REFLECTIONS

“The Prayer Of Love

Gracious Lord,

Thy name is love,

 in love receive my prayer.

My sins are more than the wide sea’s sand,

 but where sin abounds, there is grace more abundant.

Look to the cross of Thy beloved Son,

 and view the preciousness of His atoning blood;

Listen to His never-failing intercession,

 and whisper to my heart, ‘Thy sins are forgiven,

 be of good cheer, lie down in peace.’

Grace cataracts from heaven and flows for ever,

 and mercy never wearies in bestowing benefits.

Grant me more and more

 to prize the privilege of prayer,

 to come to Thee as a sin-soiled sinner,

 to find pardon in Thee,

 to converse with Thee;

 to know Thee in prayer as

  the path in which my feet tread,

  the latch upon the door of my lips,

  the light that shines through my eyes,

  the music of my ears,

  the marrow of my understanding,

  the strength of my will,

  the power of my affection,

  the sweetness of my memory.

May the matter of my prayer be always wise, humble, submissive,

 obedient, scriptural, Christ-like.

Give me unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain,

 that if I seem not to obtain my petitions

 I shall have larger, richer answers,

 surpassing all that I ask or think.

Unsought, Thou hast given me the greatest gift,

 the Person of Thy Son,

 and in Him Thou wilt give me all I need.”

-A Puritan’s Prayer from The Valley of Vision  Edited by Arthur Bennett  Published by The Banner of Truth Trust  Carlisle, PA  2002

REFLECTIONS

Helpful Insights

About Romans 12:2:

“To offer up our bodies in living sacrifice to God means conforming not longer to the pattern of this world, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds (12:2). In other words, what is at issue is not merely external behavior, while inwardly we remain in the grip of carefully masked hate, lust, deceit, envy, greed, fear, bitterness, and arrogance. What is at issue is the transformation of the way we think, bringing our minds in line with the ways and Word of God. That will produce all the change in behavior that is necessary and wise-and that change will be radical. By this fundamental transformation, we shall be enabled to test and approve in our own experience what God’s will is-and find it “good, pleasing and perfect” (12:2). In the light of Romans 9:9, doubtless the motivating power for this transformation is the Spirit of God. But that magnificent truth does not absolve us of resolve, it empowers us.”

About King Saul:

“Here is a man who thinks of himself as the center of the universe; whatever gods exist must serve him. If the covenant God of Israel does not help him as he wishes, then Saul is prepared to find other gods. This is the black heart of all idolatry.”

About Paul:

“He was very well aware of how easy it is the skew the Gospel, to trim it a little, to get around the bits we think our hearers will find awkward or offensive. So he knew that to preach the Gospel faithfully, he would have to preach it fearlessly. This does not reflect an “in your face style”. It means, rather, that Paul wanted to speak without fearing what his hearers would think or say about him, or what they might do to him, lest he compromise the Gospel he came to announce.”

About David:

“Here is a man of faith who knows he must be grounded in the One who inhabits eternity, or else he amounts to nothing.”

About 1 Peter 1:23:

“(2) More precisely, Christians have been “born again, not of perishable see, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1:23). That which has transformed us and granted us new life from God himself has not been physical impregnation, but spiritual new birth, brought about by the enduring word of God.”

About 2 Chronicles 15:

“We should not be embarrassed by the blessing of God on integrity and righteousness. Righteousness exalts a nation: it lifts it up and strengthens its hand. This is not merely sociological inference: it is the way God has structured things, the way he providentially rules. Inversely, corruption attracts the wrath of God, and sooner or later will bring a nation down.”

““They overcame him by…the word of their testimony.” This does not mean that they frequently gave their testimonies. It means, rather, that they constantly bore testimony to Jesus Christ; in short, they constantly proclaimed the Gospel. This is what spells Satan’s defeat. Keep silent, and Satan wins.”

-D.A. Carson  Theologian and Professor  1946-