The Verification of Things By the SPIRIT

“May thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee” (ref#76, p73).

FATHER, I comprehend the Word and Your witness of CHRIST only by revelation. Christianity is only understood through revelation. You are higher than I so it stands to reason You must reveal Yourself to me; I cannot find You on my own.

It does me no good to gather facts and make my decision on what I gather. The scientific method of discovery does not work in pursuing Christianity.

FATHER, teach me that You impress Yourself on me with my senses, not by passing facts through my mind. When I put a piece of chocolate in my mouth I sense the taste of it. When I look at a flower I perceive its color (ref#56, p1677 “The Authentication of Scripture”). When Your SPIRIT apprehends I understand Your Word spoken or read.

May I never forget that I have, and always will have on this earth, a darkened mind—one that can’t comprehend spiritual matters. I need Your SPIRIT to reveal spiritual affairs. Come SPIRIT and bear witness in my heart.

“The Spirit shines in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:6),…also the light of His glory in the teaching of Holy Scripture” (ref#56, p1677 “The Authentication of Scripture”).

And, too, FATHER, remind me that even though Christianity is You revealing Yourself, You do not impart new information about Yourself through the SPIRIT. There is nothing You want me to comprehend other than what is in Your Word.

“The Spirit’s witness to Scripture…is not a matter of imparting new information, but of enlightening…darkened minds to discern divinity through sensing its unique impact…” (ref#56, p1677 “The Authentication of Scripture”).

FATHER, send Your SPIRIT in a way as direct and immediate as the way tastes and colors impress themselves on my senses (ref#56, p1677 “The Authentication of Scripture”).

Praise to You, SPIRIT. I love Your enlightening.

Prayer Facts:

“I must hear the person who gives me the promise. The very tone of his voice gives me courage to believe. I must see him. In the light of his eye and countenance, all fear as to my right to take fades away” (ref#11, p70).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because Your truthfulness and honesty is shown through CHRIST becoming a servant and a minister (Rom 15:8), I will wait for You.
Because Your Son, JESUS CHRIST, is the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev 1:5), I will wait for Y ou.

Because through Your Son’s death He brings to naught and makes of no effect him who had the power of death (Heb 2:14), I will wait for You.
Because CHRIST has the power, authority and right on earth to forgive sins (Luke 5:24), I will wait for You.

Because JESUS saves me from my sins and prevents me from failing and missing the true end and scope of life which is You (Matt 1:21), I will wait for You.

O MOST HIGH

O MOST HIGH, I will give thanks,
With my whole heart; I will thank You.
I will recount all Your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in You (Ps 9:1-2).

Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,
Or declare all His praise (Ps 106:2)?
Full of splendor and majesty is all His work (Ps 111:3).

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so (Ps 107:2).

He remembers His covenant forever (Ps 105:8).
All His precepts are trustworthy (Ps 111:7).
He satisfies the longing soul,
And the hungry soul He fills with good things (Ps 107:9).

You have turned for me…
My mourning into dancing;
You have clothed me with gladness (Ps 30:11).
I will sing Your praise and not be silent (Ps 30:12).

I give thanks to You, for You are good,
Your steadfast love endures forever (Ps 136:1).

I will sing praise to Your name,
O MOST HIGH (Ps 9:2).

When We Teach

FATHER, on occasion we all teach and when we do, give us a large portion of “Godly fear” for when we teach we will be judged more severely than others (James 3:1). When I am in the teaching role, by Your HOLY SPIRIT, make (him/her) a skillful instructor of Your Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15). (He/She) is Your workman, cause (him/her) not to be ashamed. Guide (him/her) to correctly analyze and accurately handle and skillfully teach Your Word (2 Tim 2:15).

Make me sober and not flippant so (he/she) avoids all empty, vain, and useless talk (2 Tim 2:16). Give (him/her) the ability to preach, proclaim, warn and admonish (his/her) charges instructing them in the ways and purposes of Your spiritual truths. Impassion (him/her) to embrace the goal of presenting every person mature in CHRIST (Col 1:28), even if it be small children.

And, most of all FATHER, pour upon me the same strong SPIRIT of faith as You did for the Bible writers themselves, giving (him/her) the ability to speak as (he/she) believes (2 Cor 4:13).

Reasons for Affliction – To Humble

FATHER, humility is good even if it takes affliction to gain it (Ps 119:67). Certainly if ____ walks in pride You are able to humble (him/her) with affliction (Dan 4:37). The great Nebuchadnezzar praised and honored You when You gave him back his right mind after humbling him (Dan 4:28-37).

You can make ____ weak and helpless—even placing (his/her) life in jeopardy (Job 30:11). But when (he/she) is humble You are able to lead (him/her) in what is right and teach (him/her) (Ps 25:9), doing good to (him/her) in the end (Deut 8:16). “The season of trial is often the sanctified season of revival” (ref#61, Sept 2nd). You save a humble people (2 Sam 22:28).

