Author Archives: elizabeth

My Place in God’s Story

God's Story nuggets of wisdom 1 Comment

 

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27

 

Who am I?
I am a human being created by God in His image. (Gen. 1:26)
I am a woman. Not because I feel like a woman or look like a woman. I am a woman because God made me a woman. (Gen. 1:27)
Why did God make me? God made me to bring glory to Him (Jer. 9:23-24; Rev.4:11)
How do I bring glory to God? By knowing and fulfilling the role He has assigned to me.

When God made me, He assigned me my:
Identity (made in God’s image)
Gender – Female (The Bible always equates gender with biological sex.)
Role (worshipper of God and help meet to the man)

God did not leave me confused in any of these areas. As creator of all mankind, God assigns to everyone He has made their identity, gender and their role.

Genesis 1:26-28
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.
From the beginning, we see God assigning Adam and Eve their identity – image bearers, their gender – male and female and their roles, Adam was created first, so the leader and then Eve was given to Adam as a help mate.

Genesis 2: 15-18, 21-23
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.

The scriptures in Genesis 1 and 2 above shows that I am the descendant of the first man and woman ever created by God – Adam and Eve. They were created sinless and perfect.

God created the man out of the earth and the woman out of the man, she was brought to the man by God and she was named by the man. Adam recognized immediately that she came out from him and was made for him. He called her ‘woman’. The man was created first to be the leader. He was to teach the woman God’s commands and lead her in the worship of God.

Being created first and given the position of leadership by God did not mean the man was superior to the woman, it meant he had a different God ordained role from the woman. God made him the head, the leader and He made the woman specifically for the man, suitable to his needs and to be his helper. (Gen.2:18).

The Hebrew word for helper is ‘ʿēzer’  The same word is often used in scripture to describe the help we get from God. ʿēzer  is the same word used for help in Psalms 121:2, Psalms 115:10, Psalms 124:8, as well in a host of other scriptures.  It is the root word for the name : Eliezer (Ex.18:4) – which means God is my help. The woman then was created to help the man be and do all the Lord has called him to be and do.

Adam, as the leader was given the very first command ever recorded in scripture with a consequence for breaking it. It was a command on how to live forever with God. All this was done before the woman came into the picture. The command is recorded in Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

So, What did Adam do with the command he was given?  How does all this help me understand my place in God’s story?  What does all this mean? We will explore that in future blog articles.

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

The All Good

nuggets of wisdom Puritan Prayers Voices of Wisdom No Comments

 

Help me to see how good thy will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.

 

A Prayer from the “Valley of Vision” page 10.

MY GOD,

Thou hast helped me to see,
that whatever good be in honour and
rejoicing, how good is he who gives them,
and can withdraw them;

that blessedness does not lie so much
in receiving good from and in thee,
but in holding forth thy glory and virtue;

that it is an amazing thing to see Deity
in a creature, speaking, acting,
filling, shining through it;

that nothing is good but thee,
that I am near good when I am near thee,
that to be like thee is a glorious thing:
This is my magnet, my attraction.

Thou art all my good in times of peace,
my only support in days of trouble,
my one sufficiency when life shall end.

Help me to see how good thy will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.

Grant me to feel thee in fire, and food and
every providence,
and to see that thy many gifts and creatures
are but thy hands and fingers taking hold of me.

Thou bottomless fountain of all good,
I give myself to thee out of love,
for all I have or own is thine,
my goods, family, church, self,
to do with as thou wilt,
to honour thyself by me, and by all mine.

If it be consistent with thy eternal counsels,
the purpose of thy grace,
and the great ends of thy glory,
then bestow upon me the blessings of
thy comforts;
If not, let me resign myself to
thy wiser determinations.

– Amen

Soli Deo Gloria!

