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Bible
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NEW
Friend to Friend Columns
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Getting
to Know Us
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Publisher
& Links
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Experiencing
Christ, Copyright © 2008, Sheila Cragg, All rights reserved.
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Jesus
Bore Our Iniquities
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O my suffering Savior, by oppression and judgment You were taken away.
And who can speak of Your descendants? For You were cut off from the
land of the living; for the transgression of Your people You were
stricken. You were assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich
in Your death, though You had done no violence, nor was any deceit
in Your mouth. Yet it was God's will to crush You and to cause You
to suffer, and though the Lord God made Your life a guilt offering,
You will see Your offspring and prolong Your days, and Your will,
O Lord God, will prosper in Your hand. After the suffering of Your
soul, Jesus, You saw the light of life and were satisfied; by Your
knowledge, righteous Servant of God, You justified many and bore our
iniquities. (Isa. 53:8-11 paraphrased) |
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Crucified with Jesus
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Jesus, I have been crucified with You, and I no longer live, but You
live in me. The life I live in my body, I live by faith in You, Son
of God, who loved me and gave Yourself for me. For if I died with
You, I will also live with You; if I endure, I will also reign with
You. If I suffer for doing right and I endure it, this is well pleasing
to You, Lord. For even to this I was calledÛit is inseparable from
my vocation. For You also suffered for me, leaving me Your personal
example that I should follow in Your footsteps. Now may I never boast
except in Your cross, Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has
been crucified to me and I to the world. (Gal. 2:20; 2 Tim. 2:11a-12a;
1 Peter 2:20b-21 amp; Gal. 6:14, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with
God, 213) |
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The Nature of a Servant
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O Lord, help me to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility to consider others better than myself. For I should
look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others.
My attitude should be the same as Yours, Christ Jesus--who, being
in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to
be grasped, but made Yourself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance
as a man, You humbled Yourself and became obedient to death-- even
death on a cross! Therefore God exalted You to the highest place and
gave You the name that is above every name, that at Your name, Jesus,
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that You are Lord, to the glory of
God the Father. (Phil. 2:3-11 paraphrased) |
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Power of Christ's Resurrection
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Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for Your sake, Christ.
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing
greatness of knowing You, Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have
lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain You, O Christ,
and be found in You, not having a righteousness of my own that comes
from the law, but that which is through faith in YouÛthe righteousness
that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know You, Christ, and
the power of Your resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in Your
sufferings, becoming like You in Your death, and so somehow to attain
to the resurrection from the dead. For if I am united with You in
Your death, I will certainly be united with You in Your resurrection.
(Phil. 3:7-11 kjv; Rom. 6:5, all paraphrased) |
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Jesus
Is Life
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Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life; I pray that ___________________
will believe in You and have life, even if they die. For if they live
and believe in You, they will never die. Yes, Lord, may they believe
that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming to the world.
May they have the same hope in You, GodÛthe hope that all people,
good and bad, will surely be raised from the dead. "It is the same
with the dead who are raised to life. The body that is Îplanted' will
ruin and decay, but it is raised to a life that cannot be destroyed."
Praise be to You, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Your
great mercy cause them to be born again into a living hope, because
Jesus Christ rose from the dead. (John 11:25-26a, 27; Acts 24:15 paraphrased;
1 Cor. 15:42 not paraphrased; 1 Peter 1:3 paraphrased, all ncv) |
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On God's Right Hand
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Jesus, after You had offered one sacrifice for all my sins for all
eternity, You sat down at God's right hand. Now, since I am surrounded
by such a huge crowd of witnesses to my life of faith, I will strip
off every weight that slows me down, especially the sin that so easily
hinders my progress. And I will run with endurance the race that You,
O God, have set before me. I will do this by keeping my eyes on You,
Jesus, on whom my faith depends from start to finish. For You were
willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy You
knew would be Yours afterward. Now You are seated in the place of
highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. (Heb. 10:12 kjv; Heb.
