Sunday, January 29th Readings

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Father

What do I ask for when I pray?

What is it I seek?

Do I seek Your will or

do I expect You to do what I ask?

Do I trust You in word alone

or do my actions reflect my trust too?

Bring me to my knees,

humble me,

so I might understand how to pray.

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13

Are there laws of God which you disagree? If so, what are they?
How does God keep you from telling lies or doing wrong? Explain.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

God makes you worthy of your call; what excuses do you still use to not live out your call?
How can being weak, foolish and lowly give glory to God?

Matthew 5:1-12a

Which one of the Beatitudes stands out to you as one you have or can achieve?
Which one of the Beatitudes do you think sounds impossible to achieve?

General Questions for Journaling

Where is happiness found? Do you feel like it hides from you at times?
When you read scripture, do you allow a piece of it to remain with you?
God speaks to you daily, are you listening? What is God saying to you today?
Would you say you are living with purpose? Where would you fall on a scale from 1-10? Explain.
When you leave a conversation, a meeting or the dinner table, what do you leave behind? Is it a spirit of love, friendship or peace? Or is it frustration, anger or discontent?
Do you allow the power of God to work in you and through you? Give examples.
Are there people in your home or at your workplace who need to hear that God loves them? What can you do?
Is there a difference between being faithful and living your faith?
When was the last time you sacrificed something for the good of another person in your family?
Have you ever sacrificed something for the good of someone you’ve never met? When? How? Why?
Share a time when you were singled out or rejected because of your belief in God.
Are there people whom you are afraid to share your faith with? Why or why not?

Closing Prayer – Inspired by Psalm 146

Leader: God raises me up…

ALL: I am blessed!

Leader: God gives me comfort…

ALL: I am blessed!

Leader: God protects me from harm…

ALL: I am blessed!

Leader: God sustains me; my one constant…

ALL: I am blessed!

Leader: God is forever faithful…

ALL: I am blessed!

Challenge for the Week: Take the time to read the scriptures again this week. Read them out loud so the words go out from your mouth and back in through your ears. Allow time after you’ve read them to sit and meditate on what you read. As you sit in silence, let the words swim in your mind, picturing each word. Spend as much time as necessary until ONE word stands out, ONE word that does not leave you but buries itself into your heart, mind and soul. What is that word? Let this word be your guide this week as though it is a call to action. How many times does it appear in the Bible and in what context? Are there prayers written which highlight this word, if not, write one. Is there a way to live out this word? Make a plan to do so, perhaps inspiring others to join you. Let God speak to you!

GET CONNECTED DAILY! Find more reflections and prayers at Making Scripture Relevant on Facebook and Instagram. Join the Weekly Scripture Journal email list by contacting heather@makingscripturerelevant.com.

Discipleship 5K: A Physical and Spiritual Journey to the Cross by Heather Neds, author of the Weekly Scripture Journal is more than a book, it is a guide to becoming a stronger disciple. Grab and copy and start the journey!

Sunday, January 15th Readings

2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Lord, Lamb of God!

May Your light shine

from the heavens!

May Your Spirit dwell

throughout the land!

Let all those who gather

in your name

feel Your presence!

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6

What is glorious about being a servant?
How are you allowing God to make you strong?

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Where do you see evidence of holiness?
What do you call God? What names do you use?
What does God call you in return?

John 1:29-34

Who in your life demands the respect John the Baptist gives Jesus? What have they done to deserve your respect?
Do you believe in anything with as much conviction as John the Baptist does that Jesus is the Savior?

General Questions for Journaling

Where do you turn for help?
Do you see more light than darkness in your life right now? Or do you see more darkness in your life right now? Is there something you can do this week to let more light in?
What can you do to step toward God this year, this month, today?
How has your relationship with God restored you?
Are there stages of holiness like a 1-10 scale or it is a yes or no, either you are, or you aren’t?
What is the opposite of holiness?
What are characteristics of holiness? Do any of the characteristics alone point to holiness or do you need all of them?
Do you believe the Holy Spirit is here on earth? Where? How do you know?
When was the last time you looked to the Spirit of God? What were you looking for? Did the Spirit of God deliver?
Is your faith strong enough you would testify on behalf of your beliefs?

Closing Prayer

Leader: Through the waters of Baptism…

ALL: I am CLEANED!

Leader: Through the waters of Baptism…

ALL: I am made PURE!

Leader: Through the waters of Baptism…

ALL: I am SATISFIED!

Leader: Through the waters of Baptism…

ALL: I become WHOLE!

Leader: Through the waters of Baptism…

ALL: I am BELOVED!

