Asirvadam prayer book - Draw Near to God by Shalem Arasavelli

DRAW NEAR TO GOD WITH CONFIDENCE THROUGH

LORD JESUS

Dr. K. ASHIRVADAM

Address: JESUS, THE INTERCESSOR 302, Motherland Apartment, 6th Cross, Kaggadasapura Main Road, C V Raman Nagar, Bangalore - 560093 INDIA Phone: +91-944 981 5491 Email: ashirvadam.kampa@gmail.com

Dedicated to The Praise of Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glory on the Earth

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Preamble

Prayer for God's Blessing

PART 1: SCOPE OF THE BOOK 1.

Introduction

1.1

The Purpose of the Written Prayers

1.2

The Goal of this Book

1.3

How to use this Book

1.3.1

A Daily Routine

1.3.2

A Weekily Routine

1.3.3

Yearly Schedule

1.4

The Preaching

1.5

A Caution

1.6

The Conviction about the Prayer

1.7

Our Lord's Message

1.8

The Author's Desire

1.9

Praying in the Spirit

1.9.1

A Prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit

PART II: THE CONFESSIONS AND THANKSGIVING 2.

The Development of the Inward Life

2.1

Introduction

2.2

The Bible on the Believer's Repentance

2.3

The Remission for the Sins

2.3.1

The Blood of Jesus and the Forgiveness

2.3.2

A Prayer for the Forgiveness of Daily Sins

2.3.3

A Prayer of Repentance

2.4 2.5

The death of Sin by the Holy Spirit

2.4.1

A Prayer for the Mortification of the Flesh

The Leading of the Holy Spirit

2.5.1

A Prayer for the Leading of the Holy Spirit

2.6

Thanksgiving

2.7

Daily Work

2.8

The Healing

PART III: PERSONAL PRAYERS 3.

The First Love for Christ

3.1.

Introduction

3.2

The Christ's Voice

3.3

A Prayer for the First Love for Christ

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

4.1

Introduction

4.2

The Holy Spirit's Desire

4.3

A Prayer for the Mind and the Heart

The Anointing

5.1

Introduction

5.2

The Bible on the Anointing

5.3

A Prayer for the Anointing

An Approach to the Bible

6.1

Introduction

6.2

God's Way of the Revelation

6.3

A Prayer for the Study of the Bible

The Lord's Supper

7.1

Introduction

7.2

The Observance of the Lord's Supper

7.3

A Prayer for the Participation

An Evening Prayer

105

8.1

Introduction

105

8.2

A Prayer for the Night

105

PART IV: THE PROGRESS IN CHRISTIAN LIFE 9. A Friendly Conversation 9.1 Introduction

111 111

9.2

The Bible on the Communion with God

113

9.3

A Prayer for the Dialogue

113

10. The Discouragements

115

10.1

Introduction

115

10.2

The Bible on the Discouragements

115

10.3

A Prayer for the Courage

117

11. The Temptations

119

11.1

Introduction

119

11.2

The Scripture's Wisdom

120

11.3

A Prayer for the Protection

121

12. The Habitutal Delight in God

124

12.1

Introduction

124

12.2

The Bible on Delighting in the Lord

125

12.3

A Prayer for Delighting in the Lord

125

13. The Good Works

128

13.1

Introduction

128

13.2

The Bible on the Purposes of Usefulness

128

13.3

A Prayer for the Empowerment

129

13.4

The Whole Armour of God

130

13.5

The Authorities

131

14. The Commitment to the Gospel

133

14.1

Introduction

133

14.2

Contending for the Gospel

133

14.3

Prayer

134

14.3.1

Living out the Gospel

134

14.3.2

A Peaceful Approach to Christ

135

PART V: THE PROBLEMS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE 15. The Backsliding 15.1 Introduction 15.2 God's Voice on the Spiritual Decay 15.3 Prayer 15.3.1 Rise 15.3.2 Shine 15.3.3 Never Look Back 15.3.4 Don't Give up 15.4 Lord Jesus has a Word for you 15.5 Bless Yourself 15.6 A Prayer of Surrender 16. The Deliberate Sin 16.1 Introduction 16.2 The Holy Men on the Deliberate Sin 16.3 Prayer 16.3.1 Confession 16.3.2 God has seen it all 16.3.3 Restore me 16.3.4 The Favour of God 17. The Hiding of God's Face 17.1 Introduction 17.2 God's Voice on the Hiding of God's Face 17.3 Prayer 17.3.1 Expressing inner self 17.3.2 Seeking God's Mercy 17.3.3 Urging for God's Face 18. The Heavy Affliction 18.1 Introduction 18.2 The Holy Scripture's Voice 18.3 Prayer 18.3.1 Inward Groaning 18.3.2 Make me understand 18.3.3 What is my lesson ?

143 143 144 145 145 146 146 148 149 149 150 151 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 160 160 161 164 164 165 166 168 168 169 171 171 172 173

PART VI: THE JUDGMENT AND THE DEATH 19. The Judgment and the Death 19.1 Introduction 19.2 The Holy Men's Voice 19.3 A Prayer for Honouring God

177 177 178 179

PART VII: THE WORLD EVENGELISATION 20. Jesus’ Method 20.1 Introduction 20.2 The Holy Word on Jesus’ Method 20.3 Prayer 20.3.1 Make me a Labourer 20.3.2 Make me fish men 20.3.3 Manifest Apostle's Time

185 185 186 187 187 189 191

21. The Rebellion against the Gospel 21.1 Introduction 21.2 The Voice of God on the Rebellion 21.3 Prayer 21.3.1 Destroy the Rebellion 21.3.2 Rise Mighty Force 21.3.3 Lord, Show us Mercy

194 194 194 196 196 198 200

22. The Encouragement from the LORD

203

PART VIII: CONCLUSION

207

Notes

211

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For about three years by the grace of God we resorted to pray as a family. Meanwhile Pasupuleti Ravi and Neetha from Vishakhapatnam (INDIA) opened their efforts to conduct small meetings with a few people, during which time God led us to discuss the power of the blood of Christ and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. Many believers were edified. We have discussed the matters of our struggle in our meetings. I thank God for these dear ones for providing a forum and spending lot of time and money. These efforts culminated in releasing my first booklet titled "Lord teach us to pray". Then God burdened me to write more elaborately on prayer, having realized that prayer is the breath of inner man. The first draft was sent to Dr. K.Subha Kumar, who is fondly called "Kumpaty" in US holding a very high profile at the University, Milwaukee School Of Engineering located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (north of Chicago). He reviewed and offered his valuable comments. I thank God for providing Dr.Kumpaty for the expansion of His Kingdom. He has contributed quite a lot to bring this book to a lovable shape. His effort in inserting appropriate "hymns" and correcting theological aberrations is praiseworthy. The whole book is adorned by his literary expertise. I shall not forget the prayerful encouragement of my wife, Satya, who obtained a good audience with God. Her

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prayer life transformed me to love prayer above all. She speaks more confidently about Lord Jesus. My sons, Jonathan and Jabez, though they had some setbacks, are rising in the arms of faith by prayer. I would like to thank Jessy, Ramesh, Dr. Anand Raj and Satish, who reviewed the manuscript before it could be published. Bro.Ramesh took initiative and designed the cover. May the living Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ consider this humble publication as a small supporting help to the work of the Holy Spirit all over the world, and bless it hundredfold.

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

FOREWORD

In the 1959 publication by Bethany House Publishers, "Why Revival Tarries?" the author, Leonard Ravenhill wrote, "No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are strayingâ&#x20AC;Ś We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere." Thankfully, the Bible provides us good examples of the agonizers, wrestlers, passionate intercessors and fighters that Mr. Ravenhill called for. Samuel stated, "far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray" and Paul gave a testimony that Epaphras was always laboring earnestly in his prayers. Samuel prayed for Israel1 and Epaphras, for the church at Colosse.2 There are many such wrestlers in the Scripture we can learn from. I read through the Bible afresh with my local church in 2012. What I learnt to my reluctant surprise was that prayer is most essential in a believer's life. Moses by insisting on seeing the face and glory of God learned the character of God firsthand that He is gracious, compassionate and forgiving. And many such as David, Joel, Jonah and Micah referred to this character of God in their writings. Hannah's prayer life rubbed on Samuel. Solomon asked for wisdom and got that and more. Daniel put God's Word and Prayer

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together in Daniel 9. Nehemiah faxed his prayer while being in the king's court and received the utterance. And Jesus prayed alone under unusual circumstances when he could have used a good rest3. He prayed a prayer of surrender at Gethsemane and He prayed a High Priestly Prayer that included us before He went to the Cross. I am humbled and encouraged to be reminded that we need not only bread but also breath to live. Both the Word and Prayer go hand in hand in a healthy spiritual walk. Only then God becomes real and we sense His government of our daily affairs. Theoretically, we agree on the importance of prayer. For Corrie ten Boom's question, "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" many of us will sadly answer that prayer has been relegated to the spare tire spot in our spiritual journey. I am happy to say there is hope. My good friend and classmate since junior college has penned from his heart, enabled by the Lord, a classic that this generation is in utter need of, something of a sort seen among the puritans or reformers of old. This is a fresh breeze taking us back to the sincere roots of christian faith and its practice. It is not meant for a casual reader but it is for those who mean serious business with God. It is to our own peril if we miss out on the golden opportunity to be revived in our Christian walk by inculcating these prayers in our personal life. Dr. Ashirvadam has painstakingly provided the appropriate prayers for our use with the Scriptural backing to go before the Throne of Grace and find comfort and help in God's presence. Whether you need a jumpstart in dealing with being fruitful to the Lord or in overcoming certain recurring pathways that lead you to being unfaithful to the Lord, you will have substantial help in these pages to address such

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

issues. Or if you have never surrendered your life to Christ, you will not only have an opportunity to do so but will have found the right reasons for it. So come on and get set for a reading that will impact the rest of your life providing you steps for faithfulness and fruitfulness. The timeless Scripture is woven into these relevant prayers so as to provide us the spiritual vitality in our daily living. When I read the author's words in this book, for example, "I know that with You there is plenteous redemption. O God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.", I am able to see the richness of God's Word 4 as well as the refreshing desire to receive that redemption through a new genesis with the appropriate imagery to ponder and absorb that transformation. In another instance, there is a prayer citing the wretchedness of Laodicea and aptly seeking pardon from the Lord. That is precisely why I recommend this classic for your good use. It is my prayer that it will enrich your walk with God and in turn, influence your friends to the saving knowledge of Christ through your outreach. Let me end with the Scripture on safety of abiding in God's presence.5 "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Verse 1). I will say of the LORD, (Verse 2) "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." May this book help us to do verse 1 so we can confidently state verse 2 in our experience. May our lives be saturated with both the offense of God's Word and the defense of Prayer, which sends our enemy Satan into a frenzy and allows us to be in the center of God's will and purpose for our lives. We are at the greatest and the highest upon our knees. May this book help us to experience what Fanny Crosby expressed in her hymn and draw us closer to Christ.

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O the pure delight of a single hour That before Thy throne I spend When I kneel in prayer and with Thee my God, I commune as friend with friend. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord To the cross where Thou hast died Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord To Thy precious bleeding side.

Subha Kumpaty, Elkhorn, Wisconsin, US May 2013

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

PREAMBLE

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has come into India about 200 years ago through the faithful ministry of several missionaries, such as William Carey, Panditha Ramabai and many more. Many of us have believed in Jesus as the LORD and Saviour as a result of their ministry. But Alas! The admonition given by the writer to the book of Hebrews is true of us also. The Apostle cried out, "You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others, but instead you have dropped back to the place where you need someone to teach you all over again the very first principles in God's Word. You are like babies who can drink only milk, not old enough for solid food." 6 Thus, our witness to Lord Jesus has been very weak, and probably we may have to confess as declared by the LORD, "all day long My Name is constantly blasphemed." 7 Surely no Christian would like this situation to continue. We need to grow like Our Lord Jesus, who died for us. Mere growth in "knowledge" and "activity" is a delusion. Lord Jesus saved us freely by the death of His cross and has put us in the position of obtaining the very life of Christ. He desires that we should enter into this narrow gate. The biggest trap of the Devil was to keep precious saved souls in the delusion of activity and giving more emphasis on studying than living the life in the power of prayer and of the Holy Spirit. The first priority of our Lord Jesus is prayer, as can be seen from the Gospels. He took time to pray by Himself in inspite of His hectic ministry schedule. He prayed in the

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early hours of the day. Some times He prayed all night. He prayed in the Garden of Gesthemane. He prayed on the cross. The writer of the book of Hebrews summarized the life of Lord Jesus as, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears." 8 So, in this Book, an attempt is made to put the whole gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in perspective. It is understood from the Word of God that the full potential of the gospel is unpacked to those who pray, and pray correctly, with right emphasis and support in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Many read and study the Holy Scriptures. But the fact of the matter is that "the Word" must be incarnated into "flesh". This is possible with the application of the blood of Christ by the Holy Spirit, which alone helps us to get rid of the body of sin. As we receive the life of Christ in this way, it is marked with joy unspeakable and full of glory and the same life shows up in witness to the work of Christ. The key lies with the prayer life. The Bible itself is a record of prayers. Ordering prayer life to its full enjoyment unfolds the Holy Book in terms of the life of the Person of Christ. All pray. But all do not get blessed. Only humble prayers with the conviction of sin are honoured by God, when offered through the blood of His beloved Son, Lord Jesus Christ in the Spirit. Due to the power of the indwelt sin, we loose confidence in approaching our beloved Lord Jesus with dearness. By avoiding discussion of our indwelt sin, even if we pray, we resort to formal attitude hiding actual problem, which cannot obtain the ear of God. In fact, to our great surprise, Lord Jesus likes to hear more about our sin from us than anything else, because Christ is named as Jesus by the Heavenly host. Matthew, the apostle, moved by the Holy

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

Spirit, revealed the significance of the name of Jesus. He said that Lord Jesus has pleasure in saving His people from their sins.9 Many were disappointed in prayer life because of asking all other things, avoiding deliverance from all sin. John, the beloved Apostle declared that the blood of Jesus, His Son cleanses us from all sin. Therefore, let us reconcile our mind on this one singular aspect and occupy ourselves more about getting rid of power of sin in degrees. Then, blessings will follow without fretting. The purpose of this book is to pray more about sin, with the aim that the soul may be delivered from the power of sin and enriched with the life of Christ. Let 90% of our prayer time be spent in dealing with our sinful nature by our Lord Jesus. It is the purpose of our Lord Jesus to bring fullness of God into His body by saving elect souls of all the Nations through the blood-bought Children. Those who grow in the life of Christ will seek naturally to bring reality of the Kingdom of Christ into inner self and subsequently to this earth. The model of our Lord Jesus was to pray first and then move in to the mission field. Day by day the world is growing in opposition to the Gospel. But that should not or will not deter a child of God who is obtaining the life of Christ continuously. All depends on prayer life. Lord Jesus while carrying the cross, turned to the women and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children".10 Apostle James, the Lord's brother pointed out, "The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with" 11 Two points are note-worthy: One is praying for ourselves, and the other is, for the right living. The Word of God teaches us that the sin is the most troublesome evil than any

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of our sufferings or trials. So, we need to pray more for our sinful nature to bring it under control to live right with God. We need not pester God for domestic blessings, as if He is is not aware of our wants. Humble prayers, uncrowded worship and simple faith in Christ will bring the influence of the Kingdom of God to our soul. "Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be. Surely we don't need to speak further about the foolishness of trying to be saved by being good, or about the necessity of faith in God." 12 Development of inner life by the life of Christ and displaying it for the purpose of bringing the influence and dominion of the Kingdom of God among the people of all the Nations by being a witness to Christ through the Prayer Life is the goal of this Book. So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need.13 Dr. K. Ashirvadam Bangalore, INDIA

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

PRAYER FOR GOD'S BLESSING

Almighty God, You have commanded me to carry Your Gospel to "all the nations", to proclaim that Jesus is the only God; that He alone can save a sinner. O Lord, since You have revealed that the expansion of Your kingdom must be done through apprehending Christ by an enjoyable prayer life, I have humbly compiled prayers in this book for the benefit of the Church, Your body. Blessed Holy Spirit, the revealer of Christ, I beseech You to let the Church be rejuvenated by these prayers. Create in each member of the Church much hunger for the person of Christ to delight in Him, so that You may deal with our indwelt sin. Thus, the purified Church may be a witness to the crucified Christ. By these prayers may the full potential of the body of Christ, be awakened with the abundant life that we may serve God acceptably. Thus, may we be admired at the judgment seat of Christ, "Well done My servant, enter into the joy of Your Master". O Lord, pour out the spirit of prayer according to Zechariah 12:10 upon Your Church. Lord, empower us to pray ceaselessly to see the salvation of millions of souls. Lord Jesus, since You are the same at all times stretch forth Your mighty arm as in the days of the Apostles, on behalf of our generation. Arise, O Lord God, put on Your strength and subdue the enemy. Be pleased, O Blessed Spirit of the Lord, to appoint every child of God to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the

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broken-hearted and to announce that You are ready to give blessings to all who call on You through Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, have mercy on me to fulfill Your mandate. May the Lord God bless and protect us; May the Lord's face radiate with joy because of us; May He be gracious to us, show us His favour and give us His peace. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Hold O'er my being Absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit Till all shall see, Christ only, always Living in me! (Adelaid Pollard, 1907)

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

PART I

SCOPE OF THE BOOK

PART I: SCOPE OF THE BOOK Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless. And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His Word and trust His grace, I'll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! (William Walford, a blind preacher 1845)

1. Introduction Lord Jesus commanded the apostles to wait in prayer for the filling of the Holy Spirit before attempting an expansion of the kingdom of God. They waited in prayer and in the fullness of time the Pentecost had come and their tongues were energized by the power of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Peter became a fiery preacher, whose message of the crucified Christ pricked the heart of onlookers. On seeing their faith, Lord Jesus granted repentance and forgiveness. This became the order of the day in the life time of the Apostles. Lord Jesus said that we should ask for the Holy Spirit. Many soul winners followed this instruction. They emphasized the fact that we must obtain fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit repeatedly to have a perceptible growth in the life of Christ and subsequent witnessing to win souls. Our Lord Jesus prayed for every born-again child in the High Priestly Prayer saying, "I pray for those who are going to

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believe in Me through them." Thus every child of God is expected to witness effectively so that some would definitely be bornagain through each one's personal witness. Herein lies the true satisfaction of all the children of God. When souls are saved, God is glorified. The Apostles resorted to prayer and preaching of the Gospel. As they were steadfast in this way signs and wonders accompanied them. They did first things first in proper order. They spent enough time at the foot of the Cross to obtain the life of God in Christ to grow in the new life. Then, they naturally became witnesses to Lord Jesus. Let us observe that obtaining the very life of Christ is in proportion to making space for it by the removal of power of sin. In this book prayers that deal with sin of our heart are compiled. The main content of the book is devoted to pray for our selfish sinful nature with a view to possess the life of Christ. The corruption of the flesh is dealt by humble prayers followed by the development of Christian temper. While praying in this way we are mysteriously filled by the Holy Spirit of God as we allow Him to nullify the power of sin. It is our faith that Our loving Lord Jesus will provide enough opportunities to reach out the perishing souls and to preach the Gospel successfully with definite results, to those who conduct their life in the way of prayer. All prayers in this book preserve the spirit of humility since the author of Christianity described Himself as the meek and the lowly. Humility flourishes when the first preference in prayer is an honest confession of personal sin. Pride makes it difficult to pray. The Bible says, God gave up the world to sinful passions. Will they come to God automatically? Jesus said, "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" 14. So

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straightaway we see the need for prayer to turn the sinful world to Christ. You may find the prayers of this Book heavy. The fact of the matter is that there has to be a travail before souls are saved. God's Word says, "No sooner is Zion in labour, than she gives birth to her Children".15 So, prayer transforms us like magnets and the unsaved sinners as iron pieces. Our forefathers amidst severe adverse circumstances prevailed by faith and prayer. God's Son and the Holy Spirit are engaged in groaning and intercessory prayers. Anointing is proportional to the travailing prayer. Faith in Lord Jesus and the prayer inspired by faith and love will bring in the anointing to accomplish the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Hallelujah ! â&#x20AC;&#x153;The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire; it has bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course... It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings.â&#x20AC;? - St. Chrysostom.

1.1 The Purpose of the Written Prayers The wisest King Solomon said, "Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think". Further we are told in the Word of God: "Prepare your confession and come back to God. Pray to Him, Take away our sin, accept our confession. Receive as restitution our repentant prayers" 16 Therefore, we see the need for well-prepared prayers. Words are seeds having a tree in them. Extempore prayers

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without the spirit and the application of the mind are equivalent to babbling. Written prayers will bring forth the expected harvest. With affectionate heart involvement, the prayers are efficient. Organizing our thoughts with a proper protocol to approach God is acceptable to God. In fact, God has given every blessing to each believer in Christ on the day we are born-again. But, as we can see in our experience, all of God's blessings are not within our reach. But only by earnest prayers manifestations of those blessings will be made visible in the physical world for our enjoyment. We should note that by prayer, we are not attempting to alter the good plan of God. But if we are more prayerful, we can fit ourselves into His current thoughts and ways easily.

1.2 The Goal of this Book The power of the Pentecost is available on this earth right now to give us the Apostles blessing, if we follow the way of prayer and revelation of Christ by the Holy Spirit. God ordained that the promise of the book of Joel of outpouring of the Holy Spirit shall be realized through those who enjoy Christ Jesus by being in constant touch17. Let us note that Lord Jesus while living on this earth delighted in God through prayer. Ministry and preaching were like a drop in the ocean of prayer for Our Lord Jesus. The goal of this book is to imitate Christ in all spheres with the life energized by the Spirit of Christ. It is strongly believed that if Prayer Life is ordered well then all will be in correct proportions. The Break-through in life is when a Christian obtains the spirit of prayer, like that of Christ.

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

1.3 How to use this Book ? It is not enough to read this book. Jesus demanded that men ought to pray at all times and not faint. Prayer is breathing to the inner man. Till you become proficient in prayer, you may use this book. The aim is to achieve the goal of dialogue type of prayers. 1.3.1 A Daily Routine 1. Sing three songs in your language. 2. Pray daily using Part II through Part IV. 3. Read the Bible at least one chapter a day systematically. The Holy Spirit is highly pleased and happy when songs are sung. Do everything in the power of the Holy Spirit. Avoid being overwhelmed either by prayers or the large amount of information. Remember that we are engaging with the person of Christ, who is in the invisible world. All the saints of old, by faith prayed meaningfully believing in the living presence of Christ. We should not insist on the physical manifestation of Christ. In order not to become mechanical, pausing for few minutes (selah) is suggested after every prayer. 1.3.2 A Weekly Routine Make a book study of the Bible weekly once. Martin Luther suggested that we underline the word "faith" in the book of Romans and look at all those verses once every day. 1.3.3 Yearly Schedule Resort to peaceful places to wait upon the Lord, as often as possible. Allocate long duration to wait on the Lord once in every year.

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1.4 The Preaching It is better to preach systematically from what is soaked in prayer. In a week a preacher must read one devotional book besides hearing messages from classic and puritan writers. You can visit the website www.sermonaudio.com for audio messages and www.ccel.org for classical writings. Fix yourself with standard preachers such as C. H. Spurgeon, John Owen etc.

1.5 A Caution Everyone must be found more in prayer than reading. Let not mind be crowded by the material available on the Internet. Set small goals which you can accomplish. Let the speed be slow but steady and consistent. Take caution against making resolutions to live in a particular way. Give ample place for the leading of the Holy Spirit. He loves to lead and guide us in all matters. Keep watch on whether you are acquiring the "knowledge" or the "life of Christ". Note that the "knowledge" is predominantly the tool of the Devil. Never attempt anything new without praying for a week. Faithfully attend to daily routines. Don't imitate somebody's style of preaching. Be original. Forgive yourself. Do not be too strict with others. Forgive others freely. Discover the particular gift of the Holy Spirit and make all the arrangements to develop it. Be careful with words that you utter because they are like seeds having a potential of growing into a large tree. The Devil waters all bad words, and on the other hand the Holy Spirit flourishes good words. So make it a point to speak good words through out the day. Don't waste time and be lazy. Don't over work like a workaholic.18 Make a list of people whom you know. Segregate the list

Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus

into two parts: (1) the people who need the salvation and (2) the people who are already saved. Don't miss out on your enemies and those who hurt you, because your best is hidden in them. Mention these names appropriately as indicated in the book and pray.

