Category Archives: Faith

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving

Hannah’s prayer helps us understand that prayer is not always asking (1 Sam. 2:1-10). The biblical author called what she said prayer, but her prayer did not contain any petition, only praise and thanksgiving.   This helps up understand prayer from another angle.

Notice this long prayer:

1 Samuel 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart exulteth in Jehovah, my horn is lifted up in Jehovah; my mouth is opened wide over mine enemies; for I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock like our God.   3 Do not multiply your words of pride, let not vain-glory come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a ùGod of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.   4 The bow of the mighty is broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.   5 They that were full have hired themselves out for bread; and the hungry are so no more: Even the barren beareth seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.   6 Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up.   7 Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich, he bringeth low, also he lifteth up:   8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust; from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy, To set him among nobles; and he maketh them inherit a throne of glory; For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s, and he hath set the world upon them.   9 He keepeth the feet of his saints, but the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.   10 They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; in the heavens will he thunder upon them. Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; and he will give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

 

 

 

Sinners Can Pray

Can a sinner pray?  Consider the what should be the number one apostle “Peter”, who many times was singled out special by the Lord Jesus.  Matt 16 — “Peter, …upon this rock”,  Matt 17 – saw the Lord transfigured with a few other apostles.

But here in Luke 5, Peter realized he was a sinner.  Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw [it,] he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

Consider this section from Holy in Christ by Andrew Murray.

O my God! with a love and a joy and a thanksgiving that cannot be uttered, I praise Thee for Christ, who has been made unto us of Thee sanctification and redemption. In Him Thou art my Redeemed, my Holy One. In Him I am Thy redeemed, Thy holy one. O God! in speechless adoration I fall down to worship the love that passeth knowledge, that hath done this for us, and to believe that in one who is now before Thee, holy in Christ, Thou wilt fulfil all Thy glorious purposes according to the greatness of Thy power. Amen.

1. ‘Redemption through His blood.’ The blood we meet at the threshold of the pathway of Holiness. For it is the blood of the sacrifice which the fire of God consumed, and yet could not consume. That blood has such power of holiness in it, that we read, ‘Sanctified by His own blood.’ Always think of holiness, or pray for it, as one redeemed by blood. Live under the covering of the blood in its daily cleansing power.


 

Eternal Realities

“Live near to God, and so all things will appear to you little in comparison with eternal realities.” from Robert Murray M’Cheyne

This verse reminds me of I Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Also consider the verse showing the confidence of God in completing what He begun in us.   Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

So when we pray, remember God is in this eternal realm, and sees things from this perspective.

God Hears Prayer

Look at these verses on prayer in the Bible, God listens to every prayer.  Have this confidence that in every pray, whether it be small or large, whether it be well phrased, or just a bunch of broken words, God listens.  Sometimes what we think are the worst prayers, God just loves, since we are expressing our real feelings.

Psalms 66:19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Psalms 66:20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly…

This  last verse in James eventually refers to Elijah who in a very unique situation needed a prayer to bring God in to vindicate Himself.   Elijah did pray and God did come in.

So never feel that God does not hear, He does hear and answer.   p.s.  answers do not always come how and when we expect them.

The Assembly for Prayer

A lack of interest exists in many places, so that the assembly for prayer is despised, and put down as a second-rate affair: ‘only a prayer meeting.’ Is this a right view of the throne of grace? Will this bring blessing? In certain churches; there is no union, and consequently no agreement in prayer: ‘their heart is divided; now shall they be found wanting;’ and wanting they are in their assemblies for prayer. In such a case, a feeble prayer meeting is an effect as well as a cause of disunion; and till this is altered, we may expect to see more and more of ‘the divisions of Reuben.’ Prayer is a grand cement; and lack of prayer is like withdrawing the force of gravitation from a mass of matter, and scattering it into so many separate atoms. Some churches are feeble all round; the members are a race of invalids, a body of infirm pensioners who can hardly hobble about in the ways of godliness. They have no life, no energy, or enterprise for Christ; and do you wonder at it when their meetings for prayer are so scantily attended?

from Only A Prayer-meeting by Charles Spurgeon

Faith Welcomes God into our Life

Faith is that meekness of soul which waits in stillness to hear, to understand, to accept what God says; to receive, to retain, to possess what God gives or works. By faith we allow, we welcome God Himself, the Living Person, to enter in to make His abode with us, to become our very life. However well we think we know it, we always have to learn the truth afresh, for a deeper and fuller application of it, that in the Christian life faith is the first thing, the one thing that pleases God, and brings blessing to us. And because Holiness is God’s highest glory, and the highest blessing He has for us, it is especially in the life of holiness that we need to live by faith alone.

from Holy in Christ by Andrew Murray

 

Called according to His Purpose

THE call of God is the manifestation in time of the purpose of eternity; ‘Whom He predestined, them He also called.’ Believers are ‘the called according to His purpose.’ In His call He reveals to us what His thoughts and His will concerning us are, and what the life to which He invites us. In His call He makes clear to us what the hope of our calling is; as we spiritually apprehend and enter into this, our life on earth will be the reflection of His purpose in eternity.

1. Let me press it upon every reader of this little book, that if it is to help him in the pursuit of Holiness, he must begin with God Himself. You must go to Him who calls you. It is only in the personal revelation of God to you, as He speaks, I am holy, that the command, Be ye holy, can have life or power.

from Holy in Christ by Andrew Murray