Truth

Buy the truth and do not sell it;

get wisdom, discipline and understanding.                       Prov. 23.23

I like the concept of buying, or buying into, wisdom. Embrace it and hold to it. I see the exhortation to not sell it as meaning not to abandon it rather than ‘don’t give it away’. Wisdom is certainly to be exercised, shared and imparted. Wisdom is knowing the truth and exercising it appropriately. 

Wisdom combines with discipline and understanding. These are not alien features. Discipline is control, direction and willingness, willingness to be led by God and to learn all that He desires me to learn.

Understanding is a most wonderful thing. To see, and perceive, and understand the things of God.

Truth, wisdom, discipline and understanding – what riches!

Lord God,

I heed this word to buy the truth and to remain in the truth. I ask You to lead me, always, in the truth.

The writer exhorts me to get wisdom, discipline and understanding. I seek these things. I come before You in request and expectation. 

My prayer is for wisdom, discipline and understanding. Hear me, Lord, heed my request and answer me in Jesus name I pray. Let me know Your discipline. Show me Your ways. Lead me in them.

I pray also for further understanding of Your Word. I ask You to open my mind to receive the Scriptures as You open the Scriptures to me. 

Let me know truth, wisdom, discipline and understanding as I go forward in You.

Thank You, Lord. Praise Your name.           Hallelujah!           Amen.

Fruit

From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.                  Prov. 12.14

NIV Study Bible notes: A man who speaks with wisdom will reap a harvest from his words, just as a farmer enjoys the crops he planted. Reference is made to 1.31 and its footnote, which says: The consequences depend on their actions.

A further reference is to Job 34.11:

                  He repays a man for what he has done;

                  he brings upon him what his conduct deserves.

The words of our lips originate in the heart. How wonderful it is to have good fruit come out of our lips as the consequence of good leading of the heart. Such will reward, just as surely as if we worked with our hands and received a reward therefrom.

Lord God,

I pray for good fruit to come from my lips. I pray for a heart that is soft and surrendered to all that is good, all that is of You. I pray that good words will flow easily and readily from a heart totally yielded to You. I pray for wisdom. I ask for insight, that You might allow me to see into people’s situations, to see Your remedy and action for them, and to speak to them Your words, prudently and with wisdom and love.

I pray that no foolishness will ever be part of my thinking, feeling or speaking.

I pray for God-given opportunities to speak into people’s lives and I pray that You will give me the words and the direction to do so.

I thank You, Lord.

I draw closer. I press in. I ask You to take me to You. Know my heart, direct my steps, in Jesus name I ask.           Amen.

Peace

Because he knew no quiet within him, he does not retain anything he desires.        Job 20.20

Although these words come from Zophar I see a measure of truth of them in Job. In the face of enormous afflictions that have so suddenly come upon Job, he is responding in a reasonable way. There is a form of peace within him, but is this the full peace of God? 

The peace of God brings total calm. The whole of the person comes to a place of quiet, of rest and renewing. This happens without regard to the external circumstances and events. It is my belief that, after the ordeal of Gethsemane, Jesus knew the full measure of the peace of God, and this peace carried Him through the terrible experiences of trial and crucifixion.

The peace of God is a peace we cannot understand. It is a peace that no amount of money will buy. It is freely given, and is to be freely received. Jesus Himself gives us this peace.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 24.27

Lord Jesus,

I receive Your peace. I pray that I may always know this peace – Your peace. let me respond to Your word and be still before You. Let my whole being know the wonderful quiet that comes from You.

Hold me close. Fill me with Your peace. Lead me forward, in quietness, in Your Spirit to share You with all whom I meet, in Your precious name I ask.      Amen.

I haven't posted anything recently concerning the health situation. Basically this is because there is no progress to report. I am now receiving chemotherapy treatment, which is certainly not pleasant! This will continue for a couple of months yet. I will get MRI examinations from time to time. Meanwhile I take the treatment, and "grin and bear it" When there is something to report, I will do so.

Until then, I will continue posting extracts from my prayer journal.

In the Lord

… put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established.

                                                                             2 Chron. 20.20

Two words in this sentence that I want to look at are ‘trust’ and ‘established’. Trust (KJV) ‘believe’ Strong’s 539 (aw-man) says many things, from a primary root to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse – figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain.

Vine’s says: “to be certain, enduring; to trust, believe.” (NB Amen is derived from this verb.) I’d like to take this word for myself as “build yourself up in the Lord, be firm, permanent and quiet in Him. Be certain of Him. Endure in Him.

Established (Strong’s 539) is the same Hebrew word. This time I take the meaning as “You will be built up and supported. He will foster you as an able and loving parent.”

