This is a picture of the oldest organised baptist Church in Scotland - Keiss Baptist Church in Caithness, the North of Scotland (taken by my wife).
I think it is amazing to think that a land laird started a Baptist Church in this small corner of Scotland over 250 years ago.
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It is good to know that when we come to God in prayer he can do far more than we think. Lets be expectant as we look to see what He will do!
Over the next month or so I am hoping to read the following books and will let you know about them when I get through them!
1)
Philip Yancey Does it make any difference?
2) Peter Greig/Dave Roberts Red Moon Rising (The Story of 24-7 Prayer)
"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon"
We often wonder how we can pray so often without being informed. But away of beginning to pray is listening to/watching the news. One of the countries that is coming alot at the moment is Lebannon.
Operational World has a focus on them...here
Psalm 130:6
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Do you ever come to the Lord in prayer feeling just out of the depths. We can feel out of the depths for many reasons: Illness, depression, homesickness, guilt etc. David, the psalm writer often writes out of these depths. Yesterday I posted psalm 130:5-6 as the verses for this week. In this Psalm, again David is writing out of the depths and this time it is from guilt. As he comes to wait upon the Lord, he has assurance there is forgiveness in him and he also had the hope of the Word.
"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."
2 Chronicles 7:14-15, the verses I have chosen for this past week are often used to encourage us to pray. There is a real condition here... If my people will do xyz then I will hear from heaven etc! The writer speaks about about a people who are called out by his name.
But what are these people to do?
1) humble themselves (to neither have high view or a low view but
a modest one!)
2) Pray & seek his face!
3) turn from wicked ways : Psalm 66: 18 says If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened . This really speaks about then importance about confessing our sins in prayer. But not only that to have a real life change.Prayer is about a conversation. This means for us too we need to listen and allow the Lord to mould and shape our lives and the lives of those around.
So what happen as The Lords people turn to him in prayer. He will forgive them! Not only that but Lord will be attentively listen to their prayer and be prepared to act upon it!
“To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.”
Billly Graham
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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
Our churches are dying - even for all that we try new ideas etc! We need to wait upon God to seek his will - in fact we need to get on our knees! Then once we have conversed with Him, we need to converse with one another and be prepared to submit to God and one another.
Another hymn which speaks about prayer is Father hear the prayer we offer; written by Love Marie Willis. I like the fact that the hymn writer acknowleges that there is up times and down times. Here is one of the verses:
Let our path be bright or dreary,
storm or sunshine be our share;
may our souls , in hope unweary,
make thy work our ceaseless prayer.
Love Marie Willis (1824-1908)
