he apostle Peter says: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2).

What a marvelous promise! Grace and peace! As sinners, we are in such need of grace. Our hearts should be overflowing with gratitude for the grace of God in our lives. It is of great significance that the word "gratitude" comes from the Latin word gratia, which means "grace."

The famous hymn "Amazing Grace" was written by John Newton, on whose tombstone in Olney, England, we find this inscription: "John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy" (100 Hymn Stories, p. 28).

Newton's was a marvelous transformation. An erstwhile slave ship captain, he surrendered his life to God and became a preacher of the gospel. Now we can understand the verses he wrote in the beautiful hymn that has become a Christian classic:

"Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see."

Because of God's abundant grace we are united in Christ, and we have peace. Peace with God, peace with our fellow humans, peace with our families, peace with ourselves.

Describing this marvelous grace in our lives, Ellen G. White says: "There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness" (Steps to Christ, p. 18).

Let us all pray that the message of grace, the theme of this year's Week of Prayer, will awaken our hearts, our emotions, and our minds and bring us closer to Jesus Christ, our Savior. May these readings touch our hearts with gratitude for this amazing grace.

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Leo Ranzolin is a vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, with headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.