Weakness in prayer [Romans 8 v26-27]

I am thinking much about those words from Romans 8 v26-27, which reads,/Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities,for we know not what we should pray for as we ought,but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,because he maketh intercession for the saints ,according to the will of God/ We talk about mighty men of prayer,I have just finished read a book on a man called George Mullier of Bristol,and one could say he was a man of prayer,but even he would have to admit ,as we all would,that we are weak even in relation to prayer,as in all aspects of our lives,we are depending upon the Holy Spirit,especially in prayer,as the great apostle himself acknowledged.The Spirits knowledge is infinite,ours is finite,often when we pray it is two prayers inopposition to each other,we pray for the problem,whatever it may be,to be resolved,often it is answered as we request,but sometimes it is not, that's when the Spirit does his perfect work,and prays that Gods perfect will be carried out.I  have been praying about a certain thing for a long time,but  until now that prayer has not been answered,I believe the Spirit in love has been praying not yet,I have prayed in my life for things, noble things and the Spirit has prayed no.There is no problem in this,for every prayer should have at its core,the will of God,which we all need to submit to.
A  prayer ..../ Dear God help us to pray aright according to Your will,in Jesus name Amen /

Mistakes. [ Matthew 7 v1-5]

I was ministering at a small church recently ,I had chosen the hymns at home,but when I announced the hymns,I discovered that I had chosen the hymns from the wrong hymn book.I have two different hymn books with red covers,I had chosen the wrong one.When you make a mistake publicly it can hurt,and cause us to overreact,as I drove home drove home I found myself saying maybe I should stop preaching. I feel sorry for sports people who make a mistake in front of millions of people watching on the TV,they must feel devastated.When I am prone to criticise other drivers,I jokingly say why cant they be perfect drivers  like me?.We often say none of us our perfect, but do we include ourselves in that statement? often we don't,and so we judge people harshly.We all make mistakes morally,yet we judge those who do?the news paper reporters hound people to death,because that person has made a mistake. Our Saviour warned us against judging others,he reminded us that we all have failures,and inconsistencies in our lives,and that when we point the finger at someone,there are three fingers pointing back at ourselves.[Matthew 7 v1- 5].Our mistakes be they morally or whatever should make us more humble, and less  prone to judge or criticise others,it is true none us are perfect, we all choose hymns from the wrong hymn book.
A prayer..../ Dear God grant that as we come in contact with fallen humanity, that we always remember that we are also fallen creatures,in Jesus name Amen /

Fishers of men [Acts 1 v 8]

The next card I received has a picture of a man fishing,my friend wrote the following on this picture,/Captured one old man,how he spends his retirement, down by the ferry,fishers of fish,or fishers of men?that will be yours/.Is it possible, at seventy,I can become a fisher of men?,It has got me thinking and wondering if God would use me,so often I have felt like the apostles when they worked all night and caught nothing[Luke 5v 5]. When I stand before God I hope on that day to rejoice over even one precious soul,won for Christ,and yes within my heart there is and always has been a soul thirst,which has never been satisfied. It is important to remember that linked with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,was the promise of power to be witnesses to the very end of the earth.Christianity did not become a world religion by dumb Christians,or by the apostles staying in Jerusalem.We rejoice over the great missionaries, Hudson Taylor,Judson of Burma,and the evangelism of the Wesley's,or the Salvation Army.It may be that the thought of those  people intimidate you,we are not to be cowed into dumb insolence,God can use us,the question we need to ask ourselves,is,am I willing to be used?
A  prayer..../Dear God lead us to one soul today,and teach us Lord just what to say,in Jesus name we ask this. Amen/

Refecting God [ Matthew 5 v 14]

I  received birthday cards on my recent 70th birthday,I am thankful for them all,there was two I want to highlight,one was of trees reflection in water,my son Brian wrote the following,/I saw this card, and it made me think how well you have reflected God over the years/.It goes without saying that those words coming from my son blessed me. As a parent I confess I feel often that I have at times failed, I am sure Brian and my other boys can remember times when I did not reflect God. Lets face up to it none of us are perfect parents,we are at best earthern vessels,yet we are better people,better parents because of Jesus,and inspite of our imperfections,we can in a measure be reflections of God and His love.Let us seek to be sincere,but also recognise when we are sincerely wrong,Let not our obvious failures, crush us,but rather let it be a spur to look to God who will perfect that which concerneth us,we are all a work in progress. In our brokenness,let us seek to the one who can still use us and cause us to be reflections of Gods love ,to our families,friends and whoever we come in contact with.
A  prayer by  F.R. Havergal/ Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to Thee. Amen /

