When You Don't Know WHAT TO PRAY

 

WHEN YOU HAVE A Battle to Fight

There is no wisdom and no understanding

And no counsel against the LORD.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle,

But victory belongs to the LORD.

Proverbs 21:30-31

Father, haow greateful I am for Your protection, guidance, and strength. Thank you for being my Commander in Chief. Truly, there is no Defender, Warrior, or King like You-in heaven or on earth. Regardless of the enemies or challenges in my path, You easily overcome them. No matter the conflicts and trials I face, You are always triumphant. I am grateful for Your love and guidance.

   Lord, I recognize You observe the full battle before me and know exactly what to do. I also realize I perceive the conflict only in part-I see only what is immediately apparent. But You fight in ways that I can't even imagine, with both spiritual and physical armaments and strategies that are so much greater than my understanding or abilities. You are all-powerful and all-knowing, and everything is in Your presence. No one in heaven or on earth can help me more than You can. So I know I stand tallest and strongest when I am in submission to You. And I am safest as I walk in the center of Your will. Therefore, Father, You are my Leader, and I will follow you. I obey You, Lord, knowing there can be only one General deciding the battle plan.

   Father, help me not to become angry or defensive at those who attack, but to always be as forgiving and gracious as You are. Guard my lips, Lord. Help me always remember that so much of this battle is spiritual, and often people act as they do for reasons that are unknown even to themselves. My job is to obey You and represent You well. Thus, You call me to turn to You privately in prayer as conflicts arise-and not fight in public with words or actions. So that is what I will do, Father. Likewise, Lord, when I am hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, remind me of how vulnerable I am and that I need to take shelter in You. No matter what happens, I will not run away or give in to fear but will find my strength in You.

   Thank You for always being available and leading me to success regardless of the battle. Thank You for working through Your Holy Spirit to guide me strategically around the Enemy's traps, to empower me for the struggle, to overcome every obstacle, to heal my battle wounds, qnd to direct me to victory. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me and to others through this. Help me to wait on Your perfect timing, trust You every step of the way, and be willing to obey all You ask. To You be all glory, honor, power, and praise in every triumph.

   In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.

Stanley, Charles F. When You Don't Know WHAT TO PRAY. "When You Have a Battle to Fight." Zondervan, USA, 2021. pg 71-72,       This book includes 100 essential prayers for enduring life's storms. As I am using this as a devotional, God is revealing more areas that I am not even aware need confession and work. Thank you, Dr. Stanley.

Blessings for the New Year 2021

 

“…Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Return to Me,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘That I may return to you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”  Zechariah 1:3 NASB

 If we want peace with God, we must draw near to God, be obedient to His Word, and repent of our sin. The New Testament agrees: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). God judged Israel, not to vent His anger, but to bring the hearts of His people back to Him. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.     Stanley, Charles F. Life Principles Daily Bible. page 1611.

    6Continue the daily reading on page 1614, Never Give Up, Psalm 147:12-18. Winston Churchill, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister during World War II, included a now-famous quote in a speech to students of his former school. ‘Never give in ̶ never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty… Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.’

   As Christians, we are called to wait on God until He acts on our behalf. In order to resist the urge to give up, we must no focus on our circumstances; rather we must focus on the power of the very One who protects us.

   Speaking about Moses, Hebrews 11:27 says, ‘He endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.’ Moses consistently looked for God and His will. Standing on the shore of the Red Sea while the Egyptians prepared to attack, Moses clung to God’s promise of protection and called out, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord’ Ex. 14:13). God parted the sea and the Israelites escaped what seemed to be an impossible situation. Moses triumphed over many dangerous and difficult situations because he was committed to doing God’s work and was focused on the Lord.

   Psalm 147:12-15 tells us, ‘Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem. . . He has strengthened the bars of your gates: He has blessed your sons within you. He makes peace in your borders; He satisfies you with the best of the wheat. His sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly,..’ God strengthens us, protects us, and provides whatever we need to serve Him ̶ no matter how dire the situation may appear or how vulnerable we feel.

