Asian and American

Asian and American
Japanese Stella near Jefferson and FDR Memorials

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tuesday June 21

Good morning,
How are you on this fine day?  I hope you are well in all ways.  I hope you are at peace with God and man.  I hope that you have what you wish for and work towards.  I hope you have the life you wanted.


If not, then consider today's meditation by F. B. Meyer:



June 21


PRAYER THAT OBTAINS
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."-- Luk_11:9.


THERE ARE many conditions of true prayer. For instance, it must be earnest. There are times when we know we are on the line of God's purposes, when we may dare to be importunate. 
Prayer must be offered in the Name of Christ, i.e., it must be in harmony with the nature of Christ, which was devoted to the glory of God and to the blessing of men. 
That Name will eliminate the ingredient of selfishness which will mar any prayer by whomsoever offered. 
Prayer must also be based on some promise of God, which is presented to Him as a cheque or note is presented to a bank.
All these are but steps to the faith that obtains, for it is, after all, not prayer but faith that obtains promises. That is why our Lord lays so much stress on receiving. Much of our prayer fails because we forget that He said, "Every one that asketh, receiveth"; and again, "All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them" (Mar_11:24).
So far as one can describe the process, it seems something after this fashion. 

  • The soul reverently kneels before God, 
  • glorifying and praising Him for His greatness and goodness. 
  • It is conscious of needing some very special gift which is promised. 
  • In the Name of Christ it presents the request with the confidence of a child. 
  • With earnestness of desire and speech it unfolds the reasons why the gift sought is so necessary. 
  • But it does not leave prayer at this point to go away in uncertainty as to what the issue shall be. 
  • By an act of the spirit, the suppliant seems to receive definitely the spiritual or even the temporal gift; 
  • and realizes that it has received, that the special grace has been imparted, to be discovered and used under stress of need; 
  • that the temporal gift has also been received, though it may be kept back until the precise moment when it can be delivered, in much the same way as a present may be purchased long before the time of handing it to its destined possessor (1Sa_1:15, 1Sa_1:18, 1Sa_1:27).

This is what Christ meant by "receiving," and it has a mighty effect upon prayer, because it makes it so much more definite. It leads to praise, because we are able to thank God for His gift. You must take as well as pray.


PRAYER
We rejoice that our Saviour ever lives to intercede as our High Priest and Mediator. Through the rent veil, let our prayers ascend to Thee mingled with the fragrance of His merit in whom Thou art ever well pleased. AMEN.

So today, if you are not at peace with God, kneel, pray to God through Christ's intercession, and ask!

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