Praying Through Psalm 145

 

Psalm 145 acknowledges God's greatness, sovereign power, righteous acts, and compassion. David declares his intention to continually praise God and encourages others to do so. 

By Anna Marie Howell



Lord, our most gracious King---

We come before you today to glorify your holy name, and surrender our hearts to you,

because You alone are worthy. Your greatness is beyond all understanding.

Your power and majesty stretch beyond time. Your goodness reaches every soul.

You open your hand and fill us with good things. You are righteous in all your ways, gracious

and compassionate. You are faithful in all you do; slow to anger and rich in steadfast love.

Lord, you are near to all who call on You,

lifting those who fall and upholding all who are bowed down.

You satisfy the desires of every living thing,

And are attentive to the cries of your people.

Generation after generation declare your mighty acts.

Your dominion is everlasting and enduring through time.

Lord, may we remember these truths each day.

Help us reflect your heart, your justice, kindness, and mercy.

Shape us into people who live and love like you do.

You alone are our portion, our strength, and our heart song.

Let every word from our lips and every breath we take exalt you.

May your people go out into the world proclaiming your greatness,

Living as reflections of the King and Almighty God you are.

Amen.

INDEX of Topics at this Blog

The Church at Prayer

 

"Prayer is the nearest approach to God and the highest enjoyment of Him that we are capable of in this life." - Archbishop William Law

The Church is a great mystery, the nature of which is known only to God. The divisions among Christians reflect cultural and historical realities about which countless volumes have been written. 

It can be safely said that where the Church is there is prayer that aligns with divine revelation in Scripture and Tradition. The Holy Spirit inspires prayer and sometimes moves us to prayer in times of urgency. 

The single prayer upon which all Christians agree is the "Our Father" or "The Lord's Prayer". The authority for this prayer comes from Jesus Christ himself who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses (debts) as we forgive those who trespass against us (our debtors); and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Types of prayer range from personal prayer in daily devotions; extemporaneous prayers in public services of worship, and formal liturgical prayers. Christians believe that prayer is offered to glorify God, to render praise and thanksgiving, to intercede for others, to confess sins, and to consecrate, sanctify, and ordain.

The following prayers come from different Christian traditions, but all express what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

This "General Thanksgiving" is found in The Book of Common Prayer (Anglican).

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all they goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord,, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end.

This prayer comes from the Ethiopic Liturgy.

Truly the heavens and earth are full of the holiness of thy glory, in our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, thy holy Son. He came, and was born of the Virgin, that he might fulfill thy will and make a people for thee. He stretched out his hands to the passion, suffering to save the sufferers that trust in thee; and was delivered of his own will to the Cross, that he might abolish death and burst the bond of Satan, trample on Hades, lead forth the Saints, establish a covenant, and make known his resurrection! 

These two prayers come from the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church:

Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings. Put us in fear also of thy blessed commandments, that we, trampling down all earthly passions, may follow after the life of the spirit; both thinking and doing always such things as shall be well pleasing to thee. For thou art the light of our souls and of our bodies, O Christ our God. (Attributed to St. John Chrysostom.)

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.

This memorial prayer comes from the Liturgy of the Apostolic Constitutions.

He who fashioneth all that are born into this world was himself fashioned in the Virgin’s womb; he who was without flesh became flesh; he who was begotten from eternity was born in time. He was holy in his conversation and taught in accordance with law, and he drove away all manner of disease and sickness from among men, and wrought signs and wonders among the people. He who feedeth the hungry and filleth all things living with plenteousness partook of food and drink and sleep. He manifested thy name to those who knew it not; he put ignorance to flight, rekindled piety, fulfilled thy will, and did finish the work which thou gavest him to do. And when he had duly accomplished all these things, betrayed by one diseased with wickedness he was seized by the hands of lawless people, priests and High Priests, falsely so called, and a rebellious mob; and having suffered many things at their hands, and having endured all kinds of indignity by thy permission, was delivered to Pilate the Governor. The Judge was judged, the Saviour was condemned, he who is impassible was nailed to the Cross, and he who is by nature immortal died.

Prayer for the Church (attributed to William Law).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior.

This prayer comes from the Liturgy of the Coptic Jacobites.

O Longsuffering, of great mercy and truth, receive our prayer and supplication’ receive our petition, our penitence, our confession upon thy pure and holy altar in heaven. May we be accounted worthy to hear thy holy Gospel, and to keep thy precepts and commandments, and to bear fruit therein an hundredfold, and sixtyfold, in Christ Jesus our Lord, O thou who art blessed with him and the holy and lifegiving Spirit.

