To Be Purposeful

FATHER, prompt ____ to strip off and throw aside every encumbrance and let (him/her) run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before (him/her), looking away from all that will distract, to JESUS (Heb 12:1-2).

ATTENTIVE FATHER, allow ____ to discover the unnecessary things that are just occupying (his/her) time. Show (him/her) the things to do that are most worthwhile (ref# 81, July 29). In all (his/her) affairs may (he/she) distinguish between the important and the urgent. May (his/her) character and not (his/her) circumstances chiefly engage (him/her) (ref# 76, p78). May (his/her) desires for a good self-image be replaced with glory-making for You alone. Soli Deo Gloria—To GOD alone the glory.

Embolden ____’s cowardly hesitation (Rev 21:8). You say the one who conquers will possess Your heritage (Rev 21:7). Remind (him/her) repeatedly to be actively persistent—to be purposeful in (his/her) daily activities (Heb 12:1).

The one fact CHRIST mentions to all seven churches He addresses in the book of Revelation is if they overcome He will grant them fellowship (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21). I pray for ____, FATHER, to prevail over the tangents on the race set before (him/her) whether they come in moments of urgency or during the mundane tasks of life.

Made Perfect by Suffering

FATHER, persevere with ____ as You teach (him/her) why suffering is necessary to procure (his/her) obedience to You. You brought situations that made Your Son suffer saying through those unpleasant circumstances He learned obedience (Heb 5:8).

CHRIST also suffered on ____’s behalf leaving behind for (him/her) a model to imitate. I pray that by close application (he/she) might follow in His Savior’s footprints (1 Pet 2:21).

“…there is one very comforting thought in the fact of Christ’s ‘being made perfect through suffering’—it is, that He can have complete sympathy with us. ‘He is not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.’ In this sympathy of Christ we find a sustaining power” (ref#34, March 29th AM).

CHRIST was “made perfect” by suffering (Heb 5:9). And ____ must suffer also, so (he/she) might identify with Him (2 Tim 2:12). Affliction deflates the human ego. It is in opposition to what ____ naturally wants. In ____’s humanness (he/she) wants everything that inflates (his/her) ego. (He/She) would love to present (himself/herself) to You beautiful and fit for Your service but that attitude is only (his/her) old fleshly nature wanting to be righteous. Instead, the affliction You bring causes wounds and displays (his/her) weaknesses. Wounds take away (his/her) covering so dear to (him/her)—the veil of (his/her) own righteousness (ref#128, p457).

FATHER, plant the truth of being made perfect by suffering deep within ____ . Anchor (him/her) so (he/she) will not be moved by afflictions for (he/she) is destined for them (1 Thes 3:3). “Thinkest thou to espouse a God, covered with wounds, torn with nails and despoiled of everything without being treated in the same manner” (ref#128, p457)? Encourage ____ LORD, with all (his/her) tribulations for in them (he/she) is more the beautiful to You.

Discipleship

ALL-WISE FATHER, I do not need to know how to disciple others. I only need to know how to be a disciple myself. My life lived out teaches others of what it is to be a disciple.

“Our Lord makes a disciple His own possession, He becomes responsible for him….The spirit that comes in is not that of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him” (ref#7, Sept 4th).

“…the only men and women He will use…are those who love Him personally, passionately and devotedly beyond any of the closest ties on earth” (ref#7, May 7th).

FATHER, forgive me for not taking seriously enough Your constraint on me as CHRIST’s disciple. Let me put my energies toward exclusively becoming personally, passionately and devotedly yielded to CHRIST. May I desire not to rejoice in successful service, but rejoice that I’m rightly related to CHRIST (ref#7, Oct 27th).

JESUS said, “…’All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go…and make disciples…” (Matt 28:18-19 ESV). Do I believe that when I “go” JESUS does the work of making disciples? This is my challenge. If I believe “that people are difficult to get saved, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim,…” (ref#7, Oct 27th) it is because I have commissioned myself with my natural talents to make disciples.

Making a relationship with You, LORD, is my work. And, relationship-making is difficult work. Because I desire such a relationship, satan may no longer tempt me to simply do wrong things.

Instead, his temptations will be along the same line that he tempted JESUS. His temptations will be crafted toward separating You from me. He hopes to discourage me so I give up on all the grace You have put into me (ref#7, Sept 18th). Satan attempts to keep me from being obedient to You. He wants me to cease being Your disciple (ref#7, Sept 18th). Therefore, FATHER, enlarge my desire to muse on CHRIST and enjoy His presence above all.