Secondary Causes

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In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. – Job 1:22

 

How does a sovereign God intervene in the lives of His people for their sanctification?  Mostly through secondary courses.  Anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time can quote Romans 8:28 by heart. That verse says :  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

What that verse is saying is that God uses everything in the life of the believer: all of the good, bad and ugly to work for their good.  He does this through secondary causes. Secondary causes are the things, people and circumstances that we can see as the reason for the good, the bad and ugly around us.

 

Understanding that God uses secondary causes to test our faith and sanctify us in order to make us into the image of His son should bring comfort to our souls and Christians.  Whatever the trial or difficulty that comes into our lives, God could have stopped it, but He did not. He has allowed it for our good and for His glory.

 

Take for example the situation of Job. God Himself testified to the uprightness and holiness of Job in Job 1:8. Satan however said Job was serving God, not out of love, but for what Job can get from God. To prove Satan wrong and to teach us who would later read the story of Job that God will sometimes allow adversity in the lives His godly children for their good. God allowed Job to lose everything. His business, his children, his health and his dignity.

What were the secondary causes in the story of Job? They were the Sabeans, Chaldeans and a great wind. These were the instruments of destruction that destroyed Job’s business and killed his children.

Understanding that God uses secondary to test our faith and sanctify us in order to make us into the image of His son should bring comfort to our souls and Christians.  Whatever the trial or difficulty that comes into our lives, God could have stopped it, but He did not. He has allowed it for our good and for His glory.

Does this mean then we can blame God for the evil and bad things that come into our lives?  No, we cannot. God is not the author of evil. James 1:13 makes that clear – James 1:13 – And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.  He will however, use the situation for our good and His glory.  We have an enemy called Satan who is ready to not only cause us to do evil but is always plotting and planning how to turn every good thing into a bad thing. Satan is the evil one.

Job never blames the secondary causes for his troubles. The fact that Job did not saddle his horses and call out an army from among his friends and neighbors to go after the Sabeans and Chaldeans shows that Job did not see them as the primary cause of his problems. He is also did not blame God for the evil as recorded in Job 1:22 – In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job did not blame God for his troubles, instead, he turned to God for comfort and undersanding.

Everything that happens to the believer is a secondary cause. From good and joyful things to hard and painful things. They are the training ground where we build our spiritual muscles. Commenting on Exodus 20:20, the wife of Charles Spurgeon, Susanna Spurgeon had this to say: “If we can only get firmly fixed in our hearts the truth that the Lord’s hands is in everything that happens to us, we have found a balm for all our woes, a remedy for all our ills…….The soul that has learned this blessed secret of seeing God’s hand in all that concerns it cannot be a prey to fear; it looks beyond all second causes straight into the heart and will of God and rests content because He rules”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

Source of all Good

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Thou hast made me what I am, and given me
  what I have; In thee I live and move and have my being;
Thy providence has set the bounds of my habitation,
  and wisely administers all my affairs.

 

It is true that we live in uncertain times. Inflation is at a 40 year high, gas prices and high and in some places still rising, the cost of food and all household items have gone up. Schools that used to be places of learning have become centers of indoctrination into everything ungodly.  There is also sickness suffered by some, loss of loved ones,  personal squabbles that are going on within families such as marital problems, problems between parents and their children, problems between siblings, etc.

 

Once we begin to record all the ways God is good to us and verbally thank and praise Him for His goodness, our problems do not disappear, but we are able to put them in the right perspective.

 

 If we are not careful, these problems can and will overtake us and weigh us down and make us forget that despite all of the difficulties of life, we have experienced good from our God. Indeed we have, if we are Christians and we should not lose sight of that. 

One way to make sure our eyes are continually on the goodness of God is to keep a gratitude journal. Taking time to think through and write down all the ways God has been good to us. Another way is to verbally thank God in prayer and praise for His goodness. Problems have a way of clouding God’s goodness in our lives while at the same time magnifying the difficulties.

Once we begin to record all the ways God is good to us and verbally thank and praise Him for His goodness, our problems do not disappear, but we are able to put them in the right perspective.

