PRAYER: In This Quiet Hour ...!

Lord,

I Am Thankful For Your Grace

And

For The Fact 

That You Look Not On My Outward Appearance

And

I Ask You In This Quiet Hour 

To Look Upon My Heart

And

If There Be Any Wickedness

Or Willfulness Or Selfishness

Hiding Within Me

Please, I Beseech You

Cause It From Me To Depart!

Lord,

I Am A Child In Many Ways

And

Often Do Rightly Called Childish Things

But, Lord

I Believe You

And

I Am Willing To Listen 

And

To Be Brought Up

In Your Fear And Admonition

And

I Beseech You

Please Teach Me

Lead Me

Guide Me

So That I May Wise Up

And

From Childish Oft' Foolish Ways

Grow Apart!

Father, 

I Am A Servant Willing

Desiring To Become A Faithful Steward

For My Master And My God

And

I Beseech You

With All That Is Within Me

To Fit Me

And Equip Me

And Send Me Off

According To Your Will

And In Your Way

To Do Your Bidding

For The Eternal Kingdom

Always Faithful And Hopeful

And

Never From The Ways Of Righteousness

Ever To Depart!

Root Me, Lord

Ground Me

And

Raise Me Up

To Be A Polished And Beautiful Pillar

In The Temple Of My God

For

My Heart Trusts The Word

Of The Living God Of The Few Faithful

And

I Desire To See With My Own Eyes

- And In Peace -

The Eternal God

Whose Broken Heart

Gave New Life

To My Brethren And Me!

Father,

Please Help Me To Keep Hope Alive

No Matter What Evil

Against Which I Must Strive

So That In The Fullness Of Time

I May Ascend To Eternal Life!

Please Forgive Me My Trespasses

Against Your Holy Name

As I Confess And Repent 

For

I Love You, Lord

And

Desire In Your Sight To Be Obedient!
Let Your Mercy Continue Freely To Flow!

In The Name Of The Holy Jesus

I Humbly Pray, And Plead!

AMEN.

 

CONFESSION: Through It All ...

God Knows
I Have Been Disobedient
Recalcitrant
AND
Obdurate
AND
He Knows
That I Have Hates
And - Often - Would
If It Were Possible
His Word Of Condemnation For Sin
Obviate!

That's Sinner-Me Talking!

God Knows I Have Pet Peeves
Pet Sins
AND
Petty Ways
AND
God Knows
There Have Been
Numerous Times When
I've Been Too Angry
To Calm Down
AND
Say To Him My Prayers!

That's My Willful Self Talking!

BUT ...

Through It All
Almighty God Knows That I Love Him
Even On The Days When I Go Out
On The Limb
Brittle
Cracking
Over  The Dry Lake
Refusing The Call
To Turn Back
Lest I Fall

AND ...

Even In The Day
When
Tormented By Terrors
By Life's Inadequacies
When The Way Forward
Looks Backward At Me
AND
I - In My Distress -
Repent
AND
Call Out To Him
Knowing Truly
- In My Own Deceitful Heart -
That The God Of Heaven
IS
God
The Only God
The ONLY GOD ... Worth Serving!

This Is This Sinner-Saved - By Grace - Rejoicing!

Thank You, Father

For

Your Blessing On Me!

I Love You!

Real Love IS Godly Action!

In The Way of The Way
Today, I Must Say
That There be Those
Who Walk in a Way where Christian Growth is Mere Play
BUT
Take Heart, Dear Brethren
We have All Been THAT Way
BUT
Our Ingesting, Digesting Expressing
The True Love of Jesus
Removes Us From The Way of Decay!

PROBLEM ONE 
Which Confronts Us All
IS
Love of Lotta Long Talk!
We See a Brother Sister Struggling
AND
All We Do is
Gawk and Talk!

PROBLEM TWO
Is a Disaster in The Word
For  Many of Us
Are Guilty of
Squawk and in Our Own Faces
We up Spit Hawk
And at Doing The Do, Do Valiantly Balk!

PROBLEM THREE
Is Loving The Idea of Love
The Love So Unbiblical
It is Best Called Stub-Love
For
It Is a Love Abominated
Full of "Love" by Good Works
Far Removed from The Love of Jesus Christ
Builder of The Waiting Heavenly Home
Creator of Man and The Earth!

Stub-Love is Amazing!
It Reeks of Expense!
It Glows with Ostentation!
It Gurgle as it Vents!
It Gloats in Vainglory!
Devoid of Agape from The Amen!
It Emits The Stench of
Self -  Not The Savior
For it Gleams With and In
The Praise of Like-minded
Companions and 
False Fake Fast Funny Friends!

I Won't Belabor The Topic
But I'll Tell You Plain
This Behavior Profits No One
All It Will Earn Us is 
A Lotta Hot Flames
For The Master Is Plain
His Requirement Direct
FOR
Faith Plus Hope 
Minus Charity
IS 
Straight-Up
"Goat-on-a-Rope!"

So ...
Dear Ones
Blessed Loved Ones
Let Our Love For Our Fellow Man
Be Not Vain Show!
Let Our Walk Be Evidenced
By The True Growth
In Our Now Redeemed Soul
Which Knows By Sorrow From Experience
That "Out There"
But for God's Grace Walk We!
Let Us As True Christians
Remove The Old Corinthian Flea!
Let Us Not Be Tinkling Cymbals!
Let Us Not Be Loud Brass
And, Please
Don't Be Greedy Ignorant
Making God Haul Out
The Talking Ass
For
If You Remember Right
The Ass had The Armed Angel in his Beady Eye-sight
But Greedy-for-Gain-and-Glory
Recognized Not
His Dire Deadly Plight!

Love With All Heart

The Living Loving God!

Live With All Heart

And 
Love Your Brethren Light and Dark

Whether in The Sheep Fold

Or 
Out In The World Cold!

Love IS Action!

Loving IS Doing!

What, Then, Is Our True Christian Reaction?

PRAYER: When My Tears Flow

Father, 

When My Tears Flow

Let My Prayers Ever Go

To You, My God, Who All My Sorrows Know

Who To Me Great Mercies Show

Whose Loving Kindness Bestows

Bounties and Blessings that Overflow.

I Thank You, Lord

For Being With Me Now, and Always.

Bless Me, and Keep Me Ever in Your Care.

I Love You, and I Trust You, and I

Commit My Will, and My Way

To Your Safekeeping.

Lead Me Home!

This is My Prayer in Jesus' Blessed Name.

Amen.