Challenge for the Week: There is a motivational speaker named Andy Andrews who wrote a book called the Butterfly Effect. It is a fictional story about a man’s life, based on a scientific theory. The theory refers to how something as small as a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a tsunami. The story from Andy Andrews uses this theory to remind us that one small act can do the same thing. This is some amazing power! Whether you use your power for good or bad is the challenge this week. Think about the significant difference one life can make in the world; think Jesus. Your life can make a BIG difference too. Imagine what could happen if you simply flap your wings!

Sunday, January 8th Readings

Epiphany of Our Lord

Opening Prayer

Lord

You shine like a star for all to see

You bring light to the dark places

You pour out Your goodness

You fill me until I overflow

Help me to radiate in this world, like YOU!

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Isaiah 60:1-6

The Magi were drawn to the baby Jesus because of the “great light”. What draws people to a relationship with Jesus today? What draws you into a relationship with Jesus?
God calls you into the light. Are there areas of your life which you close off to God or to others because they are dark? Identify the darkness in your life and resolve to let God begin to shine light onto it. Make a resolution to seek help from people who can help shed light onto a dark situation.

Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6

What brings light into your life? Take a piece of paper and write down the things that bring light to your life and draw a star around each one. Place this paper in a significant place in your house, on the refrigerator, on your bathroom mirror, in your prayer space, wherever you will see it and be reminded and encouraged.
How would you identify yourself as a copartner with God? What does Saint Paul mean here?
Saint Paul says all people are heirs to the kingdom of God. Do your actions express this truth? Who in your life needs to be shown God’s unconditional love? What steps can you take to make them feel like a child of God?

Matthew 2:1-12

The Magi travelled a great distance to find Jesus. How far have you travelled to find Jesus? What makes the journey worth it?
How will you pay homage to Jesus this year? Do any of your resolutions help you deepen your relationship with him? What gifts do you bring to Jesus?
The scriptures over the past month have given us examples of how God speaks to his people through dreams. Does this cause you to look at your dreams in a different way?
Do you think God still speaks to his beloved people through dreams? Why or why not?
What do your dreams warn you against? Do you listen?

General Questions for Journaling

Can you identify where God is working in your life? How do you help or hinder God’s work in your life?
What does a steward do? How are you a steward of God’s grace?
How is it that you came to know Jesus?
How far would you travel to see God?
What are you willing to sacrifice/give up in order to find God?
How do you relate to Jesus as a baby? What are you to learn or take away from the circumstances of Jesus’ birth?
Is there someone or something that threatens you and your growth in the Spirit? Is there an obstacle in your life, you must overcome? Name the Herod in your life, then ask God to guide you to safety.
Things don’t always work out the way you expect. The story of Jesus’ birth says you just have to go with the flow. Are there prayers in your life which have been answered, just not in the way you expected?
Is the faith you express a gift or curse to others? Explain and give examples of how faith can be both.
Is it harder to believe Jesus came to save ALL people or Jesus came to save YOU?

Closing Prayer

Leader: Lord, You are a shining light…

ALL: shine so I might find You in the darkness.

Leader:Lord, You are a shining light…

ALL: let Your light be a beacon when I am weary.

Leader: Lord, You are a shining light…

ALL: spotlight the path I must follow.

Leader: Lord, You are a shining light…

ALL: consume me so others see Your glow within me.

Leader: Lord, You are a shining light…

ALL: awaken me to Your radiance!

Challenge for the Week: Throughout Jesus’ life, He unwrapped the gift of Himself and shared the gifts with others. Jesus was a good son, obedient to God, a teacher, a healer and a welcomed companion and friend. What gifts have you been born with but have not unwrapped? Have you unwrapped gifts within you which you have not shared with others? What keeps you from unwrapping the gifts and sharing them? Spend time this week reflecting on your life and the gifts which you have been given and unwrapped. Have you used the gifts to the benefit of God? Have you kept the gifts to yourself or only shared them with a few people? Are there still gifts left for you to unwrap? How do you know when it is time to unwrap and share the gifts you have been given? Light a candle in your home to help remind you to reflect on the gift Jesus is and the gift you are too!

Sunday, October 16th Readings

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Generous God

You give me food from heaven

so I have the nourishment I need.

You give me a source of water

so I can be refreshed and clean.

You also give me friends

so I can be supported when

my load just seems to get to heavy.

Thank you Lord,

for providing all of my needs.

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Exodus 17:8-13

Moses needed the help of others to pray without ceasing. Who are the people in your life who help you stay faithful?
What does the scripture tell you about the importance of prayer?

