God's Word on That

  • Powerful Prayer

    In John’s vision of heaven in Revelation 8:3-5, we see that the same censer (the vessel filled with burning incense) which brings the prayers of believers before God also casts fire upon the earth. [Therefore] prayers that go up to heaven help make history on earth!  Remember today that your prayers go up like incense in God’s presence.” (Andrew Murray)

    He determines the course of world events; He removes kings and sets others on the throne (Daniel 2:21).

    The power of prayer cannot be diminished by distance; it is not limited by age, infirmity, political changes or restrictions.  The power of prayer in the life of an obedient Christian can only be undermined by neglect.  (David Bentley-Tayler)

    It is remarkable that Joshua did not weary in the fighting, but Moses did in the praying (Exodus 17:8-13).  The all important thing is to practice prayer and communion with God, whatever dryness, distraction, or weariness you may find in it.  Your patience will win Him again!  Meditate on Scripture passages or stories that encourage you to pray with confidence for rulers, for nations, and for international affairs. 

    The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let My people go so they can worship Me.  If you don’t, I will send a plague that will really speak to you and your officials and all the Egyptian people.  I will prove to you that there is no other God like Me in all the earth.  I could have killed you all by now.  I could have attacked you with a plague that would have wiped you from the face of the earth.  But I have let you live for this reason – that you might see My power and that My fame might spread throughout the earth. (Exodus 9:13-16)

    God is our Supreme Ruler – the blessed, behind-the-scenes Controller of all things (1 Timothy 6:15).  How can man ever understand His reasons for action or explain His methods of working (Romans 11:33).  But it does give insights into how He uses troubles and disasters for good and it shows that He looks to our prayers to cause Him to achieve His good and eternal results.

    All governments have been place in power by God (Romans 13:1).

    For no one on earth – from east or west, or even from the wilderness – can raise another person up.  It is God alone who judges; He decides who will rise and who will fall (Psalm 75:6-7).

    The Lord shatters the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes.  But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken (Psalm 33:10-11)

    When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the One who keeps its foundations firm (Psalm 75:3).

    Some examples of God’s dealings with kingdoms on earth:

    And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “His armies will not enter Jerusalem to shoot their arrows.  They will not march outside its gates with their shields, and build banks of earth against its walls.  The king will return to his own country by the road on which he came.  He will not enter this city, says the Lord. For My own honor and for the sake of My servant David, I will defend it.”  That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian troops.  When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.  Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land.  He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there (Isaiah 37:33-37).

    This is what the dream means, your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to you.  You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals… until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone He chooses. But… you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules (Danial 4:24-26).

    It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.  By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them.  They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword.  Their weakness was turned to strength.  They become strong in battle and put whole armies to flight (Hebrews 11:32-34).

    What faith in the power of prayer Paul had!  He expected a few feeble and despised Christians to influence the mighty Roman emperors, and help secure peace and order (1 Timothy 2:1-2).  Today we can pray with the same conviction that gripped Paul – that prayer is a powerful influence in how God rules the world. (Andrew Murray)

    I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.  As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks.  Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

    A PRAYER BEFORE ELECTION DAY: Dear God, Ruler over all the nations, preserve our commitment to the common good.  Let vested interest wane and advocacy see beyond pure personal gain.  Above all, please help us elect officials that will refrain from self-serving and to commit themselves to those things that benefit us all.  May they gain wisdom to discern what elevates our goals and preserves our values.  Please teach them to speak with integrity and to hear with openness; so the opinions of all are given their due. O Lord, please give them and us joy in our citizenship and confidence in our future. Amen.

  • Love Fulfills the Law

    Saint Augustine defined true freedom: “Love, then do what you will.” If your soul sincerely roots itself in love, then every action you perform will naturally be for other people’s welfare. Let love be the inner motivation behind everything you do, for when love guides the soul, you cannot sin.

    Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I too will love him and show Myself to him (John 14:21).

