Grant me, O Lord

Thomas a Kempis was someone who prayed bold prayers. His life was a witness to Jesus, and he left an incredible legacy in his book The Imitation of Christ. Here is one of his prayers:

"Grant me, O Lord,
To know what is worth knowing
To love what is worth loving
To praise what delights you most
To value what is precious in your sight
To hate what is offensive to you.
May I search out and do what pleases you, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Psalm 17:1 - O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.

Living in Grace

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Standing in the need of prayer

"It’s me, It’s me oh Lord
I’m standing in the need
(I am standing in the need of prayer)
In the need of prayer
It is me
It’s me oh Lord
(I am standing in the need of prayer) I’m standing in the need
Of prayer" - John Kee

This old-time spiritual song reminds us that we can bring our lives and hearts to the Lord. God is always ready to listen to our prayers.

Romans 1:9 - God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

Living in Grace

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What is your prayer for today?

What is your prayer for today? 

For some of us, it may be: "Lord, please get me through this day?" or maybe even: "Guide me through the next 12 hours and grant me the strength to still be standing at the end!"

The French philosopher, Blaise Pascal wrote some interesting words, that I feel were meant to be a prayer:

"Lord, help me to do great things as though they were little, since I do them with your power;
and little things as though they were great, since I do them in your name."

Whether we are attempting little things or great things, may we do it for the glory of God.

1 Kings 8:54 - When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.

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My Stronghold and Refuge

David said the words of this song to Adonai on the day Adonai delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from the power of Saul. He said:

“Adonai is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer,
3 the God who is my Rock, in whom I find shelter,
my shield, the power that saves me,
my stronghold and my refuge.
My savior, you have saved me from violence.
4 I call on Adonai, who is worthy of praise;
and I am saved from my enemies." - 2 Samuel 22:2-4

There are 2 interesting words that stand out from these reading today.

Stronghold - this is a place that is difficult for our enemies to access. In David's time this would have been a physical place, but it can also be a spiritual castle. God is our Stronghold!

Refuge - this is obviously a place of safety and where we can escape to. This place offers us a chance to hide away, but also to recoup and gather our strength for the next battle ahead. 

May God be your Stronghold and Refuge today. 

Living in Grace

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Wisdom for the ages

I ended up reading and reflecting on Proverbs 16 this week. There are some remarkable pearls of wisdom in this chapter. These are the few that really stood out for me.

We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.

2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.

3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.

9 - We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.

Have a blessed day and I pray that God would direct your paths.

Living in Grace

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Love on its knees

I was reading an old book called Prayers for Busy People, written by Rita Snowden, in 1978. She mentions in the opening pages, a quote from Dr Harry Fosdick, who speaks about Intercessory prayer as 'love on its knees.' 

Don't you love that? Love on its knees.

When we pray for other people, we are offering a form of love on our knees. The posture is humility, and we are showing our concern and love for people who desperately need our prayers. 

The next time you start to intercede for someone, think about this beautiful gift. You are offering other people your love (and God's love), while on your knees.

Living in Grace

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Dealing with Disappointment

Dealing with Disappointment!

How do we deal with one of life's guarantees? Having to experience disappointment is the one thing that we will all go through in life.  It is not easy, but we will all need to embrace it at some point in our lives. 

This last weekend, my son and I got to experience this firsthand. We had just disembarked from the train, when we heard that the Cape Town Marathon had been cancelled. Initially all of the runners thought it was some kind of hoax, but as we walked towards the start line, we realised it was true. We could not believe it. The disappointment in the air was palpable, and very soon the adrenaline seeped out of our bodies. The race was done, even before we started.

So, how do we all deal with disappointment? Eliza Tabor once wrote:

“Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.”

Well, I trust that this will be true in some way. However, the Bible writers add something else to the mix.

Romans 5:4 - "And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

1 Samuel 15:11 - Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. (The Message)

I like this attitude - praying our disappointment. If anyone knows the impact of disappointment it is God. We can take all of our 'deferred hopes' to him and trust that he will revive our spirits.

