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!