The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 of 5

The First Letter of St. Peter

 Chapter  4

¹ Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), ² so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.

(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verses 1 to 2)

 Oh God my beloved Father I pray that You make me God centred and not humanly centred in the sense that I love humans and show care and respect, however, help me to set my aims, goals and desires on a spiritual aim and desire and not on the material Amen.




³ You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 3) 




Oh God my beloved Father, I thank Your for raising my awareness of the old times and my old life. Now is the time to live my life according to a new lifestyle based on Your will instead of mine Amen. May Your will always be done my God and Father Amen. 



⁴ They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme.




(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 4)



Oh God, many others with whom we used to fraternize will become aware of the change in our decision of people to be with. Some who may have been happy with having a large group of followers for the sake of popularity will be bitter towards those who leave, however those others who realize that we have chosen a reality which is more fulfilling than the one at hand will even seek to imitate us in joining a religious  group or fraternity Amen.


⁵ But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 5)



Oh God my blessed Father, every day of my life I am aware of the fact, that for anything that I do I need to give an account of to You, regardless if it is good or evil. Amen.



⁶, For this reason, the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 6)




Oh God, my Father, you are so just and kind that you do not anybody the opportunity of being touched by the powerful and healing message of Your Good News. Amen, thank You, Jesus.



⁷ The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 7)



Oh God my Father, I wish to be that disciplined a person both in prayer and in self-control for at times I lack in both. I pray that You make of me a better person Amen.



⁸ Above all maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaining.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verses 8 to 9)



Oh God my Father, I need Your constant support for I am weak in this area, there are people with whom I am not on good terms such as my father and sister of which the reasons You know. I had to protect my mother against the situation she was going to end up in. On the other hand, my father is a naked gun who can easily get me into trouble with others, therefore, I had to protect myself for my own peace of mind. On the other hand, I could not remain in the marriage, for I would have ended up either in prison or mentally ill. I thank You for loving and accepting me as I am even though I am lacking as a human and as a Christian Amen.



¹⁰ Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 10)



Oh God, my Father, I thank You for all the skills that You have given me and for all the positive people that You have allowed me to meet. I have learnt new skills and have even been using such skills in order to be of help and support to others. I pray that even though I still have my weaknesses You continue to use me as an instrument in Your hand Amen. Thank You, Jesus.



¹¹ Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever Amen.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 11) 



Oh God, my Father, for the good of all I pray for the gift of wisdom. Please compel me to speak only when and when necessary in a good and responsible way, that is fit of a person who is Your friend to communicate in. I pray that You will be praised and glorified through what I do and say Amen. 


¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 12) 


Oh, brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit of God starts changing us, we may appear strange and different in the eyes of others and this may cause clashes with others. It would appear as if we come from different worlds. Therefore this is normal. Do not be shocked if others look at you differently this is a positive sign amen. God is in control. 



¹³ But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 13) 



Oh God my sufferings are Your sufferings and Your sufferings are mine. When I am in the depths of my sufferings I am not alone but I am sharing my sufferings with You Amen.


¹⁴ If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God is resting on you.




(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 14) 


Oh brothers and sisters if we are reviled and humiliated before the world, we will be revealed and exalted in the eyes of God Amen. Therefore let us pray for endurance in the Holy Spirit Amen.


¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief-maker. ¹⁶ Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear his name.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verses 15 to 16)


Oh, brothers and sisters blessed are those who are persecuted for the Name of Jesus. Blessed are those who put their lives at risk in order to give testimony to God's love for us. I prefer to die as a convinced Christian than to die as a hypocrite Amen.



¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?"


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verses 17 to 18)


Oh God my Father, the time of judgment has begun. Many priests who have been caught in cases of child abuse are abdicating from their positions, other persons in important positions are also resigning. The process of judgment is active, and we are the ones who are judging ourselves, although You stimulate us by our conscience Amen. Thank You, Jesus.




¹⁹ Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 4 verse 19)



Oh God, my faithful Father, I pray that we all learn to place our trust in You, for You are our only saviour. Life has no meaning without You Amen.


Oh God, my Father, I would like to end the fourth chapter of the first letter of St. Peter with the following prayer:-


Oh God my blessed Father, brothers and sisters, I pray that we all learn to place our hope and trust in God our Father. May we be always aware that our life on earth is not forever and that all of what is of the world will one day come to an end. Therefore let us all turn to God and have fellowship with Him who loves us as we are without no condition or bias of race, religion or culture Amen. Thank You Jesus






 

 

The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3

The First Letter of St. Peter

 Chapter   3

 ¹ Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word they may be won over without a word by their wive's conduct, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verses 1 to 2)

Oh God my Father, the woman has a great influence over the man. The key of the relationship is in her hand. She can either be an instrument that keeps the marriage together but on the other hand if she uses harsh words of criticism she can be the one that may lead to the end of the marriage. I am not saying that husbands such as myself are pure and blameless, for we all have faults. However when I felt loved and accepted I overlooked many of my wive's faults, however when the relationship became unhealthy my attitude took on a negative slant. I pray oh God my Father that You take control of my marriage for my intent is to seek a legal separation, for I cannot keep on living the way I am for it has become unhealthy for me even on a spiritual level Amen.  




³ Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; ⁴ rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight.

(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verses 3 to 4)




Oh God my Father our inner spiritual beauty through Your having a strong relationship with us is to be far greater than our physical beauty which is subject to precious jewellery clothes make up among other accessories Amen.




⁵ It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands.

(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verse 5)




Oh God my Father obedience to You and to others such as our superiors is one of the humblest robes that I can ever wear and decorate and comfort my body with. Even though I do not have a good relationship with my wife, I still cherish the words of wisdom that she had previously shared with me Amen, however my beauty and value is found only in the obedience of Your will Amen.



⁶ Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fear alarm you.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verse 6)



Oh God my Father many times as humans we are conditioned by fear, which can be disabling and can also create a barrier between us. Right now I am facing the fear of trust, for many people in whom I trusted stabbed me in the back, therefore I have to start from scratch in my relationships with humanity. I pray oh God my Father, that You give me a spirit of obedience that is based on trust and not one based on fear or misconceptions Amen.



⁷ Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life-so that nothing may hinder your prayers.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verse 7)



Oh God my Father as You know during the time of my marriage I tried to show love care and consideration, however this was not appreciated, to the point where I ended up being hurt. I believe that there is no weaker sex, because this is how You wanted us to be and You made all things perfect, therefore none is weaker than the other Amen. 
  


⁸ Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verse 8)




Oh God I pray for such noble qualities that I may share these qualities with all those whom You send in my ways Amen.



⁹ Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called that you might inherit a blessing.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verse 9)




I thank You for this gentle reminder oh God my blessed Father, even though I have experienced such moments of evil and abuse please help me to forgive and not behave likewise Amen.




¹⁰ For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; ¹¹ let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verses 10 to 11)





Oh God my Father I pray that You help me in keeping a guard over my lips and mouth, so that what I think and what I say will come from You and not from me Amen. I pray for the strength to turn away from evil and negative ways Amen.




¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verse 12)



Oh God my beloved Father even though I do not consider myself as being a totally righteous person I pray that You always keep Your eyes on me, especially during this time of my life. Amen.



¹³ Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verse 13)



Amen my God and Father, may we all be more than eager to do good, the world would be a better place if we all shared this value Amen.



¹⁴ But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, ¹⁵ but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you;  ¹⁶ yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verses 14 to 16)



Oh God my Father, You give us perfect and clear instructions or guidelines of how our attitude should be as Your Sons and Daughters. We are to speak with an open heart even if we are intimidated, our testimony is to be clear and clean free from fear or personal biases. We are to be grounded in scriptures so much as to be able to be accountable to others. We are to live the bible and not just know it by heart like an academic student. When we are living the messages of the Good News as found in the Bible it is our spirit that takes control and not the rules and principles of logic or philosophical arguments. Our attitude is to be calm and gentle, our attitude is not that of forcing the Good News of the Kingdom of God down everybody's throats by threatening them that if they do not believe they will be condemned. We are to be empathetic sympathetic and warm and gentle towards others, so that others will experience the presence of God in us, and be willing and safe and comfortable, to share their thoughts traumas and feelings Amen.



¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verses 17)



Oh God my beloved Father, I thank You for the good deeds and interventions that You perform by me Your humble instrument. I pray that You keep on using me, for it is better for me to be tired through being used in the work of the kingdom than from boredom or overuse in the World Amen.
 


¹⁸ For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is eight persons were saved through water.




(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verses 18 to 20) 




Oh God my Father, there was a time when I was led by an evil spirit under the disguise of holiness that gave me the wish and desire to suffer for the sins of others. However this led the way to having to more serious implications so much that I could not live and function without this compulsion. Today I thank You for making me aware especially by means of verse 18, that no human being can ever suffer enough for others than You did, and that You did it once and for all, for all our sins, and that there is no need for an 'action replay' Amen.




²¹  And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 3 verses 21 to 22)  




 Oh God my blessed Father, I pray that I have a better understanding of what my baptism means to me. I pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit again and again, in order to continue empowering me during each day of my life on earth Amen.



Oh God my blessed Father I would like to end this meditation, prayer and reflection on the third chapter of the first letter of St. Peter with the following prayer.



Oh God I pray that we learn how to think, like You behave like You. I pray for a new baptism. May Your Spirit fall on us and revive our heart, souls mind and even body Amen so that we can be renewed in You Amen. 



 



























 


 

 

The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2

The First Letter of St. Peter

 Chapter 2

¹ Rid yourselves therefore of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. ² Like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk, so that  by it you may grow into salvation- ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verses 1 to 3)

Amen Oh God my Father it is truly wise to rid ourselves of all traces of negativity with Your help oh God my Father. Therefore let we all seek repentance of our sins and receive cleansing by means of the sacrament of salvation. Amen. I thank You for sowing within me a love for You and the messages found in the entire Bible especially the 'Good News' Amen, may I always be guided by means of it Amen.