Living in Grace

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How I pray

I am not sure what went through your mind when you saw the title of today's post? Sadly, I am not going to give you a special prayer formula or even tell you how I pray. Instead, I am going to pass on these words from Thomas Merton, as I found them very helpful. In his work, Day of a Stranger, he wrote:

"What I wear is pants. What I do is live. How I pray is breathe."

His insight is almost so simple, that I nearly missed his point. Prayer doesn't need to be complicated at all. We simply need to acknowledge that every breath we take is an act of prayer - it is an offering to our Creator; it is a submission to our Saviour. 

Job 33:4 - For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Living in Grace

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Holding my eyelids open

Have you ever been so tired that you started searching for matchsticks to try and keep your eyelids open? Well, then you can relate to the words of Asaph in Psalm 77. He speaks to the Lord, suggesting:

"You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray!" (v.4)

However, in the words of Robert Alter, the original meaning is more like "you held open my eyelids." 

Personally, I don't believe God would do this, but the word-picture does help us to grasp the writer's distress. He is so tired and distressed that he can't sleep or pray. We can relate to this.

Thankfully, the Lord does come to his rescue and the mood of the Psalm changes. God will also come to our rescue, but we may hold on for a little longer. God promises that His eyes will never shut - He is always watching out for us.

Psalm 132:4 - I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber

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I have had enough!

"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said." - 1 Kings 19:3-4

These words of Elijah stopped me in my tracks this week. How often do we feel like Elijah felt on that day? We come to the end of our tether and there is so much going around us, that we just want to scream: I Have Had Enough!

Elijah's story was obviously very unique, but I think we get it! We can relate to his sense of desperation and despair. What do you do when you reach this stage in your life? Is crying out to God an option for you, or do you try and shoulder everything alone? 

Elijah realised that he had come to the end of his human strength and so he was forced to lie down and let God take over. And God lovingly restored him and nudged him back onto the path again.

2 Corinthians 4:8 - "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair..."

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Keeping company with God

Prayer is fundamentally about a fostering a deep relationship with God. As Clement of Alexandria described it: "prayer is happy company with God.”

One of the greatest compliments we could ever be given is that we are people who keep company with God. Enoch was one of these people and it was mentioned that he walked faithfully with God.

Genesis 5:24 - "Enoch walked faithfully with God..."

Philip Yancey added another dimension to these powerful words by suggesting that 'prayer means keeping company with a God who is already present."

Action: How are you able to keep company with God today?

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What to do when one feels spiritually and emotionally exhausted.

Hi there fellow pilgrim and friend. I am always skeptical of people who never seem to face difficulties in their lives. It just seems surreal to me. What I really relate to is when someone of deep faith is able to humbly admit that life doesn't always go according to plan. Honesty and authenticity immediately get my attention. 

In my experience, following Jesus has often been tough. Of course, there have been remarkable times of joy and victory, celebration and peace, but there have also been a fair share of the opposite. I am thankful that during these times I have been taught to cling to God and to hold onto Him for security and refuge. I have learnt that there is no shame in resting in the presence of One far greater than myself.

Listen to these words from Francois Fenelon, as he gives us a pattern for holding onto Christ.

"At times, everything in life seems to be a trial and suffering. Sometimes the cross is so heavy it can neither be carried nor dragged. Then you can only fall down beneath it, overwhelmed and exhausted."

The important thing is where we rest and that we remember to look up from where we find ourselves.

Psalm 62:8 - O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Living in Grace

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A changed world

"A changed world begins with us … and a changed us begins when we pray." - Eugene Peterson

These words are profoundly simple. I wish more of us could believe that we are changed through prayer, and that when we are changed, the world can also change.

What do you think? Is this too simple?

Living in grace

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I apologise for the lack of blogs the past few days. I have had a number of commitments that have taken me away from my desk. I hope to be a little more consistent next week :) 

Being watchful

To be 'watchful' is to be alert and vigilant. 

And this is what Jesus was challenging his followers to do, while they were praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke records: 

⁴⁵ When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22)

Jesus was not only questioning why they were sleeping in that moment but imploring them to wake up and be aware what was to come. And after the disciples managed to get this right, the early Church also lived with a strong sense of watchfulness. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:6:

“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”

So, what does this mean for us? Could being watchful mean that we are to be present to God, present to our neighbor, and present to our own hearts? 

