The Lord is good to those who wait for him...

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

-Lamentations 3:25-26

Do not be afraid of silence in your prayer time. It may be that you are meant to listen, not to speak. So wait before the Lord. Wait in stillness. Wait as David waited when he “sat before the Lord.” And in that stillness, assurance will come to you. You will know that you are heard; you will know that your Lord ponders the voice of your humble desires; you will hear quiet words spoken to you yourself, perhaps to your grateful surprise and refreshment.   -Amy Carmichael

" And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” -Matthew 11:4-6 Image

Thou didst call, and cry aloud, and break through my deafness. Thou didst blaze forth, and shine, and scatter my blindness. Thou wert fragrant, and I drew in my breath, and pant for Thee. I tasted, and now I hunger and thirst. Thou didst touch me, and I burned for Thy peace.  -Augustine

Trisagion: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One

 

 Trisagion

 Fernando Ortega 

 Holy God, 

Holy and mighty 

Holy Immortal One, 

Have mercy; 

Have mercy on us.

Understanding the Trisagion: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth..."

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

-Matthew 6:19-21

The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss.   -A.W. Tozer

Sing to God, sing praises to his name...

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;

lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;

his name is the Lord;

exult before him!

-Psalm 68:4

Tune me, O Lord, into one harmony

With thee, one full responsive vibrant chord;

Unto thy praise all love and melody,

Tune me, O Lord.

-Christina Rossetti

But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray...

But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. 

-Luke 5:16

Prayer has everything to do with moulding the soul into the image of God, and has everything to do with enhancing and enlarging the measure of Divine grace. It has everything to do with enriching, broadening and maturing the soul’s experience of God. That man cannot possibly be called a Christian, who does not pray.  -E.M. Bounds Image

But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake...

But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. -1 Peter 3:14-17

He has great tranquility of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are; neither by word can you be made greater than what you are in the sight of God.  -Thomas à Kempis

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. -James 1:17

All of God’s acts are consistent with all of His attributes. No attribute contradicts the other, but all harmonize and blend into each other in the infinite abyss of the Godhead. All that God does agrees with all that God is, and being and doing are one in Him.  -A.W. Tozer

The Messiah came as a Servant...

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  -Mark 10:42-45

The Servant Messiah carries out his ministry in the lives of his ministers. His life is reproduced in their lives, so they also are servants. But this ministry is exercised in and towards the Church, so as to enable the Church itself to carry out the ministry of the Servant. The Messiah came as a Servant; his ministers are servants; and the Church he created is a Servant-Church.   -Anthony T. Hanson

Our Father, hear our prayer...

 

 Our Father 

Don Moen

Hear our prayer

We are your children and

We've gathered here today

We've gathered here to pray

Hear our cry, Lord we need your mercy

And we need your grace today

Hear us as we pray

Our father who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name'

Our father hear us from heaven

Forgive our sins we pray

Hear our song

As it rises to heaven

May your glory fills the air

As the waters cover the sea

See our heart

And remove anything

That is standing in the way

Of coming to you today

Our father who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name'

Our father hear us from heaven

Forgive our sins we pray

And though we are few

We're surrounded by many

Who have crossed that river before

And this the song we'll be singing for ever

Holy is the lord

Repeat

Hear our prayer

We are your children and

We've gathered here today

We've gathered here to pray

Hear our cry, Lord we need your mercy

And we need your grace today

Hear us as we pray

Our father who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name'

Our father hear us from heaven

Forgive our sins we pray

Those who believed were of one heart and soul...

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 

-Acts 4:32-35 Image

Love—and the unity it attests to—is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father.  -Francis A. Schaeffer

Enlighten us, O God, by your Spirit...

Enlighten us, O God, by your Spirit, in the understanding of your Word, and grant us the grace to receive it in true fear and humility, that we may learn to put our trust in you, to fear and honor you, by glorifying your Holy Name in all our life, and to yield you the love and obedience which faithful servants owe to their master and children to their fathers, seeing it has led you to call us to the number of your servants and children. 

-John Calvin Image

Guard me, O Lord...

Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,

who plan evil things in their heart

and stir up wars continually.

They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's,

and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah

Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

preserve me from violent men,

who have planned to trip up my feet.

