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Sign Guestbook | View Guestbook Comments? Questions? [email protected]	Prayer topics My Trying vs Your Work In Me Prayers For My Children, Mom, Church... Your Will Be Done Yes, Lord, You Are All I Need My Trying vs Your Work In Me Date: February 28, 2007 Dear Heavenly Father, I heard a radio preacher say that asking forgiveness is one of the key aspects of prayer. He was reading from Solomon's temple dedication prayer where Solomon prays (in somewhat these words), "When Your people pray to You, facing toward this holy place, please hear from heaven and forgive them." He just assumes they will be praying for forgiveness! Of course that was a huge part of the whole temple worship/sacrifices -- asking/seeking for God's forgiveness. And it struck me that that is so important. I think we have a tendency not to be humble before God. First of all (You just showed me this right now as I write! Wow!) we are so proud and self-centered -- and not humbled. We talk about "humbling ourselves in prayer" (or other ways) but it is probably the hardest thing for us to do. We don't want to be repentant! We don't want to admit our sinful attitudes, thoughts, actions -- the sinful "flesh" we still live in despite our spirit made holy; the winful world that surrounds us every moment and which we are far too often influenced by even without realizing it... and so on. We want to consider ourselves righteous -- yes, our selves. I think I/we (both!) far too often, maybe mostly all the time... You seem to want me to write "all the time" -- Lord??) anyway, we all the time confuse our "righteous self" with the new "Spirit of life" which is You living in us. When we "live out You in us" Your righteousness is life in us and for us, but when we "choose" to "be righteous ourselves" then those are righteous works of our own. Is that right? Is there really that difference? Is this something to do with "doing the works of God" instead of just "doing good works"? But we run around in our "Christian life" trying (oh, I see...) to do what pleases You... but maybe if we are really allowing Your Spirit to be in control we will just "do"... no, You will do, You in us will do Your works. Is that right? Is that what "total surrender" means? Is it "being like Jesus" because "Jesus Christ in you"... I mean, so totally surrendered, Jesus is just totally freed to really use you anytime, anywhere, anyway, any thought.... He wants as He does His "Father's works".... through you (and in you, as He keeps growing you into His image! Is that right? Oh my goodness, the words are so much the same, but the meaning -- and outcome -- are total opposites, then, aren't they? Lord? So... I don't have to try to be righteous. That's the way of the law. That's why they had to constantly be asking for forgiveness. Because no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't fulfill it.... and You have done that... once for all. So if we are truly "filled with Your Spirit," if we are truly "abiding in the vine" and truly have "Your life" coursing through us, the branches, we will bear Your fruit! But still (on this side of eternity) we are still "grafted in" branches. As long as we allow Your life to flow through us, we live... in You, of You, like You (truly "like You") but if we stanch Your life-giving flow... then the life is gone out of us and we shrivel and die and are cut off and thrown into the fire.... So Lord, we think of "disobedient acts/ words/ thoughts"... of "unholy living" ... as cutting us off from You... and they do... but the line suddenly seems to me to be so thin... I see what Jesus meant when He was talking about "looking on a woman to lust after her" as being even as a sin in action. Oh Lord, how terribly easy it is to fall. Even not doing Your work at the very millisecond you set it before us, is sin... But how do we live that close to the guidance of Your Holy Spirit? Is it possible? (I want to ask, "How do I do that?" But that's just the problem, isn't it? I can't do it. Only You can do it. You in me. I don't think, now that I think about it, that I read anywhere in the New Testament, from people who are filled with Your Spirit, prayers of "Please help me" do this or that. It's just "Lord, You do Your works in and through me." It's "I surrender all." It's "Your will be done." It's so simple... and yet it's so difficult... to refuse the call of our pride, our self, our flesh. Even that we cannot do. Only You, only Your blood, has that power. Only us allowing You... The other night you gave me a word to _____: "God longs to do this in your life, but you have to allow it... and nothing is impossible with God." Maybe, Lord, it was really a message for me, yes? (Him, too... but yes, for me, though I didn't see it that way at that time. Oh, my ears are so closed, and my heart is so hard. Please forgive me, Lord). Yes, that is it. We must recognize and admit our helplessness, our hopelessness, utter, utter, utter sinfulness and uselessness in Your sight. We glibly say, "Well, I'm okay; God, when He looks at me, sees Christ" -- and You do, Lord... but is that what You really see? Am I grieved enough by my sin, am I so truly humbled and repentant every moment that I... oh Lord, I don't have any words to think about how this words... where does my "trying" end and Your "work in me" start? Where does my repentance end and Your grace and mercy take over? Does it even work like that? (Oh yes, Your grace and mercy are required to even allow be to repent...) Lord, can I ask You something? This (my thoughts this morning) all started because I got an email from a lady asking for ideas on how to handle a classroom she is having problems with. And was all set to ask her for more information about the class, so I could analyze it... and make some suggestions. And then You spoke in my heart, and said to me, "Why don't you ask Me for My solutions?" (See, that's what You want me to do when I talk to ____ too... and that's what our whole conversation last night at the PLT was really about too... are we looking for our solutions... even good, "Godly" ones, based on the Word of God and on Godly principles -- but Lord, every principle we consider, every possible answer/ solution we come up with, right away we also see potential problems, potential disunity, potential human pride and prejudice and all that stuff just messing it all up, different "viewpoints" of what "Your Word" means... and maybe that's just it -- even though we are "basing our ideas on Your Word," they are still our ideas! We are still the ones proposing them... We are still trying to "do Your work." And You don't say that. There's not "try" in it. Jesus said, "I do the works of my Father that I see Him doing, that I hear Him telling me to do." He just came to You and laid Himself completely at Your feet, totally surrendered, not a single "if" or "but"... totally, "Not my will but Your will be done." Total submission... and just let the outcomes, results come as they would... as You willed... trusting that You are indeed always working out Your purposes, Your perfect, complete, eternal will... as only You, the Creator, have any right to do. As only You are worthy. And only for Your glory. Not a whit for His own... even though He Himself was "God incarnate." He really, really did give up all. No exceptions at all. That just seems incredible to me. It seems, yes, Lord, it seems impossible to me, in my fallen, hopeless, helpless humanness! How can I ever hope to even start to be like Jesus... even in the point of humbling myself, admitting my sin. We think, oh, salvation is so simple -- You just say A - admit, B - believe, C - confess, and D - it's done (Well I just added the "D" but You know what I'm saying here). The thing is, I can't admit (and won't... they go together here, don't they, in some way, though we think they're different? Lord?). I can't believe. I can't confess (I don't want to! It totally goes against my nature! I can't! I'm dead! A dead man can't do living things, can't bring himself back to life just to start with). I see! I see that You have to call first. You have to quicken my spirit. You have to give me faith to believe. You have to soften and prepare and quicken my heart to accept and believe and confess. It's not a "choice" I make of "my own free will" then, is it? Oh... I see what Calvin was saying... But what then about what Sid was saying... "we are predestined 'in Christ'... predestined to good works" for example... yes, it is true that only in Christ can we do the works of the Father (Oh my, that means the most, probably almost all, of our "good/ Godly works" are nothing but dried up stubble, fit only to be burned... because no matter how much "like Christ" they are, they aren't "in Christ" but are our works...) Do we have a choice, then? But there is still the "whosoever will, may come"... Lord, please keep teaching me. Please keep softening my heart, opening my ears to hear, opening my eyes to see, by Your Spirit in me... every moment... and yes, please forgive me!!! Thank You, Amen. ........... Back just for a second... as I started off "into my day" -- oh, oops, I'm sorry -- into Your day... I found myself praying "I give You myself... what more can I give?" -- and I hear (as I write!) Your voice saying, "Yes, that is all you can give... every day... it's an on-going process... every day I will open Your heart a little bit more to the truth about Your self... and every day you can give your self to Me... and I can give you, in return, more of My self." I sense You telling me not to worry too much about the details, but to just take this journey with You, one step at a time, Your time, Your steps, perfectly formed in Your plan for and perfect knowledge of... me?? I've made the first step when I "accepted and believed and confessed"... or should I say -- yes I should because it's true, no matter how hard it is to understand -- it really is simple... we joined hands and made that step together... somehow! By Your amazing grace! For Your glory! Because of Your love! Yes, it is enough... just to trust in You to do the rest... (even though immediately a protesting little voice in my head cries out, "But what about me? Aren't I supposed to do something?" (Why is it so hard to "simply turst"? Lord? Have mercy on me, a sinner, O Lord! I want to believe! O give me faith, Lord, that I may believe! (Now I see what those men were praying, Lord....) Thank You. Time to rise and shine... Your day, Your life (alive and living in and through me -- oh amazing, amazing mercy and grace and great salvation!) Praise God! I love You, Lord! (I