56:220322

Praying In Disguise

1 Kings 14:1-17 [Judgment on the House of Jeroboam]

“At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. 2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people. 3 Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child.” 4 And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were glazed by reason of his age. 5 Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.” 6 And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, 8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes; 9 but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back, 10 therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone. 11 The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!” 12 Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. 14“Moreover the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; this is the day. What? Even now!”

(Normally I would not show much text, but this time I felt a need to do it this time around)

“Prayer against his absolute decree,

no more avails then breath against

the wind, blown stifling back on him

that breaths it forth. Therefore to his

great bidding I submit” - Milton

I’ll be looking at 4 elements from 1 King 14 They’ll be . . .

1. Knowledge of God ..
2. Feeling a need ..
3. Disguising of Character ..
4. Complete failure ..

   The more deeply imbued with spirit of prayer the more simple and child like shall we become. ‘Sublimity always is simple’, is how *Longfellow once wrote. Eloquent prayers may be the haughtiness of the Human heart in disguise. The wife of Jeroboam is not the only one who has put on the mask whilst making their requests known unto God. Purity of Worship was at a very low ebb while King Jeroboam made the lowest of people priests and consecrated ‘who ever would be one’ .. [1 Kings 13:33] ..is by no means the only qualification for the service of God. It’s not like he had not sent warning cry against this Holy alter ..
1 Kings 13:2 “Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you”
… now the jealous God of Israel visits the iniquity with judgement. The attempt to out wit and elude the prophet of the Lord has it’s lessons for us.

*Henry Longfellow lived in America 1807–1882 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of the most widely known and best-loved American poets of the 19th century. He achieved a level of national and international prominence previously unequalled in the literary history of the United States and is one of the few American writers honoured in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.

    1:~ Knowledge of God

   Jeroboam could not be a stranger to the great things Jehovah had wrought for His people Israel, and had not the prophet of the Lord not foretold him that should be King .. “King of this people” .. But the revealed will of God had been set aside. His acts of worship were new according to his own thoughts and convenience, so he made Israel to sin by the substitution of his own ways for the ways of the Lord ..
1 Kings 12:33 “So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense”
. . . there may be a knowledge of the ways and will of God, while the daily life is a presumptuous denial of the divine revelation.

    2:~ Feeling a Need

V1 “At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick”
   They were very anxious to know .. “what shall come of the child” [V3] Our dearest, and our best are never beyond the withering touch of God’s finger. Every sorrow disappointment may be to us as goals to drive us nearer to God, if our hearts right with Him. There is a bitterness of heart that cannot be spoken into the ears of ordinary mortals, that needs the touch of the Eternal. The yearning of the soul at such times is to know what the will og God is concerning us.

   The main thing is not to miss, is Jesus will be our comforter, our shield against all of the devils trials for us. Young or old, fit or disabled, God will be waiting, to take up against your foes, He only asks 3 things from us are .. Praise .. Worship .. Faith.

    3 :~ Disguising of Character

The wife of Jeroboam changed her appearance and went to inquire of the man of God.

1 Kings 14:2&3 “And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people. 3 Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child”

   Perhaps the King knew that the prophet Ahijah was blind by a reason of age, but both he and his wife seemed to forget that God was not blind. It was utterly needless for anyone to come to God feigning themselves to be different from what they are, and yet this disguising of the true character, while making requests known unto God, is a common pious friend. On our knees we may pretend to believe all that the Lord has spoken, then among our fellow man we put on our self-magnifying glasses, and forget what the Lord that bought us.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”

    4:~ Complete Failure

   As soon as she came to the door of the prophet she heard these scathing words .. “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person?” [V6] .. The veil of disguise was rent [ripped] from the top to the bottom, and the light of Gods presence shone in upon her. Saul had his ripped off on the road to Damascus. The Pharisee that went up to the temple to pray *feigned himself a righteous man, but he went away as he came, with his mask untouched and his soul unblessed ..
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”

*feign:- feigned, Simulated or Pretended
1)False impression 2) ‘He feigned that he was not feeling to well so that he could leave the party early.