   Too often, believers are distracted by their circumstances. When the Lord’s will calls us to step out in faith, we sometimes falter. But a genuine commitment to God with no exceptions means nothing can induce us to give up.

   Our unchanging Lord never deserts His children; He encourages us to cast our cares on Him (Heb. 13:5, 8; 1 Pet. 5:7) and to remember that although we may not see Him, He is continually working out His will (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

   Even now He is answering you, Even now He is sending out His command, and His word is running very swiftly on your behalf. Therefore, remember His power and faithfulness whenever you are tempted to quit. Put your faith in Him, cling to His promises, and commit to Hs way. Never give up! 

    Zachariah 13:1, Life Lesson (page 1629), God often uses a fountain to picture Himself as our source of salvation. As a fountain, He overflows with mercy and grace. As a fountain, He refreshes. And as a fountain, His love must be individually taken in. Water brings life, and living water brings eternal life. God calls Himself our spring of living water (Jer. 2:13); the Spirit is a stream of living water in us (John 7:38, 39), and His living water is ours forever (Rev. 7:17)

The Gift of Prayer

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

New King James Version www.biblegateway.com 

Gift: a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.www.bing.com

Something offered to me, but I must accept it!

Have you sensed you want God’s guidance, but have no idea how to pray? In “The Gift of Prayer,” Dr. Stanley combines scripture and photography to acquaint the reader with down-to-earth direction.

In this brief review, I will only touch on one topic: praying for others. Has a friend or family member asked you to pray for them, however you have no idea what to say? Has God placed someone on your heart, you desire to pray for them, nevertheless you have no idea what is their issue?

Using the life-changing prayer found in Colossians 1:9-12, Dr. Stanley devotes the next seven pages to explain six parts of this prayer answering what is your responsibility and what is God’s responsibility. Each theme ends with a prayer. 

"Father, how grateful I am that I can talk to You about absolutely anything--including the needs of my family members, friends, coworkers, fellow believers, and acquaintances. I may not be able to help them, but I am thankful that through the awesome gift of prayer I can lift them up to You--and You can transform their lives in miraculous ways.
   You know who is on my heart right now, Father. I pray that this individual would be filled with the knowledge of Your will, would walk in a manner worthy of You, would bear fruit in every good work, would increase in the knowledge of You, and would be strengthened with all Your power and wisdom to stand against sin and embrace who You created him or her to be. I give thanks to You, Father, for this person's life. I know You formed this precious individual with great purposes in mind--even if this person is far from those plans right now. But with You, Father, there is always hope! Transform this situation in the way only You can.
   In Jesus' loving and life-changing name I pray. Amen." Page 128

After reading this 150 page book, I sensed encouragement, peacefulness, and calmness. Please read The Gift of Prayer and share your thoughts!!!     

Stanley, Charles F. The Gift of Prayer. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2019.

Praying God's Desires

Colossians 1:9-12

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

New King James Version (NKJV)https://www.biblegateway.com

   As Christians, we all long to make necessary changes in our life so we'll become more like Jesus. And we're also concerned about the spiritual growth of fellow believers - especially our loved ones. But trasformation doesn't come about by trying harder or putting Bible verses on sticky notes in hopes that family members will read them and shape up. The most powerful resource we have is prayer, and Paul has given us a pattern that is Christ-centered and specific.

   Too often, believers pray without giving much thought to what God wants to do in a person's life. Instead, we focus on our own ideas regarding what He should do. How much more effective our prayers would be if we prayed according to God's will by using His Word as our source for requests.

   The prayer from Colossians 1 focuses on the heavenly Father's desires for His children. When we go before the Lord and substitute our own name or the name of a friend or family member for "you" in versus 9 and 10, we are praying His specific will for that person. The Lord delights in responding to requests that someone be filled with knowledge of His will and walk in a manner pleasing to Him.