Anglican Prayer of Humble Access before reception of Holy Communion.

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.

Related: Prayer for the New Year; Prayer for the Nation; The Prayers of Peter Marshall; Prayer as Our Spiritual Lifeline; A Life Grounded in Prayer; The Dimensions of Prayer

I Bid Your Prayers

 

Your prayers are requested for the blog's founder the Rev. Edward F. Lundwall who will undergo aorta valve surgery soon. Ed will turn 93 on June 18. Please pray for this servant of the Lord Jesus.

Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy servant Ed for whom our prayers are offered. Look upon him with mercy; comfort him with a sense of thy goodness; preserve him; and give him patience. In thy good time, restore him to health, and enable him to lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant that finally he may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Edward F. Lundwall, Jr. is a retired Army Chaplain and a veteran of the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He and his late wife, Marionette, were Baptist home missionaries for nine years. They have three children, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild.


Alice C. Linsley, Administrator

Prayer for the New Year

 

Almighty God, lover of Mankind, 

Grant us protection, guidance, inspiration, and peace in the New Year.

Strengthen our resolve to obey your commandments.

Purify our hearts.

Conform us more and more to the image of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

May we trust in your goodness

and extend what we receive from your bounty to others with generous hearts.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Amen.

Prayer for the Nation

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

A Life Grounded in Prayer

Grace before the Meal; Fritz von Uhde (1885)

Alice C. Linsley

Consider the Jewish girl at prayer to whom the Archangel Gabriel appeared with a message that changes everything for her and for all people in all time and space. Then try to convince me there is no power in prayer.

The prayerful Virgin Mother taught us to pray for surely, her Blessed Son learned to pray at her knee as much as in the local synagogue. They teach us to pray for our daily bread, for forgiveness, and for protection from evil.

All life is to be wrapped in prayer. The Lord's Prayer gives us no sense that bread and forgiveness are unrelated or that praying for protection is superstition. That prayer's realistic view of life enhances its potency. 

C.S. Lewis wrote, "What we do when we weed a field is not quite different from what we do when we pray for a good harvest. But there is an important difference all the same." (Work and Prayer)

The day begins with prayer, for we need to clear away the detritus of dreams and the inertia of first light.

Our meals begin with prayer, for we need to be reminded of God's bountiful goodness.

We pray with our children, for they need to learn the words of holy parents.

We pray with our fellow Christians, for we need each other for comfort, strength, and encouragement.

We join in liturgical prayers, giving hardy assent to joint praises and petitions, just as our Jewish Lord did throughout his earthly life.

Those who disdain liturgical prayers as "vain repetition" should count how many times favorite phrases are repeated in the ex tempore prayers of their clergy.

As C.S. Lewis notes, liturgical prayers can set "our devotions free"... and prevent us from "getting too completely eaten up by whatever happens to be the preoccupation of the moment (i.e., war, an election, or what not)."

Lewis notes that in the liturgical prayers of the Church, "The permanent shape of Christianity shows through." (Letters to Malcolm, 1 April 1952) 

Note how that permanent shape is expressed in these liturgical prayers.

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Antiochian Orthodox)

Heavenly King, Paraclete, Spirit of truth, 

present in all places and filling all things, 

Treasury of good and Master of life; 

come and dwell within us, cleanse us from all stain, and save our souls.

Prayer of Humble Access (Anglican)

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, 

O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, 

but in thy manifold and great mercies. 

We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. 

But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: 

Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, 

so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, 

and to drink his blood, 

that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, 

and our souls washed through his most precious blood, 

and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen

Liturgy of Malabar (Oriental Orthodox)

Holy art thou, God, the Father of Truth,

from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named;

holy also is thine Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom all things were made;

holy also is the Spirit, the giver of all truth,

by whom all are sanctified.

Woe to me! Woe to me!

for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips

and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.

How terrible is this place today,

wherein the Lord is seen face to face!

Let thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, cleanse our defilement,

sanctify our lips, and let the voices of our foolishness mingle 

with the praises of seraphim and archangels glorifying thy love:

for herein thou hast associated mortal men with spirits.

With these heavenly hosts then,

we, thy poor weak and useless servants, praise thee, My Lord,

because of thy great mercy towards us, 

for which we cannot render thee due thanks.