12:1-2 nlt, all paraphrased) |
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Full Redemption
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Almighty God, You have rescued me from the dominion of darkness and
brought me into the kingdom of the Son You love, in whom I have redemption,
the forgiveness of my sins. Yes, God, I am already Your child, and
I can't even imagine what I will be like when You return, Jesus Christ
my Savior. But I do know that when You come, I will be like You, for
I will see You as You really are. I put my hope in You, for with You
is unfailing love, and with You is full redemption. (Col. 1:13-14;
1 John 3:2 nlt; Ps. 130:7, all paraphrased, A Woman's Pilgrimage of
Faith, 200) |
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Worship the Lamb of God
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Yes, Jesus, one day I will be among the great multitude that no one
can number, of all nations and kindreds and peoples and languages,
before the throne and before You. Clothed with white robes and with
palms in our hands, we will cry with a loud voice, "Salvation to our
God who sits upon the throne and to You, Jesus the Lamb." And all
the angels will be standing around the throne and around the elders
and the four living creatures. They will fall before the throne on
their faces and worship You, O God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory,
wisdom and thanksgiving, honor and power and might be to our God forever
and ever. Amen!" (Rev. 7:9-12, all kjv paraphrased) |
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Lord, let______________ trust in You; let them never be disgraced.
Save them because You do what is right. Listen to them and save them
quickly. Be their rock of protection, a strong city to save them.
For You are their rock and their protection. For the good of Your
name, lead them and guide them. Show Your kindness to them, Your servants.
Save them because of Your love. "Those who go to God Most High for
safety will be protected by the Almighty." You are their hiding place;
O Lord, protect them from troubles and surround them with songs of
deliverance. Let them be glad and rejoice in Your love, because You
saw their suffering; You knew their troubles. (Ps. 31:1-3, 16 ncv
paraphrased; Ps. 91:1 ncv not paraphrased; Ps. 32:7 paraphrased; Ps.
31:7 ncv paraphrased) |
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Your ways, O holy God, are without fault. Your words are pure. You
are a shield to those who trust You. Therefore, I pray ___________________
will be pure, for to the pure all things are pure, but if they are
corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. . . . Keep them from
the sins of pride; don't let pride rule them. Then they can be pure
and innocent of the greatest of sins. May they have clean hands and
pure hearts and not lift up their souls to idols or swear by what
is false. O God, create pure hearts in them and make their spirits
right again. For blessed are they who are pure in their hearts; they
will see You, O God. (Ps. 18:30 ncv; Titus 1:15a; Ps. 19:13 ncv; Ps.
24:4; Ps. 51:10 ncv; Matt. 5:8, all paraphrased) |
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Great
Gain
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O Lord, deliver me from all that corrupts my mind, robs me of the
truth, and causes me to think that godliness is a means to financial
gain. For godliness with contentment is great gain. I brought nothing
into the world, and I can take nothing out of it. As Your servant,
I will flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance, and gentleness. I will fight the good fight of
the faith. (1 Tim. 6:5b -7, 11-12a paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with
God, 139)
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Be
Kind and Loving
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May ___________________ be kind and loving to others, and may they
forgive others just as You, O God, forgave them in Christ. They are
Your children whom You love, so I pray they will try to be like You.
This is how they know what real love is: Jesus, You gave Your life
for them. So they should give their lives for their brothers and sisters.
I pray ___________________ will love other people not only with words
and talk, but by their actions and true caring. Help them have lives
of love just as You, Christ, loved us and gave Yourself for us as
a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 4:32; 5:1; 1
John 3:16, 18; Eph. 5:2, all ncv paraphrased) |
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Jesus, enable ___________________ to be alert and continue strong
in their faith. Help them to have courage and be strong. Empower them
to live by what they believe, not by what they can see. May they look
closely at themselves and test themselves to see if they are living
in the faith. For in You, Christ, they can come before God with freedom
and without fear. They can do this through faith in You. O Lord, only
one thing concerns me: That they are sure to live in ways that bring
honor to the Good News of Christ. And I will hear that they are standing
strong with one purpose and working together with other Christians
as one for the faith of the Good News. (1 Cor. 16:13; 2 Cor. 5:7;
13:5a; Eph. 3:12; Phil. 1:27a, all ncv paraphrased) |
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Hold On to God's Testimonies
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Lord, my soul feels dry; quicken me according to Your Word. I declared
all my ways to You, and You heard me; now teach me Your statutes.
