An authentic prayer by Thomas Merton

Prayers can be contrived at times, but they can also be deeply authentic. Take this famous prayer by Thomas Merton as an example. There is so much heart and honesty in his words, that I feel we all can relate to his thoughts.

"My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore, will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone." - Thomas Merton

Hebrews 5:7 - While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.

Living in Grace

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When we have no intention of following through with action

There are few things more annoying than someone who promises to do something and then intentionally doesn't do it. I am not speaking about times when we genuinely forget to do something, because this happens to us all, at some point in time. 

What I mean is when someone says "Yes, I will do it" but actually has no will or intention to commit to any action. That can make us all mad!

And I think it also got under Jesus' skin too. Listen to what he says: 

"Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46)

I think he was used to people being excited about the idea of following him, but then never committing to the journey of discipleship. 

1 Samuel 15:22 - But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

“Discipleship is not an option. Jesus says that if anyone would come after me, he must follow me.” - Timothy Keller

Living in Grace

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Self-sufficiency. Is it a good or bad thing?

We live in a world we where have been taught to, 'fend for ourselves', 'don't trust anyone', 'no one can do this as good as you can', and 'look after number one!' 

While these may be helpful at certain times in our lives, they are not a good recipe for following Jesus. As William Barclay points out: “The one thing that shuts a person off from God is self-sufficiency.” 

When we tell God that we are 'okay' and that we don't need Him, then I feel that God obliges and lets us get on with things on our own steam. In my experience, this usually ends up with me crawling back to God, embarrassed at my own ego.

Psalm 70:5 - But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.

2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Living in Grace

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An unexpected ending to a dinner party

When Jesus accepted the dinner invitation to Simon the Pharisee's house, I wonder if he had any idea how the evening would pan out? I am sure that Simon definitely didn't imagine how the meal would end up.

If you would like to read the full story, then please follow in Luke 6:36-50. In summary, a sinful woman interrupts the dinner to weep over Jesus and to anoint his feet with expensive perfume. In modern times, this incident would have caused such a stir that people would have posted videos of her actions all over the internet. Simon is stunned, but Jesus sees into the broken heart of the woman and forgives her sins. 

When Matthew Henry reflected on this passage he wrote - "None can truly perceive how precious Christ is, and the glory of the gospel, except the broken-hearted." 

He implies that when are hearts are broken and stepped upon, the compassion of Jesus is precious beyond measure. He is all we need. 

Living in Grace

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Panic. Breathe. Remember. Pray. Move

Panic. Breathe. Remember. Pray. Move.

These 5 words could help us when we are confronted by difficult situations in our lives. In reality, most of us are tempted to hit the panic button when we come up against challenging circumstances. The idea of running away seems a lot more plausible than standing our ground.

In these moments, we are tempted to focus on our immediate circumstances instead of remembering God’s power. In Mark 8:14-21, Jesus reminds us that faith is about trusting what we have already seen of Him. The disciples had seen tangible proof of Jesus’ power, yet they struggled to trust Him fully. Does this sound familiar at all?

It was clear that Jesus' past faithfulness hadn't helped them realize that God's help would be available in the present. They failed to understand this, which revealed their shaky faith. It would be good for us to look back at uncertain moments in our lives and to remember how God stood with us.

If you would like to listen to a podcast about Mark 8, then you are welcome to click here. 

Living in Grace

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What is God really like?

What is God really like?

This question has been on the lips of millions of people over the millennia. And as much as we can delve deeper into this question, the answer is staggeringly simple. 

Jesus said: Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). 

In other words, if we want to understand who God is, all we need to do is study Jesus. If we can comprehend the nature and 'person' of Jesus, then we will have a best foundation to understand Yahweh. The apostle Paul actually put it like this:

Colossians 1:15: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

Thought: If you want to discover what God is really like, please don't look at other people (pastors included) - rather study the life and person of Jesus.

Living in Grace

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Search me and know my anxious thoughts

I have often felt that this prayer in Psalm 139 has to one of the bravest prayers I know.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24

To invite God to search the core of our being is to have complete trust in the mercy of God. Intellectually we may understand that we can't hide from God, so to ask God to 'know' our hearts, and our anxious thoughts, is really to stop running and to be still before God. That can be scary, but it doesn't need to be. 

If we are serious about walking in the ways of Christ, we need to be willing to be completely vulnerable before our Maker. What do you feel?

Jeremiah prayed a similar prayer: But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. (Jeremiah 12:3)

Living in Grace

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