Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:11.
The Holy Spirit illumines our darkness, informs our ignorance, and understands and helps us in our manifold necessities. But the mind must be constantly going out after God. If coldness and worldliness are allowed to come in, we shall have no heart to pray, no courage to look up to Him who is the source of strength and wisdom. Then pray always, dear brethren and sisters, “lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” Urge your requests to the throne of grace, and rely upon God hour by hour and moment by moment. The service of Christ will regulate all your relations with your fellow-men, and make your life fruitful in good works.
Let none imagine that selfishness, self-esteem, and self-indulgence are compatible with the Spirit of Christ. Upon every truly converted man or woman there rests a responsibility that we cannot rightly estimate. The maxims and ways of the world are not to be adopted by the sons and daughters of the heavenly King….
The arduous struggle for conquest over self, for holiness and Heaven, is a life-long struggle. There is no release in this war; the effort must be continuous and persevering. Christian integrity must be sought with resistless energy, and maintained with a resolute fixedness of purpose. A genuine religious experience unfolds and intensifies. Continual advancement, increasing knowledge and power in the Word of God, is the natural result of a vital connection with God. The light of holy love will grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.—Testimonies for the Church 5:410-413.
With God at Dawn p. 97
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Sherlyn who is having hip replacement surgery today. Please pray that God will guide the doctor’s hands. Rose
—-Please pray for my auntie who has been having leg problems for sometime now and she has been faithful to the Lord in prayer. Isaac
—-Please urgently needing prayers right now for one of my sons. Connie
—-Can I please request prayer for my brother and my family My brother has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but we are unsure of what is going on He is very bitter and angry at the world and towards family. Jen
—-Please pray that Eileen can find her bite splint. We went camping this weekend and she cannot find it and she can’t afford to get another. Rose
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Dear Friends,
Many years ago, I heard a visiting preacher say, “I only have to ask God for a request one time, and then I don’t ever have to ask again. I can forget about it and let Him take care of it. ” On the surface, it sounded as if he had great faith, but there was something that seemed to be lacking. He was too casual in his petitions and seemed to think little about that request from then on.
God’s Holy Word tells us to be persistent in prayer. Paul admonishes us to “pray without ceasing.” 1 Thes 5:17 Jesus tells us. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Luke 11:9,10 The verb tense there indicates that we should ask and keep on asking, knock and keep on knocking, seek and keep on seeking. He wants us to keep on asking until we receive, keep on seeking until we find, keep on knocking until it is opened for our own good. If we immediately received an answer, we would become like a spoiled child who begins to think that their parent is their servant to do their bidding.
Our Dear Saviour gave a parable of contrasts to show us an example of effectual prayer. “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8 The heartfelt prayer is never turned away. We are to desire an answer to our prayer with our whole heart. James tells us, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16 Throughout the day we have the privilege of pressing our petitions to the throne of grace. We have the privilege of coming to our Dear Saviour for the help that we need to overcome. By continually having our heart uplifted in prayer, the enemy has no power over us.
Jesus assures us, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” vs 10 “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:22-26
Paul tells us, “in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Phil 4:6 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:15,16
Let us “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Col 4:2 Let us be persevering and sincere in our prayers, pressing our petitions to the very throne of God. Let us keep our heart uplifted moment by moment to our Dear Saviour is my prayer.
Rose
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/pSsRraW-2qc/come-i-will-teach-you.html
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