-Psalm 140:1-4

 

To relinquish any of the Psalms on the excuse that its sentiments are too violent for a Christian is a clear sign that a person has also given up the very battle that a Christian is summoned...to fight. The Psalms are prayers for those who are engaged in an ongoing spiritual conflict. No one else need bother even opening the book. -Patrick Henry Reardon

Such is our dependence upon God...

In the path of your judgments,

O Lord, we wait for you;

your name and remembrance

are the desire of our soul.

My soul yearns for you in the night;

my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

For when your judgments are in the earth,

the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

-Isaiah 26:8-9

Such is our dependence upon God that we are obliged not only to do everything for His sake, but also to seek from Him the very power. This happy necessity of having recourse to Him in all our wants, instead of being grievous to us, should be our greatest consolation. What a happiness is it, that we are allowed to speak to Him with confidence, to open our hearts and hold familiar conversation with him by prayer! He Himself invites us to it.  -François Fénelon

Continue steadfastly in prayer...

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

   Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. -Colossians 4:2-6

Give me an open ear, O God, that I may hear Thy voice calling me to high endeavor.

Give me an open mind, O God, a mind ready to receive and to welcome such new light of knowledge as it is Thy will to reveal to me.

Give me open eyes, O God, eyes quick to discover Thine indwelling in the world which Thou hast made.

Give me open hands, O God, hands ready to share with all who are in want the blessings with which Thou hast enriched my life.   -John Baillie

You shall fear the Lord your God...

You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. -Deuteronomy 10:20-21

Let God’s distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear Him greatly. He hath put His fear in thy heart, and hath not given that blessing to thy neighbour; perhaps not to thy husband, thy wife, thy child, or thy parent. O what an obligation should this consideration lay upon thy heart greatly to fear the Lord! Remember also... that this fear of the Lord is His treasure, a choice jewel, given only to favourites, and to those that are greatly beloved.   -John Bunyan

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Keith & Kristyn Getty

Verse 1

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Verse 2

Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea

Cherubim and seraphim, falling down before Thee

Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be

Verse 3

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see

Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee

Perfect in pow'r, in love and purity

Verse 4

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name, 

in earth and sky and sea

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Let love be genuine...

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 

-Romans 12:9-13

Love—and the unity it attests to—is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father.   -Francis A. Schaeffer

And with his wounds we are healed...

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

-Isaiah 53:4-5

God may thunder His commands from Mount Sinai and men may fear, yet remain at heart exactly as they were before. But let a man once see his God down in the arena as a Man, suffering, tempted, sweating, and agonized—finally dying a criminal’s death—and he is a hard man indeed who is untouched.  -J.B. Phillips

Blessed are those who dwell in your house...

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, faints

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

at your altars, O Lord of hosts,

my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

ever singing your praise! 

-Psalm 84:1-4

To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, [and] to devote the will to the purpose of God. 

-William Temple

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise...

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” -1 Corinthians 1:26-31

The life of holiness is the life of faith in which the believer, with a deepening knowledge of his own sin and helplessness apart from Christ, increasingly casts himself upon the Lord, and seeks the power of the Spirit and the wisdom and comfort of the Bible to battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil.  

-Edmund P. Clowney

He is the radiance of the glory of God...

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. -Hebrews 1:1-4 Image

Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God...

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. -1 John 3:21-24

Accustom yourself then by degrees thus to worship Him, to beg His grace, to offer Him your heart from time to time, in the midst of your business, even every moment, if you can. Do not always scrupulously confine yourself to certain rules, or particular forms of devotion, but act with a general confidence in God, with love and humility.   -Brother Lawrence

I Will Sing of My Redeemer

 

I Will Sing of My Redeemer 

 Fernando Ortega

1. I will sing of my Redeemer,

And His wondrous love to me;

On the cruel cross He suffered,

From the curse to set me free.

 

Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer,

With His blood He purchased me,

On the cross He sealed my pardon,

 Paid the debt, and made me free.

2. I will tell the wondrous story,

How my lost estate to save,

In His boundless love and mercy,

He the ransom freely gave.

3. I will praise my dear Redeemer,

His triumphant pow’r I’ll tell,

How the victory He giveth

Over sin, and death, and hell.

“Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” -Matthew 8:23-27

Fear not the storm, it brings healing in its wings, and when Jesus is with you in the vessel, the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven.  -CH Spurgeon Image

As you come to him, a living stone...

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. -1 Peter 2:1-5

Wherever souls are being tried and ripened, in whatever commonplace and homely ways—there God is hewing out the pillars for his temple.   -Phillips Brooks Image

He will swallow up death forever...

He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people 

he will take away from all the earth,

for the Lord has spoken.

-Isaiah 25:8

The valley of the shadow of death holds no darkness for the child of God. There must be light, else there could be no shadow. Jesus is the light. He has overcome death.   

-D.L. Moody

But we have the mind of Christ...

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

    The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.  The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. -1 Corinthians 2:12-16

The guidance of the Spirit is generally by gentle suggestions or drawings, and not in violent pushes; and it requires great childlikeness of heart to be faithful to it. The secret of being made willing lies in a definite giving up of our will. As soon as we put our will on to God’s side, He immediately takes possession of it and begins to work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.  -Hannah Whitall Smith

“Be still, and know that I am God."

“Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

-Psalm 46:10

How can you expect God to speak in that gentle and inward voice which melts the soul, when you are making so much noise with your rapid reflections? Be silent, and God will speak again.  -François Fénelon

God knows our heart better than we ever can...

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

 neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

 so are my ways higher than your ways

 and my thoughts than your thoughts.

  -Isaiah 55:8-9

God knows our heart better than we ever can. He is the only one who can separate the true from the false; he alone can purify the motives of the heart. But he does not come uninvited. If chambers of our heart have never experienced the healing touch, perhaps it is because we have not welcomed the divine scrutiny.   -Richard J. Foster

I Set My Hope on Jesus

 

I Set My Hope on Jesus (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) 

 Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, Sing!

Verse 1

When this life of trials tests my faith,

I set my hope on Jesus.

When the questions come and doubts remain,

I set my hope on Jesus.

For the deepest wounds that time won't heal,

there's a joy that runs still deeper.

There's a truth that's more than all I feel;

I set my hope on Jesus.

Chorus

I set my hope on Jesus,

my rock, my only trust,

who set His heart upon me first;

I set my hope on Jesus.

Verse 2

Though I falter in this war with sin,

I set my hope on Jesus.

When I fail the fight and sink within,

I set my hope on Jesus.

Though the shame would drown me in its sea,

and I dread the waves of justice,

I will cast my life on Calvary;

I set my hope on Jesus.

Verse 3

Though the world call me to leave my Lord,

I set my hope on Jesus.

Though it offer all its vain rewards,

I set my hope on Jesus.

Though this heart of mine be prone to stray,

give me grace enough to finish.

Till I worship on that final day,

I set my hope on Jesus.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing — Verse 3

Oh, to grace how great a debtor

daily I'm constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

bind my wand'ring heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

prone to leave the God I love;

here's my heart, Lord,

take and seal it,

seal it for Thy courts above!

Only those who try to live near God...

And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. -Luke 12:42-44

Only those who try to live near God and have formed the habit of faithfulness to Him in the small things of our daily life, can hope in times of need for that special light which shows us our path. To do as well as we can the job immediately before us, is the way to learn what we ought to do next.  -Evelyn Underhill

Thou only knowest what we need...

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. -Matthew 6:31-32

Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee; Thou only knowest what we need; Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself. O Father! give to Thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask... Teach me to pray; pray Thyself in me.  -François Fénelon

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life...

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

-Matthew 6:25-27

In laying off your burdens, therefore, the first one you must get rid of is yourself. You must hand yourself and all your inward experience, your temptations, your temperament, your frames and feelings, all over into the care and keeping of your God, and leave them there. He made you and therefore He understands you and knows how to manage you, and you must trust Him to do it. -Hannah Whitall Smith

How sweet are your words to my taste...

      How sweet are your words to my taste,

    sweeter than honey to my mouth!

    Through your precepts I get understanding;

    therefore I hate every false way.

Your word is a lamp to my feet

    and a light to my path.

  -Psalm 119:103-105

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual walk with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive.  -Brother Lawrence

The redeemed soul possesses all things in Christ...

