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I treat prayer as the dominant feature of my life
‘Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete’ (John 16:24) My heart, dear Lord, will not be satisfied With less than you have planned to give to me, My deepest longings will not be denied, I need from natural frailties to be free. I need to feel upon my chosen way That I have power to be – and power to act More like a Jesus-person day by day, Not just within my mind but, as a fact. But more, O Father God, I want so much That Christlikeness be planted in my soul, I want him to abide in me, and touch My mind and will, then take complete control. I come, Lord, to my heart’s own mercy seat And kneel – and yield myself – before your feet.
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O This article was first published in the
In July 2019 Commissioner Read was admitted to the Order of the Founder by General Brian Peddle ‘in recognition of a life of outstanding Christian witness in word, verse and deed’
Picture: PAUL HARMER
Wednesday, how would you feel about that?” And I found a ministry that’s been going for at least eight years. ‘As I have my prayers, as I meditate on the Scripture and get out of it what I think I’m supposed to get, I’m able to write the Facebook poems. That’s why I can always put a scriptural reference to them.’ The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with people saying how much they have been helped and encouraged. Such was the interest that the Australia Southern Territory published many of the Facebook posts in 2013, along with some of his other poems, in Heart Talk: The Give and Take of Communion with God. Harry has always regarded prayer as essential and values the time he is now able to spend with God. ‘I treat prayer as the dominant feature of my life,’ he says. ‘It almost sounds sanctimonious, but as soon as I wake up I am making a prayer. When I go to bed I am making a prayer, winding up the day. I have my set times for prayer and my prayer lists are very lengthy. ‘I usually have a poem that I’ve been sorting out for Facebook, and I say, “Can I rest in you, Lord, in the light of what this poem is saying?” And that’s where I start. But I don’t hurry on from there. He knows my weaknesses, he knows my desires, and I want to be able to rest in him. ‘Then I have to say to myself, “Harry, when you pray you are linking yourself with the active work of the Holy Spirit, who also is at work in that person’s heart.” I try to bear that in mind all the time. It is the two of us together.’ 22 June 2019 Salvationist
POWER TO BE
Salvationist 8 January 2022
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