Related reading: The Dimensions of Prayer; Prayer as a Spiritual Lifeline; Daily and Liturgical Prayers of Judaism; On the Fatherhood of God, by Patrick Henry Reardon

Seeking God and Spiritual Growth?

Does the Bible present a pattern for those seeking God and spiritual growth? It certainly does! The pattern is evident in Acts 2.

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs to you and to your children and to all who are far off, to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.” With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation." 

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.…" (Acts 2:28-42)

The pattern begins with hearing the Word. Peter preached the same message that Jesus preached: Repent. That is where true life begins. Acknowledge your need for God to be in control of your life. Recognize that only God's power can beak the hold of sin and spiritual death.

The repentant are to be baptized in the name of Jesus, the Son of God. Note that Peter urges his listeners to be baptized. He does not force them. There is no coercion by the use of force or threats, and no enticing the people by offering them prosperity and health. Many of those who were baptized faced persecution for becoming followers of Jesus Messiah. Many were put to death.

The baptized repentant receive the Holy Spirit who is sent from the Father in heaven. The Holy Spirit gently and gradually transforms the inner person so that person becomes more like Jesus. The growth is expressed in forgiveness, compassion and spiritual authority.

The newly baptized devote themselves to the Apostolic teaching called the "Kerygma." The Kerygma involves the core beliefs about God Father, God Son, and God Holy Spirit: 

(1) That they are eternal, pure good, and extend perfect love to all humans. 

(2) That the death, burial and third day resurrection of Jesus Messiah was according to God's plan (Acts 2:25-35).

(3) That the ascension of the Risen Lord Jesus entails His enthronement as the long-yearned for Righteous Ruler (Acts 2:36).

(4) That the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to all who receive Jesus as the Son of God and their Savior (Acts 2:38). First John 4:15 says, "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God."

The proclamation of this message requires a response. To ignore the proclamation is to continue in a state of spiritual decay. To accept the proclamation one must repent of sins, accept baptism, and live in the new life which Christ offers (Acts 2:37-41). The new follower of Jesus joins other Believers for encouragement and support, and for prayer, and to receive Holy Communion, the food of eternal life.

As Ed Lundwall has written, "...we must receive what God has given through the life building Word of God, the personal relationship of prayer, and integration into the body of Christ through fellowship."

Related reading: You Must Be Born Again; First John on Marks of A Christian; Today is Your Opportunity to Love; Proof I Have Been Born Again; Righteous Rulers and the Resurrection

Let us Confess Our Sins

Forgive them all, O Lord…

Our sins of omission and our sins of commission;

The sins of our youth and the sins of our riper years;

The sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies;

Our secret and our more open sins;

Our sins of ignorance and surprise, and our more deliberate and presumptuous sins;

The sins we have done to please ourselves and the sins we have done to please others;

The sins we know and remember, and the sins we have forgotten;

The sins we have striven to hide from others and the sins by which we have made others offend;

Forgive them, O Lord, forgive them all for His sake who died for our sins and rose for our justification, and now stands at Your right hand to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ our Lord.

- Prayer of John Wesley (1703-1791)

Related reading: John Wesley's Heart Was Strangely Warmed

A Prayer for Troubled Times

 

“Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts that cannot be dragged down by false loves; give us courageous hearts that cannot be worn down by trouble; give us righteous hearts that cannot be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals. Give to us also, our Lord and God, understanding to know You, diligence to look for You, wisdom to recognize You, and a faithfulness that will bring us to see You face to face.”  Thomas A Kempis (1380-1471)


Thomas à Kempis was a German-Dutch theologian and the author of The Imitation of Christ (Imitatio Christi), a devotional book that is considered one of the most influential Christian works next to Augustine's Confessions and the Bible.

"If you want to learn something that will really help you, learn to see yourself as God sees you and not as you see yourself in the distorted mirror of your own self-importance," he wrote. "This is the greatest and most useful lesson we can learn: to know ourselves for what we truly are, to admit freely our weaknesses and failings, and to hold a humble opinion of ourselves because of them."

Related reading: Thomas à Kempis

Praying Psalm 50 - Go Deep!

“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright,
I shall show the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:23)

Lord, you want your people to be focused deeply on our relationship with you, thankful for the redemption you brought through Jesus Christ. Simply attending a worship service, reading scripture, reciting prayers, and giving to others, are evident in many religions. These are practices (7-15) that everyone recognizes as "religious." They can be superficial practices that do not show the world our deep desire to know, love and serve you.

