THANKSGIVING
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
“My beloved is mine, and I am his;…” (Song 2:16 ESV).
FATHER, CHRIST is mine, “I possess him, I have interest in him, as my head and my husband; and I am his, possessed of him, owned by him, given up unto him: and that as to my Beloved in a conjugal relation” John Owen (ref#35, p153). CHRIST and I are far from equal—Him no sin, me sin—but I am part of His bride, the church, and will attend the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9).
CHRIST and I stand facing each other in mutual resignation. He takes me to be His, to love and care for me; I take Him to be mine giving myself up to be His in obedience (ref#35, p155).
He says, “…I know by experience those that are mine, and those that are mine know me by experience, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” Kenneth S. Wuest (ref#37, p238, [John 10:14-15]). And CHRIST, if I love You, then I am known by You (1 Cor 8:3).
CHRIST, You make rich provision for my needs, You pay all my debts and I can share in Your wealth and You even allow me to assume Your name (ref#34, July 22nd AM). My sin is covered by my Bridegroom. His puts on me His very own comeliness which makes me beautiful—even perfect (ref#35, p156).
And, on my part it is to consent to accept all He gives—to “receive, embrace, and submit unto the Lord Jesus, as…husband, Lord, and Savior—to abide with him…and be ruled by him forever” John Owen (ref#35, p157).
FATHER, I thank You that You have made me prefer CHRIST counting everything else as dung compared to Him. Thank You for my heart change so I am willing to give myself up to Him. I desire He see my face and hear my voice and count it as sweet and lovely (Song 2:14).
“He is…your Husband, never seeking a divorce; your Friend, sticking closer than a brother; your Shepherd, with you in death’s dark vale. He is your help and your deliverer; your castle and your high tower; the horn of your strength, your confidence, your joy, your all in all…” Charles Spurgeon (ref#34, April 19th PM).
CONFESSION
THE SIN OF FRETTING
“Worry is a window into the unregenerate soul [Matt 6:32]—worry is the evidence that satisfaction is being sought apart from God—the soul is searching for satisfaction in idols, the fear that an idol may not be available—worry is the evidence of what one is pursuing, of laying up treasure on earth” (ref#141, “For the Love of Christ,” Jan 22nd, 2006).
FATHER, I know that all fretting and worry is caused by calculating without You (ref#7, July 4th). I also know letting the enemy’s thoughts take root in my head is disastrous but they seem to get planted before I realize. I have to experience Your intervention or I will spin in circles reviewing in my head all the carnal and evil suggestions that are there.
“…don’t take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never anything else that worries us” (ref#7, May 23rd).
In all situations You put in my path the ending is more important than the beginning. My mistake is being at the beginning of a situation and wanting to see a swift and good ending, but You control the situation; I need not be concerned about the outcome.
FATHER, show me the blessings of leaning—leaning on You as the situation unfolds and caring only about Your will in the situation, not a comfortable outcome for me. Worrying is unbelief.
ADORATION
THE BIBLE IS FLAWLESS
…FATHER, You permitted a fallible man (the Apostle Paul) to write the below quote about other’s words that are written in the Bible. Actually, You not only permitted, but You compelled him to write it.
“Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction,…” (2 Tim 3:16 AMP).
Words written in the Bible never came by human impulse; no man ever wrote out of his own will to do so. Instead Bible writers recorded Your will. They were moved along, actually impelled, by the HOLY SPIRIT (2 Pet 1:21). No Scripture is a matter of any man’s own interpretation (2 Pet 1:20).
FATHER, a great swim coach may not know how to swim. The writers of Scripture were not perfect as You are perfect. But, You made their words perfect by giving them the HOLY SPIRIT who called to their remembrance all that You had said (John 14:26).
You spoke by the mouth of Your holy prophets (Acts 3:21). It is an insult to You to say their words contain error—or are contradictory.
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Prov 30:5 ESV).
VALLEYS TO MOUNTAINTOPS
PRAYING FOR GRACEBEARERS_2
NOTE: This and the following Monday’s journal entry contain portions taken from the book, The Journal of Ann Schultz, (ref#217). (Ann’s assignment at GraceBearers was to read Scripture and give the ending prayer.)
2/13/08, Wednesday
Another day to pray for the GraceBearers women. I woke up thinking about it.
This was a day that I had no obligations outside the house. It seemed like a day that I could relax and take my time praying every which way for the women. But, in the prayer closet the SPIRIT began by calling to remembrance activities I should and shouldn’t do: fasting. I complained bitterly—I didn’t even get enough to eat yesterday.