   Jeroboam and his wife desirous of knowing the mind of the Lord about their child, but they were afraid to face the will of God concerning themselves and their ungodly lives. The disguise was evidently an attempt to avoid the dreaded prediction of the man of God, in the preceding chapter. Is there anything in the background of our own lives that we are afraid of God should deal with, thing that make us put on a mask whilst we venture to seek divine light or guidance?

   For 20 plus years I was a night-club DJ. Every time whilst I out on my mask, called the fun time guy, I was smiling ~ mixing ~ making ones have fun dancing. Yet at home I was the complete opposite, a very quite man. Every day we pull on some resemblance of a mask, for some reason or another. In the presence of God, it will NOT improve matters it we try to hide them, as God will deal with us accordingly to our deal life before Him. Therefore come to the light that the evil deeds may be reproved, confessed, and cleansed for be sure youe sins will find you out.

John 3:19-21 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practising evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God”

Prayer

Heavenly Father thank you for your living Word, to guide yes, to help show us the right ways to live our lives in your presence, We live our lives a s a sacrifice to you. You know all our ways. Thank you Father God, amen,

He Knows Everything

 

55:100521

He Knows Everything

Word ~ Thought ~ Deed

Colossians 3:17 “ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”

By Your Words ..

   I heard this analogy a long time ago. That helps to paint a clear picture. . . Have you ever been to an old Library, one that has a card-ex, which was used to help find the book or old news papers, you want, these were used pre-computer. Well, in just imagine every day, every .. Thought – Word & Deed .. all been written down on a card. Imagine how many there would be? Now having done that times it by a week, a month, a life time. How big a room warehouse to house them all, is there one big enough? Or, for the younger generation, how many ‘terabytes’ would be needed to hold all this information?

Matthew 12:36/7 “ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

   For instance … Whilst screaming at the car who cut you up .. Or .. that person who walks very slow and you get passed and in a rush .. Or .. When someone over charges you .. Or .. The Other person got promoted over you .. Or .. When you burn your mouth on hot food .. Or When your partner does not do what you want them too.  

# He Knows Everything #   

   Every Word you have uttered, these were just some instances, you might have said a regretful word. I know of a wealthy Businessman, he put some of his success down to pausing 10-15 seconds before ever replying. He did this so as his response’s were al2ways measured, so as never to give a ‘knee-jerk’ response because he did so much he became renowned for it in his business world.  

   Next time your in a heated debate, try this out and see how it helps to over come those ‘knee-jerk’ response. It could save a friendship or even a marriage, or Job.

There is no perfect day

   Don’t think that trying control what we say is a new fangled thing, as it is not. Hear what the Psalmist had to say, when he was lost and needed help .. 
Psalms 119:107 “I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word”
… living by His word, following Gods direction, having God in all we say will profit you very much. Keeping your Words cool, will give you ultimate control in your life. We all aspire to be better, to do better in our lives, so don’t delay, as it is never too late to make a change in your life, young or old.

By Your Thoughts ..  

Psamls 64:6  “They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep”

Some days Words & Deeds are good but Thoughts

catch you out

 
Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” This is so clear. The one thing the Lord is not, and that is grey. How perfect, no room for don’t. We know how we have fallen short of the Glory of God"
 
   We find ourselves out and an attractive lady/guy walks past, it may only be for 1 second, if only I was the same age. There goes another card added to the already burgeoning amount, so next time think of saying this ..’thank you for saving me’ and ‘Jesus I don’t won’t to think this way, please take these thoughts away’. And thank Him for giving you a perfect partner/Wife/Husband.

Today was not perfect but I’m saved

2 Timothy 1:12 “Nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day”
 
   OK, so you have some unpure thoughts, it’s what you do next that matters. You need to bind them up, in Jesus name, ask to be washed in Jesus blood, purified - washed – cleansed of bad thoughts as there is power in the name of Jesus.
 