If you need help saying a prayer of praise to God who is the source of all good, you can use the words from this prayer of praise and gratitude from the Valley of Vision titled “God the Source of All Good”. This prayer can be found on page 6.

O LORD GOD, WHO INHABITEST ETERNITY,

The heavens declare thy glory,
The earth thy riches,
The universe is thy temple;
Thy presence fills immensity,
Yet thou hast of thy pleasure created life,
and communicated happiness;

Thou hast made me what I am, and given me
what I have;

In thee I live and move and have my being;
Thy providence has set the bounds of my habitation,
and wisely administers all my affairs.

I thank thee for thy riches to me in Jesus,
for the unclouded revelation of him in thy Word,
where I behold his Person, character, grace, glory,
humiliation, sufferings, death, and resurrection;

Give me to feel a need of his continual saviourhood,
and cry with Job, ‘I am vile’,
with Peter, ‘I perish’,
with the publican, ‘Be merciful to me, a sinner’.

Subdue in me the love of sin,
Let me know the need of renovation as well as
of forgiveness,
in order to serve and enjoy thee for ever.

I come to thee in the all-prevailing name of Jesus,
with nothing of my own to plead,
no works, no worthiness, no promises.
I am often straying,
often knowingly opposing thy authority,
often abusing thy goodness;

Much of my guilt arises from my religious privileges,
my low estimation of them,
my failure to use them to my advantage,
But I am not careless of thy favour or regardless of
thy glory;

Impress me deeply with a sense of thine
    omnipresence, that thou art about my path,
    my ways, my lying down, my end

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Rest for the Weary

nuggets of wisdom Voices of Wisdom 2 Comments

 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:28-29

 

One of the things I look forward to in heaven is that fact that there will be no more sin.  We will completely and finally saved from the presence of sin.  I am so tired of sin.

I have a dear sister in Christ whose family have been going through some severe trials with two of their sons, It is one thing to have a son with mental health issues and quite another to have two sons with mental health issues.  To say their lives have been extremely stressful would be the understatement of the year.

While I cannot claim to understand all that she is going through, I can however be an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands to help her see that God has not forsaken her,  by praying for her, being a comfort to her and reminding her of the goodness of God in her life and circumstances even when it does not look that way. To this end, we scheduled and meet monthly over lunch to catch up, go through scripture  and pray.

 

Unrest is one great characteristic of the world. Hurry, vexation, failure, disappointment, stare us in the face on every side. But here is hope.  There is an ark of refuge for the weary, as truly as there was for Noah’s dove. There is rest in Christ, rest of conscience, and rest of heart, rest built on pardon of all sin, rest flowing from peace with God. – JC Ryle

 

I got a phone call from her on the day before our monthly lunch meeting letting me know she will not be able to make it as one of the sons had had an episode and had been admitted to the hospital. So, we prayed over the phone and I encouraged her with the word. The next day, I got another phone call from her letting me know that the second son has been missing for two days. He was on his way home at about 10pm two days before and never made it. While she was on the phone with me (6am), she was driving from street to street and from train track to train track looking for him. She and her husband were taking turns driving around looking for him, while the police was going around interviewing his friends.

My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach and all I could was cry out to the Lord in prayer. I could not imagine the horror they were going through not knowing. My husband and I began to pray for them.

 

“Go not,” He seems to say, “to man for relief. Wait not for help to arise from any other quarter. Just as you are, this very day, come to me.”   Mark what an encouraging account Jesus gives of Himself. He says, “I am gentle and lowly of heart.”  – JC Ryle

 

I am currently through the M’Cheyne Reading Plan for the year and part of today’s reading was Matthew 11.  Verse 28-29 of Matthew 11 are familiar verses and were very much needed today in light of what had transpired in the last two days.  Matthew 11:28-29 reads: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

What a comfort!  JC Ryle’s commentary on these verses were also such a blessing:

Unrest is one great characteristic of the world. Hurry, vexation, failure, disappointment, stare us in the face on every side. But here is hope. There is an ark of refuge for the weary, as truly as there was for Noah’s dove. There is rest in Christ, rest of conscience, and rest of heart, rest built on pardon of all sin, rest flowing from peace with God. 