(I’ve never had such a struggle with fasting as I’ve had with my involvement in GraceBearers. I do not like to fast at all. In the past GOD enabled me to rise above my complaining stomach, but now it just seems to distract me.)
FATHER, I do want You to be my substance and not food. Food just satisfies Ann and keeps me comfortable. For a few days I can survive quite nicely without food. It doesn’t harm me physically at all. So I’ll fast.
Totally forgetting why I entered the closet I the first place, my thoughts went to Monday night. Alice is going to talk about grieving the SPIRIT at GraceBearers. I’m feeling that what I’ve prepared will not be what the SPIRIT wants to do. So I’m trying to get Him to tell me so I can be prepared—so I can do His will eloquently—perfectly. I’m forgetting that He can get His will accomplished by using creatures that don’t even talk. He doesn’t need me.
I think of Peter preaching to the Gentiles and the SPIRIT falling on them before he was even done. LORD, You don’t need me. I have to repent. Let me let You take care of what You want done with GraceBearers.
Presently, in this closet, I think my job becomes the work of not leaving You. Right now I’m so uncomfortable that I long for an interruption. I have to laugh, interruptions come when I don’t want them and they don’t come when I do.
I’m rambling. Let me get back to my kneeling stool.
Well, another 10 minutes has passed with no revelation at the kneeling stool. I only got colder and hungrier. And the more I thought about being cold and hungry the colder and hungrier I got.
I keep thinking of quitting this prayer vigil. But, I can’t even think of what I would do if I quit—except find a warm spot and eat. My back hurts sitting here writing and the more I think of the pain, the more the pain comes. My back doesn’t hurt when I’m kneeling but I freeze kneeling. I’m so uncomfortable. How I’d welcome an interruption.
My back will be fine if I can run with You. My hungry stomach and my freezing legs, feet, and hands will be too. Am I feeling more and more need to be apprehended by You. Help, I’m in misery. Save me.
My interruption has come. I’ve agreed to take Jewel to pick up her kids. So I’ll be comfortable for a couple hours. Should I have consented? I’m not sure. I have a feeling I shouldn’t have. If not, then I need to get much quicker in touch with my GOD while I’m asked to make a spur of the moment decision while on the phone. But, for now, I’m off to pick up Jewel. I hope I’ve not disappointed You, LORD.
Back again, but not without incident. I ran into heavy snow and began to wonder if I could make it home. Five hours later I’m back. Should I have done it? You leave these decisions up to me, don’t You LORD? So, I did what I did and now I’m back desiring to seek You in earnest prayer once again.
I’ve moved out of the prayer closet to my desk. Wrapped in blankets and housecoat over three layers of clothes, I’ll attempt to stay warm. My feet can usually stand it best under this desk stuck in a paper bag. So, here I am.
LORD, ready my GraceBearer sisters. There, it has taken five pages and hours to finally pray what is needful to pray.
Ready me; ready my sisters for Your arrival. Revival and repentance go together.
I pray You bring a sobering, heavy countenance upon us as Alice speaks. Make us feel the graveness of grieving the HOLY SPIRIT. Make us more than ready to get the burden of wronging the SPIRIT off our back. Make us anxious to repent.
“The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps 51:17 RSV).
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter” (2 Cor 7:10-11 RSV).
“Submit yourselves…to God….Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts,…Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord….” (James 4:7-10 RSV).
I just talked to Alice and she thinks I’m on track and gave me the above Scriptures. So she was an encouragement that the SPIRIT has moved me to the subject of repentance. It is in such a different direction than what I had decided and obtained approval previously.
LORD, I pray that You bring or begin to bring GraceBearers women to the point of desperateness by revealing to them how they grieve Your SPIRIT. This also goes for the leadership of the church for Alice asked me to pray for them, too. And I pray for Alice as she is the one You are apprehending to bring the message of grieving to us. I pray that she speak clearly for she’ll need prayers since I’m sure You’ll burden her with her own ways of grieving Your SPIRIT. And I will need prayers for that, too. Right now remembering my incidents of grieving You makes me collapse in a puddle of tears.
SABBATH
THE BLESSINGS OF THE SABBATH
“The believer…keeps the law of God, not believing by keeping it we gain acceptance or approval with God, but rather we keep God’s law as a declaration of our grateful response to His love” Alistair Begg (ref#165, Series: Pathway of Freedom, Sermon#: 1692, “Holy Day or Holiday?” Part One, Oct 3, 1993).
“Since the law is spiritual, there is no escaping the fact that the holy Sabbath is a spiritual institution….the Sabbath…was to be devoted exclusively to things that are spiritual” Allen Walker (ref#204)
On Sunday what joy it is to say to myself, “No thinking of weekday obligations, I’m free to pursue the things that make me happy spiritually.”
