"A man, humbly conscious of his soul's needs, and realizing the guilt of his sins,—that is the man to pour out his heart in prayer before the living God. I pray the Lord graciously to break your hearts; for, unless our hearts are broken in penitence, we shall never find in them a real prayer unto God."
It is true that a proud man does not pray. I find that the times when I am most self-sufficient are times that I am not praying and being penitent before the Lord. God's gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud. I don't want to be opposed by God! I pray that the Lord continually breaks my heart towards my sin. How humbling it is that the Son of Glory died for me a wretched sinner. That is TRUE humility. Prayer is dependence on God, believing that He is our Only Hope!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Combination 1-5
My thoughts for the past 5 days, though they are more like questions rather than conclusions...
Day 1: What does Spurgeon mean by " ..I have frequently noticed that, when we earnestly desire to do something special for the Lord, he generally does something very much for us of the same kind."?
And why do you think that God doesn't always grant the desires that he gives us..such as not allowing David to build a house for the Lord (which seems like was from the Lord)....even though David desired it ever so much and saved and planned for it? Do you think the Lord ever withholds a fullfillment of a prayer/desire EVEN if he gives you the correct amount of giftings and talents for it?
Day 2: How do we approach to come before the mercy seat..if indeed we want our hearts aligned with God's will?
Day 3: How can the best place be to find prayer be in your heart if our hearts are "deceitfully wicked"?
Day 4: Can a man be renewed by divine grace and still be praying from the mind/lips?
How is it that we must first come to the mercy seat, then our hearts renewed by faith? Shouldn't our hearts be renewed by grace FIRST then we are then able to come to the mercy seat?
Day 5: What does a serious heart (yet be full of holy cheerfulness and joy) look like?
Day 1: What does Spurgeon mean by " ..I have frequently noticed that, when we earnestly desire to do something special for the Lord, he generally does something very much for us of the same kind."?
And why do you think that God doesn't always grant the desires that he gives us..such as not allowing David to build a house for the Lord (which seems like was from the Lord)....even though David desired it ever so much and saved and planned for it? Do you think the Lord ever withholds a fullfillment of a prayer/desire EVEN if he gives you the correct amount of giftings and talents for it?
Day 2: How do we approach to come before the mercy seat..if indeed we want our hearts aligned with God's will?
Day 3: How can the best place be to find prayer be in your heart if our hearts are "deceitfully wicked"?
Day 4: Can a man be renewed by divine grace and still be praying from the mind/lips?
How is it that we must first come to the mercy seat, then our hearts renewed by faith? Shouldn't our hearts be renewed by grace FIRST then we are then able to come to the mercy seat?
Day 5: What does a serious heart (yet be full of holy cheerfulness and joy) look like?
Cinco
"Oh, may God grant us the grace to have serious hearts,—hearts that are in solemn earnest,—hearts that are intense,—hearts that can really give due heed to things according to their merits, and that give to eternal things their chief concern, because eternal things deserve them best."
Amen! May we be zealous and earnest! If we aren't serious, then we likely won't do. If we ARE serious we will be doers. We cannot take prayer for granted or treat it flippantly. It is communication with the Holy One, our Heavenly Father.
Amen! May we be zealous and earnest! If we aren't serious, then we likely won't do. If we ARE serious we will be doers. We cannot take prayer for granted or treat it flippantly. It is communication with the Holy One, our Heavenly Father.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
4
As I read this I thought of the Matthew 7:7-11:
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
We must believe, we can because He has renewed our heart! We must ask, we can because we have hope and He said to! We must have faith, we can because He "planted the seeds" of faith in our heart and He is faithful. Why don't we seek more? Why don't we believe? Why lack of faith?
Are we being diligent to seek Him? No, matter how many times we have prayed for something keep asking, He will answer in His perfect timing. He knows what is best and His answer will be good for us! This should cause JOY to rise in our hearts!!!
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
We must believe, we can because He has renewed our heart! We must ask, we can because we have hope and He said to! We must have faith, we can because He "planted the seeds" of faith in our heart and He is faithful. Why don't we seek more? Why don't we believe? Why lack of faith?