⁴ Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and ⁵ like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verses 4 to 5)



Oh God my Father You are the potter and I am the clay. I pray that every day of my life and in every circumstance, You keep on moulding me so, that in time I will be transformed from my material self to my spiritual self which finds its meaning and origin in You Amen.


⁶ For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." ⁷ To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner."


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verses 6 to 7)




Oh God my Father, You are truly the cornerstone of my building or home. Whenever I try to build on different stones, such as hobbies, work, friendships, family the foundations start cracking and the whole structure becomes unstable. Oh God, there is none like You. I pray that we all lay down our foundations on You, the real cornerstone of my life Amen.



⁸ and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verse 8)




Oh God my Father for those of us who believe in You and in the message of the Good News the Bible offers us many consolation and strength, however for those who do not, religion is called opium or alienation, however when the time comes, everybody will reap the fruits of their belief. Amen.



⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verse 9)



Oh God my Father I thank You for having chosen the Hebrew nation as Your people. Even to this day I believe that although they disobeyed You many times, they are still the apple of Your eye, Your chosen ones. Even though we proclaim to be descendants through Jesus Christ, the original chosen people are still the Hebrews even though You inspired St. Paul to turn on to us the 'gentiles' of these times and proclaim to us the dear message of the 'Good News' Amen. I pray that both Hebrews, Catholics, Roman Catholics, Protestants and many others of different denominations remain faithful to what or whom they believe in especially if they believe in You like I do. 



¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verse 10)



Oh God my Father I thank You for having reclaimed me for having called me from my previous life and for having given me the dignity of being called and considered as being one of Your many sons Amen.



¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.


(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verse 11)




Oh God my Father  I am aware of this conflict between the promptings of the spirit, and the promptings of the flesh. When considering how You made us it is not easy to overcome the flesh, however there are those who have benefitted from Your grace and have conquered the flesh. I pray for the grace to overcome the lures of the body so that the urges of the Holy Spirit will become stronger and find nothing to block it. Amen.  



¹² Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.



 (The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verse 12)



Oh God my Father, both for our sake, and for the sake of others, especially people who do not believe in You our behaviour is to be exemplary, for such people may expect perfect  behaviour from us, even though they themselves are not perfect, however from us Christians, Catholics and people of other faiths they expect more from us Amen. May I always be a living example of Your presence Amen. 



¹³ For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 



 (The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verses 13 to 14)




Oh God my Father, how nice it is to imitate You in humility. Even though there may be situations where we are convinced that our decisions are correct, we are to respect the authority of our superiors as if we are respecting You in their presence Amen. I pray that You give love, praise, worship, wisdom and faith to all who are in a position of authority so that they will be able to take the best decisions for the good of all. Amen.




¹⁵ For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. ¹⁶ As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. ¹⁷ Honor everyone, Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 



 (The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verses 15 to 17)




Oh God my Father You wish that we live as free people and not as slaves of our sinful self and of our sins. When we do positive acts nobody can judge us, for what we are doing is right. When we use our freedom in order to help others in obtaining their freedom we are also using our freedom for a good purpose, however when we use our freedom to reduce other people's freedom this is not according to Your will. If we treat as inferiors those who are under our atuhority and make their lives a misery, this is an abuse of their share of liberty, for in a way our freedom is only in doing Your will, for socially we are free as long as one obeys the norms of society and not impose a threat on the freedom of others. 



¹⁸ Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. 
 

  
(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verse 18)




Oh God my beloved Father, even though You created us as free beingss we are still enslaved in this body, with all its compulsions. Many times when I lose control over myself I end up saying words which I regret saying and doing things which I regret doing. Therefore in substance I can still be called a slave, however with the difference that my price of redemption has been paid. Amen.




¹⁹ For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. ²⁰ If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. ²¹ For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 




(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verses 19 to 21) 





Oh God my beloved Father, I have been suffering emotionally for a long time, however I have now reached my breaking point. I cannot take it any more. Although You created me in according to Your image and gave me Your Holy Spirit, I am gradually breaking down. If I only placed more trust in You and gave no notice to verbal insults and negative behaviour this may have improved the situation however I am still a sensitive and weak person. I pray for help in my weakness my God and Father Amen. 



²² "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." ²³ When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.



(The First Letter of St. Peter Chapter 2 verses 22 to 24)  



Oh God my Father I thank You for paying the price of my salvation by means of such a cruel passion. I thank You for offering Your sacred body as the offering of my atonement and salvation Amen. Help me to believe That You paid the price and that I am already saved Amen. Thank You for reclaiming me back like the lost sheep Amen.



Oh God my Father, I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer: 



Thank You Oh God my Father, for paying the price of my salvation. Like You right now I am drinking from the chalice of persecution. However unlike You I am not strong enough to continue carrying my cross. I need help before I fall under its weight Amen. I am sick and tired oh God my Father, and in faith I raise up my prayers to You Amen.