“Cease striving and know that I am God…” (Ps 46:10 NASB). It is a labor of love to plan and accomplish all weekday obligations so I can have Sunday free.
“There is nothing the Christian desires so much as this delighting of himself in the Lord. There is one sure way to the experience of it—keep holy the Lord’s day. God delights to reveal Himself to those who obey and honor Him” C.E. Hunter (ref#171).
Daily devotions are uplifting but close afterward comes the demands of the day. Sunday, though affords an extended time for prayer, for spiritual study, for visits to family and friends—things that are difficult to do on weekdays. How very freeing it is to stop all thoughts about the week ahead and think of the spiritually “now.”
“Isaiah 58:13-14…’call the Sabbath a delight…Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.’ The Sabbath was always to be a refreshing time when men were in a special sense to delight themselves in the Lord” C.E. Hunter (ref#171).
“When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday” (Ps 42:4 KJV).
SUPPLICATION
PROVISIONS
[We all know someone who is dealing with financial problems. Here is an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]
PROBLEM WITH WEALTH
…FATHER, I pray that ____ not be asking for abundance. For (he/she) will not be able to be rendering a slave’s obedience to You and, at the same time, possess a passion for accumulating wealth (ref#37, p14, [Matt 6:24]).
Move ____ to realize (he/she) cannot eat or drink or wear more than a day’s supply and that any surplus left over from the day (he/she) will have the care of storing and watching against theft (ref#34, Feb 14th AM).
Aid ____, LORD, to understand the problem with wealth, as well as the benefit of poverty. JESUS lived with voluntary poverty for it disconnected Him with everything that chains people down to this world. Because of it He was able to go wherever His FATHER wanted Him to go (ref#8, Nov 6th).
THANKSGIVING
JESUS THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE
…FATHER, You give dominion and glory and a kingdom to Your Son, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed (Dan 7:14).
You have appointed Your Son to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). When He comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne and before Him all the nations will be gathered and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matt 25:31-32).
He will place the sheep on his right, and the goats on His left. Then Your Son, the King, will say to those on His right, (Matt 25:33). “’Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34 ESV).
But He will say to those on His left, “’Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41 ESV). And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matt 25:46).
FATHER, in a world of unfairness, I thank You for JESUS, the Righteous Judge.
CONFESSION
SATAN STANDS BEFORE GOD AND ACCUSES ME
…FATHER, it bothers me greatly that satan stands before You and accuses me day and night (Rev 12:10). Even though he hates Your presence, he is willing to appear before You to accuse me (ref#18, [Rev 12:1-11]). And his accusations are true! He lies to me but speaks truth to You. Day and night—continually, he gives me a bad name before You—day and night! How is it that You can 24-7 insist on loving me against all the facts?
This prosecutor, satan, has the evidence to convict me and I have no arguments in my defense for I do go through each day sinning just as he says. It is an absolute necessity to have CHRIST represent me. Impress upon me the seriousness of my inability to stop sinning and the seriousness of depending on CHRIST. By the “blood of the Lamb” You, FATHER, set me free (Rev 12:11). You cast satan out of Your court, crushing his indictments (ref#18, [Rev 12:1-11]).
So, I commit my cause to CHRIST, my Advocate (ref#18, [Rev 12:1-11]). In confession, CHRIST, You are my Savior; and because You are my Savior I gladly make You my LORD.
ADORATION
SCRIPTURE AND THE SPIRIT
…FATHER, all honor goes to You for not leaving anything for me to accomplish toward my salvation and sanctification. I do not convince myself of Your worth; I don’t read the Bible and decide I want to follow You. You mark out my path and I walk in it by the HOLY SPIRIT’s involvement in my life.
The words You have set in Your Bible I am able to read but not able to interpret. Your words are encased in human language but they are not limited to what the human mind can perceive (ref#79, p150).
“God’s language in his book is alive and full of power. Sharper than a two-edged sword, it cuts open the very thought life of people. It exposes and interprets what they think and feel” Will Metzger (ref#79, p150).
The SPIRIT’s witness to Scripture is not revealing new information but shedding light on what is already written. My mind held only darkness even as I read Scripture until You sent the SPIRIT to interpret Your Word to me. Suddenly I knew JESUS and the Scriptures were divine. The SPIRIT impressed them on me much like the way I sense taste and colors. Suddenly I found it impossible to doubt. The inward work of the HOLY SPIRIT persuaded and assured me. He bore witness with the Word in my heart and suddenly I had faith enough to believe (ref#56, p1677, “The Authentication of Scripture”).
Bonnie's Prayer Affair 