We search for Thee in prayer, O Lord...

We search for Thee in prayer, O Lord,
for all is comprehended in Thee.

 May we be enriched by Thee,

for Thou art wealth which diminishes not
with the changes of time.

May Thy loving-kindness come to our aid!

May Thy grace defend us!

 From Thy treasury pour out upon us restoration
  to heal our sores.

We must seek Thee above all else,
and not seek anything but Thee,

 for he who seeks Thee finds all in Thee.

In Thee is wealth for the needy,
 heartfelt joy for the sorrowing,

 restoration for all the wounded,
consolation for all who mourn.

Accept our prayer, O our Lord, and grant us Thyself.

 May we live in Thee, may we possess Thee
instead of all else, for then all is ours.

Grant, O Lord, that we may be Thine.

And according to Thy loving-kindness be Thou ours;

for the righteous Father gave us Thee
 for the healing of our sores.

Thou art ours according to the will of Thy Father;

and Thou art ours according to Thine own desire.

Thou art with us, O Emmanuel!

Thou art with us, as our Lord.

Accept these prayers from us, O our God,

Who hast descended to us.

Accept the tears of sinners and show mercy to the guilty.

According to Thy desire Thou hast been united with us;

 be the intercessor of our prayer.

Raise it up to Thy Father and establish peace in our souls.

...St. Ephraim the Syrian art

Woe to those who say, "When shall the day of the Lord come?"

Woe to those who say, "When shall the day of the Lord come?" and they don't care to know and understand that day. For the Lord's Presence in the faithful has already come, and is continuously coming, and to all those who wish for it, has arrived and is firm. Because, if He is indeed the light of the world (John 8.12) and to His Apostles has said, that with us until the end of time will be (Matt. 28.20, cf. Matt. 1.23), how, with us being, will come? Not at all. For we are not sons of darkness and sons of night, in order for the light to overtake us, but sons of light and sons of the Lord's day, hence and living in the Lord we are, and dying in Him and with Him will live, as Paul says (Acts 17.28). ...St. Symeon the Theologian photo

There is a time appointed in the history of our world...

There is a time appointed in the history of our world, when that very Jesus who appeared on earth, "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," shall reappear with all the circumstances of majesty and power, "King of kings and Lord of lords." We are led to expect a day when Christ shall find a home in the remotest hearts and families, and the earth in all its circumference be covered with the knowledge and the power of the Lord. ...Henry Melvill art

The voice of the Father will be heard...

The voice of the Father will be heard as He sets before us a widely opened door and receives us into blessed fellowship with Himself. When we pray for the Spirit's help, it will no longer be in the fear that prayer is too great an effort for us. Instead, we will simply fall down at the Lord's feet in our weakness. There we will find the victory and power that comes from His love.
...Andrew Murray 

Advent is a time of waiting...

Advent is a time of waiting. Our whole life, however, is Advent—that is, a time of waiting for the ultimate, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, when all people are brothers and sisters and one rejoices in the words of the angels: “On earth peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.” Learn to wait, because he has promised to come. “I stand at the door...” We however call to him:
“Yes, come soon, Lord Jesus!” ...Dietrich Bonhoeffer image

God Is With Us

O My God, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects...

O My God,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
 my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee,
 ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
 crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
 for adorning it, for sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;

I bless thee for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
 for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

I bless thee for thy royal bounty
 providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness;

I bless thee for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express,
 for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God,
 through time and eternity.
...The Valley of Vision image by David Goehring

Gratitude...

Gratitude... goes beyond the "mine" and "thine" and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy. ...Henri J. M. Nouwen image

My prayers for a blessed Thanksgiving to all who visit here!

...Pat Dague

How great is your goodness, dear Lord!

How great is your goodness, dear Lord!
Blessed are you for ever!
May all created things praise you, O God,
for loving us so much that we can truthfully speak
of your fellowship with mankind, even in this earthly exile;
and however virtuous we may be,
our virtue always depends
on your great warmth and generosity, dear Lord.
Your bounty is infinite.
How wonderful are your works!
...St. Teresa of Avila photo

For those of us who live in a free country...

For those of us who live in a free country, we have so much to be grateful for. May we never take our freedoms for granted and always live and act responsibly in every area of life. And for all of us who are Christians, we can thank God even if we aren't free outwardly, that we can find freedom within in our spirit, freedom from guilt because of God's gift of sins forgiven, and freedom regarding the future knowing that God has a home in Heaven for us where there will be no more bondage physically, emotionally, spiritually or in any other way! ...Dick Innes  image by Paulo Ordoveza

The heart must be alive with gracious gratitude...

