Friday Morning Prayer:)… July 16, 2020
July 16, 2020 - 7 minutes readI once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace
Hallelujah all I have is Christ
Hallelujah Jesus is my life[1]
“I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”[2]
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Do I set the Lord always before me? Brother Mark posed the question to the church body, ‘Am I with him enough to be ‘aware’ of his presence?’[3] I readily sing, “Wherever He leads I’ll go, I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so…” Oh, the daily challenge to “Take up thy cross and follow Me,” and hear the Master say, “I gave My life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today.” Do I “get it” am I aware? With tears I want to get it and daily reflect and overflow abundant grace, finding continual comfort in knowing and experiencing, “He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know, and in that will I now abide…” Truly, help us, Lord, to be ever-growing in humble awareness of your supernatural loving presence. “My heart, my life, my all I bring to Christ who loves me so…”[4]
“The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.”[5] With joy, I listened to the emphasis placed on Joshua who did not leave the tent of meeting. Why did he not leave? He lingered. “He loved the presence of the Lord so much!”[6] Do you know this supernatural enjoyment of God’s presence? In Christ, you do and I do too! However, this reality varies, intensity, depth, one day high another low, mixed with blurred cognition, blunted affections, misdirected behaviors. Therefore! Therefore! Therefore! With the psalmist, we echo his heartfelt prayer, his cry for help. “I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy…. O Lord, hear my prayer listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.”[7]
I do not necessarily enjoy the trials in this life, the suffering, pain, disappointment, etc. In fact, we pray for relief and comfort, asking God to end difficulties and give us the necessary grace to endure and overcome in his strength. Yet, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers [sisters] whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”[8] I want to grow in “real trust” in the Lord. You do too and our constant pursuit by God’s grace is to genuinely know, relate, sense his presence, follow his leading, to increasingly love being in his presence. We embrace our trials as God’s sovereign hand rousing you and me to pursue him in fervent persistent prayer, with increased time and effort to achieve supernatural intimacy that never ends only grows in depth, height, meaning, and purpose; a life-changing reality to God’s glory!
“Thus trial helps us heavenward by quickening us to devotion and by stirring us up to closeness of walk….
Oh, turn your difficulty into prayer, turn your sorrow into prayer, turn your need into prayer, turn your very sins and backslidings into confession, supplication, and prayer—and on its wing your soul shall rise to a region of thought and feeling and fellowship close to the very gates of Heaven!”[9]
Now Lord I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
O Father use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You
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Sisters in Christ are meeting to pray! Rejoice! 615 Harbison Canyon Road, El Cajon.
Beth is serving breakfast at 0800. And, prayer, encouragement, fellowship at 0900.
You are welcome! If you are not busy or you can make Friday morning work, go enjoy diverse sisters in Jesus for a time of genuine Christ driven love for one another.
Brothers are meeting too! Mt. View Bible, 2710 Alpine Blvd. 0730
You are invited to join brothers in Christ for a time of encouragement, sharing, and intentional prayer as we rely on the Holy Spirit to direct and help us to pray effectively to God’s glory. We will have Zoom going concurrently if you’d like to join that way, it works fairly well as we pray in the Spirit.
[1] https://weareworship.com/us/songs/view/all-i-have-is-christ-3127/1112/lyrics
[2] Psalm 16:7-8
[3] Emmanuel Christian Church. Zoom Sunday meeting 7.12.20, Mark Mueller
[4] https://youtu.be/pboMTpvUToA?t=3362
[5] Exodus 33:11
[6] Shepherd Mark Mueller
[7] Psalm 142:1; 143:1
[8] James 1:2-4
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