Are we being diligent to seek Him? No, matter how many times we have prayed for something keep asking, He will answer in His perfect timing. He knows what is best and His answer will be good for us! This should cause JOY to rise in our hearts!!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Day 3
"I think it was because his heart had been renewed by divine grace. Prayer is a living thing; you cannot find a living prayer in a dead heart. No, sir, if you have not been made alive by the grace of God, you cannot pray. The dead cannot pray, and the spiritually dead cannot pray; but the moment you begin to pray, it is a sign that life has been given to you."
Amen! The only way we can pray and pray from the heart is because we have been renewed by grace! We are now ALIVE! Christ's death on the cross gave us access to the Father, which allows us to pray and communicate with Him. As it is stated in the Gospel Primer "We were elected to pray." Prayer is one of the many gifts given to us through saving grace. As with other gifts given to use we should use it. The gift of prayer is something I should use constantly, because I am now FREE to by the Blood of the Lamb!!!
Amen! The only way we can pray and pray from the heart is because we have been renewed by grace! We are now ALIVE! Christ's death on the cross gave us access to the Father, which allows us to pray and communicate with Him. As it is stated in the Gospel Primer "We were elected to pray." Prayer is one of the many gifts given to us through saving grace. As with other gifts given to use we should use it. The gift of prayer is something I should use constantly, because I am now FREE to by the Blood of the Lamb!!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Day Two Analysis
Jordan's post was an excellent commentary on this section, and is quite challenging. But the main thought that remained with me was from the very last sentence of today's section.
"We must look into our hearts for the desire to pray, and if we do not find it in our hearts to pray a prayer, let us rest assured that we shall not be accepted before the throne of God."
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think that Spurgeon is referring to salvation, or the accepting of only our prayers? If the latter, then can prayers be accepted without salvation?
I do agree that "we must look into our hearts for the desire to pray," but I would add the following: and also implore the Lord to give us a greater desire to do so daily.
"We must look into our hearts for the desire to pray, and if we do not find it in our hearts to pray a prayer, let us rest assured that we shall not be accepted before the throne of God."
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think that Spurgeon is referring to salvation, or the accepting of only our prayers? If the latter, then can prayers be accepted without salvation?
I do agree that "we must look into our hearts for the desire to pray," but I would add the following: and also implore the Lord to give us a greater desire to do so daily.
Segundo Dia
"How many, too, have found a prayer upon their lips! It is a very common thing with those who pray in prayer-meetings, and those of us who pray in public, for our lips to run much faster than our hearts move, and it is one of the things we need to cry to God to keep us from, lest we should be run away with by our own tongues. And, sometimes, words will come at a very rapid rate when there is very little real prayer conveyed by them. This is not as it ought to be with us, and we must look into our hearts for the desire to pray..."
This part stood out to me in light of our recent prayer meetings. Our tongues if not controlled can be dangerous. I want to be praying with sincerity and not just on the whim of my tongue. If the desire to pray is not in my heart and off the tongue, it could be out of a desire to impress rather than glorify God.
What thoughts do you have? Do you find it easier to pray from the head/tongue or the heart?
This part stood out to me in light of our recent prayer meetings. Our tongues if not controlled can be dangerous. I want to be praying with sincerity and not just on the whim of my tongue. If the desire to pray is not in my heart and off the tongue, it could be out of a desire to impress rather than glorify God.
What thoughts do you have? Do you find it easier to pray from the head/tongue or the heart?