1.6 The Conviction about the Prayer Read more on prayer. Prayer is a hard work. Read one chapter on prayer every day from the collection of E. M. Bounds. The Bible recorded, "After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune and then doubled it!" Jesus said, "Here's what I want you to do: find a quiet, secluded place. Shift your focus from you to God and begin to sense His grace. Pray simply and He will reward you openly." 19 Let us recognize the utmost importance of prayer. Lord Jesus revealed to Peter that to escape from the trap of Satan, he needs to depend upon Jesus' intercession and pray by himself. Such prayer will alone strengthen faith. Prayer need to be made night and day earnestly and continually to get the supply of God for what is lacking in our faith. The Apostles prayed to God that they will not do anything wrong. They prayed for the eyes of heart to be enlightened that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen with power through His Spirit the inner being so that Christ may dwell in heart through faith. They prayed for being rooted and established in love. So, we need to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. We need to be alert and always keep on praying. Prayer alone makes the messenger of the Gospel to open his mouth and words will be given so that

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he will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel. Prayer makes us live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. When we pray, God will open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, and our God will count us worthy of His calling and by His power He will fulfill every good purpose for us. Prayer makes the name of our Lord Jesus to be glorified in us, and He in us, according to the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer makes the message of our Lord to spread rapidly and be honoured. By prayer we will be delivered from wicked and evil men. So we must continually ask God for help. Prayer makes us to be active in sharing our faith so that we will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. By prayer we are delivered from trouble. Prayer heals our sickness. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Prayer makes us to enjoy good health and that all will go well with us and our soul prospers. So final advice of the Bible is to build up in the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. Bible verses20

1.7 Our Lord's Message "I will turn things around... I will give them a language undistorted, unpolluted, words to address God in worship. They will come praying. You'll no longer have to be ashamed of all those acts of rebellion. Be happy! Celebrate! God has reversed His judgments against you and sent

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your enemies off chasing. God is happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you. The accustomed sorrows will dissipate. I will get rid of them for you. I'll get rid of all those who've made your life miserable. You'll be famous and honoured all over the world. God's promise". Zeph. 3:8ff.

1.8 The Author's Desire God willing, I cherish to be in touch with you as you endeavour to become like Christ in prayer life. If you are blessed through this humble book and can share your testimony through e-mail, I will have the opportunity to pray meaningfully for you. I would like to pray for you because I hope to have you as a star in my crown in heaven.

1.9 Praying in the Spirit The mandate of the Bible is to pray in the Spirit on all the occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 21 Man is capable of uttering anything before the Almighty God, having fabricated his desires in the normal thinking process. If we pray like this, then, we are taking all the trouble of flying into heaven and placing our requests before God, which we know, is an impossible task. Apostle Paul in the Book of Ephesians, explained that the mid air is occupied by principalities, powers and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.22 They can easily prevent human voice unless empowered by a greater power than them. Lord Jesus having offered His own blood by the Eternal Spirit poured out the Sevenfold Spirit on all flesh, so that, man will have easy and free access to Heaven. So with simple

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faith on Lord Jesus, if we ask for the help the Holy Spirit, it is not refused. Praying in the spirit is like sitting in a space shuttle and flying into Heaven to post our requests. It is called Holy ease. So let us seek the help of the Holy Spirit to pray in the spirit. 1.9.1 A Prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit of God, come in tongues of living flame to energise my tongue to pray in the spirit uniting my mind with You. Allpowerful as the mighty wind, Come. O Blessed Holy Spirit, impart Your sweet influence. O Lord God, give me good temper to make the stay of the Holy Spirit in my heart comfortable. May I take care of Him as my beloved guest. O Blessed Spirit of God, help me to hear Your gentle voice, soft as the breath of even that checks each thought, that calms each fear. May You be pleased to reveal Lord Jesus and His power in the Heaven and on the earth. I acknowledge that You alone possess all virtues and by You alone every victory is won, and You alone have thoughts of holiness. O Spirit of purity and grace, see my weaknesses and pitiable condition. I know that You have come inside of my heart to rid me of my fears, troubles and tears. You have come to tell me about the exalted status of my Lord Jesus. You alone can impart comfort to my soul. You are given to me to adorn the body of Christ with glory. You are within me to impart all of Christ to me. Be pleased O Lord, to set up the Kingdom of Love in my heart. Please carry out Your work in me in realizable form. Breathe on me, O Breath of God. Fill me with life anew that I may love what You love and do what You would like to do. Breathe on me O Lord, until my heart is pure and my will is one with You to work and to endure. Make me wholly Yours until my earthly part glows with Your fire divine. Help me, O Lord, to live

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the perfect life of Eternity. Lord Jesus, like the beloved John the Apostle, may I be in the spirit to see You by faith. Protect me from all distractions. May my faith be active to see You, because seeing is my happiness. O Spirit of God, make me grasp secret things of God. Open, O Lord, rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of valleys. Make my wilderness a pool of water and my dry land a spring of water. Plant Cedars, Shittah tree, the Myrtle and the Olive tree in my wilderness. Set in my desert the fir tree, the pine and the box tree together. O Lord, I am without the living energy and devoid of strength. I have dried up without abundance. Let Pishon and Gihon flow. Let the fruit of Love flourish in me. By Your grace, O Lord, the fire of the Holy Spirit melt my heart. Burn the sinful chaff in me. O Lord God, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and remove all the curses from my life. Help me, O Lord, to taste the love of Lord Jesus by growing in faith. For Jesus sake, Amen. Sweet secret prayer, comfort divine, There, O my Lord, I know Thou art mine; Great Master, there in secret with Thee, Heaven comes nearer and nearer to me. Blessings attend and follow us there; Heaven comes nearer and nearer in prayer. Sweet secret prayer, comfort divine, There do Thine arms, Lord, round me entwine;

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Rivers of love and mercy there flow, Balm for all sorrow that mortal can know. Sweet secret prayer, comfort divine, There do I feel I truly am Thine; Heav'n's windows open, Jesus is near, Near to my soul, and the Father will hear. (Charles H. Gabriel, 1922) selah

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PART II

THE CONFESSIONS AND THANKSGIVING

PART II: THE CONFESSIONS AND THANKSGIVING

2. The Development of the Inward Life

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive? Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin. (Julia Johnston, 1910)

2.1 Introduction The development of inner life is obtaining the forgiveness and the removal of power of sin. The first step in the improvement of life is through confessions. We must plead for the blood of Christ to be applied by the Holy Spirit. Christ will come and comfort us, if we pray for our sinful nature to be subdued. He likes to assist us by the Holy Spirit in ordering inner life if we believe His promise and come to Him. All His glory and beauty are revealed from within. He

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delights to be within us for the singular purpose of dealing with sin. His visits are frequent and He brings sweet conversations, pleasant comfort, great peace and exceedingly wonderful friendship. Let us open our heart to Christ. He will meet all our needs. He doesn't change His loving attitude towards us even when we have failed miserably. He wants our honest confession.

2.2 The Bible on the Believer's repentance Note 23 1.

Jesus said, "Are you tired? worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

"Now listen, daughter, don't miss a word: forget your country, put your home behind you. Be here the king is wild for you. Since he's your Lord, adore Him."

Glorified Jesus said, "Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! May be there's life in you yet. But I wouldn't know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God's work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears grasp it again and turn back to God."

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"Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women?" asks the Lord. "Of course not! I only want them turn around, no longer live wrong but living right - really living."

"There's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life. God's angels throw a party in heaven when every time one lost soul turns to God."

"God was in Christ, restoring the world to Himself, no longer counting men's sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message."

Jesus answered them, "It is the sick who need a doctor, not those in good health. My purpose is to invite sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think themselves already good enough."

Bible verses 24

2.3 The Remission for the Sins Let us believe what the Bible says. Let us take time to read the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus slowly. Note that even a single sin can't be dealt by human effort or resolution. God alone can solve this biggest puzzle. The Bible boldly declared, God sent Jesus to take away sins of penitent and grant holiness which perfectly satisfies the whole economy of God, the heaven and the angels." 25 a) God is there and present: There is a penalty for the intrusion into "the Holy Place" behind the veil thoughtlessly. The Ark with commandments of

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God and the mercy seat are located in the Holy Place. The Holy God is present in the cloud above the place of mercy seat. b) The Blood for the Holy Place: Here are the conditions for entering the Holy Place: The High Priest must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall make atonement for himself and his family. He shall bring some of the blood of the young bull and sprinkle it with his finger upon the east side of the mercy place and then seven times in front of it. He must smear the blood of the young bull and the goat on the horns of the altar and sprinkle the blood upon the altar seven times with his finger thus cleansing it from the sinfulness of Israel and making it holy. c) The Confession of all sins : The priest shall bring the live goat and laying both hands upon its head, confess over it all the sins. He shall lay all their sins upon the head of the goat and send it into the desert. d) The Inference: The procedures given in the Old Testament with regard to animal sacrifices have a clear message. Now the animal blood is replaced with the blood of Christ. One should not think that the blood shed on the Cross by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had dried up on the mountains of Golgotha in the country of Israel. The Bible says, it is offered to God by the eternal Spirit and does exist in His presence. By faith we must acknowledge this. Only the Holy Spirit can apply the blood of Christ on all those who plead for it.

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2.3.1 The Blood of Jesus and the Forgiveness 1.

"When the Messiah arrived, high priest of superior things of this new covenant, He bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven's "tent" - the true Holy Place - once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead used His own blood as the price to set us free once and for all. If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behaviour, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God."

"If we claim we are free from sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins, he won't let us down; He'll be true to Himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God - make a liar out of Him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God."

"The sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin."

"A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance." "A tender hearted

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person lives a blessed life; a hard hearted person lives a hard life." Bible verses 26 . 2.3.2 A Prayer for the Forgiveness of Daily Sins "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure Save from its guilt and power" (Augustus Toplady, 1763). O Blessed Spirit of God, You have revealed that the blood of Jesus Christ is a sweet aroma to the Lord God. You have said that the life is in the blood and it is given to make atonement for my soul. But if I do not wash my sins in the blood I shall bear my guilt. O Lord God, may I not be foolish to ignore Your free offer. O Lord, You want me to be Holy as You are Holy. You have said that I am the Lord that sanctify You and You have also said that I must sanctify myself. So, O Lord, I plead for the blood of Christ to sactify me that I may not die under the burden of sin. Lord Jesus, I thank You for allowing Yourself willingly to be torn to give Your blood for me. I acknowledge that Your blood alone removes the stains of my sins. Your blood is my medicine, a living fountain. Your blood alone provides atonement for my sins and it is my peace, destroyer of my curses and provides victory. Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the

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cross as my substitute. Your blood keeps me on the bossom of the Heavenly Father. My redemption is in Your blood. Your blood pacifies the wrath of God. Thank You Lord Jesus, for Your blood provides great relief for my huge count of sins. You have destroyed the strength of sin by Your death on the Cross. Thank You Lord Jesus, for wearing the crown of thorns on Your head allowing Your hands and feet to be pierced by hard nails, and stabbing Your side by a spear for me. Thank You Lord Jesus, by believeing in You, I am relieved. Lord Jesus, now I come to You for the forgiveness of my fresh sins through confession. Be very very gracious to me, because of Your cruel death on the Cross. Amen. 2.3.3 A Prayer of Repentance [God wants only acknowledgment of sin to deal with the blood of Christ with the conviction of the Holy Spirit]. Almighty God, I do not know how to pray. Kindly grant the help of the Holy Spirit in my weakness. Blessed Spirit of God, aid me to pray in the spirit according to the Will of God and sprinkle the blood of Christ on me seven times. God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, most mighty and glorious God! Full of incomprehensible power and majesty, whose glory the very heaven of heavens is not able to contain. Look down from heaven upon me, Your unworthy servant, who here prostrates at the footstool of Your throne of grace. Look upon me, O Heavenly Father, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, in whom You are well pleased. For of myself, I am not worthy to stand in Your presence or to speak with my unclean lips to so holy a God as You are.

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O God, investigate my life. You know all the facts first hand. I am an open book to You. Even from a distance, You know what I am thinking. You know everything I am going to say even before I start the first sentence. You are behind me, ahead of me. O Lord God, I cannot avoid Your Spirit. I cannot go out of Your sight. You are everywhere, in the sky, in the underground, in the western horizon. Before I reach a place, You are already there waiting. You have seen me in the dark places. Even at thick dark night I am immersed in Your light. O God, I acknowledge that every sin dishonours You. You will show Your anger on all sin from heaven. When I do any act, I can easily know whether it is sinful or holy, because, You have given me the dicernment. My confusion is the result of my sinful acts. I acknowledge that enough of confusion is there in me, which is an indication that I have done lot of sins. I know that I am let out of Your hand by every sin in degrees. I don't want to continue in the same path, O Lord. I also know that I cannot help myself and the remedy is in Christ only. So, I humbly confess my sins, O Lord. Blessed Spirit of God reveal to my heart and mind, where and how I have dishonoured the Heavenly Father, and my Lord Jesus Christ. Kindly reveal also how and where I have broken Your holy commandments by sinful motions, unclean thoughts, evil words and wicked works, and how I have omitted those duties which You required for Your service and committed those vices which You, under the penalty of Your displeasure, forbidden. [Here you may confess to God your secret sins] O Lord God, to know that You are fully aware of my sinful

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nature is a great relief for me. You shaped me. You formed me in my mother's womb. My body and soul are Your handiwork. I am marvelously made. You know every bone in my body. You know exactly how I was made. You watched me grow from conception to birth, all the stages of my life. All my days are prepared by You, even before I lived one day. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for carrying me in Your arms, like a father carries a child on his shoulders. I acknowledge that You have taken all my sinful burdens on Yourself lovingly and willingly. Oh triune God, I am fully responsible for all my faults. O Lord, my fresh sins have burdened my conscience. So, Lord, I do here with grief of heart confess to You. I recognize that for these of my sins, I have provoked the anger of the Lord God and am guilty of curses. I acknowledge that due to my daily sins I am in the position of attracting all the miseries of this life. My sins made my life wretched, miserable, blind, naked and poor. If You deal with me according to my sins, then I cannot stand. Lord, therefore I confess. O God, I appeal to Your generous love. In Your huge mercy wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt. Soak out my sins in Your laundry. I know how bad I have been. My sins are staring at me. I acknowledge that I have violated You and offended You grievously by every time I had sinned. You have seen it all, the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before You. Whatever You decide about me is fair. I acknowledge that each of my sin made me out of step with You. O Lord, since You are after the truth, I beg You to penetrate in the place where sin is residing, my very heart and conceive a new life. Make me white as snow as You promised through the prophet Isaiah27. Tune me with Your songs. Set my bones which are broken due to sin. Don't look too close for my

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blemishes. O Lord, give me health which I lost due to eating the forbidden tree. Kindly, don't throw me with the trash. Do not fail to breathe holiness on me. I know, O Lord God, Your mercy endures for ever and Your compassion never fails. That is why I have not been long ago consumed. I know that with You there is plenteous redemption. O God, make a fresh start in me and shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. O Lord, take me again into Your hands. Thank You, O Lord God, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen

Believe God's Word: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool." Isa 1:18 Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:34

2.4 The Death of Sin by the Holy Spirit All my life was wrecked by sin and strife, Discord filled my heart with pain, Jesus swept across the broken strings, Stirred the slumbering chords again. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know Fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go. (Luther Bridgers, 1910) "Did sin kill my Lord and Saviour! Then I will kill sin." (C. H. Spurgeon). "Be killing sin, otherwise sin will kill you." (John Owen).

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"Our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" 28 "If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life - no longer at sin's every beck and call!."

"The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead ...will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." "Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what He is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored. Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God."

"Through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush evil deeds, you shall live." "But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of Him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who

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welcome Him, in whom He dwells - even though you still experience all the limitations of sin - you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, He'll do the same thing in you that He did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you, you are delivered from that dead life. With the Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's." Bible verses29 2.4.1 A Prayer for the Mortification of the Flesh i)

A Solemn Reality of the Corruption of the Flesh

O God, Lord of all things, You in Christ Jesus, have manifested Yourself out of Your love. When I believed in the finished work of the cross, You were gracious enough to save me. Thank You, Lord Jesus for making me leave that old country of sin and joining me with the new country of holiness with all the saints of the Old Testament and the New Testament. O Lord God, though my old self is dead by union with the death of Jesus, yet I perceive that I have the body of sin. I understood by Paul's experience that sin lives in every member of my body and sin is the greatest burden than all troubles and trials. Lord Jesus as per Your Word, I acknowledge that my heart is a free fountain of pollution. My heart and my flesh are indwelt and infected by obscenities, lust, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander,

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arrogance, foolishness and such like. Some are visible but some are hidden. They are like vomit from my heart. Knowingly and unknowingly they are fuming out through my life. Satan is taking every opportunity through the law, and thus, my sin is preventing me to do the good work of the Holy Spirit. I acknowledge O Lord, that I have indulged in lustful deeds with lustful eyes. The more I dig my heart, the more dirt of sin is coming out. By this I am getting spoiled. Negligence is taking me over and I am doing the works which I am not supposed to do. I am putting my hands in the hands of the king of the Devils. So, blessed Spirit of God, kindly purge out my heart by the power of the blood of Christ. I come before You with thanksgiving and request You, O Lord, to drive out all my bad habits which I have acquired by the old self. Thus help me make room for the life-saving resurrection power of Christ. O Lord, grant me utmost self-control on my personal enemies which John the beloved cited in his first epistle: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. O Lord, help me not to let sin, Satan and the world to tell me what to do in life. Let me not give time of the day to sin. Let me not run even little errands in the old way of life. O Lord God, may I be full-time available to You. Thus, O Lord, teach me doing things in the Holy Spirit's way whole heartedly in the freedom of Christ. O Lord, help me to drive out the bond woman which is born according to the flesh that it may not persecute the new man, who is born according to the promise. Lord according to Your Word, let the elder serve the younger. O Lord, deliver me from my inclinations to sin. By the death of Christ subdue the power of sin in me. O Lord, may I feel Your Spirit more and more killing my sin, in the power and practice thereof, so that this day I may with more freedom of mind and

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liberty of will serve You. O Lord, bring me back from my gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails. O Lord, give me grace, that by the direction and the assistance of the Holy Spirit, I may persevere to be Your faithful servant to my life's end for Jesus sake, Amen. Within my heart, O Lord, fulfill; The purpose of Thy death and pain, That all may know Thou livest still; In blood-washed hearts to rule and reign. O Savior, by Thy bleeding form; The world is crucified to me; Thy loving heart, so rent and torn, Thy suffering bids me share with Thee. (Herbert Booth, 1886) ii) The Denial of Self O Lord God, I have proved in my life, offering to sin is my last free act. Now having realized my mistake I offer to the ways of God which is my true freedom. O Lord God, may I be given grace to listen to my new master, the Christ and submit to the Holy Spirit whole heartedly and not to again come under the law of sin and death. Lord Jesus, You have said that I must deny myself to follow You. Lord, the power of sin in my flesh keep sabotaging my best intentions. So, obviously I need Your help, O Lord. I acknowledge that I have no power to deal with even one single sin. The process of failing and repenting has become a cycle. It is happening regularly. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trap me. Though I delight in the praise, the prayer, and the Bible study, all of me is not joining me in that

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delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and when I least expect, they take charge. So I need You, O Blessed Spirit of God, to break and dissolve the vicious circle of sin by the Cross. I have tried, O Lord, everything and nothing really helped. I am at the end of my rope. So I look to You, O Christ my Lord. Give me the help of the Holy Spirit. I acknowledge that You alone have the way to set things right in this life of contradictions. O Lord, I want to serve You with all my heart and mind, but I am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. Lord God, thank You, for Your determination to solve this sin problem by sending Christ. Lord, I need the very life of Christ for my inner man to do what You commanded. Let the new power be in operation, O Lord. Let the buoyant Spirit of Life in Christ, like a strong wind free me from time to time from the brutal tyranny of the law of sin and death. O Lord, let not the Law fracture my new self any more. O Lord, give me grace to embrace what the Holy Spirit is doing inside of me in my new spirit. Help me not to redouble my human effort with moral muscle. Help me, O Lord, to trust the Holy Spirit's action in me. May I pay attention to Your dealings so that You may lead me into an open, spacious free life. O Lord, help me to ignore the self and pay attention to what You are doing inside of me. O Lord, though at present, I am experiencing all the limitations due to sin in my flesh, may I devote myself to obtain the life of Christ, through the worship, the prayer and the meditation of Your blessed Word. May I trust and focus that the way the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead, I will also be raised steadily by the mortification of sin in my flesh. Breathe on me, O Blessed Spirit of God, to be delivered from my dead life that the body of sin may be done away as alive

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to Christ. Help me, O Lord, to give a decent burial to the old life and get along with the new life in my Christ. Make me adventurously expect a great life. Let Your Spirit touch my spirit, O Lord, and keep confirming to me who I am in Christ. Let me go through life as Christ Jesus conducted in this earthly life. Though now everything seem hard yet I may humbly go through with my Christ. What shall I, who am not worthy of Your grace, say before You? O merciful God, it is owing to Your love I yield myself, with my whole will, senses and the mind unto Your grace, and fly to Your mercy. I call upon You through Your death, from the new spark of life in me. I take hold of Your promise that You will not quench the smoking flax. I have no other way but by Your own bitter death and passion I sink the desire of my soul down into Your death into the gate of Your death, which You broke open. In the meantime, O Lord, while it is Your blessed Will and pleasure that I may continue to spend the small number of my days which You have appointed for me to live for Christ, teach me to number them that I may apply my heart unto wisdom. As You add days unto my life, so, good Lord, I beg You, add the repentance and the amendment to my days, that as I grow in years, I may increase in grace and favour with You and all the people. Unbutton my lips dear God to break forth into praise. Give me the job of teaching rebels Your ways so that the lost can find their way to Your home. And to this end, O Lord, give unto me a supply of all those graces which are wanting in me, and necessary for me, with an increase of all those good gifts wherewith You have already endowed me so that I may be enabled to lead a godly life in honest conversation, that Your name may be glorified, others

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may take good example by me, and my soul may more cheerfully be fed on the peace of a good conscience, and be more replenished with the joy of the Holy Ghost. I ask all these favours in the highly exalted name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with thanksgiving, fully believing that I have received all that I have prayed. I thank You, O Lord God, through Lord Jesus, Amen. Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high. Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last. Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within. Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee; Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity. (Charles Wesley,1740)

2.5 The Leading of the Holy Spirit Lord, I would place my hand in Thine, Nor ever murmur nor repine; Content, whatever lot I see, Since 'tis my God that leadeth me. He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me; His faithful follower I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.

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Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom, Sometimes where Eden's flowers bloom, By waters still, over troubled sea, Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me. (Joseph Gilmore, 1862) 2.5.1 A Prayer for the Leading of the Holy Spirit i)

A Desire to be led by the Holy Spirit

O Breath of the great love of God, quicken, I beseech You, my weak breath, that it may begin to hunger and thirst after You and obtain the life of Christ to be led by You. May Your life in me manifest to pursue the slain Lamb of God with Holy ease. May I adventurously follow Christ even in hard times, O Lord. Instruct me, Lord Jesus, by Your Holy Spirit to take each step in Your way. May I value Your thoughts as infinitely precious than my best thoughts and plans. O Lord, guide me with Your counsel. Above all I request You, O Spirit of God, to grant me a willing mind to accept Your leading joyfully and lovingly. Help me O Lord, to perceive that You are holding my right hand. May I not entertain any fear as per Your command so that I may see Your helping hand. May I enjoy the happiness of having God of Jacob as my helper. Stand by me, O Lord and strengthen me to walk with You. O Lord, I became poor and needy by walking in my own way. Make haste to me. Lord do not delay. May I take refuge in the shadow of Your wings with deep trust in You, as You make preparations to send Your help . O God, help me, for I rest on You. May I go into the world along with the Lord of Hosts. You are my God, help me not to leave Your hand. O Lord, may I be conscious of Your divine presence and

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recognize the angel of Your presence going before me. May I enjoy the sure rest that follows. I acknowledge that only by You I can run against a troop and leap over a wall. In Your presence is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore. Honour, majesty, strength and gladness are the marks of Your presence. So, O Lord, may I not forsake Your presence. Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that You are more than inclined to lead me in my life journey. I accept Your leading. From Your Word, I understood that You do not want to loose me. Thank You, Lord Jesus. "In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling" 30 Blessed Spirit of God, make me good to please the Lord Jesus, so that You may lead me into my abundance. Send Your comfort and encouragement not to stray away from the path of my Lord Jesus. O Blessed Spirit of God, make me strong and courageous to be led by You. Give me discernment and wisdom to be able to perceive Your leading and stay with it. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies and make straight Your way before me. Teach me Your way, O Lord. Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me. Above all, O Spirit of God, lead me to Christ. Teach me to do Your Will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit, O Lord, lead me on the level ground for Jesus sake, Amen. ii) An Intense Desire O Lord God, You have said through the prophet Isaiah, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.