So, I put this together to read:

“Build yourself up in the Lord your God. Be firm, permanent and quiet in Him. Be certain of Him and endure in Him and you will be built up and supported. He will foster you as an able and loving parent.”

Lord God, I praise You for this word. I thank You for the encouragement and promise this word holds. I seek You. I look to build myself up in You. I will be certain of You. I will remain firm, permanent and quiet in You. I will endure in You. As I move, so I know You will move. I believe You will build me up and support me. I cherish the thought that You will foster me as my able and loving parent.

Father God, I come to You. I put my trust in You. I look for my establishment in You. Thank You. Praise You. Hallelujah!                   Amen. 

A good work

Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was  completed.                2 Chron. 8.16

Solomon was anointed by God for the great task of building the temple. David, his father, had the passion to build a house for the Lord, but God appointed Solomon for the task.

Solomon started on a firm foundation. He was anointed and appointed by God. Early in his kingship God offered to Solomon his greatest wish. Solomon chose wisdom: an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. (I Kings 3.9) This pleased God and He gave Solomon his wish.

The temple construction began and was undertaken in an orderly and blessed way. Rich furnishings were provided. The temple was completed. The house of the Lord was established. A good work was achieved. 

In reading this verse, I am reminded of God’s word through Paul, which I receive as a promise: 

         For I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.        (Phil. 1.6)

God has begun a good work in me. I know it, I feel it. I also believe He will perfect it, in me, and I rejoice greatly in this.

Lord God,

Today I receive this word afresh. As I read of the completion of the temple of Solomon so I am encouraged that You will bring to perfection the temple that You are creating within me.

I rejoice at Your handiwork. I give myself over to You. Have Your way in me. Bring me to perfection, in Jesus’ name I ask.                     Amen.

The same

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.   Heb. 13.8

I have underlined the present tense above because it is italicised in the midst of ordinary print in my Bible (NASB). Jesus is. The Jesus of all time is– right now – and He is with me; He is in me; He is for me. 

The fullest revelation of His glory, the deepest expression of His love, and the closest intimacy of relationship with Him is mine, right now, for He is. He is now. All that He has ever been, He is now, and He will always be. The world changes; I change; but my Lord Jesus will never change. He is dependable; He is truth; He is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. He is unchanging, and He is eternal.

O praise God. Praise God for my wonderful Saviour and friend.

Lord God,

I come to You again in thanksgiving. I thank You for the wonder of the Lord Jesus in my life.

He is glorious and mighty; He is loving; He is releasing and empowering. He is for me and not against me. He is with me. Right now, He is with me in the fullness of all that He is. Nothing is changed, nothing is held back. All that Jesus is, He is for me – this very moment and for all eternity. I thank You from the fullness of my being.

I love You. As with a dearly loved one, I want more of You. I want to spend my days with You. I want You to be reflected, to be clearly seen in all that I do. 

This is my heart. Know my heart, O all-knowing Father. You are my heavenly Dad and most holy Abba. Please draw me into Your holiness. Take me, and make me Yours. Let Your holiness surge through me, and let it draw others to You. My direction is You. My purpose is to do Your will. O God, great Father, mighty One, hear me. Take my prayer, take me, and make me Yours,

                                    In Jesus’ name I ask.               Amen.

Mount Zion

But You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels         Heb. 12.22

The writer has told us in the preceding verses that we have not come to Mount Sinai – a place of legalities and fear, but we have come to Mount Zion to a living fellowship with our living God and the hosts of heaven.

This is now! We have it already. We receive it in faith and we hold to it as we travel further in the pursuit of holiness.

Jesus is the way. He is the only way. He has opened the way to the Father and He will lead me in that way. At Mount Sinai I put self to death, I surrender everything to Jesus. From Mount Sinai I look for Mount Zion, I go forward with my Saviour into life in the Holiest.

Lord God,

I surrender myself to You. I choose to live by faith with Jesus as my very life. I press in to Him. I seek Him daily. I ask to be led by Him in all that I do.

Dear Lord, I embrace You. I rejoice in my salvation. I rejoice in You.

Receive me. Take me. Use me,

                           In Jesus name I ask.                 Amen.

Discipline

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.        Heb. 12.11

There is a purpose to discipline. Discipline is a very necessary part of a father’s training. Submission to discipline forms and proves the truly childlike spirit. And discipline makes us partakers of God’s holiness.

Indeed discipline seems far more sorrowful than joyful at the time. Yet if I can yield to it and allow it to work in me, it will train me and develop me. It may bring me into the fullness of relationship with God. It might release the fruit of righteousness into my life. In great peacefulness I may know my Lord and God. I may find my true being in Him and know Him in all that I do.

