The Heartcry of a Prodigal

Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Psalm 13:3 Loving and Merciful Father, I come before you now, I put my trust and my confidence in you alone. Lift me up Lord, for I am cast down. Quicken my heart and draw me to yourself again. There was a time Lord, when my prayer was like incense going up to your throne, your Word was a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, I ate your Words and they were as honey to my taste, I was like a lamb that was made fat with the choicest food and I was made strong like an eagle by the Words of your mouth. It was my joy to spend time in your presence to gaze upon your beauty and inquire before your throne. I was indeed glad to be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in tents of wickedness. My joy was complete when I met with the brethren encouraging them and building them up in the faith. As a good shepherd, you led me beside still waters and my soul was refreshed. I was sensitive to your voice and you led me in paths of righteousness and holiness. But today Lord, my eyes have become dim for I have lost my spiritual vision. Good seed had been sown in my heart, but the cares and worries of this life have choked it. Temptations of every kind come like whirlwinds to shake me off the ground and more than these, there are sinful passions, fleshly lusts and evil desires that continually wage war against my soul. Sin has been crouching at my door and I have been powerless against it. Busyness has seeped in keeping me occupied with other less important things in life. I have failed to keep guard over the gates of my soul – the eyes, the ears and my mouth and as a consequence – the world has made it’s way into my heart. Lord, your Word says that If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them (1 John 2:15) the Father’s love have I despised, I have forgotten my first love, I do not desire the secret closet as I did before, I can go on for weeks without prayer and reading the Word and feel no guilt in my spirit about it. I have declined spiritually and with each passing day my heart is changing, it’s growing cold to the things of God. Anointed preaching does not move me anymore, worship music fails to touch my heart, encouragement and exhortation from other believers don’t seem to get through me. Sin is no longer loathsome to me and my heart is no longer grieved when the name of my Lord is despised. Now Lord, I present my case before you. Because of the multitude of your mercy, I pray revive my heart. Let the fire of your Spirit be rekindled in my heart again. Draw me in Lord by the power of your might. I reject sin in every form and I call upon the name of Jesus who gave his life on the cross for me. Your blood O Lord will cleanse me, by your wounds I will be healed and restored. Lord, you are my redeemer, you are my advocate before the Father and you are the righteous one. I will be made righteous not because of anything I have done, but because of what you did on the cross. Take away this heart of stone and put in me a heart of flesh. Write your laws in my heart that my life will be guided through them. Send your Spirit O Lord and let the Love of God be poured into my heart again. That I will take hold of you and never let go of you for one single moment. That I will commune with you and put away all distractions that hinder me. That I will soak myself in the Bible and let Your Word permeate my being. That I will not let a single day pass without spending time with you. That I will relish times of corporate worship & anointed preaching. That I will close every door to the devil in every form and that nothing of this world be found in me. That I will pursue the Father’s heart relentlessly. That I will spend the rest of my days hungering that thirsting for righteousness and holiness and that whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – my thought life may be filled with them. Hear me O Lord, this is the cry of my heart to the God of my life. Amen!

Grasping the grand reality of Christmas!

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because *he will save his people from their sins."* Matthew 1:21 What is Christmas then? As we look at houses and streets overflowing with cribs, Christmas trees & glittering decors, we need another reminder about what this season is all about. Many of us have a picture of Santa Claus coming with a bag loaded with goodies, but that isn’t what the Bible tells us. The Bible says, God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. Nothing can change this priceless truth. Why did God send His Son? To save us from our sins. Have we allowed God to do that work in us? Have you conquered addictions, bad temper, bitterness, unforgiveness? Are you still buffetted by besetting sins and is your thought life pure before God? If not, here’s the good news. Jesus Christ has come and he’s full of grace and full of truth - grace to make us more than conquerors and truth to guard our hearts and minds & live a life that is pleasing to your Heavenly Father. The very best gift you can bring to the Lord today is yourself. The very best way to have a meaningful Christmas is to spend time with Jesus. If your sin is deep, His love his deeper still, if you’re hurting, He is the balm of Gilead and will surely heal you, if you need guidance and direction for your life, He gives you His Word as a lamp to your feet and light to your path, if you feel you’ve not made progress spiritually, He gives you His Spirit who searches the deep things of God and reveals them to your heart. These are glorious promises, but if the rubber must hit the road - you must step out in faith and Come to Jesus! May the Spirit be with you!

Keep me O Lord!