Monday, July 21, 2008
Day 1
"How many men seem to begin to pray without really thinking about prayer! They rush, without preparation or thought, into this presence of God." Only a couple sentences into this article and I am already convicted! How kind of the Lord! As I read this I thought "this is how I often am...unfortunately." He goes on to talk about how diligently and faithfully someone prepares when they have to go before someone. When I am praying I am going before the GREATEST SOMEONE, my Heavenly Father! I know what it is like to not prepare and give a presentation and just "wing it." It usually doesn't come out how I wanted it to, as sincere, or showing that I really mean or know what I am talking about. It is carelessness. Then there are those times when I do prepare for something and I feel more at ease and comfortable and ready for questions and challenges. So, if I really prepare my heart before I come before the Lord then my times of prayer can be much more glorying to Him. If prepared I won't come fumbling for words and what to pray for or repeating the same things I always do with, so I can say I prayed. There is a difference I have experienced it myself...so why don't I ALWAYS come prepared???
"But David, when he wanted to pray, went and looked in his heart to see what he could find there, and he found in his heart to pray this prayer to God." I loved how Spurgeon talked about "talking to ourselves." Sounds familiar doesn't it :) In talking to myself, I might better understand what is going on in my heart and then know how I need to pray or what to pray for. If I just listen then I could mosey on along without seriously evaluating my heart. My prayer is that I would begin to constantly search my heart and see what I can find there, and find in my heart to pray this prayer to God!
"But David, when he wanted to pray, went and looked in his heart to see what he could find there, and he found in his heart to pray this prayer to God." I loved how Spurgeon talked about "talking to ourselves." Sounds familiar doesn't it :) In talking to myself, I might better understand what is going on in my heart and then know how I need to pray or what to pray for. If I just listen then I could mosey on along without seriously evaluating my heart. My prayer is that I would begin to constantly search my heart and see what I can find there, and find in my heart to pray this prayer to God!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Da Plan
I bet you thought it would never come...but here it is at LONG last!
I am open to changing this, but seems like this will work best. Some large and some small segments to help get us through this. I have it planned to start Monday. You read the portion assigned to the day and then post on/comment on other's postings. If you miss a day, fine. I know that this on top of your already heavy read loads, may not fit into your schedule for that day. I am putting day 11 in there for point 3 in the sermon, as a recap as to what God has shown you through this study and if you want to comment on that point.
- Read the introduction up to his first point. (Don't comment/post on this)
How Did David Come By His Prayer?
Day 1: "He looked for it in his heart."
Day 2: "The best place in which to find a prayer is to find it in your heart."
Day 3: "Because his heart had been renewed by divine grace."
Day 4: "Because his was a believing heart."
Day 5: "A serious heart."
Day 6: "A humble heart."
Day 7: "Do you pray" - Three Paragraphs
How Came David's Prayer To Be In His Heart?
Day 8: "Because the Lord put it there."
Day 9: "By encouragement."
Day 10: "By a sense of his general goodness."
Day 11: Recap...What is your perspective on prayer now? How has your understanding grown or been challenged?
I hope this makes sense! Let me know if you have any questions. I am REALLY excited about this!
I am open to changing this, but seems like this will work best. Some large and some small segments to help get us through this. I have it planned to start Monday. You read the portion assigned to the day and then post on/comment on other's postings. If you miss a day, fine. I know that this on top of your already heavy read loads, may not fit into your schedule for that day. I am putting day 11 in there for point 3 in the sermon, as a recap as to what God has shown you through this study and if you want to comment on that point.
- Read the introduction up to his first point. (Don't comment/post on this)
How Did David Come By His Prayer?
Day 1: "He looked for it in his heart."
Day 2: "The best place in which to find a prayer is to find it in your heart."
Day 3: "Because his heart had been renewed by divine grace."
Day 4: "Because his was a believing heart."
Day 5: "A serious heart."
Day 6: "A humble heart."
Day 7: "Do you pray" - Three Paragraphs
How Came David's Prayer To Be In His Heart?
Day 8: "Because the Lord put it there."
Day 9: "By encouragement."
Day 10: "By a sense of his general goodness."
Day 11: Recap...What is your perspective on prayer now? How has your understanding grown or been challenged?
I hope this makes sense! Let me know if you have any questions. I am REALLY excited about this!
