The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 from 15 (To update)

The First Letter of St. Paul

 to 

The Corinthians

 Chapter 

7

¹ Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is well for a man not to touch a woman."

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1)

Oh God my Father, when considering our sinful nature it would be best for a man not to touch a woman if that man is not ready or able to take responsibility of the consequences, such as raising a family or caring for that same woman and child. Amen.


² But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 2)


Oh God my Father this is the reason why Priests are to be allowed to be united in marriage since it would be better than having them involved in sexual immorality as the world has witnessed Amen.


³ The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 3)


Oh God my Father both husband and wife are to have their own personal space where each can have the opportunity to express themselves with freedom. None of them are to feel as if they are the underdog trodden down and made to feel low in one's self-esteem. Amen.


⁴ For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 4)


Oh God my Father I am of the opinion that neither wife nor husband have the authority to change or dominate in each other in any way. Both are to be supportive and complementary to one in other as is the mind with the body, and the body ideally with the soul Amen.


⁵ Do not deprive one another except by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 5)


Oh married couples, do not deny each other of Yourselves both physically and psychologically. Share in both mind and body freely without the fear of being criticised by each other but with the security of being heard respected and understood Amen. Husbands are to respect their wives especially when they are during their period and abstain from having sex however after this period the sexual relationship is to continue so that the physical, spiritual and psychological foundations of the relationship remain stable and firm Amen.


⁶ This I say by way of concession not of command, ⁷ I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verses 6 to 7)


Oh God my Father how I wish that many people prayed on the Bible as I do and reap the blessings that come from Your Word, however, on the other hand, I bless other forms of praise and worship that all have the same positive end that of being in relationship with You Amen.


⁸ To the unmarried and the widows, I say that it is well for them to remain unmarried as I am. ⁹ But if they are not practising self-control they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verses 8 to 9)


Oh God my Father, I support St. Paul's teaching re the importance of practising self-control, however, this is a skill that is also to apply in marriage for this solves many issues that are experienced by married couples, for in time our sinful self may start getting the best of us, and we may become selfish and adopt an individualistic attitude which shuts out our wives, husbands and even our children. Amen. Therefore we must always be aware and on guard over our selves Amen.


¹⁰ To the married I give this command-not I but the Lord-that the wife should not separate from her husband ¹¹ (but if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband, and that the husband should not divorce his wife.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verses 10 to 11)


Oh God my Father this biblical verse has put my heart at rest, for although I have separated from my wife and she from me, I have remained unmarried and I do not even have a partner. I thank You Jesus for giving me self-control in succeding to live without a woman in my life Amen.


¹² To the rest I say-I and not the Lord-that if any believer has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 12)


Oh God my Father there is a difference between fact and opinion, or when a person is speaking from the spirit or from one's own mind or flesh. Help us oh God my Father to discern the truth Amen.


¹³ And if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 13)


Oh God, my Father, I pray for couples where the husband or wife is an unbeliever so that there is harmony in the relationship and not stress and conditioning due to one's beliefs. May both feel free to practice and worship in whom one believes Amen.


¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 14)


Oh God my Father in my case I could not make the quasi unbelieving wife a believer. Even though she listened to spiritual music when it came to face the facts she showed her true colours and the level of her belief. Amen.


¹⁵ But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. It is to peace that God has called you.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 15)


Oh God my Father today I realize that it is to peace that You have called me. Since I have separated I am again living this state of peace. I thank You for the second chance Amen.



¹⁶ Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife. 


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 16)



Oh God my Father throughout sixteen years of marriage I tried to save my wife. I tried to offer her an opportunity of meditating on Your Word as I do which could have united us in prayer, however, she chose different ways or forms of spirituality Amen.


¹⁷ However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you. This is my rule in all the churches.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 17)


Oh God my Father I thank You for putting me back on track living the life that from the beginning You had assigned for me. I am sorry that You disobeyed You and got married Amen.


¹⁸ Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 18)


Oh God my Father as much as circumcision meant alot during the time of St. Paul Baptism means a lot to us. I pray that we all receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and with the grace of God we learn how to live and honour that baptism Amen.

¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and circumcision is nothing; but obeying the commandments of God is everything.

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 19)

Oh God my Father I thank You for reminding me what really matters in life Amen. I pray for the love, faith courage and determination to obey Your commandments even if this requires that I go against my natural and selfish self Amen.

²⁰ Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called.