    A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know you are My disciples if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35).

    Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. This is how we know we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. This is love for God: to obey His commands; and His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:1-3).

    In our study on the Fruits of the Spirit, we learned that love is unconditional concern for the other person. It is true that the path of love that leads from the Cross of Christ to the Glory of Christ is a road of sacrifice. Yet the chief resource of our perfection is to walk in God’s presence. When we have found God, there is nothing more to look for in men. If the love of God can be the principle of something good it ought to carry us to the point of giving up all else, in order to be wholly God’s… It is detachment from its own will in which all Christian perfection consists.

    Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another. For he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments… are summed up in this one rule: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-10).

    Greatness in God’s eyes is being faithful to God the best way we know how for the situation we are in at this moment. Any behavior which does not spring from a love educated by faith is not spiritual mindedness.

    Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this; love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).

    Love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:18).

    Be forewarned: Try as we must, we don’t have the type of love other people need. It is just not human to love the way God loves everyone. But we can start by loving whatever is lovable in those around us. In doing this, love will flow back from them to us and life will become a pleasure instead of a pain. Know this: it is the Christian duty to find something lovable in everyone.

    By loving whatever is lovable in those around us, love will flow back from them to us and life will become a pleasure instead of a pain.

    And so we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love. And the one who abides in love abides in God and God in him. By this, love is perfected within us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgement; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. If someone says “I love God” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother (whom he has seen) cannot love God (whom he has not seen). And this commandment we have from Him: the one who loves God should love his brother (1 John 4:16-21).

    We are to love everyone as Christ Jesus loves everyone.

  • Suffering is a Gift?

    Like so many things in life that we have little or no control over, how we respond to suffering makes all the difference. Suffering reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways. Francois Fenelon’s advice is: Accept suffering as therapeutic to build faith and character.

    Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character, hope. Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts (Romans 5:3-5).

    Be joyful in hope, patient in suffering, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12).

    “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

    Rumi stated: “Suffering is a gift. In it is hidden mercy.” Faith and hope lead us to the conclusion that suffering has value. After all, God only keeps us in this pilgrimage of life to lead us to perfection.

    Suffering comes in an infinite number of disguises. Fenelon calls them crosses. Each individual soul must bears its own individual crosses. “We know we must suffer. However, we are always surprised at the suffering as though we believed we neither deserved it nor needed it.” If we stand in pure love, which is completely detached and abandoned from “self”, the soul feeds itself in silence on the suffering and on its union with Christ Jesus crucified, without any reservation to its own pain. It says nothing. It notices nothing. It does the only thing which it has to do – to want nothing even when it lacks all consolation. The suffering can be considered no longer a cross when there is no longer an “I” to suffer there, and to take to self the good things and the bad.

    The extreme goodness of Christianity lies in the fact that it does not seek a supernatural remedy for suffering, but a supernatural use for it. (Simone Weil)

    God hides His work in the spiritual order as He does in the natural order – under an unnoticeable sequence of events. It is thus that He keeps us in the dimness of faith – that state of faith in which God wants us to live. Thus it is to keep the operation or action of grace (the suffering) in the obscurity of faith that God makes this operation or action slow and painful. He disillusions us with ourselves by the experience of our weakness and our corruption, in an infinite number of failures. Why we revolt is because of our attachment to ourselves, which God wants to destroy. Thus this suffering is painful, but it is our corruption which makes it necessary, and that is the cause of the pain.

    We are ready to murmur against God as children are vexed with their parent. But God lets us cry and still saves us! What we weep for would have made us weep eternally. Strange that we cannot endure what is so good for us, and we regret so much that which is so fatal for us! So that is the course of our tears! O my God, please give me a heart which at least fears the eternal torments, and not those which prepare us for Your kingdom.

