The Pilgrim Path---Psalm 5---verses 2 & 3 (The Sabbath Day--3-22-20)

"Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch (NASB)."

When the Lord Jesus Christ draws us to Himself we become recipients of the gift of prayer. We cannot help but pray! The Spirit is within us perfecting our prayers when we can't quite get them as they should be. The Savior is always at the Father's right hand on our behalf being an intercessor for us. John Calvin called this, "the perfect tandem." This is beautiful, biblical, blessed encouragement to pray! You don't have to perfect at it---you just have to keep at it! Learn to plead the promises of God (Charles Haddon Spurgeon). Learn to start early in the morning as the Psalmist instructs:

---Ask the Lord's guidance & strength to live for Him at the start of the day---so you'll be patient when there's nothing you expected when you get to the Grocery Store...

---Ask Him to enable you to adore His name, advance His Kingdom, and accomplish His will---especially with the most demanding people

---Ask Him to make your repentance "continual" and deep

---Ask Him to make you aware of "new" ways to grow in fruit bearing behavior (John chapter 15)

---Ask for the salvation of people "by name"---that you know will never ask it-- for themselves (pray faith & repentance for them---Richard Baxter)

---Ask for gladness to be made manifest in all situations---as you learn to better "take" refuge in HIM (verse 5)

---Ask the LORD to make His way strait before you--- when you have been somewhat unsure about the way to proceed (verse 8)

---Ask Him as a Young Person, to always help You "own" the Lord Jesus---you don't have to carry a Family Bible under your arm everywhere---but you don't have to be ashamed of him either. William Featherston was converted when he was 16 years old. Right after that, he wrote his only hymn: " My Jesus, I Love Thee, I know Thou art mine---For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now."---Go ahead---and go all out for Christ. You really don't have to wait until you are fifty-five...

Oh---I've been going back over some material about the "Blitz"---Hitler's Air Campaign against Great Britain from September 1940 to May 1941. More than 40,000 civilians were killed by the German Air Force---more than a million homes were destroyed or damaged. Apparently, London was bombed for 56 consecutive nights---starting on September 7, 1940. It is hard to imagine the trauma and horrors the people endured. The following came from a Newspaper of the era:

---We have been a pleasure loving people, dishonoring God's day, picnicking and bathing---now the seashore is barred; no picnics, no bathing

---We have preferred motor travel to church going---now there is a shortage of motor fuel

---We have ignored the ringing of church bells calling us to worship---now the bells cannot ring except to warn us of invasion

---We have left our churches half-empty when they should have been well filled with worshipers---now they are in ruins

We would not listen to the way of peace---now we are forced to listen to the way of war

---The money we would not give to the Lord's work---now is taken from us in higher taxes and high cost of living

---The food for which we refused to give God thanks---now is unobtainable

---The service we refused to give God is now conscribed for our country.

---Lives we refused to live under God's control---now are under the nation's control.

---Nights we would not spend watching unto prayer---now are spent in anxious air-raid precautions

Hmmm...

As J. Edwin Orr used to say, "Lord send a great revival---let it begin in ME."

Grace and Peace in Jesus, Pastor Jason