“O Lord, I stand very much in need of greater grace, if You want me to attain that spiritual frame of mind that allows no one to keep me from You” (ref#147, p185).

Obedience

FATHER, You send Your HOLY SPIRIT to quicken me (John 6:63). For I am as one dead (John 5:25).

CHRIST, You work out Your righteousness in me. You make me realize its preciousness. Your righteousness in obeying perfectly all the law is imputed to me (ref#35, p298). So I am perfectly accepted by the FATHER (ref#35, p297).

The work of the HOLY SPIRIT is to prepare me for obedience; He enables me to be obedient and brings forth the fruits of obedience (ref#35, p305).

Everything the Triune GOD does for me is to make it possible to be obedient. My obedience to You gives You glory and honor. You give me everything and my only proper response is obedience (ref#35, p306). This is all I can give You. My every other interaction with You is all about receiving from You.

“…divine love…begins with the Father, is carried on by the Son, and then communicated by the Spirit; the Father designing, the Son purchasing, the Spirit effectually working” (ref#35, p302). I ascend “to the Father’s love through the work of the Spirit and blood of the Son” (ref#35, p302).

The SPIRIT is first, working in my heart giving me an interest in CHRIST’s blood. Then my interest is accepted by the FATHER.

TRIUNE GOD, I adore the labor-intense means You exert Yourself for me. I am triply blessed by Your means—blessed much more than if You would describe Yourself as just “the One GOD who saves me.” You are not a GOD who is far off (Jer 23:23).

Prayer Facts:

“…prayer is indeed a power, on which the ingathering of the harvest and the coming of the Kingdom do in very truth depend….So wonderful is the
surrender of His work into the hands of His Church, so dependent has the
Lord made Himself on them as His body, through whom alone His work can
be done, so real is the power which the Lord gives His people to exercise in heaven and earth, that the number of the labourers and the measure of the harvest does actually depend upon their prayer” (ref#19, NINTH LESSON).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because not one sparrow is forgotten or uncared for in Your presence (Luke 12:6), I will wait for You.
Because the ravens neither sow nor reap yet You feed them (Luke 12:24), I will wait for Y ou.

Because You care for me (1 Pet 5:7), I will wait for You.
Because You number every hair on my head (Luke 12:7), I will wait for You. Because You meet all my needs according to Your glorious riches in CHRIST (Phil 4:19), I will wait for You.

Inextinguishable

FATHER, You are high above all nations (Ps 113:4).

You are a splendid monarch—
stately and magnificent—
regal and unquelled (ref#110, p1129, 1462).

Your name will be feared among the nations (Mal 1:14)

You oversee, direct and manage (ref#110, p1345)
for You are inextinguishable—
unable to be quenched or stopped (ref#110, p691).

Your glory is above the heavens (Ps 113:4).
You predominate—
You have authority—
You influence and hold sway everyone (ref#110, p1062).

You are a great King (Mal 1:14)—
self-reliant in all You do—
depending on Your own judgment (ref#110, p1218).
You cannot be subdued or put an end to (ref#110, p1462).

Thanks for Assurances

FATHER, You have created an entire book describing the specific ways You approach Your lover (Song of Songs). You do everything but stand on Your head to get my attention. A devotional could not hold all the words of assurance You write attempting to prove Your love toward me. But, let me name a few that it may jog my memory and cause me to thank You for Your love that is as strong as death (Song 8:6).

Your love never wanes. When I am happy with myself or when I am disappointed with my actions, it doesn’t affect our relationship for You continually accept me. When I look within I exclaim there is nothing acceptable there but You look at me through CHRIST where everything is acceptable. I am Your “divine delight” (Eph 1:6) (ref#34, Sept 23rd AM).

When my poor faith concludes I am a “baby Christian,” You assure me that I have just as much right to covenant mercies as advanced believers. I am completely justified—my justification is not a thing of degrees.

“…your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself. Your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token of your inheritance in Him” (ref#34, Oct 19th AM).

FATHER, I did not choose You, You chose me (John 15:16). True, I did commit to You but You had my name written in Your book of life before You formed the world.

You have drawn me and will continue in Your faithfulness toward me. Your love is an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). You commit to me forever providing justice, fairness, love and kindness. You will be forever faithful to me no matter what I do (Hos 2:19-20)!

I thank You for all Your assurances You add to Scripture. Even if I am the weakest Christian, in JESUS I am Your child (Gal 4:7).

Standing Before the Cross

“…the love which Christ has [for me] presses on me from all sides, holding me to one end and prohibiting me from considering any other, wrapping itself around me in tenderness, giving me an impelling motive,…” (ref#37, p424, [2 Cor 5:14]).

FATHER, this is how CHRIST’s love moves me—controls me. In words He is able to express His love for me. In words He draws me to Himself as I desire His closeness. Reviewing CHRIST at the Cross is a place where I am reminded again of His impelling love.

“What about the Son of Man…As we stand before the cross, we should feel as if we are standing upon a battlefield, the ground still wet with blood and pain. The screams, His cries of thirst, should still ring our ears” (ref#137, p181).