When our religious practices come with disrespect of you and others, moral compromises, and secretive bad habits, they are hypocritical practices (16-23).

Forgive us, Lord, for “playing the game” of religion instead of being truly grateful disciples. Forgive us when we fail inwardly and outwardly to make you the focus of all we think, say, and do. Help us to become people of deep and distinctive faith!

Related reading: Praying the Psalms

Praying Psalm 1: The Way of the Righteous
Praying Psalm 2: Kiss the Son
Praying Psalm 3: God is My Shield
Praying Psalm 4: Let Me be Approved of Thee, O God
Praying Psalm 5: Renew a Right Spirit Within Me
Praying Psalm 6: When Weeping Leads to Victory
Praying Psalm 7: The Basis of Boldness
Praying Psalm 8: Worship in Admiration and Humility
Praying Psalm 9: Hope for the Oppressed
Praying Psalm 10: Deliverance from the Wicked
Praying Psalm 11: The Foundation of Life
Praying Psalm 12: Lamenting the Lack of Godliness
Praying Psalm 13: Faith's Triumph
Praying Psalm 14: Remembering We Are Sinners
Praying Psalm 15: Fellowship With God
Praying Psalm 16: God-Pleasing Godliness
Praying Psalm 17: Progression Sanctification
Praying Psalm 18: God's Power to Deliver
Praying Psalm 19: Witness for Worship
Praying Psalm 20: Personal and National Revival
Praying Psalm 21: Worship and Thanksgiving
Praying Psalm 22: The Hope of Christ - The Prophetic Vision
Praying Psalm 23: Daily Living with the Good Shepherd
Praying Psalm 24: Inspired by Creation, We worship the Creator
Praying Psalm 25: Lifting up one’s soul while waiting upon God
Praying Psalm 26: God's affirmation of the Accused
Praying Psalm 27: Waiting on the Lord
Praying Psalm 28: Desperately Seeking the Lord
Praying Psalm 29: God's Glory and Power Seen in Nature
Praying Psalm 30: A Disciple's Heart Desire
Praying Psalm 31: Humbling Waiting on God
Praying Psalm 32: The Beatitude of the Redeemed
Praying Psalm 33: Prayer for National Revival
Praying Psalm 34: God Redeems
Praying Psalm 35: Friends and Foes
Praying Psalm 36: Finding Holiness in God's Presence
Praying Psalm 37: Trust in the Lord
Praying Psalm 38: The Suffering Servant
Praying Psalm 39: The Discouraged Disciple
Praying Psalm 40: The Sustained Servant
Praying Psalm 41: The Sick Servant
Praying Psalm 42: The Dry Disciple
Praying Psalm 43: The Questioning Disciple
Praying Psalm 44: A Dependent Disciple
Praying Psalm 45: A Disciple in Love
Praying Psalm 46: The Disciple's Refuge
Praying Psalm 47: The King's Disciple
Psalm 48: The Disciple's Stronghold
Psalm 49: My God, My Redeemer

Prayers of Peter Marshall

Peter Marshall (1902 – 1949) was Chaplain of the United States Senate after World War II. He was considered “a calming, healing voice to the Nation.” Marshall's life and ministry is recounted in a biography A Man Called Peter (1951), written by his widow, Catherine Marshall, and the book's 1955 film adaptation, which was nominated for an Academy Award for its cinematography.

Peter Marshall's prayers are especially appropriate in this time of civil unrest, economic hardship, and pandemic.

On May 22, 1947, during the 80th Congress, U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall offered this prayer:

God of our fathers, give unto us, thy servants, a true appreciation of our heritage, of great men and great deeds in the past, but let us not be intimidated by feelings of our own inadequacies for this troubled hour. 

Remind us that the God they worshiped, and by whose help they laid the foundations of our Nation, is still able to help us uphold what they bequeathed and give it meaning.

Peace without Pain

God, have pity upon us.
We want peace without pain and security without sacrifice.
We want peace but not the perils of peacemaking.
O God, may we learn what love is.

Success

God, give us the grace to take things as they are and to make them what they ought to be.

For World Neighborliness

O God, we pray for a broader vision of the needs of humanity, and a deeper compassion to fill those needs; for a planting of the seeds of concern for all humanity in our hearts; for a tapping of the wells of generosity. 

May we live together as people who have been forgiven a great debt. 