   However, we must be careful not to think of this prayer as a magic charm. It doesn't work that way. These godly qualities take time to develop in a life. And if we are praying these things for ourselves, we must avail ourselves of the means God has provided for our sanctification or transformation - namely, His Word. If we want to know and understand God's will, we should ask Him and search the Bible.

Stanley, Charles F. "Praying God's Desires." In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. InTouch.org: Atlanta. April 2019, page 9

"War Room: Prayer is a Powerful Weapon" by Chris Fabry, book review

Yes, War Room is fiction, yet bursting with truth! Miss Clara was fixing to sell her home and move in to an apartment her son had made for her. As a widow, she knew the heartache of a military family. Although Clara had no concept of military warfare, she did know another conflict. It is the battlefield for the human heart. With years of being on the front line of life, she knew real challenge and change happened deep in the soul. Enter Elizabeth, the realtor; Miss Clara becomes a mentor to Elizabeth.

After seeing the movie three times and reading the book, I will not give away the plot. Find this for yourself. My plan is to just highlight a few of my favorite narratives:

Page 105, Clara tells of family fights with no resolution. “I was fighting against my own marriage and my family. I tried for years to fix…I couldn’t…” answer, “Cause it’s not your job!...” Read the rest of the page to learn YOUR job

.

Page 123, Miss Clara was a prayer warrior. She had her own prayer closet. Prayer is not for her only; everyone has the power to talk with God.

Page 126, the purpose of prayer is not to get what we want. “Prayer changes the person who prays.” Clare presents family examples.

Page 127-128, “When we pray, we participate in what God is doing. He gets the glory, and we get the privilege of walking with Him, and in that process we are changed.” Philippians 2, “The goal of prayer is not to change God’s mind about what you want. The goal of pray is to change your own heart, to want what He wants, to the glory of God.”

Page 218, “His [God] goal is to make me holy, like His Son.”

Page 284, “If God knows everything and if He’s working out His will in the world, what’s the point [of prayer]?” Read the author’s answer!

Page 145, focus on the real enemy, “Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. And he is stealing your joy, killing your faith, and trying to destroy your family.”

Page 325-326, talking about the purpose of Jesus death, “He [God] snatched victory from the enemy and provided salvation for anyone who would call on the name of the Lord….”

So many narratives spoke to my heart, such as pages 107-108, 182, 202 feelings, 237, 267, 295, 302 Bartimaeus, 306 voices, and 311 God is our anchor. What words are speaking to YOUR heart? How about sending an email or contact me on Facebook, Selma Blackmon, we can share our thoughts.

War Room: Prayer is a Powerful Weapon.Chris Fabry novelized the motion picture by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick. The book is published by Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois.

Excellent book and movie! Recommend for every family. Purchase a copy and watch or read often!

The Way to Hear God Better

Matthew 17:5

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”    NIV Bible Gateway.com     

Our ability to hear the Lord is directly related to our relationship with Him. For example, without hearing the call to repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ, an unbeliever cannot become part of God's family Unless this vital step has been taken, nothing else God does or says to that person will make a difference.
   But what about believers? How does a Christian's closeness with God impact his or her listening? This is primarily an issue of identification. Once we receive Christ as Savior, then we certainly have salvation and are eternally secure in Him. But beyond that, God wants us to grow and mature in our faith.
   We grow in Christ by identifying ourselves more and more with Jesus. That continual process bings us closer to God. And so when we pray, we are not talking to some distant god out there somewhere. Instead, we are praying to a God who loves, sustains, and molds us into His own image.
   That changes how we approach Him, doesn't it? Instead of crawling face down before Him, mourning and wailing because of our sin and pleading for His mercies, we can come to Him boldly and joyfully assured that He loves us, forgives us, and rejoices in our prayers.
   When we have unimpeded fellowship with the Father, we definitely hear Him better. As we grow closer to Him, our spiritual hearing continues to improve. Through Jesus, we can have unimaginable clarity and intimacy in our two-way communication with almighty God. Let the Lord know that is your desire. 
Stanley, Charles F. "The Way to Hear God Better." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living September 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 15.
 

