Devotional for May 28

Delight in The Lord

7 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 104:31-35 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Faith moves in the direction of your mental focus, just as every experience motorcycle rider knows that the bike naturally moves in the direction set by the gaze of the eyes. For safety’s sake, the rider must learn to look where he wants to go and not where he doesn’t. This is sound advice for riding motorcycles as well as proper stewardship of the soul. Reasoning is a specific kind of mental focus that will either hinder or support your faith. Reasoning focused on deciding whether or not the Word of the God is true only weakens faith. If however, reason is used to support a biblical worldview, faith in God will grow stronger. The Centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant provides us with a perfect example (Luke 7:1-10). O ye with mustard-seed-size-faith, refuse to doubt the Word of God and seek in all things to please Him. Pray in faith for the removal of every mountain that needs to be moved, and it will be moved for you. Only believe the gospel.

Question

What is praying in faith?

Answer

Praying in faith is the opposite of worrying about something (Matthew 6:26-34). The difference between the two is a matter of focus (James 5:13-18; Mark 11:22-24). Worrying is as easy as falling off the preverbal log, but so too is praying in faith just as easy (Isaiah 28:29). Faith and worry are opposite states produced by the direction of our attention (1 Peter 5:8-9; James 1:5-8; Romans 4:16-20). Faith meditates on the greatness of God and His precious promises (2 Peter 1:3; Psalm 19:14; Hebrews 11:6). While worry ruminates over a problem or situation that is sometimes real and sometimes only imagined possibility (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). So, lift your focus off the problem (1 Peter 5:7). Pray for the grace you need and then be determined to chase away every bird of prey (Genesis 15:1-11).  Shift your focus off the problem and up onto God, the source of every solution, then you will be praying in faith (Philippians 4:8; 2 John 1:8; Psalm 104:34, 92:1-2; Ephesians 3:14-21).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep me, I pray, from all things that may hurt me, that I, being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with a free heart those things which belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.