2Timothy 3:14-4:2

How are you challenged to use scripture in your life in this reading? What can you do to make this happen more regularly?
How is the Gospel/Word of God lived out in the world today? Is it hard or easy to find? Is it easily recognizable or is it disguised?
When has your faith been convenient? When has it been inconvenient? What does Saint Paul say you should do about it?

Luke 18:1-8

How does this reading make you feel about prayer?
What does this reading say about how God answers prayer?

General Questions for Journaling

Who or what keeps you persistent in your prayer?
Where do you go when you need help? Is help always given?
Body language communicates much, so when you see Jesus with his arms stretched out, you can imagine the sacrifice He made on the cross. However, what else do outstretched arms say? What does it mean when you stretch out your arms in prayer?
When was the last time you proclaimed the Word of God to others? Your spouse? Your friends? Your kids? Your co-workers? How was this done? What was their reaction?
Who last proclaimed with word of God to you? Was it someone close to you? A stranger? Your church? How was it done? What was your response?
How can you pray and NOT grow weary? Is it possible?
Why is it difficult to pray regularly? What gets in your way? Are you able to keep a pattern of prayer for a long period of time? What keeps you disciplined to do pray regularly?
When did you last ask others to pray for you? What was the situation? How did you feel knowing others were praying for you and with you?
How can prayer change you?
Have you ever felt like your prayers weren’t answered? Why or why not?
When you pray are you ready to listen for the answer?
Do you pray for those who judge you and for those whom you have judged?
Why should you pray petitions to God? Doesn’t He already know what you need?
When did God answer your prayer? Was it in the way you expected?

Have you experienced a prayer miracle? When was it? Who was there? What was the circumstance?
Do you allow yourself to be vulnerable in your prayer? Do you ask God for what you need or what you want? Is there a difference?
How can persistent prayer save you from your enemies?

Closing Prayer

Leader: When I am weak

ALL: may I find strength…everlasting!

Leader: When I am blinded

ALL: may I find my sight…everlasting!

Leader: When I am weary

ALL: may I find my contentment…everlasting!

Leader: When I am lame

ALL: may I find my healing…everlasting!

Leader: When I am suffering

ALL: may I find my blessing…everlasting!

Leader: When I am alone

ALL: may I find my Savior…everlasting!

Challenge for the Week: Consider the following questions: What is the role of prayer in your life? How do you pray? When do you pray? Is there a routine to your prayer? Do you have a specific place where you pray? Is there structure to your prayer or is it completely random? Are there people whom you pray for? Do you ask others to pray for you? What value do you put on prayer? Do you only pray for yourself and your loved ones or do you include people you don’t know? Do you pray for specific things to happen? Are your prayers general/generic? Is your language formal or informal when you pray? Do you pray by yourself or with others? How important is prayer to your life? Do others know how important/unimportant prayer is to you? Spend time pondering these questions this week and then pray with purpose!

Sunday, October 2nd Readings

27th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Father

Sometimes when I look at the world around me,

I want to cry because of all the hurt.

At times I wonder if there is any good to see.

There are days when I want to

give up, surrender, hide away

because the road ahead is too hard.

Give me the strength to seek YOU…

to have just a little faith

so I can make a difference!

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4

Can you relate to the oppression, abuse or violence in this passage? What does it remind you of?
What have you done in times of misery to help you overcome the situation?
Describe how the author is feeling? Do you relate? How?

2Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

How do you describe a “spirit of cowardice”? When have you had it? What needs to happen to overcome it?
How is Pope Francis an example of Saint Paul’s words in this passage to Timothy? What are you called to do in this passage?
What does it mean to share the hardship of the Gospel? What is Paul talking about here?
What examples of strength do you see in this passage? What examples of weakness? Do any of these apply in your life today?

Luke 17:5-10

What does this passage tell you about how God views faith? How does your own faith measure up to these standards?
Have you experienced at time in your life when your faith was able to move mountains? Do you know someone whose faith has moved a mountain? What does this mean to move a mountain?

General Questions for Journaling

Where do you see violence in the world? How are you affected as a witness?
How & when have you contributed to the violence in the world?
What is something of this world which troubles you? Where can you find God in this situation? What might God be calling you to do to change the situation?
What feeds your misery? How is your despair maintained?
Is there someone in your life who is struggling? Where is God in the situation? Is there something God wants you to do to help?
When do you cry out to God? How does God respond when you are hurting? Where do you find comfort?
What feeds your misery? How is your despair maintained?
What feeds your faith? How do you maintain it?
When have you been afraid of your faith? (Whether afraid of having faith or afraid of not having faith or afraid of the type/level of faith)
How does love and self-control affect violence?
How does violence affect love and self-control?
How can you exercise your faith?
Do you pray for an increase of faith?
Draw a chart to show how your faith has increased or decreased. Indicate on the chart events in your life when your faith grew or declined. Reflect on the changes in your faith.
Does quality or quantity matter when it comes to faith?
Do you call on the Holy Spirit to give you courage of faith? What does that look like? What words do you use?
Are there things in this world that you believe exist which you have not seen? How would you explain faith to someone who didn’t believe?
How do you increase your faith? A mustard seed grows into a giant tree, what can we do for our faith to grow too?
What can you do to spread faith? Can you grow it? How do you cultivate it?
What tests your relationship with God?
How do you describe your relationship with God to others?
Has God asked you to be uprooted? When? Did you move or stay still? What was the outcome?
When have you witnessed faith grow? Where do you see tremendous faith?

