HAPPY SABBATH + Prayer: Heavenly Father, Help me

Heavenly Father:

Help me not to listen to

The siren song called Good Friend

Nor to sing from the Sin of Presumption's music score!

Help me to stand up for The Right

So that I may in His Love delight!

Help me to ignore that fiend called Peer Pressure

Who always seems to know the best wrongs

Which will lead to my death

Should I bend, and with him walk along!

Help me to ignore the friendly Clique

Which claims to be my family

Begging me to conform

If I want to be considered a "norm"

Else I'll be treated like roast corn!

Help me to listen to the Gentle Harp

That is calling me to Soul Salvation

As I ignore the rolling bass drum 

That seeks to drag me into vile sin's scrum!

Help me to Set-aside Self

And seek Safety in The Savior!

And help me, Father, on this day

To choose Life and Godly Behavior!

Open my longing eyes to Your Holy Word of Truth and

Prepare my heart to receive it!

And when those who would teach the Word

Apply Lie's Bleach to adulterate the Word

Shield me so that their vain word to me is unheard!

And when the day should come that I

Shall stand before the Prosecutor

Deliver as promised in Your Word -

No fear of my interlocutor!

I love You, Lord, and I bless Your Holy Name.

AMEN.

Mankind's Three Temptations

There are only three temptations
That every man must face
The same three presented to our Jesus
When Satan He had to face!

Temptations’ categories are very specific
There is no need to go out looking for more
They are in your face and are clearly defined so
Draw near, and we shall have a look and explore!

The first temptation faced by our Savior Jesus
Is common, so common to woman and man
It is the Temptation to Appetite and Indulgence, and
Turning yourself into the proverbial garbage can!

Garbage in, garbage out - eye, ear, head and belly
We become that which we consume
So take a page from the Words of our Jesus
And tell Satan it ain’t all about the sweet food!

Second on tap was the Temptation of Presumption
When you tempt God to cover you as you go and do some crap
Believing that God has no choice but to be at your disposal
As you do the things that can cause you to take a dirt nap!

And then there’s Temptation Number 3! Ah, yes! This is the big one
The Temptation to Worship Satan and not worship Almighty God
And, believe me, this temptation is the real deal-breaker
For it resulted in Song Leader Lucifer’s inglorious fall!

As it did through the ages, in the last days, the issue of worship
Will be used to determine where each one of us is going to spend Eternity
Use your commonsense, your reasoning ability, your love for Jesus
To keep you upright as they push you up against the wall for failing to fall!

So, think hard about what this story is telling you
Protect your eyes, ears, heart, head, belly, and libido
Beg the Lord for His Mercy, Grace, Covering and Consolation
So that on that Day you won’t be begging rocks to hide you from God!

Prayer To Be Kept From The Sin of Presumption

Heavenly Father, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Father, I come before You, and beseech You to keep me from 

committing the sin of presumption.

Help me, Father, to always remember that there is not anything that I can do, 

that I can do without You. Help me, also, to always keep before me 

that it is because of You, that I have my being; that I am a child, 

a sheep in Your pasture, and that I am to go, and be, 

and do what You require of me. 

Help me to daily seek Your will for my day and my way, and that I will, with

a humble and contrite heart, commit my stubborn will to Your leading. 

Help me, also, to remember that though it seems to this finite mind that You are silent, 

that You always answer the prayers of the faithful, 

whether that answer is yes, no, wait, or Your Grace is sufficient for what 

ever state, or estate, in which I may find myself. Father, help me to stand firm in the

faith of Jesus for, at times, the sufficiency of Your Grace 

feels an awful lot like welcome to the pain. 

Help me to understand, and accept, that 

Your way is not mine, neither are Your thoughts mine,

and please give me the grace 

that I desperately need to be steadfast and true to You

in the midst of my storms. And, Father, for those days 

when I do get ahead of myself, whether in anxiety, fear or distress,

or sheer willfulness, I pray for Your mercy, and forgiveness, 

and plead to be strengthened along the treacherous pathway that is this life. 

Through it all, Father, I offer You my prayers, my praise, and my worship, 

in the blessed name of Jesus Christ, the King, and ask in faith that

You will bless me, Lord, 

so that I may bless another out of Your bounteous hand of provision.

I love You, Lord, and I thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.

AMEN.

A Joyful Hallelujah

(Lynn R. - this is for you!) We sang this in CAMVOL nearly 40 years ago!