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These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." 31 So, O Blessed Spirit of God, be pleased to fulfill this promise in Christ for me. O enlighten my spirit, that I may see the divine path, and walk in it continually. O Lord, take that away from me, which always turns me away from You and give me that which always turns me to You. Take me wholly from myself and let me give myself wholly to Yourself. O let me begin nothing, let me will, think and do nothing without You. O Lord, indeed I am not worthy of that which I desire of You. I pray, let the desire of my soul dwell but in the gates of Your courts. Make me but a servant of Your servants, O Lord. O preserve me from the horrible pit from departing from You wherein there is no comfort or refreshment. O Lord, lead me not into temptation. Blessed Spirit of God, may I evaluate every spirit that comes through false people which leads me away from the crucified Christ and live with watchfulness. Blessed Spirit of God, lead me more and more to the repentance and the confession of every sin. Stir up in me a true sorrow for the sins I have committed. O keep me in Your bonds and let me not escape from You lest the Devil sift me in my wicked flesh. O Lord God, may the Lamb of God at the center of the throne be my shepherd and lead me to the springs of the living water. May God wipe away every tear from my eyes. O quicken me in Your strength, O Lord, that my desire and will may begin to spring up and flourish anew. O vanquisher of death and the wrath of God, overcome my "self". Break it's will and bruise my soul, that it may fear before You and be ashamed of its own will before Your judgment and that it may ever be obedient to You. O Lord, take away its power, that it may will nothing without You. O God, the Holy Ghost in Christ my Saviour, teach

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me, I pray, what I should do. O, draw me in Christ to the Heavenly Father and help me that now and from henceforward I may go forth from sin and vanity, and never any more enter into them again. O God in Christ Jesus, though I cannot see You with my naked eye, I acknowledge that You are near unto me. Let my Soul obtain a ray of Your sweet grace. I lie before You as a dying man, as a small spark, kindle it. O Lord, raise up the breath of my soul before You. Lord, I wait for Your promise which You have made, saying, as I live, I will not the death of a sinner, but that he shall turn and live. May I take time to behold the cross intently for long duration like Moses, the man of God. Lord, dissolve my grief so that I may listen to Your voice amidst trying circumstances. Blessed Spirit of God, help me to have full faith like Stephen and believe in the Lord Jesus to honour the holiness of Jehovah. My Redeemer, Lord Jesus, I wait for You, whose Word is Truth and Life. Amen. Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King. Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose. (Frances Havergal, 1874)

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2.6 Thanksgiving O Lord, I give You most humble and hearty thanks for all those blessings which of Your goodness have bestowed upon me. I thank You for Your free love, O Lord. According to Your eternal purpose, You have elected me before the foundation of the world unto salvation in Jesus Christ. You have created me after Your own image, and have begun to restore in me which was lost in our first parents. Thank You Lord Jesus, for You have effectually called me, by the working of Your Spirit, in the preaching of the gospel, to the knowledge of Your saving grace, and obedience to Your blessed will. O Lord God, thank You, for You have bought and redeemed me with the blood of Your only begotten Son, from the torments of hell, and from the thrall of Satan. You have by faith in Christ freely justified me, who am by nature the child of wrath. You have in good measure sanctified me by the Holy Spirit, and given me so large a time to repent, together with the means of repentance. I thank You likewise good Lord, for my life, health, wealth, food, raiment, peace, prosperity, and plenty. You have preserved me from all perils and dangers of my body and soul, and have brought me safe to the beginning of this day. Thank You O Lord God, through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen. I stand amazed in the presence, Of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how He could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean.

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O how marvelous! O how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my Savior's love for me! (Charles Gabriel, 1905)

2.7 Daily work Lord God, You have now awakened my body from sleep, so, I beseech You, awaken my soul from sin, and carnal security. You have caused the light of the day to shine in my bodily eyes. So good Lord, cause the light of Your Word and the Holy Spirit to illumine my heart. O Lord, give me grace to walk in all holy obedience before Your face this day and that I may endeavour to keep faith and a clear conscience towards You, and towards all men, in all my thoughts, words, and dealings. Good Lord, bless all my studies and actions which I shall take in hand this day, that they may tend to Your glory, the good of others, and the comfort of my own soul and conscience. O my God, keep Your servant, that I do no evil to myself and to any other, this day and let it be Your Blessed Will not to suffer the Devil nor his wicked angels, nor any of his evil members, or my malicious enemies, to have any power to do me hurt or violence. O Lord God, when I am alone, may I remember that my Heavenly Father is with me and may I enjoy the pleasure of it, and feed on the sense of the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus let my days be spent without murmuring against Christ at all circumstances, under a sense of thankfulness. Lord Jesus, when I fail, may I not take too much time to recover. Meet me, O Lord, in my failures. May I diligently

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attend to reading and prayer without any hesitation. Let my prayer come before You as incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be as the morning and the evening sacrifice. O Lord, let the eye of Your holy providence watch over me for good and command Your Holy angels to pitch their tents round about me, for my defense and safety in my going out and coming in, as You have promised. Into Your hands, O Father, I do here commend my soul and body, my actions, and all that I have, to be guided, defended, and protected by You, being assured, that whatsoever is committed to Your custody cannot perish, nor suffer any hurt or harm. If I, at any time this day shall through frailty forget You, yet, Lord God, I beg You, in mercy remember me for Jesus sake, Amen. The Lord is King! I own His pow'r, His right to rule each day and hour; I own His claim on heart and will, And His demands I would fulfill. He claims my heart, to keep it clean, From all defiling taint of sin; He claims my will, that I may prove, How swift obedience answers love. He claims my hands for active life, In noble deeds and worthy strife; He claims my feet, that in His ways, I may walk boldly all my days. He claims my lips, that purest word, In all my converse may be heard; My motives, passions, thoughts, that these, My inner life, my King may please. (Darly Terry, 1911)

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2.8 The Healing O Lord God, I acknowledge that I have acquired many diseases by not paying attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit. But Your Word through the prophet Isaiah said " He (Jesus) was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." 32 So, O Lord, I plead for Your mercy to heal my body, mind and emotions. Circumcise my heart, O Lord and heal me. Internal infections, BP, Diabetics and many more unknown diseases have taken their place within me. Whom can I go, O Lord? Which doctor can diagnose me? I am helpless, O Lord. Even many domestic food items are aggravating my disease including the common water. Lord Jesus, I beg you to heal my water and food and make them healthy. Hear my prayer and heal me, O Lord. Our forefathers called upon You, O Lord God, and You have healed them. I acknowledge, Lord Jesus, You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Send forth Your Word and heal me. May I be converted by Your Word and be healed. Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are the one I praise. May I realize that You have healed me and I pray for its physical manifestation. Lord Jesus, Your Word said, "All over Syria, people brought to You all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and You healed them." 33 Will You not do the same for me, O Lord? O Lord, Your Word says that Abraham prayed and God healed Abimelech. The Lord God heard Hezekiah and healed the people. O Lord, I do not deserve to have You come under

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my roof. But just say a Word, and I will be healed. Allow me to touch Your cloak, so that I may be healed. O Lord, give me faith to be healed. Lord Jesus, in the same way You had compassion on the large crowd and healed their sick, kindly have compassion on me. Lord Jesus, rebuke the demon, that is tormenting me. Drive out the demons, and do not let the demons speak to me. Please Lord, come and put Your hands on me so that I will be healed and live. Heavenly Father, I humbly claim healing with thanksgiving in the mighty Name of Lord Jesus, who died for me, Amen. Jesus, spotless lamb of God, You have bought me with Your blood. I would value nothing beside Jesus Jesus the crucified! I am Yours and Yours alone. This I gladly, fully own. And in all my works and ways, Help me only seek Your praise. (James Deck, 2007)

selah

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PART III

PERSONAL PRAYERS

PART III: PERSONAL PRAYERS

3 The First Love for Christ I am resolved to follow the Saviour, Faithful and true each day Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth, He is the living way. I will hasten to Him, Hasten so glad and free, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee. (Palmer Hartsough, 1896)

3.1 Introduction If "Love for God" is deficient, then all will remain disorderly. If we cannot love our fellow-humans properly as we ought to, it is because we have problem in loving our God whole heartedly. So we need to recover immediately and begin to love the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

3.2 The Christ's voice 1.

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others as well as

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you love yourself. These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." 2.

After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? "Yes, Master, you know I love You." He then asked a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you really love Me?". "Yes, Master, you know I love You". Then he said it a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was upset that he asked for the third time.

You have walked away from your first love - why? What's going on with you? Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? "Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle." Bible verses 34

3.3 A Prayer for the First Love for Christ O God of Love, I beseech You to grant me full recovery of Love to love You. Impress it into my soul and make me realize that my soul is in Your arms. O Sweet Love of God, I confess I am unclean before You without love for Lord Jesus. Take away my uncleanness through the death of Jesus and carry the hunger and thirst of my Soul through Your death in Your resurrection, in Your triumph. O Blessed Spirit of God cast my whole self-hood down to the ground in the cross to love Jesus, the Christ totally. Let me be captivated by my Beloved's love. O God, may I experience Your love as better than anything

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else. May I be found where You tend Your flock. May I sit under Your shade to taste and savour Your delicious love. Lord Jesus, may my eyes be feasted by the visions and revelations of Your Cross. May I see Your movement and catch up with it. May I listen to Your loving voice. O Lord, protect me from foxes and wolves. May I long for You more and more. May I desire You desperately. May I seek You till I find You. When I find You, may I embrace You and talk to You affectionately. May I listen to Your appreciation about me, O Lord. Breathe on me, O Blessed Spirit, Your spice fragrance. May I not be found naked when Lord Jesus makes His appearance to me. May I be quick to recognize His foot steps. O Lord God, teach me to adore Jesus with elaborate descriptions. May I grow in the sense of belonging with Lord Jesus, angels and heaven. O Highest Love, let me feel the out-poured love of the Holy Spirit. O Lord God, may not the power of sin quench the love of the Holy Spirit. Inclose me in You. Keep me in You, so that I may not depart from You. Fill my hunger with the love for Lord Jesus. May I exercise boldness and confidence in approaching You. O Great Love, awaken your disappeared image in me, which, as to the Kingdom of Heaven disappeared in my father Adam, so as to love You better and better day by day. O Life and Power of the Deity, You have promised, "We will come to you, and make Our abode in you". So O Lord, let me feel Your residence in me. You have promised also, that Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Therefore, I now bring the desire of my soul into that promise. Blessed Spirit of God, increase in me my longing after Lord Jesus by filling me with Your Love. Strengthen me, O sweet Love, in Your strength. O quicken me in You, that my spirit may taste Your sweetness. O Sweet Love, I beseech You through that love wherewith You overcame

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the anger of God and changed it into love and divine joy, I pray You, to change the anger in my soul by that same great love, that I may be comfortable to converse with Lord Jesus that my soul may exercise divine love forever increasingly. O change my will into Your Will. Bring Your obedience into my disobedience, that I may become obedient unto You to progress in love relationship. O great love of Lord Jesus, I humbly fly to You and bring the hunger of my soul into Your wounds from whence You shed Your Holy Blood and quenched the anger with the love of the Holy Spirit. Quicken me in Your Life and let me not depart from You. O my Noble Vine, I beseech You to give sap into me Your branch that I may bud and grow in Your strength and in Your essence of love. Beget in me true strength by Your strength. O Sweet love, enlighten my poor soul. Bring it into the right way. Destroy the will of the Devil and bring my body through the whole course of this world through the chamber of death into Your death and rest. I beseech You, be my willing and knowing, so that I may agree with You in all matters to walk with You in love. I yield myself wholly up to You. O Lord God, I bind my emotions to the love of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen. Master, no offering costly and sweet, May we, like Magdalene, lay at Thy feet; Yet may love's incense rise, sweeter than sacrifice, Dear Lord to Thee, dear Lord to Thee. (Edwin Parker, 1888) selah

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4 The Baptism of the Holy Spirit All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. I surrender all, I surrender all All to Thee my blessed Saviour, I surrender all. (Judson Van de Venter, 1896)

4.1 Introduction Though we are born again, we must keep examining what manner of temperament we are of. The Christian spirit is developed by the agency of the Holy Spirit, resembling that of Christ. We must become spiritually minded and walk by faith. The proof of our spirituality is in the fear of God, affection to triune God, and following the Slain Lamb of God practically and courageously. With regard to ourselves we must possess humility and purity, temperance, contentment and patience. With regard to our fellow creatures, our Christian temper must display love, meekness, peaceableness, mercy, truth and candor in judging. There must be in our person the general qualifications such as sincerity, constancy, tenderness, zeal and prudence.

4.2 The Holy Spirit's Desire 1.

"Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must

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be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature." You learned Christ! And then take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in You. 2.

"Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord."

"Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure."

"Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace. Simply embrace what Spirit is doing in us."

Bible verses35

4.3

Prayer for the Mind and the Heart 1.

"God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." 36

"Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts." 37

"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out." 38

"Jesus said, what comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. From within, out of men's hearts come evil." 39

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i) The Mind of Christ Blessed God, I humbly adore You for every good and perfect gift. From You, therefore, I seek every blessing, especially those which leads me to Yourself, and prepares me for the eternal enjoyment of You. May I know what manner of spirit and mind I am of. I acknowledge that I have a ferocious angry spirit and a carnal mind. Blessed Spirit of God, may my attitudes and thoughts be constantly changed to confirm to the mind of Christ. O Lord God, may I work continuously on the renewal of the mind by Your Word and be clothed with the new nature. O Lord, let Your Spirit aid me in the meditation of Your Word. May I not think contrary to the Word of God, O Lord. O Lord, may I not ever think that You are not there. O Lord God, I want to know You better and better. Lord give me deep interest in the Word of God. Help me to receive Your Words and treasure Your commands within me. Help me, O Lord, to incline my ear to wisdom and apply my mind to understanding. Help me O Lord, to seek You and search for You as for hidden treasures from Your Word, so that I may understand the fear and the knowledge of God. Lord, through Your great riches, give me timely literature, time, money and energy to put in hard work to prayerfully study. By these efforts, may my character and mind be transformed with proper convictions to escape from the lust and the rottenness within me. May I have the mind to obey You like a child. May I not slip back into my old ways doing evil. May I be holy now in everything I do just as You are holy. May I be holy in all manner of conversation. May my attitude be like that of Lord

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Jesus with meekness and humility. Lord, save me from performing activities by the impulse of my mind and human reasoning. Help me, O Lord, to evaluate each thought properly. Help me use spiritually powerful tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought, motion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Thus help me keep Your tools ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction, like my Lord Jesus, who dealt with Satan with the written Word. Blessed Spirit of God, may I be united with You to build my life of obedience to maturity. As a Christian, may I live as Christ Jesus lived. O Lord, deliver me from being carnally-minded. Make me spirituallyminded. So, Blessed Lord God, make it my aim to please You always in everything by doing the works of faith. May I, while passing through this world of sense, walk by faith and not by sight, never doubting Lord Jesus. May I believe You O Lord, growing stronger in faith and trust and that Your name be praised. I bind my mind to the mind of Christ to think like Jesus my Lord, Amen. ii) The Heart is a well-spring of the Life Lord Jesus, having understood from Your Word, the deceitfulness of my heart, I humbly come before You to plead for Your grace to guard my heart and its desires. Thank You Lord Jesus, for making me close to Your heart by saving me. I pray to You, O Lord God, for strength to guard my heart, which is the wellspring of life. I trust You, O Lord God, with all my heart and choose not to lean on my own understanding. Lord, I don't want to be beaten anymore and persist with rebellious heart. I acknowledge, O Lord that my whole head is

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injured, and my whole heart is afflicted. My heart is calloused; my ears are dull; my eyes are closed. O Lord, I want to understand my condition with my heart, and turn and be healed. O Lord, kindly be gracious to me and soften my heart. O Lord, may I understand the deceitfulness of sin, and escape from it like Joseph. O Lord, like Moses, may I refuse to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. O God Almighty, I acknowledge that You are the Lord God who searches my heart and examines my mind, to reward me according to my conduct, and according to what my deeds deserve. So I pray, O Lord, may I not continue with my own plans and follow the stubbornness of my evil heart. May not the pride of my heart deceive me. May I not trust in man, and depend on flesh for my strength. Let not my heart turn away from You. O Lord, I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. May I respond to Your rebuke, O Lord, so that You may pour out Your heart to me and make Your thoughts known to me. May I turn my ear to wisdom and apply my heart to understanding, so that wisdom will enter my heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to my soul. O Lord, fill my heart with greater joy than when grain and new wine abound. May I praise You, O Lord God, with all my heart to tell of all Your wonders. O Lord, deal with the war in my thoughts and every day sorrow of my heart. O Lord God, may I trust in Your unfailing love and may my heart rejoice in Your salvation. May I perceive Your instructions to my heart even at night. May my heart be glad and my tongue rejoice and my body rest secure. May I resolve not to sin with my mouth. May I speak the truth from my heart. May the precepts of the Lord give joy to my heart, give

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light to my eyes. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord God, my Rock and my Redeemer. O Blessed Spirit of God, help me to have an obedient and listening heart through out the day, to get my desires fulfilled. O Lord God, may You be pleased to give me the desires of my heart and make all my plans succeed. O Lord God, like the way You have granted Christ the desire of His heart and have not withheld the request of His lips, transform me to Christ's likeness to pray humbly and obtain my desires. When my heart turns into wax due to trials, kindly, strengthen me, O Lord. Grant me cleanness of hands and a purity of heart, that I may not lift up my soul to an idol or swear by what is false. When the troubles of my heart multiply, free me, O Lord, from my anguish. Test me, O Lord God, and try me, examine my heart and my mind. Give me robustness of heart not to fear when an army besieges me. Though a war breaks out against me, may I, even then be confident. May my heart seek Your face, O Lord. May I have strong heart to wait for You, O Lord. O Lord, since You are my strength and my shield, may my heart trust in You and get helped. May my heart, O Lord, thus leap for joy and give thanks to You in song and my heart sing spiritual songs, O Lord. Let my heart rejoice in You. Help me, O Blessed Spirit of God, to delight myself in Lord Jesus. May the law of God be in my heart so that my feet do not slip. Lord, I am feeble. I get easily crushed and groan in anguish of heart. My heart pounds, my strength fails me, even the light goes from my eyes. Have mercy on me Jesus, O Son of David, Amen. iii) The Heart is deceitful above All things

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Blessed Spirit of God, put Your law with in my heart, where deceitfulness lies, so that I may desire to do the Will of God. May my heart grow hot within me, as I meditate Your Word, O Lord. Let the fire burn and let my tongue speak like Peter, the Apostle. May I not only hide Your righteousness in my heart but speak of Your faithfulness and salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit. May I not conceal Your love and Your truth from the great assembly. O Lord, grant me whole hearted submission to Your Will. O Lord Jesus, may not my sins overtake me and close my eyes and fail my heart. May my heart be stirred by a noble theme of the person of Christ. May my mouth speak words of wisdom and utter from my heart with understanding. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. O Lord, deliver me from the stubbornness of my heart. O Lord God, may I offer the sacrifices of a broken and a contrite heart. O Lord, may not the terrors of death assail me to sink my heart in anguish within me; O Lord make my heart steadfast, to sing praises to You all the time. May I call upon You when my heart grows faint even from the ends of the earth, so that You may lead me to the rock that is higher than I. O Lord, may I not set my heart on stolen goods, or on sudden increase of riches. O Lord, may I not cherish sin in my heart. When my heart is grieved and my spirit embittered, may I quickly return to You, O Lord. May I remember my songs in the night, and may my heart muse and my spirit inquire. May my soul yearn for the courts of the Lord God and may my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. O Lord God, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. Teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain

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a heart of wisdom. May I walk in my house with a blameless heart. May the men of perverse heart be far from me that I may have nothing to do with evil. O Lord, deliver me from haughty eyes and a proud heart. May not my heart be blighted and withered like grass; May I extol my Lord Jesus with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Make my heart steadfast, and help me trust in the Lord so that I will have no fear of bad news. May my heart be secure with no fear so that in the end I will look in triumph on my foes. O Lord, may I hide Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. May I set my heart on Your laws. Set my heart free, O Lord. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart. Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. May I seek Your face with all my heart so that You will be gracious to me according to Your promise. May my heart be blameless toward Your decrees, O Lord that I may not be put to shame. May Your statutes be my heritage forever that they may be the joy of my heart. May my heart be set on keeping Your decrees to the very end, O Lord. May my heart tremble at Your Word. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in the wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; Let me not eat of their delicacies. Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, Amen. iv) The Heart is a fountain of Pollution Blessed Spirit of God, take full liberty to write love and faithfulness on the tablet of my heart. May I lay hold Your Words with all my heart and keep Your commands and live. May I not be careless to let them out of my sight, but keep them

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within my heart; May I not hate discipline; May not my heart spurn correction; May I not lust in my heart after the beauty of women nor let her captivate me with her eyes, nor my heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. O Lord God, remove perverseness and foolishness of my heart. Let not anxiety weigh my heart down. May not my hopes be deferred to make my heart sick. O Lord, keep my heart from bitterness. May my heart be at peace to obtain the life of Christ into my body. May I maintain a happy and a cheerful heart. Give me, O Lord, a discerning heart that seeks knowledge. May my heart be in Your hand, O Lord, to be turned as You please. Let not my heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord God. Let not my heart be heavy. May not my heart harbor deceit. Abominations may not fill my heart, O Lord. May I bring joy to Your heart; May I always fear the Lord God. May I not harden my heart and fall into trouble. May I deny myself the desire of my eyes and refuse sinful pleasure for my heart. May my heart take delight in all my work, which is the reward for all my labor. May not my heart despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. Help me not to lose heart or be afraid, O Lord, when rumors of violence are heard in the land and of ruler against ruler. May I keep in my heart, that God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked. May I not be quick with my mouth, and be hasty in my heart to utter anything before You, O God. Let there be perfect control over my tongue. O God, keep me occupied with gladness of heart. O Lord God, give me wealth, possessions and honor, so that I lack nothing my heart desires, but Lord God, give me those things which You will enable me to enjoy. May I not take bribe to corrupt my heart.

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Lord God, help me banish anxiety from my heart to cast off the troubles of my body. May my heart love Lord Jesus. May my heart begin to pound for him. May I open for my lover, May I feel His departure. May I not say I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God apart from You, O Lord. May I believe Your promises with all my heart: (1) "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young." (2) "For this is what the high and lofty One says--He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place,but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite". (3) "Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,to you the riches of the nations will come." 40 O Lord, You have announced the battle cry. But the Church is deaf. But I pray O Lord God, that my heart may pound within me, and let me not keep silent. May Your Word be in my heart like a fire. O Lord, give us shepherds after Your own heart, who will lead us with knowledge and understanding. May not my eyes and my heart be set on dishonest gain, shedding innocent blood, oppression and extortion. O Lord, wash the evil from my heart. May I not harbor wicked thoughts. Give me a heart to know You, that You are the Lord of lords and King of kings. May I return to You with all my heart. As per Your promise may I seek You and find You by seeking You with all my heart. May I understand, as You fully accomplish the purposes of Your heart, in days to come. May I

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recognize the yearning of Your heart for me and Your great compassion that is drawing me towards You. O Lord, give me singleness of heart and action, so that I will always fear You for my own good and the good of my children after me. May my heart lament for the perishing souls of the wicked. May my heart cry out over the nations and lament their destruction. O Lord God, I bind my heart to the heart of Christ that it may move like that of Lord Jesus. Blessed Spirit of God, help me to maintain a humble and prayerful heart, like Samuel did and worshipful heart, like David did through out the day. Lord, help me to improve upon the intuition by being in fellowship with You, to see Your path clearly and walk in it. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen. v) Prayer for the filling of the Holy Spirit Lord Jesus, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to comfort me to remove the orphan feeling. May I feel You O Lord, as I read Your Word. O Lord God, I acknowledge that without the filling of the Holy Spirit, the study of Your Word is not a study at all, it is like the crop without rain. So, O Lord, give me the abundance of Your Spirit. Remove my darkness and give me greater illumination. Scatter all my bad traits. Show forth Your mighty power and subdue my sin. Make me walk in Jesus path. O Blessed Spirit of God, I acknowledge that all Your gifts are good. Since, Your highest gift is Love, fill me with Your love which is more powerful than death and eternal. O Holy Spirit, remove my sinful desires. Give me skill to handle evil temptations. Descend on me, O Spirit of God and make me obedient to You. Come from the four sides of the earth and fill me sevenfold. Let Your kind eye be upon me. Fill me with Your love. Sanctify me by Your grace and kindness.

