In the Closet

But thou, when thou prayest, 

enter into thy closet, 

and when thou hast shut thy door, 

pray to thy Father which is in secret... 

Matthew 6:6

Lord, I have shut the door,
Speak now the word
Which through the din and throng 
Could not be heard;
Hushed now my inner heart
Whisper Thy will
While I have come apart
While all is still.

Lord, I have shut the door,
Here do I bow;
Speak, for my soul attent
Turns to Thee now;
Rebuke Thou what is vain,
Counsel my soul,
Thy holy will reveal,
My will control.

In this blest quietness
Clamorings cease;
Here in Thy presence dwells
Infinite peace;
Yonder, the strife and cry,
Yonder, the sin;
Lord, I have shut the door,
Thou art within!

Lord, I have shut the door,
Strengthen my heart;
Yonder awaits the task
I share a part;
Only through grace bestowed
May I be true,
Here, while alone with Thee
My strength renew.

~ William Runyan


(public domain)


Have you spent time in the closet today?


photo: americanbella

His Ways Past Finding Out

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! ~ Romans 11:33


Here's what I read this morning by Oswald Chambers:

We have no conception of what God is aiming at, and as we go on it gets more and more vague. God's aim looks like missing the mark because we are too short sighted to see what He is aiming at. Naturally, our ambitions are our own; in the Christian life we have no aim of our own. There is so much said today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament it is the aspect of God's compelling that is brought out. "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." We are not taken up into conscious agreement with God's purpose, we are taken up into God's purpose without any consciousness at all.

God's purpose has been on my mind a lot lately. I have been praying for certain people in my life for what feels like quite some time. And it seems like God just isn't moving. You know what I mean? Nothing is happening. At least from my point of view. (I already know that God wants them to walk with Him, but they are choosing not to, and He has given them that free will.)

At times I start to feel, "What good are my prayers when they have a free will to do whatever they want anyway?" And on the other side, "If God is sovereign, then what good is it to pray earnestly for these people?"

Of course, Jesus taught us to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1). Paul taught us to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). And "God is not unrighteous to forget [my] work and labour of love..." (Hebrews 6:10).

I have a long way to go in understanding the doctrines of predestination, foreknowledge, and sovereignty, but I do know that God wants me to pray. I don't know God's purpose. I don't always see where He is working in someone's life. And I don't always see what He is doing in my own life through learning patience in prayer! But I can be sure, He is good and up to something good! And He will work all  things together for good (Romans 8:28). Why? To conform me to the image of His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29)!

There was a rough period in my life when my mom would often start singing this song to encourage me:

Though you cannot see and you can't quite understand,

Remember God is still in control;

He has promised to bring you through somehow,

And He's working even now!

God is working, He's still working,

God is working even now;

Though we often don't know just how,

God is working, He's still working,

God is working even now.

Carol Cymbala, sung by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come to mind. In Daniel 3:17-18, they answered King Nebuchadnezzar, who had threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace:

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. BUT IF NOT..."

What if we took this attitude toward prayer?

I am asking for certain things, God, and I believe You are able and willing to ________. BUT IF NOT, (if You don't choose to allow it to happen the way I would like), I will still love, live for, walk with You, and trust in You, because You are sovereign and You are good.

Mother's Day

This weekend I am praying for all the women who desire to be a mom and for whatever reason are not.

I know how you feel.

Romans 8:28 seems trite, yet it is true. No matter the hurt, God will work it all out for good to those who love Him. Love involves trust, and you can trust the *good* heart of God. He knows why.

I am thankful for the three [step]children God has given me through marriage, and the granddaughter we have with us in our home, but for many years it was not so for me. I was alone, and I longed for children. There is still, at times, a little ache inside when conversations come up about pregnancy, carrying a child inside your body... and the statements--albeit true--that "you cannot understand until you experience it."

When I hurt like that, I must ask myself two questions:

1. Will I trust the good hand of God? That He knew best for me and that He allowed it to happen in my life the way it did for a reason? (Or will I choose to be bitter about it?)

2. Is there another area in which I do this to someone else? Another topic/area of life entirely where I may have been granted something that they have not. If God puts His finger on an area, am I willing to be more sensitive to that person (even if he/she is not sensitive to me), realizing the hurt he/she may be feeling? Am I willing to see him/her through Jesus' eyes?

I Am Redeemed!