Mark what a simple request Jesus makes to the laboring and heavy-laden ones:

“Come to me — Take my yoke upon you, learn from me.” He interposes no hard conditions. He speaks nothing of works to be done first, and deservingness of His gifts to be established. He only asks us to come to Him just as we are, with all our sins, and to submit ourselves like little children to His teaching. 

“Go not,” He seems to say, “to man for relief. Wait not for help to arise from any other quarter. Just as you are, this very day, come to me.”   Mark what an encouraging account Jesus gives of Himself. He says, “I am gentle and lowly of heart.”  

Mark, lastly, the encouraging account that Jesus gives of His service. He says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

 No doubt there is a cross to be carried, if we follow Christ. No doubt there are trials to be endured, and battles to be fought. But the comforts of the Gospel far outweigh the cross. Compared to the service of the world and sin, compared to the yoke of Jewish ceremonies, and the bondage of human superstition, Christ’s service is in the highest sense easy and light.

 His yoke is no more a burden than the feathers are to a bird. His commandments are not grievous. His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace. (1 John 5:3. Prov. 3:17.)

 God is so good and knows how to send comfort to His children!  This morning before I wrote this bog article, I got a phone call from my friend letting me know that her missing son had contacted them by text and phone call.  While they had not yet seen him, it was a relief to know that he is still alive.  Please continue to pray for this dear sweet family.

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Naaman Expectation Syndrome

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But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. – 2 Kings 5:11

 

 

In 2Kings 5, we read the story of Naaman. He was the commander of the Syrian army. The Bible described Naaman as a mighty man of valor, a great man who was highly favored by the King of Syria because under Naaman’s leadership, Syria had conquered most of her enemies in battle. However, this great army general was also a leper.

In one of their conquests, the Syrian army had taken a young Jewish girl as a captive slave who attended to Naaman’s wife.  The problem of Naaman’s leprosy must have been a burden on the family to the point where the young girl felt she had to help. She told her mistress that there was a prophet of God in Israel who could cure her master’s leprosy.

Naaman goes to his boss, the king of Syria with the news from the slave girl. The king sends gifts and a letter to the king of Israel asking him to cure Naaman of his leprosy.  The king of Israel is distraught and thinks this is a ploy to start another war. The news gets to Elisha the prophet of God who asks the king to send Naaman to him. When Naaman arrives at Elisha’s house, Elisha did not come out to meet  or greet him, instead he sends a message to Naaman telling him to go dip in the Jordan river seven times and his leprosy will be cured.

 

Naaman expected God to work exactly as he (Naaman) believes God should work – in Naaman’s own way. He did not come really looking for God’s solution, he came looking to God to affirm his own solution to the problem. Naaman wanted to do things his own way, instead of God’s way. 

 

Naaman feels very insulted that the prophet did not come out to see him. Does Elisha have any idea who he is, he must have wondered. Naaman was very angry and says “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

 Naaman is livid and refuses to do what the prophet asks, why? Because Naaman had a preconceived notion of how the cure was supposed to happen.  He felt insulted that not only did Elisha not come out to see him (the mighty man of valor) and wave his hands or do something over him to cure him, he had the audacity to ask him to go dip himself in the river Jordan which by the way was not as nice or as clean as all the rivers in Syria.

Naaman expected God to work exactly as he (Naaman) believes God should work – in Naaman’s own way. He did not come really looking for God’s solution, he came looking to God to affirm his own solution to the problem. Naaman wanted to do things his own way, instead of God’s way. God was supposed to take His cue from Naaman, after all he was a great warrior. So Naaman stormed off, taking his leprosy with him. He still was not healed, he still was a leper, but he believed his way was much better.