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 20)

Oh God my Father You called me to leave my belongings and to follow You. Today I dedicate my life in service to You and Your people. I am not tied to anything or anyone, All is Yours and what You wish to take is Yours and what You wish to remain is also in Your decision Amen. I pray that I will always be free to serve You and to never be constrained by people or possessions Amen.

²¹ Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever."

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 7 verse 21)

Oh God my Father I thank You for telling me to let go of my past and move on in the present life. I was a slave of my passions, desires and feelings but with Your help this has become an issue of the past Amen.

The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 of 15

The First Letter of St. Paul

 to 

The Corinthians

 Chapter 

6

¹ When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous,  instead of taking it before the saints.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 1)

Oh God, my Father, I am sorry to say that I had to take my case to the Courts because when I tried to seek the support of the saints it was not fruitful. I pray that You forgive me but in my situation, I had no choice it was my sanity versus my sanctity.


² Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we are to judge angels to say nothing of ordinary matters?


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verses 2 to 3)



Oh God, my beloved Father, I am sorry to say, that when I was called by the Church tribunal when I was in conflict with my wife at the time of my final exams at University, I was literally judged and not understood for the situation that I was passing through. I, therefore, was compelled to go to the judges of the world for the good of my spirit body and soul Amen. I leave it to You my God and Fathe to judge if the move was for my good or not Amen. I know that separation in marriage is not positive, however, the choice was either that or my becoming mentally ill. Amen.


⁴ If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church?


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 4)



Oh God my Father when I spoke with those in the Church who have understanding in issues of family conflict, some showed understanding but others did not, therefore for my peace of mind I had to seek the support of the legal system. I leave it to You to judge if I was correct in my action, however really and truly I feel that I could not take it anymore. I prayed a lot on the issue but I know that You advocate in favour of my holistic well being and would not want to see me harmed or depressed Amen.


⁵ I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to decide between one believer and another, ⁶ but a believer goes to court against a believer-and before unbelievers at that?


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verses 5 to 6)


I also answer with shame, for in order to separate I had to go before the court of unbelievers and was treated as an unbeliever myself. However, in the situation, I was in there was no other option for it was a question of life or emotional and spiritual death Amen.



⁷ In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 7) 



Oh God my Father as You know I am one of many who had to file a case of separation against my wife and now she is filing the annulment of our marriage against me. I believe that both are sins against You, even though for me it meant the recovery of my psychological well being. I pray that You do not count this sin against us Amen.  


⁸ But you yourselves wrong and defraud-and believers at that.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 8)



Oh God, my Father, the golden rule is always valid. Do not do to others what you do not wish others to do to you. However oh God my Father even though we wish to abide to this commandment our minds tell us to repay evil with evil. I pray that You take control of us during such delicate moments Amen.


⁹ Do you know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, ¹⁰ thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers-none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verses 9 to 10)



Oh God my Father in this list You could have added more classes of sinners, however if we look deep down into ourselves we will find our sins added to this long list. I pray that You give us eternal healing from our sins Amen.



¹¹ And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 11)


Oh blessed be Your mighty name oh God and Father. I thank You for doing such blessed things for us, for we are not worthy of being sanctified and justified. These blessings and virtues are very positive to remember especially when the world makes us feel sinful guilty and even bad Amen.
 
 
¹² "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 12)


Oh God my Father as a law-abiding citizen I am bound to obey what the law says, however when that same law compels me to behave in such a way that makes me go against Your ways I am freed from obeying such laws Amen. I prefer to be judged for not obeying the laws of the world, then for obeying them and be judged by You for going against the rules of heaven Amen. 


¹³ Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food." and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the LORD, and the Lord for the body.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 13)


Oh God, my Father there is food that nourishes the body and food that nourishes the soul, however, we can also eat food that harms the body. I pray that my diet will always consist of the Word of God and of all that is of God and not of the sexual and immoral elements of the world Amen. I pray that You heal and purify me of my sins my God and Father Amen.


¹⁴ And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 14)


Oh brothers, and sisters God is our sole creator and as creator, he has authority over both the body and the soul. I pray that we keep this in mind especially during moments of crisis when taking our lives might become an item on our wish list or agenda Amen.


¹⁵ Do you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 15)


Oh God my Father even though the Roman Catholic Church is composed of sinners awaiting salvation and love, I am happy to be a member of this Sacred body. I pray that I will never choose to become one with the prostitute of the world Amen.


¹⁶ Do you know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh."


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 16)


Oh God my Father when we become addicted to sin, we become at one with it and sin possesses our being so much that we transform ourselves into that sin or sinful act Amen. I pray for deliverance and protection my God and Father Amen.


