Part II: The Words & The Prayers
The Life of The Cross, 2008, Cathy Scott

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:10-12)

¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)

³⁴A new command I give you:  Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

⁷Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)

¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. (Psalm 103:11)

²²Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

⁸The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:8-9)

¹³As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; (Psalm 103:13)

⁶And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (2 John 1:6)

¹⁹We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. (1 John 4:19-20)

¹⁰Whoever loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. (1 John 2:10-11)

¹⁵Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. ¹⁶For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

¹Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ²Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. ³Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:1-3)

¹“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1)

²²Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. ²³For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:22-23)

¹⁶And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. (1 John 4:16-17)

²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

¹But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God –⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11)

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

¹Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.(Ephesians 5:1-2)

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Romans 8:35)

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

¹I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people– ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

¹³Greater love has no one than this:  to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)

²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)

¹⁴For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

²²May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:22)

⁵And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

⁵Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. (Psalm 36:5)

¹I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. ²I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. (Psalm 89:1-2)

¹Praise the LORD all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the LORD.  (Psalm 117:1-2)

²⁹Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:29)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

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PRAYER OF LOVE

in Your love, Father, I live. Your love never fails. It is perfect as You are perfect. From Your love has come all of Creation. Though I am a small part of Your Creation, Your love for me is great. You planned my existence, and You formed me in the womb. You called me so that I might find You in the midst of Your Creation and share in the splendor of Your love. Your gifts of love are lavished on me, and I am surrounded by undeserved blessings, solely because You are love. In Your completeness, You make me whole. Without You, I am just a whisper of who You made me to be. The knowledge of Your ever-present love sustains me and gives me great joy and peace. By Your grace, I am filled with Your love, enabling me to love others for Your sake alone. Everything in Creation is a reflection of Your love. In Your Son alone is the reflection made complete. May my life honor You with love, as You have loved me.

[Ch. 4 – The Faith]

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Part II: The Words & The Prayers
The Life of The Cross, 2008, Cathy Scott

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation -whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life -of whom shall I be afraid? ²When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. ³Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3)

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. ¹⁴⁸My eyes stay open through the watches of the night; that I may meditate on your promises. (Psalm 119:147-148)

⁴⁹Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. ⁵⁰My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. (Psalm 119:49-50)

¹Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. ²Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. ³Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, “I am your salvation.” (Psalm 35:1-3)

⁴The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. ⁵The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. ⁶In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (Psalm 18:4-6)

¹⁵…”This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. (2 Chronicles 20:15b)

⁴Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. ⁵“With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? (Isaiah 46:4-5)

17You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” (2 Chronicles 20:17)

12But you will not have to leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 52:12)

14The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:14)

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm –he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

¹¹…The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, (Ecclesiastes 9:11b)

⁴The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

⁸Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

³But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

¹²Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)

¹¹Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ephesians 6:11)

⁸The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8)

¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.(Ephesians 6:13-15)

²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:2)

¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)

¹Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ²This is what the ancients were commended for. ³By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)

¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)

³¹As for God, his way is perfect: the LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. (2 Samuel 22:31)

⁷But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

¹I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. (Psalm 120:1)

²I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust,” (Psalm 91:2)

¹⁰My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.” (Psalm 35:10)

⁸Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:8)

⁴⁸He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, ⁴⁹who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me. (2 Samuel 22:48-49)

¹⁰All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them down. ¹¹They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them down. ¹²They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them down. ¹³I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. ¹⁴The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. (Psalm 118:10-14)

²The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:2-3)

⁸For you, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, ⁹that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:8-9)

¹⁷I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. ¹⁸The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. (Psalm 118:17-18)

²¹Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk but not with wine. ²²This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: “See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. ²³I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, ‘Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.’ And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked on.” (Isaiah 51:21-23)

²But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. (Malachi 4:2)

³Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; ⁴say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” ⁵Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. ⁶Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. (Isaiah 35:3-6)

⁶Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. (Psalm 20:6)

⁴I sought the LORD and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

¹⁹He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. (Psalm 18:19)

⁷⁴May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. (Psalm 119:74)

⁸I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8)

¹³I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

³When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. (Psalm 138:3)

⁸In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

⁵Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5)

²⁵I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)

⁴⁶The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! (Psalm 18:46)

²⁹Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:29)

²²Do not be afraid of them;
the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”
(Deuteronomy 3:22)

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PRAYER OF VICTORY

Father, You alone are always victorious. No enemy is too great for You. You hear my cries and come to my rescue. You protect me in the midst of battle, sustaining me to the finish. I cry to You in weakness, and You answer me with Your strength. When I see no solution to my problems, You show Yourself mighty, to be my Solution. You are the One and Only Almighty God, and I rejoice in the knowledge of Your strength and goodness. You planned an endless life of victory for me from before the beginning. The outcome has never been in question. By Your merciful gift of love to me in Christ Jesus, my victory forever has been eternally assured by Your life in Him.

     [Ch.3 – THE LOVE]

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