May we be gentle, walking softly with one another. 

May we be understanding, lest we shall add to the world’s sorrow or cause to flow needless tears. 

May we be as anxious for the rights of others as we are for our own. 

May we be as eager to forgive as we are to seek forgiveness. 

May we know no barriers of creed or race or sex, that our love may be like Yours---a love that sees all people as Your children and our kin. 

May we be ministers of humanity.

Personal Prayer of Humility

Lord, forgive me that when life’s circumstances lift me to the crest of the wave, I tend to ignore Thee. Yet, like an errant child I have blamed Thee with my every failure, even as I credit myself with every success.

When my fears evaporate like the morning mist, then vainly I imagine that I am sufficient unto myself, that material resources and human resources are enough.

I need Thee when the sun shines, lest I forget the storm and the dark. I need Thee when I am popular, when my friends and those who work beside me approve and compliment me.  I need Thee more then, lest my head begin to swell.

 O, God, forgive me for my stupidity, my blindness in success, my lack of trust in Thee.  Be Thou now my Savior in success. 

 Save me from conceit.  Save me from pettiness. Save me from myself! And take this success, I pray, and use it for Thy glory.  In Thy strength, I pray.  Amen.

Missed Opportunities

O Lord our God, even at this moment as we come blundering into Thy presence in prayer, we are haunted by memories of duties unperformed, promptings disobeyed, and beckonings ignored.

Opportunities to be kind knocked on the door of our hearts and went weeping away.

Related reading: A Man Called Peter

Pray for Those Sickened by Coronavirus

In the face of the spread of Coronavirus, here is a prayer you might use. It is adapted from the Book of Common Prayer.

O Lord, save thy servants;
Who put their trust in thee.
Send them help from thy holy place;
And mightily defend them.
Let the plague pass by them and have no advantage of them;
Nor the wicked approach to hurt them.
Be unto us, O Lord, a strong tower;
Shelter us in thy wings.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
And let our cry come unto thee.

O Lord, Almighty God, look down from heaven and behold, visit, and relieve thy sick servants. Look upon them with mercy, give them comfort and sure confidence in thee, defend them from all dangers, and keep them in perpetual peace and safety; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Related reading: Francis Collins on the Coronavirus

Prayer as a Spiritual Lifeline

Alice C. Linsley

A lifeline is a rope or line used to rescue someone in danger or to provide a means of escape from a difficult situation. Using the line, rescuers can pull a person to safety. This is a realistic image of prayer, and the message of the old hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

O what peace we often forfeit, 

O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.

When we don't pray we fail to take hold of the spiritual lifeline that God has provided. We make excuses for this failure. We are too busy. There are too many demands on our time. Too many interruptions! Too few hours in the day.

The Lord Jesus recognized all these problems. That is why he urged his disciples to "Come away to a quiet place." (Mark 6:31)  Jesus never gave his disciples a method for praying. He led them to a space where they could pray without interruption.

Jesus spent hours in solitary prayer. The Gospels speak of how He withdrew to a mountain or stole away from the crowd to commune with His Father in Heaven. His disciples observed this and recognized that their prayer lives did not measure up to the Lord's prayer life. So they asked Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1).

Jesus responded by giving them a prayer, not a method. He didn't tell them to ritually wash before praying or to put on their prayer shawls. He didn't tell them to go to the synagogue. He did not designate a prayer posture. Prayer is not a method. It is a conversation.

Conversations are two-way communications involving both speaking and listening. Listening is the hardest part of prayer because it requires silence. This is why some people have prayer closets and others withdraw to monasteries. This is what motivates people to go on retreats. 

Prayer is also communal because each Christian is in Jesus and He is in us, making us members of the "mystical Body of Christ." We pray as living members of His Body. Our prayers, as personal as they may be, are joined to others in that Body. God hears the prayers of individuals as a liturgy of the Body. This is evident in the way Jesus taught us to pray "Our Father..."

How is this possible? By grace and the in-dwelling Holy Spirit our praises and petitions coincide as an offering. Being united to Jesus Christ, we pray as individuals and as a body.

In prayer we confess, request, adore, plead, gain clarity, receive forgiveness, are refreshed and restored. We laugh and cry over the double mystery of God's mercy and our misery. His grace brings miserable sinners to the realization that we are capable of sharing the beautiful life of God because that is how God made us. Joy comes in the morning!

There is a lovely image in one of C.S. Lewis's books, The Horse and His Boy.