“The Bible doesn’t present suffering as a hindrance to our redemption, but as a tool God uses to work his redemptive purpose in us…” (ref#5, p143).

All adversities work for good (Rom 8:28). Yet adversity is not pleasant at the time. FATHER, uphold ____ when (he/she) relates to Job in suffering:

“Terrors are turned upon me;…my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. ‘And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me” (Job 30:15-16 ESV).

You are ____’s very present help in trouble (Ps 46:1). Yes, (his/her) flesh and (his/her) heart may fail, but You FATHER, are the strength of (his/her) heart (Ps 73:26). And I know this suffering will make (him/her) content in other adverse circumstances because of this present humbling (Phil 4:11-13).

Teach Me

FATHER, if You are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with you (Ex 33:13). Give me understanding so I might put into practice Your commands with all my heart (Ps 119:34). Make me understand what you want, for then I shall see Your miracles (Ps 119:27). LORD, tell me Your ways, show me how to live, guide me in Your truth, and teach me (Ps 25:4-5).

Oh that I may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of CHRIST (Eph 3:17-18). Flood my life with light so I can understand the wonderful future You have promised to me (Eph 1:18).

Make me stand firm, mature, and fully convinced, in complete obedience to Your will (Col 4:12). By Your power fulfill every good purpose of mine and every act prompted by my faith (2 Thes 1:1). Strengthen me with Your glorious power so I will have all the patience and endurance I need (Col l:1). May I understand the

incredible greatness of Your power for it is the same mighty power that raised CHRIST from the dead (Eph 1:19-20).

Let me search for it as for a hidden treasure for in it I’ll find You, and understand and know You (Prov 2:3-5). I desire to experience the love of CHRIST—to be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from You (Eph 3:19). Draw me LORD, back to You and not to activities I might do for You. AMEN.

Pride

“Pride slays thanksgiving…A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves” Henry Ward Beecher (ref#130, p177). “Pride is self-absorption whether we’re absorbed with how miserable we are or how wonderful we are” (ref#105, p58).

“As long as we have a conceited, self-righteous idea that we can do the thing if God will help us, God has to allow us to go on until we break the neck of our ignorance over some obstacle…The bedrock of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility” (ref#118, p14).

FATHER, it is true that “low self-esteem usually means that I think too highly of myself….The reason I feel bad about myself is that I aspire to something more” (ref#106, p32). But, why do I want others, even JESUS to think I am great (ref#106, p19)?

“The first biblical perspective on the fear of man is that it is the result of the nakedness that comes from sin. Because of sin still present within us, we experience embarrassment, shame, the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. As a result, we try to protect ourselves and avoid the gaze of others….even though it feels as if other people are doing the exposing, in reality we carry the shame with us all the time. Other people simply trigger its appearance” (ref#106, p35).

“’Christ could afford to be humble as He served upon this earth. After all, He was the Son of God. He had nothing to prove. Yet does His Word not also say that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ?’” (ref#105, p66).

I have nothing to prove. No one can be in a better position than a child of GOD. Yes, I confess to attempting to be a spiritual giant instead of taking on humility. FATHER, humble and test me so You can do me good (Deut 8:16).

“Enthrall us with Yourself. And break the power of all lesser pleasures” (ref#124, p163).

Ps 111

Great are Your works, O LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is Your work,

and Your righteousness endures forever.

You have caused Your wondrous works to be remembered;

You, the LORD are gracious and merciful.
You provide food for those who fear You;
You remember Your covenant forever.

You have shown Your people the power of Your works,

in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of Your hands are faithful and just;
all Your precepts are trustworthy;

they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

You sent redemption to Your people;
You have commanded Your covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is Your name (Ps 111:2-9)!
I praise You Lord!
I will give thanks with my whole heart (Ps 111:1).

for Your praise endures forever (Ps 111:10)!

CHRIST’s Autobiography

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev 22:13 NASU).
“…I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades” (Rev 1:18 NASU).

“…I am in the Father and the Father is in Me;…” (John 14:11 NASU).
“…I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38 NKJV).
“…He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone…” (John 8:29 NKJV).
“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father…” (John 5:30 NKJV).

“…’I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 NKJV). “‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1 NKJV).

“…I came to give life—life in all its fullness” (John 10:10 NCV).

Prayer Facts:

“Only when we live with God in a personal, loving relationship where God himself is everything to us,…is a capacity developed to believe that He gives whatsoever we ask” (ref#11, p69-70).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You have Your way in the whirlwind and in the storm (Nahum 1:3), I will wait for You.
Because You determine and count the number of stars and call them all by their names (Ps 147:4), I will wait for You.

Because You make lightenings for rain and bring forth the wind out from Your storehouses (Jer 10:13), I will wait for You.
Because You do great things past finding out and marvelous thing without number (Job 9:10), I will wait for You.