Devotional for August 9

O Lord, My God, You Are Very Great 

16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works. Psalm 104:16-31 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Some ask: “Can’t I just take a pill, have my stomach stapled, or get this belly fat sucked out of me?” Such people want to gain the fruit without working for the harvest. They want the well-being without having to turn to the lifestyle that produces it. They want the ends without the God appointed means of grace. This is the way of Cain. He sought to worship God as his own heart desired, and not the way that God commanded. Woe to the clay that rebels in such a way against the Potter. Wise is the one who chooses the God ordained narrow path that leads to eternal life. The tempestuous winds of this world will often buffet us, but blessed be our Rock. Know for certain that abiding in our Lord Jesus Christ is our guarantee of a safe haven amidst every storm. Come out from every other place. By faith abide in Christ alone. 

Question

What is prayer?

Answer

Prayer is an attitude and a privilege (Scripture). Whereby we can stir up the gift of God, which is the Holy Spirit  (Scripture), and mentally ascend into the realm of the third heaven to actually FaceTime with the living God (Scripture). No soldier is properly equipped without a means of communication with his commander (Scripture). Prayer is the push-to-talk radio of the soldier of Jesus Christ (Scripture). A parked car cannot be steered, neither  can the Christian Soldier by led unless he is walking in the Spirit (Scripture). And finally, prayer is the humbling of self under the mighty hand of God (Scripture).

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

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon all your faithful people your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.