Closing Prayer

Leader: When I feel trampled

ALL: you come to pick me up!

Leader: When I am in need

ALL: you find a way to satisfy!

Leader: When I call out to you

ALL: you listen to my plea!

Leader: When I hold back

ALL: you urge me to give more!

Leader: When I surrender

ALL: you give abundantly!

Challenge for the Week: The world can feel scary with mass shootings, police brutality and the “ism’s” which cause division and inspire hatred. Fear can make you want to shut yourself off from what is going in, to hide away from it and fool yourself into thinking it doesn’t affect you. What is even worse if that keeping your distance from the pain and conflict keeps you from assessing your role in it, and then doing something about it.

Spend time this week thinking about what gifts, talents, and strengths you can bring to these painful situations. Consider what you would do if you or someone you know was impacted by a violent or traumatic event, how would you help? Identify one small act of kindness or compassion and do it; one small act can grow!

And/or: Make a list of the people in your life whom you take care of or have taken care of over the past year. Then make a list of the people who take care of you. Is it easier or harder to take care of others than to let others take care of you? God wants you to “let go” of having to always ‘do’ and to just ‘be’ so He may take care of you. This week, slow down and express gratitude and thankfulness for those you take care of AND for those who take care of you. God is calling you to rest in Him so you can experience His gifts of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE!

Sunday, January 16th Readings

2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You are generous beyond compare.

The wellspring of your love never runs dry.

You are the giver of all that is good.

I want to overflow with praise for you,

And shout from the rooftop that You are God!

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Isaiah 62 :1-5

Jesus is the King of Kings, how does this scripture describe your relationship with him?
What does this scripture tell you about how God loves? Does it help you understand God’s love more or less?

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Where do you see yourself in this scripture? How does the Spirit manifest within you?
When have you seen these gifts work together for good in your community or in your life?
Where have your gifts been called upon and gathered for a specific purpose or did they come together organically? Explain.

John 2:1-11

Compare your life to the wine which was served first and your future to the water which was turned into wine. Can you find hope in the comparison?
Put yourself in the scripture. Imagine yourself as the head waiter, the bride/groom, the guests, Mary. What are you thinking? How do you make sense of what happened? Whom do you share this occurrence with and how?
How do the words, “do whatever he tells you” change meaning when you hear them coming from Mary, speaking of Jesus?

General Questions for Journaling

How do you know God loves you? How would you explain this kind of love to someone who had never met God?
God calls you His delight and promises not to forsaken you; what other names does God give you? What other promises does He make?
What gift(s) do you have? How do you use it/them?
Are you jealous of a specific gift? Why? What would you do with it if you had it?
When have you seen a variety of gifts work together for good?
What specific gift is needed in your family right now? In your workplace? In your community?
There is a time to speak up and a time to be silent. Share examples of each and explain.
When you call on God, what name do you use? What name does God use to call on you?
Would you say you have experienced love to its greatest extent? Share the experience.
Do you feel favored by God? Why or why not?
What does it mean to you to be favored by God?
How do you compare God’s love for you and the love of a parent?
How do you compare God’s love for you and the love of a spouse?
Does comparing God’s love to the marriage union still hold value when people get divorced or don’t get married at all? Why or why not?
How does God know you love Him? Do you tell Him? Do you show Him? What do you do?
When have you seen the Spirit at work? Do you have to look hard to see it? How often do you experience this?
Are there gifts God has given to you which you are afraid to use?
Do you believe there are still gifts of God within you which haven’t been manifest yet? Why or why not?
Do you believe the phrase, “you get what you pay for”? What does it mean? How can you translate it to faith?
Is there anyone in your life whom you trust will provide for all of your needs? Do you think it is a rarity or surplus in life to have one or more people who take care of you to this extent?
Have you ever been asked to give more than you thought was expected? What was the situation? How did it affect your attitude? What was the outcome?
How does the saying “save the best for last” apply to your life? Share examples of when this is true.

Closing Prayer