   Christ our Lord will bless us, even though when we search deep within, we find ourselves wanting, and yet, He freely ~ happily ~willingly to give us His tender mercies day after day after day. Every Morning we should have a shout of praise & thanks giving upon our lips, whilst making Breakfast ~ Coffee/Tea ~ getting dressed ~ whilst taking the Children to school ~ shopping ~ whilst on our way to work even at work (you don’t have to take/sing aloud to Him). Are you getting the message yet?? Worship Him in ‘ALL’ things. Then you next thought will be to worship Him alone.
 
Psalms100:4 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name”
Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”

By Your Deeds ..
Philippians 4:5 “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand”
 
   It has sadly been proven, all too often that Christians, make the worst bosses/Managers/Owners of company’s. I feel they must think, that they have behave this way so that are not seen as weak ~ push-overs ~ soft. When they are really only shooting their testimony in the foot.
 
   Each day before leaving home, S T O P look yourself in the mirror, and ask God to help keep ‘your’ testimony in tact. By checking yourself before reacting to any given situation, will make sure your Deeds shine Gods light out from within you.
 
   Cause & Consequences:- Your late for work, your rushing, speeding down the road, you cut someone up, not giving them a second thought and carrying on your way/day. What you don’t realise is you have set someone up for a day of misery. It could result in them chasing you down, now resulting them being late for work, it’s now know as road rage.
 

# He Knows Everything # 

 
   You must take care, be mindful of your actions at ‘ALL’ times. Deeds are not helping old ladies across the road, deeds are making a cupa (hot drink- Tea Coffee Hot Chocolate) when not asked for Deeds are those only seen by God.
 
Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful”
1 Thessalonians 5:17/19 “pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit”
 
   As Christians the Wold holds us under a powerful micro-scope. Some have argued why us and not them? You see, they think they know many of our values, some from the movie of our Lord. So hence the think they know about being a Christian. What they don’t get is that we have ‘ALL’ fallen short of the glory of God.
 

Words ~ Thoughts ~ Deeds

 
   Wee need to take His light within us, so as when these ropes come to trip us up, then we can just step over, without falling foul. For those ‘unsaved’ we have to show Gods tender mercies, His lovingkindnesses, show better it is having God in your life, how more contented with life you become.
 
   I know not ‘all’ secular music is about .. Sex ~ Drugs ~ Guns ~ Suicide ~ Killing .. in contrast our Christian song are up lifting ~ Worshipping ~ Giving Thanks to god for saving us. Watch our videos of us openly worshipping our Lord and Saviour. Our faces filled with joy unspeakable, not contorted with vile rage.
 
   I claim not to be perfect, as only Jesus was/is, so don’t panic when you do trip up, because everyone will. It is what you do next, as in your heart God will know your intentions. I will leave you with my last thought for you to think on ….
 

# Thanks is the front door key like no-other for God #

 
Prayer
May you Lord See ~ Know & feel how we have taken your word into our hearts, and nurturing it to grow, help us map our lives with righteousness, in Jesus Christ our Lord’s name, Amen

Why we should look to be Pleasing to God....

Why we should look to be

Pleasing to God

“..⁵ But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ..”

(2Peter 1: 5/8)

   So what does it really mean ‘to be pleasing to God’? Grace, can cover a multitude of actions, some of these are shown in the above text, with actions such as. . .Virtue ~ Knowledge ~ Self-Control ~ Perseverance ~ Brotherly Kindness ~ Love. . . WOW, this could not be made more clear. God will never surely ask anything of us without first giving us the tools, to enable us to complete what He has asked.