Friday, July 11, 2008
My Experience Towards Prayer (In Response to Jordan's Post: Your Thoughts on Prayer)
My biggest issue can be a dullness and lack of joy in prayer, to which Stephen Charnock says the following:
"Cheerfulness and delight on our parts. Joy is tuning to the soul. The command to rejoice precedes the command to pray. "Rejoice evermore: pray without ceasing," 1 Thessalonians 5:16,17... Dullness is not suitable to the great things we are chiefly to beg for. The things revealed in the Gospel are a feast, Isaiah 25:6."
I still fight these things even as God is growing in me a passion for prayer which I desperately desire to cultivate. Remembering that God always hears AND answers our prayers is such a crucial truth, yet also is so easy to forget.
Let our request be as the disciples in Luke 11:1, coming to the Lord and pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, teach us to pray."
Andrew Murray stated the following in his book, With Christ in the School of Prayer (which I will most likely be quoting through this entire study):
As we see Him pray and remember that there is none who can pray like Him and none who can teach like Him, we feel the petition of the disciples, "Lord, teach us to pray," is just what we need. And as we think how all He is and has, how He Himself is our very own, how He is Himself our life, we feel assurred that we have but to ask, and He will be delighted to take us up into closer felloweship with Himself and teach us to pray even as He prays."
His closing prayer to the first lesson of the book is quite incredible. Let it be ours as well.
"Blessed Lord! Who ever livest to pray, Thou canst teach me, too, to pray, me, too, to live ever to pray. In this Thou lovest to make me shrare Thy glory in heaven, that I should pray without ceasing and ever stand as a priest in the presence of my God.
Lord Jesus! I ask Thee this day to enroll my name amoung those who confess that they know not how to pray as they ought, and specially ask Thee for a course of teaching in prayer. Lord! Teach me to tary with Thee in the school and give Thee time to train me. May a deep sense of my ignorance, of the wonderful priveledge and power of prayer, of the need of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of prayer lead me to cast away my thoughts of what I think I know and make me kneel before Thee in true teachableness and poverty of spirit.
And fill me, Lord, with the confidence that with such a teacher as Thou art I shall learn to pray. In the assurance that I have as my teacher, Jesus, who is ever praying to the Father and by His prayer rules the destinies of His church and the world, I will not be afraid. As much as I need to know of the mysteries of the prayer-world, Thou wilt unfold for me. And when I may not know, Thou wilt teach me to be strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Blessed Lord! Thou wilt not put to shame Thy scholar who trusts Thee, nor, by Thy grace, would he Thee either. Amen."
"Cheerfulness and delight on our parts. Joy is tuning to the soul. The command to rejoice precedes the command to pray. "Rejoice evermore: pray without ceasing," 1 Thessalonians 5:16,17... Dullness is not suitable to the great things we are chiefly to beg for. The things revealed in the Gospel are a feast, Isaiah 25:6."
I still fight these things even as God is growing in me a passion for prayer which I desperately desire to cultivate. Remembering that God always hears AND answers our prayers is such a crucial truth, yet also is so easy to forget.
Let our request be as the disciples in Luke 11:1, coming to the Lord and pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, teach us to pray."
Andrew Murray stated the following in his book, With Christ in the School of Prayer (which I will most likely be quoting through this entire study):
As we see Him pray and remember that there is none who can pray like Him and none who can teach like Him, we feel the petition of the disciples, "Lord, teach us to pray," is just what we need. And as we think how all He is and has, how He Himself is our very own, how He is Himself our life, we feel assurred that we have but to ask, and He will be delighted to take us up into closer felloweship with Himself and teach us to pray even as He prays."
His closing prayer to the first lesson of the book is quite incredible. Let it be ours as well.
"Blessed Lord! Who ever livest to pray, Thou canst teach me, too, to pray, me, too, to live ever to pray. In this Thou lovest to make me shrare Thy glory in heaven, that I should pray without ceasing and ever stand as a priest in the presence of my God.
