Friday Morning Prayer:)… December 22, 2016
December 22, 2016 - 6 minutes readJoy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.[1]
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”[2]
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Beloved in Jesus,
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;” we are blessed as we take refuge in him! In fact, “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”[3] Prayer is our means of enjoying God, intimate fellowship, a supernatural communion, the filling of the Spirit, a joy that is only explainable because of Jesus. Indeed! As the angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people….”
This past Saturday morning I enjoyed a time of fellowship with a brother. As we prayed together the Holy Spirit was evidently present. What do I mean? Well, we recognized our total dependence on God, especially as we prayed for each other, our families, and others. We brought our thank offerings, humbly called on Jesus, proclaiming he is our deliver who gets all the honor and glory![4] After praying for a few, I said to my brother, “this is praying in the Spirit” the joy! The sense of calm, feeling of peace, tears of joy. That supernatural experience we long for through prayer.
It takes effort, a pursuit, a crying out for God’s grace to fulfill our calling to, “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions…”[5] Christ centered prayer is the key to experiencing lasting joy. Being filled and praying in the Spirit is powerful and a definite contrast to processing and reasoning with our human senses, especially our flesh nature. I understand better this longing to be praying in the Spirit, yet so often I succumb to the weakness of the flesh. Therefore, I must fight! Yes! You too! We fight in prayer! “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”[6]
The gospel is good news of great joy that came first to lowly shepherds, the ceremonially unclean and untrustworthy. So too, the mercy of God calls each of us to repentance and holiness, a supernatural cleansing through the blood of Jesus. The only means to regeneration and ongoing transformation that longs for intimate fellowship with our God. Therefore, practically, with necessary self-discipline we ask, seek, knock persistently and continually through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. I read recently,
“When we yield to His strength, we become the beneficiary of God’s strength. Prayer unlocks God’s power, and God’s power, executed on our behalf, becomes the source of our joy.”[7]
My sister/brother in Jesus, may you find yourself praying in the Spirit on many occasions with various prayers and requests. Always to God’s glory and your joy! “Glory to god in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”[8]
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
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Sisters are meeting to pray! First Baptist. 1912 Arnold Way. Alpine. 0900.
You are invited to join sisters for a time of encouragement and humble prayer. Call a sister and go check it out… a warm and safe place to pray as the Holy Spirit leads.
Brothers are meeting too! Bethel Assembly. 1929 Arnold Way. Alpine. 0730.
Diverse and faithful brothers meeting to ask, seek, knock at the throne of grace. Week after week a crying out for God’s mercy and abundant grace. Yes! We pray for Alpine and the surrounding communities, especially the salvation of many. Moreover, we pray for our local body represented through the various churches. You are invited! As the Spirit leads we earnestly pray.
Merry Christmas! Repeat the sounding joy!
Your brother in Jesus,
Randall:)….
[1] http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/o/joyworld.htm
[7] http://www.reformedtheology.ca/john16.html
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