Your Perspective in Prayer

Psalm 95:6-8

⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
⁸ “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah [quarreling],
    as you did that day at Massah [testing] in the wilderness,    NIV    Bible Gateway.com        

 

 Why is it that two believers can pray about an issue and come away with completely different responses and attitudes? This has to do with their perspective.

   We each come to God with our own life experiences and expectations. If we want to hear His voice clearly, we must first address those things that affect how well we listen.

   OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. The Father speaks differently to the unsaved than He does to the Christians. And while neither God not the fundamentals of faith ever change, He does tailor His message to individual believers on the basis of their spiritual maturity and unique situations. So two people may hear dissimilar things because they are at different points on the journey.

   OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD IS. How we view the Lord changes the way we hear Him. For example, if you see God as a loving Father, you will hear His encouraging voice and accept His loving discipline. But if you see Him as harsh and demanding, then you may feel as though you can never live up to His expectations.

   OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD. If we come to the Lord with a proud nature, we will naturally not be inclined to hear his voice. However, if we come with a submissive nature, we will hear - and joyfully receive - His Word.

   God is still speaking in the world today. Stop and think about what there is in your own life that could get in the way of His message. What affects your ability or willingness to listen? Lay it out before the Lord today, and ask Him to break through the barriers.

Stanley, Charles F. "Your Perspective in Prayer." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living September 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 14.

   

The Powerful Practice of Fasting

Nehemiah 1

Nehemiah’s Prayer

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, ² Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

³ They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
⁴ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. ⁵ Then I said:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. ⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
⁸ “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, ⁹ but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
¹⁰ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. ¹¹ Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.   NIV Bible Gateway.com

Nehemiah's brother arrived from Judah with some bad news: The Israelites living in Jerusalem were in great trouble. After hearing about their plight, Nehemiah fasted and prayed to the Lord for several days. During this time, he discovered God wanted him to ask the king of Persia for help.

   Fasting is a spiritual discipline that helps us center our attention on the Lord and discover His will so we may act according to it. People fast in different ways: Some abstain from food while others refrain from various activities. The period of time can vary as well. But the focus in each case is to be the same - to seek God and know His will.

   When we deny ourselves in this way, several things happen. First, the Holy Spirit will enable us to set aside earthly matters. Relationships, work, and pleasure will take a lesser place in our mind as we concentrate on God and His purposes. Second, our attention will shift from ourselves to the Lord. Thinking will become clearer, and our ability to understand His plans will sharpen because we are not distracted by other things. Third, the Lord is probably going to do some spiritual housecleaning in our life. His Spirit will convict us of sinful atitudes or behaviors. Then, upon confession of our sin, we'll be forgiven and cleansed (1 John 1:9).

   When unexpected news greets us, we - like Nehemiah - may find our emotions in turmoil. He wisely sought God through fasting and prayer. This powerful practice can also help us to hear clearly from our heavenly Father, who knows the best way through every situation. 

Stanley, Charles F. "The Powerful Practice of Fasting." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living September 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 10.

Christ: The Key to Contentment

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.    NIV   Bible Gateway.com

