March 17, 2025 - Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 ESV

Lord, in honor of St. Patrick I would like to pray his prayer today. “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.”

Lord, let us live our lives like St. Patrick did. Make us be willing to leave it all behind to be a city on the hill to shine your light to the lost. St. Patrick shone your light to the pagan nation of Ireland. He recorded his thoughts on going as, “I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved — whatever may come my way.” Wow. What dedication to your cause. He had already been enslaved in Ireland years before. He knew the cost of that statement, yet he meant it. In his 29 years of serving you in Ireland, he baptized more than 120,000 Irish citizens and planted approximately 300 churches. What an example of someone who let your light shine brightly through him that others could see your good works and give glory to you. Deepen our love for you to the point that we are willing to pay any cost to shine your light brightly to those who need you most. Fill us more and more until you overflow out of us everywhere we go. Allow us to live in a way that we leave behind a legacy that reaches into eternity like St. Patrick.

In Jesus name, amen.