Grateful Worship

FATHER, it must have seemed like a dream, too good to be true, to the exiles given permission to return to Zion (Ps 126:1). Or when the angel woke Peter in prison and his chains fell off. He thought he was seeing a vision it was so unreal to him (Acts 12:7,9).

With the work You’ve done in my life, FATHER, I should have the same reaction. As I remember Your holy activity toward me, I should feel like I need to pinch myself.

Do not thoughts of You set my hearts vibrating? Is there not a sound of song in the distance? If I ponder long enough, doesn’t the music grow louder?

Nehemiah dedicated the wall around Jerusalem with gladness, with thanksgivings, with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres (Neh 12:27). The people gathered offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for GOD had made them rejoice with great joy (Neh 12:43). Doesn’t GOD make me rejoice because of all He’s done?

FATHER, stir me to rejoice; rivet my attention to the rising music in my soul which is the response to Your blessings to me. Lift my eyes to You—You, Who did all for me. Oh soul, rejoice in the LORD, again I say, rejoice (Phil 4:4). Shout for joy (Ps 66:1). In grateful worship, break forth into joy oh my soul!

And LORD, continue to do great works in me. I need Your rain in my drought-stricken life (Ps 126:4). I am like Isaiah looking at You high and lifted up (Isa 6:1). Realizing I am Yours, yet unclean (Isa 6:5). I weep because of my sin, I cry under Your discipline. I plant my crops in sin’s entanglement and despair but in the end I’ll shout hurrahs at the harvest (Ps 126:5).

With pleas for mercy I shall come, and You will lead me back to You (Jer 31:9). So my heavy soul will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. (Ps 126:6). For all this, LORD, I shout again for joy in grateful worship to You,

Revival for Backsliders

FATHER, presently I fear that ____ does not seek You (Rom 3:11). Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and beautiful habitation. O LORD, why do You make ____ wander from Your ways and harden (his/her) heart (Isa 63:17)? Please return for ____’s sake.

____ is like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who are not called by Your name (Isa 63:19). Stagnant (he/she) is until You rend the heavens and come down, the mountains quaking at Your presence (Isa 64:1).

____ is the clay, and You are the potter; (he/she) is the work of Your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, attest that (he/she) is Yours (Isa 64:8,9).

Incite (him/her) to remember You in Your ways, for You meet the ones who joyfully works righteousness. You act for those who wait for You
(Isa 64:4,5).

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a GOD besides You. You came down and did awesome things that no one looked for (Isa 64:4,3). Come again, stir ____, move (him/her) ahead, grow (him/her) like a beautiful flower seeking the sun.

Consider the Tragedy of GOD

FATHER, inspire ____, when speaking of the spiritual world, to speak only about JESUS CHRIST. Make (him/her) able to make a distinction between what CHRIST did and the result of what CHRIST did.

“The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these, we are to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (ref#7, Nov 26th).

Give ____ the ability to make CHRIST, and not man, the center of all things. It is easy to personalize what CHRIST did. “He died for my sins out of sympathy for me.” “It is a travesty to say that Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to make me a saint” (ref#7, Feb 1st). In my natural depravity it’s easy to get mushy.

“We are acceptable with God not because we have obeyed, or because we have promised to give up things, but because of the death of Christ, and in no other way. We say that Jesus Christ came to reveal the Fatherhood of God, the loving-kindness of God; the New Testament says He came to bear away the sin of the world” (ref#7, Oct 29th).

Impassion ____ to speak from Your prospective. “We have not brooded enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of Redemption” (ref#7, Nov 26th). The great point of Your spiritual energy is the cross. JESUS-talk may seem abrupt and even harsh but it will do its own work. FATHER, give ____ the ability to hash over and over all the effort You have put forth in Redemption. Captivate (him/her) to brood over Your tragedy in giving Your Son to die (ref#7, Nov 26th)

Adverse Providences

FATHER, Charles Spurgeon once said, “Faith never prospers as well as when all things are against her. Tempests are her trainers, and lightning is her illuminator” (ref#34, Nov 12th AM). I pray for ____ that this trial strengthen (his/her) faith. Even if (he/she) thinks (his/her) faith is failing, give (him/her) an awareness that JESUS will not allow it ultimately.

