Psalm 105:4 - How to Pray without Ceasing.
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.
Psa 105:4 (NRSV)
If God seems far away, persist in your search for him. God
rewards those who sincerely look for him (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus promised,
"Seek and you will find" (Matthew 7:7). The psalmist suggested a
valuable way to find God (vs.5); become familiar with the way he has
helped his people in the past. The Bible records the history of God's
people. In searching its pages we will discover a loving God who is
waiting for us to find him. [Life Application SB]
Seek his strength; that is, his grace; the strength of his
Spirit to work in us that which is good, which we cannot do but by
strength derived from him, for which he will be sought. Seek to have his
favour to eternity, therefore continue seeking it while living in this
world; for he will not only be found, but he will reward those that
diligently seek him. [Matthew Henry]
Getting A Tune Up
"You must have a good heart," one man said to his child, "if you
are going to act right in this world." And then to illustrate his
point he continued, "suppose my watch was not keeping time very well.
Would it do any good if I went to the town clock, and made the hands
of my watch point exactly the same as those of the larger clock in
the square? No, of course not! Soon my watch would be just as
inaccurate as before. Rather, I should take my watch to a watchmaker, or to
a jewelry store that repairs watches. It is only when my watch has
been cleaned and repaired that its hands will be able to keep time
accurately all day long."
When we spend time in prayer, we are, in like manner, going to
the Heart Maker, asking Him to "clean and repair" our hearts from
the damage caused by sins we have committed. We are asking Him to
put us right again on the inside, so that we can act right on the
outside. When our children see us doing this, they are much more likely
to go to the Heart Maker when they feel their own lives are in
disarray or "out of sync"--rather than turn to the world and reset their
souls according to its standards and priorities.
Have you visited the Heart Maker today? [God's Little Devotional
Bible]
'Leaning' has the sense of putting your whole weight on
something, resting on and trusting in that person or thing. When we have an
important decision to make, we sometimes feel that we can't trust
anyone--not even God. But God knows what is best for us. He is a better
judge of what we want than even we are! We must trust him completely
in every choice we make. We should not omit careful thinking or
belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we should not trust our own
ideas to the exclusion of all others. We must not be wise in our own
eyes. We should always be willing to listen to and be corrected by
God's Word and wise counselors. Bring your decisions to God in prayer;
use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God's leading. He will
make your paths straight by both guiding and protecting you. [Life
Application SB re Pro.3:5,6]
To receive God's guidance, said Solomon, we must acknowledge God
in all our ways. This means turning every area of life over to him.
About a thousand years later, Jesus emphasized this same truth
(Matthew 6:33). Look at your values and priorities. What is important to
you? In what areas have you not acknowledged him? What is his advice?
In many areas of your life you may already acknowledge God, but it
is in the areas where you attempt to restrict or ignore his
influence that will cause you grief. Make him a vital part of everything
you do; then he will guide you because you will be working to
accomplish his purposes. [Life Application SB re Pro.3:5,6]
"Never, never, NEVER trust your own judgment in anything. When
common sense says that a course is right, lift your heart to God, for
the path of faith and the path of blessing may be in a direction
completely opposite to that which you call common sense. When voices tell
you that action is urgent, that something must be done immediately,
refer everything to the tribunal of heaven. Then if you are still in
doubt, dare to stand still. If you are called on to act and you have
not time to pray, don't act. If you are called on to move in a
certain direction and cannot wait until you have peace with God about
it, don't move. Be strong enough and brave enough to dare to stand
and wait on God, for none of them that wait on Him shall ever be
ashamed. That is the only way to outmatch the devil." Alan Redpath,
Victorious Christian Living: Studies in the Book of Joshua, pp. 142,3
|
|