Intercessing in Prayer

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men." I Timothy 2:1

Our prayer for spiritual awakening will without question be most effective if we take up the work of interceding for certain individuals in particular.

We find that most of us who have been converted have had some one praying for us, some one who carried us personally to the throne of God while we were unconverted. It seems to me that no one is so poor as he for whom not a single soul is praying, he who has no one who takes him personally and persistently to god in prayer.

We should enter into this work and become personal and regular interceders for certain definite individuals. Ask the Spirit of prayer to assign to you the individuals for whom you should pray. If every believer would do this, the Spirit would distribute the unconverted in every community among the believing men and women of prayer, and ultimately there would not be a single soul but what some consecrated and faithful believe would be p raying for him.

Then it would not be easy for the unconverted to continue to live in sin! Holy spiritual explosive materials would be planted into their souls daily, and the ground blasted from beneath their unrepentant lives. - O. Hallesby

There is a place where thou canset touch the eyes
Of blinded men to instant, perfect sight;
There is a place where thou canst say "Arise!"
To dying captive, bound in chains of night.
There is a place where thou canst reach the store
Of hoarded gold, and free it for the Lord;
There is a place here, or on a distant shore,
Where thou canst send the worker and the Word.
There is a place where Heaven's resistless power
Responsive moves to thine insistent plea;
There is a place, a slight holy hour,
Where God Himself descends and works for thee.
Where is that secret place? - dost thou ask "where?"
O soul, it is the secret place of prayer!

A. A. Polard

By Charles E. Fuller & J. Elwin Wright, taken from " Manna in the Morning"

Mistakes

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow. Though your sins are deep red, they can be white like wool." Isaiah 1:18

Sometimes we try to deal with a mistake by covering it up with more mistakes, or by repressing it, nor by justifying it. That's like walking around with a pebble in our shoe - it causes us so much frustration that our whole body compensates for its presence, when all we have to do is take it out and toss it away.

By Max Lucado, taken from "Walking with the Savior"

The Age of Chivalry

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." Mark 8:35

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

Though Love repine, and Reason chafe,
There came a voice without reply,--
'Tis man's perdition to be safe,
When for the truth he ought to die.

R. W. EMERSON

Some say that the age of chivalry is past. The age of chivalry is never past, so long as there is a wrong left unredressed on earth, or a man or woman left to say, "I will redress that wrong, or spend my life in the attempt." The age of chivalry is never past, so long as we have faith enough to say, "God will help me to redress that wrong; or, if not me, He will help those that come after me, for His eternal Will is to overcome evil with good."

C. KINGSLEY

Thus man is made equal to every event. He can face danger for the right. A poor, tender, painful body, he can run into flame or bullets or pestilence, with duty for his guide.

R. W. EMERSON

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Commune with your own Heart

"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still." Psalm 4:4

We cannot "encourage ourselves in the Lord our God" unless we are in fellowship with Him. Hope springs from oneness with God. Faith springs from oneness with God.

If you are having trouble "whipping up faith," perhaps a moment of self-examination will be valuable. Can you "commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still?" In that moment between you and your pillow, is there any shadow of disobedience which robs you of sleep?

Can you face what you see in your own heart, knowing God sees it too? Can you face it and sleep? "Hope springs eternal" from the heart that is one with God. But if there is one single point on which we are not obeying His slightest whisper, we cannot "commune with our own hearts . . . and be still."

Most particularly we will not "be still." We cannot.

If something is blocking our oneness with Christ, we are noisy with excuses and alibis and explanations and dodges. And sometimes we are noisy with service! If something is there between you and Christ, you know it. So does He. And "if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." We do not need to go on with troubled hearts. With guilty consciences. God is great than your guilty conscience and actually it is an insult to God to keep a guilty conscience. He poured out His own blood on Calvary to free you from sin and the guilt that follows it. Give it to Him. He is "greater than our heart" Norman Grubb suggests keeping "short accounts with God."

If we do, hope will be a part of our daily peace. If there is "nothing between" we are confident of all things in God.

. . . . . Commune with your own heart . . . and be still. . . . . If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

By Eugenia Price, taken from "Share My Pleasant Stones"

A Deeper Desire for Christ

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

Now man is new in relationship. He was an heir to wrath; he is now a child of God. He was a bondslave; he is now a freeman. He rejoices in Christ Jesus and feats to the full. He was the citizen of the earth once; he is now a citizen of heaven. He once found his all beneath the clouds, but now his all is beyond the stars. He has new relationships. Christ is his brother, God is his father, the angels are his friends, and the despised people of God are his best and nearest kinsfolk. And hence the man has new aspirations. He now pants to glorify God. What did he care about the glory of God once? he now pants to see God; once he would have paid the fate - if it had cost his life - that he might escape from the presence of the Lord. Now he hungers and thirsts after the living God; if his soul had wings and he could break the fetters of this mortality, he would mount at once to dwell where Jesus is. Dear friends, are you new men? If you are, you understand what it is; if you are not, I know I cannot explain it to you. To be born again is a great mystery; blessed is the soul that comprehends it! But he who does not know it will never learn it by the lip; he can only know it by the Spirit of God causing him also to be made a new creature in Christ Jesus.

