Say Yes to Greatness

Step #1: Lectio / Read

Click the link below or open your Bible to the passage and read through the reading at least once, paying attention to what is happening in the text. 

Isaiah 49:1-6

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​Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

The Lord has called you. From the day you were conceived, the Lord had a plan for your life. In fact, the Lord didn’t just have a plan; He had a GREAT plan. He does not want you to be content with having just an “okay” life. He made you for greatness! Why? Because He loves you. But you have to say yes. That yes, that one little word, has the ability to unleash the power of God within your heart and transform your life.

Once you say yes, you have to believe in His power to work through you. I think we often settle for less because we don’t know how or why the Lord chose us and wants to use us to accomplish great things in this world. Maybe it’s easy for us to believe that Jesus can perform miracles and rise from the dead, but that world and that life seems so far removed from our own. There are miracles happening all around us every day. We witness one of the most powerful miracles every Sunday when we go to Mass - bread and wine become body and blood. So if God can transform bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, what is stopping Him from transforming you from a sinner into a saint? The only thing stopping Him is our own fears and doubts. Believe in the Lord’s power to work through you, and you will accomplish things greater than anything you ever could have dreamed of.

We must continue to prepare our hearts and souls for that day when our time will come to shine. Not to shine on a stage or under spotlights but to shine because the light of Christ is bursting forth from our hearts. Believe in the Lord and in His ability to work through you, and you too will witness miracles and become a light to nations. 

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Step #3: Oratio / Pray

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

What is holding you back from saying yes to the great plans God has for you? Why?

Do you believe that God can really do miracles in your life? Think back of some ways He has clearly reached into your life so far.

Do you believe that God has chosen YOU? How would your life change if you lived that truth?

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Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.

"Yes Lord."

"I am yours God."

"I trust in your plan for me."

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Step #5: Actio / Act

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?

In your discernment today, take some time to trust God with your future. Trust that God can do big things in your life and don't settle. Make that your new motto, to not settle for anything less than the great plans God has in store for you!

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Smartphone Lock Screen

The following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.

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Today's prayer was prepared by Maggie Overbeck, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Huntley, IL.