    In our culture we treat pain and suffering as evils to be avoided. After all, pain’s purpose is to alert us to avoid things that could harm us. Don’t run from obedience; don’t compromise; don’t retaliate. Do what is right and let the consequences come, even if they hurt (1 Peter 2:23-24). God knows what happens to you, and God will reward you when you cry out to Him and leave the situation in His hands.

    When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to [the Father] who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:23-24).

    Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.

    Like a piece of grit placed in an oyster, suffering produces beauty.

  • Courage For the Journey

    The question that really matters isn’t whether we are farther along than someone else, but how far have we ourselves progressed since yesterday. Be sure that you have made no small progress in the spiritual life when you can control your imagination, so as to fix it on the duty and occupation actually existing now, to the exclusion of the crowd of thoughts which perpetually sweep across the mind!

    You, Lord God, promised to go before me; that You will be with me and not leave me or forsake me. Therefore I will not be afraid or discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8). You said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36). Help me not to be discouraged but to continue to pray, and to believe and trust in You with all my heart.

    I will be of good courage because You, O Lord of Hosts, strengthen my heart (Psalm 146:8), for all my hope is in You, Lord God (Psalm 31:24). God my Father is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26).

    Courage is an outgrowth of who we are. Exterior supports may temporarily sustain us, but only inward character creates courage.

    Because God is with me, I will be strong and very courageous. I will be careful to obey all the law God gave me, and I will not turn from it to the right or to the left, that I may be successful wherever I go… He has commanded me: Be strong and courageous. I will not be terrified, nor will I be discouraged, for the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go (Joshua 1:7, 9). He has promised.

    Father God, I will be strong and courageous. I will not be afraid or terrified because of anyone or anything else; for You, O Lord my God, go with me. You promised You will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). You have thoughts and plans for my welfare and peace (Jeremiah 29:11). As long as my mind is stayed on You (Isaiah 26:3), then I can stop allowing myself to be agitated and disturbed and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled (John 14:27 Amplified).

    O Father God, how glad I am that You are so good at reaching down and making something beautiful out of even the worst situations! How encouraged I am when I think how You did this for Joseph (Genesis 37)… how his brothers hated and abused and betrayed him, and how You worked these things out for blessings, both for Joseph and his family, and for countless others as well (Genesis 50:19-20).

    May my Lord, Jesus Christ Himself, and God, my Father — who loves us and by His grace gives eternal encouragement and good hope — encourage my heart and strengthen me in every good deed and word (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

    When I realize my worthlessness before the Lord, He lifts me up and encourages and helps me (James 4:10 Phillips).

    Next time you are tempted to bypass an opportunity, remember: God will not lead you where He will not help you.

    However daunting the path ahead, we know He is and will be there with us.

  • Let Your Faith Grow

    Faithfulness is not a popular word in today’s world, but it is a virtue that brings great blessings when applied over any of the areas in our lives.

    Faith is the eye of your spirit which views and enjoys what the Word of God presents to its vision. Since your faith will only be as great as your knowledge of the object of your faith, then God’s Word is the all-important vehicle that transports us into the realm of total faithfulness.

    Faith is not born at any negotiating table where we barter gifts in exchange for God’s goodness. It is not a prize given to the most disciplined, or an award given to the most learned, or a title given to the most religious. It is a desperate dive out of the sinking boat of human effort and a prayer that God will be there to pull us out of the water!

    Accept and celebrate two awesome truths derived from God’s Word:

    1. God wields incomparably great power for those who choose to believe. Read it again! Incomparably great power! More than enough to break the yoke of any bondage or stronghold. Our faith unclogs the pipe and invites the power to flow from God into our circumstances.
    2. God applies the same power to our need that He exerted when He raised Christ Jesus from the dead. Does your stronghold require more power than it takes to raise the dead? Neither does mine! God can do it, fellow believer. I know because He says so. And I know because He has done it for me. Believe Him… and when you don’t, cry out earnestly and with all sincerity, “Lord, help me overcome my unbelief!”