Make me understand the way of Your precepts so I can talk of Your
wondrous works. Deliver me from lying as a way of life, and graciously
help me to know Your law. For I have chosen the way of truth; I have
laid Your judgments before me. I hold on to Your testimonies; Lord,
do not put me to shame. Enlarge my heart that I may run in the way
of Your commands. (Ps. 119:25-32 kjv paraphrased) |
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Follow Hard After God
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O God, You are our God. I pray ___________________ will search for
You and thirst for You like someone in a dry, empty land where there
is no water. Then they will be content as if they had eaten the best
foods. Their lips will sing, and their mouths will praise You. Cause
them to remember You while they're lying in bed and think about You
through the night. Quicken them to look to You, Lord, and to Your
strength and seek Your face always. May their souls follow hard after
You, Lord God, for Your right hand will uphold them. (Ps. 63:1, 5,
6 ncv; 1 Chron. 16:11; Ps. 63:8 kjv, all paraphrased) |
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Power of His Resurrection
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Savior, whatever has been gain for me, I will count as loss for Your
sake. Indeed I will count everything as loss because of the surpassing
worth of knowing You, Lord. For Your sake, even if I suffer the loss
of all things, I will count them as refuse, in order that I may gain
You and be found in You. O that I may know You, Jesus, and the power
of Your resurrection and the fellowship of Your sufferings, being
made conformable to Your death; if by any means I might attain to
the resurrection from the dead. For if I am united with You in Your
death, I will certainly be united with You in Your resurrection. (Phil.
3:7-9a, 10-11 kjv and rsv; Rom. 6:5, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk
with God, 123) |
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Worthy
of His Calling
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Spirit of God, may I always keep in mind and constantly pray that
You may count me worthy of Your calling and that by Your power You
may fulfill every good purpose of Yours and every act prompted by
faith. I will continue to pray this so that Your name, Lord Jesus,
may be glorified in me, and I in You, according to Your grace. For
who among the gods is like You, O Lord? Who is like YouÛmajestic in
holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? By Your unfailing love
You will lead me, for You have redeemed me. By Your strength You will
guide me to Your holy dwelling. (2 Thess. 1:11-12; Ex. 15:11, 13,
all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 141) |
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Pierced for My Transgressions
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O my Savior, You were pierced for my transgressions; You were crushed
for my iniquities; the punishment that brings me peace was laid upon
You, and by Your wounds I am healed. You were oppressed and afflicted;
yet You did not open Your mouth. You were led like a lamb to the slaughter;
as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so You did not open Your
mouth. You poured out Your life unto death and were numbered with
the transgressors. You bore the sins of many and made intercession
for the transgressors. Lord Jesus, You gave yourself for my sins to
rescue me from the present evil age, according to Your will, God and
Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Isa. 53:5, 7, 12b;
Gal. 1:4-5, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God, 184) |
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Everlasting
Life
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Father God, You showed Your love toward me, in that, while I was still
a sinner, Jesus died on the cross for me. I acknowledge my sin to
You and will not hide my iniquity. I confess my transgressions to
You, Lord, for You will forgive my guilt and the iniquity of my sin.
I confess my sins, believing You are faithful and just to forgive
my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. For, God, You
so loved me that You gave Your only Son for me, Jesus. I believe in
You, Jesus, and trust that I will not perish but have everlasting
life. I confess with my mouth, Jesus, that You are my Lord and Savior.
I believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead, and I am
saved. Now I will hold fast to the profession of my faith without
wavering, for, Lord, You are faithful to Your promises. (Rom. 5:8;
Ps. 32:5; 1 John 1:9; John 3:16; Rom. 10:9; Heb. 10:23, all kjv paraphrased) |
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Delight
in God's Commands
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Teach ____________, O Lord, the way of Your statutes. I pray they
will keep Your way to the end. Make them go in the path of Your commands
and delight in these. Give them an eagerness for Your decrees; let
them not be afflicted with love for money! Turn away their eyes from
vanity and quicken them to follow Your ways. Reassure them of Your
promises, which are for those who honor You. Help them abandon their
shameful ways; may Your laws be all they want in life. May they long
to obey Your commandments! O Lord, renew their lives with Your goodness.
(Ps. 119:33, 35 kjv; Ps. 119:36 nlt; Ps. 119:37 kjv; Ps. 119:38-40
nlt, all paraphrased) |
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Garden
Tomb
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Gaze Upon God's Beauty I love the house where You live, O Lord, the
place where Your glory dwells. One thing I ask of You--this is what
I seek: that I may dwell in Your house all the days of my life, to
gaze upon Your beauty and to seek You in the place where I worship
You. "I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your
glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify
you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will
lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of
foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you." (Ps. 26:8; 27:4
paraphrased; Ps. 63:2-5 not paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God,
67) |
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Every
Good Deed
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O God, ___________________ were saved through the sanctifying work
of Your Spirit and through belief in the truth. You called them to
this through the Gospel that they might share in Your glory, Jesus.