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Give life to my dry bones. Lead me into all truth. O Spirit of God, guide me, and give me Holy Joy, to desire heavenly wisdom. Kindly drive out all deadly sins from my life. Revive my dull head to shine in Your light to have pleasant heart to be adorned by Your spiritual gifts. Help me, O Spirit of God to speak by Your inspiration. O Lord God, give me strength of wisdom to preach the Gospel to all humans. O Lord, use me in Your service with exaltation. By Your light nullify my unbelief. O the Fountain of Holiness, Generator of peace, give me steadfast mind to perform Your comands. When trials come on my way, may I not fear. Like mighty warrior, give me strength to my body to run in Your path. O the Fountain of life, You are the fire of love, You are my gift and You are the One that comforts me. O Holy Spirit, I acknowledge that You are the hand of God. All gifts are Yours. You being the Promise of the Father, being light, shine through me. Boldness in utterance of speech is Yours. Anointing is Yours. So, come upon me. Drive out the enemies of my soul. Walk before me. Show me the Father and the Son. Help me to believe You. As You live in my heart, grant me Your rare gifts to spread Your influence amidst us. O Blessed Spirit of God, by being fire of Heaven, sanctify me and use me in Your service. By being the candle of Light, cover my self-righteousness and impart the righteousness of Lord Jesus. Give me, Your strength and make me fruitful, a fruitless person. O Lord, loosen my bonds and come upon my head. Drive out my sorrows. O beautiful Spirit of God, by the light that shines

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on Your face, make me behold Your glory to get beauty to my face. O Holy Spirit, You are the life-line for this earth. You are the One that reveals the exalted heavenly matters. Be the flood-light to the morally diminishing humanity. By Your grace and mercy, being sweet light, come upon me to advance in life. O Holy Spirit, You are the one that softens the hard hearts. With Your full power, fill my dried up breast. Give me boldness and enthusiasm. Comfort me and protect me. Give me good spirit. Protect me from being scattered. O Spirit of truth, please come. With Your powerful strength, O Holy Spirit, make me do divine acts. O Lord come as the teacher of the Word of God and explain everything to me. Remove all my pains and give me happiness. Holy Spirit of God lead me to the throne of grace. O Lord, be merciful to me in my irritations. Take me into Your hands and wipe out my toilsomeness and grant me eagerness to come to the cross. O Divine Spirit of God, create and increase love for You and disclose the power of the blood of Christ. Give me meaning to my life, chase all fears and help me to serve at the feet of Lord Jesus. O Spirit of God, be my close companion in all my worries. Revive my drooping and fading faith. Cut off all my doubts and make my faith in Lord Jesus to flourish. O Lord, I acknowledge that You are the support of holy behaviour. Complete my Salvation experience. May I know Divine Will without any ambiguity. Give me grip in prayer. O Lord God, give me the Holy Spirit, like the way You gave to the Apostles and help me do wonderful works. For Jesus sake, Amen.

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v) Loving our Neighbour Jesus said, "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behaviour: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get." 41 O Lord, I beseech You, to form a proper temper toward my fellow-creatures. May I love my neighbour as myself, and whatsoever I would that others should do unto me, may I also do the same unto them. I confess that I am weak in this particular principle. O Lord, I need much grace to behave in this manner. O Lord, may I put on meekness under the greatest injuries and provocations and, if it be possible, may I live peaceably with all men. May I be merciful, as my Father in heaven is merciful and speak the truth from my heart in love. May I guard against every instance of a censorious and malignant disposition and taking care not to judge severely. O Lord, may I become like Lord Jesus, preferring alleviating the pain of the suffering humanity than preaching to them. May I regard maintaining good relationships with my fellowhumans as of utmost importance than winning arguments. May I work for their good at all times. I entreat You, O Lord, to work in me all those qualifications of the Christian temper which may render it peculiarly acceptable to You and may prove ornamental to my profession in the world. Renew, I beseech You O Lord, a right spirit within me and make me an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no allowed guile. Lord Jesus, like You, may I have the grace to love my enemies and those who irritate and hurt me. May I have tender heart towards all the under-privileged,

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poor, strangers and orphans. May I treat women with dignity and holiness. Make me, I beseech You, O Almighty and unchangeable God, steadfast and immovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing that my labour in the Lord shall not be in vain. May my heart be tender, easily impressed with Your Word and providence, touched with an affectionate concern for Your glory among my fellow humans, and sensible of every impulse of Your Spirit. May I be zealous for my God, with a zeal according to knowledge and charity to serve my generation. As I live in this crooked and perverse generation, teach me in Your service to join the wisdom of the serpent with the boldness of the lion and the innocence of the dove. Thus render me, by Your grace a shining image of my dear Redeemer. May Your name be not blasphemed because of my conduct among my people. O Father of mercies, whose invaluable gift is our Jesus and the Holy Spirit, through whose gracious influence, as I call upon You, change me to be a different person. Amen.

selah

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5 The Anointing "The Day of Pentecost had now arrived. As the believers met together that day, suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they didn't know, for the Holy Spirit gave them this ability." 42 Hover o'er me, Holy Spirit, Bathe my trembling heart and brow; Fill me with Thy hallowed presence, Come, O come and fill me now. Fill me now, fill me now, Jesus, come and fill me now; Fill me with Thy hallowed presence, Come, O come, and fill me now. (Elwood Stokes, 1879)

5.1 Introduction The sprinkling of the blood of Lord Jesus by the anointing of the Holy Spirit is indispensable to assist us to move forward as a Christian. Resolutions prove ineffectual. But we need not give up in despair due to falling and rising cycle. Divine grace is there and we must seek it. Christ is the anointed one. He alone can anoint us. Anointing accomplishes mighty acts of God. God of Bethel acts on behalf of the anointed. Anointing ordains duties in the

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Kingdom of God. Without anointing we cannot serve God acceptably. Consecration is by anointing; God will give strength and exaltation to the anointed; The anointed alone can do according to what is in God's heart and mind; Anointing destroys worries; Guidance is given to the anointed; Anointing increases by the blood of Christ and meditating God's Word; All good things and people meet the anointed; Worship increases anointing; Anointing attracts riches and honour. Anointing takes to high place. Further, the Spirit of the Lord will come upon the anointed with mighty power and changes into a different person; The Lord God is the strength and a fortress of salvation for his anointed; God's favour and grace are upon the anointed; No one can touch the anointed ones; They shall be prophets; God will not reject the anointed; God will speak to the anointed.

5.2 The Bible on the Anointing 1.

"Drink the Spirit of God, huge droughts of him."

"Don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him."

God spoke to Moses: "See what I've done; I've personally chosen Bezalel. I've filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and knowledge and expertise in every kind of craft to create designs and work."

"Stephen, the man so full of faith and the Holy Spirit's power, did spectacular miracles among the people"

"There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish".

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"Through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ".

"We have all benefited from the rich blessings He brought to us-blessing upon blessing heaped upon us!"

Bible verses 43

5.3 A Prayer for the Anointing O Lord Christ, who anoints me, I call upon You. I thank You for Your mighty grace of anointing a sinful person like me. Thank You Lord Jesus, for the blessings embedded in Your anointing. May these signs be fulfilled in me, O Lord, to do whatever my hand finds to do. Let Your anointing make Your presence real to me. I acknowledge Your Word, which says, "He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed." "Now I know that the Lord God saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand."44 Lord Jesus, thank You for the provisions of Your Gospel - the message of my salvation. I adore You, for signing Your new covenant with Your own blood. Thank You Lord Jesus, for giving me anointing that teaches me all truth about You. Thank You Lord, for Your permanent gift of anointing. Thank You Lord Jesus, for the first installment of what is coming. You have given me the hope by the residence of the Holy Spirit that I will get everything what You planned for me - a praising and glorious life as I pray. Thank You Jesus, for Your anointing. But I sorrowfully acknowledge that I failed to abide in this anointing due to lack of prayer and submission. I

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missed so much of exuberant life. Father forgive me for squandering Your anointing. O Lord, Your Word says, "it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing". 45 Lord Jesus, I come to You for the baptism of the Holy Spirit to obtain Your anointing to break off all my yokes that were laid upon me by Satan, the world and the flesh. Be merciful unto me, O Son of God. Grant me, O Lord God, an increase of Your anointing to destroy the works of the Devil in my flesh. O the Spirit of the Lord, come upon me by the anointing of Lord Jesus to preach good tidings unto the meek; Send me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord God; To comfort all that mourn. As I mourn in Zion, give me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that I might be called a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord God that Jesus might be glorified. O Lord, like the way Your anointing came upon David, Samson, the prophets and the apostles, may the Pentecostal anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon me. O Lord God, like the way the anointing oil was poured on the head of Aaron and drenched the whole of his garments from top to bottom, may I be soaked in the Holy Spirit's anointing. O Lord, give me anointing to preach with power. Give me, O Lord, such an anointed preaching that the signs and wonders accompany it. Give me, O Lord, anointing that makes Jesus real to me.

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Build the life of Christ in me, O Spirit of God, by Your anointing. Let Your anointing make me see Your road signs every where along the road of Christ. O Lord, let me cling to Your path. Give me insight that I may be with obedient response to travel on Your free way. Divert my eyes from glittering toys. Invigorate me on the pilgrim way. Affirm Your promises to me, O Lord. Let Your anointing deflect fiery arrows of the enemy. Blessed God, let Your loving anointing make me able to stand up to the mockery of those who hate Your Gospel. May I be enabled to speak boldly in public unembarrassed of the wonderful life transformation by Your Gospel. In bad times may I have the power of Christ to firmly hold on to Your Word. Rejuvenate me to stand up to the insolent's ridicule of the Gospel. May I not budge even for a moment like Paul who withstood Peter. May I see Your smiling face in my dark times. Help me feel You, O Lord, being above grief. Deliver me from dragged feet to be quick to follow Your orders. Blessed God, I sincerely acknowledged before You my own weakness and insufficiency for any thing that is spiritually good. I have experienced it a thousand times. Lord let this prayer provide Your gracious anointing upon me and cover up multitude of my sins. O Lord, be pleased to shed abroad Your sanctifying anointing on my soul, to form me for every duty You require. Implant, I beseech You every grace and virtue deep in my heart and maintain the happy temper in the midst of those assaults from within and from without, to which I am continually liable while I am still in this world and carry about with me so many infirmities. Fill my breast, O Lord, I beseech

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You, with good affections towards You, my God, and towards my fellow-creatures. Remind me always of Your presence within me. May I therefore guard against the first risings of sin and the first approaches to it and that Satan may not find room for his evil suggestions. I earnestly beg You, O Lord that You would fill my heart with the Holy Spirit and take up Your residence there. Dwell in me, walk with me and let my body be the temple of the Holy Ghost. For Jesus sake Amen. selah

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6 An Approach to the Bible Break Thou the bread of life, Dear Lord to me As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea Beyond the Sacred page I seek Thee, Lord My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word! (Mary Lathbury, 1877)

6.1 Introduction Our aim in approaching the Bible must be to listen to the voice of God. It should not be acquiring some knowledge. Herein lies the consolation of the Holy Spirit. Let us learn to see Christ in the Scriptures. Take the Lord's Supper very seriously. Be glad to allocate a good bit of time for studying the Holy Scriptures. Shut the door with the Word of God. Obtaining letter will kill us. But acquiring the spirit of the Word is life. Take deep the Word of Christ and it will give strength to obey. Filling ourselves with the Word of God with due consideration to the person of Christ is filling of the Holy Spirit. The Bible must be read with utmost care. It should be like honey to our taste to derive maximum out of it. Moses sprinkled the blood on the book and the people before he read from the Book. So make it a practice to sprinkle the blood of Christ by the Holy Spirit on you and the Bible before reading.

6.2 God's Way of the Revelation 1.

"He (Resurrected Christ Jesus) sat down at the Table with them. Taking the bread, He blessed and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wideeyed, they recognized Him".

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Moses said, "Please. Let me see your Glory". God said, "I will make My Goodness pass right in front of you; I'll call out the name, GOD, right before you".

"I will listen to what God the LORD will say".

"Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking".

God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, I'm your servant, ready to listen".

"You have God-blessed eyes - eyes that see! And God blessed-ears ears that hear. A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance".

Bible verses 46

6.3 A Prayer for the Study of the Bible i)

Approaching the Bible

Almighty God, I thank You and praise You, for giving me sixty six books of the Bible. I acknowledge, that the whole Bible was given to me by the inspiration from You and is useful to teach me what is true and to make me realize what is wrong in my life; I acknowledge that it straightens me out and helps me do what is right. It is Your way of making me well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone. I adore You, for empowering men of God to be moved by

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the Holy Spirit, to write the sacred Book. I praise You, O Lord God, for preserving Your Word, as living bread, amidst much persecution. I thank You for all those who shed their blood to protect The Bible. I thank You for the Bible Society and the efforts of translating the Grand Old Book into more than 2500 languages, and giving me Your Blessed Word in my own language. O Lord, for this wonderful effort, bless all those who are involved in this work and their families. Gratefully, I kiss Your Word and submit whole heartedly to its authority. May Your Word be my boundary, O Lord. O Great and Holy God, I lift up my eyes to You. Though I am not worthy yet Your great mercy and faithful promise in the Word, have now encouraged me to lift the eyes of the desire of my soul up to You. For my soul has now laid hold on the Word of Your promise and therewith come to You. Though I am a strange child which was disobedient unto You yet now desire to be obedient to You. Lord, I desire to obtain the life of Christ through the meditation of Your blessed Word. Lord teach me the skill of silent meditation upon Your Word. Infold me into that Word which became Man, which became flesh and blood, and has broken sin and death in my humanity, which has changed the anger of God into love unto the soul, has deprived death of his power, and Hell of its victory over soul and body and has opened a gate for my Soul to the clear face of Your strength and power. O Great and Most Holy God, I have brought the hunger and desire of my soul into Your most Holy Word, and now I come before You and in my hunger call unto You, living fountain, through Your Word which became flesh and blood. May Your Word be made life in my flesh. May I firmly receive Your Word into the desire of my soul as my own life.

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O God, I acknowledge that the life of Christ is administered by the illumination of the Holy Spirit by every aspect of earthly life of Christ - His holy conception in the Virgin Mary, His incarnation, His holy nativity, His baptism in the Jordan, His temptation in the wilderness - where He overcame the Kingdom of the Devil. Lord, I confess that so far I read the Bible for acquiring some knowledge and principles of life but I could not earn the person of Christ. Though it was Christ's Word, it acted like a law and sin was revived in my flesh. Thus, though I longed to have a life and conduct which exemplifies Christ's Word, I couldn't but live a miserable life. Now, O Lord God, I request You to correct me. I say now, I want You through Your Holy Word. Grant me O Lord God, my Christ, the power and life to overcome temptations instigated by Satan by my flesh. Teach me O blessed Spirit of God. Let the Word of Christ become flesh of Christ in me. Holy Spirit God sprinkle the blood of Christ on me and the Bible seven times. Thank You Jesus Amen. ii) Obtaining the Person of Christ O Lord God, I do not truly know what it is to eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood. Blessed Spirit of God reveal to me this blessed mystery. I accept that Jesus is the true heavenly bread and His blood is true drink. They are my food and drink for my inner man. O deepest love in the sweetest Name Jesus, give Yourself into the desire of my soul. O Sweet Truth, though I am not worthy to desire it of Your holiness, yet I come to You through Your bitter passion and death. You have sprinkled my uncleanness

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with Your blood and sanctified me in Your humanity. You have made an open gate for me through Your death. So I come to Your sweet love in Your Blood through Your five holy wounds. I bring the desire of my soul into Your love. Blessed Spirit of God, through Your Word make Jesus real to me. O Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, I pray, kindly receive me into Yourself, Your purchased inheritance. I cry within me that I may enter through Your holy blood and death into You. Open Yourself in me that the spirit of my soul may reach You and receive You into it. O Lord, may the Holy Power of Your Word change me into Christ's image. Make me truly the temple of the Holy Spirit. O Lord may I see the reality of Your promise, which said, "We will come to you and make Our abode with you". O Great Love of Jesus Christ, I can do no more than sink my desire into Your Word which became flesh. Your Word is Truth. Since You have bidden me come, now I come. Be it unto me according to Your Word and Will. Amen. O the pure delight of a single hour That before Thy throne I spend, When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God I commune as friend with friend! Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side. (Fanny Crosby, 1875) selah

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7. The Lord's Supper The stripes that He bore and the thorns that He wore Told His mercy and love ever more (ever more) And my heart bowed in shame as I called on His name And Calvary covers it all. Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all. (Mrs. Walter Taylor)

7.1 Introduction Receive the emblems of Christ with reverence. Recognize the goodness and love of God in the sacrament. Discover the spiritual benefit in receiving the Lord's Supper. Worthy participation issues huge benefits. Recognize the dignity of the sacrament. Prepare well for it. Search the conscience and ask God's help to change for better. The whole of Christ's sacrifice on the cross must be in the mind. Move towards full consecration and pray for others salvation. Do not lightly abstain from Holy Communion. Recognize the necessity and the power of the blood of Christ, the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Seek for total union with Christ. Grow in devotion to Christ. Receive it by faith not by curiosity. The Lord Jesus himself instituted the Table. The Authority of Christ's appointment cannot be denied by the Church. This is solemnly pressed on the conscience. The apprehensions of unfitness must be handled by the Word of God. Weakness of grace and serious thoughtfulness on this subject is absolutely insisted. Prayerful participation is suggested.

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7.2 The Observance of the Lord's Supper 1.

"Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life."

"I am the Bread of life. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread - living Bread! who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live - and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."

Paul said, "Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in Lord's Supper and why it is so certainly important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, broken for you. Do this in remember me. After Supper, he did the same thing with the cup. This cup is My blood, My new covenant with you. Each time you drink the cup, remember Me."

"Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life making."

Bible verses 47

7.3 A Prayer for the participation i) The Cross of Christ O Lord, I believe what I have heard and read from the Bible about the crucifixion of Lord Jesus, the Messiah. O the extravagant generosity of God. O the deep wisdom of God. It is

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beyond our heads. We can't figure it out. Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are Your judgments and Your paths beyond tracing out. It is amazing O God of the universe that Your Son grew as a seedling on this earth without any pomp and glory. There was nothing attractive about Him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over. The world thinks that He is a scum to be ignored. There was no room for Jesus when He was born on this earth. Amazing and beyond my comprehension! Thank You, O Blessed Spirit of God, You opened my blind eyes to see Jesus as the man who carried away my pains, and my disfigurements. O God, You have punished Jesus for my failures. My sins ripped Him, and crushed Him. Thank You O triune God. Jesus took my punishment and made me whole. Through His bruises I am healed. Thank You O God, for You have piled up all the sins of the world upon Your dear Son Jesus. I raise a throne of praises for Lord Jesus, who was beaten and tortured for my sake. He took all silently. Justice was miscarried. He died without a thought for His own welfare. Thank You Lord Jesus. The law court assigned You a place with the wicked yet You did not crib. I thank You Lord Jesus for having beaten with bloody death even though You never hurt a soul. In fact we have hurt You beyond any tongue can describe. O God, to know that this is how You want to save mankind, I simply admire and acknowledge that no genius on earth can conceive such a design of salvation. Surely Your plan will succeed for all sinners. I praise You with a million thanks. So Lord God, I pray as the member of the body of Christ, use me to proclaim that God in Christ Jesus took on His

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own shoulders the sin of all black sheep. O Lord, I praise You once again that Your holy and gracious Majesty foreseeing the fatal apostasy into which the whole human race has fallen, did not determine to deal in a way of strict and rigorous severity with us, so as to consign us over to universal ruin and inevitable damnation, but, on the contrary, You have determined to enter into a treaty of peace and reconciliation, and to publish to all whom the Gospel should reach, the express offers of life and glory, in this certain method of the cross which Your infinite wisdom judged suitable to the purity of Your nature and the honour of Your government. I acknowledge that this method was indeed a most astonishing one. O how astonishing is the message which I have this day received! The name of a Saviour whose message it is, may well be called 'Wonderful' who displays before all wonders of love, and counsels of peace! I prostrate in grateful admiration and kiss the very footsteps of him that published the salvation. I thank You for Your love on the cross had such a wonderful, peaceful posture to look at a penitent thief to grant him the Paradise. Lord I thank You and praise You that Your love can save anybody. What shall I say? O Lord, I believe, Help my unbelief! Blessed for ever blessed be Your name, O Father of mercies, that You have contrived the way. Eternal thanks to the Lamb that was slain and to that kind providence that sent the Word of this salvation to me. O Lord, let me not, for ten thousand worlds, receive this grace of God in vain. O God impress this Gospel upon every soul through me till its saving virtue be diffused over every faculty. Let it not only be heard, or

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acknowledged, or professed, but felt. Let this Gospel be carried on swift horses to raise all humbling sinners. With tender gratitude, with unwearied zeal may I be glad in Your service. Make me feel a glow in my heart while these tidings are sounding in my ears. For Jesus sake Amen. ii) The Preparation and the Reverence O Lord, I being encouraged by Your Words, though my offenses discourage me and my impure conscience is driving me back from receiving the emblems of Christ, since You commanded me to come, I come confidently to take part. O Lord, I admire such loving Words that spoke for sinners like me. Who am I to presume to approach a divine feast. Heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain You, but You bid me come. Angels and archangels cannot stand in front of You. Holy and righteous people fear in front of Your holiness and righteousness. Lord, I do not know how much of reverence I should maintain to come to Your Table. Noah took several decades to come inside Your ark. Moses took several years to prepare the Tabernacle. Solomon took seven years to erect a magnificent temple, offering thousands of sacrifices to come to Your presence. How shall I receive You into my house? O Lord God, see, how great is my ignorance in approaching the Lord's Supper which was personally instituted by Your Son Jesus Himself. In the Old dispensation even the High Priest quaked with trembling to enter into the Holy of Holies. Why am I so negligent in approaching the Table? Lord I plead for the devotion of the prophets and the saints in approaching the Table of the Lord.

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Help me, O Lord, to approach the Table like David with exuberant joy and dancing. Let me believe that You are present at the Table in the congregation of the saints. Let me believe that here at the Lord's Table my blind eyes will be opened to see Lord Jesus as the Christ as depicted in the Law and the Prophets. Thanks be to You, O merciful Jesus and eternal Shepherd that You consented to refresh me the spiritually poor with Your precious body and blood. I, taking Your invitation approach to receive these sacred mysteries, because You have declared "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you". Thank You Jesus, Amen. iii) The Confessions Almighty God, I do not know how to take part in the Lord's Table worthily. Kindly grant the help of the Holy Spirit in my weakness. Blessed Spirit of God aid me to confess all my sins with deep contriteness. O Lord, I need the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon me. Examine me, O Lord and prove me, try my reins and my heart. Reveal all my secret sins. Show me how I have broken Your precepts in my habitual evil nature. But grant, O Lord, I beseech You, Your tender mercy that I may not be judged too severely which would discourage me to improve. O Blessed Spirit of God, may the views of Christ, the crucified be so familiar to my mind at the Lord's Table. May a sense of His dying love so powerfully constrain my soul, that I may consider it as the highest privilege to take part in this feast of love. Lord Jesus, I lament and grieve because I am still so carnal and worldly, so undisciplined in my passions, so full of sexual desire. I acknowledge that I am unwatchful over my outward

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senses, so often entangled with many useless imaginations. I confess my inclinations to outward things and my negligence on inward things. I move very fast to immodesty than to contriteness. I am fond of pleasures of flesh and dull towards disciplined life and zeal. I am so curious about new things than paying attention to the age old Gospel with humility. I am covetous of abundance, less inclined to give, and very tenacious to keep. I am inconsiderate in speech and so reluctant to keep silent. I am unruly in manners and so troublesome in conduct. I am immoderate about food and so deaf about the Word of God. I am so quick to rest and slow to labour. I confess that I am wakeful to gossips and so drowsy to sacred services. My mind is full of wandering thoughts and often it is passive giving place to the Devil. I am negligent in prayers and lukewarm in celebrating holy communion, dry and heartless. I am quickly distracted and seldom composed. I confess that I move quickly into anger and easily get displeased with my neighbours. I am ready to judge and severe in reproving. I am joyful in prosperity and weak in adversity. So often I make good resolutions but with poor results. Lord I plead for Your blood to wash me and energise me to improve my life by the Holy Spirit. As I am joined to Your Church in spirit and in love I heartily pray that Your blessing may be on all Your people that You would feed your heritage, and lift them up for ever.