    God Father, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You will strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so Christ Jesus may dwell in my heart richly through faith. And I pray that I, being rooted and established in Your love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ Jesus, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. I know You are able to do immeasurably more than all I could ask or can even imagine, according to Your power that is at work within me. To You be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:16-21)

    Lord God, heavenly Father, according to Your Word, my ‘light and momentary’ troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So I fix my eyes NOT on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary; what is unseen is eternal (1 Corinthians 4:17-18). I don’t have to fight Satan; he is an already defeated foe. The only battle I have to fight is the good fight of faith. With the Lord at my right hand, I walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). O Lord my gracious God, please strengthen my spiritual vision that I may see You everywhere.

    Father God, I worship You in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The spirit counts for everything; the flesh counts for nothing. The Spirit realm is the reality; the materiel realm is the supplemental. And I thank You for opening my eyes to it. Lord God, You said the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). With Your gracious hand, dearest Lord, guide my spirit to govern my mind.

    Almighty God, I know You are capable, and so I pray for You to not let Your Word depart from my mouth. I put forth effort to meditate on it day and night so I am careful to do everything written in it. Because then I will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8). I ask You, God, Father of all glory, please give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, so I may know You better. Father God, I pray the eyes of my understanding be enlightened so I may know the hope of Your calling, the riches of my glorious inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of Your power toward us who believe. This power is like the working of Your mighty strength which You exerted in Christ Jesus when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your right hand in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:17-19). If You can raise Jesus from the dead and set Him beside You at Your throne, I know You are capable to deliver me from every stronghold I am stuck in, as long as I trust You for it.

    I do not stop praying and asking You, Father God, to fill me with all knowledge of You and Your will, through all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9). Please, gracious God, feed me discernment to know Your will in every situation. Lord, teach me knowledge and good judgment for I believe in Your commands (Psalm 119:66). I look into the perfect law that gives freedom, and I continue to do this, not forgetting what I have heard, but doing it, and so I am blessed in what I do (James 1:25). For I remember it is a message to obey, not just to listen to and so deceive myself (James 1:22).

    In the spirit world, failure has but one cause: lack of faith. Take care of your faith – faith is the only way whereby you can obtain God’s blessings. Trust in God to do His job. He’s the Savior. He’s the Healer. He’s the Provider.

  • A Word Or Two On Praise

    God places great importance on worship, praise, and thanksgiving. He does so not because He is an egoist with selfish desires, but because He has our best interests at heart. Praise and thanksgiving help us rise above self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. They focus our hearts and minds on the Lord and make us more like Him. We cheat ourselves when we neglect them, for they are a tonic that promotes joy and spiritual vigor. (Ruth Myers)

    I will sing praises to You for You are my stronghold, my defense, the God who shows me loving-kindness (Psalm 59:17). You, O God, turn my wailing into dancing. You remove my sackcloth and clothe me with joy that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks and praise forever (Psalm 30:11-12).

    My soul, praise the Lord, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your sins; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:1-5).

    He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:2-3).

    I love You, O Lord, my strength! You are my [unmoving] Rock, my [surrounding] fortress, and my [ever-present] deliverer. You, my God, are my rock in whom I take refuge [from all my weariness]. You are my shield [from all unpleasantness] and the horn of my salvation [from all my difficulties], my [glorious] stronghold. I call to You, O Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies (Psalm 18:1-3).

    Praise, as the Catechism explains, “lauds God for His own sake and gives Him glory, quite beyond what He does, but simply because He is.” So not only what God has done for us, but what He can do and promises to do – all gives us grounds to praise Him.

    Lord, there is no one like You! For You are great, and Your name is full of power. Who would not fear you, O King of nations. That title belongs to You alone! Among all the wise people on the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like You (Jeremiah 10:6-7). The Lord is the only true God, the living God. He is the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at His anger .The nations hide before His wrath (Jeremiah 10:10).