Do you really know what it means to be redeemed by Jesus?
Sometimes when I'm doing a word study in the Bible, it's meaningful to me to simply look in the dictionary. Thefreedictionary.com gives this definition of "redeem":
1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.
2. To pay off.
3. To turn in and receive something in exchange.
4. To fulfill.
5. To convert into cash: redeem stocks.
6. To set free; rescue or ransom.
7. To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences.
8. To make up for.
9. To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of.
Well, that was enough for me!
Lord Jesus, I thank You that You recovered ownership of my soul from the prince of the power of the air, the enemy of my soul by paying the price of Your death on the cross.
Thank You for paying off my sin debt!
Thank You for turning over Your body and life in exchange for mine!
Thank You for fulfilling me--that You are all I need. Ever.
Thank You, Jesus, for converting me from worthless to something worthwhile through Your indwelling Spirit in me.
Thank You for setting me free, rescuing and ransoming me from the devil!
Thank You for saving me from my sinful state and its consequences, which would have been to be eternally separated from God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and from you.
Thank You for making up the difference for everything in my life. All things are but loss for the excellency of Your power!
Thank You for providing me honour, worth, and reputation by allowing me to just BE IN YOU.
Thank You, Jesus, that I AM REDEEMED!


Note: If you have trouble playing the video, you may need to pause it until it completely loads. Then try playing it. It's worth the wait!

Precious Promises

Photo courtesy Monique Tremblay

Is there someone for whom you have prayed and prayed, and there still seems to be no change? I have several relatives for whom I regularly pray, and I'll be honest, sometimes I'm discouraged. There seems to be no hope that they will ever desire a new and better way--God's way. Some of them claim to be saved, some I feel sure are saved, some I'm not so sure.

One Rodney Griffin song (sung by Greater Vision) is an encouragement when I feel like giving up. Rodney prayed every single day for more than a decade for his father-in-law Reggie to be saved, and just two months before Reggie finally surrendered to the Lord, God gave Rodney this song to inspire him to keep praying!


It Pays To Pray

Verse 1
Hand in hand at the altar
In tears of celebration
We’d never seen them smile like this before
She’d spent her life ‘a prayin’
On bended knee ‘a stayin’
And this morning he surrendered to the Lord
There’s a message in her story
Only God can get the glory
When a child of His keeps knocking at the door

CHORUS
It Pays To Pray
It Pays to call upon His name
It Pays To Pray
To see a miracle displayed
You’ll forget the word, “impossible”
When you seek the Savior’s face
You’ll know He will make a way
It Pays To Pray

Verse 2
You’re tempted to quit prayin’
You feel He’s never listenin’
The time has come and you must make a choice
Do you stop believin’
Forget what you’ve been seekin’
Or do you resolve that Jesus hears your voice?
He will hush the angel praises
Just to hear what you are sayin’
And at any moment now you will rejoice

Bridge
Prayer is just as big as God is.
Prayer is just as strong as God is strong
Prayer can reach as far as God can reach.
Don’t ever give up just pray.

Words and Music by Rodney Griffin, ©2007 Songs of Greater Vision, BMI

Watch Rodney share the story and sing the song here:

A week ago I found out that a man for whom my family had prayed for more than 20 years finally gave his heart to the Lord! Yesterday God gave me a promise for the others for whom I'm still praying:
"...it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God." ~ Hosea 1:10

This was a promise for the nation of Israel. God said He would restore them to the point that He is able to say they are His sons--at the same place (or situation) where they previously rejected God! This week as I read it, God impressed it upon me as His Promise for some dear ones for whom I'm praying. Now that's an awesome promise!

He Is Calling

Photo courtesy Monique Tremblay

Lately I have felt the Lord's continual prompting to prayer. Not just a little "Thank You for this day" kind of prayer, but real, earnest prayer. Effectual. Fervent. (James 5:16) I know that I can take more opportunities to pray than I do.

Recently our ladies' Bible study group had an evening focusing on prayer. From a book by Terry Teykl, I adapted the following as I was convicted about not being prepared when I entered the House of God each Sunday.

Preparing Your Heart
~praying over church services~
"...early will I seek Thee..." Psalm 63:1

Driving to church... Humble your heart before God; confess any sin in your heart; pray for HIS arrival; ask God to protect all who are coming to church; ask God to draw unbelievers and newcomers.

Seeing the church sign... Pray for it to attract those who need to be there; request the Holy Spirit to work

Parking the car... Ask the Spirit to put a hunger in the heart of each person as they arrive.

Coming through the front door and lobby... Ask God to allow His angels to protect each entrance.

Entering the sanctuary... Praise Him for what He will do. Believe God for the "greater works" Jesus promised in John 14:12.

Passing by each pew... Pray for particular families to hear the message they need that day.

Kneeling at the altar... Pray for people to respond to the Holy Spirit at the altar call.

Pausing at the pulpit... Ask God to enable Pastor to preach with boldness and compassion; pray for Jesus to be seen.

On the platform... Lift up the musicians, asking God to work through the gift of music.

Walking down the aisle... Ask God to call more labourers into the harvest of the world.

Now this might seem like a tall order, but how could our church be affected if every church member were this serious about prayer before coming to church? What if every church member came to the church on Saturday or early Sunday morning to pray this way?

Then I was reminded how many times I grumble when I could pray. The Lord brought to mind these prayer prompts:

Life Happenings... My Response...

Face Book statuses request prayer or reveal a lack of a walk with God... Rather than write a rebuking comment, I can pray for the person.