¹⁷ But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 17)


I pray oh God my Father that we cling to You so that we become united in both body and spirit Amen.


¹⁸ Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 18)


Let us stop masturbating and seeing pornography, put an end to all kinds of addictions and vices, illicit relationships among others and turn our focus on God our Father who loves us with extreme love and is waiting for us to turn away from our sins so that even as newborn believers we can be part of the body of Christ Amen sharing of the blessings and glory of God.


¹⁹  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 19)


Oh, brothers and sisters, we are not of the world. God has given us the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. Our bodies have also been lent to us and there will come a day when it will be taken back, however, our souls remain alive forever. Therefore let us be aware that we have the responsibility of upkeeping the welfare of our soul, with the help of the same Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Amen.


²⁰ For you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 20)


Oh God, my Father, my salvation cost You a lot of pain and hardship, and I appreciate all that You have done for me and the price that You paid in full Amen.


I would, therefore, like to end this meditation on the 6th chapter of St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians with the following prayer.


Oh God, my Father, we have Your presence in us, however we are still prone to sin, because the struggle between our sinful selves versus the presence of the Holy Spirit is constant in us. I pray for support and more graces so that finally You can free us from our sinful selves so that we can share Your presence in fullness Amen.

The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 5

 

The First Letter of St. Paul

 to 

The Corinthians

 Chapter 

5

 

 

¹ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father's wife.

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 1)

Oh God, my blessed Father, during our times as You well know many forms of sexual immorality are taking place, along with same-sex or gender marriages, among other related acts. Even though we do not deserve Your forgiveness my God and Father forgive us, for it is as if we are under a spell of sin and we are surely not aware of what we are doing Amen.



² And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this would have been removed from among you?



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 2) 



Oh God my Father on meditating on this verse I imagine your reaction when the vote for divorce and same-sex marriage passed through parliament. I can only imagine that we are not even to think of such issues let alone approve them by law Amen. 



³ For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present I have already pronounced judgement ⁴ in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ you are to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 5 verses 3 to 5) 



Oh God my Father instead of condemning such people it would be best to teach them with love and gentleness Your ways and attempt to save their souls, for if people commit immoral acts this may mean that they have witnessed a negative experience of such acts and copied them. Therefore we are to give a good example to such people so that the positive influence of our way of life, according to Your will may have a positive influence on such people in order to help them in changing their ways Amen. 


⁶ Your boasting is not a good thing. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?  ⁷Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.

 

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 5 verses 6  to 7)  



Oh God, my Father, may our boasting be in You and not in ourselves, for all the good skills and talents that we have are not our own but are given to us by You Amen. Therefore in truth, we have nothing to boast about but our sins which are truly ours Amen.



⁸ Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 8)



Oh God, my Father, I pray that we celebrate You in Spirit and in truth. Moreover, I pray that You filter the celebration of the Eucharist or breaking of bread, from all the old practices that are not valid for our times, and let it be a celebration of joy. Therefore I invite all to celebrate the Holy Name of God and join me in this song and prayer credit to Sanders2378

 

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons-¹⁰ not at all meaning the immoral of the world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it those who are inside that that you are to judge? ¹³ God will judge those outside. "Drive out the wicked persons from among you."

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 5 verses 9 to 13)

Oh God, my beloved Father, I thank You for raising my awareness with whom to associate and to be very choosy for not all people are healthy for me to be in their presence. Ideally, I am to relate with nobody because everybody is prone to sin and not always be a person of God. However as a social being, You made me a person of others and like Yourself, I am to live with others. However, in Your infinite wisdom, I pray for the good sense to be able to assess one person from another without passing judgement Amen.

Oh God my Father, I would like to end this meditation on the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians with the following prayer:-

Oh God my Father I pray for the right intention, perfect assessment in order to be able to choose whom to consider as being healthy friends. I pray that You help me to make the ideal decisions now and forever so that my choice of friends will be healthy for both the body and even more the soul Amen.

The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4

 

 

The First Letter of St. Paul

 to 

The Corinthians

 Chapter 

4

 

¹ Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries.

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 1)

Oh bothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, even though I am neither a consecrated person, or an apostle, I have been given this assignment of sharing my prayers to Him by means of this blog. As I have repeated many times, my aim is simply to share my prayers and not to proclaim a new theology or interpretation of the Word of God. There are already many versions and interpretations there is no need for another one. Amen.


² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trust worthy 

(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 2)


Oh God my beloved Father, may I be found to be a trust-worthy steward, even though I am not free of error and weakness. You are aware of myself, needs and current situation, I pray that You continue to intervene and help me to become more trust-worthy Amen.


