Category: Prayer

Certainly Not!

~ A Prayer Life ~ 1 Comment

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”

~ Romans 6:16

Those who would use the grace of God and the gift of eternal salvation as license to sin understand neither grace nor salvation. Though sadly, I fear many, practically, do just that. We rationalize our sin. We think to ourselves, “I’m saved, I go to church, I’m a basically good person – surely God won’t count this sin against me”. And yet once this kind of depraved thinking has crept into our hearts and minds, then just about anything is free game at that point.

Should we think because we have tasted the wonderful grace of God it’s ok to go back and drink the bitter waters of sinful living? The Scriptures are clear: Certainly not! Some translations render that phrase “God forbid!”. The grace of God is freedom, but it is freedom from sin and strength for holy living and faithfully serving the God and Christ of our salvation. Grace is license, not to sin, but to serve. What then? Will you use the grace of God to sin or to serve?

Prayer Life Pause: Father, help me to walk away from sin and to walk more in Your grace each and every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

~ apl

You Lord, Are Good

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications.

~ Psalm 86:5-6

Here in this passage we find one of the mightiest appeals for answered prayer – God’s own goodness. David could seek no higher ground upon which to lay the basis for his petitions than the Lord’s own character. “You, Lord, are good”. What a testimony! Such a declaration! It is because of the goodness of God that His servant, can, by faith, approach the Lord for forgiveness, healing and restoration of his heart and soul.

And if we think this view of God’s good character is limited to just this one Biblical witness, listen to the testimony throughout Scripture. In 1 Chronicles 16:34 we read, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Elsewhere the Old Testament prophet Nahum writes, “The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble” (1:7). Mark, the Gospel writer, would also declare, “No one is good but One, that is, God” (10:18).

A.W. Pink, in his classic work on the attributes of God, describes the Lord’s goodness this way, “God is summum bonum, the highest good… The “goodness” of God refers to the perfection of His nature… There is such an absolute perfection in God’s nature and being that nothing is wanting to it or defective in it, and nothing can be added to it to make it better… The goodness of God is the life of the believer’s trust. It is this excellency in God which most appeals to our hearts. Because His goodness endureth forever, we ought never to be discouraged…”

Rather than being discouraged, David pled God’s goodness as his greatest encouragement while approaching Him in prayer and supplication. Do you find God’s innate goodness as a reason to come to Him in prayer? Do you trust that the Lord is good, just and holy and always ready to listen? May we rest upon the character of God and His goodness as the high ground while seeking His face during seasons of communion, fellowship and prayer with our Lord.

~ apl

God Will Answer

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“In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me”.

~ Psalm 86:7

A true believer can have the blessed assurance the Lord is there for them in times of trouble. One of the greatest comforts in Scripture is the idea that God provides for His people; that Jehovah Jireh, God Our Provider, furnishes the needs of those who will faithfully call upon Him in times of adversity, trouble or affliction.

Notice, in our verse today, the confidence the Psalmist displays is not because of himself. His assurance does not lie the astuteness of his prayer, or the correctness of his doctrine. The words of our prayers in times of trouble may not carry much eloquence or refinement of speech. But if they are issued with even the faith of a mustard seed, they can be lifted up with the same assurance of David when he declared, “You (God) will answer me”.

When we are faced with our own day of trouble is God the first place we turn for help? Is He a second choice, third choice, or even a last resort? Do you believe if you will but make God your refuge in times of adversity that you will find Him faithful, strong and true? May the troubled humbled heart take away from our passage today that if it will but call upon the Lord, He will be near you. God will answer.

~ apl

Healing The Heart

~ A Prayer Life ~ 6 Comments

“[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted…”

~ Psalm 147:3

My uncle used to have one of those gigantic tool boxes that affixed to the the bed of his pickup truck. That thing was stuffed full of every kind of tool you could ever think of. If you needed it, my uncle had it. In fact, he had an old saying. If you asked him if he had a hammer, saw, screwdriver or some odd tool you could borrow, he would smile and say, “I got a tool to fixed everything, but a broken heart”.

There are some things even the best made tools of man cannot fix. In Psalm 147, we see it is the Lord who is the divine repairer of broken hearts. He can and does heal us when we are sorrowful and in need of His loving grace. God is a source of supreme comfort and peace when all else fails. Though we might find some temporary solace in this world and through other “tools”, it is the Lord who promises, if we will but come to Him, He will heal our broken heart.

~ apl

His Precious Word

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“Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible. But I often spent a quarter of an hour to an hour on my knees struggling to pray while my mind wandered. Now I rarely have this problem. As my heart is nourished by the truth of the Word, I am brought into true fellowship with God. I speak to my Father and to my Friend (although I am unworthy) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.”

~ George Muller

Covered in His Garment

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“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a `kinsmen-redeemer of our family.”

~ Ruth 3:9

Boaz was Ruth’s kinsmen redeemer. Under the Old Covenant, the male next of kin was responsible to provide for, take care of and protect a relative in need. In the Book of Ruth, it is Boaz who comes in and provides for his relative Ruth in the most personal and loving manner – by taking her as his bride. In doing this, Boaz showed himself faithful to his duty as a kinsmen by redeeming Ruth as his wife. As a result, and many years later, Ruth would become the great-grand mother to Israel’s King David.

As Boaz spread his garment over Ruth as symbol of his love and care for her, so the Lord Christ covers his bride in the robes of His righteousness (Is. 61:10). We are no longer exposed to God’s judgment because of our sins and transgressions. Rather, Jesus takes us in, and washes us clean by the Holy Spirit (Tit 3:5) and claims us for Himself (1 Cor. 6:20). Like Ruth, do you confess to be Christ’s servant? Have you asked Him to cover you in His love, mercy and grace? If so, rejoice! For Jesus has become your kinsmen-redeemer!

~ apl

Keep Thy Crown

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“Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

~ Revelation 3:11

Hold fast the gift which divine grace hath already bestowed on thee; the loss of it were the loss of thy crown. This exhortation is made necessary by such facts as these: – There is a tendency in the mind to under-estimate the gifts already in possession, and to forget how absolute is the connection between present grace and eventual glory; and there is also a tendency to depreciate the power and subtlety of the adversaries… Hold fast that which thou hast of love, faith, patience, prayerfulness, humility, knowledge, courage, perseverance. It may seem a light thing to give way to an erring momentary impulse; but understand that in that moment a bold, unscrupulous hand was stretched out to snatch away thy crown.

~ Rev. George Bowen (1816-1888)

Into the Bosom of God

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“Christ choosing solitude for private prayer, doth not only hint to us the danger of distraction and deviation of thoughts in prayer, but how necessary it is for us to choose the most convenient places we can for private prayer. Our own fickleness and Satan’s restlessness call upon us to get into such places where we may freely pour out our soul into the bosom of God.”

~ Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

God & Idols?

~ A Prayer Life ~ 1 Comment

“Thus says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations” ~ Ezk. 14:6

There is no room in your heart for both God and idols. The Lord desires to sit on that throne and does not tolerate any idol competing for your love, devotion and affections. We cannot serve both God and mammon (idols). The call to all true believers is to turn away from every form of idolatry and to turn heart, soul and mind to God in Christ. It is the doubled-minded person who tries to serve God and keep secret sins, desires and idols tucked away in their heart. Let us be willing and eager to repent from these things. And turn in faith, hope and prayer to the Lord and God of our salvation.

~ apl