   While in prison, Paul penned precious words about the sufficiency of Christ. We tend to attach the idea of contentment to beach vacation spots and mountain retreats, but the apostle wrote that we are not to be anxious anywhere or at any time because we have the Lord's peace.
   Contentment is the believer's birthright. Peace is part of the spiritual fruit that's ours when we trust in the Savior ( Gal. 5:22); it is an inward serenity that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7). Jesus lived through conflict with a sense of inner quiet, and because of His indwelling Spirit, that remarkable calm belongs to God's children, too. That is important because there are times when we come across a problem that has no earthly solution. In situations like those, we learn that self-sufficiency is a lie. We cannot cope alone, but Christ is all we need.
   Here is the flip side of the coin: "'There is no peace for the wicked,' says the Lord" (Isa. 48:22). Modern culture slaps the word wicked onto only the vilest actions and people, but God's definition is much broader. The wicked are those who willfully reject His right to forgive their sins and take Lordship over their life. If you are not a believer, you cannot experience true and lasting contentment.
   When we are born again (John 3:3-8), we become children of the living God and rightful heirs to every good thing He has to offer. This includes the deep inner peace and joy that can withstand any trial. What can man do to the one who belongs to the Lord (Heb. 13:6)? 
Stanley, Charles F, "Christ: The Key to Contentment," In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living September 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 27.

Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-1913) books on prayer

E.M. Bounds, a Civil War chaplain, knows the need and power of prayer!

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

E. M. Bounds (1835-1913), a Civil War chaplain born in Missouri and died in Georgia, lived prayer before writing. He did not pray to write better, he prayed to live a life pleasing to our heavenly Father. He saw the need for daily "pray without ceasing" prayer.

Power Through Prayer written to encourage ministers, encourages everyone! On page 38 the reader will find "Prayer freshens the heart... keeps it in tune with God and in sympathy with the people..." Chapter headings include:

• Our Sufficiency Is of God
• Talking to God for Men
• "Early Will I Seek Thee"
• What God Would Have

A few reminders from the last chapter."It is absolutely necessary for the preacher to pray. It is an absolute necessity that the preacher be prayed for." p 99
Paul continually asked for prayer:

• Romans 15:30
• Ephesians 6:18-19
• Colossians 4:3-4
• 1 Thessalonians 5:25
• 2 Corinthians 1:11
• 2 Thessalonians 3:2 

"He [Paul] impresses the Philippians that all his trials and opposition can be made subservient to the spread of the gospel by the efficiency of their prayers for him." p 104 The author concludes with "Let us pray ardently that God's promise to prayer may be more than realized." p 112

Read from E. M. Bounds: Books on Prayer (Public Domain). Thank you International House of Prayer and Mike Bickle!!!
Mike Bickle is the director of the International House of Prayer Missions Base of Kansas City, an evangelical missions organization based on 24/7 prayer with worship that is engaged in many evangelistic and inner city outreaches along with multiple justice initiatives, planting houses of prayer, and training missionaries.

The writings of Andrew Murray (1828-1917)

A few books penned by Andrew Murray

“Whosoever would be greatest among you, shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11)

Humility is nothing but the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all. Humility means the giving up of self and becoming perfect nothingness before God.

Gleanings from Humility by Andrew Murray

   “Whosoever would be greatest among you, shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11). Jesus simply taught us the blessed truth that there is nothing so divine and heavenly as being the servant and helper of all. The faithful servant who recognized his position finds a real pleasure in supplying the wants of the master or his guests. When we see that humility is something infinitely deeper than contrition, and accept it as our participation in the life of Jesus, we will begin to learn that it is our true nobility. We will begin to understand that being servants of all is the highest fulfillment of our destiny, as men created in the image of God. (pg. 7)

   Our purpose for being…”…Thou has created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11) (pg 9)

   Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of man. It is the root of every virtue.

   And so pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil. (pg 10) …evil can have no beginning but from pride, and no end but from humility. (pg 97)

   Humility is the only soil in which the graces root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure. Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others, it is the root of all, because it alone assumes the right attitude before God and allows Him as God to do all…. It is simply the sense of entire nothingness, which comes when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all. (pg 12)

   …the first and chief mark of the relationship of man with God, the secret of his blessedness, is the humility and nothingness which leaves God free to be all. (pg 13)

   It is from our pride we need, above everything, to be redeemed. (pg 16)

   Even as we need to look to the first Adam and his fall to know the power of the sin within us, we need to know well the Second Adam and His power to give within us a life of humility as real and abiding and overmastering as has been that of pride. We have our life from and in Christ…(pg 17)