   What I find sad as well as somewhat misguided, is that most of our Christian lives, and most of Religion, and most Church’s, is they define ‘Grace’ as unmerited favour and love, which is not only just wrong but totally incomplete. Surly as Christians we have to stand in the fullness, so ‘what is Grace’? Such is the immense meaning, that, God’s unmerited favour and love, Well Grace is God’s unmerited power. This in turn gives us empowerment also enablement to face what God has in store for us to do.

   So what had the ‘paralytic’ man ever done to receive God’s unmerited power and grace here in . . 

".. For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. ." (Mat 9: 5/8)

   Because of the a fore mentioned, we now need to talk of God’s ‘empowerment’ that had/has never earned God’s strength. Paul went before God to talk of the ‘thorn’ in his side. The thorn in his side, was actually Satan/devil, as it was distracting Paul from his work. God turned around to Paul and said . .”.. My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). . God in that instant showed Paul that  . .

 ‘..His grace is in His strength, His empowerment and

ability is all Paul/we will ever need in our lives..’

   In Latin there are a couple words that put together many of us know of may be a slightly different meaning, they are . .

o   Carris ~ means ‘Grace’

o   Carris-ma means ‘anointing’

. .today we think of Charisma to meaning..

1.compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others. "he has tremendous charisma and stage presence"

synonyms:

charm, presence, aura, personality, force of personality, strength of character, individuality; More

2.a divinely conferred power or talent.

   Next time you use the word ‘Charis-ma’, stop and think is being ushered. To say that this person has ‘Grace’, without empowerment, can never be done as God empowers us with His Grace. You can’t be a Farmer without a tractor. It would be silly to be a farmer without one! To talk of Grace, then you must talk of ‘blameless-Grace’. No matter whichever way around, when you talk of one, inadvertently you talk of the other.

‘Grace should be the divine influence on your heart, 

and it’s reflection on your life.’

    God gave us ‘His’ Grace to reflect upon others, and NOT hold to it, hide it up our jumpers. Just like a lighthouse we should be forever letting it shine bright. Grace should always be seen and reflected near and far no matter of life’s storms, we must always let it shine brightly through us.

When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. (Act 11: 23)

   It’s time to prick up your ears, because these next 4 examples of how God’s Grace will ‘produce proof’ in our loves. . .

o   God’s Grace will produce infallible proof

o   God’s Grace will produce infallible proof of healing

o   God’s Grace will produce infallible proof of soundness

o   God’s Grace will produce infallible proof of deliverance

. . . always bear in mind that the Grace of God is actually an untapped force that will do more than just affect our standing with God,  by crediting us full righteousness. Grace can also affect our spiritual experience.

   In fact we see that, Grace is marked by God’s enabling work within us, to overcome our helplessness. . .

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  (Hebrews 12 : 28)

. . . In other words, this passage tells us that we can’t serve God with reverence & fear, without Grace.

   For when comes the time that God tells/instructs to something, He won’t do unless He has already given us all the sufficient Grace to help us. This goes for every time God has us to something that requires us to do acceptably serve Him, or God will ensures He gives us an abundance of Grace to help us through the trails along the way.

Here comes the simplest part, you would think

   If we try to do what God wants of us then prepare.  Because under their own steam, we are but fools. If I wanted to take my car 200 miles down the road, and only expect you to give ‘Grace’ in the form as fuel/gas. You surly would not ever try and push the car up & down dales, surely that is just idiotic. God’s Grace is freely given out to help, Grace may be used to cover up our past sin, just as Grace is used to empower us to NOT sin any more. . .

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2: 6)  

. . . just try and walk as Jesus walked, we’re going to fail all day long .

   Now comes the most difficult part of this, in that to succeed we need not only God’s empowerment through Grace, we must believe and have faith of your success. It’s like making a fruit loaf but you never used the fruit, well it’s just going to fail.

# AM I GETTING THROUGH YET? #

We can only ever come by faith more than our

Own ability

   You are going to fall flat on your face, relapse, when you really try and stop taking drugs, or, watching porn, and your sins are doomed. Why? Because you are not really empowered by God’s Grace. God does mean you are exempt from pleasing God. There is how ever a big difference between God being pleased with us being saved/born-again, and God somehow being happy with our behaviour.