Lord God,

I do not seek out discipline, but I submit to whatever discipline You would work in me.

I realise that discipline is a necessary part of my father’s training. I want You as my father. I look to You as heavenly Dad and I am willing to receive the discipline You deem right for me.

As I submit to Your discipline, I pray that a truly childlike spirit will develop and manifest in me.

I get excited by the thought that Your discipline will enable me to partake of Your holiness.

Lord, Mighty God, I give You my heart, my very being. Receive me. Discipline me as You will. Lead me, oh yes, I pray lead me into Your holiness.

I love You. I want to live close to You.            Amen.

A daily race

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.                                                                         Heb. 12.1

We are running a race. We need to run with patience that we might endure to completion, to pass the wining post and receive the crown of victory. We may be encouraged in the race that we run by the amazing witnesses that have preceded us. 

Chapter eleven of Hebrews mentions several of this great cloud of witnesses. The Bible is filled with many more – men and women we read about but, perhaps, with whose stories we are too familiar. We may have heard the stories since childhood. We may have heard, and yet not fully comprehended the reality of the obstacles and deceits these people had to contend with. Yet they had faith and their faith led them through the race. They stand, for us, the most wonderful inspiration and an undeniable testimony to the work of faith. Time and time again we see that faith, and faith alone, got them through. They had faith, and they were patient.

They stand for us as a great cloud of witnesses, witnesses to a faith that can surmount all difficulties. A faith that will overcome and win through.

In our own race we must do as they did. We must set aside anything that might hinder us. We need familiarity with sacrifice and self-denial. Every sin must be laid aside, every sin.

We must concentrate on the race we run. Our purpose and will need undergirding with the most strenuous and determined effort. We surrender ourselves and put aside everything for the sake of God and His will for our lives. And we run the race with patience. The race is a daily discipline. Day in, day out, we persevere, we persist. In patience we continue.

Finally, we seek the blessing of the Holy Spirit. God is for us. God is with us. He generously pours out His Holy Spirit into the lives of all who seek Him.

Lord God,

What a wonderful cloud of witnesses precedes me. Time and again as I read Your Word I meet the people You love. They are certainly human for their weaknesses are all too often apparent. Yet I would dare to suggest that their faith stands clearer than their weaknesses.

O Lord, let me be a man of faith. Impart to me, I pray, an amazing faith. I want to know that You are with me in all things. I want to know Your power with me, and see it made manifest around me. My desire is to minister in power with You. I yearn to see the lost touched by the power of God and brought thereby into the Kingdom of Heaven, to repent of sin, renounce the ways of the world, and commit to the Lordship of Jesus and the plans and purposes of Almighty God. 

Lord, this is my prayer. My heart cries out to see the lost come to You. Touch them, Lord. Use me please, in Jesus name I ask.                Amen.

Seeing the unseen

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter…

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.                                                                                        Heb. 11.24, 27

Moses had the world at his feet, the physical world, that is. As the son of Pharaoh’s daughter he could have taken just about anything the world had to offer. All physical enjoyment and all worldly fulfilment was his for the taking. But he did not take this. Instead, he chose the way that is contrary to the world. He chose God’s way. He chose to reach out to the great unseen and to believe in the great God whom he could not see. He could not see, that is, with his physical eyes but it seems that the eyes of his heart saw. The eyes of faith saw. The eyes of faith were the eyes that he chose to look through. He was sure of what he hoped for and certain of what he could not see. His faith was in the unseen. He had great assurance in, and from, the invisible God.

He did not fear man, not even the powerful Pharaoh whose wrath could have destroyed him. He did not fear because he had a holy fear of a God who was far more powerful than the most supreme power broker of man.

Moses lived and walked in faith. And God favoured him. God blessed him and honoured him. Moses was at ease with separation from the world. He was able, readily it seems, to refuse the pleasure and the honour and the riches of the world. He lived rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God not to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. He was looking to the reward of eternity. He saw his present existence in the light of the divine whole. God had a plan for Moses, a specific plan which would see the most amazing purposes of God fulfilled. And Moses was fully committed to the realisation of God’s plan for his life. He chose faith, and faith is the greater path.

Lord God,

I rejoice at the faith of Moses; I delight in the example that unfolds for me as I read of him. I yearn for strengthening in my own faith.

I pray that faith might rule supreme in my life. O that I might enter into a tent of meeting with You. Fully enter in – strong in faith and blessed to be a power of blessing to many, yes indeed, to countless numbers.

Lord, I don’t want to live for this world and for its rewards. My desire is to live for You and to see Your will and purposes achieved in my life, fulfilled in all that I do.

                                                Receive this prayer, Lord,

                                                            and bring my desire to pass, 

in Jesus’ name I ask.               Amen.