I see a mentally challenged or physically challenged person... Rather than reacting with disgust—or even unwanted pity—I can pray for the person and their family members.

Someone gets mad in a store... Rather than getting mad in return or turning away in disgust and gossiping about them, I can pray for them to come to know Jesus or to learn to walk with Jesus.

A driver cuts me off... Rather than getting mad, yelling, or driving crazy to get back at them, I can pray for them to come to know Jesus or to learn to walk with Jesus.

A worker in a store is rude... Instead of being rude in return, I can be kind and I can pray for them to come to know Jesus or to learn to walk with Jesus.

I drive by a funeral home or get stuck behind a funeral procession... Rather than getting irritated, I can pray for the family, especially those who don’t know Jesus.

My spouse, child, (or any family member) is grouchy... Instead of being crabby in return, I can pray for God to be more real to them today.

I have a ton of ironing, laundry to fold, or another chore I don’t want to do... Instead of watching TV or being irritated and grumbling over the work, I can pray through a prayer list or using missionary cards or family photos, while I’m ironing, etc.

I see a billboard with a worldly advertisement... Instead of fuming over the wickedness of the world, I can pray for the people who made the billboard, the people who see the billboard, and even ask God to miraculously remove it.

I drive by a bar or another worldly establishment... Instead of merely musing, What is this world coming to?, I can pray for the people who run the bar, the people who are in the bar, and even ask God to miraculously close down the bar or other worldly establishment.

My boss is in a bad mood... Rather than letting it ruin my day, I can pray for him, his family, and other workers in the business, knowing that I don’t see the whole picture: there may be other issues going on in his life.

Someone says, "Please pray for..." Instead of thinking, "I’ll pray for them in my quiet time," I can pray a short one- or two-sentence prayer for them right then and there—aloud, with the person, or silently.

I don’t know what to do... Rather than panicking, allowing myself to become stressed, or snapping at others, I can stop everything and lay the matter honestly before the Lord, asking Him to show me clearly what to do.

Ask the Lord to prompt you to pray. It will change your outlook on everything in your life.

Prayer Walk

Another meaningful way to pray is to take a prayer walk. You can do this in your home or in your neighbourhood, or downtown. Where would you like to see God work? Walk around those areas and bathe them in prayer. Spend time in your children's bedrooms and pray for them after they have gone to school in the morning. Ask God to do the miraculous in their lives. Walk through your neighbourhood and pray for your neighbours, asking God to help you see ways you can reach them for Christ. Walk through downtown and pray for God to help you and your church reach the people you see. Pray specifically for people you see as you walk, even if you don't know them.

Mark 11:24 says, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them." But even when God says, "Wait," there is a reason. Trust Him, but don't stop praying!

A True Prayer Story

A true story is told that a pastor once identified two groups of people in the white pages. The church prayed over the names of one of the groups of people for thirty days. At the end of the thirty days, the people in both groups--both on the prayer list and not on the prayer list--were contacted and simply asked if they had any prayer requests. Of the list that had not been prayed over, none responded or shared any prayer requests. Of the list that had been prayed over, nearly all gave a prayer request and some even invited the church members to their home for coffee! Other than the time spent in prayer, these were considered cold calls!

Never underestimate the power of prayer! Is He calling YOU? Will you really pray today?

My Tea Spot

As promised... here's where I have tea with God--at least at this juncture of life! It frequently changes with the seasons. My red chair is a happy, contented place for me to be!

Across the room is our stereo, and I love having a remote control--so I can be lazy!--to turn on relaxing, instrumental music to quiet my heart before the Lord. It helps me to listen for His voice and be content to stay in my chair until I hear from Him. There are other times when I need a lift, and I play an upbeat Southern Gospel CD.

Next to my chair, I keep a basket with pens and coloured pencils/pencil crayons to mark things in my Bible, a pencil sharpener, missionaries' prayer cards that I've collected through the years, and my prayer notebook.

My prayer notebook is where I write specific prayer requests, things that I am asking God for, with the date requested. When it is answered, I circle it in red and write the date answered.

We know that, based on Scripture (Jeremiah 33:3 and countless others), God always answers, even when He seems silent. He is a loving Father, not an absent or aloof Father. Maybe for a time, His answer is "Wait" because He is teaching me something, or He has something better than what I asked for! It is exciting to keep track of His specific answers and to be able to look back and see how He is working in my life!

Comment below and tell me where your tea spot with God is, or share an exciting answer to prayer you've had recently! I'd love to hear from you!

A Good Thought on Prayer

“The hunger of the Father’s heart is satisfied when He finds His offspring turning to Him and placing simple confidence in His unfailing promises… God’s great heart of love delights in giving… by this very giving He seeks to bring out the latent qualities of our hearts… Prayer… is no mere asking… granting, and receiving… It is love giving itself out… and receiving… worship and surrender. So love is at the root of prayer, and love gets its way. Not only does love wish to grant the gifts, but love wishes to hear the… loved one expressing the need.” –G. Granger Fleming