He who had been born of God keeps himself and the wicked one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18 Lord, keep me I pray and let me not stray in the paths of unrighteousness. Left to myself, I am dead as a door knob and weak as ever. Sin knocks on the door of my heart and it’s desire is to have me, but I must overcome, I must slam the door on it, refuse it, reject it, hate it and have contempt for it - this sin that so easily entangles me must be conquered and I cannot do it in my own strength. I am powerless against the enemies of my soul - the lust of the flesh, the eyes & the pride of life. Oh God, arise within me and keep my soul from sin. Keep me from the downward pull of an ungodly society, keep me from giving in to my own fleshy desires and keep me from the evil one. Lord, I am confident of this one thing: You are able to keep me from falling and present me blameless before the throne of God. I rest in this blessed assurance that you are always watching over me and ever guiding my footsteps. Much more than this, you have made me your dwelling place, my body has become the temple of your Holy Spirit. I decrease so that You May increase. I cease to live so that Christ’s life may be manifested in me. I make a complete surrender to my indwelling Master who fights my every battle, who has his foot on the enemy’s head, who plucks out everything in me that is not of God, who cleanses me with his own precious blood, who pours torrents of grace over my soul so that I am made more than a conqueror, who imparts to me new tastes, new passions, new longings making me heavenly minded and He who reveals the Father to me!! Amen

In the Knowledge of Him

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Ephesians 1:17 Lord this is my prayer, my one desire for the spirit of wisdom and revelation - not about this world or any area of academic interest, but in the knowledge of Him - to know God! Can there be a better ambition in the heart of man, but to know God? Lord, is it not the end towards which I was created - to know God and enjoy Him forever. As the knowledge of God percolates my spirit overflowing into my soul and directing my body, I am being changed into that very image from one degree of glory to another. Lord, I don’t just need the spirit of revelation, but also wisdom to apply that revelation to very facet of life - for this will keep me from being shortsighted in things pertaining to God. I need wisdom to live in this world and yet not be of the world, but to seek after the city whose builder and maker is God. Here I am Lord, with an open heart I come under an open heaven waiting to be quickened by your Spirit -that Christ be treasured in my heart always and nothing of this world keep me from enjoying this priceless inheritance. This Jesus, whom I have received - May I follow on to know Him, let this be my lifelong pursuit and Lord, I know that this won’t stop when my earthly journey has been completed, but throughout all eternity there won’t be a single moment that will not bring a fresh, joyous and exciting revelation of my Father in Heaven forever and forever Amen!

The Man of One thing

O Lord God, Father of Heaven and Earth, I lift up my prayer unto you. Let me become a man of One thing. With so many things in this insane world grappling for my attention, I pray Lord that I will seek after One thing. One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4. Oh to be a man of One thing. What glory awaits Him who seeks for that one thing. Lord, that I won’t trade it for anything the world may offer. Lord, to gaze upon your beauty and as I look upon you, I am being transformed into that same image, that same character of the Son of God, that same divine nature is being imputed to my soul. The old is passing away and new is springing up. Oh Lord, let my pursuit be relentless, let my heart be fixed, let my face be set as flint towards that One thing. Put away every distraction, put out those little foxes that spoil the vine. Let this One desire burn within my soul and that the cares and worries of this life will not quench it. Precious Lord, this is my portion, this is the good part that Mary chose and it was not taken from her. So be it. No trial, no devil, nothing seen or unseen will ever take it from me. This is my inheritance Lord, purchased by your blood. Your presence will I seek, to behold your beauty, to let the light of your countenance shine upon me, to see the Father in His glory and Worship Him in the beauty of holiness - that One thing will I seek. Amen!

A word of encouragement - Hope in God

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Psalm 43:5 Maybe you are in a season where you do not feel the presence of God. Everything seems to feel high and dry in your spirit and you don't have the strength to reach the hand of God. Be of good cheer. You are in God's sovereign hand and he's certainly upto something good. Look unto Christ, for in Him there's healing for your soul. Look unto Christ, for in Him there's rest from every fear. Look unto Christ, for in Him there's peace that your soul cannot contain. The shadows will soon give way to the sunshine of God's Presence and joy unspeakable. Hope in God for there's light beyond the tunnel. Hope in God for you shall again Praise Him - Your Savior and Your God.

The God who restores us

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake - (Psalm 23:3). O Lord, indeed you are the God who restores and binds up our wounds. When we look into our past, we see scars,struggles and disappointments. But there is only one reason that we are confident about the future. There is only one reason why we can face tomorrow - because we have a God who is able to restore our soul. Lord, we bring our parched hearts to you. We bring you our hurts, our bitterness disappointments, scars. We no longer want to put up with these. We claim this promise of restoration. You are able to heal, restore and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You will turn the tables on the enemy and destroy His every work in our life. We aren't anxious about the future, because for your name sake, you will lead us in paths of righteousness - you will set a guard on our hearts, you will direct every step we take and your voice will always be heard in our ears saying, "This is the way, walk in it" We love you Lord and we Bless your Holy Name.

