Posted on 03/09/2005 5:59:36 PM PST by kayak
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
During this Lenten season, as we dwell on the ministry of our Lord and on his incomparable sacrifice for our sins, we are aware of how much we fall short of Your desires for us. As the apostle Paul expressed, it seems that we don't do the things that we should and do the things that we shouldn't do. We confess our sins to You, admitting that we are guilty of transgressions great and small, of commission and omission. We would sink into despair if not for the forgiveness and hope that we have through the death and glorious resurrection of our Savior. Father, we have no words sufficient to thank You so we offer our hearts, asking that the Holy Spirit would take our thoughts to You and interpret them so that You will know that though our flesh is weak, our spirits are full of love and a desire to be obedient to You. Show us how we might live so that our lives are a testament to Your mercy and Your goodness, Your greatness and Your glory!
Lord, when we observe our President, we are humbled. He is a man of great power and yet he seems untouched by the greed that such a position makes one subject to. He treats those who despitefully use him with great kindness. The joy and peace that come from his relationship with You shine forth from his face. He is patient and disciplined and faithful. Yet he would be the first to admit his unworthiness and his gratitude for the blessings You have bestowed upon him. We thank You for his witness; for the way that he openly speaks of Your turning his life around; for his public proclamations of his faith and reliance on You. Father, we ask You to honor his trust in You by continuing to pour out Your blessings upon him. Be his Armor from the arrows that his enemies hurl his way; be his Anchor during the storms that surround him; be his Rock and solid Foundation. Watch over and protect him and his beloved family, keeping them safe from all harm.
Lord, as we see history being made before our eyes and freedom spreading to places where it has never been enjoyed before, we are mindful that the might and skills of our military have been a powerful tool that You have used to bring about these miracles. We thank You for these men and women who have sacrificed much and endured harsh and threatening conditions to enable millions of people to know liberty. We are grateful for their service and for Your watchfulness over them and their families.
Lord, while Your remnant tastes of the fruit of the Spirit, too many in our country are doing the works of the flesh: "adultery, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like." We pray for these people that they may come to know the peace and joy that result from putting aside the ways of satan and following Your commandments. Let truth and justice reign in our nation once more; heal our land and revive our people. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today. - 1 Kings 8:28
Amen to an excellent prayer.
Lord, thank You for all Your benefits and care. We are nothing without You, yet You have graciously given us the Kingdom. In turn we cast our crowns before You, desiring only that Your purposes and presence be magnified, both in us individually and in all our corporate gatherings, including the community, the church, and the nation.
May the increase of Your Kingdom, and of its peace, be without end, beginning right now. In the name of the King of Glory, the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen to your passionate prayer, kayak. Thank you for leading us tonight.
Our Precious Master, in so Many Things we Offend, as our Fallen Flesh Often Asserts itself, Demanding its Own Stubborn Way. Subdue our Fallenness, Great King of Glory, Working Within us through Your Divine and Mighty Power. We thank You that You have Placed Within our souls a New Will, that Gives to us our Desire and our Ability to Follow You. You are so Kind to us, Sweet Master, and have Done so Much to Bring us into Your Presence of Love! Cause our Christ to be Most Beloved in our eyes, Helping us to Shun our sin that Placed Him on Calvary's Cross.
Our souls are Overflowing in Gratitude, Sweet Redeemer, for the Blessings and Priviledges You have Showered Down Upon us! We Thank You for our brother-President, and we Praise You for our Brave Military, as we Seek Your Favor and Your Protection to Abide Daily over them Both. Revive our America, O Master of Nations, and Move the people to Crown You our King!
Pour Out the Riches of Your Grace Upon All who Pause Here to Pray, Encouraging them, Strengthening them, and Wiping their Every Tear Away. Hold them Close, King Jesus, and be Glorified, as we Pray in Your Dear Name, amen.
AMEN KAYAK AND AMEN ALL!
GRACE AND INFINITE BLESSINGS TO ALL BRETHREN!
CHAPTER XVIII.
Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.
I. Although hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions: of being in the favor of God and estate of salvation; which hope of theirs shall perish: yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God: which hope shall never make them ashamed.
II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probably persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God; which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.
III. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining men to looseness.
IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grievth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.
THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION
"Yea, he is altogether lovely."
- Song of Solomon 5:16
The superlative beauty of Jesus is all-attracting; it is not so much to be
admired as to be loved. He is more than pleasant and fair, he is lovely.
Surely the people of God can fully justify the use of this golden word,
for he is the object of their warmest love, a love founded on the
intrinsic excellence of his person, the complete perfection of his charms.
Look, O disciples of Jesus, to your Master's lips, and say, "Are they not
most sweet?" Do not his words cause your hearts to burn within you as he
talks with you by the way? Ye worshippers of Immanuel, look up to his head
of much fine gold, and tell me, are not his thoughts precious unto you? Is
not your adoration sweetened with affection as ye humbly bow before that
countenance which is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars? Is there not a
charm in his every feature, and is not his whole person fragrant with such
a savour of his good ointments, that therefore the virgins love him? Is
there one member of his glorious body which is not attractive?-one portion
of his person which is not a fresh lodestone to our souls?-one office
which is not a strong cord to bind your heart? Our love is not as a seal
set upon his heart of love alone; it is fastened upon his arm of power
also; nor is there a single part of him upon which it does not fix itself.
We anoint his whole person with the sweet spikenard of our fervent love.
His whole life we would imitate; his whole character we would transcribe.
In all other beings we see some lack, in him there is all perfection.
The best even of his favoured saints have had blots upon their garments
and wrinkles upon their brows; he is nothing but loveliness.
All earthly suns have their spots: the fair world itself hath its
wilderness; we cannot love the whole of the most lovely thing; but Christ
Jesus is gold without alloy-light without darkness-glory without
cloud-"Yea, he is altogether lovely.
"
C.H.SPURGEON
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
"Pour Out the Riches of Your Grace Upon All who Pause Here to Pray, Encouraging them, Strengthening them, and Wiping their Every Tear Away. Hold them Close, King Jesus, and be Glorified, as we Pray in Your Dear Name, amen"
AMEN AND AMEN!
PRAY ON DEAR SISTER!
PRAY ON!
Agreeing with you in prayer, kayak.
Prayers sent.
AMEN!
Thank you for your continuing faithfulness and your prayers.
May your prayers touch our Father's heart!
Thank you for both the Westminster Confession and the wise words of Spurgeon.
Your prayers make a difference.
Thank you for your prayers.
We continue our prayers for our President Bush, keep him safe and secure from all physical or spiritual danger....We also pray for the continued good health and speedy recovery of John Paul II.....Dear Jesus, bless our world leaders, give them the Patience to deal with the many adversities that have arisen and continue to challenge us all.....We pray for our troops in scattered regions of the world, give them the strenght to cope with any situations that may arise...May they show those who have been so maligned by their dictators that there is Hope to counter it all....To the spouses and families, may they rest assured that the Lord is ever mindfull of the Good they do.....In Jesus name we pray
Amen.
Adding to ejo's prayers, I ask that the troops would manifest the goodness, graciousness and love of the Father. As Your Spirit works among the troops to bring them to the knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ, manifest Your divine nature. Let Your goodness be seen so that they can come to repentance.
We continue to thank You, Lord, for showing our troops where the bad guys are, for your divine and supernatural protection and for wisdom for our military leaders.
Thank You, our King, for the great and mighty work you have done through and for these heroic servants.
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