Category Archives: Faith

This is my Prayer

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There is something uniquely encouraging and powerful about the prayers Christ and the Apostles prayed for the church and followers of Christ. Those prayers don’t have a shelf life and to realize in the eternal church of God these prayers apply to you and I in the present day.

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One of the most notable of these prayers is the “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus found in John 17:1-25 but as I’ve been reading Philippians I keep returning to the Apostle Paul’s powerful prayer at the beginning of this letter written from prison,

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

That your love may abound more and more

Which love is he referring to? All of them. If we speak about love for one another then we are also speaking of our love for Jesus, for our sincere expressions of brotherly (horizontal) love are born only thru authentic love for our Redeemer (vertical). But it is also true that for me to have love abound I have to feel loved.

For me personally, this is where I often interrupt this cycle. I too easily focus on my own failures and listen to the whispers of the Evil One, “you are unlovable.” I feel unworthy and unacceptable and the fruit is frustration and lack of fellowship (vertical and horizontal, again these are always connected). To combat lies you must expose them to truth. The truth is

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

When I’m convinced that I’m unlovable then I’m wrongly denying the power of Christ. I’m unworthy of love but being loved is based on who He is, not who I am.

If my love should abound more and more then:

  1. I need to return mindfully to the Cross of Christ and see his love demonstrated to me. His life, his willing sacrifice, his resurrection, and ongoing involvement in my life are proof that I am loved.
  2. Next I need to repent of the sin that is choking my fellowship with him and ask for a fresh view of Christ. When you see Him as he is you cannot help but confess, worship, and obey. Just ask Isaiah – Isaiah 6:1-8
  3. Lastly, when I’m walking in the center of His love and daily worshipping and seeking Christ (note that this ability and desire are both a gift of God, not something we conjure up out of our own ability) then I will naturally love those around me.

It’s a beautiful circle of love abounding more and more. From Him to me, from me to Him, and through me to others.

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
   To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36

Amen indeed.

Today

Lord help my love abound for you. Remind me how much you love me. Forgive me for my doubting and help my unbelief. Wash me so I can simply sit in the midst of your love and return it to you and then pass it on.

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Old Words, New Worship

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I’ve been singing hymns most of my adult life and with a few notable exceptions I never cared much for them. Chalk it up to contempt bred by familiarity or the arrogance of youth but either way they didn’t reflect my words of worship.

In the presence day I’m still more likely to turn to worship styles favored by Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns, and Phillips Craig and Dean. (Sidebar: Worship isn’t about us so don’t let our preferences get in the way of worship.) However, what I’ve discovered is after years away from many of these hymns I’ve found my soul now leaps through their words.

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It is easy to just go through the motions of worship. Sometimes you have to strip away and step away to find fresh worship in old words.

An interpretation

“Just As I Am” by Charlotte Elliot, 1835

Just as I am
With no hope for tomorrow or beyond.
I cling only to the truth that you died for me.
That you stand there arms open wide beckoning me to come.

Just as I am.
Just as I am – without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

I’ve been shackled in this darkness long enough.
I grasp only to the power of your blood to wash me.
Cleanse me O Lamb of God.

Just as I am – and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

I’m tossed about as though I were asea. Life has battered me.
My ways result in conflict and frustration.
I don’t know what to believe sometimes.
I’m scared.
Scared of who I am.
Scared of where I’m going.
yet…

Just as I am – though toss’d about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

You have promised that you will
Welcome me
Pardon me
Cleanse me
Save me.
Love me.

This I believe.

I come. Just as I am.

Just as I am – Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
-O Lamb of God, I com

My apologies to this great hymn and its author Charlotte Elliot.

Take a fresh listen to this stirring and simple rendition by Johnny Cash.

May you rediscover some beautiful old words of faith that give rise to your own worship.

I’m considering doing a series of “Old Words” so if you enjoyed this post I’d love hear from you. Please leave me a comment or tweet me. I promise I won’t paraphrase very often.

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A Powerful Pause

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Too often I act on impulse. I speak or act without hesitation and more often than not find myself regretting my hasty reaction.

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I found too much of myself reflected in zenhabits’ post “The Pause Upon Which All else Relies”

When we fail, it’s because we act on urges without thinking, without realizing it…What if instead we learned to pause after each urge? What if we stopped, looked at that urge, paid close attention to what it feels like inside our bodies, but didn’t act?…

If we can pause, we create space. Space to breathe, to think, to be without acting.

Leo does an excellent job of mounting an argument for being mindful of our urges and intentional about creating pauses but as a follower of Christ and inhabited by the Holy Spirit I’d like to add this encouragement.

This Pause creates space for the Holy Spirit to speak.

My urges are sinful, selfish, and prideful and when I act immediately I’m doing so with consideration for only myself. When I pause I provide an opportunity for God to breathe truth and perspective into the moment.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:19-21

As we ingest God’s Word daily into our lives let us give God room to breathe that Word back into us and make us mindful. That is the power of God to transform my actions. That is the power of God’s Word to save me, even from my own urges.

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 29:20

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. Proverbs 14:29

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