   In Jesus prayer for ‘all’ believers, describes how deep God’s true love is showed. . . I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  (John 17 : 23). . .If only believers, and those that don’t, could only grasp this. God loves us in the same measure that He does Jesus. So many miss this very special message, God there for is only pleased by our behaviour that shows goodness to our neighbour. You see our Heavenly Father love is always unmerited, but, at the same time His pleasure in us will not always be unmerited.

So my ending though is this. . .

‘You can’t earn His love

But rather

You can please Him’

Helping by Prayer

Helping by Prayer

   God has put it in our power to help each other in many ways, sometimes by deeds that lift away burdens; sometimes by sympathy that halves the sorrow. But, there is no other way in which we can serve wisely, so effectively, so divinely, solely interceding for them.

   Our hands are clumsy and awkward, and often life would heal with our touch or strength . . .

“. .Not by my strength but by thine alone/own. .”

. . .but in prayers we can reach our friend through God’s grace. Because God’s hand has an infinitely more gentle touch that would NOT hurt but only heal us in our time of need. We know that our wisdom, and at times the help we give is untimely (we offer help after the horse has bolted, yet only then do we think to close the stable door), or unwise. When we try and fix that which is no longer broken, thus making mess. We need to learn when to let go.

   There are times we think we are helping by lifting a friends burdens, that God needs them to carry by themselves. You might be forgiven that by doing this we are making his burdens lighter. But it was Gods intention to make it harder for our friend for his own good, for his own development of his powers.

   Don’t be disheartened that by not saving our friend from the burdens & . .Hardship ~ self-denial ~ Perilous-duty ~ Exhausting-Service . . when these are the very paths with which God will lead him to . .

·       The paths to Honour

·       To Longer Usefulness

·       To Nobler Life

. . all be it at times our love is short sighted.

   This goes to show that we may all think we are helping our friend, when we really are doing anything but. When we are actually hindering him in the very things that deeply concern his life. Instead of hindering in the flesh, we can use a tool that will be far more effective. In prayer we can let God know we have faith in our belief that our prayers will be answered in fullness.

   In our prayers we can ask for help in which our friend will feel His divine healing. Who so ever fails to pray for ones whom we love, is a miss, in the most sacred duty of God’s Grace, not to mention His divine healing power.

“A prayer less love may be  tender

And may speak murmuring words of sweetness

Sound, but it leaves the deepest expression

and the noblest of speech. We never want

To help our dear ones so well as when we

Pray for them.

Romans 8 26 “. .  Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning’s which cannot be uttered. .”

   

   As Christians we should know how to pray. The thing is how many of us, as newly saved Christian’s, were taken aside and over a number of weeks, were taught how to pray, using the Bible as direction? “pray for as we ought”. This is something sadly lacking, the only true direction for those just saved is called the ‘Alpha Course’.

   We truly have a gift/tool to help us if only tapped into. There are some ‘Evangelists’’, some have a good reputation. There are 2 that who are known even out of Church circles. .

1.     Billy Graham

2.   Benny Hinn

 . . it has been reported both have a good & bad reputations for ‘Healing’. Jesus healed many ailments. All He asked for was ‘Faith & Belief’, which sadly many today will lack one or both.

Luke 8 49-50  “. .While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well. .”

   When a man can do nothing else, he would do well to remember this little saying to the great river of intercessory prayer which is always flowing up to the throne of God. The river is made up of such sayings as the Ocean is of drips . .

“A praying man can never be a useless man”

. . it is also well, that we think carefully of the things we ask for our friends. There is a danger that exists in prayer for ourselves, that we press only our own will for them and request for them only of an earthly kind.

Philippians 3 19   “. . whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. .”

