Perseverance

Easy

Tell me that it’s easy,
To rise up each morning at the break of dawn
To set your knees in that spot in the mat
With the perfect grooves made from wear;
A testament to the consistency with which they carry
The weight of your desperation and dreams.

Tell me how you’ve gotten used to the familiar aches –
The pain of the strain of holding a position
That under different circumstances would be called corporal punishment;
Hands clasped underneath chin,
Elbows scraping the edge of the bed…
But none of these compare to the aches
That rampage in places the eye cannot see;
None of these compare to the screams that no ear hears –
None, except One.

Continue reading →

The Psalmist’s Desire

Lord, there’s a thirst in me that can only be quenched by You;
My soul yearns for You, like the deer pants for the water-brooks.
Every minute I spend away from You is a minute too long for comfort;
When will I find myself before You, my King?
As I wait night after night and day after day,
I’m compelled to feast on my tears shed from excessive longing.

My soul cries out from within me
Every time I lack awareness of Your presence –
Whenever I find myself asking where You are, Lord.
Because I remember, in times past (that seem so long ago)
How I used to go with the saints, and led them into Your presence
With such joy, and with praise on my lips, keeping my date with You.

Continue reading →
source: https://www.pathwaystogod.org/resources/biblical-models-prayer

Increase In Knowledge; Persevere In Prayer

The Scriptures are littered with God’s promises to His people, and they are also littered with the consequences of disobedience and sin. But it would seem upon observation that the consequences of disobedience are more pronounced and are executed more speedily than the promises and blessings are manifested. That would suggest that ‘The Accuser’ and his team take their tasks more seriously than most Christians do.

It is true that God rules, He sets the rules and He reigns; but most of the time, we seem to forget that the devil is not a very obedient entity, and obviously not a ‘law-abiding citizen’; if he was, he would not have rebelled in the first place, and there wouldn’t be such disorder in creation. He may be a defeated foe, but he is not powerless, and he has not suddenly become obedient. The fact that God has said, “Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm,” does not mean the devil will obediently leave you alone if you don’t know enough to stand upon that knowledge, and God knows this too; and that is why He has given us the provision of His Word, and the ability and tool of prayer, to contend against the devil and his team of experts.

Continue reading →