31 longings of a true Born-again Believer

1. To live daily in the sunshine of God's Presence 2. To make a complete surrender of spirit, soul and body to Jesus. 3. To set His/Her mind on heavenly things. 4. To hate sin in every form and be an overcomer. 5. To cultivate an intimacy with the truine God and develop a regular practice His Presence. 6. To know Christ deeply and to let every part of Him/Her be known by Christ himself. 7. To be seated with Christ in the heavenly places. 8. To have every spiritual blessing wrought for Him by Christ to be appropriated in His/Her life 9. To be the Apple of God's eye. 10. To worship God in Spirit and in Truth 11. To see Christ receive the glory in every area of his/her Life. 12. To be a man or a woman who has power with God in prayer. 13. To receive a fresh revelation of Christ from the Word daily. 14. To be a God's vessel and channel of blessing to the Body of Christ. 15. To hear God's voice and to seek His will in the smallest matters of life. 16. To be known as a Lover of God more than anything else. 17. To make the best use of his/her time on earth because the days are evil. 18. To walk with God and commune with Him daily. 19. To be willing to be convicted of sin and be cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb. 20. To be filled with the Spirit of God without measure. 21. To have a growing hunger for spiritual things. 22. To have a growing detachment for earthly riches, position, fame power and good standing in society. 23. To be willing to bear reproach for the name of Christ. 24. To walk in obedience to God's will and word. 25. To imitate God and not conform to worldly standards. 26. To bring his/her body into subjection to the spirit where God dwells. 27. To set a guard over 3 gates of the soul - the eye gate, ear gate and mouth gate. 28. To see his/her friends/loved ones come to the saving knowledge of Christ. 29. To be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. 30. To live in an attitude of thanksgiving in all situations. 31. To practice self-denial and live a life of sacrifice.

The Risen Christ and Me

Something that has been on my heart with regard to 'Resurrection Sunday' A typical Easter Sunday service that begins with joyful songs, a jubilant crowd and a lot of fun, It is that time of the year when we hear the phrase 'He is Risen' more often. As much as this is a glorious truth, I cannot help but think of the implications this has for me. Christ has truly risen, but HAVE I? Christ in dying for me on the cross has purchased for me, the enjoyment of this glorious reality where I can sit with him on heavenly places and experience the life of God in greater measure every day. The veil is rent, the throne room of God is open and the Holy of Holies can now be the place I can dwell daily. Many Christians around the world are so taken up by the festivities of Easter, but the longing and the craving that Paul, the Apostle had is so foreign to them. He says in Phil 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection. He isn't simply content to sing songs and thank God for sending His Son to save him from sin and hell. He wants to press in further. He is longing for that deeper life, that mighty power that can help him overcome sin in His life. That mighty power that can make Him heavenly minded. That mighty power that strengthen Him to lead a holy life pleasing unto God. That mighty power that is able to help him rise above the cares and worries of this life. If this not be our heart's desire, let's ask God that we may experience the true resurrection power because the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead indeed Lives in us!!

He saves us from our sins

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Mt 1:21 This Good Friday, what would God want us to know about the person and work of His Son Jesus? We remember the great sacrifice of God's only Son for us. Many look at the Cross and see Him as their Healer, Our Provider, Our Protector and so on. But notice how the Gospel of Matthew introduced the Work of Christ - the One who will save His people from their sins. What a Blessed truth we see here. The Work of Christ now and every moment of our life here on earth is to save us from the snare of sin. He is continually guiding our steps and is keeping us from falling into the many temptations that the enemy hurls at us.Jesus who of God is made unto us...sanctification." -- 1 Cor. 1:30 At the cross he saved us from the penalty of sin. He is now saving us it's deadly power. As we walk nearer to Him, sin loses it's hold over our souls and we become partakers of a higher life with God and a glorious eternity with Him in heaven. What a privilege have we? Nothing ought to hold us back from running into the arms of such a loving Savior who gave His own life as a ransom to save us from our sins.

To be the Apple of Your Eye

Precious Lord, I pray thee that I would be the Apple of Your eye. O what a glorious truth to behold, that my Lord should say to me. "My son, you are ever before me and all that I have is yours" to be always overwhelmed with joy unending that I am carved on the very palm of His hands. O to know that my Father cares for every little detail of my Life and utterly delights in me for who I am. O how unsearchable are the riches of His glorious grace towards me, how immensely deep His Love and tenderness for me as I cry for mercy and deliverance from a nature that is so inclined to sin. My feet clung to the dust, but He took a basin of water and cleansed my feet. My heart was restless and without ease but he gently calmed me down and said, "Be Still and Know that I am God" The bruise of sin and unbelief overshadowed my soul, but with one 'gentle touch' he restored me to liberty. Lord, how beautiful is your Presence. May my soul always faint for your courts. May my eyes ever search for you, the Lover of my soul. Let no moment pass without an ever increasing consciousness of your Holy Presence and knowing this with all my heart that in You I move and have my being. Let every day bring me deeper into the abyss of your love and the experience of heavenly joy even as I sojourn in this world. May i then truly say this with all my heart that "For me to live is Christ" and to die is gain. Amen!

Prayer for reality in the Inner Life

Father God, you who are rich in mercy and lavish in love towards the saints, I ask you to take charge of my life In my weakness and human frailty I call upon your strength today.I pray for a fresh release of the Holy Spirit within my being. You desire truth in the inward parts and that I live a life that is pleasing in your sight. I am weary of living this Christian life in my own strength for I am powerless and in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Lord, you are my portion and apart from you I have no good. Let nothing that is not of thee have any place in me. Create in me a pure heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Lord, I repent for every sin in thought, word and deed and by the precious blood of your Son Jesus Christ, make me completely whole. Restore me O God and let your light shine through me, let rivers of living water flow through me and bless those to whom I am called to minister to. I love you Lord and I worship your Holy Name.Amen!