God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”    -1 Corinthians 1:28-31 Image

The redeemed soul possesses all things in Christ. He is a complete Savior. He lacks nothing. Having Him we are saved to the uttermost; without Him we are utterly lost and undone.  -Abraham Kuyper

Do not be conformed to this world...

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. -Romans 12:1-2 Image

Faith is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God. It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it.   -Martin Luther

Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord)

 

 Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord) 

 Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

You made the starry hosts

You traced the mountain peaks

You paint the evening sky with wonders

The earth, it is Your throne

From desert to the sea

All nature testifies Your splendor

CHORUS

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord

Sing His greatness

All creation

Praise the Lord

Raise your voice

You heights and all you depths

From furthest east to west

Let everything that has breath

Praise the Lord

You reached into the dust

In love, Your Spirit breathed

You formed us in Your very likeness

To know Your wondrous works

To tell Your mighty deeds

To join the everlasting chorus

CHORUS

Let symphonies resound

Let drums and choirs ring out

All heaven hear the sound of worship

Let every nation bring

Its honors to the King

A roar of harmonies eternal

FINAL CHORUS

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord

Sing His greatness

All creation

Praise the Lord

Raise your voice

You heights and all you depths

From furthest east to west

You distant burning stars

All creatures near and far

From sky to sea to shore

Sing out forevermore

Let everything that has breath

Praise the Lord

You crown the year with your bounty...

You crown the year with your bounty;

    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.

The pastures of the wilderness overflow,

    the hills gird themselves with joy,

the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,

    the valleys deck themselves with grain,

    they shout and sing together for joy.

   -Psalm 65:11-13

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God...

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. -2 Corinthian 3:4-6

A satisfying prayer life...elevates and purifies every act of body and mind and integrates the entire personality into a single spiritual unit. Such prayer can only be the result of a life lived in the Spirit...

In the long pull we pray only as well as we live.  -A.W. Tozer

"How vast are the possibilities of prayer!

"How vast are the possibilities of prayer! How wide is its reach! What great things are accomplished by this divinely appointed means of grace! It lays its hand on Almighty God and moves Him to do what He would not otherwise do if prayer was not offered. It brings things to pass which would never otherwise occur. The story of prayer is the story of great achievements. Prayer is a wonderful power placed by Almighty God in the hands of His saints, which may be used to accomplish great purposes and to achieve unusual results. Prayer reaches to everything, takes in all things great and small which are promised by God to the children of men. The only limits to prayer are the promises of God and His ability to fulfill those promises. 'Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.'" 

-E.M. Bounds

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ...

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel...  

-Philippians 1:27

Modern culture is a mighty force. It is either subservient to the gospel or else it is the deadliest enemy of the gospel. For making it subservient, religious emotion is not enough, intellectual labor is also necessary. And that labor is being neglected. The Church has turned to easier tasks. And now she is reaping the fruits of her indolence. Now she must battle for her life.    -J. Gresham Machen

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness...

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. -2 Peter 1:3-8 Image

Holiness comes not of blood—parents cannot give it to their children: nor yet of the will of the flesh—man cannot produce it in himself: nor yet of the will of man—ministers cannot give it you by baptism. Holiness comes from Christ. It is the result of vital union with Him. It is the fruit of being a living branch of the True Vine.  -J.C. Ryle

I will turn the darkness before them into light...

And I will lead the blind

    in a way that they do not know,

in paths that they have not known

    I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

    the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do,

    and I do not forsake them.

         -Isaiah 42:16

In perplexities,—when we cannot understand what is going on around us—cannot tell whither events are tending—cannot tell what to do, because we cannot see into or through the matter before us, —let us be calmed and steadied and made patient by the thought that what is hidden from us is not hidden from Him.   -Frances Ridley Havergal

God Leads Us Along

 

God Leads Us Along 

Song Offering

1.  In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,

God leads His dear children along;

Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,

God leads His dear children along.

Refrain:

Some through the waters, some through the flood,

Some through the fire, but all through the blood;

Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,

In the night season and all the day long.

2.  Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,

God leads His dear children along;

Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,

God leads His dear children along.

Refrain

3.  Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose,

God leads His dear children along;

Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,

God leads His dear children along.

Refrain