Give loud Spiritual words of praise to the God who has redeemed us from hell!
Go out from the world with glee, abandoning all in this fiery trial.
Lovely is His face when through prayer we are moved to His Throne.
And praise to the Lord who calls us as His own.
This picture was found at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eusebius
I appeal to those who read this blog to consider a request for earnest prayer. I know God has raised up prayer warriors among His people. And it occurs to me that perhaps there are a few who read these words. This appeal is directed toward the salvation of a certain young lady. Due to propriety, it is not seemly that I should begin conversation with her as such things may be perceived as less than holy intent. Just the same, it has been on my heart to seek the Lord’s mercy for her salvation.
Please allow me to relate how this soul has risen to my attention as a matter urgent enough to deliver to you. During prayer one night I was presenting the Lord the list of people He has laid within my reach. Through one of those souls this girl has been near enough to my life to make me aware of her habits. I had been praying for these souls under two requests, which I had laid out at the start of the prayer. I had prayed that these might be strengthened in the faith, and that they would increase in holy behavior.
As the prayer moved through I perceived the Lord was willing to receive the words I had spoken regarding these souls. But when I came to the name of this young woman the receiving was blocked. It was as if my words were spoken into nothing more than the carpet on which I knelt. I stayed still before the Lord for a while to consider this.
Weeks later I am convinced that she is in a position vastly different from those souls I had listed before the Lord. I have since begun to mention her to Him in terms of salvation through His mercy. And this petition appears to receive His understanding. But I am still not satisfied that my prayers on her behalf are sufficient. Therefore I thought it reasonable to appeal to my brothers and sisters for help in this matter.
The Lord has brought to my attention a story which relates this item. The story is not as short as to incorporate it here in full text. But I will supply a link which you can read as the Lord directs. (You will find the story on this link in Chapter 25 of book 3. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250103.htm ). While I recognize that we are not a people who are used to reading many words regularly. A knowledgable approach is recommended when encountering the salvation of souls. This matter is pressing hard against my heart and mind. Even this morning, I was wakened early by the thoughts of her name before His Throne. Thus I have come here to appeal for help.
Specifically I appeal for one of our Family to be brought near her to teach her “The Way”. And I appeal for prayer that she might be released from the family of death. One without the other is an utterly useless situation. As you will note in the story related in the link, simple prayer without discipleship or discipleship without prayer are useless in the salvation of souls. I may pray, but I cannot disciple due, as I mentioned, to propriety.
I ask you then, by the love of Christ among us all, to hold this young soul up before our Father for the saving of her life. I know there are so very many we could lift up to the Lord so that our time in prayer might consume every moment of our lives. But please note that I am not in the habit of requesting prayer from those brothers and sisters who attend the words I write here.
May God grant wisdom and impart desire to whom He wills regarding this. If you are not affected by this appeal, please do not feel compelled. I would not want to burden anyone with the things God does not set them apart to do on His behalf. I thank you for your time as you read these many words. May God bless you for giving your brother a cool glass of water to drink while we travel in this land baked dry by wickedness.
By His Grace.
Mountain of the Holy Cross, Colorado – NARA – 517691 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I sit alone and feel the prod; a call to go to prayer
By force my legs regain their place and transport me to there.
Then kneeling, bowed, position gained, invisible comes clear.
And as I speak, though neither moves, yet one of us draws near.
What happens in this tense-peace time Is more than can be told.
His love, though overwhelming, there’s shaking in my soul.
I miss the times I cried so deep; that sobbing unrestrained.
His presence softly tells me, my heart’s not yet unchained.
The time between a foolish step to where I want to be,
Is like a climb from down below to far above the sea.
That dim soft light which capped the Mount, and to which I draw near,
Is brighter, brighter, brighter yet as my steps I repair.
The promise is, “You’ll gain that ground you sweetly long for now.”
And tagged to that is His command to set my hand to plow.
And so the dance of yesterday is danced yet once again.
I’ve been there once, some other day, I’m sure I can attain.
He’s just so lovely, kind, and wise. The draw cannot be stopped.
So to that light my feet will walk until that Mount is topped.
A pair of In-N-Out cheeseburgers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Standing in line at a fast food place, a person considers what they want to eat. When it is their turn to render their order they are asked if they want this order to go or to eat in. For most of us this is a no brainer. But I confess that sometimes I have to think it through. “Do I have time to just sit here in the noise and prying eyes to eat this?” I rarely sit at a table to eat. Usually I brave the spilled drink and dripping catsup behind the wheel of my car. Somehow the meal tastes better if I sit in the car (alone).
An object lesson is about to unfold here.
Christians go to the Lord to appropriate a certain peace from being near the Prince of Peace. Much like ordering a meal, we encounter the Lord to gain what we don’t have. We spend a few coins of faith and receive a bounty of peace on our plate. With a good sized drink of hope, we walk away from the “counter” of prayer to live our lives.
There are three kinds of “eaters” in this parade of prayer. There are those who will sit near the place of “order”, eat what they have been given, enjoy the company of others, soak in the ambiance of the place, then go out into the world to accomplish what that “meal” dictates is true and good. They are in the presence of that “Great Cloud of Witnesses”. And they love their company.