By Charles Spurgeon, taken from "Daily Devotional Insights"

This Is Your Time

It was a test we could all hope to pass
But none of us would want to take.
Faced with the choice to deny God to live,
For her, there was one choice to make.

This was her time. This was her dance.
She lived every moment; left nothing to chance.
She swam in the sea; drank of the deep;
Embraced the mystery of all she could be.

This was her time...

Though you are mourning and grieving with us,
Death died a long time ago;
Swallowed in life so that life carries on.
Still it's so hard to let go.

This was her time. This was her dance.
She lived every moment; left nothing to chance.
She swam in the sea; drank of the deep;
Embraced the mystery of all she could be.

What if tomorrow, and what if today,
Faced with the question,
Oh what would you say?

This is your time. This is your dance.
Live every moment. Leave nothing to chance.
Swim in the sea. Drink of the deep.
Follow the mercy and hear yourself praying.

Won't you save me?
Won't you save me?

This is your time. This is your dance.
Live every moment. Leave nothing to chance.
Swim in the sea. Drink of the deep.
Embrace the mystery of all you can be.

This is your time. This is your dance.
Live every moment. Leave nothing to chance.
Swim in the sea. Drink of the deep.
Embrace the mystery of all you can be.

This is your time...
(Won't you save me?)
(This is your time)
(Won't you save me?)

By Michael W. Smith

I like this song because it reminds me to live every day for Jesus. "Live every moment. Leave nothing to chance." What about you? Are you living every moment for Jesus? Don't let any moment big or small slip away. Listen to the Lord's leading and act upon what He is asking you to do. Leave nothing to chance.

Krista Jones
6.17.06

Listen

"Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" Job 12:12

We live in a culture that reveres its youth and ignores its elders. Nearly every other culture does the opposite and is the richer for it. We are the poorer for having put our grandparents in retirement villages, far away from grandchildren who don't know the wisdom they are missing by not having Grandpa and Grandma around.

The things we can learn from our elders are limitless. They were born in a time that was very different from our own, and their perspective on life can be of great value as we struggle wit our daily lives in this fast-paced, unsettling era. Imagine for a moment: A person born at the end of the last century would have lived through the First World War, the Great Depression, yet another world war, and the suburbanization of America. A telephone would have been a rare thing in the home of their childhood; now their grandchildren can have phones in their cars, their purses and their pockets.

Life has changed at a speed never seen before in human history. More than ever, we need the sagacity of those who lived in a slower time.

Are the elders all gone from your life? Look around - people who have lived rich, full lives are sitting near you in a pew, at the train station, in a nursing home. Ask them questions. Listen, really listen, to their answers. Let them teach you with their stories.

By Bernie Sheahan, taken from "Women's Devotional Bible 2"

Salvation is . . . .

"All things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him, I have lost all these things, and now I know they are worthless trash." Philippians 3:8

Salvation is the process that's done, that's secure, that no one can take away from you. Sanctification is the lifelong process of being changed from one degree of glory to the next, growing in Christ, putting away the old, taking on the new.

By Max Lucado, taken from "Walking with the Savior"

Look for the Proof

http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/572/Proof

Being Content

"Be content with such things as ye have." Hebrews 13:5

"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content." Philippians 4:11

No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here.

J. G. WHITTIER

If we wished to gain contentment, we might try such rules as these:

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of the weather.

2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou art not.

3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another.

4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself.

5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. "The Lord will provide."

- E. B. PUSEY

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

What Seeds Are in You?

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Hebrews 12:11

I cannot say,
Beneath the pressure of life's cares to-day,
I joy in these;
But I can say
That I had rather walk this rugged way,
If Him it please.

S. G. BROWNING

The particular annoyance which befell you this morning; the vexatious words which met your ear and "grieved" your spirit; the disappointment which was His appointment for today; the slight but hindering ailment; the presence of some one who is "a grief of mind" to you,--whatever this day seemeth not joyous, but grievous, is linked in "the good pleasure of His goodness" with a corresponding afterward of "peaceable fruit," the very seed from which, if you only do not choke it, this shall spring and ripen. - F. R. HAVERGAL.

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston. taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

God's Will

"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Matthew 26:39

O Lord my God, do Thou Thy holy will,--
I will lie still.
I will not stir, lest I forsake Thine arm,
And break the charm
Which lulls me, clinging to my Father's breast,
In perfect rest.

J. KEBLE

Resignation to the will of God is the whole of piety; it includes in it all that is good; and is a source of the most settled quiet and composure of mind. Our resignation to the will of God may be said to be perfect, when our will is lost and resolved up into His; when we rest in His will as our end, as being itself most just, and right, and good. And where is the impossibility of such an affection to what is just and right and good, such a loyalty of heart to the Governor of the universe, as shall prevail over all sinister indirect desires of our own? - JOSEPH BUTLER

There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God. - F. W. FABER

Lord, Thy will be done in father, mother, child, in everything and everywhere; without a reserve, without a BUT, an IF, or a limit. - ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

Compiled by Mary W. Tileston, taken from "Daily Strength for Daily Needs"

Remember

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

Those who go the way of the cross with Jesus are drawn into one of the great secrets of the heart of God: the pearl of great price, the hidden treasure, is found at the bottom of the cup of suffering. In suffering, the true and deepest love will be put to the test, for it will receive the key to God's own heart and love.

