First Think, Then Pray

October 30, 2015

First Think, Then Pray

“Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone”

Psalm 33:22

Psalm 33 is a beautiful hymn of worship. Over and over the psalmist extols the virtues and power of God:

“For the word of the Lord holds true,

and we can trust everything he does.

He loves whatever is just and good;

the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

The Lord merely spoke,

and the heavens were created.

He breathed the word,

and all the stars were born.”

Psalm 33:4-6

The psalmist also exposes the folly of those that rely on their own strength, their own wisdom. In a world governed by the notion of survival of the fittest, the Word of God is counter-cultural: “But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love” (v.18).

After I read this psalm, I wondered how the psalmist could have such confidence in God, while living in the reality of a very violent world of competing loyalties and cultures. Then I saw the source of his confidence: prayer. “Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (v.22). The psalmist is living out the theme of a little book on prayer I wrote a few years ago, “First Think, Then Pray.” The psalmist has taken the time to think, to ponder, to meditate on the character of God. Then he formulated a prayer that asked God to manifest His character in the life of the psalmist: “Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (Psalm 33:22).

The psalmist’s hymn praises God, who loves you so much He cannot take His eyes off of you: “The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race” (Psalm 33:13). This psalm is our invitation to never take our eyes or our mind off of God, because “the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18).

Let us say with the psalmist, “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

God Will Fulfill His Word

October 29, 2015

God Will Fulfill His Word

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Psalm 32:1

Many years ago I visited a young man in the hospital. I had heard he was facing many criminal charges, and that his life was a mess. In his despair, he had tried to take his own life. In our visit, I shared with him how God had been working in my life, and I encouraged him to not give up. As we prayed together, I felt his tears dropping on my hands.

The next day he called me. He said that after our visit, he had taken the Gideon Bible off of the bedside table and opened it. The first passage he saw was Psalm 32. As we talked, it was clear my friend was experiencing the joy of those “whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” and the happiness of “those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity” (Psalm 32:1-2 NRSV). My friend had absolutely nothing he could offer God, nothing but a cry for mercy, based on Christ’s love for him. He cried out, God forgave him and crowned him with new life in Christ.

My friend, Bud Harkey, was a student at Asbury College in 1970 when God moved in a mighty way, and many, many lives were transformed. He told me the igniting point was when a member of the Asbury community confessed her sin and cried out to God for forgiveness. After that there were Chapel services, for weeks, where students would give their witness. They would tell about how God was dealing with them about sin in their life, and then they told how God had brought forgiveness and restoration. Then somebody in the audience who would say, “that’s like me” and then that person would come under conviction and come forward and kneel at the altar.

My young friend’s experience was the same. He humbly, authentically, confessed his sin to God and cried out for forgiveness, and then he experienced forgiveness and restoration. Many churches try desperately to connect to their community, to get their neighbors to come to church. Perhaps, if those churches first got on their faces and humbly, authentically, confessed their sin to God and cried out for forgiveness, perhaps God would move, not only in their lives, but their community as well.

No, not perhaps. Pray, trust Psalm 32, and God will fulfill His Word:

It is the same with my word.

    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.

It will accomplish all I want it to,

    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

Isaiah 55:11

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

One in Christ and the Father

October 28, 2015

One in Christ and the Father

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

John 17:21

In this magnificent prayer of Jesus, he is praying for you and me. He is praying that you and I will be one in Jesus, just as Jesus is one in the Father. Over and over again during his time on earth, Jesus made clear to his disciples that he was in perfect harmony with God the Father. Jesus said his oneness with the Father was because somehow he was in the Father, and the Father was in him. I am at a loss to try and explain how that can be. Even more so am I at a loss in trying to grasp the truth that Jesus wants me, you and me, to experience this very same unity and harmony with God.

This priestly prayer of Jesus seems to be so far and above what we mortals can experience. However, I have been helped in my quest to “lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12 NASB) by two points. First, this is a prayer of Jesus for you and me. He prayed this on the very night he was arrested and was crucified the following day. You and I were on his heart at that very time; therefore, I choose to accept his hope for me because it was so vitally important to him.

Secondly, I am not left to my own strength, wisdom and devotion to make true this prayer of Jesus: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27 NRSV). God is at work in me to make true in me this prayer of Jesus! Hallelujah and Amen.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

If My Words Remain In You

October 27, 2015

If My Words Remain In You

But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

John 15:7

It may be interesting for you to take a poll of your Christian friends, those in your small group or Sunday School class, and ask how many can honestly say they have experienced the promise of this verse. How many have asked God for anything they wanted or needed, and experienced their request granted? Maybe you also want to ask, “If not, why not?”

Some, in the spirit of self-reflection, may suggest that they missed the first part of Jesus’ statement, “But if you remain in . . .” They may admit to not following closely with Jesus, and thus did not deserve to have their prayer request granted. Ouch! I believe that since we are saved by grace, we also walk with Christ, by grace. May I suggest that while it is important for the Christian to remain consciously aware of being in Christ, it is vitally important that the Christian let the words of Christ remain in them!

When the words of Christ remain in us, we become acutely aware that there is a huge difference between our perceived notions of the purpose of prayer, and God’s declared purpose for prayer. The common perception for prayer in our culture is to ask God to grant our requests, most of which are aimed at improving our life, and changing what we believe are unpleasant circumstances in our life. The declared purpose of God is that Christ may be formed in us. Your real life is hidden with Christ in God, and God is at work in you to bring you to the place, here and now, where you know to the very depths of our soul that what is true for Jesus is most assuredly true for you, the joint heir of Christ!

In my little book, First Think – Then Pray (available on Amazon Kindle), I use several of the Apostle Paul’s prayers to illustrate how we can pray as we remain in Christ, and as his words remain in us. In my walk with the Lord, I am learning more and more how helpful are the practices of contemplative prayer in positioning myself before the Lord so that He may form Christ within me. As I have before, I again encourage you to look to Gravity – a Center for Contemplative Activism, for help in appreciating the richness of contemplative prayer. Here is their site:

https://gravitycenter.com/practice/

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.