In the mercy of God, Naaman had some wise servants who made a wise appeal to their master. In 2 Kings 5:13-14 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”   So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

 Many Christians are like Naaman, they want God to help them, but on their own terms. They have problems that have plagued their lives and disrupted their ability to experience real joy but are unwilling to submit and yield to the Word of God to help them. They have their own way (which by the way has not solved their problem as they are still searching) but are unwilling to submit t God’s way.  If you are one of those Christians, please repent and turn back to the Lord and submit yourself to His way so you can find rest for your soul. Do not be like those who the Lord addressed in Jeremiah. 6:16

 

Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the LORD says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.

But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria

Redeeming the Time

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Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,  making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:15-16

 

Most of us remember the events of 9/11/2001 like it was yesterday.  It hard to imagine that it has ben 21 years since that fateful day. 21 years?!!   Can you believe it? Most people remember where they were and what they were doing on that day. It is a day that will be forever remembered in history. When we remember events like this, we usually end the discussion with the phrase “time flies”!  

That is why the Bible reminds us to “redeem the time” or “making the best use of the time”. Time is precious and once we have used it, we cannot get it back. Since no one know how much time they have on this earth, the Bible commands us to use our time wisely, making the best use of it. To make the best use of our time is to live lives that bring glory to God. To not leave till tomorrow what we can do today. Today is the day to begin a life of consistent prayer that we have always talked about, a life of consistent Bible study, that we have been praying about,  a life of service in the church, etc. Don’t leave it till tomorrow, do it now. You may not have tomorrow.  

 

In 50 years or less, most of us will be in eternity. Whatever you’re doing now, in words, actions and attitude, do it all to the glory of God. Live your life today like one who will give account to Christ tomorrow.

 

On 9/11/2001, terrorists attacked the United States by hijacking planes and flying them into buildings. Over 4,000 people died that day. In a blink, in the twinkling of an eye, many went from sitting in the plane or at their office desk, straight into eternity! Most of us know we are not promised tomorrow, but we live as if we have the promise of 50 years from now. While we know mentally that no one is promised tomorrow, and even say it, we don’t act like it. Yes, we should plan for the future, but the Lord never intended for us to live like the future is promised. In 50 years or less, most of us will be in eternity. Whatever you’re doing now, in words, actions and attitude, do it all to the glory of God. Live your life today like one who will give account to Christ tomorrow. 

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Why?

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Psalms 34:18 – The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

 

While we know that life is full of trouble, we sometimes going through it thinking some particular difficulty or pain will never come to us or near us. When we hear of certain tragedies or difficulties others face, we sometimes wonder why. What is God’s purpose in such a painful and difficult situation? Why would God allow such painful things to happen to His people or worse, an innocent child? We question the goodness and wisdom of God in these situations. We ask, why?

 

‘Is it a sin to ask God why? …. The psalmist asked why. Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why. It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question. What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us

 

The reason we think this way and question the goodness and wisdom of God in certain situation is because we really don’t understand Him and His ways. We should remember however, that the Bible never calls us to understand all the reasons why, it calls us to trust God. It calls us to trust the one who loved us when we were still sinners and gave His Son to die in our place. It calls us to trust the one who has not dealt with us as our sins deserve. Because of His great love for us, all He allows in our lives is ultimately for our good and for His glory.

Jerry Bridges in his book “Trusting God” said: ‘God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory. He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together. What comfort and encouragement this should be to us.’

Does knowing that God does all He does for our good mean we can never ask why when we go through difficulties we don’t understand? Elisabeth Elliot answers that for us in her devotional “Keep a Quiet Heart” –

‘Is it a sin to ask God why? …. The psalmist asked why. Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why. It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question. What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us….I have often asked why. Many things have happened which I didn’t plan on and which human rationality could not explain. In the darkness of my perplexity and sorrow I have heard Him say quietly, Trust Me.’