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May Your Table, O Lord, be furnished with guests and may all that love Your salvation say, let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants. And I earnestly pray, that all who profess to have received Christ Jesus the Lord, may be duly careful to walk in Christ. Thus may we all be prepared for the general assembly of the first-born, where the slain Lamb of God our Christ Jesus will be present with the everlasting joy of the commonwealth of heaven. Amen. selah

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8. An Evening Prayer For nothing good have I, Where by Thy grace to claim I'll wash my garments white, In the blood of Calvary's Lamb Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin has left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. (Elvina Hall, 1865)

8.1 Introduction In the Scriptures we are told to offer sacrifices before God in the morning and evening. Many are not aware how the spiritual realm works in the dark night. God moves in the middle of the night. Wherever God moves, the Devil is also active. If we don't commit the night to God properly, the night will be effectively used by the Devil. Many have already reported that their sleep was not sweet and they were battered by bad dreams etc. Night is as important as the day. We must be under the protection of God both day and night. Nothing is automatic. We don't require anything to go down, but surely we need something to go upwards. God's only mighty instrument is prayer to lift us up both in the day and the night. So let us pray for the night.

8.2 A Prayer for the Night O Most Gracious and Loving Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that You are about my bed. I, wretched sinner, do beseech You to look upon me with the eyes of mercy. Knowing

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how grievously I have sinned against heaven and before You during the day, O Lord, I come before You to confess all my sins. I have transgressed many of Your laws, not only through negligence and infirmity, but oftentimes through willful presumption, contrary to the motions of Your Holy Spirit. Thus I have wounded my conscience and grieved the Holy Spirit. I am defiled with all manner of pollution and uncleanness. My eyes took pleasure to behold vanity, my ears heard impure and unchaste speeches, my tongue was used in evil speaking, my hands are full of impurity. I am ashamed to lift my hands up to You. My feet have carried me after my own ways. My understanding and reasoning were quick in all earthly matters, and are blind and stupid to the spiritual and heavenly things. My memory is not so apt to remember what I learnt from Your Word. O Lord, my sins are more in number than the hairs of my head, that from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet, I am infected. They make me seem vile in my own eyes, how much more abominable must I then appear in Your sight! O Lord God, sinning has taken away the conscience of sin and brought upon me dullness of sense and hardness of heart. I humbly beseech You for the sake of the bitter death and bloody passion of Jesus Christ kindly pardon and forgive all my sins and offenses and open unto me that ever-streaming fountain of the blood of Christ, that all my sins and uncleanness may be bathed. May my sinful life be buried in His death and hid in His wounds, that they may never be seen to shame me in this life or to condemn me before Your judgment seat. O Lord, I render my humblest thanks for all the blessings and benefits which You so graciously and plenteously have bestowed upon my soul and body. I thank You for this life, for my election, creation, redemption, vocation, justification, sanctification, and preservation from my childhood until this

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present day and hour and for the firm hope which You have given me of my glorification. Likewise I thank You for my health, wealth, food, raiment, and prosperity and more especially, for that You have defended me this day from all perils and dangers both of the body and the soul, furnishing me with all necessary good things. As You have ordained the night to take rest, I beseech You, sanctify this night's rest and sleep, that I may enjoy sleep as a sweet blessing and benefit. This dull and wearied body of mine may be refreshed with moderate sleep and rest. I may be enabled to walk before You in a better way tomorrow doing all such good works as You have appointed. While I sleep, O Lord, watch over me in Your holy providence, to protect me from all dangers, so that neither the evil angels of Satan, nor any wicked enemy, have any power to do me any harm or evil. Give a charge unto Your holy angels that they may pitch their tents round about me for my defense and safety. I here recommend myself and all that belong to me unto Your holy protection and custody. O my heavenly Father, I humbly beg and crave at Your hands all that I have prayed in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ Your Son, and in that form of prayer which He himself has taught me to say unto You: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. selah

PART IV

THE PROGRESS IN CHRISTIAN LIFE

PART - IV THE PROGRESS IN CHRISTIAN LIFE To the extent you want to come near God, you can. - Joyce Meyer

9. A Friendly conversation Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free, For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. "Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear, And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. (Civilla Martin, 1905)

9.1 Introduction When Jesus is present everything is well and nothing seems difficult. Martha said to Mary, "The teacher has come and is calling for you." What can the world give without Jesus? If

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Jesus is with us then no enemy can hurt. The one who finds Jesus finds a good treasure. The poorest person is the one who lives without Jesus. Be humble and peaceful, then you will feel the presence of Lord Jesus, for He has said that He shall never leave you nor forsake you. Lord Jesus is with us always.48 If we don't trust and rejoice in the Lord Jesus, then we will act like fools. Without continual fellowship with God we will make many blunders. The poorest believer is richest than any rich man of this world because of the Lord Jesus, who became poor that through His poverty we might become rich.49 What type of conversation does Lord Jesus like? He likes the most sinful talk from us! Because, at His birth the Heaven named Him as Jesus, which means "He shall save His people from their sins." Isaiah in Chapters 1 and 53 recorded that the Lord Jesus died for our griefs, sorrows, transgressions, iniquities, ill-health, our going astray, and our guilt. It is quite amazing! Being a thrice Holy God,50 the God-head, in Christ Jesus are inviting us to have freeness in discussing our sinful life with them. This type of conversation pleases the Lord Jesus, for it is His expertize, specialization and His office. If we take liberty and discuss our sinful problems with Jesus, then, He will find a way out from our sin. Lord Jesus is glorified and satisfied, when He fulfills His office of deliverance of every sin in us. Because John the Apostle wrote in His first epistle, that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, let us allow the Lord Jesus to do His job by closely sharing our sin with Him. We need not bother the Lord Jesus about our particular needs. May we recall, on our first birthday, without crying, our parents have put on us the best robes. We must believe

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and trust that the One who loved and died for us, is better than our earthly parents.51 Communion with God must be maintained from the beginning of the day to the conclusion of the day for the progress in Christian life. There should be seriousness in devotion to the person Christ.

9.2 The Bible on the Communion with God 1.

"Abraham believed God and was set right with God. It's that believing and acting that got Abraham named God's friend".

"Enoch steadily walked with God".

"Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren't going to the same place?".

God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you".

Bible verses52

9.3 A Prayer for the Dialogue Almighty God, I do not know how to commune with You and to have fellowship with Your dear Son, Lord Jesus. Kindly grant the help of the Holy Spirit in my weakness. Blessed Spirit of God aid me to have fellowship with Lord Jesus in the spirit according to the Will of God. O Lord God, may I recognize that it is the highest privilege to have conversation with Christ, and I shall be benefited by it. O Lord, I am sincere for a few hours of the day in thinking about You, but when I engage in business, I slip away and do my own thing. I pray for all day communion with You, O Lord. Teach me Your ways, O Lord, as You have enabled my forefathers who lived in continual

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communion with the Holy Spirit. I need Your grace, O Lord. Let not temptations, trails, pain distract me in pursuing after You. Lord Jesus, I want to converse with You, like the way I share with my best friend. Often I am too formal with You, hiding my real sinful problems. Blessed Spirit of God, may I take the courage to talk to Christ Jesus, who is with me, about my griefs, sorrow, transgressions, iniquities, ill-health, going astray, and my guilt. Even if I fail repeatedly, may I freely discuss the matters with the Lord Jesus. Lift up, O Lord, the light of Your countenance upon me. May my faculties be roused from the broken state in which they lay, to converse with You. Enable my heart to pour out itself before You with a filial reverence, freedom, and endearment. May I hearken to You, as I desire that You should hearken unto me. Lord Jesus may I derive new supplies of the blessed Spirit of Yours, to effectively dialogue with You. Thus prepared, O Lord, lead me forth by Your hand to all the duties and events of the day in a way I maintain and practice Your presence. May I abide with You, not being slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. In all matters I want to be in touch with You, O Lord. O Lord, You know the sin in my flesh doesn't like it. So Blessed Spirit of God, with Your uplifted hand subdue the sin in my flesh that it may not be tricked by the Law into deception of cutting myself from You. To Your glory, O Lord, may the labours of life be pursued within the boundaries of the Gospel. Whether I eat, or drink, or whatever I do, may I keep You in view, and may it be attained. May I serve You with greater vigor and resolution by being in fellowship with You, for Jesus sake, Amen. selah

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10. The Discouragements Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer. (Joseph Scriven, 1855)

10.1 Introduction Christ has instructed His disciples to expect opposition and difficulties in the way to heaven. Therefore a more particular view of them is taken, as arising from the remainder of indwelling sin, from the world, and especially from former sinful companions, and from the suggestions of Satan. The Christian is quickened and encouraged by various considerations to oppose them, particularly by the presence of God, the aids of Christ, the example of others, who, though feeble, have conquered. For those who withstand without giving in are promised the crown of glory. Therefore, though the apostasy is prevalent, the Christian may press on cheerfully.

10.2 The Bible on the Discouragements 1.

"When they finished their survey and returned from the valley of Eshcol, they discouraged the people from going on into the Promised Land."

"In the past you have told many a troubled soul to trust in God and have encouraged those who are weak or falling, or lie crushed upon the ground or

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are tempted to despair. But now when trouble strikes, you faint and are broken." 3.

"Keep your eyes open for spiritual danger; stand true to the Lord; act like men; be strong."

"We naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do; and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has His way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures. When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you need no longer force yourself to obey Jewish laws."

"Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens. Remember your reward! You need to keep on patiently doing God's will if you want him to do for you all that he has promised."

"It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren."

"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For our army is bigger than theirs!"

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10.3 A Prayer for the Courage Blessed God, I flee to Your refuge to take shelter under Your mighty wings. Behold me surrounded with difficulties and dangers and stretch out Your omnipotent arm to save me. O You that saves by Your right hand them that put their trust in You, from those that rise up against them, have mercy on me. This day do I solemnly put myself under Your protection. Exert Your power in my favour, and permit me to make the shadow of Your wings my refuge. Let Your grace be sufficient for me and Your strength be made perfect in my weakness. I dare not say, I will never forsake You, or I will never deny You, but I hope, I can truly say, O Lord, I do not like to disappoint You. According to my present apprehension and purpose, death would appear to me much less terrible, than in any willful and deliberate instance to offend You. O root out those corruptions from my heart, which in an hour of pressing temptation might incline me to view things in a different light, and so might betray me into the hands of the enemy. Strengthen my faith, O Lord, and encourage my hope. Inspire me with heroic resolution in opposing every thing that lies in my way to heaven and let me set my face like a flint against all the assaults of the earth and the hell. If sinners entice me, let me not consent; if they insult me, let me not regard it; if they threaten me, let me not fear. Rather may a holy and ardent, yet prudent and well-governed zeal, take control of me to follow Jesus without being discouraged. Let me never be ashamed to plead Your cause against the most profane deriders of religion. O Lord, make me to hear joy and gladness in my soul and I will endeavor to teach

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transgressors Your ways, that sinners may be converted unto You. Yea, Lord, while my fears continue, yet I would be Your advocate. Keep me, O Lord, now, and at all times. Never let me think, whatever age or station I attain, that I am strong enough to maintain the combat without You. Nor let me imagine myself, even in this infancy of my soul, that You can not support me. Wherever You lead me, there let me follow and whatever station You appoint me there let me labour. Let me maintain the holy war against all the enemies of my salvation. O glorious Redeemer, the Captain of my salvation, the great Author and Finisher of my faith, when I am in danger of denying You, as Peter did, look upon me with that mixture of majesty and tenderness, which may either secure me from falling, or may speedily recover me to God. Teach me to take occasion, even from my miscarriages, to humble myself more deeply for all that has been amiss, and to redouble my future diligence and caution, for Jesus' sake, Amen. selah

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11. The Temptations Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. (Joseph Scriven, 1855)

11.1 Introduction As long as we live in this world we cannot be without tribulation and temptation. Therefore all of us should guard ourselves against temptations and watch in prayer. Temptations are God's design to humble us, purify us and to instruct us. We are born with an inclination to sin and the root of it is within us. If one temptation goes then another comes. We cannot overcome by running away from them. By patience and humility we can overcome. We must work toward uprooting evil inclinations. An unsteady mind and little trust in God are fertile grounds for evil desires, like a ship without rudder tossed by the waves. Let us look to Jesus Christ who overcame temptations by the Written Word. He overcame all the three: lust of the eyes and the lust of flesh, and the pride of life which came upon Him by the Devil's instigation. As fire tries the iron, so temptations tries the just person. We must be watchful at the beginning of the temptation. Some suffer at the beginning and others suffer at the later end. Don't give in to despair. Particular cautions are required against a sluggish and indolent temper, against the excessive love of sensitive pleasure leading to a neglect of business and needless expense.

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A special care is required against the snares of evil company, against excessive hurry of worldly business, which is enforced by the fatal consequences. Being humble under the mighty hand of God makes us overcome temptations. Our own strength and resolutions will not help. Let us offer a prayer for divine protection against the dangers arising from these snares.

11.2 The Scripture's wisdom 1.

"How mankind must struggle. A man's life is long and hard, like that of a slave."

"Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For the spirit indeed is willing, but how weak the body is!"

"Be careful-watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart."

"The hard path where some of the seeds fell represents the heart of a person who hears the Good News about the Kingdom and doesn't understand it; then Satan comes and snatches away the seeds from his heart. The shallow, rocky soil represents the heart of a man who hears the message and receives it with real joy, but he doesn't have much depth in his life, and the seeds don't root very deeply, and after a while when trouble comes, or persecution begins because of his beliefs, his enthusiasm fades, and he drops out. The ground covered with thistles represents a man who hears the message, but the cares of this life and his longing for money choke out God's Word, and he

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does less and less for God." 5.

"Temptation is the pull of man's own evil thoughts and wishes. These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God. So don't be misled, dear brothers."

"But remember this-the wrong desires that come into your life aren't anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation's power so that you can bear up patiently against it."

"Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

"Christ didn't please Himself."

"If you want to keep from becoming fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to Him. After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood."

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11.3 A Prayer for the Protection Blessed Holy Spirit, in the midst of ten thousand snares and dangers, which surround me from without and from within, permit me to look up unto Christ with humble entreaty,

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that God would deliver me from them that rise up against me and that Your eyes may be upon me for good. When sloth and indolence are ready to seize me, awaken me from that idle dream, with lively and affectionate views of that invisible and eternal world to which I am tending. Remind me of what infinite importance it is, that I diligently improve those transient moments which You have allotted me as the time of my preparation for it. O Lord, when sinners entice me, may I not consent. May holy converse with God give me a dislike for the conversation of those who are strangers to You, and who would separate my soul from You. May I honour them that fear the Lord and walk with the wise and holy men. May I daily advance in wisdom and holiness. Quicken me, O Lord, by the Holy Spirit, so that by me You may also quicken others. Make me the happy instrument of enkindling and animating the flame of divine love in their breasts and may it catch from heart to heart and grow every moment in its progress. Guard me, O Lord, from the love of sensual pleasure. May I seriously remember, that to be carnally-minded is death. May it please You, therefore, to purify and refine my soul by the influence of the Holy Spirit, that I may always shun unlawful gratifications more solicitously while others pursue them. May I be moderate in using all my bodily desires legitimately. O Lord, may I remember the superior dignity of my spiritual and intelligent nature. May I seek the pleasures of Christ as my noblest happiness. May my soul rise on the wings of holy contemplation to the regions of invisible glory. May I endeavour to form myself, under the influences of divine grace, for the entertainments of those angelic spirits that live in Your presence in a happy incapacity of those gross delights

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by which spirits dwelling in flesh are so often ensnared. Give me, O Lord to know the station in which You have fixed me, and steadily to pursue the duties of it. But deliver me from those excessive cares of this world, which would so engross my time and my thoughts, that the one thing needful should be forgotten. May my desires after worldly possessions be moderated, by considering their uncertain and unsatisfying nature. While others are laying up treasures on earth, may I be rich towards God. May I never be too busy to attend to those great affairs which lie between You and my soul. May I never be so engrossed with the concerns of time, as to neglect the interests of eternity. May I pass through the earth with my heart and hopes set upon heaven and feel the attractive influence stronger and stronger as I approach still nearer and nearer to that desirable center, till the happy moment come, when every earthly object shall disappear from my view and the shining glories of the heavenly world shall fill my improved and strengthened sight, which shall then be cheered with that which would now overwhelm me. Above all, O Blessed Spirit of God, develop in me, the meek and lowly spirit of Christ. Amen. selah

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12 The Habitual delight in God Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me. I need Thy presence every passing hour. What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. (Henry Lyte, 1847)

12.1 Introduction A holy joy in God is our privilege as well as our duty. The Christian is invited to the exercise of it, by the consideration of temporal mercies and of spiritual favours, by the views of eternal happiness and of the mercies of God to others, the living and the dead. This is a heavenly exercise and the genuine workings of grateful joy in God. One should not lose fervour in love relationship with God. In fact, the entire joy of Christian life depends on how we progress in love. John the Apostle says, if you can love your brother, you have done all. Love is the fulfillment of the law. We can love others well, if we learn to delight in God and acquire His Love.

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12.2 The Bible on Delighting in the Lord 1.

"Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart's desires".

"If you return to the Lord, the Lord your God will take his curses from you and turn them against your enemies-against those who hate you and persecute you. The Lord your God will prosper everything you do and give you many children and much cattle and wonderful crops; for the Lord will again rejoice over you as he did over your fathers".

"Jehovah enjoys His people".

"See My Servant, whom I uphold; My Chosen One in whom I delight. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will reveal justice to the nations of the world".

"Let me tell you how happy God has made me! For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and draped about me the robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels".

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12.3 A Prayer for Delighting in the Lord O my God, I have mused about Your love and the fire is burning. What can I say but this, that my heart admires You, adores You and loves You. My little vessel is as full as it can hold and I would pour out all that fullness before You, that it may grow capable of receiving more and more. You are my hope, my help, my glory and the lifter of my head.

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My heart rejoices in Your salvation when I set myself under the influence of Your good Spirit. I want to converse with You but a thousand thoughts spring up at once. They seem to crowd my mind. O Lord, clear my mind of everything and grant me the singleness of heart, like Mary to choose that one thing which is important. Lord teach me to love You above all. I want to stay with You fixed. I bless You, O God. I bless You, O Lord, for the body which You have given me. Preserve its strength and vigor, to be capable of relishing the entertainments with You. I bless You, O Lord, for the freedom with which these limbs of mine move themselves and obey the dictates of my spirit. As I pray, I hope to be guided by You. I seek Your grace to integrate my entire personality to delight in You that You may have free conversation with me. I praise You for that royal bounty with which You provide for the daily support for the overflowing of my cup which You have put into my hands. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Now, O my God, what shall I say unto You? I love You above all the powers of language to express. I love You for what You are to me. I adore and love You yet far more for what You are in Yourself. I praise You for those stores of perfection which creation has displayed. I admire You, though the world has grown in wickedness, Your provisions were never exhausted. You are continuously feeding both the good and bad people. You alone are great and fair. Kindly possess all my soul. While I feel Your sacred Spirit breathing on my heart and exciting fervour of love, let me feel spirit's sensations. What have I more to do, but to commit myself to You, O Lord. Let my business be primarily to delight in You. My soul follows hard after You, O God, because Your right hand is upholding me. I shall press on toward You by Your grace, till all

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my desires be accomplished in the eternal enjoyment of You for Jesus' sake, Amen. O Lord, I will delight in Thee, And on Thy care depend, To Thee in every trouble flee, My best, my only Friend. O Lord, I cast my care on Thee, I triumph and adore; Henceforth my great concern shall be, To love and please Thee more. (John Ryland, 1777) selah

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13. The Good Works But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. (John Sammis, 1887)

13.1 Introduction A sincere love to God will express itself not only in devotion, but in benevolence to men. This is the command of God. The true Christian feels his soul wrought to a holy conformity to it. And therefore will desire instruction on this head. Accordingly, we must pray for the improvement of various talents: particularly genius and learning, power and domestic authority, esteem and riches. We must discover several good ways of employing them. Prudence in expense urged, for the support of charity. All of what we received from God must issue out in good works to support the civilization to lead it to Heavenly modernization. So, a Chrisitian's good works are the most wanted in the extinguishing generation.

13.2 The Bible on the Purposes of Usefulness 1.

"He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and Will - to the praise of His glorious

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grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves". 2.

"In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His Will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory".

"Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of His glory".

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13.3 A Prayer for the Empowerment O bountiful Father, and sovereign author of all good, both of natural and spiritual: I bless You for the potential and various talents which You have embedded in my new nature. My soul is in the deepest confusion before You, when I consider how little purpose I have hitherto improved them. Alas! what have I done more than others, in proportion to what I have received, with the gifts of nature which You have bestowed upon me, with my capacities of life, with my time, with my talents, with my possessions and with my influence over others? O Lord, through my own negligence and folly, I have sown and reaped a barren wilderness. I couldn't be a fruitful field and a springing harvest. Justly do I indeed deserve to be stripped of all. Accept, O Lord, accept my renewed surrender which I now make and of all I have unto Your service. I acknowledge that it is of Your own that I give You. Make me, I beseech You, a faithful steward for my great Lord. May I

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think of no separate interest of my own in opposition to Yours. O Lord, make me Your faithful steward, in distributing to my fellow citizens all that You have lodged in my hand for their relief. In determining what is my own share, may I hold the balance with an equal hand, and judge impartially between myself and them. The proportion you allow, may I thankfully take for myself and those who are immediately mine. The rest may I distribute with wisdom, fidelity and cheerfulness. Guide my hand, O Lord. O ever-merciful Father, while You do me the honour to make me Your instrument in dealing out a few of Your bounties, that I may bestow them where they are most needed and where they will answer the best end. If it be Your gracious Will, multiply the seed sown. Prosper me in my worldly affairs, that I may have more to impart to them that need it. Thus lead me on to the region of everlasting plenty and everlasting benevolence. If it be Your blessed Will, I may lead many by Your talent into the path of blissful abode. I may obtain many souls who will entertain me in the habitation of glory. May I, by Your grace, perform all the good works which You have appointed for me, even before the foundations of the world, and double up all my talents to hear from You at the judgment, "Well done My servant, enter into the joy of Your Master". O Lord, let this be the tribute of my obedience and gratitude in the services of life for Jesus sake, Amen.

13.4 The Whole Armour of God Lord Jesus, since You are strong, You want me to be strong. I want to take everything You have set out for me, well-made weapons of the best materials. Help me to put them to use so that I will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws my way. In the life-or-death fight, I may finish the Devil and his angels.

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I acknowledge that You have called me against far more than I can handle on my own. I want to put on all that You have prepared for me: Truth, righteousness, peace, faith and Salvation. Help me to learn how to apply each one of them. I acknowledge that I need them for my life time. Help me to keep my eyes open. Destroy the Devil's work in and around me through the Name of Jesus. O Lord, may my strength come from the Holy Spirit's mighty power within me. May I effectively put on all of God's armor so that I will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. In the Name of Lord Jesus, I bind the persons without bodies - the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty Satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world. I shout to the kingdom of Satan, "You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel - the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head; and then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. And the Church will learn that the Lord does not depend on weapons to fulfill His plans - He works without regard to human means! He will give you to us!" By faith in the Blood of Christ I bind the huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world and loosen all my blessings that are held by Satanic kingdom in the mighty Name of Lord Jesus. Amen.

13.5 The Authorities I pray, O Lord God, be merciful to the Church, the body of Christ, Your chosen people, wheresoever they live upon the face of the earth. Defend them from the rage and tyranny of the Devil,

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the world, and the antichrist. O Lord, give Your gospel a free and a joyful passage through the world for the conversion of those who belong to Your election and kingdom. O Lord, bless the Universal Church and Nations with the continuance of peace, justice, and true religion. Bless our Prime Minister, President and all Chief Ministers. Increase in them all heroical gifts and spiritual graces which may make them fit for their jobs which You have ordained. Direct all ministers and magistrates to govern the people in true religion, justice, obedience and tranquility. Be merciful unto all the brethren which fear You and call upon Your name. Comfort as many among them as are sick and comfortless in body or mind, especially be favourable to all such as suffer any trouble or persecution for the testimony of truth and the Holy Gospel and give them a gracious deliverance out of all their troubles for the glory of Your name. Hasten Your coming, O blessed Saviour, and end these sinful days and give me grace, that like a wise virgin I may be prepared with oil in my lamp to meet You at Your coming whether it be by the day of death or of judgment. Lord Jesus, come, even so Lord Jesus come quickly. O Father, I give You glory, in that form of prayer, which Christ himself has taught us to say unto You: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. "Prayer is efficacious and surely a day's asking God will overrule all events for good is not lost" (James Gilmour of Mongolia) selah

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14 . The Commitment to the Gospel Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour, At Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be, Ever, only, all for Thee. (Frances Havergal, 1874)

14.1 Introduction The Galatians quickly turned away from the Gospel of Jesus the crucified. Paul determined to defend the Gospel at all times. Jesus warned that the love of many will grow cold. Five out of seven churches in the book of Revelation showed that Lord Jesus is standing outside the door. Let us ponder by pitching our tent near the foot of the cross. Let us look at the cloud of witnesses that have run well in defending the faith of the Gospel. May the Living Lord Jesus show mercy that we having laid our hand on His plow, look not for easy excuses to desert the Gospel.

