Free & Fit Lenten Study - Dawn Devotion - Easter Day - Communion, Forgiveness & Salvation Prayer

Over the Easter weekend we have been doing prayers and planks on the 12 stations of the Cross. Taken from the Saint Augustine Prayer book the meditations build on the story of the Resurrection and Jesus way to his crucifixion on the Cross.

“The series of stations is as follows: (1) Jesus is condemned to death, (2) he is made to bear his cross, (3) he falls the first time, (4) he meets his mother, (5) Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross, (6) Veronica wipes Jesus’ face, (7) he falls the second time, (8) the women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus, (9) he falls the third time, (10) he is stripped of his garments, (11) he is nailed to the cross, (12) he dies on the cross.”

Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Stations-of-the-cross

You can hear some of our reflections here during the Easter Saturday workout:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CcahWh3h0LU/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Today we share a Collect for today take from the Church of England and a final seventh Jesus saying:

Collect for the Week:

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the

crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and

rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the

coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life;

who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one

God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Seventh Jesus Saying for the Week:

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

— Luke 23:46

Reflections upon the final Jesus Saying:

In the context of finishing a slice of cake in England we have the tradition of washing it down with a nice cup of tea. At the point of finishing the cup of tea we make a loud cry of “mmmmmm” in satisfaction of how good the combination of washing down the deep of the cake with the fluid of the tea. Its almost like eating at the communion table and how good it is to taste and see the Lord is good. However, it was quite a different scene at the Cross.

Jesus cried out his last in deep despair “It is finished!” This was no piece of cake. Jesus, to quote a famous English expression, took away the sins of all our cake and ate it for us! Jesus took away the sins of the world. Jesus took the blemishes of sin away from all humanity and gave us a hope for a good, perfect and pleasing future.

This Easter lets not just have our cake and eat it. Lets remember Christ sacrifice, lets remember Jesus gave us his last breath so we could have our first and remember that when we have our last breath in our human bodies it leads to our first breath in our heavenly bodies! All these promises are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen

Let us Pray the Promises of Heaven:

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:8-10

He is Risen! He is RISEN INDEED!

Our Easter Devotion is live after extreme technical difficulties all day! Please like, share and take part! Also, please follow us and feel free view to on Youtube here:

Easter Workout for the Week:

https://youtu.be/HCf1eCzKILE

As part of our Pilot Faith & Fitness curriculum we must not forget to offer our participants the opportunity to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through the simplicity of the Forgiveness and Salvation Prayer we can invite all people to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Verses for Forgiveness

1 John 1:8-10 (NIV)

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Prayer for Forgiveness

Heavenly Father, O Lord Almighty, hear my prayer. I have a burden on my heart, a sin to confess. For I am human and sinful and don’t always live up to who you want me to be. I come before you today with a humble heart to confess the mistakes I’ve made, both by what I’ve done and by what I haven’t done. O Lord, hear my prayer and forgive my failings. Lead me to do better and not repeat these mistakes. Help me to live a life that better reflects you. For you are faithful and just, loving and compassionate. O Lord, in your mercy, forgive me and purify my heart. Amen.

Source: Prayer & Possibilities

Verses for Salvation

“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:8-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Prayer for Salvation

Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Source: National Assodistion of American Veterans

Easter Reflection:

Today is the day in the Church calendar year when we celebrate the Risen Jesus. He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed! We are so grateful to encounter Jesus in such an intimate and personal level at Easter that when we surrender our lives to Jesus, decide to

pick up our Cross and follow him we can truly repent, believe and become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Christ died for us so that we may have eternal life. It is the priceless gift which exists in the present, but is outside of time. As our Father in Heaven looks down upon us this Easter day he sees our mere humanity, sent his one and only begotten son to save us and save us again.

Through time, past, present and future Jesus is able to demonstrate his omnipresence to us and to develop a continuous resurrected power that is alive to each and everyone of us. The same power that rose Christ from the grave is available, alive and accessible to each and everyone of us today. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever! He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Today you and can make a new start. A fresh start. Its simple; if you believe in your heart that Jesus died, was resurrected and sacrificed for all believers, like you and me, you can have hope for the future. Many people have said a prayer like this throughout time and history. This prayer was for them and this prayer is also for you. You can say it silently in your heart, aloud after me or just agree by acknowledging in mind or word by declaring in agreement with me by saying “in Jesus name. Amen.”

Closing Prayer. Let us Pray…

Sacrificial and Gracious Jesus, bring us out of the depths of our flesh, restore our consciousness and release us into divine communion and intimate fellowship with your Holy Spirit as we pray in agreement that you died, raised us with you into eternal life and prepared a mansion for us with God in heaven. In your name we pray. Amen.

Activity and Question to Ponder this Week:

As we complete the Easter Lenten curriculum what practices could people implement through faith and fitness as one?

In order to establish a strong and pure Christian faith it is important to follow the Spiritual Disciplines that help form our belief in Jesus Christ. Richard Foster states in the Book Celebration of Discipline” that the “Disciplines of Abstinence; (solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, sacrifice) and Disciplines of Engagement (study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, submission) are essential practices for every Christian (p. 158, Foster, 1978)”.

Furthermore, in her book “Rugged” Gretchen Ronnevik shares the Spiritual Disciplines of the Spiritually exhausted including the chapters on “God Disciplines Those He Loves, Christ is Always the Way, Dependence not Achievement, Enough, Authority, Privilege and Submission, Freedom through Dependence, Generosity, Lament, Rest and Discipleship (p. Contents, Grettchen, 2021)”. The nucleus of Prayer, Reading the Bible, Worship, Community, Silence (Listening to God), attending Church and developing relationships with fellow believers really strengthens an individual’s faith, but as recognized by Ronnevik and Foster it is essential to find a balance of Prayer and Active formation in our everyday lives.

Therefore, to have an accessible process by which to combine our faith and fitness as one (John 17) it helps to inform our Christian practice of Spirituality through Sport. One way of completing the practice of silence is through contemplation. Richard Rohr introduces to us, through Micah 6:8, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Michael Curry’s Way of Love. Rohr and Friends in their book “Contemplation in Action” invites us to “act justly, love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God” through the practice of Silence and Solitude whilst actively practicing our Christian faith.

Scripture for the Week:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Prayers & Blessings F&F Team

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