Hwin, though shaking all over, gave a strange little neigh, and trotted across to the Lion.

“Please,” she said, “you’re so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I’d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else.” 

“Dearest daughter,” said Aslan, planting a lion’s kiss on her twitching, velvet nose, “I knew you would not be long in coming to me. Joy shall be yours.”

In prayer, we come to God as Christ’s own forever, as a child of the High King. Our fears are set aside and our movement toward the Savior is rewarded. “Joy shall be yours.”

END

Melchizedek a Type of Christ (Hebrews 7)

Artist rendering of Melchizedek

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” (Hebrews 7:1, 2)

I offer praise and thanksgiving for the type of Christ revealed in the person and ministry of Melchizedek. The story reminds me that Jesus is my King of righteousness. I am reminded that in Him I am made righteous, cleansed from my sins. For He took the guilt of our sins and put to death our sinful nature (Rom. 7:23-8:1-9).

Therefore, Jesus is the King of peace as I invite Him live in me (Gal. 2:20). As a believer I am made free from the domination of sin by faith persuasion (John 8:31-35) to walk with Him in the light of His Word (Ps. 119:9-11). Thereby, my character is changed.

Melchizedek’s bringing of bread and wine reminds me of the communion I enjoy with Jesus, our bread of life. His blood brings refreshment and forgiveness.

As Melchizedek came to Abraham after the defeat of his enemies, I am reminded that after the believer’s battle of life is over, Jesus takes us to the glorious place He went to prepare for us, that we might joyfully dwell in God’s eternal presence.

“In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Ps. 16:11

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Related reading: Who Was Melchizedek?; Praying Hebrews 6; Praying Hebrews 5: The Disciple's Constant Companion; Praying Hebrews 3: Jesus Our Great High Priest; Praying Hebrews 3:6-19; Praying Hebrews 4:1-3; Praying Hebrews 4:5-8; Praying Hebrews 4:4-16; Praying Hebrews 5:1-4; Praying Hebrews 5:5,6: The Disciples' Pattern

The Distinctive Disciple’s Desire

We are thankful for Ed's service to God and Country.

Edward F. Lundwall. Jr.

Praying Hebrews 6:1-3:

“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.” (Hebrews 6:1-3)


Oh, Lord, how I thank you for your exhortation for believers can go on to maturity in their faith and the practice of that faith. You, not only urge us, but you provide for us through your instruction book, the Holy Bible, the ways our minds can be filled with your thoughts and our souls can be transformed by your Holy Spirit. Your purpose is clear: You desire us to know You through the Person and saving work of Christ Jesus, and in doing so become more like Him reflecting your glory.

I praise You that the basic of your gospel revelation MUST occupy my thoughts as a seeking and overcoming sinner, because this elementary phase bring me to truly committed conversion faith. However, I know that this is not your ultimate end. Much more lays ahead to bring me to maturity in my relationship with you. That is only the nursing, toddler stage of my life of faith; I need to learn to walk, talk, learn, and grow as your adopted child. Thank you, Lord that through every circumstance Your Spirit tries to apply this revelation to change my soul into Christ’s likeness (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). I know it is wrong and self-depriving for the believer to stay in a spiritually baby state. Beyond the nursery wall, there is the great outdoors of Your palace, workshops, treasure houses and Your Kingdom Empire. This Kingdom is where spiritual battles are to be won, liberating Satan’s captives, bringing many children into Your Glorious Kingdom. Even though one can hardly describe the blessedness of first knowing Christ. how wondrous is being translated from the power of darkness into Your Son’s Kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13), changing our approach to You from: “God have mercy!” or “God, I’m going my own way!” to “Father, what would You have me to do?” As glorious as this beginning of new life in Christ is, You God have many wonderful things for me to experience that are beyond imagination and have granted me the rest of eternity to know and experience them (Ephesians 2:7).

 
Lord God, I am so blessed at age 86 by your loving desire to change my thinking and living so that I might more fully understand the greatness of what you have done for me in Christ. I am truly grateful for having experience through my many years the complete adequacy of Christ, and glimpsing the panorama of your loving heart for both me and others. The joy and satisfaction of walking in Christ as my Savior by faith instills in me a sense of walking in Heaven’s palaces here on earth. I thank You for the ability of resting in Christ that gives me a peace that indeed passes all understanding.