Knowledge Puffs Up

FATHER, make me realize that my earthly wisdom only corrupts me. I can know the truth of Your justice, and what righteousness You require but my knowledge does nothing to save me or put me in communion with You. I can ponder Your patience, goodness, forbearance, and mercy but knowledge alone does not lead me to repentance (ref#35. p197).

Whatever discovery I have of truth, (without it coming from CHRIST’s mouth, through the SPIRIT), I hold captive under unrighteousness (Rom 1:18). O GOD, how guilty I am for engaging my mind in learning Christianity instead of humbling myself before CHRIST and waiting for Him to teach my heart. FATHER, impede me from thinking the Scriptures give me eternal life (John 5:39). I am like a “brute beast” if my wisdom corrupts me (ref#35, p197, [Jude 10]).

If there be anything that will do me good, CHRIST is interested in dispensing it to me. Until I desire to make Him captain of my salvation (Heb 2:10) I will be led by the futility of my own wisdom. FATHER, help me be satisfied with only knowing CHRIST and not just knowing about Him (ref#35, p199).

FAVOR DISPENSING GOD, it is amazing to consider that all my Scripture learning, my choices of what is doctrinally correct, and my efforts to abide by my good morals do not make me a genuine Christian. Help me recognize my own efforts toward spiritually and the way I use then for my glory instead of Yours.

“…we are not made to be made much of. We are made to make much of something great. The best joys are when we forget ourselves, enthralled with greatness. The greatest greatness is God’s. Every good that ever thrilled the heart of man is amplified ten thousand times in God” (ref#145, Oct 29, 2003).

My Song

My soul magnifies You, LORD,
and my spirit rejoices in You, my Savior.

You have regarded my lowly state.
You do great things for me (Luke 1:46-49).

You who are mighty
And holy is Your name (Luke 1:49).

“From Calvary’s cross

wave upon wave of grace reaches me” (ref#76, p158).

You take care of my sin
And You change my heart
You fortify my will
For You rouse my affection (ref#76, p158).

“O my Strength,
to you I sing praises,
for you,…are my refuge,…
who shows me unfailing love” (Ps 59:17 NLT).

Through the abundance of Your steadfast love,

I will enter Your house.
I will bow down and worship
in reverent fear and awe of You (Ps 5:7).

The Sacraments

FATHER, how You care for my needs—You know I need regular reminders of what the Gospel is and that I’m truly a part of it. You have set up Baptism and the LORD’s Supper to be visible signs, ordained by You and instituted by CHRIST, to do just that (Matt 28:19; 1 Cor 11:23-26). They are the tangible evidence of the grace and blessings of Your covenant (ref#56, p1411, “The Sacraments”).

“As the preaching of the Word makes the gospel audible, so the sacraments make it visible. Sacraments strengthen faith by correlating Christian beliefs with the testimony of our senses” (ref#56, p 1411, “The Sacraments”).

Baptism:

“…is a sign of the believer’s death and resurrection with Christ (Rom 6:3), …to increase our…realization of death to the power and love of sin…and to increase our experience of the power of new resurrection life in Christ…” (ref#63, p954).

The LORD’s Supper:

“…is a fellowship with Christ, in his presence and at his table” (ref#63, p954-955). “…God’s aim has been to bring his people into fellowship with himself, and one of the great joys of experiencing that fellowship is the fact that we can eat and drink in the presence of the Lord” (ref#63, p989-990).

Prayer Facts:

“…His [CHRIST’s] mediation on the throne is as real and indispensable as on the cross….it engages all His time and powers, is His unceasing occupation at the right hand of the Father. And we participate not only in the benefits of this His work, but in the work itself….” (ref#19, TWENTY-SIXTH LESSON) (brackets mine).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because in CHRIST the whole fullness of Deity continues to dwell in bodily form giving complete expression of the divine nature (Col 2:9), I will wait for You.

Because the Son is the sole expression of Your glory and is the perfect imprint and very image of Your nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding the universe by His mighty word of power (Heb 1:2-3), I will wait for You.

Because Your Son is upright, just and Who conforms to Your will in every purpose, thought and action (1 John 2:1), I will wait for You.

Because Your Son is able to save to the uttermost—completely, perfectly and for all time and eternity those who come to Him (Heb 7:25), I will wait for You.

Because CHRIST is always living to make petition to You and intercede with You and intervene for me (Heb 7:25), I will wait for You.

“…’The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,” (2 Sam 22:2 ESV).