So then I pray they will stand firm and hold to the teachings passed
on to them. Lord Jesus, may You and God our Father, who love them
and by Your grace give them eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage
their hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. (2 Thess.
2:13b-17 paraphrased) |
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Serve
and Love the Lord
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Son of Man, You came not to be served but to serve and to give Your
life a ransom for many. I pray that ______________ will be very careful
to keep Your commandments--to love You, walk in all Your ways, obey
Your commands, hold fast to You, and serve You with all their hearts
and all their souls. Since they were called to be free, may they not
use their freedom to be selfish and indulge their sinful natures;
rather, may they serve others in love. (Matt. 20:28; Josh. 22:5; Gal.
5:13, all paraphrased) |
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An Ever-Present Help in Trouble
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Lord, You are my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore, I will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains
fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and
the mountains quake with their surging. I will be still and know that
You are God. For You are with me, Lord Almighty; You are my fortress,
God of Jacob. Surely You will be with me always to the very end of
the age. (Ps. 46:1-3, 10a, 11; Matt. 28:20b, all paraphrased, A Woman's
Walk with God, 155) |
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God's Infinite Understanding
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Great are You, Lord, and of great power; Your understanding is infinite.
Your eyes, O Lord, are in every place, beholding the evil and the
good. For Your eyes are upon ___________________ ways, and You see
all their comings and goings. For their ways are before Your eyes,
Lord, and You ponder all they do. Instruct them and teach them in
the way they should go; guide them with Your eyes. Teach them to do
Your will, for You are our God; Your spirit is good; lead them into
the land of uprightness. (Ps. 147:5; Prov. 15:3; Job 34:21; Prov.
5:21; Ps. 32:8; Ps. 143:10, all kjv paraphrased) |
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He
Is Always with Me
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O Holy God, You redeemed me in order that the blessing given to Abraham
might come to me through You, so that by faith I might receive the
promise of the Spirit. Lord God, I know that I live in You, and You
live in me, because You have given me Your Spirit. I know that I am
Your temple and that Your Spirit lives in me. You are always with
me; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel.
Now help me to speak, not in words taught to me by human wisdom, but
in words taught by You, Holy Spirit, so that I may express spiritual
truths in spiritual words. (Gal. 3:14; 1 John 4:13; 1 Cor. 3:16; Ps.
73:23-24a; 1 Cor. 2:13, all paraphrased, A Woman's Walk with God,
151) |
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A Lamp for Their Feet
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Lord God, open ____________ eyes that they may behold wondrous truths
in Your law. Do not hide Your commands from them. Inspire their souls
to long for Your laws at all times. Remove reproach and contempt from
them so they will keep Your testimonies. May they meditate on Your
statutes; let Your testimonies be their delight and counselor. Through
Your precepts give them understanding so they will hate every false
way. Let Your Word be a lamp for their feet and a light for their
path. (Ps. 119:18-19b, 20, 22, 23b-24; 104-105, all kjv paraphrased) |
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Trumpet Call
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Jesus, I am filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. For I believe
You died and rose again, so I am certain that God will bring with
You those who have fallen asleep having faith in You. For Lord, You
Yourself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead
who are believers will rise first. After that, if I am still alive
and left, I will be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet You, Lord, in the air. And so I will be with You forever. (1
Peter 1:8b; 1 Thess. 4:14, 16-17, all paraphrased, A Woman's Journey
Toward Holiness, 88) |
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May
They Rest Securely
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O our Comforter, give ______________ rest from times of trouble. Then
they will not turn away from You; revive them so they will call on
Your name. Restore them, O Lord God Almighty; make Your face shine
upon them that they may be saved. Then they will find rest in You,
Lord, for only You can give them hope. They will feel safe because
there is hope; they will look around and rest in safety. As Your beloved
children, let them rest securely in You, for You shield them all day
long, and because of Your love for them, may they rest between Your
shoulders. (Ps. 94:13a ncv; Ps. 80:18-19; Ps. 62:5 ncv; Job 11:18
ncv; Deut. 33:12b, all paraphrased) |
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Radiant Commands
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Lord, Your precepts are right, giving joy to my heart. Your commands
are radiant, giving light to my eyes. Your ordinances are sure and
altogether righteous. By them I, Your servant, am warned; in keeping
them there is great reward. May the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
May I never be lacking in zeal, but help me keep my spiritual fervor,
always serving You. (Ps. 19:8, 9b, 11, 14; Rom. 12:11, all paraphrased,
A Woman's Walk with God, 167) |
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