Friday Morning Prayer:)… February 6, 2020
February 6, 2020 - 7 minutes readThere’s a place where mercy reigns
And never dies
There’s a place where streams of grace
Flow deep and wide
Where all the love I’ve ever found
Comes like a flood
Comes flowing down
At the cross, at the cross
I surrender my life
I’m in awe of You
I’m in awe of You
Where Your love ran red
And my sin washed white
I owe all to You
I owe all to You, Jesus
There’s a place where sin and shame
Are powerless
Where my heart has peace with God
And forgiveness[1]
“I love you, O Lord, my strength.”[2]
__________________
Am I disciplined to hear the Holy Spirit? O the desire to stay in fellowship with God all the time, yet the reality of having to resist many distractions and ‘pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.’ The daily Spirit-empowered pursuit is to ”[f]ight the good fight of faith….”[3] I am not disciplined to hear God and rely on the Spirit of Jesus indwelling at every turn or at every spoken word, thought, or expression, nor are you, but we “[t]ake hold of the eternal life to which [we] were called…”[4] and pray with the psalmist, “Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.”[5]
A fella this week described to me all the sinful, immoral, shameful encounters he observes in the community he resides in. He professed Christ as Lord so his description became an us vs them way of life. My heart grew heavy as he spoke. I said, “but for the grace of God there go I.”[6] He stopped describing the immoral details and manifest depravity and listened. I have the potential to be just like those he described. However, God had and continues to have mercy and abundant grace. “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman.”[7]
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”[8] Despite my wicked heart and inclination toward evil deeds, “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”[9] The mercy of God experienced! You in Christ a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come![10] Although the process of growing, pursuing, maturing continues, sinners are reconciled to God through the cross! It is by grace we are saved through faith alone! “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”[11] Therefore, we pray unceasing and then appeal to the vile, immoral, hard-hearted, ”…now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”[12]
I pray you are encouraged as I am in knowing, even experiencing this inherently hard-calloused heart softened through the mercy of God. The many distractions of this life do occur, I lose focus and allow the flesh to prevail at times, yet this ‘flesh prevailing’ is short-lived because of God. Our merciful all-knowing, powerful, sovereign God has called us to live a life worthy full of joy because of our partnership in the gospel, and confident that he who began a good work in you and me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.[13] The regenerate heart acknowledges with the psalmist and continues to ask for more, overflowing more! ”You have made know to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand.[14] Humble, surrendered before the throne of grace we sing, ”take over, Lover of my soul, take control I surrender, there’s nothing I want more than to know you, Lord, to know you.”[15]
At the cross
At the cross
I surrender my life
I’m in awe of You
I’m in awe of You
Where Your love ran red
And my sin washed white
I owe all to You
I owe all to You Jesus
______________
Sisters are meeting to pray together. First Baptist, 1912 Arnold Way, Alpine, 0900
You are always invited to join faithful gals for a time of fellowship and prayer as the Spirit leads their time together. Diverse gals representing various fellowships united at the old rugged cross. Thank you! Sisters in Jesus.
Brothers are meeting too! Alpine Youth Center, 2153 Arnold Way, Alpine, 0730
The joy of brothers gathering together to ask, seek, and knock before the throne of grace is most edifying! To the glory of God we go! You are invited to join for prayer as the Spirit leads, and enjoy our God as the brothers love one another as we are compelled to do by our gracious, merciful indwelling God. Thank you, Lord.
[1] https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/christomlin/atthecrossloveranred.html
[2] Psalm 18:1
[3] 1 Timothy 6:11-12
[4] Ibid.
[5] Psalm 17:1-2
[6] John Bradford (paraphrased)
[7] Psalm 15:1-3
[8] Psalm 14:1
[9] https://youtu.be/gXx558v5eik?list=RDXQ56i6XKhKk&t=10
[10] 2 Corinthians 5:17
[11] Ibid 5:21
[12] Ibid 6:1-2
[13] Philippians 1:4-6
[14] Psalm 16:11
[15] Take Over
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