Lord Jesus! I ask Thee this day to enroll my name amoung those who confess that they know not how to pray as they ought, and specially ask Thee for a course of teaching in prayer. Lord! Teach me to tary with Thee in the school and give Thee time to train me. May a deep sense of my ignorance, of the wonderful priveledge and power of prayer, of the need of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of prayer lead me to cast away my thoughts of what I think I know and make me kneel before Thee in true teachableness and poverty of spirit.
And fill me, Lord, with the confidence that with such a teacher as Thou art I shall learn to pray. In the assurance that I have as my teacher, Jesus, who is ever praying to the Father and by His prayer rules the destinies of His church and the world, I will not be afraid. As much as I need to know of the mysteries of the prayer-world, Thou wilt unfold for me. And when I may not know, Thou wilt teach me to be strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Blessed Lord! Thou wilt not put to shame Thy scholar who trusts Thee, nor, by Thy grace, would he Thee either. Amen."
Wellspring
Oh refuge of my hardened heart
oh fast pursuing lover come
as angels dance around your throne
my life by captured fair your own
not silhouette of trodden faith
nor death shall not my steps be guide
I'll pirouette upon my grave
for in your path I'll run and hide
Oh gaze of love
So melt my pride
That I may in your house but kneel
and in my brokenness to cry
spring worship unto thee
Spring worship unto thee
When beauty breaks the spell of pain
the bludgeoned heart shall burst in vain
but not when love be 'pointed king
for truth shall then forever reign
Sweet Jesus carry me away
from cold of night and dust of day
in ragged hour or salt worn eye
be my desire my wellspring lye- Hymn; Jars of Clay
As she continued praying, before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put away your wine from you." But Hannah answered, "No, no my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit, I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring my soul out before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation. Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made of him." And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes. " Then the woman went her way and ate and her face was no longer sad. - 1 Samuel 1: 12-18
Prayer is not mearily a means of talking or communicating but a yearning, a longing for such petitions that you are deemed "drunk" or crazy in the eyes of others. Hannah sought a son with tears. If then Hannah who sought a son with such yearning is thought crazy--how much more then should our desperation be for Christ? Yearning for that which can truly satisfy- God..prayer is then the scream and shout of the cracked and parched soul for the only comfort it will truly gain- GOD.
oh fast pursuing lover come
as angels dance around your throne
my life by captured fair your own
not silhouette of trodden faith
nor death shall not my steps be guide
I'll pirouette upon my grave
for in your path I'll run and hide
Oh gaze of love
So melt my pride
That I may in your house but kneel
and in my brokenness to cry
spring worship unto thee
Spring worship unto thee
When beauty breaks the spell of pain
the bludgeoned heart shall burst in vain
but not when love be 'pointed king
for truth shall then forever reign
Sweet Jesus carry me away
from cold of night and dust of day
in ragged hour or salt worn eye
be my desire my wellspring lye- Hymn; Jars of Clay
As she continued praying, before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put away your wine from you." But Hannah answered, "No, no my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit, I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring my soul out before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation. Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made of him." And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes. " Then the woman went her way and ate and her face was no longer sad. - 1 Samuel 1: 12-18
Prayer is not mearily a means of talking or communicating but a yearning, a longing for such petitions that you are deemed "drunk" or crazy in the eyes of others. Hannah sought a son with tears. If then Hannah who sought a son with such yearning is thought crazy--how much more then should our desperation be for Christ? Yearning for that which can truly satisfy- God..prayer is then the scream and shout of the cracked and parched soul for the only comfort it will truly gain- GOD.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Your Thoughts on Prayer
Before we begin I would love to hear what everyone thinks about prayer. Be honest, is it truly from your heart? Do you pray without ceasing? Do you really need to? Is it constant in your life or sporadic? Do you think God really hears you? Does praying build your faith or do you do it just to go "through the motions?" Anything other thoughts...
I am so sorry that I have not posted the article broken up by days yet, but I have been without internet, execpt at work, where I can only post on my lunch break and early before I start work. It is coming I promise :)
I am so sorry that I have not posted the article broken up by days yet, but I have been without internet, execpt at work, where I can only post on my lunch break and early before I start work. It is coming I promise :)
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