    May You be praised, Lord God of Israel, our Father forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all things. In Your hand is power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, my God, I thank You and I praise Your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).

    For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like You who works for those who wait for Him (Isaiah 64:4). The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

    No man enjoys more the riches of divine grace and performs the Lord’s will to a higher degree than the man who walks with God in continuous worship. (Smith Wigglesworth)

    I am of a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a “peculiar” person belonging to God, that I may declare the praises of Him who called me out of my darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). I will praise the name of my wondrous God who has dealt wondrously with me (Joel 2:26).

    I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1). May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). May my meditations be pleasing to You as I rejoice in You, O my loving Lord (Psalm 104:38).

    I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart. I will glorify Your name forever (Psalm 86:12). I will praise Your name in song and glorify You with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:30). I will celebrate Your abundant goodness, O God, and joyfully sing of Your righteousness (Psalm 145:7). For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done. I will sing for joy at the work of Your hands (Psalm 92:4).

    Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You, O Lord my Redeemer. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, and with singing lips my mouth will praise You. (Psalm 63:3-5)

    I will sing to the Lord a new song for He has done marvelous things (Psalm 98:1). Since my youth, O God, You have taught me, and today I will declare Your marvelous deeds (Psalm 71:17). It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name, O Most High; to proclaim Your love in the morning and Your faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:1-2). You are my God; I will exalt You. I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things — even purposes planned of old [and now fulfilled] in faithfulness and truth (Isaiah 25:1). Let men everywhere give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race (Psalm 107:8, 31).

    You, Father, faithful Lord, are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. You, my loving Lord, are good to all; You have compassion on all You have made. All You have made will praise You, O Lord; Your saints will extol You. (Psalm 145:8-10)

    Let us praise the Loving Lord for all He does for the children of men.

  • Dealing With Weakness

    Troubles make you find out what you never knew before about yourself. To stand face to face with our own imperfections – not flattering or tolerating them, but seeking to correct ourselves without becoming peevish – this is to desire what is good for its own sake and for God’s sake.

    If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. (2 Corinthians 11:30). I will not boast about myself except about my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:5), for He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you; for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, for when I am weak then We are strong (2 Corinthians 9-10). For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve (2 Corinthians 13:4).

    We urge you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

    God spares us from our weaknesses, showing us our true hideousness only in proportion to the courage He gives us to bear the sight! So those to whom spiritual guidance is entrusted must learn to watch a fault in others patiently, and take no external measure until God begins to make it felt by the inward conscience of that person. All other methods of guidance smack of earthly judgments, not the loving correction of grace. The love of God is full of consideration, waits, and never moves more than one step at a time.

    Weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ Jesus to strengthen you – moment by moment.

    I do not have time to tell about [all those who went before us] whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle (Hebrews 11:32-34). Sown in weakness, raised in power (1 Corinthians 15:43). The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26).

    Learn not to hide weakness, but bring it to the light so it can be cured. Let every doubt, weakness and temptation find you trusting, rejoicing, and counting on Jesus always to work all in you.

  • Let Us Pray, Let Us Pray

    But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold (Job 23:10).

    How often in our trials we pray “Lord, change my situation; make my life easier!” But His love is set rather on changing us, on bringing us forth as gold. Instead you may find it beneficial to pray, “Father, change me! Don’t end this trail until You have done all You want to do in my life through it.” This is not a noble prayer, but simply a sensible one. Who wants added trials to accomplish what God intends to do in the present trial that we are rushing to get through?

    Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray (Psalm 5:2).

    When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen; then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:5-8).

    Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak (Matthew 26:41).

    The Spirit helps us in our present limitations; we do not know how to pray worthily, but His Spirit in us is actually praying for us in those agonizing longings which cannot find words (Romans 8:26).