What do you think?

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. 

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A crucial link between the Transfiguration and Lent

It is something that most people assume, but it is well worth highlighting, that Jesus' purpose in climbing the mountain (Transfiguration) was to pray. Read Luke's account below and take note of the words I have placed in BOLD type. 

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. (Luke 9)

Luke invites us into a unique moment in the spiritual apprenticeship of Peter, James and John. They see first-hand the transforming power of prayer. This is not the first time they have been aware of Jesus' commitment to prayer, but it seems to be the moment that they witness the most radical change in their Rabbi. Prayer has changed the appearance of Jesus, and they are left gob smacked at what they see. 

I would like to point out the remarkable value in prayer and how when we are committed to this practice, our lives can be changed. We may not walk around with the afterglow like Jesus did, but other people may soon wonder what has changed in our lives. This is one of the reasons why I like Lent so much - it calls out to my wandering spirit: "Come near for a while. Rest in the presence of Jesus."

As we enter into the sacred season of Lent and begin our pilgrimage to Calvary, may we take the lessons of the Transfiguration with us - and may we stay close to Jesus.

William Loader wrote: "...making time and space for prayer and reflection is crucial if we are to know who he is and where we are going with him."

Living in Grace

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A prayer for Mondays

I came across this lovely prayer last week and thought I would share it for you all. I pray that you have a blessed Monday.

"Loving Father,
Make my heart like that of a child.
Give me again the excitement and joy of wonder.
How wonderful it is that I am even able to wonder!
Remove the scales from my eyes,
the callousness from my heart,
the stubbornness from my will,
and enable me to enjoy the wonder of it all.
Deliver me from routine worship,
from 'business as usual,'
from form without force and liturgy without life.
May Your Holy Spirit energize that 'new creation'
that is now within me,
And may it be ever new, ever wonderful,
To the glory of Your Name.
Amen." -  Warren W. Wiersbe

John 17:21 - My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.

Living in Grace

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Your helplessness is your best prayer

"Listen, my friend! Your helplessness is your best prayer. It calls from your heart to the heart of God with greater effect than all your uttered pleas. He hears it from the very moment that you are seized with helplessness, and He becomes actively engaged at once in hearing and answering the prayer of your helplessness." - Ole Hallesby

In our willingness to admit that we can't solve everything, we humbly offer ourselves to the mercy of God. This helplessness is not a defeat, but rather an offering to the Great Helper. 

My helplessness opens the door for God to do his best work. My stubbornness in trying to always be strong, sends to God the following message: "I don't need you!"

Matthew 9:36 - When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Psalm 10:12 - Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.

Thought: May our helplessness be a prayer to Jesus.

Living in grace

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Empty Vessel

Martin Luther once wrote a moving prayer which is filled with honesty and vulnerability. I am sure that his words will resonate with many of us. It is entitled Empty Vessel.

“Behold, Lord, An empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.
I am weak in faith; Strengthen thou me. I am cold in love;
Warm me and make me fervent That my love may go out to my neighbor.
I do not have a strong and firm faith; At times I doubt and am unable to trust thee altogether.
O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in thee.
In thee I have sealed the treasures of all I have. I am poor;
Thou art rich and didst come to be merciful to the poor. I am a sinner;
Thou art upright. With me there is an abundance of sin;
In thee is the fullness of righteousness….. Amen.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-8 - "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair..."

Action: If you find Martin Luther's prayers helpful, please pass onto others.

Living in Grace

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Moving towards Courage

"But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.” – Hebrews 3:6

I had never really considered 'Courage' to involve some kind of movement or action. By this I mean that an obvious end-result of courage is usually some kind of action, but are there some steps we can take to get this courage? If you look at the following verses, you will note that there seems to be some action involved:

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Chronicles 17:25 - “You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So, your servant has found courage to pray to you.

Matthew 14:27 - But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

All of these scriptures seem to suggest that we can position ourselves to "be courageous"; "find courage" or "take courage."

I am not 100% sure what this looks like, but I am sensing that our confidence in Christ's promises has something to do with our willingness to move towards Courage. What do you make of this? How can we move towards this Christ-like Courage? 

Living in Grace

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