Immersed, I felt pure and clean — prepared
for Jesus’ coming — joyful in your forgiveness —
secure and safe — possessor of all I’d heard;
That Day, O Lord, make me a happy witness!
For Whom Did I Forget to Pray?
O Savior of all mankind, of those
Who believe — for whom did I forget
To pray? What grace no longer flows,
What soul with sin is still beset
For lack of time upon my knees?
You called to faith, from far and near,
To heaven’s door with Kingdom keys,
With prayer we seek to make the Way clear.
Send me, O Lord, for here am I!
And send more workers to fertile fields!
Fling out the seed both low and high —
Alone you know what sowing yields.
Our Father in heaven, on you we call,
Requesting hearts both calm and brave,
To speak to the lost — one and all —
The searching soul to find and save.
To Begin and End with You
To begin and end with you
Is all a man could dream of.
The dawn of each new day
Brings copious gifts from heaven;
To offer a prayer of thanks,
That dissident act of courage.
Provide, O Lord, each need
Of your obedient people.
What joy to speak at your feet,
The Sovereign God of powers!
Come bless your humble servant
With naught but nearest presence.
All the Secrets of My Soul
“We can talk directly to Him as our Father, telling Him all the secrets of our soul.” —Ruby Ramsey, A Daily Dose of God’s Word, May 18
All the secrets of my soul
Are yours to know, O Lord — I’ve told
Them time and again — Omniscient God
Who knows before the word is spoken!
But somehow you want to hear me say it.
In my unhiding, I ask forgiveness —
Strength in weakness — straighter paths —
Assurance of love — no shadow of darkness.
You sent your Son revealing your heart;
And here is mine, O God, complete.
No Stronger Love
What power your word contains,
And ours in prayer!
No greater work than this,
That supplicants dare.
No stronger love to show
Than save a soul —
Our thanks, O God, to play
This vital role.
Let joy be multiplied,
Removed our shame —
In us be glorified
The blessed Name.
What is the prayer that I should pray?
What is the prayer that I should pray
To overcome and know your way?
For I am weak — this I confess —
I trust my wisdom less and less.
Yours is the Kingdom, glory and power;
Your precepts save me every hour.
Your love and goodness daily cheer me;
My constant need: Lord, come be near me.
Will He Find Faith on the Earth?
Perhaps you’ve scratched your head when your friend sees a monster truck and has said, “Wow! That’s just like my VW Beetle.” We’re conditioned to see similarities rather than differences, used to comparing rather than contrasting. That’s why we have trouble with some of Jesus’ parables. No, Jesus is not encouraging us to be dishonest like the manager who cut his boss’ client’s bills just before he was fired. And in the parable that begins Luke 18, Jesus is not telling us that God is an unjust judge or that we are to be a pesky mosquito that buzzes continually in God’s ear for Him to even consider listening to our prayers.
I. Luke 18:1-8. If we start by seeking for the differences between the judge and God in this parable, then it makes more sense. Both are positions of authority, but the judge is clearly seeking his own interests while God loves us unconditionally–even sending His Son to die on the cross for us. The point of the parable is that even if this unjust judge will give in to a widow with such persistence, then how much more will a good and caring God give to His children whom He loves?
II. John 17:1-23. While understanding God’s character so much better in this parable, don’t lose sight of the responsibility Jesus says we have to be persistent, purposeful, and precise in prayer. So often our prayers are haphazard and vague. Though names and situations are mentioned before our worship services begin, we pray in general often for the sick and struggling … and then they are forgotten until next Sunday. Modeling how we in the flesh should pray, Jesus prayed in these ways.
III. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Jesus contrasts the judge with God, but He also contrasts the widow with us. The last line of the parable in Luke 18:8 asks if the Son of Man will find faith on the earth when He returns. It took faith for the widow to be so persistent in her supplication. So, a lack of persistence in prayer would indicate a lack of faith on our part. We gain a better prayer life by having greater faith, and we gain greater faith by praying about it.
The more we trust the good and loving Judge, the more we will want to speak with Him. Try it. He already knows what you need before you ask Him, and He has invited you to His throne to ask Him. Do you have enough faith to be persistent in prayer?
Lord, Teach Us to Pray
As a teacher, I am amazed at how Jesus was a master teacher. Without any training or degree from a university to know how to do so, He employed so many techniques to bring about the greatest retention of essential Kingdom concepts, such as prayer:
Luke 11:1-13 (NIV)
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'”
5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
7 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
I. Prayer, Jesus had previously taught, was a private thing between the person praying and God. It was not to be done as a show, but this is not what Jesus was doing. A master teacher will model his teaching through his life. His disciples either saw Him praying or just knew that He had been, but Jesus, though without sin and despite being God in the flesh, allowed them to see His example of constant interaction with our Father. If He needed to pray in this way, how much more do we?
II. Knowing that Jesus prayed prompted the request from a disciple that Jesus teach them to pray. Next, Jesus laid down the principles of good prayer, a mixture of ACTS: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Notice that Luke’s version is different than Matthew’s as it is not a rote recitation of specific words that tend to become meaningless babble after a while. But, we and the disciples need to understand the types of concepts that should be included in prayer.
III. Finally, Jesus as the master teacher illustrates the concepts of prayer and the relationship between us and our Father. There is no need to be timid when approaching God’s throne in prayer. Because God is a good Father, we can be bold in our asking, seeking and knocking. So pray!
For answering our prayers
Thank you, heavenly Father, for answering our prayers. You are God who delights in hearing your children’s requests. We know that we receive when we ask. This is the confidence that we have before you: that whenever we ask anything according to your will, you hear us.
You continue to prove this truth in our walk with you. So we praise your name for this blessing. We rejoice in possessing your answer, not for our sakes, but for the needs of the hour and for the spread of your kingdom. Be glorified in us, O Lord.
So we will continue to pray. We ask for strength not to faint in perseverance in supplications and requests. Let us always be sure of your goodness and generosity. We tremble in awe of you, O Lord, and your goodness. We ask many things of you, because you give to all generously and without reprimand.
So we are sure, Father, that it is not because of our goodness or special qualities, but because you give to all who ask. This is your glory and our joy, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
Fluent in speaking to you
Heavenly Father, prayer is such a privilege! To come before your holy and magnificent presence is an honor that has no equal. Stretch my language abilities, that I might be fluent in speaking to you. Often I feel the limits of language. When I do, I thank the Spirit for carrying my inexpressible thoughts to your throne.
Bring me often to your glory, that I might spill out before you my hurts and heart-felt questions, offer my gratitude for hope and blessings, ask your help for strength and courage.
Make eternity turn upon my prayers, that it might rescue many who stand upon its brink. Give us our daily bread and our eternal sustenance.
Open our eyes to power in your word and work. Sweep us along in your will, for we desire to go in your direction, behind the cloud of your movement.