There are those who make the order “to go”. They cast up words to the Lord just like you would order a meal at a fast food place. Once they get what they wanted they grab the bag and head for the door. They’re so busy that, even as they eat it, they hardly notice the flavor. To them this meal of peace and hope is just a function of their busy lives. Though they are fed, to them it’s just an ordinary meal. Somehow they have missed the fellowship aspect of prayer. And they’re not putting themselves in a position to encounter it.
Then we have a very curious group. I suspect there are far more of this last group than the other two. They ask and receive just like the others. But they differ because they are a mix of “stay and go”. They order to stay. So they get the tray and all its fixings. They sit for a moment, take a bite and a sip. Then they grab their stuff and head for the door.
These people know the place was prepared to give comfort and joy to those who purchase here. They feel compelled to listen to the beautiful music. They let their bodies enjoy the soft seats, clean tables, beautiful lighting, and the aroma of joy this place provides. But they don’t feel worthy to remain. It’s kind of like they don’t really belong here, yet they know they should.
They are caught between accepted and rejected. And their lives are filled with a curious internal war. They believe what the Lord has said regarding His forgiveness. But they are so filled with sinful tendencies that they have a seriously hard time associating that promise to themselves. Bottom line, it is a certain love for sin that causes this turmoil. But there is a certain love for the things of the Lord too. There’s no need to judge them. They do that to themselves all day long. And, in the end, God will determine their standing. I sense it will go well for them. But there are questions, aren’t there.
I would love to be of that first group. I loathe being of the second. Yet I sure enough find myself part of the third. I guess we all encounter the Lord of Peace as we do. We work hard on remaining in His presence while we eat what He provides. And who knows, He might even come around the corner while we’re there and sit with us a while. Those who leave stand no chance of that happening. Perhaps this is what the third group is looking for. “Maybe if I sit here I’ll catch a glimpse of He who provides. Maybe He will smile at me. Maybe He would even come and sit with me. I’m just not absolutely sure He loves me.” Isn’t this what goes through the mind of most Christians?
How good it would be if we all just sat to enjoy what He has provided. But this isn’t the usual manner of faith in this world, is it.
prayer.. (Photo credit: aronki)
The morning before dawn greeted me with a nightmare. My belly complained to me with heart burn. And the prospect of prayer before dawn beckoned to me. For these reasons I left the restless place of sleep and came to seek the Lord’s face.
Knives were used against me in a dream. It was ordered from a man that I should die. And that man’s people hunted me down. To my shame I tried to hide, but I was found. I asked why. But none of them answered with respect. Violence covered them with dedicated violence. And they cut at me. In the end hatred consumed them and the final thrust of a knife was more than I was willing or able to dream. So I woke. The heartburn caused me no peace in my body. And now my soul was troubled at the dream. So I rose and came to seek the Lord’s face.
But in prayer there was no peace to be found. No understanding came to me. I confessed what sins I could grasp. And my mind searched quickly through the day before to see if the Lord would shine a light on any of them as the reason for this “empty” place of prayer. Nothing was found to separate me from His presence. And I considered the meaning of this violent morning of peaceless turmoil.
I asked to be dressed by His Grace so that I could serve both He and man. And I received what is true. All good things come from God. We are utterly empty of any means to provide what God alone holds in His Holy hand. All things good remain in His hand. What shall we give to purchase God’s blessings? He will give what He will give. And if He retains a certain peace, which we have come to expect, what shall we do to gain that which belongs to the Living God? Who are we to demand? It is God’s Holy Right to do as He pleases. And with this peace has come.
It is not the peace I was looking for. I came to seek those things He has given in the past. But I found a place different; a peace has come which is fragile and somewhat unsure. I had sought something deeper and more filling. But two things came to me that I have known. It is by faith alone that we will be saved. Each day has its own trouble. And I have remembered freshly that it is God who retains the right to teach as He sees fit.
May His will be done forever. He is the Holy God of Israel. We serve as we are given. And all that is given comes dressed with His perfect wisdom and understanding. Even in an unsettled emptiness I will serve Him and I will not complain. Who am I to order the Lord to feed my perception and expectation of His perfect ways?
By His Grace.
I was standing on the back porch, again. And a thought came to mind. For the life of me I really couldn’t answer a question. Why is it that the language in print is so dramatically different than conversation? Especially when it comes to the things of God, we are avoided and laughed at behind our back. Even in a Church setting we are expected to speak with one another in a very different tone than what we read in Scripture or hear in the sermon. Oh, it’s ok to speak God things like “bless you”, or speak some great thanks to God in the presence of others while we are in some kind of Bible study. But close the book and we all seem to go different ways with our minds and tongues.
I admit I used to be very irritated when the sermon was over, the prayer was prayed, and the last blessing was given from the Pastor. Because immediately after that people left the building. If there was conversation it would be rather trivial. And I wondered how such a beautiful God could be loved while a man was speaking from a certain place, yet ignored in conversation immediately after.
Why didn’t we gather together to pray in little spontaneous groups? Why didn’t someone come and take me by the shoulder of my shirt and smile while he led me to a corner to pray? Why was talk about fishing, cooking, football, and cars, so much more important at that moment?
Lots of questions. Anyone got some good answers?
Detail (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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