Daily Devotional • July 2
A Reading from Acts 8:14-25
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!21 You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God.22 Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.” 24 Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
25 Now after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.
Meditation
When we think about it, we probably all feel we are generous people. Giving can be manifested in many ways, through money or physical help to someone in need, the giving of our time or lending an ear when someone we know is anxious, it could be giving moral support to a friend, or turning our hearts to prayer for someone who is in desperate need.
When Jesus was grabbed and taken into custody by the chief priests, elders, and temple captains, the people were in desperate need. Jesus Christ was willing to give all his energy and heart to us—his all. Jesus Christ did not have to give his all, but it was his nature to give freely and without reservation. Do we give freely?
There are many examples in the Gospels of Jesus giving a miracle of healing to someone in desperate need. Are we giving of our love, or withholding of forgiveness? Are we giving truth to spiritual values, or seeking wealth and power? Try for one day to give your all for someone who is desperately in need, to empathize with Jesus Christ. Allow that light to shine through for others to see and feel the warmth of it.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
All Saints’ Episcopal Church, San Diego, California
The Diocese of Nasir – Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
