A Servant's Song/Prayer

NKJV

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, 

let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Matt.16:24

Watching the morning-mist evaporate before my eyes

was a vivid image of this verse

 What is your life? 

You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:14  

Makes us reevaluate our goals and motives,

doesn't it?!

Lord let my life, whatever be 

Lift up a hymn of praise to Thee 

And let my love, through deed and tongue 

Be poured out in a servant’s song 

Lord, let life’s labour be more sweet 

In worship poured through hands and feet 

Lord, let my soul-hunger be fed 

Through sustenance of Living Bread 

Lord, Thou the Potter, I, the clay 

Oh, let me not despise Thy way 

But in whatever doth betide 

Let Thy peace the storm override 

Dear Lord, this is my humble plea 

Let Your Divine Light flow through me 

Let Your love my flawed love refine 

To make my 'light-house' shine, shine, shine

© Janet Martin 

'Do you want to die and face the Lord 

Knowing you didn’t give Him your best?'

from this message below

The Second step: Growth-Dr. Charles Stanley

 

For Soul-diers and Prayer-warriors...

Dreams break; the heart harbours its shards and in hope’s tender aftermath
We learn to carry on where dawn carves out a fresh and gleaming path
For change of plans is part of man’s allotment; we are not in charge
One greater than Want’s meager scope is at the helm of mortal barge

Wills clash; the battleground upon which many silent wars are waged
Appears quite nondescript even while crucial forces are engaged
On terrain strewn with ash of fears while faith is hewn from humble tears
As Mercy stands its ground and Mortal yields to He who commandeers

Time flies; pelf-prizes once fought for have lost their luster; thank-you Lord
But oh, how hard the reckoning of damage no one can afford
While we, still works in progress learn, in the matrix of tick and tock
That truth will never change no matter how much we argue and balk

Grace frees; oh God, without it who could bear the waves of consequence
The rift that Was is bridged by Love and Your gift of deliverance
Where once we too were blinded by the view with foolish vanity
Before the blow that forges faith and fathers true humility

 

 Dreams break; but by God's grace we learn to make the best of what remains
Wills clash; but praise the Lord, the battlefield is strewn with broken chains
Time flies; the prize worth fighting for waits when we pass through death's dark door
Grace frees; now we stand taller on our knees equipped to win this war

© Janet Martin

 Colossians 3:1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Read the whole glorious chapter HERE 

A Call to Prayer

How Are We Praying?

"Prayer is the most.important thing you will ever do."
and

"Prayer is the most important event in our life!"

two quotes from Charles Stanley's message below

Rejoice at all times.

Pray without ceasing.

Give thanks in every circumstance, 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

1 Thess.5:16-18 

Lest bitterness takes root and from it sprouts a deadly tare

Then lest it lessens strength while it compounds a weight of care

Teach me to rev'rence Thee, Oh Lord, for prayer is not a kite

To frantic'lly fling heavenward when things aren't working right

Lord, help me first to recognize Your divine holiness

Lest, not so much by word as deed I reject free access

Because the throne of grace is not some wishing-well-like thing

To toss down penny-wishes to a puppet on a string

…for prayer is not a quick-fix-it demand or pious nod

Prayer is faith’s humble reckoning and beckoning to God

So lest, I’m like a child prepared to snatch treats from a jar

My first request to You, oh God, is, teach me who You are

© Janet Martin

Today's devotion...

Should Be Like Night And Day...

 Happy March!...and here's to our ongoing 'marching' orders!

Where the battle that exists twixt good and evil requires our full attention,

Where living by the Spirit should in no way resemble following the flesh!

Should be like night and day; the old man and the new

What we do now should not relate to what we used to do

Should be like black and white; the way we are and were

Where now we walk by faith, not sight, when we become God’s heir

Should be like dark and light; the world twixt lust and love

A transformation evident by what our choices prove

Should be like death to life; that sacred exodus

We who have fled to take hold of The Hope set before us

...should be like night and day; like a captive set free

When we have put to death the person that we used to be

© Janet Martin

 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, 

if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. 

And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

Romans 8: 8-9

 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?

Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? 

Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus 

were baptized into His death?…

 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.

Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, 

but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life;

 and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.

Romans 6:1-3, 12-13

Here's some kind caution and encouragement...

Our Father Who Art in Heaven...

 This poem/prayer was inspired as I prayed for all those who mourn this Christmas! 

(so many hearts are raw with fresh grief and 

so many are learning to live with its tender ache as time goes by)

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (NIV)
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;(NKJV)

Col. 4:2

Dear Heavenly Father,

May the prayers of your dear children

Surround and bless those who mourn

May the faithful Hope of Heaven

Soothe the stabs from trouble’s thorn

May this ranting, raving mad world

Before gates of grace are sealed

‘ere all prophecy is fulfilled

Look to Jesus, and be healed

…peace that passes understanding

Though the storm our vessel tries

Though the tempter is tormenting

Time’s inhabitants with lies

Let it be in us a haven

Make its Source our Strength and Stay

While this swirl of dust is graven

With all that will pass away

Make our hearts a humble altar

Cupped in Living Sacrifice

Remind us, God, you’re our Father

And you bought us with great price

Through the gift of Your Son Jesus

And the curse He overthrew

If we believe you receive us

Making us your children too

Our Father up in Heaven

Let us then hallow Thy name

Through your Gift we are forgiven

None can any merit claim

For the Author of salvation

Gave the very best He had

So that every tribe and nation

Can look up and call you Dad

 

Then as we cry Abba, Father

(For God, oh how oft we slip)

You reach down with tender favour

And restore our fellowship

As You minister in spirit

As You supply our need

Father, we can feel and hear it

Your love, as you intercede

Amen

© Janet Martin 

Instead of devoting ourselves to argument leading to anger,

let us devote ourselves to prayer, leading to worship in spirit and truth!