14.2 Contending for the Gospel 1.

Jude wrote: "I have to write insisting - begging! that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish."

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Paul said, "I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way."

"At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran like scared rabbits. The Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message loud and clear."

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14.3 Prayer 14.3.1 Living out the Gospel Lord Jesus, stir into flame the strength and boldness that entered into me through the Gospel. By the Holy Spirit, I may not be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong to love them and enjoy being with them to impart the blessedness of the Gospel. O Lord God, stir up this inner power, so that I will never be afraid to tell others about my Lord Jesus. Make me willing and ready to suffer for the Lord. Lord God, give me strength in suffering. Lord God, may I support missionary work to preach to the Gentile world, especially the pioneering areas. Help me hold tightly to the pattern of truth especially concerning the faith, love and hope in Christ Jesus. Lord, help me to guard well the splendid, God-given ability I received as a gift from the Holy Spirit who lives within me. While many who develop love for the world and desert the Gospel work, may I not backslide. O Lord, make me strong with the strength of Christ Jesus. Help me teach the great truths of the Gospel to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them to others. Help me take my share of suffering as a good soldier of

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Jesus Christ. As Christ's soldier, may I not let myself become tied up in worldly affairs. May I follow the Lord's rules for doing His work, just as an athlete. Help me work hard, O Lord, like a farmer who gets paid well if he raises a large crop. Help me, O Lord God, to remind my people of the great facts of the Gospel and command them in the name of the Lord not to argue over unimportant things. Help me to clear of foolish discussions that lead people into the sin of anger with each other. Help me to stay away from sin that I will be like one of the vessels made of purest gold, so that Christ can use me for His highest purposes. Help me, O Lord, to run from anything that gives the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes me want to do right. Help me, O Lord, to have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord. Help me not to get involved in foolish arguments. O Lord God, may I be gentle, and patient in teaching others. Lord kindly remember me to show mercy as I live in a world, where people love themselves and money, are proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient, ungrateful, and thoroughly bad. O Lord God, let the whole Bible be my inspiration. May I depend only on this, the divine Word. May it straighten me and help me do what is right and preach right. I accept the Bible as God's way of making me well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone. O Lord, help me stand steady. Help me bring others to Christ. Like Paul may I fight and keep true to You. May the Lord be with my spirit. Amen. 14.3.2 A Peaceful Approach to Christ O Lord God, I have noted that the sin of murmuring is very serious to You. You have recorded it, in the forty years of the

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History of Israel in the wilderness. Lord God, I too easily forget Your common and special mercies and often developed an indifferent spirit. At every small pain, I had suspected Your love. O Lord, having noted the seriousness of the issue of murmuring against You I request You to help me not to be immature. May my eye be watchful to observe the descent of mercies from You. May a grateful sense arise within me by the recognition of even small favours of Your hand. May I take up daily cross gladly, that I may follow my dear Lord with a temper like that which He manifested when ascending Calvary for my sake. Let me say, like Him, 'The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?' O Lord God, the history of Israel is full of events, where they doubted Your love, all-most every moment. I remember each one of them and confess all the sins of my forefathers, so that I and my future generations may not fall into this serious sin of indifference. May we be able to obey Your laws and set our hope anew on You and not forget Your glorious miracles. Thus we may not be like our fathers - stubborn, rebellious, unfaithful, refusing to give heart to You. I ask Your pardon, O Lord, for forgetting the wonderful miracles You had done for our fathers in Egypt: You divided the sea before them and led them through; The water stood banked up along both sides of them; In the daytime You led them by a cloud, and at night by a pillar of fire; You split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them plenty of water, as though gushing from a spring; Streams poured from the rock, flowing like a river; Yet they kept on with their rebellion, sinning against You who is above all gods. O Heavenly Father, forgive us, for we, the body of Christ are no different than our forefathers. They murmured and complained, demanding other food than

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what You were giving them. They even spoke against You, by saying, "Why can't He give us decent food as well as water?" They didn't believe in You or trust in Your care, even though You commanded the skies to open. You opened the windows of heaven and rained down manna for their food. You gave them bread from heaven. They ate angels food. You gave them all they could hold. You led forth the east wind and guided the south wind by Your mighty power. You rained down birds as thick as dust, clouds of them like sands along the shore. You caused the birds to fall to the ground among the tents. The people ate their fill. You gave them what they asked for. Even then the people kept on sinning and refused to believe in miracles. O Heavenly Father, forgive us, for we, the body of Christ are no different than our forefathers. Now O Lord, I remember You as Rock, the Savior, as the God above all gods. I confess that we followed You with our words and not with our hearts. I confess that our hearts were far away. We did not keep our promises. Yet You are merciful and forgave our sins and didn't destroy us all. Many and many a time, You held back Your anger. You remembered that we are merely mortal men, like a breath of wind. Oh, how often we rebelled against You in our days and years and grieved Your heart. Again and again we turned away and tempted You to kill us and limited the Holy One of Israel from giving us Your blessings. We forgot Your power and love, and how You had rescued us from our enemies. Now O Lord, refresh our memory about Your mighty acts that we may not fall into the same snares of our fathers. You have turned rivers into blood so that no one could drink. You have

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sent vast swarms of flies to fill the land, and the frogs had covered all of Egypt. You gave their crops to caterpillars. Their harvest was consumed by locusts. You destroyed their grapevines and their sycamores with hail. Their cattle died in the fields, mortally wounded by huge hailstones from heaven. Their sheep were killed by lightning. You loosened on them the fierceness of You anger, sending sorrow and trouble. You dispatched against them a band of destroying angels. You gave free course to Your anger and did not spare the Egyptians lives, but handed them over to plagues and sickness. You killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family. But You have distinguished Your people. You led forth Your own people like a flock, guiding them safely through the wilderness. You kept them safe, so they were not afraid. But the sea closed in upon their enemies and overwhelmed them. You brought them to the border of Your land of blessing, to the land of hills, You drove out the nations occupying the land and gave each tribe of Israel its apportioned place as its home. I confess now, O Lord, that You have, in Christ, have done much more than what You did to the Egyptians. So, I pray O Lord, may I and the Church not to rebel against You for all Your favours and refuse to follow Your commands. May we not turn back from entering the Promised Land like our disobedient forefathers. May we not like crooked arrow, miss the target of God's will. May we not make You angry by erecting idols and altars to other gods. Please O Lord God, do not be angry with us. If You see our deeds, Your wrath will flare up. Have mercy upon us, O Lord. History has shown us, that You, having given much time to repent, when our forefathers did not turn away from wicked ways, You despised Your people: You abandoned Your Tabernacle at Shiloh, and allowed Your Ark to be captured; You surrendered Your

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glory into enemy hands. You caused Your people to be butchered because Your anger was intense; Their young men were killed by fire, and their girls died before they were old enough to sing their wedding songs; The priests were slaughtered, and their widows died before they could even begin their lament; Lord, I confess that I and the body of Christ, have taken You for granted and pursued our rebellious ways. Now we lay ruined in shame. Yet You are merciful. So O Lord, I call upon You to rise up like a mighty man and uproot our enemies; Drive them back and send them to eternal shame. O Lord God, do not reject Joseph's family, the tribe of Ephraim, and the chosen tribe of Judah and Mount Zion, which You loved. O Lord, build Your towering temple, solid and enduring as the heavens and the earth. Remember O Lord, You chose us in the Son of David. Lead us by Your skillful hands for Jesus sake. Amen. selah

PART V

THE PROBLEMS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

PART V: THE PROBLEMS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

15. The Backsliding All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. I surrender all, I surrender all All to Thee my blessed Saviour, I surrender all. (Judson Van de Venter, 1896)

15.1 Introduction A declension in religion and relapses into sin with their sorrowful consequences, are in general too probable. This can be traced back to a failure in the duties of the closet, by a neglect of social worship, by want of love to our fellow Christians, by an undue attachment to sensual pleasures or secular cares, by prejudices against some important principles in religion. This symptom peculiarly is sad and dangerous. Prayer is made for the recovery, which needs to be pursued immediately.

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15.2 God's voice on the Spiritual Decay 1.

"The good man walks along in the ever-brightening light of God's favor; the dawn gives way to morning splendor, while the evil man gropes and stumbles in the dark."

"Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don't know it. Ephraim's hair is turning gray, and he doesn't even realize how weak and old he is. His pride in other gods has openly condemned him; yet he doesn't return to his God, nor even try to find him."

"He died for all so that all who live - having received eternal life from Him - might live no longer for themselves, to please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again for them."

"Sprinkle me with the cleansing blood and I shall be clean again. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. And after you have punished me, give me back my joy again. Don't keep looking at my sinserase them from your sight. Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Don't toss me aside, banished forever from your presence. Don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you."

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15.3 Prayer 15.3.1 Rise Almighty God, O Beautiful Love, I have broken my faith with You and with my fiery strength have turned myself to the pleasure and vanity of the outward world. I have fallen in love with a stranger and have been constrained to walk in the valley of darkness in this strange love, in God's anger, Hell, and dark death. Eternal and unchangeable Jehovah, Your perfections and glories are immutable. Jesus Your Son is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. The eternal world, to which I am hastening, is always equally important, and presses upon the attentive mind for a more fixed and solemn regard, in proportion to the degree in which it comes nearer and nearer. But, alas! My views, and my affections, and my best resolutions, are continually varying, like this poor body, which goes through daily and hourly alterations in its state and circumstances. Whence, O Lord, whence this sad change which I now xperience in the frame and temper of my mind toward You? Whence this alienation of my soul from You? Why can I not come to You with all the endearments of filial lover as I once could? Why are the exercises, which were once my greatest pleasure, become a burden to me? Where, O God is the blessedness I once spoke of when my joy in You as my Heavenly Father was so conspicuous that strangers might have observed it and when my heart did so overflow with love to You and with zeal for Your service, that it was a matter of self-denial to me, to limit and restrain the genuine expressions of those strong emotions of my

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soul, even where prudence and duty required it? Lord, have mercy upon me for Jesus' sake. Amen. 15.3.2 Shine Alas, Lord, whither have I fallen? Your eye is seeing me still. But, O how unlike what it once saw me. Cold and insensible as I am, I must blush on the reflection. You see me in secret perhaps often amusing myself with trifles, in those seasons which I used solemnly to devote to Your immediate service. You see me coming into Your presence as by constraint and when I am before You, so straitened in my spirit, that I hardly know what to say to You, though You are the God with whom I have to do and though the keeping up a humble and dutiful correspondence with You is, beyond all comparison, the most important business in my daily life, and even when I am speaking to You, with how much coldness and formality is it. It is perhaps the work of imagination, the labour of the lips but where are those ardent designs, those intense breathings after God, which I once felt? Where is that pleasing repose in You, which I once was conscious of, as being near my divine rest, as being happy in that nearness, and resolving that, if possible, I would no more be removed from it? But, oh, how far have I now removed? When these short devotions, if they may be called devotions, are over, in what long intervals do I forget You, and appear so little animated with Your love, so little devoted to Your service, that a stranger might converse with me a considerable time, without knowing that I had ever formed any acquaintance with You, without discovering that I had so much as known or heard anything of God? 15.3.3 Never Look Back You called me to Your house, O Lord on Your own day. But

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how heartless are my services there. I present You no more than my body. My thoughts and affections are engrossed with other objects, while I draw near You with my mouth, and honour You with my lips. You called me to Your Table, but my heart is so frozen, that it hardly melts even at the foot of the cross, hardly feels any efficacy in the blood of Jesus. O wretched creature that I am. Unworthy of being called Yours. Unworthy of a place among Your children or of the meanest situation in Your family, rather worthy to be cast out, to be forsaken, yea, to be utterly destroyed. Is this, O Lord, the service which I once promised and which You have so many thousand reasons to expect? Are these the returns I am making for Your daily providential care, for the sacrifice of Your Son, for the communications of Your Spirit, for the pardon of my numberless aggravated sins, for the hopes, the undeserved and so often forfeited hopes of eternal glory. Lord, I am ashamed to stand or to kneel before You. But pity me, I beseech You and help me. I am a pitiable object indeed. My soul cleaves unto the dust and lays itself as in the dust before You. Nevertheless, quicken me according to Your Word. Let me trifle no longer, for I am upon the brink of a precipice. I am thinking of my ways. O give me grace to turn my feet unto Your testimonies, to make haste without any further delay, that I may keep Your commandments. Search me, O Lord, and try me. Go to the first root of this distemper, which spreads itself over my soul and recover me from it. Represent sin unto me, O Lord. I beseech You that I may see it with abhorrence. O Blessed Spirit of God, represent the Lord Jesus Christ to me in such a light that I may look upon Him and mourn, that I may look upon Him and love. Amen

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15.3.4 Don't Give up O Lord, may I awaken from this stupid lethargy into which I am sinking and Christ may give me more abundant degrees of spiritual life and activity than I have ever yet received. May I be so quickened and animated by Him that I may more than recover the ground I have lost. May I make a more speedy and exemplary progress than in my best days I have ever yet done. Send down upon me, O Lord, in a more rich and abundant effusion Your good Spirit. May He dwell in me as a temple which He has consecrated to Himself. While all the service is directed and governed by Him, may holy and acceptable sacrifices be continually offered by me. May the incense be constant and may it be fragrant. May the sacred fire burn and blaze perpetually. And may none of its vessels ever be profaned by being employed to an unholy or forbidden use. O Sweet Jesus, what shall I say before You? Let me be wholly committed unto You. I cannot preserve myself. If You will not give me Your pearl, I cannot submit to Your will. Give me Your rays of love and carry me safely through my pilgrimage. You awaken me and bring forth what You are in me. I will from henceforth be Your own. I will or desire nothing for myself, but what You Yourself Will through me. I had fooled away Your sweet love and broken my faith with You, whereby I was fallen into the anger of God. But seeing that of love You came to me into the anguish of Hell and has delivered me from torment and received me again for Your consort, I will now therefore break my will for Your love's sake and be obedient unto You and wait for Your love. I am satisfied now that I know You are with me in all my troubles and will not forsake me. O Gracious love, I turn my fiery countenance to You. O Fair Crown, take me quickly

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into You and bring me forth from unquietness. I will be Yours forever and never depart from You any more. For Jesus' sake Amen.

15.4 Lord Jesus has a Word for you My noble Bride, be of good comfort. I have betrothed you to Me in My highest love and contracted Myself with you in My faithfulness. I will be with you and in you always to the end of the world. I will come to you and make My abode with you, in your inner chamber. You shall drink of My fountain. Now I am yours and you are Mine. The enemy shall not separate us. Work in your fiery property and I will put My rays of love into your working and so we will plant and manure the Vineyard of God. Afford the essence of fire and I will afford the essence of light and the increase. Be the Fire and I will be the water, and thus we will perform that in this world for which God has appointed us and serve Him in His Temple, which we ourselves are. Amen.

15.5 Bless Yourself Bless me, O God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, You only are true God. I thank You through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, for the preservation of me and for all other benefits. I now commend myself, both Soul and Body and all that You have set me to do in my employment and calling, into Your protection. Be the beginning of my conceptions, my undertakings and all my doings. Work so in me, that I may begin all things to the glory of Your Name and accomplish them in Your love for the good and the service of my neighbour. Send Your holy angel along with me, O Lord, to turn the

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temptations of the Devil and corrupt nature away from me. Preserve me from the malice of evil men. Make all my enemies reconcilable to me and bring my mind into Your vineyard, that I may labour in my office and employment and behave as Your obedient servant therein. Bless me and all that I am, to go about and do this day, with the blessing of Your love and mercy. Continue Your grace and love in Jesus Christ upon me, O Lord, and give me a mind cheerfully to follow Your leading and execute Your appointment. Let Your Holy Spirit guide me in my beginning and my progress and on to my last end, and be the willing, working, and accomplishing of all in me. Amen

15.6 A Prayer of Surrender I lift my heart to You, O God, Fountain of eternal life and give You thanks through Jesus Christ, Your Beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, for having protected and preserved me from all mischief that might have befallen me. I commend to Your disposal my condition and employment, together with the work of my hands, and humbly repose them on You. So fill my soul with Your Spirit, that neither the grand enemy, the Devil, nor any other evil influence or desire, may find harbour therein. Let my mind only delight in You in Your temple and let Your good angel stay with me, that I may rest safely in Your power and under Your protection. Amen. selah

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16 The Deliberate sin O Jesus, full of truth and grace More full of grace than I of sin Yet once again I seek Thy face: Open Thine arms and take me in And freely my backslidings heal And love the faithless sinner still. Thou know'st the way to bring me back My fallen spirit to restore O for Thy truth and mercy's sake, Forgive, and bid me sin no more: The ruins of my soul repair And make my heart a house of prayer. (Charles Wesley, 1749) Taken from 'Weary of Wandering From God'

16.1 Introduction Unthoughtful of, relapses may happen and bring the soul into a miserable case. Yet the case is not desperate. Backsliding is very gradual and initially unnoticed. It is in terms of loosing fervent love for Lord Jesus. If, it is not checked in the beginning stages, it can lead to apostasy of despising the blood of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. Also it may end up in idolatry. The backslider is urged immediately to return, by deep humiliation before God for so aggravated an offense, by renewed regards to the divine mercy in Christ, by an open profession of repentance, where the crime has been given public offense. Failures are to be reviewed for future caution.

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16.2 The Holy men on the Deliberate Sin 1.

"Peter declared, If everyone else deserts you, I won't. Jesus told him, the truth is that this very night, before the cock crows at dawn, you will deny Me three times! I would die first! Peter insisted. And all the other disciples said the same thing."

Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. Peter, he called, couldn't you even stay awake with Me one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For the spirit indeed is willing, but how weak the body is!

"Peter began to curse and swear. I don't even know the man, he said. And immediately the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, "Before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times. And he went away, crying bitterly."

"Watch out! Remember that those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn't believe God, and you are there only because you do. Do not be proud; be humble and grateful-and careful."

"My body is sick, my health is broken beneath my sins. They are like a flood, higher than my head; they are a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds are festering and full of pus. Because of my sins, I am bent and racked with pain. My days are filled with anguish. My loins burn with inflammation, and my whole body is diseased. I am exhausted and crushed; I groan in despair. Lord, you know how I long for my health once more. You hear my every sigh. My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,

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and I am going blind. My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance. Meanwhile my enemies are trying to kill me. They plot my ruin and spend all their waking hours planning treachery." 6.

"Only acknowledge your guilt; admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against Him by worshiping idols under every tree; confess that you refused to follow Me."

"I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find Me, for I have not turned away from your commandments."

Bible verses59

16.3 Prayer O Most Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! When I seriously reflect on Your spotless purity, and on the strict and impartial methods of Your steady administration, together with that almighty power, which is able to carry every thought of Your heart into immediate and full execution, I may justly appear before You this day with shame and terror, in confusion of spirit. This day, O my God, this dark, mournful day, would I take occasion to look back to that sad source of guilt and misery, the apostasy, and say with Your offending servant David, behold, I was shaped in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. This day would I lament all the fatal consequences of such a descent, with regard to myself. And, Oh how many have they

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been. The remembrance of the sins of my unconverted state, and the failings and infirmities of my after-life, may justly confound me. How much more such a scene as now lies before my conscience and before Your all-seeing eye. For You, O Lord, knows my foolishness and my sins are not hidden from You. You know all my wanderings from Your statutes. You saw and have recorded every instance of my disobedience and of my rebellion against You. Have mercy upon me for Jesus' sake. 16.3.1 Confession O Lord, You have seen my sin in every aggravated circumstance which I can discern, and many more which I have never observed or reflected upon. How then shall I appear in Your presence or lift up my face to You. I am full of confusion and fed a secret regret in the thought of applying to You. But O Lord, to whom shall I go but unto You? Unto You, on whom depends my life or my death; Unto You, Who alone can take away the burden of guilt which now presses me down to the dust; Who alone can restore to my soul that rest and peace which I have lost, and which I deserve for ever to lose. Behold me, O Lord God, falling down at Your feet. Behold me pleading guilty in Your presence and surrendering myself to that justice which I cannot escape. I have not one word to offer in my own vindication in my own excuse. Words, far from being able to clear up my innocence, can never sufficiently describe the enormity and demerit of my sin. You, O Lord and You only, know to the full, how heinous and how aggravated my sin is. Your infinite understanding alone can fathom the infinite depth of its malignity. I cannot conceive the glory of Your sacred Majesty

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whose authority I have despised, nor the number and variety of those mercies which I have sinned against. I cannot conceive the value of the blood of Your dear Son, which I have ungratefully trampled under my feet; nor the dignity of that blessed Spirit, whose agency I have, as far as I could, been endeavouring to oppose, and whose work I have been, as with all my might, labouring to undo, and to tear up, as it were, that plantation of His grace which I should rather have been willing to have guarded with my life, and watered with my blood. Have mercy upon me for Jesus' sake. 16.3.2 God has seen it all O the baseness and madness of my conduct. That I should thus, as it were, rend open the wounds of my soul, of which I had died long before this, had not Your own hand applied a remedy, had not Your only Son bled to prepare it that I should violate the covenant I had made with You by sacrifice by the memorials of such a sacrifice, even of Jesus, my Lord, whereby I am become guilty of His body and blood. That I should bring dishonour upon religion too, by so unsuitable a walk, and perhaps open the mouths of its greatest enemies to insult it upon my account, and prejudice some against it to their everlasting destruction! I wonder, O Lord God that I am here to own all this. I wonder that You have not long ago appeared as a swift witness against me, that You have not discharged the thunderbolts of Your flaming wrath against me, and crushed me into hell; making me there a terror to all about me, as well as to myself, by a vengeance and ruin, to be distinguished even there, where all are miserable, and all hopeless.

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O God! Your patience is marvelous. But how much more marvelous is Your grace, which, after all this, invites me to You. While I am here giving judgment against myself that I deserve to die, to die for ever, You are sending me the words of everlasting life, and calling me, as a backsliding child, to return unto You. Behold, therefore, O Lord, invited by Your Word, and encouraged by Your grace, I come; and great as my transgressions are, I humbly beseech You freely to pardon them; because I know, that, though my sins have reached unto heaven and are lifted up even unto the skies, Your mercy, O Lord, is above the heavens. Lord have mercy upon me for Jesus' sake. 16.3.3 Restore me Extend that mercy to me, O Heavenly Father and display, in this illustrious instance, the riches of Your grace and the prevalence of Your Son's blood. For surely, if such crimson sins as mine may be made 'white as snow and as wool and if such a revolter as I am, be brought to eternal glory, the earth must, so far as it is known, be filled with wonder and heaven with praise and the greatest sinner may cheerfully apply for pardon, if I, the chief of sinners, find it. And, Oh, that, when I have lain mourning and as it were bleeding at Your feet, as long as You think it proper, You would at length heal this soul of mine which has sinned against You and give me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. O that You would at length restore unto me the joy of Your salvation and make me to hear songs of gladness, that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. Then, when a sense of Your forgiving love is shed abroad upon my heart and it is cheered with the voice of pardon, I

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will proclaim Your grace to others. I will teach transgressors Your ways and sinners shall be converted unto You those that have been backsliding from You shall be encouraged to seek You, by my happy experience, which I will gladly proclaim for Your glory, though it be to my own shame and confusion of face. And may this joy of the Lord be my strength, so that in it I may serve You henceforward with a vigor and zeal far beyond what I have hitherto known. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for Jesus' sake. 16.3.4 The Favour of God O Lord God, this I would ask with all humble submission to Your will. I presume not to insist upon it. If You should see fit to make me a warning to others, by appointing that I should walk all my days in darkness, and at last die under a cloud, Your will be done. But, O God, extend mercy, for Your Son's sake, to this sinful soul at last and give me some place, though it were at the feet of all Your other servants in the regions of glory. O bring me at length, though it should be through the gloomiest valley that any one ever passed, into that blessed world, where I shall depart from God no more where I shall wound my own conscience, and dishonour Your holy name no more. Then shall my tongue be loosed, how long so ever it might here be bound under the confusion of guilt and immortal praises shall be paid to that victorious blood which has redeemed such an infamous slave of sin as I must acknowledge myself to be and brought me, from returns into bondage and repeated pollution, to share the dignity and holiness of those who are kings and priests unto God. Amen. Out in the wilderness wild and drear, Sadly I've wandered for many a year, Driven by hunger and filled with fear, I will arise and go;

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Backward with sorrow my steps to trace, Seeking my heavenly Father's face, Willing to take but a servant's place, I will arise and go. Back to my Father and home, Back to my Father and home, I will arise and go Back to my Father and home. Why should I perish in dark despair, Here where there's no one to help or care, When there is shelter and food to spare? I will arise and go; Deeply repenting the wrong I've done, Worthy no more to be called a son, Hoping my Father His child may own, I will arise and go. Sweet are the memories that come to me, Faces of loved ones again I see, Visions of home where I used to be, I will arise and go; Others have gone who had wandered, too, They were forgiven, were clothed anew, Why should I linger with home in view? I will arise and go.