I praise You that this rest in Christ’s sufficiency liberates me from self-righteous works, but transforms good works into acts of love and gratitude towards Your person through Your Son. Lord, help me to heed Your exhortation to go on to maturity that I may appreciate Your treasures and fruitful life from You (John 15:1-8). Continue to help me do what I do in Your Name to glorify You, Jesus, and Your Word to men as well as all the principalities in the Heavens (Ephesian 3:10), and grant that I might impart this orientation to other disciples. even through this blog, as You give me in the power of Your Spirit and Word (Hebrews 13:20, 21). Give me the discernment not to teach beyond what my hearers will receive through Your work in them and after I have challenged them, let me rest in you as you change their hearts…step by step, gathering your growing, maturing children into your loving embrace.

Facing Challenges

Facing Challenges

“I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears…Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” -Psalm 34: 4, 19 (ESV).

Consider some thoughts in acrostic-form on Facing Challenges. We all have challenges day by day. How we face and work through them defines who we are and how we face life.

Following God does not preclude problems.
Around us all the time are mountains high
Calling us to exercise our best intentions,
Inviting us to trust Him and fully rely
Night and day upon His strength and wisdom,
Going on by faith and not by sight.

Calling on Him in all circumstances
Has all the characteristics of seeking light
Amidst the darkness that surrounds our way.
Looking for His help always available,
Leaving our burdens at His feet we press on,
Engaging in prayer and gaining strength anew.
Nothing should distract us from the goals
God leads us to see and strive toward gladly,
Ever mindful to give Him glory in our souls,
Secure whatever comes of weal or woes.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for challenges and problems. They strengthen us and help us rely on Your power to overcome. May we seek You daily and know the blessings of deliverance from fears and cowering. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 08.17.2016

Worth Considering: Direction and Purpose

Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; , and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place-- and I did not know it!" And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Beersheba was the southern boundary of Abraham's territory
and the territory that Isaac received as his birthright.

By Ethelene Dyer Jones


Before we truly appreciate and understand better God’s Word in this verse, we need to study it in context (and certainly, each scripture should be studied in context). Jacob (with subterfuge) had received the birthright blessing from his father Isaac. Esau, Jacob’s twin brother, was tricked by Jacob, and the guilty brother feared Esau’s retaliation. He was on his way to Haran.

Jacob stopped at a place to spend the night. In a vision (or dream), he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, and saw angels descending and ascending on the ladder. God identified himself to Jacob as the Lord of Abraham and Isaac—and of Jacob, too. The promise made to Abraham—of making his descendants a great nation—was repeated to Jacob. In response, Jacob sat the stone he had used as a pillow, made an altar and called it Bethel—that is “Beth-El”—the house of God.

God was in that place and Jacob knew it not until he had the vision. He could not run away from God. Then Jacob made his own commitment to God at Bethel, promising to follow God, give Him a tithe of all he earned, and then asking God to protect, feed, and give him peace. There in the wilderness on his way to Haran, Jacob met God and realized He was everywhere—he could not escape from God’s care and mercy—and calling.

The message God gave to Jacob on that long ago journey is as much to each believer today as it was to Jacob: “I am with you,” God says.

I will protect you.
I will bring you back to this land.
I will not leave you until I do what I have promised you.

These are strong promises from God for direction and purpose for our lives.

Will I, like Jacob, at the altar of my heart bow down and worship God?

In the light of God’s promise and revelation, will I pledge to follow God?


Prayer of commitment:

Here am I, Lord. Thank You for allowing me to be a part of Your Master Plan for people. Thank You for giving me direction and purpose in life. Amen.


Related reading: Jacob Leaves Beersheba; Jacob's Journeys

Praying Hebrews 5: The Disciple’s Constant Companion

3rd-century fresco of Jesus Christ 

from the Catacomb of Callixtus, Rome

“In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5;7-10)

Lord God,

As I meditate upon what is written here under the direction of your Holy Spirit, I begin to perceive its gravity and grace. You described the Lord Jesus as having been given the High Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek with his priesthood is presented in the Old Testament as everlasting and of eternal tenure, because You inspired to record neither a beginning of His life nor beginning of his office. Therefore, I offer overflowing praise to You for what was only symbolized, is now infinitely fulfilled in the Person and work of Your Son Jesus Christ, having no beginning as God the living Word and a ministry eternally established before the foundation of the World, all because He is One with You, the essential expression of the fullness of your divinity.