In experiencing the strength of CHRIST’s love, it’s moving enough to dwell on His physical agony, but FATHER, paint a word-picture of His emotional agony that I may have a deeper concept of His willingness to offer me
His love.

Jesus cried out, “Why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:46). FATHER, You separated Yourself from Him because You were too holy to look upon sin. I see CHRIST’s tear-filled eyes looking for You (ref#137, p181)…

Wrath

“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty….” (Nah 1:2-3 ESV).

FATHER, I can think, act, and feel humble—actually fall on my knees before You, but if I’m not routinely pleading for JESUS to forgive my sins, I stand before You prideful, not humble and Your wrath is upon me. You cannot tolerate the pride of man (Prov 8:13).

You did not spare angels when they sinned, but committed them to chains to be kept until the judgment (2 Pet 2:4). You did not spare the ancient world, but preserved only Noah and seven others (2 Peter 2:5). You turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, condemning them to extinction making them as an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly (2 Peter 2:6).

I am always unholy, standing in the way of Your wrath. I am a city like Sodom if I do not continually grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord, JESUS (2 Pet 3:18). “This knowledge is the ever-deepening experience of Christ and understanding of His truth” (ref#56, p1825, [2 Pet 3:18]).

FATHER, may I understand the seriousness of Your wrath. Instead of a city like Sodom, I must be like the city of Nineveh. Nineveh fasted and prayed and turned from evil so that You relented of the disaster that You said You would do (Jonah 3:7-10).

You say, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay;” You will judge people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living GOD (Heb 10:30-31), for You are a consuming fire (Heb 12:29).

Please remind me often that I naturally stand in the way of Your wrath the moment I turn my head away from JESUS. I default to living my life using my own resources. Sober me against that. You accept nothing but my spirit submitting to Your SPIRIT (Zech 4:6).

“O Lord, how I long for Thee to bring me face to face with Thyself! My soul thirsteth for Thee, for the touch of Thy grace, the breathing of Thy Spirit” (ref#27, p38).

Whatever Reason I May Call Upon Him

I cannot find out the deep things of You, GOD,

nor You limit, Almighty.
I cannot explore Your depths,
or ascend to Your heights,

I cannot extend to Your breadths,
or comprehend Your infinite perfection.

No, I cannot explain the mystery of You,

nor diagram my GOD (Job 11:7).

The secret things belong to You, LORD,

but the revealed things are my business
and my children’s forever
that we may follow Your laws (Deut 29:29).

For who has a GOD so near,
as the LORD is to me.
For whatever reason I may call upon Him;

He is always ready to listen (Deut 4:7).

You are great in counsel and mighty in deed;

to my ways Your eyes are open,
rewarding me according to my work,

according to the fruit of my deeds (Jer 32:19).

Powerful is Your Arm

“I…submit to Your unfathomable judgments, Lord;

You alone are truly great.
Immeasurable greatness!
Uncrossable sea” (ref#147, p149)!

Powerful is Your arm! Strong is Your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength (Ps 89:13). Not only is Your arm and hand mighty and strong to save Your people, but also to destroy Your enemies. None can resist the force of Your mighty hand. Not one of Your enemies shall flee away. Even if they climb up to heaven You will bring them down (Amos 9:2). Your lifted right hand is a signal of Your power. Your right hand does valiantly (Ps 118:15).

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants (Ps 89:14). Righteousness and judgment inhabit Your throne. Your rules of equity and wisdom never vary. Mercy and truth go before You. These are all Yours in perfection (ref#18, [Ps 89:14]).

Powerful is Your arm to save. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. (Ps 138:7 ESV) I will meditate on Your strength.

Prayer Facts:

“It is more than asking, it is communion, fellowship, co-operation, identification, with God the Father and the Son by the Holy Spirit” (ref#4, p61).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You work out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of Your own will (Eph 1:11), I will wait for You.
Because every good and perfect gift comes from You with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17), I will wait for You.

Because You satisfy the longing soul and fill the hungry soul with good (Ps 107:9), I will wait for You.
Because You know how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials (2 Pet 2:9), I will wait for You.

Heirs of GOD’s Promises and GOD Himself

FATHER, my irrepressible joy comes from the consciousness of Your favor and protection (Ps 97:11). I thank You not only for everything Your covenant promises but for You. You are my portion and inheritance (Num 18:20). You adopt me into Your family. You are my share (Lam 3:24). Therefore I have an infinite interest in every perfection of Your divine nature (ref#61, Sept 12th).

In You, FATHER, there is “an all-sufficiency of love to comfort us; an all-sufficiency of strength to uphold us; an all-sufficiency of power to protect us; an all- sufficiency of good to satisfy us; an all-sufficiency of wisdom to guide us; an all-sufficiency of glory to reward us; and an all-sufficiency of bliss to make us happy here, and happy to all eternity” (ref#61, Sept 12th).