Acceptable Prayer
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Luke 11:1.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray, and He often urged upon them the necessity of prayer. He did not bid them to study books to learn a form of prayer. They were not to offer prayer to men, but to make their requests known to God. He taught them that the prayer which God accepts is the simple, earnest petition from a soul that feels its need. . . .
God invites us to come to Him with our burden of guilt and our heart sorrows. Sin fills us with fear of God. When we have sinned we try to hide ourselves from Him. But whatever our sin, God bids us come unto Him through Jesus Christ. It is only by taking our sins to God that we can be freed from them. Cain, under the rebuke of God, acknowledged his guilt in killing Abel, but he fled away from God, as if he could thus escape from his sin. Had he fled to God with his burden of guilt he would have been forgiven. The prodigal son, realizing his guilt and wretchedness, said, “I will arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:18). He confessed his sin and was taken back to his father’s heart.
If we would offer acceptable prayer, there is a work to be done in confessing our sins to one another. If I have sinned against my neighbor in word or action I should make confession to him. If he has wronged me he should confess to me. So far as is possible the one who has wronged another is to make restitution. Then in contrition he is to confess the sin to God, whose law has been transgressed. In sinning against our brother, we sin against God, and we must seek pardon from Him. Whatever our sin, if we but repent and believe in the atoning blood of Christ we shall be pardoned. . . . We have only one channel of approach to God. Our prayers can come to Him through one name only –that of the Lord Jesus, our advocate.
Christ is represented as stooping from His throne and bending earthward to send help to every needy soul who asks Him in faith.
That I May Know Him p. 260
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Prayer Requests
—–Prayers! Our house is officially up for rent. I know God will provide us with the right person at the right time. Really wish we could be involved in the process, but it’s probably easier on us this way. Dannie
—–Please Pray for Kirsten throughout today. Also Please include HA School. Really need God’s aid in all that’s going on today!!! Nicole
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Dear Friends
One warm, sunny day, we went with Ron’s family to swim at a park at Baden Lake. It was a pleasant place. We laid down our blanket under a large tree, to get some shade. I stayed there with Esther Marie, who was barely a toddler at the time, and gave Ronnie Jay, who was not much older, careful instructions on the dangers of going out over his head when he couldn’t swim. He promised that he would stay at the water’s edge. We gave him a plastic float to play with and he joyfully ran to play in the warm water. Ron and his family walked out on a raised, but submerged pathway to an old piling. They enjoyed diving from that cement piling that was reminiscent of some long ago bridge.
As Ronnie Jay played in the shallow water, he held on tightly to his little plastic float. He became more and more confident and began getting farther and farther from the shoreline. I called to him and he came back…..for a while. Then, while I was busy with Esther Marie, he saw his chance to explore. He had seen his father and the others diving and splashing and having a fun time. He didn’t think that it was a bit fair that he was stuck at the water’s edge. Gripping his float, he waded out into the water at the very spot where he had seen Ron go.
For a few yards, all was well. Suddenly Ronnie Jay stepped off from the submerged walkway. Down he went. The water was way over his head. He didn’t struggle: he just disappeared. About that time, I looked up. No Ronnie Jay! Scanning the water frantically, I spied his float, but he was nowhere to be seen. No, there he was! I could see one little hand still gripping that float tightly.
I shouted for Ron and headed toward the water. Ron got to him before I could and before long, our son was back on dry ground. Never again did Ronnie Jay try to go out into deep water. From that moment, he was content to play at the water’s edge. For the rest of that day and for a few days following, our little boy followed Ron and said with amazement and gratitude, “You saved my life. I was drowning and you saved my life.”
Many times we have an experience as did Ronnie Jay: we find ourselves submerged in our sins. We feel as did David when he said, “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” “My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.” Ps 38:4; 55:5 We can feel the spiritual life fading from us, yet, we cannot rise above the waters of sin. How much we need a Saviour! How much we long to be lifted up above the overwhelming flood.
Praise God, He has provided the way of escape! “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” Isa 38:17 Our Great Creator could not enjoy the glories of Heaven, while we were ensnared in the devil’s traps. He left His Glorious Kingdom and came to this sinful planet “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10 “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
How foolish it would have been if Ronnie Jay had told his father that he was happy drowning under the water and did not want to be rescued. So it is when we turn from our Only Helper to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Our Loving Redeemer suffered untold agony that we might be saved. He pleads with us, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Eze 33:11
Let us be filled with love and gratitude for our Heavenly Father’s great sacrifice just as Ronnie Jay was filled thankfulness to his father for rescuing us. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering” and turn away from sin. Heb 10:23 Let us share the good news of salvation with those around us, that they, too, may be rescued from the engulfing waters that surround them.
Rose