However, being “God wrapped in Flesh,” He still learned as a human disciple (Isaiah 50:4 NASB). His relationship to and with you as He obediently listened and obeyed your instructions as a man is marvelous. Three times He asked that another way to redeem the world might be arranged, so that He as a human need not suffer the flogging, humiliation, abandonment, and torture of crucifixion, but each time He yielded to your plan saying, “Not my will, but your will be done.” I thank You that even though You rejected His personal request, You, Lord, still heard his heart’s desire for the sake of man’s redemption and the defeat of Satan, that mankind be provided the way to eternal relationship with its Maker. Through this, I know that You receive us, even though our petitions may be contrary to Your will, so long as we accept your authority and your will. Like the Lord Jesus, I can be content knowing that You are “a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Thank You that Jesus was and still is Emmanuel, God with us. This promises full confirmation that the salvation He offers in Himself can be eternal, for He is omnipotent and eternally God. Oh, Lord God, help me to learn and follow after His example (Hebrews 12:2, 3). Let me so walk and perceive You through the witness of your Holy Spirit through your Word in my life that always hear Your still small voice, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). Let me feel your constant companionship as your hand holding mine!

Related reading: Praying Hebrews 3: Jesus Our Great High Priest; Praying Hebrews 3:6-19; Praying Hebrews 4:1-3; Praying Hebrews 4:5-8; Praying Hebrews 4:4-16; Praying Hebrews 5:1-4; Praying Hebrews 5:5,6: The Disciples' Pattern; Praying Hebrews 6; Christ our Companion

Praying Hebrews 5: The Disciple’s Pattern

So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him,"YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"; just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” (Hebrews 5:5-6).

Lord God,

I praise You for the multiple ways in which You have revealed Yourself through Christ. The mystery of your divinity being personified in Jesus is beyond human comprehension. The limited finiteness of my mind cannot grasp the idea of your divine infinity expressed in human flesh! Yet, from eternity past You have declared that He is the expression of your person as the Word of God (John 1:1-2), so who else could you have chosen as our Great High Priest? Whatever You do is perfect for the purpose You choose for it. You wanted to redeem mankind so that we could be in full harmony with You permanently. In this, Jesus is the pattern, but as High Priest He is the perfect and almighty administrator of our salvation.

Thank you, Lord God, for this confirming basis for the adequacy of Christ’s words, “whoever who believes in Him, shall have eternal life” (John 3:16). Thank, Lord, for the pattern of life Christ gives me to imitate. What an example of trust and humility! He did not seek fame and power for himself, but sought only to fulfill your will giving You the credit and honor. Forgive me, Lord, when I frequently fail in this. Thank you for the feelings of joy when I do. When I do conform to the example of Christ (Romans 12:1-2), I fall under the leadership of our eternal High Priest “after the order of Melchizedek, and the prophetic witness of the Old Testament about the coming of Messiah (Luke 1:26-38).

Oh, the blessing to me and all who would be persuaded by Your testimonies concerning the Lord Jesus as the believer’s High Priest.

Related reading: Praying Hebrews 3: Jesus Our Great High Priest; Praying Hebrews 3:6-19; Praying Hebrews 4:1-3; Praying Hebrews 4:5-8; Praying Hebrews 4:4-16; Praying Hebrews 5:1-4; Praying Hebrews 6

Praying Hebrews 6:12-15

Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.

“. .so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, " I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.” Heb. 6:12-15


Lord, there is great peace in believing You according to your self revelation.I enjoy gazing upon Your marvelous creation. In the starry heavens of heavens so vast that even the orbiting Hubble telescope cannot see its limits. Yet, your Word tells me that the heavens of heavens cannot contain You.

I contemplate the marvelous organization of the smallest things You have created. I wonder why it is so difficult for men made in Your image let You fill their hearts and minds To those who reject the answer is sin. But to those as weak and frail as Abraham and I, You swear by Yourself to fulfill your precious promises.

Oh, how much You want all to be persuaded, believe, and respond in faith. Isn't that why you wrote about your eternal power and divine nature in the order of creation (Roman 1;20)? You want us to be assured our Your Presence. to be confident that You are true, faithful and able.

Lord, I believe, but help me in regard too my unbelief. Help me to let your voice echo though the halls of Heaven, the expanse of the stars, and the eons of eternity. As You swore by yourself to fulfill your promises in Christ, may I share in those promises. So shall my life forever be changed into Christ’s likeness, and all my being be a symphony of praise, joy, and peace.