have no wisdom Lord. Wow. None. YOu are wisdom. Any true wisdom from "my mouth" can only be You speaking by Your Spirit -- amazingly, in and through me). (No wonder I've been tired and confused... trying so hard... forgive me, Lord. Thank You for showing me this... at least a taste of Your truth -- of You (in me!)) Return to the top Prayers For My Children, Mom, Church...Your will Be Done Date: March 1, 2007 All I know is that my children, and my grandchild -- and their families -- must come to You! Oh, dear God, please do not let any of them be lost... Lord, I place my confidence in You, for you have said that it is not Your will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance... and that You answer prayer... and Lord, I do see You working in their lives... since they were babies in arms and we dedicated all of them to You -- including Sheila too... oh bring her baby and her man to Yourself too! Bring them all to You, please, dear Jesus! You died that they might die to their sins, and You rose again that they might have eternal life and be restored to one on one (and body/family) relationship to God -- Father, Son, Holy Spirit! Dear Lord, I give them to You again, right now -- and while You know the longings of my heart for each of my children (and grandchildren), I once again give them entirely over to You, and ask only that Your will and purposes be done and fulfilled and completed (perfected!) in each of their lives, dear Father, Lord God, in Jesus' precious name and by His shed blood by the indwelling and infilling power and direction and comfort of Your dear Holy Spirit. Amen! In the name of Jesus! Thank You! ....... Dear Jesus, please be with my little mom and bless her (make her happy, Lord, make her content and aware of Your loving Presence every moment!) and help me love her as Jesus would have loved her when He was bodily here on earth. Help me know how and be able, by Your Spirit, to love her in word, thought (attitudes!) and deeds, according to Your will and purposes, in Jesus name. Amen! (Why should my mom have dementia, Lord? But Your will be done...). ....... About "our church" Lord... What "structure" are You creating and building, Lord? How can we come to see that Jesus is our senior pastor and head shepherd? How can we let go and let You be the head of Your church, and trust You to be able to "be in charge"? Isn't that what You want? Like what Pastor Sid read last night from Acts 4... when Peter and John were released by the Sanhedrin, the first thing they did was go to the brethren and all of them called out to You! They didn't have a "planning and vision" meeting, or a "structure" meeting, or a "pastoral search team meeting. They just went straight to the head pastor, the "Lord who is my shepherd." And turned it all over to You, and let You work it out! Because it is Your church and You do all things well! You are God alone! In charge! O dear Heavenly Father, please open our eyes to see that! It isn't about buildings, and people who have the "final responsibility" or anything like that. it is just Your people, coming together before You in awe and worship, with hearts -- eyes, ears, spirits -- open to Your Spirit, with "selves" crucified in deep repentance and humility... just open and willing -- and longing -- to do Yours works, Your way, Your timing, Your will alone, dear Heavenly Father, through the shed blood of Jesus our Saviour and Lord and King, by the power and guidance and comfort of Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ and of God! In Jesus' name! Amen! Return to the top Yes, Lord, You Are All I Need Date: March 6, 2007 (After a lot of unexpected events and new possibilities and difficult struggles that I can do nothing about but turn over to Jesus and watch to find out how and where and when He is working...) Lord, do You have anything special to say to me this morning? I want to hear Your voice... please? ********** Norma, My child, I am with You always. Isn't that enough for You? Just Me, My Presence, My Spirit, Myself, Your Father, Jesus My son, My Spirit upon you, comforting you, teaching you to be like Me. Truly I am all you need. Rest in Me. Relax. Let Me do My work in you as I please and purpose and design. My times and My ways. I am with You always. I Am all you need. I Am your all in all. Yes, I love you, far more than you can ever imagine. Just relax, open yourself to Me, just accept My love. I am your God, your Creator, your Purpose, your Glory. Come to Me. Rest in me. "Trust and obey for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." I love you! Is that not enough? *********** Yes, Lord, You are all I need, all I want, all I desire! Thank You. Please keep reminding me. So often I find myself allowing the world to "be too much with me." But yes, it is a choice I make. Please help me to choose You, always, every moment, every place, every circumstance, every thought and word and deed. Thank You, dear Lord, Father God. In Jesus' name, and through Your Holy Spirit, I pray... Amen! Thank You! This day is to You, Lord... Be with me, I pray. Please make me like Jesus! Amen! Return to the top
Main Page | My Articles for The Life Connection | Prayers and Meditations | Poetry Haida Gwaii Reflections | Education & Home-School | Family

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