothing, in order to discern whether or not I can justify buying it.

2) I will try to buy second-hand or gently used clothing at consignment shops when possible.

3) If I buy something new, I will do my best to purchase from small companies who treat their laborers with respect for their human dignity.

4) I will not allow myself to cut into my tithing budget or my savings to pay for clothing. (Yes, I used to do both of those things.)

This one too.

So, where does that leave The Evangelista? I still love express my desire for beauty through the way I dress and I still care about not looking like I’m stuck in 1995, so that hasn’t changed. But I won’t be primarily blogging about clothes and such anymore. This transition has already begun, thanks to all of you and the feedback I’ve received on my most recent posts. The beautiful thing is that I didn’t decide one day that I was going to stop writing about fashion–the Holy Spirit moved in my life and simultaneously gave me opportunities to write posts like “Stop Guarding Your Heart and Start Paying Attention to Reality”. Gotta love Providence.

In the future, I will only be posting when I am moved to share the Beauty I have encountered in my life while trying to follow Jesus and His Church, failing to do so, and starting again after receiving his forgiveness and mercy…with a healthy dose of “Hey Girl” memes thrown in for good measure. :)  I figure that God allowed me to make the mistakes I did and suffer in the ways that I have in order to share the Good News that He can redeem it all and replace the ashes of life with so much beauty. Sometimes that will mean two posts a week, others three, sometimes only the links round-up on Friday (which I can’t quit because I have so much fun putting them together). I’ll still post links to (ethically produced) shops and such on my Facebook page, photos of the occasional outfit on Instagram, and I will happily answer any and all style (and life) questions via email. 

Whew. That was probably the toughest post for me to write yet (yep, even tougher than the therapy one)! Thank you so much for reading! Let’s pray for each other: that we can resist the glamor of evil and the false promises of security that the world gives us and cast ourselves completely into the arms of God, trusting that He is all that we need.

Blessings,

Christina Grace

P.S. If you have any questions about this post or want more details (believe it or not, the above is the abridged version of my story), please don’t hesitate to emailme!

…being confident of this, that he
who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until
the day of Christ Jesus.

         PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NIV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Evidence.
You are the One promise that I choose to put all my
hope and trust in. I thank You that You have always
been faithful and will always be faithful. I trust that,
just like You provided for Abraham and Sarah, You will
provide for me in Your perfect timing. Jesus, Your
faithfulness is all the evidence I need to keep going and
keep going and keep believing. You will never let me down.
In Your name I pray. Thank You, Jesus!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me.”

         JOHN 14:6 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Teacher.
I look to You today for understanding of Your Word. I thank
You that You are not the author of confusion. I ask You to
help me always read through the lens of completion. Thank
You for redeeming me from the law and its requirements. My
faith is built on what You finished for me. Thank You, Jesus!

 When you sit enthroned under the
shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden
in the strength of God Most High.
He’s the hope that holds me and the
Stronghold to shelter me, the only
God for me, and my great confidence.

         PSALM 91:1-2 TPT

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Safe Place.
No matter where I am, I know that I can run under Your
covering of majesty and hide. You are the hope that holds
me and the stronghold that shelters me. You are my great
confidence. I trust in You to protect me in every moment
and shield me from all harm. I am safe and secure before
Your face. Thank you. In Jesus’ name; Amen.

For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is a gift of God, not
of works, lest anyone should boast.

         EPHESIANS 2:8-9 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Salvation.
I receive Your abundant grace and GIFT of righteousness.
My salvation is not of works or my own doing, but simply
by faith in Your name. I thank You that Your gift of
salvation was not one day, but forever. In Jesus’ name; Amen.

So when they continued
asking Him, He raised Himself
up and said to them, “He who is
without sin among you, let him
throw a stone at her first.”

         JOHN 8:7 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Defender.
Today, I will be still and let You defend and fight for me.
Thank You for defending me, not based on my own goodness
but based on Your goodness and righteousness. No matter
what may come in life, I can always rest knowing that You
are my Defender. You are the One who stands by me, speaks
for me, and sets me free from all my accusers. Thank You,
Jesus!

For You, O LORD, will bless the
righteous; with favor You will
surround him as with a shield.

         PSALM 5:12 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Favor.
I choose to rest in Your hand, knowing You have surrounded me
with favor. I choose today to be still and know that You are my
God. You have seated me in Christ with every blessing in
heavenly places. I will not strive to earn, but I will rest and
receive from You all You have waiting for me. You are beyond
faithful and better than I could ever dream. Thank you, Jesus,
for this gift. In Jesus’ name; Amen.

“And I also say to you that you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build
My church, and the gates of Hades
shall not prevail against it.”

         MATTHEW 16:18 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Rock.
You are my firm foundation and the One I build my life upon.
You have rescued and redeemed me, pulled me out out of the
miry clay; and today, I acknowledge Your power and You
authority in my life. I acknowledge the gift of living in Your
kingdom as one of Your own. I will not live afraid of calamity,
for You are holding me up. Thank You, Jesus!

There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment.
But he who fears has not
been made perfect in love.

         1 JOHN 4:18 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Perfect Love.
Nothing and no one else can satisfy me like You do. You
have loved me with a love that will spend the rest of my
like discovering. There is no end to all that You are to me.
You are my comfort and Your presence has forever delivered
me from loneliness. Loneliness is only a lie that has told
me You’re not with me, but I know that You are near. I rest
in Your love and closeness to my heart. You are everything
to me. In Jesus’ name; Amen.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.

         PROVERBS 3:17 ESV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Peace.
Your Spirit has given me life and now all that brings me
true life is found in Your Spirit. I want to live in Your ways
of pleasantness and follow Your paths of peace. I receive all
that You died to give me. You have given me peace for my mind,
body, and soul and I receive it all. Thank You, Jesus!

But God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.

         ROMANS 5:8 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Worth.
Nothing can define me more accurately than Your love. I find
myself when I look into Your eyes of love. You have covered
me with Your blood and now I’m forever made worthy. Thank
You, Jesus, for paying the price for my life and my freedom.
In Jesus’ name; Amen.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because
of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ (by
grace you have been saved), and raised
us up together, and made us sit together
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

         EPHESIANS 2:4-6 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Acceptance.
Thank You for loving me before I could ever do a thing to
earn your love. Thank You for the richness of Your mercy
that covers every part of me. I rest in Your love and Your
acceptance today. Thank You, Jesus!

So when Jesus had received
the sour wine, He said “It is
finished!” And bowing His head,
He gave up His spirit.

         JOHN 19:30 NKJV

DECLARATIONPrayer
Jesus, You Are My Finisher.
There is no end to Your grace and what You’ve done for
me. Thank You for accomplishing “all things” for me. Open
up my eyes to see more of the “It” that You have finished
in my life. I want to experience all that You are and all
that You’ve finished for me. Thank You. In Jesus’ name; Amen.