Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
Psalm 143:1(NASB)
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom, and revelation in the knowledge of Him; having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know... (Ephesians 1:17,18)
And then there is given a list of things to know. And you find that list moves out into the dimensions of the knowledge-surpassing love: ..that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.Spiritual illumination leads on to being filled unto all the fullness.
Spiritual illumination, therefore, is a basic thing to God end. We can never come to the fullness of Christ by the mere enquiry and investigation of our own brains into spiritual things. There must of necessity be the Holy Spirit giving revelation concerning Christ. The Testimony of Jesus has as its essential law: spiritual illumination and revelation through the Word. The Testimony of Jesus can never be something static, something that you take up and say: "This is the Testimony of Jesus" and then put it into a formula. The Testimony of Jesus is something that has been revealed. The Testimony of Jesus is: i>I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.Stephen died for that Testimony. i>At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice....The inner meaning of that is not something apart from the Word, but something that comes by the Holy Ghost through the Word. That is more than the letter; it is Life. It is something that makes you say: have read the Scriptures on that for a long time, but I have really never seen that before./p>
As you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. § I beseech you … , brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. § In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them. § This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind. You have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: … put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness.
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. § Not as I will, but as You will. § Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
We do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
You do not know what you ask. § He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. § These things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
I want you to be without care. § You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants; and none of them who trust in him shall be desolate" (Ps. 34:22).
We can only trust our Father to the degree that we know Him. And He only reveals Himself to us by His means. That is by the Word, by the Spirit, and hence by the Son - in that sequence.
"Could it be possible that God would so love an individual as to give His only Son to die for him and still love him to the extent of following him with the pleadings and drawings of His grace until He has won that soul into His own family and created him anew by the impartation of His own divine nature, and then be careless as to what becomes of the one He has thus given His all to procure?" -L.S.C.
"A life of patience intervenes between the day of illumination and the day of glorification. I am not to count on a path of pleasure - a path of ease - a path of prosperity - on being more distinguished tomorrow than today; but I am to count on a path of patience. And is not there glory in that? Yes, there is companionship with the Lord Jesus Christ." -J.G.B.
"Let my circumstances be what they may, if I can see them ordered for me unfailingly by One in whom infinite wisdom, power, and goodness combine, and whose love toward me I am assured of, my restlessness is gone, my will subjected to that other will in which I can but acquiesce and delight." -F.W.G.
"We are called to fellowship with God, and fellowship means common happiness, common thoughts, common trust. The Father's delight is in His Son; and we have fellowship with Him in that. The Son's delight is in the Father, and we have fellowship with Him in that. So our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus, Christ." -J.N.D.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3:5, 6).
For we know not what we should pray for as we ought… but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:26
Prayer is a gift of God’s wonderful grace to His children, which is open access to Him. Access to the throne of God is a free gift of grace to all who trust in Jesus Christ. Access to His throne is open to believers who are in fellowship with the Father. We are presented holy, faultless and blameless before His throne – through Christ.
The curtain was torn from top to bottom the moment Christ’s cross-work was done. His death and resurrection is a beautiful image of open access to our God and Father. But remember, if prayers are ineffective – the defect is with us not with God.
Effective, potent prayer requires us to be in right relationship with God. We are to be in fellowship with Christ and have confessed our wrongdoings. We are to be covered by Christ by living our life in submission to His Spirit. We are to pray aright in the spirit and in truth – in submission to God’s Spirit. And Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6 verse 18 that we need to be… Praying – Always – with All-Prayer – and Supplication – in the Spirit
Prayer must have a definite aim, which is in unity with the purpose of God. It must be consciously and intentionally directed towards God’s plans and purposes. Whether we do or do not fully understand His plans, we are to pray into His will. As we pray into His perfect plan so our awareness of His purpose grows.
Prayer must be in every season and in all sessions of lives. Prayer should be engaged in at every opportunity we meet. Praying should in union with the Spirit of God – as we lay aside self issues.
All-Prayer is the devoted pray of all saints, ordained
read moreHe came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.
John 1:11-12
The Lord came to His own people, the children of Israel, and they rejected Him. His own people, Israel: “received Him not“. John 1:11 He was sent from heaven through the lineage of David, and yet they cried – we will not have this man rule over us. Luke 19:14
Here was the God of life and glory, sent to redeem His own precious people, and He had to turn away bearing the precious gifts He wanted to bestow - the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matt 23:39 For I say unto you, ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, 'blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.'” Matt 21:43
Great blessings were shut out from His own when He came to them 2000 years ago, but many blessings continue to be shut out to those who simply fail to trust His Word. Those who close the door on trusting Christ shut out many precious blessings. Those who open their hearts to the Lord Jesus let in heaven’s love and divine joy.
Some consider the whole human race to be a world of God’s children, but they err in their thinking, if they see not the need to receive Him by faith. John, the beloved apostle, could not make it any clearer. He told us.. only those that receive Him by faith have the power to become God’s children: for as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. John 1:12
The Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the only Way to God. He is the only Truth, the only Life, and the only
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