Tag: prayer and supplication

“Absorbed in Prayer and Praise”

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER, TRUTH5 Comments

Everyone is absorbed in something. It may only be “self.”

It is no secret that our minds and hearts soak in what we see, read, hear, and think. Without a desire for what is good and the means to attain it, we are continually saturated with the things of the world. These are our gods ~ second to self ~ and rule our lives. This lifestyle is one of oppression that suppresses all that is good and true and leads to depression and destruction.

But, life does not have to be this way.

God, our Creator, planned a beautiful life for fellowship with Him. Though our first parents rejected Him choosing a life of sin and rebellion, we have a new life provided for us in His Son, Jesus Christ.

He gives us His Spirit and His Word whereby we can know Him and receive all He planned for us. He promises to share his bountiful kingdom with us (Luke 12:32).

Through our study of His Word, we are led by His Holy Spirit to communicate with him in prayer and supplication. He continues to pour out His blessings upon us as we acknowledge Him as our Father and Redeemer.

We Do Not Know How to Pray
Romans 8:26-27  teaches us that though we do not know how to pray, His Holy Spirit intercedes through us. Prayer is a matter of commitment and discipline of time with our heavenly Father, seeking His Spirit, His presence, and His will. He calls us to fellowship with Him in His Word so as to know what we should ask.

We ask, believing what He has promised, thanking Him as we wait for Him to fulfill His promise. When we come to Him, in humility and gratitude for who He is, speaking His Word, and interceding for others, we know He hears us. In the process, our faithful and fervent prayers turn to praise.

“But you are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
Psalm 22:3

 We cannot but praise Him when we live in fellowship with Him. The more we pray in the Spirit and with understanding of His Word, the more we will praise Him.

Our praise is a witness of Him to others. We can share the joy we have in Him even and especially, through adversity.

The phrase, “absorbed in prayer and praise” is found within the lyrics of the hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns by Matthew Bridges 1851.

Crown him the Lord of peace!
Whose power a scepter sways,
From pole to pole,–that wars may cease,
Absorbed in prayer and praise:
His reign shall know no end,
And round his pierced feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.

At times, His presence may be overwhelming ~ it may seem as if heaven is opened to reveal a glimpse of His glory. This is a taste of heaven ~ a precious and joyful communion with Him.

More time in prayer and praise leads to a habitual lifestyle of obedience, continual trust, and dependence on Him. It may take years before we experience the depth and height of this life in Christ, but it is worth the practice and the wait.

Gracious Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Make us know your presence and power as we daily seek your kingdom and your righteousness. Let us not miss anything you have prepared for us. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Fran

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Diligently Seeking

On By francesrogersIn GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S WORD, PRAYER2 Comments

As I continue this search for the meanings of Jesus’ words, I am impressed with the thoughts of fervently asking, diligently seeking, and urgently knocking. We are sharing what God’s Word reveals of diligently seeking in this post.

When Jesus told His disciples to ask, seek, and knock, He had certain things and conditions in mind. Being brought up with the Law and the Prophets, He reiterated the first thing we should seek. He emphasized seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness which we find repetitive in the Old Testament.

Seek the Lord

“If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;” Job 8:5

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:
my soul thirsteth for thee,
my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land,
where no water is;”
Psalm 63:1

“Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.” Psalm 105:3

“The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him”
(Ezra 8:22).

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near:”
Isaiah 55:6

Seek “the commandments of the Lord our God” (1 Chronicles 28:8; “His precepts” Psalm 119:45); “wisdom” (Proverbs 2:4): “knowledge “(Proverbs 18:15)

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.”
Psalm 27:4

“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.” Ezra 8:21

“Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness:” Zephaniah 2:3

“Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” Psalm 105:4

Seek His Face

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”
Psalm 27:8

Seek Peace 

“And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” Jeremiah 29:7

” seek peace, and ensue it. 1 Peter 3:11

Who will seek?

“They that know thy name” Psalm 9:10

 “such as love thy salvation” Psalm 40:16

“The Lord is good unto them that wait for him,
to the soul that seeketh him”.
Lamentations 3:25 

“the Gentiles seek” Isaiah 11:10

“ye that follow after righteousness.” Isaiah 51:1

“the children of Israel and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God.” Jeremiah 50:4; Hosea 3:5

How will we seek?

“with all their heart and with all their soul;” 2 Chronicles 15:12; Deuteronomy 4:29

“seek him with the whole heart.”  Psalm 119:2

“With my soul, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early:” Isaiah 26:9

“by prayer and supplications, with fasting,” Daniel 9:3

Seek First the Kingdom of God

The only thing Jesus tells us to seek is the first and most important thing, for with the kingdom of God and his righteousness we will have everything we need.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33

“To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:” Romans 2:7

“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:12

“If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
Colossians 3:1

“But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“For they seek a country.”
Hebrews 11:14; Hebrews 13:14

Our Father in heaven, forgive us for not seeking you as we ought. Thank you for teaching us through your Word how to seek you. We praise you for your Son, our Lord Jesus who teaches us to seek your kingdom and your righteousness above all things ~ and for Paul who teaches us to seek those things above. Fill us with your Spirit and with the power to seek and find you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Fran

Suggested Reading: Free Ebook First Things that Last Forever
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