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O that I never had gone astray! Life was all radiant with hope one day, Now all its treasures I've thrown away, Yet I'll arise and go; Something is saying, "God loves you still, Tho' you have treated His love so ill," I must not wait, for the night grows chill, I will arise and go. (Thomas Chisholm) â&#x20AC;&#x153;The writer of "Great is Thy Faithfulness", 1914 selah

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17. The Hiding of God's face Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by. Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by. Let me at Thy throne of mercy, Find a sweet relief, Kneeling there in deep contrition; Help my unbelief. Trusting only in Thy merit, Would I seek Thy face; Heal my wounded, broken spirit, Save me by Thy grace. Thou the Spring of all my comfort, More than life to me, Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in Heav'n but Thee? (Fanny Crosby,1868)

17.1 Introduction The hiding of God's face is scriptural. It signifies the withdrawing of the tokens of the divine favour, chiefly as to spiritual

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considerations. This may become the case of any Christian and will be found to be a very sorrowful one. It may be spiritual distress, or indisposition of the body, or difficulties as to worldly circumstances. It must be considered as a merciful dispensation of God, to awaken and bestir the soul, and excite to a strict examination of conscience, and reformation of what has been amiss to be humble and patient while the trial continues, to go on steadily in the way of duty, to renew a believing application to the blood of Jesus. A humble supplication is made for one under these mournful exercises of mind, to proceed from the spiritual cause supposed.

17.2 God's Voice on the Hiding of God's face 1.

"Listen now! The Lord isn't too weak to save you. And he isn't getting deaf! He can hear you when you call! But the trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God. Because of sin he has turned his face away from you and will not listen anymore."

"Yet no one calls upon your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins."

"The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory."

"I will bless you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. At last I shall be fully satisfied."

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"Your eyes will see the King in his beauty and the highlands of heaven far away."

"Day and night I keep on weeping, crying for your help, but there is no reply - for you are holy. The praises of our fathers surrounded your throne; they trusted you and you delivered them. You heard their cries for help and saved them; they were never disappointed when they sought your aid."

"But I search in vain. I seek Him here, I seek Him there and cannot find Him. I seek Him in his workshop in the North but cannot find Him there; nor can I find Him in the South; there, too, He hides himself. But He knows every detail of what is happening to me; and when He has examined me, He will pronounce me completely innocent as pure as solid gold!"

"Dear brothers, ... comfort those who are frightened, take tender care of those who are weak."

"Then you will delight yourself in the Lord and look up to God. You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill all your promises to him. Whatever you wish will happen! And the light of heaven will shine upon the road ahead of you. If you are attacked and knocked down, you will know that there is someone who will lift you up again. Yes, He will save the humble and help even sinners by your pure hands."

10. "Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don't fret and worry-it only leads to harm."

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11. "Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along His pathway and in due season He will honor you with every blessing, and you will see the wicked destroyed." 12. "See, I will force you from your land just as Judah will be forced from hers; but afterwards I will return and have compassion on all of you and will bring you home to your own land again, each man to his inheritance." 13. "Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will He never again be favorable? Is His loving-kindness gone forever? Has His promise failed? Has He forgotten to be kind to one so undeserving? Has He slammed the door in anger on his love?" 14. "Yet there is one ray of hope: His compassion never ends. It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His loving-kindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in Him. The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him, to those who seek for Him. It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." 15. "For a brief moment I abandoned you. But with great compassion I will take you back. In a moment of anger I turned my face a little while; but with everlasting love I will have pity on you" says the Lord, your Redeemer.

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16. "Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized Him as He was breaking the bread." 17. "For since He himself has now been through suffering and temptation, He knows what it is like when we suffer and are tempted, and He is wonderfully able to help us." 18. "And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his scarf and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, "Why are you here, Elijah?" He replied again, "I have been working very hard for the Lord God of the armies of heaven, but the people have broken their covenant and have torn down your altars; they have killed every one of your prophets except me; and now they are trying to kill me too." Bible verses60

17.3 Prayer 17.3.1 Expressing inner self O Blessed God, with You is the fountain of life and of happiness. I adore Your name that I have ever tasted of Your streams that I have ever had the peculiar pleasure arising from the light of Your countenance and the shedding abroad of Your love in my soul. But alas! These delightful seasons are now to

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me no more and the remembrance of them engages me to pour out my soul within me. I would come, as I have formerly done and call You, with the same endearment, my Father and my God. But alas! I know not how to do it. Guilt and fears arise and forbid the delightful language. I seek You, O Lord, but I seek in vain. I would pray, but my lips are sealed up. I would read Your Word but all the promises of it are veiled from my eyes. I frequent those ordinances which have been formerly most nourishing and comfortable to my soul, but alas! they are only the shadows of ordinances: the substance is gone, the animating spirit is fled, and leaves them now, at best, but the image of what I once knew them. But, O Lord, I feel that You have cast me off forever and be favourable no more? Have You in awful judgment determined that my soul must be left to a perpetual winter, the sad emblem of eternal darkness? Indeed, I deserve it should be so. I acknowledge, O Lord, I deserve to be cast away from Your presence with disdain, to be sunk lower than I am, much lower. I deserve to have the shadow of death upon my eyelids and even to be surrounded with the thick gloom of the infernal prison. But have You not raised multitudes, who have deserved, like me, to be delivered from the chains of darkness to the vision of Your glory above, where no cloud can ever interpose between You and their rejoicing spirits? O Lord God, have mercy on me for Jesus sake. 17.3.2 Seeking God's mercy Have mercy upon me, O Lord, have mercy upon me, and though my iniquities have now justly caused You to hide Your face from me. Yet be rather pleased, agreeably to the gracious language of Your Word, to hide Your face from my sins and to blot out all my iniquities. Cheer my heart with the tokens of Your returning favour and say unto my soul, I am Your salvation.

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Remember, O Lord God, remember that dreadful day, in which Jesus Your dear Son endured what my sins have deserved. Remember that agony, in which He poured out His soul before You and said 'My God! My God! Why have You forsaken me?' Did He not, O Lord, endure all this, that humble penitents might, through Him, be brought near unto You, and might behold You with pleasure, as their Father and their God? Thus do I desire to come unto You. Blessed Saviour, have You not appointed to give unto them that mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness? O wash away my tears, anoint my head with the oil of gladness and clothe me with the garments of salvation. O that I knew where I might find You. O that I knew what it is that has angered You to depart from me. I am searching and trying my ways O that You would search me, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and if there be any wicked way in me, discover it and lead me in the way everlasting, in that way in which I may find rest and peace for my soul and feel the discoveries of Your love in Christ. O Lord, have mercy upon me. 17.3.3 Urging for God's face O God, You commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Speak but one Word and light shall come into my soul at once. Open my lips and my mouth shall show forth Your praise and shall burst out into a cheerful song, which shall display, before those whom my present dejection may have discouraged the pleasures and the supports of religion. Yet, O Lord, on the whole I submit to Your Will. If it is thus that my faith must be exercised, by walking in darkness for days, months and years to come, how long soever they may

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seem, how long so ever they may be, I submit. Still will I adore You as the God of Israel and the Saviour, though You are a God that hide Yourself. Still will I trust in the name of the Lord and stay myself upon my God, trusting in You, though You slay me and waiting for You more than they that watch for the morning, yea, more than they that watch for the morning. Peradventure in the evening time it may be light. I know O Lord, You have sometimes manifested Your compassion to Your dying servants and given them, in the lowest ebb of their natural spirits a full tide of divine glory, thus turning darkness into light before them. So may it please You to gild the valley of the shadow of death with the light of Your presence, when I am passing it and to stretch forth Your rod and staff to comfort me that my tremblings may cease and the gloom may echo with songs of praise. But if it be Your sovereign pleasure that distress and darkness should still continue to the last motion of my pulse and the last gasp of my breath, O let it cease with the parting struggle and bring me to that light which is sown for the righteous and to that gladness which is reserved for the upright in heart to the unclouded regions of everlasting splendor and joy, where the full anointing of Your Spirit shall be poured out upon all Your people and You will no more hide Your face from any of them. This, Lord, is Your salvation for which I am waiting and while I feel the desires of my soul drawn out after it, I will never despair of obtaining it. Continue and increase those desires and at length satisfy and exceed them through the riches of Your grace in Christ Jesus . Amen. selah

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18. The Heavy affliction Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul . My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! But, Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord! BlessĂ¨d hope, blessĂ¨d rest of my soul! And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul. (Horatio Spafford, 1873).

18.1 Introduction Afflictions are expected in Christian life. The righteous hand of God should be acknowledged and the afflictions must be borne with patience. The divine interference should be noticed through

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the afflictions and prayer must be made for displaying of appropriate conduct worthy of saints. We must gaurd ourselves, particularly against indifferent spirit and maintain thankfulness through and through, amidst the time duration of affliction. Counting of all the previous personal blessings and the Biblical deliverances, will boost up our faith to maintain a spirit of composure. The design of afflictions should be diligently inquired and all proper assistance should be taken in discovering the purpose and usefulness of trials. God promised61, that He will reveal the intent of afflictions in His own way. When the matter is made clear, then we should humbly comply and go through with the peace of mind.

18.2 The Holy Scripture's Voice 1.

"Misery comes upon them to punish them for sowing seeds of sin. Mankind heads for sin and misery as predictably as flames shoot upwards from a fire."

"Every time You punished us You were being perfectly fair; we have sinned so greatly that You gave us only what we deserved."

"We have been punished far less than we deserved."

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.

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"No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for usthey help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

He said, "My son, don't be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don't be discouraged when He has to show you where you are wrong. For when He punishes you, it proves that He loves you. When He whips you, it proves you are really his child."

"If you still won't listen to Me or obey Me, then I will let loose my great anger and send you seven times greater punishment for your sins."

"The punishment You gave me was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your laws. They are more valuable to me than millions in silver and gold!"

Bible verses.62

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18.3 Prayer 18.3.1 Inward Graoning O Supreme, yet all Righteous and Gracious Governor of the whole universe! Mean and inconsiderable as this little province of Your spacious empire may appear, You do not disregard the earth and its inhabitants, but attend to its concerns with the most condescending and gracious regard. You are reigning and I rejoice in it. I believe in Your providence and care and I firmly believe You are wise, holy and kind in everything which relates to me and to the circumstances of my abode in this world. I would look through all inferior causes unto You, whose eyes are upon all Your creatures. You at Your pleasure can exchange good times with bad times. You can turn the brightest noon into midnight and the darkest midnight into noon. O Wise and Merciful Governor of the world! I have often said that Your will be done and now Your will is painful to me. But shall I upon that account unsay what I have so often said? God forbid! I come rather to lay myself down at Your feet and to declare my full and free submission to all Your sacred pleasure. O Lord, You are just and righteous in all matters. I acknowledge that in Your venerable and awful presence that I have deserved this and ten thousand times more. I acknowledge that it is of Your mercy that I am not utterly consumed. Since I am alive still, proves Your care. O Lord, I most readily confess that the sins of one day of my life have merited all these chastisements and that every day of my life has been more or less sinful. Smite, therefore, O Righteous Judge and I will still adore You, that instead of the scourge, You have not given a commission to the sword to do all the dreadful work of justice and to pour out my blood in Your presence.

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O God, You are not only a Judge but You condescended so I could call You my Father and to speak of correction as the effect of Your love. I welcome those afflictions which are the tokens of Your paternal affection, the marks of my adoption into Your family. You know what discipline I need. Thank You, Jesus, Amen. 18.3.2 Make me understand You saw, O Lord that bundle of folly which is there in my heart. I am a poor, froward and thoughtless child. You know what rods and what strokes are needful to drive my folly away. I would therefore be in humble subjection to the Father of spirits, who chastened me for my profit and would be in subjection to Him and live. Give me grace, O Lord. I would bear Your strokes, not merely because I cannot resist them, but because I love and trust You. I would sweetly acquiesce and rest in Your will, as well as stoop to it and say, God is good all the time. Yes, Lord, I praise You, that You will show so much regard to me as to apply such remedies as these to the diseases of my mind and are thus kindly careful to train me up for glory. I have no objection against being afflicted, against being afflicted in this particular way. The cup which my Father puts into my hand shall I not drink it? By Your assistance and support I will. Only be pleased, O Lord, to stand by me and sometimes to grant me a favourable look in the midst of my sufferings. Support my soul, I beseech You, by Your consolations mingled with my tribulations and I shall glory in those tribulations that are thus allayed. It has been the experience of many, who have reflected on afflicted days with pleasure and have acknowledged that their comforts have swallowed up their sorrows. So also I take the position of the

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age old saints. Lord grant me Your grace. I acknowledge that Your mercies are not restrained. Your hand has not waxed short. O Lord, cure my my heart which is less tender and less sensible by the affliction. In Your own due time and in the way which You shall choose, work out deliverance for me and show me Your marvelous loving-kindness. For I well know, that how dark soever this night of affliction may seem, if You say, let there be light, there shall be light. But I would urge nothing before the time Your wisdom and goodness shall appoint. I am much more concerned that my afflictions may be sanctified than that they may be removed. For Jesus sake, Amen. 18.3.3 What is my Lesson? Number me, O God, among the happy persons whom, while You chasten, You teach out of Your law. As You purify me by the fire, which is painful to me while I am passing through it, Lord apply Your balm of the comfort of the Holy Spirit. May I be a glad partaker of Your holiness. You have purchased me and I am Yours. I am partaker of Your bounty every day and moment of my life. I am a partaker of Your Gospel and a partaker of its grace operating on my heart. O may it operate more and more that I may largely partake of Your holiness too, that I may come nearer and nearer in the proper temper of my mind to You, O blessed God. O Jesus, The Supreme Model of Perfection, let my soul be, as it were, melted, though with the intense heat or the furnace, if I may but thereby be made fit for being delivered into the mold of the Gospel and bearing Your bright and amiable image. O Lord, my soul longs for You. It cries out for the living God. In Your presence and under the support of Your love, I

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can bear anything and am willing to bear it, if I may grow more lovely in Your eyes and more meet for Your kingdom. The days of my affliction will have an end, the hour will at length come, when You will wipe away all my tears. Though it tarry, I would wait for it. My foolish heart, in the midst of all its trials, is ready to grow fond of this earth, disappointing and grievous as it is and graciously, O God, deal with me, in breaking those bonds that would tie me faster to it. O let my soul be girding itself up and, as it were, stretching its wings in expectation of that blessed hour when it shall drop all its sorrows and encumbrances at once and soar away to expatiate with infinite delight in the regions of liberty, peace and joy. For Jesus sake, Amen. selah

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PART VI

THE JUDGMENT AND THE DEATH

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PART VI: THE JUDGMENT AND THE DEATH 19. The Judgment and the death Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolations share, Till, from Mount Pisgah's lofty height, I view my home, and take my flight: This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise To seize the everlasting prize; And shout, while passing through the air. Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer! (William Walford, 1845)

19.1 Introduction Death and judgment are near, but the Christian has reason to welcome both. Yet nature recoils from the solemnity of them. We must reconcile the mind to the prospect of death from the considerations of the many evils that surround us in this mortal life, of the remainder of sin which we feel within us and of the happiness which is immediately to succeed death. A Christian must be willing to die in the most agreeable circumstances of human life. The Christian has reason to rejoice in the prospect of judgment, however awful it may be. Christ will then come to vindicate His honour to display His glory and to triumph over his enemies, to complete the happiness of every believer and of

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the whole church. A Christian's heart must be warm with these prospects. The Christian must die honourably and comfortably. With this view, it is advised to rid the mind of all earthly cares and renew the humiliation of the soul before God and its application to the blood of Christ. Also exercise patience under bodily pains and sorrows. Let it be our goal at leaving the world, we may bear an honourable testimony to our profession of faith in Christ to give a solemn charge to surviving friends, especially recommending faith in Christ. By keeping the promises of God in view, commit the departing spirit to God in the genuine exercises of gratitude and repentance, faith and charity.

19.2 The Holy Men's Voice 1.

"We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad".

He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water".

"In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him".

Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look", he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God".

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Bible verses 63

19.3 A Prayer for Honouring God O Supreme Ruler of the visible and invisible worlds, Sovereign of life and of death, of the earth and of heaven, blessed be Your name. I pour out my soul, my departing soul unto You. Bow down Your gracious ear, O God and let my cry come before You with acceptance. I acknowledge that the hour will come, when You will separate me from this world with which I have been so long and so familiarly acquainted, to lead me to another as yet unknown. Enable me, I beseech You to make the exchange as becomes a child of Abraham. May my death be like that of Jacob, Joseph, Moses and the old patriarchs. I acknowledge, O Lord, the justice of that sentence by which I am expiring. Help me turn it into a happy occasion of honouring You. I bless for Your appointed state for man. May my physical death glorify You abundantly. Gracious Father, may I not quit this physical life on my own. May I with my dying breath bear witness to Your faithful care. I have lacked no good thing so far. I thank You, O my God, for sparing me thus far. It has been maintained by Your rich variety of bounty. Thank You, Lord Jesus. I thank You, O Lord, that You have made my existence so pleasant to me. I thank You for the mercies of my days and nights, of my months and years. I thank You, O Lord, for the mercies of my infancy. You have given me good friends and family in the house of my pilgrimage. I thank You, for the living and the dead and for all the help I have received from others, and for all the opportunities which You have given me of being helpful to my body and soul.

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Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life and I have every reason to raise a thankful praise for the pleasant entertainments with which my table has been furnished by You. I have no reason to feel bad. O my God, I thank You, for Your bounties have never been exhausted. I adore Your mercy that You have taught me to entertain nobler views through Lord Jesus, Your Son. I bless You with all the powers of my nature that I ever heard His name and heard of His death. Thank You, O God, for the blood and righteousness of Lord Jesus and for that Blessed Spirit of Yours which You have given me to turn my sinful heart unto Yourself and to bring me into the bonds of Your covenant. I bless You, O Lord that I am not dying in an unregenerate and impenitent state. I thank You, for Your faithful ministers and for the Gospel ordinances. I thank You, for my Sabbaths and seasons of communion at the Table of my Lord. Remember Your Word unto Your servant on which You have caused me to hope. O God, now I am standing on the borders of both worlds. Now I view things as in the light of Your presence and of eternity. I have reason to look back with deep humiliation on a poor, unprofitable sinful life, in which I have daily been deserving to be cast into hell. But I have this one comfortable reflection that I have fled to the cross of Christ and I now renew my application to it. O Lord God, let me have my lot among the followers of Lord Jesus. O Lord, the infernal lion may attempt to dismay me in the awful passage, but I rejoice that I am in the hands of a good shepherd and I defy all my spiritual enemies in a cheerful dependence on Your faithful care, O Lord. I lift up my eyes and

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my heart to You, who was dead and is alive again. I worship You Lord Jesus, for You hold the keys of the death and of the unseen world. Blessed Jesus, I die by Your hand and I fear no harm from the hand of a Saviour. I fear not that death which is allotted to me by the hand of my dearest Lord, who himself died to make it safe and happy. I come, O Lord, I come, not only with a willing, but with a joyful consent. I thank You that You remembered me for good that You are breaking my chains and calling me to the glorious liberty of the children of God. I thank You, that You will no longer permit me to live at a distance from Your arms but, after this long absence will have me at home, at home for ever. Once more, for the last time, would I look down on this poor world which I am going to quit and breathe out my dying prayers for the prosperity of Your Church. I have loved it, O Lord, as a living member of the body. I love it to the last. I humbly beseech You, therefore, that You will guard it, purify it and unite it more and more. Send down more of Your Blessed Spirit upon it, even the Spirit of wisdom, of holiness and of love. In due time the wilderness be turned into the garden of the Lord and all flesh shall see Your salvation. As for me, bear me, O my Heavenly Father, on the wings of everlasting love to that peaceful, holy and joyous abode, which Your mercy has prepared for me, and which the blood of my Redeemer has purchased. Bear me to the general assembly and Church of the first-born, to the innumerable company of angels and to the spirits of just men made perfect. Whatever this flesh may suffer, let my steady soul be delightfully fixed on that glory to which it is rising. Let faith perform its last office in an honourable manner, O Lord.

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Let my few remaining moments on the earth be spent for Your glory and so let me ascend with love in my heart and praise on my faltering tongue to the world where love and praise shall be complete. Be this my last song on earth, which I am going to tune in heaven, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that is seated on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever" Amen.

selah

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THE WORLD EVANGELISATION

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PART VII: THE WORLD EVANGELISATION

20. Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Method Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve; Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze; By and by the harvest, and the labor ended, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master, Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves; When our weeping's over, He will bid us welcome, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. (Knowles Shaw, 1874)

20.1 Introduction Many may have taken different approaches to spread

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the Gospel of Lord Jesus. But the founder who died for the souls has His own method to expand His Kingdom. The method of expansion was demonstrated by the Apostles. By Apostles Way, there was no problem to penetrate into pioneering areas amidst persecution. Signs and wonders followed them. Multitudes were saved. Most of the Apostles were martyred. Saints never indulged in murmuring against God. With unspeakable joy the Church conducted all the affairs. So let us forsake all other methods and embrace the method of the Apostles to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth.

20.2 The Holy Word on Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Method 1.

"The harvest is so great, and the workers are so few", He told his disciples. "So pray to the one in charge of the harvesting, and ask Him to recruit more workers for His harvest fields."

"Ask, and you will be given what you ask for. For everyone who asks, receives."

"If even sinful persons like yourselves give children what they need, don't you realize that your heavenly Father will do at least as much, and give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him?"

"Don't forget to pray for us too, that God will give us many chances to preach the Good News of Christ for which I am here in jail. Pray that I will be bold enough to tell it freely and fully and make it plain, as, of course, I should".

Bible verses 64

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The method of Lord Jesus can be summarized as follows: 1) Prayer 2) Anointing of the Holy Spirit 3) The Study of the Scriptures 4) Preaching of God's word

20.3 Prayer Then Esther said to tell Mordecai: "Go and gather together all the Jews of Shushan and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; and I and my maids will do the same; and then, though it is strictly forbidden, I will go in to see the king; and if I perish, I perish"65 20.3.1 Make me a Labourer O Lord God, I thank You and praise You for raising innumerable men of God with mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit through out past history of humanity. Thank You, O Lord for their contribution in terms of the sacrifice of their lives, preaching and writings. O Lord, bless their genealogy. O Lord of the harvest of souls, I pray, kindly intensify Your work among us now and raise labourers to work in Your vineyard with much more vigour as the Devil has intensified his efforts of destroying men and women. I particularly beseech You to raise the prayer warriors. O Lord, train them in Your word by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. I pray, that I shall be given grace to endeavour to draw a more particular plan of that devout, regular and accurate course,

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which ought daily to be attended to become a labourer for Your kingdom. Grant me Your grace, O Lord, to endeavour to make the attempt, hard as it may seem and take caution against various temptations which might otherwise draw me aside to negligence and sin. Holy Spirit God, sprinkle the blood of Christ on me seven times. May I be committed to 1) Prayer, 2) Anointing of the Holy Spirit, 3) The Study of the Scriptures and 4) Preaching of God's Word. Notwithstanding all, the infirmities of my nature have prevailed and I have become sick, cold, and lukewarm, and deadness often sealed upon me by sensible degrees. O Lord, if I am not helped by You I will soon return into known and deliberate sin. Lord, have mercy upon me. O Lord God, I have in degrees have provoked the indwelling Spirit of God. O Lord I have injured Your Spirit to withdraw, and melancholy has dawned upon me often. But Your Word promised that the righteous people's path is like the dawning light, "shine more and more unto the perfect day." And therefore may I endeavour, in the best manner I can, and let there be the growth of grace in my heart, of grace, the lively exercise of love to God and a holy joy. May I be reminded that Your mercies tend to excite that love and joy. Blessed Spirit of God, quicken me to those vigorous efforts of usefulness in life by being a co-labourer with Christ. Let my character have efficacy in brightening my crown. Grant me O Lord, as a preacher I might properly preach sermons, in which the truths of Gospel are explained, taught and defended in a wide variety. I may speak in freer manner as a friend to a friend while presenting the Gospel. Above all make me a prayer warrior like Lord Jesus. O Lord, give me

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zeal like that of Paul, to work much harder than my contemporaries in spreading the Kingdom of God. O Lord God, may I tenderly love all sinners like Lord Jesus Christ, and endeavour to assist all in fervent prayer. Grant me grace to pray over my audiences and my work, and to commend them solemnly to the Divine blessing. May I be in deep conviction depend on You, O God. For Jesus sake grant my request, Amen. 20.3.2 Make me fish men This was Mordecai's reply to Esther: "Do you think, you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed? If you keep quiet at a time like this, God will deliver the Jews from some other source, but you and your relatives will die; what's more, who can say but that God has brought you into the palace for just such a time as this?"66 I pray, Lord God of heaven, O Great and Awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, for the children of men, and confess the sins which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded. Yet remember, O Lord, I pray, Your covenant. These are Your people, for You have said that all souls are Mine. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name and let Your servant

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prosper this day, and grant mercy as I pray. Holy Spirit God, sprinkle the blood of Christ on me seven times. O Lord God, I thank You for making man capable of knowing You. You have made man in Your image and in Your likeness. But our forefather by eating the forbidden fruit was driven out from the Paradise. Even then spirit is living but separated from You, so we shamefully neglected to know You. Even if some of us try to know You, we ended up making our own gods in our likeness, thus we have gone from bad to worse. Since we named gods which were not the Jehovah, the consequences were shown on our conduct in terms of drunkenness, lewdness, injustice, falsehood, pride, prodigality and base selfishness. We developed stupid insensibility about the spiritual, eternal interests of ourselves and others. To our shame we think, having great contempt for You, living profligate life is glory, rather than a reproach. Because not one, all of us are doing the same and congratulating and comforting each other saying God is not there, even if He is there, He is not looking at us, worse still, we think even if You see all our wrong doing, You are not going to do anything to us. O Lord God, some who entertain some fear about You, engage in some form of worship with idols and satisfy the shouting conscience. Yet amidst all this, there is nothing which looks like the genuine acting of the spiritual and the divine life. There is no appearance of true love to You, no reverence for Your presence, no desire for Your favour as the highest good. There is no cordial belief of the Gospel of salvation, no eager solicitude to escape that condemnation which we have incurred by sin, no hearty concern to secure that eternal life which Christ has purchased and secured for His people, which He freely promises to all who will receive Him.