By Basilea Schlink, taken from "Women's Devotional Bible 2"

The more we are . . . .

"Christ gave each one of us the special gift of grace, showing how generous he is." Ephesians 4:7

The more we are loved by God, the more we are going to love. The more we are forgiven, the more we're willing to forgive. The more we're treated with patience, the more we are willing to treat others with patience. These area ll extensions of that gift of grace.

By Max Lucado, taken from "Walking with the Savior"

Our Wills Must Surrender

"His servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." Romans 6:16

The Christian doctrine of obedience to God and to His will is now largely neglected in modern religious circles, and many in our own congregations seem to feel that our obligation to obey has been discharged by the act of believing on Jesus Christ at the beginning of our Christian lives. We need to remember that "the will is the seat of true religion in the soul." Nothing genuine has been done in a man or woman's life until his or her will has been surrendered in active obedience. It was disobedience that brought about the ruin of the race. It is the obedience of faith that brings us back again into the divine favor! It needs to be said that a world of confusion results from trying to believe without obeying! A mere passive surrender may be no surrender at all. Any real submission to the will of God must include willingness to take orders from Him from that time on. I keep wondering whether the Lord's ministers will again give to obedience the place of prominence it occupies in the Scriptures.

Thought: It was disobedience that brought about the ruin of the race. It is the obedience of faith that brings us back again into the divine favor!

By A.W. Tozer, taken from "Renewed Day by Day Volume II"

The Battle

"Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said," Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem@ Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." 2 Chronicles 20:20

Lord, I'm losing ground.
The enemy hunts me. Haunts me.
I feel like I'm wielding a squirt gun against a
circle of slashing knives. How weary I am . . .
I FELT IT
The touch of your hand.
Hold mine tighter.
Help me feel your strength.
Fortify my weak armaments.
Lord, I'm gaining ground.

By Catherine DeVries, taken from "Women's Devotional Bible 2"

The Explanation For Our Difficulties

". . . that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . ." John 17:21

If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you "may be one" with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.

God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus— ". . . that they may be one just as We are one . . ." (John 17:22 ). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?

God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, "Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?" No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, "Your will be done" ( Matthew 26:42 ), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best. When we understand God’s purpose, we will not become small-minded and cynical. Jesus prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself, just as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far from this oneness; yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him— because Jesus prayed, ". . . that they all may be one . . . ."

By Oswald Chambers, taken from "My Utmost For His Highest"

Lighting Fire

"Your rules are wonderful. That is why I keep them. Learning your words gives wisdom and understanding for the foolish." Psalm 119:129-130

When you light somebody afire with the grace of God, you have a hard time putting him out. When you light people with legalism or with rules and regulations, they're going to burn out because they'll always live in fear. But a person set afire with the love of jesus Christ will live in gratitude - serving his Lord out of love and not out of fear.

By Max Lucado, taken from "Walking with the Savior"

Missing Music

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:3

It was a difficult sheet of music.
Laboriously she struggled -
Measure by measure.
Note by note.
Finally with ten-year-old exasperation
She pressed her fits into her cheeks:
"I know I'm playing the right notes
But I just don't hear the music."

Oh God, what a vivid portrait
Of our harassed and hectic lives;
We live in the right houses
Give to the right charities
And read the right books.
We sit in the right church pews
Speak to the right people
And smile the right smiles.
We buy the right clothes
And drive the right cars
And join the right clubs.
Yet, far too often
There's a mysterious emptiness -
A futility in the midst of activity.

The music is missing.
O God
You alone can create new songs
In the depths of our jangled hearts.
Take over.

Ruth Harms Calkin

Almost Home

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in heaven." 2 Corinthians 5:1

Heaven is indeed the only home of our souls, and we shall never feel that we have come to our rest until we have reached its mansions. One reason why we shall be able to rest in heaven is because we shall there be able perpetually to achieve the object of our creation. Am I nearer heaven? Then I will be doing more of the work that I shall do in heaven. I shall soon use the harp: Let me be carefully tuning it; let me rehearse the hymns which I shall sing before the throne, for if the words in heaven shall be sweeter and more rich than any that poets can put together here, yet the essential song of heaven shall be the same as that which we present to Jehovah here below.

My aged brethren, I congratulate you, for you are almost home; be yet more full of praise than ever. Quicken your footsteps as the glory land shines more brightly. You are close to the gate of pearl; sing on, dear brother, though infirmities increase, and let the song grow sweeter and louder until it melts into the infinite harmonies.

By Charles Spurgeon, taken from "Strengthen My Spirit"

Grace

"Because he was full of grace and truth, from him we all received one gift after another." John 1:16

Grace is a pleasant surprise.
Grace is a kind gesture.
Grace is something you did not expect.
It is something you certainly could never earn.
But grace is something you'd never turn down.

By Max Lucado, taken from "Walking with the Savior"