Direct ____ toward considering Your glory and grace and to identify (himself/herself) as Your child. Cause ____ to note how more inclined (he/she) is to pray in this circumstance— how much more alive Scripture becomes—how much easier it is to worship. May (he/she) note how (his/her) strength has increased—how easily (he/she) finds love in the midst of rejection—wisdom in the face of foolishness (ref#5, p157).

Assist ____, FATHER, to contemplate how involved You are in (his/her) life which shows Your great care for (him/her). You are with (him/her) in this hardship. You have arranged it and measured it out.

____’s present pain did not come by accident, it was not a mistake, or brought on by an enemy. Help ____ trace (his/her) adverse providence back to the foot of Your throne. Overwhelm (him/her) with Your majesty and power. I pray that You enable ____ to comprehend Your absolute control over all that is happening to (him/her) (ref#151).

Discipline

FATHER, lead me to the correct understanding of discipline so I may not only appreciate it but joy in it. My first thought when You present me with a painful, difficult, situation is that You are punishing me because You think I should know better.

I am quite aware that I commit many and varied sins, but I don’t need discipline because I’m a sinner, I need to be disciplined because I’m human (ref#5, p40). It is my prideful humanity You are attempting to root out of me; You are not attempting to discourage me from a particular sin.

Keep reminding me Your reproof is an indication that You care enough to teach me (Job 5:17). Certainly at the moment all discipline is painful rather than pleasant but it yields the fruit of righteousness (Heb 12:11).

FATHER, I will praise You because You discipline me in just measure (Jer 30:11). You promise I can always endure whatever circumstances You put me in (1 Cor 10:13). You are with me to save me (Jer 30:11). You give me power to keep myself calm in the days of adversity (Ps 94:13). Enduring the disciplinary trial proves my faith and produces perseverance and steadfastness and patience (James 1:3).

FATHER, commit to my understanding the fact that You issue discipline because You love me (Heb 12:6). When I go astray You call me back to You with discipline. Your steadfast love will not depart from me (2 Sam 7:14-15). You will not be false to Your faithfulness, nor violate Your covenant or alter the word that goes forth from Your lips (Ps 89:33-34). You chasten and scourge me because You cherish me (Heb 12:6).

“Divine love chastens because it sees the necessity for the correction. The Lord’s love is not blind affection…. It is our mercy to know that love marks our iniquity, and that love and not justice, grace and not vengeance, holds the rod and administers the correction….those stripes of His rod are as much…the expression of His love as are the ‘kisses of His mouth’…” (ref#61, Jan 16th).

Submitting to Your discipline is good for me so I may share in Your holiness (Heb 12:10). I desire to be trained by it because it yields peaceful righteousness for me (Heb 12:11). Thank You for Your discipline.

Need for Forgiveness

MY FATHER, “When thou art angry towards me for my wrongs I try to pacify thee by abstaining from future sin; But teach me…that only Christ’s righteousness, ready made, already finished, is fit for that purpose; that thy chastising me for my sin is not that I should try to reform, but only that I may be more humbled, afflicted, and separated from sin, by being reconciled, and made righteous in Christ by faith;…” (ref#76, p96).

FATHER, my logic says, “Eliminate sin and I won’t need forgiveness—be good and I won’t have to suffer Your discipline.” But my striving to do better next time does not neutralize my sin.

“Sin is…deliberate and emphatic independence of God” (ref#7, Oct. 7th). All attempts I use to stop sinning and live right are attempts to usurp Your authority and put myself under my control.

…the wicked…flatters and deceives himself…that his iniquity will not… be hated. (Ps 36:1-2 AMP)

“Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong doing, it is wrong being…” (ref#7, Oct 7th). In me is the heredity of sin. JESUS did not take my sins on Himself; he took on Himself my heredity of sin (ref#7, Oct 7th). I am not a sinner because I sin, but I sin because I am a sinner (ref#56, p781).