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The absence of real religion is in so many thousands of mankind. O Lord, let this be cured, and all our other evils will easily be borne. Your Word says if this continues, it brings forth fruit unto death. In a few years, we will be swept away into utter destruction and be plunged beyond redemption, into everlasting burnings. Yet no one is lamenting this situation in public. But as the one saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, I mourn before You in secret under a sense of this sad state of things. I appeal to You on behalf of my fellow human beings, O Lord. O Lord, I acknowledge our everlasting happiness depends only on Christ's salvation. So O Lord, I beg You in response to my prayer enable me to awaken my generation to the consideration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through Divine grace, may I experimentally be acquainted with it, and I may be assisted to make a farther progress. 20.3.3 Manifest Apostle's Time I pray, O Lord that our generation may be pleased to give a serious and an active hearing to the Gospel. Let them not think that they can postpone or peruse at leisure, or be thought over in retirement. O Lord, grant sincerity and love from the heart. Give us importunity, till we arrive the expected end of the Gospel. Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them. Nothing is impossible withYou. O Lord, make us one with the spirit of the Apostles, those honoured servants of Christ, who, in the early days of Your church, were the benevolent and sympathizing instruments of conveying miraculous healing to those whose cases seemed desperate, who poured in upon the blind and the deaf the pleasures of light and sound, and called up the dead to the flowers of action and enjoyment. This is Your honour and happiness which You commonly bestow on mortal men who come to You through

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Jesus Christ. Now, Lord, grant to Your servants all boldness to speak Your Word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. Holy Spirit God sprinkle the blood of Christ on us seven times. In every age You have condescended to make instruments in conveying nobler and lasting blessings to their fellow humans. Miraculous healings were granted and recovered the empire of the grave. The faithful labours of Your faithful ministers in every age which produced blessed effects "being dead, yet speak" with power and success in this important cause. May my heart be enlarged, O Lord, to believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. So Lord, I want to address the vast number of thoughtless creatures who have hitherto been utterly unconcerned about the Gospel through prayer so that, You may give us tangible realizable opportunities, to lead them to Christ. I believe O Lord, as I pray, Your Spirit and Your Holy angels mysteriously awaken sinners from this fatal lethargy to a care about their souls, and to an affectionate and an immediate care. I may further labour to fix a deep and awful conviction of guilt upon everyone's conscience to strip them of their vain excuses and flattering hopes. O Lord I pray that I may press on to fix on their heart that sentence, that dreadful sentence, which You being a righteous and an Almighty God have pronounced against all sinners. Help me, O Lord, to endeavour to show them their helpless state where they lie under condemnation, and by themselves they have no capacity of delivering. But may I not leave any in terrible a situation. I may joyfully proclaim the glad tidings of pardon and salvation by Christ Jesus our Lord, which is all the support and

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confidence of my own soul. Lord, inspire our generation that they may view the way by which this salvation is to be obtained. I may urge the sinner to accept it affectionately. Help me address people as compassionately as I can, even a most contrary character, to a soul overwhelmed with a sense of greatness of sins, and souls that are trembling under the burden of sins. May I assure by Your grace, the perishing humanity that there is still hope in the God of the Bible. I may not omit which give solid peace to the troubled spirit, and I may endeavour to guide people to a sincere repentance and faith. Lord Jesus when the souls are saved by these humble labours of mine, I may be given grace to proceed further to illustrate a more particular view of the several branches of the Christian temper to show them what they should labour. O Lord, by Your grace I may naturally lead them to the need of the influences of the Blessed Spirit to assist them in the important and difficult work of the true Christian and of the encouragement they have to hope in divine assistance. Let not anyone blaspheme Your name, O Lord, having been born-again, rather I shall urge everyone to a solemn dedication to God to be confirmed by entering into a communion of the church, and an approach to the sacred table, that these engagements may be more happily fulfilled. For Jesus' sake, Amen. selah

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21. The Rebellion against the Gospel Thou didst once a wretch behold, In rebellion blindly bold, Scorn Thy grace, Thy power defy: That poor rebel, Lord, was I. Once a sinner, near despair, Sought Thy mercy seat by prayer; Mercy heard, and set him free: Lord, that mercy came to me. (John Newton) The author of Amazing Grace, 1779

21.1 Introduction The whole world religion is expected to rebel against the Gospel because it is entirely by grace. But the saved ones know the beauty of the Gospel. It is fatal for anyone to reject the Gospel and / or try to add some works to it. A compassionate prayer must be offered to God on behalf of those deceived by the Devil and false teachings, who have determined to reject the Gospel. Let us believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than man's heart, however hard it may be. History has many proofs of God transforming tough characters by simple yet costly Gospel through the earnest prayers of the saints. Let us take up the Challenge. The tougher the case, the greater the glory revealed.

21.2 The Voice of God on the Rebellion 1.

"Dear brothers, the longing of my heart and my prayer is that the Jewish people might be saved."

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"O Israel, my people! O my Jewish brothers! How I long for you to come to Christ. My heart is heavy within me, and I grieve bitterly day and night because of you. Christ knows and the Holy Spirit knows that it is no mere pretense when I say that I would be willing to be forever damned if that would save you."

Listen, O heaven and earth, to what the Lord is saying: "The children I raised and cared for so long and tenderly have turned against Me. Even the animals-the donkey and the ox-know their owner and appreciate His care for them, but not My people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still don't care."

"You stiff-necked heathen! Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit?"

"O Belshazzar-you knew all this, yet you have not been humble. For you have defied the Lord of Heaven."

"We played wedding and you weren't happy, so we played funeral but you weren't sad."

"You must give them My messages whether they listen or not (but they won't, for they are utter rebels)."

"When the Jews opposed him and blasphemed, hurling abuse at Jesus, Paul shook off the dust from his robe and said, "Your blood be upon your own heads-I am innocent-from now on I will preach to the Gentiles."

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"How strong and courageous will you be then, in My day of reckoning? For I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do all that I have said."

Bible verses67

21.3 Prayer 21.3.1 Destroy the Rebellion O Lord our God, I acknowledge that our rebellion against Your son Jesus led our present world to the state of misery described by terrorism, atrocities against women and children. Drug trafficking, and flesh trade are flourishing in our generation right now, O Lord. The gap between the poor and the rich is increasing day by day. No statesman, technocrat, bureaucrat or politician is able to give any hope of recovery. O Lord, our situation is as enumerated in Your Word. The present day evil that has come upon our generation is far beyond we can bear, O Lord. I know O Lord, that it is but an insignificant matter for the whirlwind to handle the vapour. Apostle James has informed us that human life is like a vapour. So, O Blessed Spirit of God, the Omnipotent rushing mighty wind, I pray, kindly sweep across the huge mountain of evil of our generation which is evolved by our sinful thoughts and deeds, with Your usual force. O Lord, help us to get in touch with reality. O Lord God, our world is invaded by Satan and his forces more mightily than the cunning scheme that he used against Adam in the garden of Eden. He has come upon us with the teeth of lion. He has ruined our vineyards, stripped our orchids. Worship has come to standstill in the sanctuary. Preachers are at loss.

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God's ministers do not know what to do. The fields are sterile. The very ground grieves. The wheat fields are lifeless, and olive oil is gone. All crops have failed. Fig trees withered. Everywhere is dead wood. Joy is dried up and withered in the hearts of men. O Lord, You have arrived with Your judgment upon our nations, yet the sea of humanity is looking elsewhere for the solution. Animals are groaning. There is nothing for them to eat. Fields are burning. Temperature of the earth is increasing day by day. Cancer has become the order of the day. Diseases which we never knew are coming on us. Water scarcity has dried up the ground. It is a black day and dooms day for us. No silver lining on clouds. No hope of rain. Eden has turned out to be a death valley. Our houses are looted. Enemy army is breaking through our windows smashing the doors. The size of the enemy army is very great. O Lord, we have no way of escape or survival. But You have said, "Even now come back to Me, feel sorry for sins". You have declared that You are kind and merciful. You being the most patient God, You alone can swallow our misery. Your extravagant love alone can cancel the catastrophe. Have mercy on us, O God. Like Lot, I beg You to be kind to us and save our life. O Lord, grant us mercy. May God Almighty, give us mercy in the present condition. Be pleased to meet with us and talk with us from above the place of mercy seat. O Lord God, remember Your covenant in Christ's blood. Grant us mercy, O Lord, to enter into the Holy Place behind the veil where the Ark and the place of mercy are, and where You Yourself are present in the cloud above the place of mercy. O Lord God, I come with the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are

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oppressed by a fierce and angry enemy who is not showing any mercy upon young or old. O Lord our God, You alone can rescue us from our captivity. Have mercy upon us, O Lord. 21.3.2 Raise Mighty Force I acknowledge that we have abandoned Jehovah, the God who loved us and worshiped gods that were not God. So the anger of the Lord flamed out against all. We are left to the mercy of our enemies, for we have departed from Jehovah and are worshiping Baal and the Ashtaroth idols. O Lord, like Samson we are longing even for ordinary water. You have given Israel a wonderful deliverance in the past. Why should we now die of thirst and fall to the mercy of our enemies. O Lord, may I remind You, when Samuel prayed, You have sent a man from the land of Benjamin to deliver Israel. O Lord, I plead for rising anointed leaders to come forth with force of Pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit. Let my cry reach Your ears and look down on us in mercy. Lord, You are noted for Your wonderful deliverance. Remember us, O Lord. O Lord God, Your mercy is greater than anything else. Have mercy on us, O Lord, don't destroy us. I give thanks to You, for Your constant love and mercy. You have said that You will never remove Your mercy and love to the house of David. I cry out to You, O Lord, for mercy. O Lord God, You have said, "If you turn to Me again, you and your children will be treated mercifully by your captors, and you will be able to recover". O Blessed Holy Spirit, You through the mouth of Ezra, declared to us, "For the Lord Your God is full of kindness and mercy and will not continue to turn away His face from You if you return to Him. He is good, and His love and mercy will last forever".

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So, O God, have mercy on us. Hear my prayer. I come into Your Temple protected by Your mercy and Your love. All of us who know Your mercy, O Lord, we count on You for help. For You have never yet forsaken those who trust in You. Now, O Lord, have mercy on us and see how we suffer at the hands of those who hate us. Lord, snatch us back from the jaws of death. Overlook our youthful sins. O Lord, look at us through the eyes of mercy and forgiveness, through the eyes of everlasting love and kindness. Come, O Lord, and show us Your mercy, for we are helpless, overwhelmed, in deep distress. Listen to our troubles and the crisis in our soul. O Lord, have mercy on us in our anguish. Our eyes are red from weeping. Our health is broken from sorrow. We are pining away with grief. Our years are shortened, drained away because of sadness. Our sins have sapped our strength. We stoop with sorrow and with shame. We have committed adultery and murder through abortions. O loving and kind God, have mercy on us. Have pity upon us and take away the awful stain of our transgressions. Lord, have mercy on us. All day long the enemy troops press in. Many are proud to fight against us. O God, in mercy bless us. Let Your face beam with joy as You look down at us. O Jehovah, answer my prayers, for Your loving-kindness is wonderful. Your mercy is so plentiful, so tender and so kind. O God, our Defender and our Shield, have mercy on the one You have anointed as our kings. O Lord, You are so good and kind, so ready to forgive, so full of mercy for all who ask Your aid. I beg Your help, O Lord. I reach my pleading hands to You, for mercy. Your throne is founded on strong pillars of Justice and Righteousness. Mercy and Truth walk before You as Your attendants. I know that You will come and have mercy on

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us. Who can forget Your wonders - deeds of mercy and of grace? Lord, Your mercy is great. Give back our life again, O Lord. 21.3.3 Lord, Show us Mercy O Lord, look down from heaven and see us from Your holy, and glorious home. Where is the love for us You used to show Your power, Your mercy, and Your compassion? Where are they now, O Lord? Lord be merciful and drive out the cloud of Your anger. Like the blind men I cry out, "Jesus, O Son of King David, have mercy on us." Like the Canaanite woman I plead, have mercy on us, O Lord, King David's Son. For our sons and daughters have a demon within them, and it torments them constantly. Have mercy on our children, for they are mentally deranged and in great trouble, for they often fall into the fire or into the water. O Lord, Your Word says, Your mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who reverence You. The mercy of our God is very tender, and heaven's dawn is about to break upon us. Anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved. Our Lord Jesus brought forgiveness to many through God's mercy. So I come boldly to the very throne of Yours, O God and stay there to receive Your mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need. Take us into that inner room, the Holy of Holies, and where the blood of Christ is sprinkled on the mercy seat by the Eternal Spirit. O Lord, by Your sovereign power, if it pleases You, You can shatter the hearts of unbelief and impenitence and save people through us. The One who made the souls, can also change them and can cause the sword of conviction to come near and enter in. In Your infinite wisdom and love, You may interpose, and

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save sinners from death, from eternal death. O that, if it be Your blessed Will, kindly immediately do it, O Lord. You know, O God, men and women are dying. You know that if any thing be done, it must be done quickly. As Your sacred Spirit is working, may I travail in prayer and join in serious effort in expanding the kingdom of God on this earth. Work, O God, by whatever method pleases You. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy upon these people who do not think the depths of damnation and ruin. They have pitched their tents in front of the mouth of the hell. If it be necessary, and seem to You most expedient, use any depths of calamity and distress! Like the way, You dealt with Manasseh, taken in the thorns, and laden with the fetters of affliction, deal with all if that may cause to seek the God of our fathers68 O Lord, hitherto, You have displayed Your power in glorious and astonishing instances; for which I thank You that I have so circumstantially known. Where people with fortified unbelief pronounced that it is impossible, You have actually accomplished deliverance. Therefore, O Lord God, glorify Your name. O Lord glorify Your grace, in the method which to Your infinite wisdom shall seem most expedient. Only grant, I beseech You, with all humble submission to Your Will, that sinners may be saved, or if not, that the labour of these prayers may not be altogether in vain, but that if some reject, others may hearken and live because I prayed without ceasing. So, having noted from Your Word, the mighty results in response to prayer, I, instead of wasting time in speculations, knowing the power of prayer resorted to these prayers. For this activity of prayer, O Blessed Jesus, in the day in which You shall judge the secrets of all hearts whether I successfully preached Your Gospel or not, may this unworthy messenger be unto God a sweet savor

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in Christ69 Meanwhile as long as my breath remains in my body, grant me grace to make every attempt unashamedly to seek opportunities to spread the Gospel. For Jesus sake, Amen. selah

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22. The Encouragement from the LORD 1.

"Now go ahead and do as I tell you, for I will help you to speak well, and I will tell you what to say."

"There is none like the God of Jerusalem - He descends from the heavens in majestic splendor to help you."

"Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."

"I am holding you by your right hand-I, the Lord your God-and I say to you, Don't be afraid; I am here to help you. Despised though you are, fear not, O Israel; for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer; I am the Holy One of Israel."

The Lord says, "Your request has come at a favorable time. I will keep you from harm and give you ... proof that I will reestablish. I am giving you your freedom! I will make my mountains into level paths; the highways shall be raised above the valleys."

It is a Blasphemy to Disbelieve God70, 71 1.

"God is not a man, that he should lie; He doesn't change his mind like humans do. Has he ever promised, without doing what he said?" "He has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to him to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now they can know without doubt that he will give them the salvation he has promised them."

PART VIII

CONCLUSION

PART VIII: CONCLUSION

Lord, teach us how to pray aright, With reverence and with fear; Though dust and ashes in Thy sight, We may, we must draw near. We perish if we cease from prayer; O grant us power to pray; And when to meet Thee we prepare, Lord, meet us by the way. God of all grace, we come to Thee With broken, contrite hearts; Give what Thine eye delights to see, Truth in the inward parts. Faith in the only sacrifice That can for sin atone; To cast our hopes, to fix our eyes, On Christ, on Christ alone. Patience to watch, and wait, and weep, Though mercy long delay; Courage our fainting souls to keep, And trust Thee though Thou slay. Give these, and then Thy will be done, Thus, strengthened with all might, We, through Thy Spirit and Thy Son, Shall pray, and pray aright. (James Montgomery, 1818)

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Let us pay heed to the Word of Lord Jesus. He said, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers"72 Satan is not going to spare any child of God. But Lord Jesus encourages that the "prayer of faith" will surely come to our rescue. There is a big link between faith and prayer. Faith is gained by the Word of God, and such faith is strengthened by prayer for practical use. A faith that does not lead us to pray is delusion. Prayer is the breath of the New man. Let us keep the new man alive by heartfelt prayers without ceasing.

Quote from C. H.Spurgeon: Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the kingdom of God. "Ask and ye shall receive." (John 16:24). It is a rule that will never be altered in anybody's case. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the elder brother of the family, but God has not relaxed the rule even for Him. Remember this text: Jehovah says to His own Son, "Ask of me, and I shall give You the heathen for Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession." (Psa 2:8). If the royal and divine Son of God cannot be exempted from the rule of asking that He may have, you and I cannot expect the rule to be relaxed in our favour. Why should it be? What reason can be given; why we should be exempted from prayer? What argument can there be why we should be

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deprived of the privilege and delivered from the necessity of supplication? I can see none; can you? God will bless Elijah and send rain on Israel, but Elijah must pray for it. If the chosen nation is to prosper, Samuel must plead for it. If the Jews are to be delivered, Daniel must intercede. God will bless Paul, and the nations will be converted through him but Paul must pray. Indeed, he did pray without ceasing; his epistles show that he expected nothing except by asking for it. If you may have everything by asking, and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how absolutely vital prayer is, and I beseech you to abound in it. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels descending bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love. (Fanny Crosby, 1873)

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NOTES 1

I Sam 12:23-24.

Col 4:12-13.

Mark 1:35.

Psalm 130:7.

Psalm 91:1-2.

Heb 5:12f. (TLB).

Isa 52:5.

Heb 5:7.

Matt 1:21.

Luke 23:28.

Jam 5:16ff.

Heb.6:1 (TLB).

Heb 4:16. TLB.

Matt.9:37f.

Isa 66:8.

Eccl 5:2; Hos 14:2.

Psa. 37:4. Psa 37:5; 2 Thess 3:6; 1 Pet 4:11. 19 Job 42:10f.; Matt 6:6. 18

1 Thes 3:10; 5:17; 2 Cor 13:7; Eph 1:18; 3:16; 6:18; 3:17; 6:19; 6:20; Phil 1:4; Col 1:10; 4:3; 4:4; 2 Thess 1:11; 1:12; 3:2; 1 Tim 5:5; 2 Thess 3:1;Phil 6; Jam 5:13; 5:14; 5:16; 3 John 2; Jude 20.

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Eph 6:18.

Eph 6:12.

All Bible verses are from "The Message Bible" unless otherwise mentioned. Speak aloud these verses meditatively. God's world will appear when we pronounce the Word of God with faith.

Matt 11:28ff.; Psa 45:10; Rev 3:3; Ezek 18:23; Luke 15:7,10; 2 Cor 5:19 (TLB); Luke 5:31f. (TLB)

John 1:29, 3:16.

Heb 9:13f.; 1 John 1:8f.; 1 John 1:7; Prov 28:13. NIV.

Isaiah 1:18.

NIV.

NIV, Rom 6:6; Rom 8:11; TLB, Rom 8:12f.

Exodus 15:13.

Isa 42:16.

Isaiah 53:5.

Matt 4:24.

Matt. 22:37ff.; John 21:15ff.; Rev.2:4f.

Eph 4:23f.; 2 Peter 1:2; Phil 2:13; Rom 8:6(TLB).

1 Sam 16:7.

Prov.4:23.

Mark 7:20f.

Jer 17:9.

Isaiah 40:11, 57:15, 60:5.

Matt 7:12.

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Acts 2:1ff. (TLB).

Eph 5:18; Luke 11:13; Exod 31:1f.; Acts 6:8.(TLB); Phil 1:6; Phil 1:19 (ASV); John 1:16.(TLB).

Psalm 18:50. 20:6.

Isaiah 10:27.

Luke 24:35; Exod 33:18f.; Psa 85:8.(NIV); Psa 119:103; 1 Sam 3:10; Matt 13:16f. 47

Matt 11:28; John 6:51ff.; 1 Cor 11:24f.; John 6:63.

Matt 28:20.

2 Cor 8:9.

Heb 7:26.

Rom 8:31f.

James 2:23; Gen 5:21; Amos 3:3; Heb 13:5.

Num 32:9; Job 4:3ff. 1 Cor 16:13; Gal 5:17f.; Heb 10:35f.; Heb 2:10f.; 2 Kin 6:16. 54

Job 7:1; Matt 26:41; 1 Peter 5:8; Matt 13:19ff. James 1:14ff.; 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Peter 1:13(RSV); Rom 15:3; Heb 12:3f. .

Psa 37:4; Deut 30:7ff.; Psa 149:4; Isa 42:1; 61:10.

Eph 1:4ff.; 1:11ff.; Eph 1:14.

Jude 3; 2 Tim 4:7; 4:16.

Prov 4:18f.; Hos 7:9f.; 2 Cor 5:15; Psa 51:7ff.

Matt 26:33ff.; Matt 26:40f.; Matt 26:74f.; Rom 11:20; Psa 38:3ff.; Jer 3:13; Psa 119:176. 60

Isa 59:1ff.; Isa 64:7; Psa 27:4; Psa 63:4f.; Isa 33:17; Psa 22:1ff.; Job 23:8ff.; 1 Thess 5:14; Job 22:26 ff.; Psa 37:8;

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Psa 37:34; Jer 12:14f.; Psa 77:6ff.; Lam 3:21ff.; Isa 54:7f.; Luke 24:35; Heb 2:18; 1 Kings 19:12ff. 61

Jer 33:3.

Job 5:6f.; Neh 9:33; Ezra 9:13; James 1:2ff.; 1 Thess 5:18; Rom 5:3ff.; Heb 12:5f.; Lev 26:27f.; Psa 119:71. 63

2 Cor 5:10; Rev 14:7; 1 John 4:17; Acts 7:55.

Matt 9:37f.; 7:7f.; Luke 11:13; Col 4:3f.

Esther 4:15f. (TLB) .

Esther 4:13f. (TLB).

Rom 10:1; Rom 9:1; Isa 1:2f.; Acts 7:51; Dan 5:22f.; Matt.11:17; Ezek 2:7; Acts 18:6; Ezek 22:14.

2 Chron. 33:11f.

Rom.2:16; 2 Cor.2:15.

Exod 4:12; Deut 33:26; Isa 41:10; 41:13f.; 49:8ff.

Num 23:19; Heb 6:18.

Luke 22:31f.

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