A love that satisfies.[John 4 v 6ff]

It is reported on the net that there is a man who is addicted to eating,bricks,mud, and gravel, the fact of the matter is humankind are prone to addiction,of one kind or another. The list is endless and I am sure that I do not need to remind you of the different addictions,eating,bricks ,mud,or gravel is taking the need of roughish in his diet a bit to far. Addiction is all about taking things to far,and it is with sadness to see people being destroyed by an addiction.As an Ulsterman I could admire the skills of one of the all time greats of football,but was so sad when he died of alcohol addiction. Is not addiction an indication  of a great need people feel?,I think it is,Jesus reminded a woman who appeared to be addicted to men, that like the water she drew from a well she would never be satisfied.Jesus told her as he tells us that only He can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart[John 4v14]I trusted Jesus when but a child, but backslid,in others words I tried to have the need of my heart fulfilled in other things.Then one Sunday evening 50 years ago I heard a sermon, I cannot remember the words, but I do remember one thing, a deep,deep need of Christ, for I realised that only He could satisfy that need within my heart.I like sport,films,reading,and many other things, but I love Jesus,and that love satisfies me totally.
A  prayer...../ Dear God free us from those lying addictions,that can destroy us,open our minds and hearts to see that only Your Son Jesus can meet the deepest need of our hearts Amen /

Over the next hill. [ 2 Corinthians 5 v 7-11]

This is my birthday week and on Sunday I was presented with a lovely cake which had these words on it,/Over the hill/,which caused me to smile.I don't think I am over the hill yet,but those words reminded me of the words of an old gospel hymn which reads,/Over the next hill I will be home/.I was speaking to a dear friend recently and he was saying about the tremendous blessing, it is ,that he was ready,as indeed every Christian is ready for eternity.When Christ is our Saviour then we have a sure and certain hope of salvation,but sad it is, that the many who know not Christ are without hope and God.R.C.Sproul write how the Lord spoke to him,and brought him to a saving knowledge of Himself,from Ecclesiastes 11v3,/If a tree fall toward the south,or to the north,in the place where the tree falleth,there it shall be/.He writes,/As I heard those words,suddenly I was overwhelmed by thinking about myself, as a tree that had fallen and was lying inert,torpid,rotting in the woods. I saw that I was in just that spiritual position; I would lie there forever unless God did something/God the Holy Spirit brought conviction,which lead  him to trust Jesus as Saviour.For me over the next hill means I will be with Jesus,and with all the saints that have gone before.
A prayer....../Dear God we praise You that there is hope for all who trust Jesus as their Saviour. Amen/

Seventy.[Psalm 90]

Today I have reached the grand old age of  seventy,for fifty of those years I have been following the Lord,and I am only to conscious that I am still  a work in progress.When one reaches seventy, ones mind turns to those well known words in Psalm 90,written by that man of God, Moses,who lived 120years..This Psalm is a prayer,it commences with a general statement,it reminds us of the everlasting God,that while we are creatures of time God is not.It passes on to remind us of the uncertainty and brevity of life,yes I may have reached the age of seventy,and may live beyond that,but my life will soon end.Moses reminds of this as R.C.Sproul writes that we need to be saved by God,but also from Him,why to be saved from Him?,because of His wrath.A dear friend who is older that I,said isn't it wonderful to be saved,yes it is,saved from wrath to come.In the light of these truths ,Moses writes ,/So teach us to number our days,that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom[v12].Let all of us live in the light of eternity,for us who know Christ,let walk in godly wisdom, and for you who know not Christ, trust Him before it is to late,that will be the wisest thing you will ever do.
A  prayer...../ Dear God forgive our foolish ways,grant us grace to live wisely,and grace to choose wisely,in Jesus name Amen/