³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. ⁴ I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.




(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 3 to 4)



Oh God my Father even to say the words that You may judge me sends tremors of fear running up and down my spine and my teeth also chatter, for I remember Your voice when You first called me, and nobody can stand such a majestic and powerful presence. In this sense I prefer to be judged by humans even though at heart they are evil, however on the other hand You are more merciful, loving and just Amen.


⁵ Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 5)


Oh God my beloved Father, as You are well aware, in my situation I cannot wait till the day of Your judgment, which on the other hand can be any day. I am feeling depressed but eager to start a new life with You as a separated person, to be only Yours. Amen.


⁶  I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters, so that you may learn through us the meaning of the saying, "Nothing beyond what is written," so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of one against another. 


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 6) 



Oh God my Father my conduct is to be in favour and according to all that is written in Your Word, however right now it is very hard for me to follow. My crosses are very hard to carry especially when I have one on each shoulder. Their weight is becoming at times unbearable. I pray that You continue to assist me with the needed support Amen. 


⁷ For who sees anything different in you?" What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 7)


Oh God my beloved Father when I receive the gift of the Holy Spirit Your presence starts reflecting in me. When I speak about You with others it becomes evident that we have a relationship together I pray that that tie continues to be strengthened Amen. 


⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings! Indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we might be kings with you!




(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 8)



Oh God my Father, we are already, sons and daughters of nobility, for we are the sons and daughters of the Kings of Kings and therefore we are lacking in nothing, because all we need is to talk to our Father, and You will grant us all that we need and all that is for our own good Amen.


⁹ For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, as though sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to mortals. ¹⁰ We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in in honor, but we in disrepute.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 9 to 10)


Oh God my beloved Father, those who side and accept the sinful ways of the world, are popular and approved of, by the world, however people such as myself, who are against such ways appear as being boring and worthy of neglect. I prefer to appear boring in the eyes of the world my God and Father Amen.


¹¹ To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, ¹² and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled we bless; when persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 11 to 13)


Oh God my Father, even though my wife is saying alot of lies against me to many people, You know the truth about me, and I will stick only to that truth. I pray for the humility to defend this truth in a calm and humble way that reflects Your presence in me Amen.


¹⁴ I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 14)


Oh God you are my beloved Father and I am one of Your many sons. I thank You for every verse in the Bible, for it is a guideline that I must follow. I pray for the strength to do so for at times the will is there but the strength is not. Therefore I pray that You continue to teach me like a Father, teaches his son Amen. Thank You, Jesus.


¹⁵ For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.



(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 15)


Dear Brothers and Sisters who are following this blog or who maybe just passing by browsing and happen to click on this blog, kindly note that we are related in the Lord our God and as relatives, you are all free to communicate with me as freely as possible Amen.


¹⁶ I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. 


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 16)


Oh, brothers and sisters, I urge you all to be imitators of Jesus Christ my God and Father. Pray like Him, think like Him, forgive like Him, act out of love like Him and conquer yourselves by taking control of the sinful self and subdue it to obedience so that we be masters of the flesh and not its victim or slave, because when we behave according to the flesh we may not be acting according to the will and grace of God my Father Amen.


¹⁷ For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the LORD, to remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, as I teach them everywhere in every church.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 17)


Oh God, my beloved Father, I thank You for the many role models that You have sent me during these 46 years of my life. By means of such people You have taught me a lot and You are still doing so to this very day Amen. I pray that You give me the strength to imitate such role models and not my natural self Amen.


¹⁸ But some of you, thinking that I am not coming to you, have become arrogant. ¹⁹ But I will come to you soon, if the LORD wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 18 to 19) 


Oh God my beloved Father I thank You for assuring me that the battle and struggle of life is not in vain. Thank You for assuring me that there is the gift of heaven awaiting me after the trials of this life Amen. I thank You for once again igniting in me the flame of hope Amen.


²⁰ For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. ²¹ What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?


(The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 20 to 21)  


Oh God my beloved Father, today You are giving us the same choice or option. How do we want You to be when You come again? What role do we wish that You undertake, that of a loving Father, who is caring and empathetic and loving, or the role of the Judge who comes with the role of discipline law and order to implement justice with an iron fist.? The choice is ours.. Amen


Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end this fourth chapter of St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians with the following prayer:-


Today my God and Father You have placed before us an important question to answer. How do we want You to be when You come again, the loving Father, or the harsh judge. Our behaviour my God and Father is an answer to this question, for what we aim for we will get Amen.