   Christ found this life of entire self-renunciation, of absolute submission and dependence upon the Father’s will, to be one of perfect peace and joy. He lost nothing by giving everything to God…And because Christ had thus humbled Himself before God, and God was ever before Him, He found it possible to humble himself before men, too. He was able to be the Servant of all. His humility was simply the surrender of Himself to God, to allow the Father to do in Him what He pleased, no matter what men around might say of Him, or do to Him. (pg 23)

   He teaches us where true humility takes its rise and finds its strength-in the knowledge that it is God who works all in all, that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to be and to do nothing of ourselves. This is the life Christ came to reveal and to imparta life in God that comes through death to sin and self. (pg 24)

   “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” God wants us to believe that Jesus means this! We all know what the character of a faithful servant or slave implies. Devotion to the master’s interests, thoughtful study and care to please him, delight in his prosperity and honor and happiness. There are servants on earth in whom these dispositions have been seen, and to whom the name of servant has never been anything but a glory.

   To many of us it has been a new joy in the Christian life to know that we may yield ourselves as servants, as slaves to God, and to find that His service is our highest liberty, the liberty from sin and self. (pg 31)

   “He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20)

   The only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The insignificances of daily life are the importances and the tests of eternity because they prove what spirit really possesses us. (pg 44)

   The humble man seeks at all times to act on the rule, “In honor preferring one another; Serve one another; Each esteeming others better than himself; Submitting yourselves one to another.”(pg 46)

   Amid what are considered the temptations to impatience and touchiness, to hard thoughts and sharp words-which come from the failings and sins of fellow-Christians-the humble man carries the often repeated injunction in his heart, and shows it in his life: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). He has learned that in putting on the Lord Jesus he has put on the heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and long-suffering (Colossians 3:12). Jesus has taken the place of self, and it is not an Impossibility to forgive as Jesus forgave. (pg 47)

   May God teach us that our thoughts and words and feelings concerning our fellow-men are His test of our humility toward Him. May He teach us that our humility before Him is the only power that can enable us to be always humble with our fellow-men. Our humility must be the life of Christ, the Lamb of God, within us. (pg 56)

   It is not sin, but God’s grace showing a man and constantly reminding him what a sinner he was, that will keep him truly humble. (pg 64)

   Being occupied with self, even amid the deepest self-abhorrence, can never free us from self. It is the revelation of God, not only by the law condemning sin, but by His grace delivering from it, that will make us humble. (pg 65)

   Humility is simply the disposition which prepares the soul for living on trust. And every, even the most secret breathing of pride-in self-seeking, self-will, self-confidence, or self-exaltation-is just the strengthening of that self which cannot enter into the Kingdom or possess the things of the Kingdom, because it refuses to allow God to be what He is and must be-the all in all. (pg 68)

   “He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death: (Philippians 2:8)

   Humility is the path to death, because in death it gives the highest proof of its perfection. Humility is the blossom of which death to self is the perfect fruit. Jesus humbled Himself unto death and opened the path in which we too must walk. As there was no way for Him to prove His surrender to God to the very uttermost, or to give up and rise out of His human nature to the glory of the Father, but through death, so it is with us, too. Humility must lead us to die to self. We must prove how wholly we have given ourselves up to it and to God. Only thus are we freed from fallen nature and find the path that leads to life in God, to that full birth of the new nature of which humility is the breath and the joy. (pg 73)

   The death of Jesus, once and forever, is our death to self. And the ascension of Jesus, His entering once and forever into the Holiest, has given us the Holy Spirit to communicate to us in power, and make the power of the death-life our very own. (pg 77)

   Accept with gratitude everything that God allows from within or without, from friend or enemy, in nature or in grace, to rind you of your need of humbling, and to help you to it. (pg 90)

   May God teach us to believe that to be humble, to be nothing in His presence, is the highest attainment and the fullest blessing of the Christian life. He speaks to us: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15) Be this our destiny!