Need of Jesus

Lord Jesus,
I am blind, be thou my light,
   ignorant, be thou my wisdom,
   self-willed, be thou my mind.
Open my ear to grasp quickly thy Spirit's voice,
   and delightfully run after his beckoning hand;
Melt my conscience that no hardness remain,
   make it alive to evil's slightest touch;
When Satan approaches may I flee to thy wounds,
   and there cease to tremble at all alarms.
Be my good shepherd to lead me into the green pastures of thy Word,
   and cause me to lie down beside the rivers of its comforts.
Fill me with peace, that no disquieting worldly gales
   may ruffle the calm surface of my soul.
Thy cross was upraised to be my refuge,
Thy blood streamed forth to wash me clean,
Thy death occurred to give me a surety,
Thy name is my property to save me,
By thee all heaven is poured into my heart,
   but it is too narrow to comprehend thy love.
I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel,
   but thy cross has brought me near,
                 has softened my heart,
                 has made me thy Father's child,
                 has admitted me to thy family,
                 has made me joint-heir with thyself.
O that I may love thee as thou lovest me,
   that I may walk worthy of thee, my Lord,
   that I may reflect the image of heaven's first-born.
May I always see thy beauty with the clear eye of faith,
    and feel the power of thy Spirit in my heart,
    for unless he move mightily in me
    no inward fire will be kindled.


Need of Jesus,
from Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, 
pg 102.

Psalm 27 as a Prayer for my Church

This is a prayer for Edgewood Baptist Church, that was adapted from Psalm 27.  Feel free to pray this for us or for your own Church.

The Lord is our Light and our Salvation.
Who or what is there that we would fear?
The Lord is the Stronghold of Edgewood Baptist Church.
Is there anyone or anything that could cause us to be afraid?
When Satan tries to discourage us.
because of his desire to consume this Church,
He may bring all manner of enemy against us.
So much so that it will feel like an army in battle array against this Church.
But We will be confident!
And our hearts will not fear! 

There is one thing that we are asking of you, Lord.
Just one thing that we are seeking after.
Our desire is your presence in this Church.
We pray that this will truly be the house of the Lord,
That we may live in your presence, not just today, but every day.
We don’t want to miss your beauty
or the beauty of your Gospel!
May we come here to gaze upon it all the days of our lives. 

When days of trouble come, we know that safety is with You.
We run to you for shelter, comfort, and a firm place to stand.
Now Lord, we will lift up our heads to you.
Our sacrifice to you will be done with shouts of joy!
We will sing praises to you and mean it! 

Please hear us Lord as we pray... As we cry aloud!
In your grace, Lord, will you answer the prayers of this Church?
You have said, “Seek my face.” 

In obedience, We are answering this call.
Lord, Our heart is saying to you, “Your face, Lord, We will seek!
As we do this, Lord, do not hide your face from Edgewood Baptist Church. 

Maybe you've been angry with one or all of us.
Lord, Please don’t turn away from this Church in Anger.
You have been our help.
We have turned to you again and again.
Lord, Please do not cast This Church to the side.
Please don’t forsake us. 

David cries, “O God of my salvation!”
That is what you are to Edgewood. Our Salvation.
And we would seek salvation in no other!
There have been so many that have forsaken us.
But the Lord will absolutely take us in! 

Teach Edgewood your Way.
Show us the level path.
The Enemy would have us go astray
He will speak lies to us, discouraging us.
Help us to stay on the right path. 

We believe that we will look on the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living. 

We will wait for the Lord.
We will be strong.
Our hearts will be courageous.
And We will wait for the Lord.

Do You Pray?

In our Adult Sunday School Class we are going through R.A. Torrey's book on prayer.  It has been OK, but not my favorite old book.  The concept of prayer, and our discussions on prayer have been really good though.  I have thought more about my prayer life in the last few months than I have at any other time in my life.  I have been convicted at my lack of prayer and motivated to question what it is that I am really praying for.

For example, when I pray for the church, and I pray that God will bring visitors:  The reality is that I am praying for some change within myself and those around me.  I am praying that God will make me the sort of person who is sharing the truth of the Gospel... unashamedly.  Just like when Jesus encourages his disciples to pray for workers in the harvest, and then turns around and sends those same disciples out to work (Matthew 9:35-10:10).  Even though God can use a phone book to bring people to church (which happened... another story for another blog), I believe that he delights in using us.  It is only when we don't bring Him glory that the stones begin to cry out!

I am also praying, when I pray for church growth, that this church will be God's kind of church.  I mean, if you are asking God to bring people to your church, there is the assumption that God would want people to be at that church.  Are we really God's kind of Church?  Is His truth being taught?  Do we emphasize the things that He emphasizes?  Do we respond to sin the way He responded to sin?  Do we forgive the way He forgives?  Do we Love the way He loves and has loved us?

If we want people to come to our church, it should be because we believe that when they come... That they will really see God!

So, do you pray?  Do you really pray that sort of prayer that willingly and with great desire, seeks the Holy Spirit to intervene in such a way that we will be praying God's will and His work.

The Shepherd's Fellowship shared an article by J.C. Ryle titled, "Do You Pray?"  I would like to encourage you to visit, give it a read, and ask yourself the question, Do You Pray?

Man A Nothing

(another Puritan prayer from The Valley of Vision)

O Lord,
I am a shell full of dust,
    but animated with an invisible rational soul
    and made anew by an unseen power of grace;
Yet I am no rare object of valuable price,
    but one that has nothing and is nothing,
    although chosen of thee from eternity,
        given to Christ, and born again;
I am deeply convinced of the evil and misery of a sinful state,
    of the vanity of creatures,
    but also of the sufficiency of Christ.
When thou wouldst guide me I control myself,
When thou wouldst be sovreign I rule myself.
When thou wouldst take care of me I suffice myself.
When I should depend on thy providings I supply myself,
When I should submit to thy providence I follow my will,
When I should study, love, honor, trust thee, I serve myself;
I fault and correct thy laws to suit myself,
Instead of thee I look to man's approbation,
    and am by nature an idolater.
Lord, it is my chief design to bring my heart back to thee.
Convince me that I cannot be my own god, or make myself happy,
    nor my own Christ to restore my joy,
    nor my own Spirit to teach, guide, rule me.
Help me to see that grace does this by providential affliction,
    for when my credit is god thou dost cast me lower,
    when riches are my idol thou dost wing them away,
    when pleasure is my all thou dost turn it into bitterness.
Take away my roving eye, curious ear, greedy appetite, lustful heart;
Show me that non of these things
    can heal a wounded conscience,
    or support a tottering frame,
    or uphold a departing spirit.
Then take me to the cross and leave me there.