The heart must be alive with gracious gratitude,
or the leaf cannot long be green with living holiness.
...C. H. Spurgeon image

Happy are they...

Happy are they...who shall learn...not to despair, but shall remember, that though the day is past, and their strength is wasted, there yet remains one effort to be made; that reformation is never hopeless, nor sincere endeavours ever unassisted; that the wanderer may at length return after all his errors, and that he who implores strength and courage from above shall find danger and difficulty give way before him. ...Samuel Johnson image

A great many people do not pray...

A great many people do not pray because they do not feel any sense of need. The sign that the Holy Spirit is in us is that we realize that we are empty, not that we are full. We have a sense of absolute need. We come across people who try us, circumstances that are difficult, conditions that are perplexing, and all these things awaken a dumb sense of need, which is a sign that the Holy Spirit is there. If we are ever free from the sense of need, it is not because the Holy Spirit has satisfied us, but because we have been satisfied with as much as we have. "A man's reach should exceed his grasp." A sense of need is one of the greatest benedictions because it keeps our life rightly related to Jesus Christ. ...Oswald Chambers image by Peter Heilmann

Distress of soul and grief of heart...

Distress of soul and grief of heart can only bring on destruction of body. Joy alone is a healer, and ye can have it in the darkest hour if ye will force thy soul to rise to Me in worship and adoration. I have not failed thee and ye have not failed Me. Remember that I am in the midst when ye praise me. Never let any kind of anxiety crowd out thy praises. ...Frances J. Roberts image by BobbyProm

The boundless stores of Providence...

The boundless stores of Providence are engaged for the support of the believer. Christ is our Joseph, who has granaries full of wheat; but He does not treat us as Joseph did the Egyptians, for He opens the door of His storehouse and bids us call all the good therein our own. He has entailed upon His estate of Providence a perpetual charge of a daily portion for us, and He has promised that one day we shall clearly perceive that the estate itself has been well-farmed on our behalf and has always been ours. The axle of the wheels of the chariot of Providence is Infinite Love, and Gracious Wisdom is the perpetual charioteer. ...CH Spurgeon
 image by mr.bologna

You are the shade in the heat...

You are the shade in the heat,

You are shelter in the cold,
You are eyes to the blind,
You are a staff to the pilgrim,
You are an island in the sea,
You are a stronghold upon land,
You are healing to the sick.
You are the luck of every joy,
You are the light of the sun's beam,
You are the door of lordly welcome,
You are the pole star of guidance,
You are the step of the roe of the height,
You are the step of the white-faced mare,
You are the grace of the swimming swan,
You are the jewel in each mystery.
Gaelic prayer image by jeffwilcox

When God is the center of a soul...

When God is the center of a soul, although disasters may crowd in on all sides and roar like the waves of the sea, there is constant calm within. The world can neither give nor take away this kind of peace. What is it that causes people to shake like leaves today at the first hint of danger? It is simply the lack of God living in their soul, and having the world in their hearts instead. ...R. Leighton image by David Sifry

Today Thy gate is open...

Today Thy gate is open, and all who enter in

Shall find a Father’s welcome, and pardon for their sin;
The past shall be forgotten, a present joy be given;
A future grace be promised, a glorious crown in Heav’n.

O all embracing Mercy, Thou ever open Door,
What shall I do without Thee when heart and eyes run o’er?
When all things seem against me, to drive me to despair,
I know one gate is open, one ear will hear my prayer

....Oswald Allen image by Paul J. Everett

Mercy is like the rainbow...

Mercy is like the rainbow, which God hath set in the clouds; it never shines after it is night - If we refuse mercy here, we shall have justice in eternity.  ...Jeremy Taylor
 image by Martina Rathgens

And have the bright immensities...

And have the bright immensities

Received our risen Lord
Where light-years frame the Pleiades
And point Orion’s sword?
Do flaming suns his footsteps trace
Through corridors sublime,
The Lord of interstellar space
And Conqueror of time?

The heaven that hides Him from our sight
Knows neither near nor far:
An altar candle sheds its light
As surely as a star;
And where His loving people meet
To share the gift divine,
There stands He with unhurrying feet,
And Heaven’s splendors shine.
... Howard Chandler Robbins image

Peace with God is of greater value...