FATHER, I humbly accept Your Son’s finished work on the cross to cover my sinful nature. Keep reminding me that constantly I need CHRIST to take care of my sin. I don’t need Him just when I think have I sinned. King David said, “My sin is ever before me” (Ps 51:3). Keep alive in me, LORD, the sense of sin’s evil constantly so I might think upon CHRIST constantly (ref#35, p317).

“…sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD;…give glory to the LORD;…glory to the Righteous One….” (Isa 24:14-16 RSV).

Psalm 104

O LORD, whenever I come into Your presence

I am taken back by Your greatness—
by Your willingness to be found by me—
by my discovery of more and more greatness.

Your presence clothes me in humility—
for You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
I affectionately bless and gratefully praise You,
GOD, my GOD, how gloriously robed You are (Ps 104:1)

No one can count the number of beings You have made—

no one can comprehend the variety—
no two are alike; individually is everywhere
O LORD, how varied are Your works (Ps 104:24)!

All creatures look expectantly to You;
they all depend on You to give them food.

They have no other ground of hope but Thee;

nothing is haphazard in Your ways (Ps 104:27).

I rejoice in You, LORD;
may all my thoughts be pleasing to You (Ps 104:34).

Let me sing as long as I live—
sing praises to You my whole life long (Ps 104:33).

The FATHER: the SON

FATHER, I am “…vulnerable, fragile and exposed” (Ezek 16:7, MSG). For no reason I can come up with, You pass by and see that I am unable to help myself and You have compassion on me. It’s as if I am the only one in the world and You, being all love, turn aside and made a marriage covenant with me. You care for and protect me; You take me for Yourself (Ezek 16:8).

You take me as Your bride and live as if everyday is Your wedding day. You dispose Yourself to rear me for my advantage. You delight in me, gaining much joy and pleasure. Amid Your exultation You rest and are complacent (Zeph 3:17), having no interest in seeking a greater joy.

CHRIST, You delight to make me a friend ( John 15:14,15)—telling me secrets that the FATHER had not revealed until You came as the Son of Man (ref#35, p231). You open Yourself to me so I can find out everything about You (ref#35, p232). I am able to see You as “altogether lovely.”

And, You allow me to make my heart known to You. However, in order that I might be intimate with You, You must assist me. You supply the SPIRIT (Rom 8:26,27). When I am inclined to hide myself You call for the SPIRIT to bring me back into communication with You (ref#35, p233). You provide the SPIRIT to keep me continuing in our relationship. So it is that You delight in my prosperity, which makes me delight in our give-and-take fellowship (ref#35, p245).

FATHER, so CHRIST has taken me into His care and rejoices in me (ref#35, p230). As You, Yourself love me, so also CHRIST (John 16:27).

Prayer Facts:

“In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others” (ref#76, p146).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You chose me, actually picked me out for Yourself as Your own in CHRIST before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4), I will wait for You
Because You are to me a GOD of deliverance and salvation, setting me free (Ps 68:20), I will wait for You.

Because You bear my burdens and carry me day by day (Ps 68:19), I will wait for You.

Because You abide (live and remain) in me and Your love is brought to completion in me (1 John 4:12), I will wait for You.

Steadfast

There is no GOD like You
in heaven above or the earth beneath (1Kings 8:23).

In Your steadfast love You are immovable
and cannot be changed (ref#110, p675).

You are ample, well-supplied and rich
“…more than sufficient…”—having all abundance (ref#110, p6)

dependable, trustworthy and reliable (ref#110, p369).
You are loyal, faithful and true (ref#110, p802).

Thus, You do marvelous work
because You are the wonderworker (ref#110, p1536).

You keep covenant and show love
to Your servant’s who walk before You (1 Kings 8:23).

You are thorough, complete and omit nothing.
You’re out and out, absolute, and very exact,
Accurate and painstaking with regard to details (ref#110, p1393).

Your steadfast love endures all the day (Ps 52:1).