    Beware, above everything in your praying of limiting God not only by unbelief but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, ‘abundantly above all that we ask or think’. Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship God in His glory. Meditate on what He can do. Then expect great things! (Andrew Murray)

    Lord, teach us how to pray (Luke 11:1).

    Never stop praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

  • God’s Unfailing Love

    Lord Almighty One, I am like all men that desire an unfailing love. Every use of those words ‘unfailing love’ in Scripture is attributed to You alone. You are the only one capable of perpetual unfailing love. Help me understand that my deep cravings for someone to love me with that kind of love were meant to be satisfied by You alone. And thank You deeply, my God, my Father.

    As to human love, if any infatuation of a lovely friendship preoccupies you, at least try to cure yourself little by little. Open your eyes: the creature which you love is not faultless. Turn your attention to the Supreme Goodness, from whom you will never suffer abandonment. Let your friendships be grave, simple, and edifying in all things. Do not love one single person too much, and love more those whom God commands you to love.

    Try to love God without waiting for Him to assure you of His love for you. You should realize that your love is a guarantee of His! Your confidence will disarm Him and turn all His severity into tenderness. Trust His love!

    We seek impatiently for consolation that we can feel, because we fear we are not sufficiently penitent. Why do we not take as penitence the giving up of the consolation which we are attempting to seek? Let us take comfort and consolation when He gives them, but without becoming attached to them. When He plunges us into the night of pure faith, then let us go into this night and let us lovingly suffer this agony, knowing He is always with us whether we feel Him or not.

    Despair of yourself as much as you please, but do not make the mistake of despairing of our God. He is both loving and powerful! When unforeseen occasions arise suddenly, act promptly, and even if you are wrong, God will accept your right intentions if you have sought with a single heart to do what you believe to be right in His eyes.

    Bear with yourself, avoiding both self-deception and discouragement. Expect nothing of yourself, but expect all things of God. These are the true foundations of all spiritual life. Do not be afraid of anything on your way. God will lead you by the hand, if only you are filled with love for Him rather than fear for yourself.

    Not only does God hide Himself, but He also hides us from ourselves, so all can be done in faith. So when we step out in faith in a bad situation, we usually end up surprising ourselves with our faithfulness. And learn something more about God’s love in the process.

    God’s love for you is unprecedented, undeserved, and never-faltering.

  • God’s Permissive Will

    God does everything, arranges everything, makes everything to be as it is. He knows the hairs of your head, the number of leaves of every tree, the grains of sand on every shore, the drops of water in each body of water. When He made the world, His wisdom weighed and measured every atom. In every moment He renews and sustains the breath of life. Nothing happens on earth which God has not willed. It is He who does all, who rules all, who gives to each thing all that it has.

    Therefore, we must yield entirely to God our mood, whether the things which we have to do are agreeable or inconvenient. We should try to begin every undertaking in the vision of the pure glory of God, to continue it without relaxing, and to finish it without strain or impatience.

    We are to conclude then that to do all that God wishes, there is very little to do in one sense.  It is only a question of:

    • not wishing for anything, and wishing for everything without restriction and without choice;
    • of going gaily on the day’s journey, as providence leads us, not seeking anything, and not refusing anything;
    • of finding everything in the present moment, letting Him act who does all, and allowing His will to work quietly in our own.

    It takes a continual attention to God’s will to accomplish this.

    For You created all things and by Your will they were created and have their being (Revelation 4:11). According to Your will, You have done this great thing (2 Samuel 7:21), and made known all these great promises (1 Chronicles 17:19).

    For creation [itself] was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it (Romans 8:20). Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of Your Father (Matthew 10:29).

    He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will (Ephesians 1:5). For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13). Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is (Ephesians 5:17).

    “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). For the Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life (John 6:40). Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:50).

    I desire to do Your will, O my God (Psalm 40:8). Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Teach me to do Your will, for you are my God (Psalm 143:10).

    Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18). You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised (Hebrews 10:36).

    We need to follow God’s will. He alone knows the whole future.