God is our loving, heavenly father and we must never be afraid to pour out our hearts to Him. He already knows what is in our hearts anyway. He even commands us to come and pour our heart to Him.  Psalms 62:8 – Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

 God is wiser, kinder, more loving, more forgiving and infinitely better than anyone and anything in all of creation. We can trust Him with all our pain and all our hurt. He is and will always be the God who is near to the broken hearted and the savior of those crushed in spirit. 

 Some reasons God allows suffering in our lives : 1 Peter 4:12-13; Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Romans 8:17.

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Longings After God

nuggets of wisdom Puritan Prayers Voices of Wisdom 6 Comments

 

Lord, give me more of thy likeness;
Enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness;
Engage me to live more for thee.

 

The older I get, the more I realize that Christ is all we need. This has led me to daily cry out to God to make me more like Him and give me more of Himself.  This prayer from page 230 of “The Valley of Vision” has truly blessed my soul.

 

MY DEAR LORD,

I can but tell thee that thou knowest
I long for nothing but thyself,
nothing but holiness,
nothing but union with thy will.

Thou hast given me these desires,
and thou alone canst give me the thing desired.
My soul longs for communion with thee,
for mortification of indwelling corruption,
especially spiritual pride.

How precious it is
to have a tender sense and clear apprehension
of the mystery of godliness,
of true holiness!

What a blessedness to be like thee
as much as it is possible for a creature
to be like its Creator!
Lord, give me more of thy likeness;
Enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness;
Engage me to live more for thee.

Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual
experiences,
and when I feel at ease after sweet communings,
teach me it is far too little I know and do.

Blessed Lord,
let me climb up near to thee,
and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle
with thee,
and pant for deliverance from the body of sin,
for my heart is wandering and lifeless,
and my soul mourns to think it should ever
lose sight of its Beloved.

Wrap my life in divine love,
and keep me ever desiring thee,
always humble and resigned to thy will,
more fixed on thyself,
that I may be more fitted for doing
and suffering.

Amen.

Praying in Jesus Name

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Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. – John 14:13-14

 

In the text above, Jesus said whatever we ask in His name, He will do it. What does that really mean?  Is Jesus saying that we will get anything we ask in His name? Anything? Is He also saying if we don’t add the phrase “in Jesus’ name” to the end of all our prayers, He will not answer?

In response to the first question, some have tried to make that claim by saying we can ask for anything our hearts desire and the Lord is bound to answer because He promised. They have also used Psalms 37:4 to buttress their point. That verse says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

First of all, we know this is not what Jesus is saying.  John 14 is part of the upper room discourse. The whole chapter is about Christ being our comfort not only in this life, but also in the life to come. Those who have come to believe in Christ and truly love Him are those who take the time to seek out His will and desires for their lives. As Psalm 34 says, those who love the Lord “delight in Him”. Delighting in Him means getting to know Him through His Word, and a true knowledge of Him will cause us to love what He loves and hate what He hates. When we love what He loves, then we will ask for only those things that are in accordance with His will which will bring Him glory. That, He is bound to answer. 1 John 5:14 tells us that: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”

We come to the second question. Is adding the phrase “in Jesus’ name” at the end of every prayer the rocket that shoots our prayer right into the throne room of God? What happens when we don’t add the phrase to the end of or prayers? Will that prayer ever reach heaven? The short answer is, yes, that prayer will reach heaven.

Just like delighting ourselves in Him, to pray in Jesus’ name means that what we are asking in our prayer is consistent with what Jesus would want us to have, something consistent with His will for us.  It is to pray in accordance with the mind of Christ. The only way we can ask for anything that is in accordance with the mind of Christ is to first know what the mind of Christ is. This is only possible by spending time in His world. This is why we can never divorce prayer from Bible study. We pray more effectively when we pray according to the will of God as revealed in the word of God.

Praying in Jesus name is not a sticker we attach to the end of every prayer to send it flying to God’s throne, it is praying according to the mind of Christ as revealed in the word of God.

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!