  Another form of prayer is that of a Mother’s. Her prayer for her children will always be first, that may win Earthly honour, but, that they be complete in God’s will, and become what God has intended them to be. The best place they can reach in this World is that which God designed them when He gave them life.

·       “What shall our prayer be”?

·       “That our friend may recover”?

   Isn’t that what we want otherwise, do we pray and not mean it?   Prayers should always be offered up in love, or we may ask aimlessly. Jesus prayed 3 times that His cup of sorrow might

pass. .

This must not be all what He’s about!

We should ask. .

This must not be all what ‘It’s’ all about!

   It would be sad if our friend were to get well and NOT to get some blessing out of his sickness. Once he has made full recovery, we pray that he may be enriched in spiritual experiences. .

   Also ~ that he be in a closer relationship with Christ our Lord..

   Also ~ that his life may be purified..

   Also ~ that he made more thoughtful, gentle, unselfish, more Christ like..

   Also ~ that he be made more perfect and complete in the will of God. .

. . it may be needful to qualify the power that our friend will recover. It may also Gods will that our friend should now go home. We may still give vent to loves yearning that he will get better, but at the close of our supplication we must submit it all to Gods wisdom in the refrain. .

“never the less, not as I will, but as though wilt”

. .if love be true, it’s always the best thing that we ask for our dear ones when we pray. Heaven will be the crowning glory of our lives in Immortal Glory & Blessedness. As we begin to pray we remember that the truest and most loving prayer for Him be, that our friend must stand most perfect and complete in all God’s will. Possibly his load is part of God’s will to bring out the best that is in him.

   Here’s something to think of in that, when we decide to pray for our friends, we need to first and for most, pray of their spiritual good & wellbeing. In doing so we must seek above all things that the prayer and supplications offered up will sustain and lift them, so they will grow into the beautiful person in Gods eye’s and help them to have a wonderfully perfected Christian character.

   Surely you will have a poor and thoughtless friendship which desires the utter most Earthly good. It is asking of you a stone instead of bread or perhaps a scorpion instead of an egg, or a serpent instead of a fish.

‘Archdeacon Farrar, was once quoted in saying

‘There are 2 things to remember about prayer for

Earthly things. .

1.     That too ask for an Earthly blessing is a dreadfully dwarfing and an vulgarization of the grandeur of prayer, as though a handful of grass, when you might ask for a handful of Emeralds.

2.   You must always ask for Earthly desires with complete and absolute submission of your own will, to Gods’.

   We are to make sure that these things be as true of prayers, as for our friends as for ourselves. We do our friends a grave injustice as well as sin against our loved ones when we seek for them merely the things of our frail short-sighted judgement may desire for them.

“. .love is true only when it comes and rises up to

Heavenly heights, craves for those who are

dear to the things of Gods own blessed

& perfect will. This is and will always never

Be easy. .”

   It will always be hard for us to say ‘Thy will be done’. NO one will relinquish the reigns to their life to Jesus Christ. Knowing that it means our loved ones must endure some pain or walk in deep shadows, or be humbled under Gods hand.

   No matter whether for ourselves or for our friends, we dare not in prayers press our own wishes against Gods. .”Even though it be a cross that raiseth”. .this must be our own cry for our friends as well as for ourselves. . .

“The strength of pleading must be the same”

. . .someday we shall know that our love was the truest, when it was asked in pain and loss for one who was dear, and Why?.

   May be this poem will go to answering some of the questions you might have…

I sometimes think Gods tender heart must ache

Listening to all the sad complaining cries,

That from our weak, impotent souls arise, Because

 we don’t see that for our sake, He answers

not, or answers otherwise, Than seems the best

 to our tear-blinded eye, This is loves hardest task,

to hard things For loves own sake, then bear the

murmurings Of ignorance to dull to judge aright.

The love that rises to this wond’rous height

He wearies not, but bears complaint and moan

And shields each will heart against His

Own knowing that some glad day we too

Shall know.