FATHER, You are a “vanguard.” You go ahead, lead (ref#110, p1475).

You are a “protector.” You are a guardian and defender (ref#110, p1081).

You are “watchful.” You are vigilant, alert, wakeful and unsleeping (ref#110, p1508).

You “provide.” You make available, supply, furnish, and support (ref#110, p1083).

You are a “solace.” You comfort, ease, relieve, and console (ref#110, p1275).

You are a “sanctuary.” You are a preserve, a hiding place, secret place—a retreat (ref#148, p275-276).

“my God…my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior…” (2 Sam 22:3 ESV).

Vigilant

FATHER, You are a rock and fortress (2 Sam 22:2)— my sanctuary.
You are a preserve—
my hiding place (ref#110, p275-276).

You are LORD, the deliverer (2 Sam 22:2). You provide for me,
You make available (ref#110, p1083),
for You are my vanguard (ref#110, p1475).

You are a shield and horn of salvation (2 Sam 22:3). You are my protector—
a guardian and defender (ref#110, p1081)—
and for me, alert and vigilant (ref#110, p1508).

You are a stronghold and refuge—my Savior (2 Sam 22:3). You are a solace—
You comfort—You ease,
You relieve and console me (ref#110, p1275).

The FATHER’s Love—Fruitfulness, My Love—Thankfulness

“The Father communicates…his love…through Christ; and we make no return of love…but through Christ. He is the treasury wherein the Father disposes all the riches of his grace, taken from the bottomless mine of his eternal love…” (ref#35, p117).

FATHER, all Your fullness You poured into CHRIST. It pleased You that all divine fullness should dwell in Him permanently. (Col 1:19). And I receive that fullness of Your love from Him by faith—communing responsively to You through the treasury of CHRIST.

Because You love me You bless me with all spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3). These blessings are an ever-flowing fountain. Your love descends on me in bounty and fruitfulness. These blessings are absorbed into me and create goodness in me (ref#35, p118). Your love descends through CHRIST and I experience growth.

My love, on the other hand, ascends to You in thankfulness (ref#35, p119) for Your provisions. My love also ascends to You in the duties I perform in response to Your love. Your presence demands I behave. But,
behaving becomes a duty of joy for me because of Your presence through CHRIST.

Yes, because of Your love, I gladly give You Your due as my FATHER. What can I do to honor You (Mal 1:6)? I do not love You for no reason—I love You for the “excellency, loveliness, and desirableness” that is You (ref#35, p120). It becomes my joyous work to follow, running along behind You with CHRIST (ref#10, p 58).

The Boastings of the Fallen Nature

FATHER, ____ has heard of You by attending church; (he/she) has read (his/her) Bible, maybe even committed verses to memory, nonetheless Your Word does not produce fruit in (him/her) (Mark 4:19). Even Your truth residing in (his/her) mind is unable to affect (him/her).

It seems ____ is in the business, FATHER, of becoming holy and more holy in (his/her) own strength. Seems (he/she) is working with such intenseness that (he/she) passes over the good news about CHRIST. I think that (his/her) work is so gratifying that (he/she) imagines (he/she) is doing well and getting better and better. But…

“There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth” (Prov 30:12 ESV). “This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done no wrong’” (Prov 30:20 ESV).

“The majority of people have their morality well within their own grasp, they do not sense the need of the Gospel” (ref#7, Dec 17th). FATHER, it seems ____ is pursuing You because (he/she) admires righteousness therefore (he/she) is trying hard to act righteously (ref#33, p110). (He/She) may not know that (his/her) natural flesh can perform good as well as produce sin (ref#33, p110). (He/She) may be confusing (his/her) natural fleshly work with Your HOLY SPIRIT’s work. And, the case is that (he/she) is then unable to be a Christian because it is impossible to receive anything unless it is given to (him/her) from heaven (James 1:17).

It is quite natural to fall into the pattern of searching the Scriptures for commands to keep (John 5:39). By keeping only the commands of (his/her) choosing (he/she) does not need a Savior; (he/she) is saving (himself/herself). FATHER, lead ____ to the understanding that whatever “does not issue from waiting upon God, from depending upon the HOLY SPIRIT, is unquestionably of the flesh” (ref #33, p 114).

It seems that ____ is set in (his/her) own ways of righteousness, but I know, FATHER, that You can and will work in due season to call Your sons and daughters according to Your purpose (ref#13, Vol 1, p31 [Mark 2:14]). Please, FATHER, I want You to call ____.