Satan knows that he can undermine the structure of the church by slyly removing just one fundamental doctrine at a time. He frequently loosens a large foundation gradually, chiseling it away bit by bit. That is why tolerance for the sake of peace may be dangerous. One step by giving in will lead to a next step, and will not God visit us with blindness if we deliberately darken the truth He has graciously entrusted to us. How shall we justify ourselves if we permit even a little of the truth to be laid aside? Is that ours to do? When peace is injurious to the truth, peace must give way. Peace with God is of greater value than peace with men. ...Abraham Kuyper image by mx.

The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ...

The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ. ...William Barclay image

Help, Lord...

"Help, Lord." —Psalm 12:1

The prayer itself is remarkable, for it is short, but seasonable, sententious, and suggestive. David mourned the fewness of faithful men, and therefore lifted up his heart in supplication—when the creature failed, he flew to the Creator. He evidently felt his own weakness, or he would not have cried for help; but at the same time he intended honestly to exert himself for the cause of truth, for the word "help" is inapplicable where we ourselves do nothing. There is much of directness, clearness of perception, and distinctness of utterance in this petition of two words; much more, indeed, than in the long rambling outpourings of certain professors. The Psalmist runs straight-forward to his God, with a well-considered prayer; he knows what he is seeking, and where to seek it. Lord, teach us to pray in the same blessed manner.

The occasions for the use of this prayer are frequent. In providential afflictions how suitable it is for tried believers who find all helpers failing them. Students, in doctrinal difficulties, may often obtain aid by lifting up this cry of "Help, Lord," to the Holy Spirit, the great Teacher. Spiritual warriors in inward conflicts may send to the throne for reinforcements, and this will be a model for their request. Workers in heavenly labour may thus obtain grace in time of need. Seeking sinners, in doubts and alarms, may offer up the same weighty supplication; in fact, in all these cases, times, and places, this will serve the turn of needy souls. "Help, Lord," will suit us living and dying, suffering or labouring, rejoicing or sorrowing. In Him our help is found, let us not be slack to cry to Him.

The answer to the prayer is certain, if it be sincerely offered through Jesus. The Lord's character assures us that He will not leave His people; His relationship as Father and Husband guarantee us His aid; His gift of Jesus is a pledge of every good thing; and His sure promise stands, "Fear not, I WILL HELP THEE." ...CH Spurgeon image

Salt...

Salt seasons, purifies, preserves. But somebody ought to remind us that salt also irritates. Real living Christianity rubs this world the wrong way. ...Vance Havner image

The most miserable prison in the world...

The most miserable prison in the world is the prison we make for ourselves when we refuse to show mercy. Our thoughts become shackled, our emotions are chained, the will is almost paralyzed. But when we show mercy, all of these bonds are broken, and we enter into a joyful liberty that frees us to share God's love with others. ...Warren W. Wiersbe image

Take no thought for your life...

"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body what ye shall put on." Matthew 6:25

Jesus sums up common-sense carefulness in a disciple as infidelity. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will press through and say - Now where does God come in in this relationship, in this mapped out holiday, in these new books? He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.

"Take no thought . . ." don't take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never any thing else that worries us. Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the word He puts in? The devil? No, the cares of this world. It is the little worries always. I will not trust where I cannot see, that is where infidelity begins. The only cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit.

The great word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon.
...Oswald Chambers image

God has given us two hands...

God has given us two hands -- one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for giving.  ...Billy Graham
image by Falk Lademann

Who are these arrayed in white?

Who are these arrayed in white,

Brighter than the noon-day sun?

Foremost of the sons of light;

Nearest the eternal throne?

These are they that bore the cross,

Nobly for their Master stood;

Sufferers in His righteous cause,

Followers of the dying God.

Out of great distress they came,

Washed their robes by faith below,

In the blood of yonder Lamb,

Blood that washes white as snow:

Therefore are they next the throne,

Serve their Maker day and night:

God resides among His own,

God doth in His saints delight.

More than conquerors at last,

Here they find their trials o’er;

They have all their sufferings past,

Hunger now and thirst no more:

No excessive heat they feel

From the sun’s directer ray;

In a milder clime they dwell,

Region of eternal day.

He that on the throne doth reign,

Them the Lamb shall always feed,

With the tree of life sustain,

To the living fountains lead;

He shall all their sorrows chase,

All their wants at once remove,

Wipe the tears from every face,

Fill up every soul with love.

...Charles Wesley image

When Jesus saw the crowds...

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:1-12 image